Chainsaw Man: The Reze Arc movie, season 2, and watch order — the spoiler-free guide

Do you want to discover Chainsaw Man without getting lost between the series, the film, and the manga — and, above all, without getting spoiled? You are in the right place. Here is the exact order in which to watch everything, where each piece can actually be found in France today, what we officially know about season 2, and the specific volume to pick up the manga from depending on where you left off. A promise kept from start to finish: this article reveals neither plot twists nor the fate of any characters — only what you need to find your way.

The essentials in brief

• The order is simple: season 1 (12 episodes) → Reze Arc film → season 2 (upcoming).
• The series can be watched in France on Crunchyroll, both subbed and dubbed — it is neither on Netflix nor on Prime Video.
• The film was released in theaters in France on October 22, 2025; it has been available for digital purchase since February 2026, but is not yet available on subscription streaming.
• Season 2 is official since Jump Festa in December 2025 and is being handled by the same studio — but no release date has been announced to date.
• The manga has about twenty volumes in French; its second part concluded in Japan in March 2026, and a sequel has been hinted at.
• Where to resume reading: at volume 5 after season 1, at volume 7 after the film.
• This page is updated as soon as an official announcement is made — last check: August 2026.

Table of Contents

• 1. Season 2: date, announcements, what is official
• 2. How many episodes does season 2 have?
• 3. When will season 3 be released?
• 4. In what order should you watch Chainsaw Man?
• 5. Where can you watch the series in France?
• 6. The Reze Arc film: cinema, VOD, streaming
• 7. The manga: which chapter to resume from?
• 8. The faces of season 1 (no spoilers)
• 9. Frequently Asked Questions
• 10. For more information

Chainsaw Man season 2: release date and what is official

Status as of September 11, 2026: Chainsaw Man season 2 is officially announced and in production, but no release date has been communicated. Regarding season 2, one reads everything and its opposite. So let's set the rule for this section: only what has been officially announced, without extrapolation disguised as news.

What more can be said without betraying our rule? Two things. First, the choice of the adapted arc is excellent news: without revealing anything, it is a part of the manga renowned for its mix of unbridled action and new, colorful faces — volumes 7 to 9, for those who would like to get a head start on reading. Second, regarding the schedule, the specialized press agrees on a range of late 2026 – 2027, given the studio's production pace and the recent release of the film. As long as nothing is signed, consider any specific date encountered elsewhere as speculation.

A piece of friendly advice for what's next: beware of trailers and social media threads in the weeks leading up to the launch. The arc in question holds surprises that manga fans love — and love to spoil. The day the date is announced, this page will be updated; until then, the safest, spoiler-free path remains reading the manga itself.

How to wait intelligently? Four simple steps. One: rewatch season 1 and then the film right after — the continuous flow changes the perception of both, and five hours plus a film is a well-spent weekend. Two: if the wait is weighing on you, get ahead by reading the manga (volumes 7 to 9, we return to this below) — it is the only "leak" that spoils nothing since it is the work itself. Three: on social media, mute the license's keywords in your filters the day the promotion starts; since the manga is finished in Japan, the proportion of internet users capable of spoiling everything has never been higher. Four: keep this page bookmarked — it will say "the date has arrived" without ever saying what awaits you.

How many episodes does Chainsaw Man season 2 have?

As of September 11, 2026, no number of episodes has been announced for season 2. The studio has communicated the title, the arc being adapted, and the production team, but neither the format nor the broadcast date. Here is what is verifiable, then what these figures allow us to anticipate — the two are separated, and the latter is not news.

First benchmark: the adapted arc consists of eighteen chapters. That is short material compared to the thirty-eight chapters swallowed by the first season. An arc of this size lends itself just as well to a dense half-season as to a full season that takes its time — and the difference here depends on an editorial choice by the studio, not an arithmetic constraint.

Second benchmark: the standard format for Japanese broadcasting. An anime season is organized into cours: a block of about three months, one episode per week, or twelve to thirteen episodes. Season 1 fit exactly into this mold. It is the default format for a simulcast series, and the one toward which the specialized press's estimates lean — without any of them being based on an announcement.

Third benchmark: the density of adaptation. Season 1 covered thirty-eight chapters in twelve episodes, or a little more than three chapters per episode. At the same pace, eighteen chapters would fit into six episodes; in a full twelve-episode cours, the adaptation would have twice as much room per chapter as the first season. This calculation says what is possible, not what has been decided: the film itself took thirteen chapters for a single feature film.

What we will not do is suggest a figure. Pages that display "12 episodes" today present a common-sense hypothesis as data — it's consistent, but it's not official. The day the format is communicated, this page will say it, with the date of the announcement, just as it already does for the release date.

When will Chainsaw Man season 3 be released?

Nothing. No announcement, no teasing, no window. And that's logical: season 2 doesn't even have a date yet, and the industry standard is to only make the sequel official once the current season has aired — often following its finale. The manga offers plenty of material for several more seasons: the only real question is the schedule, not the content. If a season 3 is announced one day, you will find it here — no need to refresh the rumors until then.

In what order should you watch Chainsaw Man?

Good news for newcomers: unlike other licenses that pile up non-continuity films, special episodes, and spin-offs, Chainsaw Man follows a straight line. Everything that exists in animation belongs to the same story, adapted in the order of Tatsuki Fujimoto's manga.

The watch order is therefore as follows:

The important point — and many get caught out: the film is not a bonus episode, it is the canonical sequel to season 1. The series ends at the conclusion of the so-called "Katana Man" arc; the feature film picks up exactly there, a few days later in the chronology, and the future season 2 will follow after the film. Skipping the film means skipping an entire chapter of the story — one of the most appreciated by manga readers, to boot.

Three classic mistakes to avoid, observed in almost all newcomers. The first: waiting for season 2 to "watch everything at once," thinking the film is optional — you now know it is not. The second: starting with the film because it is more recent and shorter; the experience works, but it deprives you of the best emotional buildup of season 1. The third, more insidious: going to "just check one thing" on a fan wiki between viewings. Fan encyclopedias are written by manga readers, for manga readers — the slightest character page might casually recount events that the anime won't adapt for years. If you value the surprise, stay here: this page is designed to be your risk-free memo.

Can you watch the film without having seen season 1? Technically yes: the film's plot is tight enough to be followed on its own, and the studio designed its opening to draw in new viewers. But you would lose the essence of what makes the license's flavor: the attachment to the characters, the dark humor of the team's daily life, and the weight of certain scenes that only matter if you know Denji's life beforehand. Our advice is unambiguous: 12 episodes first, the film after.

Where can you watch the series in France?

The answer is one word: Crunchyroll. The platform holds the exclusivity of the series in France — the 12 episodes of season 1 are available there in Japanese with French subtitles as well as in French dubbing, and that is also where season 2 will be broadcast in simulcast (each episode uploaded following its Japanese broadcast), as was the case for the first season.

In other words, no need to look elsewhere: Chainsaw Man is neither on Netflix, nor on Prime Video, nor on Disney+ in France. It is a matter of rights, not an oversight — some licenses are subject to multi-platform agreements, but this one is locked by Crunchyroll in our territory. If you see the series appear on a third-party, unofficial site, you know the drill: dubious quality, approximate subtitles, and not a cent for the teams who make the anime.

A detail that matters for newcomers: season 1 is very binge-able — twelve episodes of about twenty minutes, for a total of less than five hours. It is one of the rare modern big shonen that you can catch up on in a weekend before going to see the rest, and that is exactly what we advise you to do before the film.

Regarding languages, you have the full choice: subbed (VOSTFR) for the original Japanese vocal performance — spectacular in this series, where the actors really let loose —, or the full French dub, available on all twelve episodes, if you prefer to keep your eyes on the image rather than the subtitles. For season 2, expect the platform's usual pattern: the subtitled simulcast first, episode by episode, then the French dubbing following a few weeks behind. In other words, the most impatient will watch in subbed on day one, and the dub fans will have their version shortly after — no one gets left behind.

The Reze Arc film: cinema, VOD, streaming — the French path explained

This is THE question that comes up the most, and for good reason: the film's path in France follows rules that few sites take the trouble to explain. Let's recap properly.

The film was released in theaters in France on October 22, 2025, one month after Japan, and had one of the best starts of the year for a Japanese animated film. If you missed it in theaters, here is what the schedule says:

• Digital purchase and rental (VOD): available since February 2026 on the usual purchase platforms. This is currently the legal way to watch it at home.
• Subscription streaming (like Crunchyroll or Netflix): not before late 2026 at the earliest, more likely sometime in 2027.

Why so late? Because of the media chronology, this French rule that sets the order and timelines for the exploitation of a film released in theaters: first the cinema, then video for purchase a few months later, then paid channels, and only then subscription streaming platforms — with windows measured in months or even years depending on the platform. It is the same mechanism that makes you wait for superhero films or recent Ghibli movies. Many sites confuse "available on VOD" and "available on streaming": as of August 2026, you can buy the film, but not watch it via a subscription.

Should you wait for it to continue the story? If you are the patient type, yes — the order will remain the same in a year. But if season 2 arrives before the film is available on subscription, digital purchase will be the only way to be up to date at the moment of launch. It's up to you what your curiosity can endure.

One question remains that many ask: why a film, and not just a season 2 that would have linked everything? The answer lies in the source material. The arc adapted by the feature film is one of the shortest in the manga — barely fifteen chapters, which is too little to fill a television season, but exactly the caliber for a one-hour and forty-minute story, with a tone and setting unity that lends itself magnificently to it. The studio saw the opportunity to offer this arc, which is loved by readers, a big-screen setting: animation more polished than on television, staging designed for the theater, and a top-notch soundtrack. Fans who have seen it will tell you: it's not a "lengthened episode," it's a real film — and the best argument possible for respecting the watch order.

The manga: which chapter to resume from after the anime or the film?

Did you like the anime and want the rest without waiting for season 2? That is exactly what the manga is for. State of play in 2026, still spoiler-free.

Chainsaw Man is divided into two major parts (and soon more). The first part — which the anime adapts — concluded in Japan in 2020 with chapter 97, or the first eleven volumes. The second part, launched in 2022 as a weekly digital publication, concluded in Japan on March 25, 2026. The author and their publisher have already mentioned a sequel — without a date or details. In French, the series has around twenty volumes published (21 at last count, while Japan has 23 total), released at a regular pace.

Now, for the practical question: which volume should you pick up based on your situation?

• You have seen season 1: pick up from volume 5. The series ends right in the middle of this volume; you will re-read a few scenes from the finale, which is more of a pleasure than a chore, and then move on to the story of the film — so avoid this if you prefer to keep the film a surprise.
• You have seen season 1 AND the film: pick up from volume 7. The film largely adapts volumes 6 and 7; volume 7 starts the next arc — specifically the one that season 2 will adapt. Reading volumes 7 to 9 puts you one season ahead.
• You don't want to read anything before the anime: that is a respectable choice — just bookmark this page to keep track of the schedule.

A word on the reading experience for those who are hesitant: Fujimoto's art style is rawer than the anime, closer to exploitation cinema than a polished blockbuster — many readers prefer it. And the second part changes its register significantly, becoming stranger and more intimate. We won't tell you more: that's the whole point.

Anime or manga, which should you choose if you could only keep one? A trick question: they don't offer the same experience. The adaptation bets everything on movement, color, and sound — action sequences choreographed to the millisecond, cinematic photography, and iconic opening themes. The manga, meanwhile, plays the opposite card: dry black and white, independent film-style framing, and silences that animation inevitably fills. The most famous moments in the series exist in both mediums, and fan debates over the "best version" of any given scene have been going on since 2022 without a winner. Our position as readers: start with the anime for the immersion, continue with the manga for the head start and the depth — and you will get the best of both worlds without sacrificing anything.

The exact correspondence in chapters. This is the question that comes up most often after the film: most guides reason in volumes, whereas the manga is read in numbered chapters. Here are both at once.

Chapter 53 is therefore the right starting point if you are coming from the cinema: it opens exactly at the arc that season 2 will adapt, without spoiling anything you have just seen.

The faces of season 1, presented without spoiling anything

It is impossible to talk about Chainsaw Man without introducing its cast — and it is unnecessary to reveal their secrets to make you interested. If the series established itself so quickly, it isn't just for its fights: it's because its motley crew of the Public Safety Division is one of the most endearing in modern shōnen, written with a rare mix of trivial comedy and quiet melancholy. Here are the five figures you will cross paths with in season 1 and the film, described only by what the first episodes show of them — not a word more.

Denji, the boy with the ripcord

An orphan riddled with his father's debts, Denji survives by hunting demons for creditors who bleed him dry. His only wealth: Pochita, a small motor-companion whose friendship is worth all the treasures. When Public Safety recruits him, this starving kid suddenly discovers his wildest dreams: eating his fill, sleeping somewhere warm — and perhaps, one day, touching a girl's heart. Denji is the most down-to-earth shōnen hero of his generation, and that is precisely what makes him irresistible. His design runs through our Chainsaw Man phone case collection, from the Denji & Power case to the 14cm Denji figure.

Power, the horned tornado

Denji's teammate, Power, is a force of nature combined with cosmic bad faith: a pathological liar and professional slacker, she claims credit for everyone else's victories and avoids every chore. She is also, toward her cat Meowy, loyal in a way that suggests something else lies beneath the racket. Power has become one of the most beloved characters in modern anime — the comedic duo she forms with Denji carries half of season 1. Find her on the Power and her Cat case, the Power with a Tie case, or the 10cm Power & Meowy chibi figure.

Aki Hayakawa, the elder with the topknot

Where Denji and Power sow chaos, Aki reaps. An experienced Public Safety hunter, always immaculately dressed, he manages the duo with the patience of an older brother who asked for nothing. His katana, his contracts — including the spectacular one that summons a spectral fox — and his rigor hide a past that the series reveals in touches, which we will let you discover. He is the quiet heart of the team. His signature invocation adorns the Aki and the Fox Devil case, and the complete trio can be found on the Trio case.

Makima, the boss with amber eyes

She is the one who recruits Denji, and it is around her that all of Public Safety gravitates. Elegant, with a calm that is never shaken, Makima directs her teams with a gentleness that cannot be questioned — and a look in her ringed irises that you won't forget once you've met them. Who is she really? Season 1 drips clues to the reader, and we won't say a word more. Her magnetic aura makes her one of the most requested designs in the license: the Makima, the Gaze case, the Locket Eye case, or the imposing 35cm Makima figure do her justice. You can also find her sitting on her stool, in her Public Safety uniform, and in a significantly less formal bunny girl version.

Reze, the meeting in the film

She doesn't appear in season 1: Reze is the heart of the feature film, and the reason it bears her name. A waitress in a cafe where Denji takes refuge one rainy evening, she is everything he has never known: gentle, attentive, funny — the first summer of the life of a boy who was never allowed to experience one. We'll stop there: the film deserves to be discovered unspoiled by any information. Just know that manga readers consider this arc one of the highlights of the series. Our department gives her plenty of space, from the very recent Reze, the Daisy case to the Reze, Summer case, and the Reze in an Evening Gown figure.

While waiting for the date of the Assassins arc, our top anime 2026 follows what is coming out this year, season by season, and what still has no date.

Source: the official Chainsaw Man anime portal for broadcast announcements.

Frequently Asked Questions