Code Geass Watch Order: TV, Recap Films, Re;surrection and Rozé

For a first watch, start with Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, the first television season, and go straight on to R2. If you then want the newer story, watch the three compilation films, Lelouch of the Re;surrection and Rozé of the Recapture, in that order. Akito the Exiled is an optional side story that can wait until the two TV seasons are done.

The reason this needs a guide at all is that Code Geass now has two continuities. The 2019 film is not a sequel to the TV ending. It follows the recap films, which change events along the way, so skipping them breaks the later story.

Code Geass in recommended order

Order	Title	Format	Notes
1	Lelouch of the Rebellion	TV series (2006)	First season
2	Lelouch of the Rebellion R2	TV series (2008)	Second season; the two seasons total 50 episodes
3	Lelouch of the Rebellion I: Initiation	Film (Japan, October 2017)	Compilation
4	Lelouch of the Rebellion II: Transgression	Film (Japan, February 2018)	Compilation
5	Lelouch of the Rebellion III: Glorification	Film (Japan, May 2018)	Compilation
6	Lelouch of the Re;surrection	Film (Japan, February 2019)	Sequel to the three films, not to the TV ending
7	Rozé of the Recapture	Four theatrical parts (2024); 12 episodes on Disney+	Set some years after Re;surrection
Optional	Akito the Exiled	Five episodes (from 2012)	Side story set between the two TV seasons

Why the recap films come before Re;surrection

The three films opened in Japan in October 2017, February 2018 and May 2018. Anime News Network's report on the trilogy says they recap all 50 episodes of both series, that the cast re-recorded all their lines, and that the films include new scenes. They are compilations, but not straight re-edits of the broadcast.

That difference is the whole reason for the order. In ANN's review of Re;surrection, Richard Eisenbeis writes that the film is "not technically a sequel to the TV anime. Rather, it's a sequel to the Code Geass recap film trilogy that hit Japanese theaters from 2017 to 2018." He adds that most of the films' changes "are due to the cuts needed to trim 50 episodes into three films," but that the biggest change is one the new film depends on. We are not saying what it is; the review does, behind a spoiler warning for the whole TV series. Anime! Anime!'s June 2026 viewing guide describes Re;surrection the same way, as a sequel made for the theatrical continuity. Both pages name the change openly, so save them for after the TV series.

So even if you have already seen both TV seasons, watch the three films before Re;surrection. Going directly from R2 to the 2019 film means starting a story built on changes the TV series does not contain.

The TV ending is not overwritten

The split works in the other direction too. Eisenbeis wrote that Re;surrection "can be completely ignored with impunity thanks to its built in loophole; the whole thing takes place in the film canon, not the TV series timeline." If you finish R2 and want to stop there, the TV story is complete on its own terms. Our recommendation is to watch both seasons first even if you plan to continue: the trilogy is built as a compression of them, and the TV series is the version it compresses.

Where Akito the Exiled fits

ANN describes Akito the Exiled as "Set in between the two seasons of the original series during the Britannian invasion of Europe." Sunrise's catalog entry lists five episodes and opens its synopsis in "Europia 2017 ATB." The Anime! Anime! guide calls it an independent spinoff set in the period between the first season and R2, with little connection to the main story, and recommends watching it after the main series.

Chronologically, then, it sits between seasons one and two. It is not part of the films' chain, and nothing in the order above requires it. We agree with saving it for after R2, when it can be watched as a side story rather than a detour on the way to the second season.

Rozé of the Recapture: films or episodes?

Rozé of the Recapture is one story released in two shapes. ANN reported that its four parts opened in Japan on May 10, June 7, July 5 and August 2, 2024. Anime Hack, eiga.com's anime news site, reported that Disney+ would carry it as a 12-episode series, one episode a week from June 21, 2024. ANN's review of Part 1 notes that the first theatrical part is "a collection of three episodes rather than a self-contained film" and plays the opening and ending credits three times. Watch either version; you do not need both.

Anime! Anime! places the story some years after Re;surrection, in the year Kowa 7. The same ANN review says the first part "could technically be watched by someone with no knowledge of the original TV anime and still make sense," but that it "is designed for fans of the original." It belongs at the end of the list. A Japanese TV broadcast was announced to begin on July 10, 2026; Disney+ was the announced worldwide streamer, so check your own region's listing (checked October 7, 2026).

Before and after you watch

Our Code Geass quote pages and best Code Geass quotes are better read once you know the characters. The ending explained page discusses the end of R2 in full and is for after you finish.