Seven Deadly Sins Watch Order: The Complete Guide, Netflix Numbering Decoded & Four Knights Included
📅 June 21, 2026 · ⏱ 11 min read · ⚔️ 155+ Episodes Covered
Start Reading Fix the Netflix ConfusionSeven Deadly Sins has one of the most genuinely confusing watch orders in anime — not because the story is complicated, but because of how the seasons are numbered across different platforms. Netflix’s labelling of a 4-episode bridge mini-series as “Season 2” caused years of fan outrage, still confuses newcomers today, and most watch order guides either ignore it or bury it in a footnote.
This guide fixes that. You get a clean episode-by-episode watch order, a full decoder for the Netflix numbering disaster, the correct placement for all movies and OVAs, and complete coverage of the sequel series — Four Knights of the Apocalypse, Season 2 of which wrapped in December 2024.
Watch Season 1 → Signs of Holy War → Revival of Commandments → Prisoners of the Sky (optional) → Imperial Wrath of Gods → Dragon's Judgement → Cursed by Light → Four Knights S1 → Four Knights S2. The season numbers you see on Netflix do not match the real production order — see the decoder below.
The Recommended Watch Order (Full)
This is the cleanest, most complete path through the entire Seven Deadly Sins universe. We use real production titles throughout — not Netflix’s mislabelled numbers — so every entry is crystal clear.
Princess Elizabeth searches for the disbanded Seven Deadly Sins — legendary Holy Knights framed for treason — to save the Kingdom of Liones from the corrupt Great Holy Knights Hendrickson and Dreyfus. The origin story and the strongest season of the main series.
A short bridge mini-series set between Season 1 and Revival of the Commandments. Despite having only 4 episodes, it contains canon plot content — particularly foreshadowing about Meliodas and the Demon Clan — and should not be skipped. Netflix controversially labelled this “Season 2.”
Two bonus OVA episodes covering the Vaizel Festival arc with some extra character moments. Not essential but a fun extra for fans who want more of the original cast.
The Ten Commandments — an elite squad of demonic warriors serving the Demon King — are revived and begin terrorising Britannia. Meliodas’ dark past and the true nature of his curse begin to surface. The real Season 2 in production terms.
A standalone, non-canon adventure set in the Sky Kingdom where Meliodas and Hawk search for a sky fish. Fun as a one-off but contains zero plot relevance. Safe to skip entirely. If you want to watch it anyway, slot it here.
Humorous bonus episode adapting manga side chapters. Gives extra character development moments in a lighter tone. Worth watching if you want to take a breath between the heavier seasons.
The Holy War escalates as the demonic forces assault Britannia directly. This is the season where the Studio Deen animation switch happens — the story continues strongly but the visual quality drop is noticeable. Meliodas’ revival reaches a critical turning point.
The climactic finale of the original Seven Deadly Sins saga. The Sins face the Demon King himself in a battle that determines the fate of Britannia. Contains some of the franchise’s most memorable fights alongside its biggest revelations.
Unlike Prisoners of the Sky, this one is fully canon. Set after Dragon’s Judgement, it follows Tristan — the son of Meliodas and Elizabeth — as he discovers his conflicting powers as a child of both the demon and goddess clans. This film directly bridges the original series to Four Knights of the Apocalypse.
Set 16 years after the Holy War. A new boy named Percival discovers he is one of four knights prophesied to destroy the world, then sets out to find his missing father and understand his destiny. Tristan from Cursed by Light plays a key supporting role here.
Picks up directly where Season 1 left off, continuing Percival’s journey as the four prophesied knights begin to come together. Aired October to December 2024 in Japan and arrived on Netflix in January 2025.
The Netflix Season Numbering Disaster — Decoded
This is the single most confusing thing about starting Seven Deadly Sins, and almost no guide explains it as a dedicated section. Here’s exactly what happened and why your Netflix library looks nothing like any watch order guide you’ve found.
| Netflix Label | Real Title | Episodes | Is This Right? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | The Seven Deadly Sins | 24 | ✅ Correct |
| Season 2 | Signs of Holy War (bridge mini-series) | 4 | ⚠️ Mislabelled — this is NOT a full season |
| Season 3 | Revival of the Commandments (real S2) | 24 | ⚠️ Off by one because of above |
| Season 4 | Imperial Wrath of the Gods (real S3) | 24 | ⚠️ Off by one |
| Season 5 | Dragon’s Judgement (real S4) | 24 | ⚠️ Off by one |
Movies & OVAs: What to Watch and When
Seven Deadly Sins has two movies and several OVAs, and they are not all equal — one film is completely canon, the other is non-canon, and knowing which is which saves you real confusion.
Prisoners of the Sky (2018)
Non-canon. A standalone adventure set in a peaceful alternate timeline. It has no effect on the main plot whatsoever. Slot it after Revival of the Commandments if you want extra fun content, but skip it if you’re focused on the story.
Cursed by Light (2021)
Fully canon and important. Set after Dragon’s Judgement, it features Tristan Liones — Meliodas and Elizabeth’s son — and directly sets up Four Knights of the Apocalypse. Watch this before starting Four Knights, not after.
Vaizel Fight Festival OVA
Two bonus episodes covering a tournament arc. Fun character content but not essential to plot. Best watched between Season 1 and Signs of Holy War if you enjoy the cast.
Heroes’ Frolic OVA
A lighter, comedic OVA adapting manga side chapters. A good palate cleanser between heavier seasons. Best placed after Revival of the Commandments before the tonal shift in Imperial Wrath of the Gods.
The Studio Switch: Why Season 4 Looks So Different
If you’ve heard that Seven Deadly Sins has an animation quality problem, this is where it comes from — and it’s worth knowing about before you hit it rather than during.
Seasons 1–3: A-1 Pictures
The original three main seasons were produced by A-1 Pictures, known for other acclaimed series including Sword Art Online and Anohana. This version is widely considered the visual peak of the franchise.
Seasons 4–5: Studio Deen
Starting with Imperial Wrath of the Gods, production shifted to Studio Deen. The animation quality dropped noticeably — proportions became inconsistent, and fluid action scenes became rarer. The story itself remains strong throughout.
Four Knights: TMS Entertainment
The sequel series Four Knights of the Apocalypse moved to a third studio — TMS Entertainment — bringing a visible improvement in quality compared to the Studio Deen era, closer in feel to the A-1 Pictures seasons.
What This Means for You
Don’t let the quality dip in Seasons 4 and 5 make you quit. The Holy War arc’s story reaches its most satisfying conclusions in Dragon’s Judgement, and Four Knights rewards viewers who push through to it.
Four Knights of the Apocalypse: Everything You Need to Know
Four Knights is not a spinoff — it is a direct sequel series written by the original manga author Nakaba Suzuki, set in the same Britannia 16 years after the Holy War ends.
The New Protagonist
Percival, a cheerful boy raised in isolation on a remote mountain, discovers he is one of four knights prophesied to bring about the apocalypse. Nakaba Suzuki originally planned Tristan as protagonist but later created Percival specifically for this sequel.
Connection to the Original
Tristan — the son of Meliodas and Elizabeth from Cursed by Light — plays a major supporting role. Several other original characters appear, meaning callbacks hit harder if you’ve watched the complete original series.
Season 2 is Complete
Season 2 aired from October to December 2024 and arrived on Netflix in January 2025. It picks up directly from Season 1’s cliffhanger with no recap needed.
Manga Still Ongoing
The Four Knights manga had reached 26 volumes as of April 2026 and is still being serialised. No Season 3 announcement has been made yet, but with a strong manga buffer available, it remains a strong possibility.
Quick Reference Table: Every Entry in the Franchise
| Title | Type | Episodes | Year | Essential? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 (Netflix S1) | TV Series | 24 | 2014 | Must Watch |
| OVA: Vaizel Fight Festival | OVA | 2 | 2015 | Optional |
| Signs of Holy War (Netflix “S2”) | Bridge Arc | 4 | 2016 | Canon, Don’t Skip |
| Revival of Commandments (Netflix S3) | TV Series | 24 | 2018 | Must Watch |
| Movie 1: Prisoners of the Sky | Film | — | 2018 | Non-Canon, Skip |
| OVA: Heroes’ Frolic | OVA | 1 | 2018 | Optional |
| Imperial Wrath of Gods (Netflix S4) | TV Series | 24 | 2019 | Must Watch |
| Dragon’s Judgement (Netflix S5) | TV Series | 24 | 2021 | Must Watch |
| Movie 2: Cursed by Light | Film (Canon) | — | 2021 | Canon Bridge |
| Four Knights S1 | TV Series | 24 | 2023–2024 | Recommended |
| Four Knights S2 | TV Series | 12 | 2024 | Recommended |
Frequently Asked Questions
Final Verdict: What’s the Best Way to Watch Seven Deadly Sins?
For most viewers: watch the original series in release order using the real production titles from this guide rather than Netflix’s mislabelled season numbers, then move into Cursed by Light, then Four Knights of the Apocalypse.
Skip Prisoners of the Sky entirely unless you want extra content — it has zero plot impact. Don’t skip Signs of Holy War even though it’s only 4 episodes — the foreshadowing it contains for the Demon Clan pays off in Revival of the Commandments.
And when you hit the Studio Deen animation dip in Imperial Wrath of the Gods, stick with it. Dragon’s Judgement is the most emotionally satisfying conclusion the original series could have given its characters, and Four Knights of the Apocalypse is a genuinely strong follow-up that feels like a real evolution of the world.
Ready to Start Watching?
Bookmark this page — we’ll update it the moment a Four Knights Season 3 announcement is made. And if this guide helped, check out our other watch order guides below.
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