Watch order
How to watch Initial D in order.
Every Initial D season, movie and special, in the order it was released. Tick entries off as you watch. Your progress stays in this browser.
- 16 entries
- 6 in the main story
- 47 hours total
Initial D viewing order
Main story in release order
- Initial D First Stage (TV, 1998, 26 episodes)
- Initial D Second Stage (TV, 1999, 13 episodes)
- Initial D Third Stage (Movie, 2001)
- Initial D Fourth Stage (TV, 2004, 24 episodes)
- Initial D Fifth Stage (TV, 2012, 14 episodes)
- Initial D Final Stage (TV, 2014, 4 episodes)
0 of 16 watched1 d 23 h left
Initial D First Stage
Initial D Second Stage
Initial D Third Stage
Initial D Extra Stage
Initial D Battle Stage
Initial D: Project D to the Next Stage - Project D e Mukete
Initial D Fourth Stage
Initial D Battle Stage 2
Initial D Extra Stage 2
Initial D Fifth Stage
Initial D Final Stage
Initial D Legend 1 Awakening
New Initial D Movie: Legend 1 - Kakusei
Initial D Legend 2 Racer
New Initial D Movie: Legend 2 - Tousou
Initial D Legend 3: Dream
New Initial D Movie: Legend 3 - Mugen
Initial D Battle Stage 3
New Initial D Movie: Battle Digest
Initial D at a glance
| Type | Entries | Episodes | Watch time |
|---|---|---|---|
| OVA | 6 | 7 | 6 h 20 min |
| TV | 5 | 81 | 1 d 10 h 43 min |
| Movie | 4 | 4 | 4 h 47 min |
| Special | 1 | 1 | 1 h 10 min |
| Total | 16 | 93 | 1 d 23 h |
Just the films? See Initial D movies in order.
Where the movies, OVAs and specials fit
Extras are placed by premiere date. “Premiered during” names the TV series that had most recently started, so watch it up to that point first. Main-story extras are linked as sequels or prequels; side stories are optional; recaps retell episodes you have already seen.
| Entry | Type | Premiered | Premiered during | Watch it? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial D Third Stage | Movie | 2001 | Initial D Second Stage | Main story |
| Initial D Extra Stage | OVA | 2001 | Initial D Second Stage | Optional side story |
| Initial D Battle Stage | OVA | 2002 | Initial D Second Stage | Optional recap |
| Initial D: Project D to the Next Stage - Project D e Mukete | Special | 2003 | Initial D Second Stage | Optional recap |
| Initial D Battle Stage 2 | OVA | 2007 | Initial D Fourth Stage | Optional recap |
| Initial D Extra Stage 2 | OVA | 2008 | Initial D Fourth Stage | Optional side story |
| Initial D Legend 1 Awakening | Movie | 2014 | Initial D Final Stage | Optional recap |
| Initial D Legend 2 Racer | Movie | 2015 | Initial D Final Stage | Optional side story |
| Initial D Legend 3: Dream | Movie | 2016 | Initial D Final Stage | Optional side story |
| Initial D Battle Stage 3 | OVA | 2021 | Initial D Final Stage | Optional recap |
| New Initial D Movie: Battle Digest | OVA | 2022 | Initial D Final Stage | Optional recap |
Initial D by the numbers
Start with Initial D First Stage (1998), 26 episodes. The main story is 5 TV series and 1 movie in release order, about 36.5 hours in total. The other 10 entries (4 side stories and 6 recaps) can be skipped on a first watch, which saves 10.6 hours.
The franchise spans 1998 (Initial D First Stage) to 2022 (New Initial D Movie: Battle Digest). At 47 hours, it is longer than 76% of the 147 franchise guides on AnimeSparks. At 2 hours a day, everything takes about 24 days and the main story about 19 days.
Initial D First Stage (1998) is animated by Gallop and Studio Comet, adapted from a manga and tagged action and drama. On MyAnimeList it averages 8.37 and ranks 605th by popularity.
| Main-story entries | 6 of 16 |
|---|---|
| Side stories | 4 |
| Recap entries | 6 |
| Release span | 1998–2022 (24 years) |
| Longest entry | Initial D First Stage (10 h 50 min) |
| Main story share of watch time | 78% |
| Days at 2 hours a day | 24 (everything) · 19 (main story) |
Frequently asked questions
Where should I start with Initial D?
Start with Initial D First Stage (1998), the first main-story entry in release order. 5 main-story entries follow.
How long does it take to watch all of Initial D?
About 47 hours (93 episodes) for all 16 entries, or 36.5 hours for the main story alone. At 2 hours a day that is roughly 24 days.
Do I need to watch the side stories and recaps in Initial D?
No. Of 16 entries, 6 are main story. The other 10 4 are side stories and 6 are recaps, so skipping them loses no main plot.
How this list is built
Entries are gathered from MyAnimeList’s sequel, prequel, side-story and summary links, starting from Initial D First Stage. They are then sorted by original premiere date. Main-story entries are joined by sequel and prequel links. Everything else is marked as a side story or recap so you can skip it.
Watch time uses each entry’s listed runtime. Ongoing series count only the episodes aired so far, and unannounced entries count as zero until they premiere.
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Relations, air dates and runtimes: MyAnimeList via the Tenrai API · refreshed October 20, 2026.