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Adapted from Kazue Kato's 2009 dark fantasy manga of the same name, Blue Exorcist is an anime series that premiered in October 2011. It tells the story of a teenage boy named Rin Okumura, who discovers he is the son of Satan. After the death of his guardian Father Fujimoto, Rin is determined to become an exorcist to take down Satan once and for all.

As an anime series, it is known for its supernatural themes, epic fights, and sympathetic characters. It has drawn favorable comparisons to similar action-adventure anime series such as Fullmetal Alchemist and Bleach. However, it has also been known to confuse some viewers due to plot discrepancies between season 1 and season 2.

After going on hiatus, Blue Exorcist returned in January with its third season known as the Shinmane Illumanti Saga, which concluded in March 2024. In addition, a fourth season known as the Beyond the Snow Saga debuted in October 2024. The fourth season of Blue Exorcist will also adapt the Blue Night Saga from the manga starting in January 2025.

How to watch Blue Exorcist in release order

As far as the release order of Blue Exorcist goes, it is very short and simple. It consists of four seasons and a movie, which includes the following:

• Blue Exorcist season 1 (2011)
• Blue Exorcist: The Movie (2012)
• Blue Exorcist season 2: Kyoto Saga (2017)
• Blue Exorcist season 3: Shinmane Illumanti (2024)
• Blue Exorcist season 4: Beyond the Snow Saga / The Blue Night Saga (2024-2025)

How to watch Blue Exorcist in chronological order

If you want to watch Blue Exorcist in chronological order, this is where things deviate a bit. Due to the events of season 2 picking up in the middle of season 1, you can ignore season 1 episodes 16-25 and move onto season 2. A more detailed explanation can be seen below:

• Blue Exorcist Season 1 (2011) Episodes 2-15
• Blue Exorcist: The Movie (2012)- takes place during season 1 but features an original story unrelated to season 1
• Blue Exorcist Season 2- Kyoto Saga (2017)
• Blue Exorcist Season 3- Shimane Illuminati Saga (2024)
• Blue Exorcist Season 4- Beyond the Snow Saga / The Blue Night Saga (2024-2025)

Where Can I Watch Blue Exorcist?

Currently, you can stream Blue Exoricist season 1 on Hulu and all seasons of Blue Exorcist on Crunchyroll. You can also physically purchase Blue Exorcist on DVD via Amazon, the official Blue Exorcist anime website, or anywhere DVDs are sold. You can also purchase Blue Exorcist The Movie anywhere DVDs are sold.

Why is Blue Exorcist season 2 different?

The reason that Blue Exorcist season 2 is different is because the anime series went in a different direction for the storyline after season 1. While season 1 was a loose adaptation of the manga series that featured its own storyline, season 2 is a straightforward manga adaptation that takes place after episode 15 of season 1.

Is Blue Exorcist season 2 a sequel?

Blue Exorcist season 2 is complicated. Since season 2's storyline has a brand new story arc, it can technically be considered a sequel. However, because it also takes place after season 1 episode 15 of the series, it can also be considered a remix of that season.

Is the Blue Exorcist anime series finished?

As mentioned earlier, a fourth season of Blue Exorcist called the Beyond the Snow Saga debuted October 2024 exclusively on Crunchyroll. This will lead directly onto the next arc of the manga, The Blue Night Saga, which will air in January 2025, also on Crunchyroll.

Each week, Trent Cannon runs down the latest and, dare we say "greatest," in anime and manga in Popverse Jump. Some recent columns have included... 

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