A catalogue may offer the 2011 series, a film retelling, the eleven-episode 2025 TV Edition, or a genuinely new continuation. This guide explains those choices without revealing the original ending or the sequel films’ major turns. Release and access information was checked on 23 October 2026, with US dates identified separately from Japan.
Start with the twelve-episode television series
For a first viewing, I recommend the 2011 series in its normal episode order. The official original-series story index runs from episode 1 to episode 12. Start at the beginning and finish that complete block before opening Rebellion. You do not need to insert a film, game animation or another character’s side story between its episodes.
The first episode gives a good reason to preserve that order. Madoka dreams of an unfamiliar girl, then meets a transfer student, Homura, who resembles her. The official synopsis presents Madoka’s uncertainty before explaining the connection. Letting the episodes develop that question is more useful than searching for a supposedly chronological arrangement of the characters’ histories. Such an arrangement would expose information the series deliberately holds back.
I prefer the series’ episodic introduction and clearly marked stopping points for a newcomer. If you have already finished the original twelve episodes, keep your place. The next main-story film is Rebellion; you have no missing recap obligation to discharge first.
Beginnings and Eternal lead to the same sequel route
The film-only order is Beginnings → Eternal → Rebellion → Walpurgisnacht Rising. Treat Beginnings and Eternal as a pair. The official film introduction describes the 2012 releases as a two-part re-edit of the television story and places Rebellion after them. The first film alone does not complete the foundation needed for the continuation.
Choose this route if you prefer to experience the original story in feature-length sessions or want a film-format return to it. Watching the series and then the recap pair can be worthwhile as a comparison of presentations, but that is an additional interest. It is not necessary preparation for understanding which story comes next. A numbered franchise list can make all the releases look cumulative even when two entries are alternatives.
Rebellion is the important change of function. Although it is often described as the third movie, it is the continuation after the original story rather than a third slice of that same retelling. The official site identifies Walpurgisnacht Rising as its direct sequel. Keep those two films in that order, whether your starting point was television or the recap pair.
The 2025 TV Edition retells the original story
An eleven-episode listing can still be a complete presentation. In its 20 August 2025 announcement, Aniplex says Beginnings and Eternal were reorganised into an eleven-episode television series. That edition began its Japanese broadcast on 12 October 2025. Its full title includes Beginnings/Eternal and TV Edition, which helps distinguish it from the original twelve-episode programme.
If you have completed all eleven episodes of that edition, you have watched another presentation of the original-story block. Continue to Rebellion rather than hunting for an absent twelfth episode under the 2025 title. Conversely, if your service lists the 2011 series with twelve episodes, do not drop the final episode just because a newer listing has eleven. Follow the complete edition you actually started.
There is a separate issue with older comparisons of streaming footage. A July 2025 production notice announced gradual standardisation of the existing TV series’ streamed video from 25 July. That notice does not turn the original series into the eleven-episode recut or establish which English-language service uses every particular shot. Check the full title and episode inventory first; an isolated visual difference is a poor way to identify your place in the story.
Watch Magia Record as a complete side story
Magia Record follows Iroha Tamaki and Kamihama City. Its official introduction begins with Iroha having forgotten the wish that made her a magical girl, while a rumour promises salvation in Kamihama. That gives the series a different central question and lead character. It is a good reason to explore the branch when its premise interests you, rather than treating it as homework before the main sequel films.
Keep its three parts together in release order. The official episode index lists Season 1 with 13 episodes, Season 2 with 8 episodes, and Final Season with 4 episodes. The official English site names Season 2 The Eve of Awakening and the final season Dawn of a Shallow Dream. The index also labels a Season 2 special separately; it is not an additional numbered ninth episode in the eight-episode season.
For a first franchise watch, I would leave this block until after the original Madoka story, and finish Rebellion first if your immediate aim is Walpurgisnacht Rising. That is a recommendation for keeping each narrative’s questions clear. There is no need to splice Iroha’s episodes into Madoka’s twelve-episode run. Recognising familiar names does not make the side story a missing season between the original ending and Rebellion.
The distinction becomes concrete early in Magia Record. Its official English episode 2 synopsis describes Iroha searching Kamihama for her younger sister, Ui, after remembering her wish. That is the investigation you are following when you begin this series. Use its own anime sequence to follow that investigation; a guide to the mobile game’s chapters serves a different medium and cannot replace the episode list.
Japan and the US have different Walpurgisnacht Rising dates
Walpurgisnacht Rising opened in Japan on 28 August 2026, the date displayed on the official Japanese site. Its Japanese release does not mean an English-speaking viewer can already stream it. Before opening that site’s Story section, be aware that it recounts major earlier-film revelations; you do not need to read it to use this viewing order.
For the US, the 8 October announcement from Aniplex of America and Fathom schedules theatrical screenings for 16–19 January 2027, in subtitled and English-dubbed formats. Tickets are scheduled to go on sale on 11 December 2026. Those are future US exhibition dates at the time of this check, rather than a worldwide release calendar.
The same announcement schedules the preceding three films for Crunchyroll on 8 November 2026 and Netflix on 2 January 2027. That trilogy is Beginnings, Eternal and Rebellion. These dates do not announce a streaming launch for Walpurgisnacht Rising itself. If you need to catch up, you can plan around the trilogy’s arrival while keeping the new film as a separate theatrical step.
Choose access after identifying the edition you need
As of 23 October, those announced trilogy streaming dates are still ahead. A US viewer who has finished the TV series needs access to Rebellion, not a second subscription merely to repeat the first story. A film-only newcomer needs both recap films as well. Checking the exact title you need before paying is more useful than assuming any service carrying the television series also carries every film.
There is also a physical option. The MediaOCD trilogy listing names Beginnings, Eternal and Rebellion on three 4K UHD discs, with an approximate combined runtime of 358 minutes. It lists Japanese audio with English subtitles and an English dub. Walpurgisnacht Rising is not part of that named three-film set, so buying the trilogy prepares you for the new film rather than purchasing it.
The same product listing says region free and limits shipping to countries in North, Central and South America. Region freedom does not remove the need for a 4K UHD-compatible player, and the seller’s shipping restriction is a separate purchase condition. Check your equipment and delivery destination before choosing the physical route.
For a broader subscription decision, our Crunchyroll and HIDIVE comparison examines household use and the specific shows that justify a service. If you are returning solely for the next Madoka film, start by finding Rebellion in your region. Choose Magia Record later for Iroha’s own investigation; its separate premise can then be the attraction rather than an obstacle to reaching the film you came for.
