The Best Dr. Stone Watch Order + Where to Watch

With all the hype surrounding the series finale of Dr. Stone coming this year, you may be settling in for a cozy rewatch (or diving into the anime for the first time!). Thankfully, finding the right watch order is simple—the release order is the best way to take in the series since it follows Senku and his friends in chronological order. We’ll break down exactly what order to watch each season and the specials below and dissect whether you can skip the specials or not. Plus, we’ll deliver a quick recap of each story arc so far and reveal when the final season 4 arc will premiere (and where to watch it).

How to Watch Dr. Stone in Order

The best way to watch Dr. Stone is in release order (which is also the chronological order). Here is the series in order, including the canon special Dr. Stone: Ryusui:

Dr. Stone (season 1) – 2019
Dr. Stone: Stone Wars (season 2) – 2021
Dr. Stone: Ryusui (special) – 2022
Dr. Stone: New World (season 3) – 2023
Dr. Stone: Science Future (season 4) – 2025 (ongoing)

Section 1 of 7:

Watching Dr. Stone in Release Order

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Release order is the best order to watch Dr. Stone for first-time viewers. Fortunately, Dr. Stone is laid out like a regular TV show, with each season building upon the storylines from the previous one. Here’s the best way to watch it in release order, including the canon special Dr. Stone: Ryusui and the recap special Dr. Stone: Eve of the Battle:^{[1]
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- Dr. Stone (season 1) – 2019
- Dr. Stone: Eve of the Battle (special) – 2020
- Dr. Stone: Stone Wars (season 2) – 2021
- Dr. Stone: Ryusui (special) – 2022
- Dr. Stone: New World (season 3) – 2023
- Dr. Stone: Science Future (season 4) – 2025 (ongoing)
Some anime series feature extensive flashbacks, time jumps, and complex alternate timelines that make watching them in chronological order a real challenge (even for repeat viewers). Thankfully, Dr. Stone’s release order is already in chronological order! No need to rearrange the seasons or specials.

Section 2 of 7:

Can you skip anything in Dr. Stone?

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Don’t skip Dr. Stone: Ryusui since it bridges seasons 2 and 3. This television special is canon and introduces Ryusui Nanami, a young sailor from the Pre-Stone World and a central character in season 3. While you can still enjoy season 3 without watching, seeing Dr. Stone: Ryusui first will help you understand the season better.^{[2]
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You can skip Dr. Stone: Eve of the Battle since it’s largely a season 1 recap. Unlike Dr. Stone: Ryusui, which introduces important new characters and plot points, Dr. Stone: Eve of the Battle is a special episode that recaps season 1. If you’re rewatching the series and want to save time, go ahead and watch it, but if you’ve already watched season 1, you can move on to season 2 without viewing Eve of the Battle.
- Dr. Stone fans on Reddit have pointed out that some new scenes and teasers for season 2 appear at the 18-minute mark in Eve of the Battle. If you want to make sure you see every last second of the show, then you may want to fast-forward to the last several minutes!

Section 3 of 7:

Dr. Stone Story Arcs Explained

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The introductory arc of the show introduces the hyper-intelligent teen protagonist Senku and his louder, less intelligent best friend Taiju. Together, they discover how to dissolve the stone that has petrified the entire world and make it their goal to rebuild human civilization.^{[3]
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Senku and Taiju revive Tsukasa, a very strong and morally dubious teen with his own ideas about how to restart humanity. Senku, Taiji, and their friend Yuzuriha have to decide how to deal with Tsukasa and escape with their lives.
Senku finds himself in a village of humans that grew up after the world was petrified. The locals aren’t a fan of his science-y ways, and Senku must win them over to gain allies (especially the warrior Kohaku and the sorcerer Chrome).
Senku must participate in the Village Games to find the ingredients he needs for the medicine that will save Ruri, the priestess of the village (and Kohaku’s sister).
This flashback arc reveals what happened to Earth after the petrification. We discover Senku’s genius adoptive father, the astronaut Byakuya, witnessed the petrification happen from space. When he returned to Earth, he and his team took steps to ensure humanity would survive.
Tsukasa has been busy establishing his own kingdom, the Empire of Might. He sends his right-hand man, Hyoga, to investigate Ishigami Village and stir up trouble. This is the beginning of what will become known as the Stone Wars.
The finale arc of season 1 shows Senku and Tsukasa preparing for war. The arc continues throughout season 2, Stone Wars.
The Communications Arc takes up all of season 2, which is only 11 episodes long. Senku creates a vast communications network and lures members of Tsukasa’s tribe to join him and his Kingdom of Science. However, a betrayal by an important member of the warring factions throws the fight into chaos and alters the course of the conflict.^{[4]
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In this special that bridges seasons 2 and 3, Senku discovers that the stone petrification of Earth happened on the opposite side of the planet from him. He and his team will need a boat to get there, so they revive and recruit Ryusui, the wealthy son of a businessman, to be their master ship captain.^{[5]
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Senku and his team run into trouble building their ship, Perseus, and have to create a new communication system and locate a vast oil field. They also discover a mysterious broadcast from the middle of the ocean that repeats the word “Why.”^{[6]
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The team discovers a new island full of new people, but are troubled to learn that the local minister Ibara wields the petrification device to control those who oppose him. With the potential to derail Senku’s mission, the team must come up with a way to survive Ibara’s scheming.
Senku and his team sail the Perseus to North America, where they hope to establish Corn City. The city will supply the corn-based alcohol they need for making revival fluid.^{[7]
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Chased by Stanley, Senku and the team flee to South America, where the first worldwide petrification event began.^{[8]
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Another worldwide petrification wave hits the Earth. Suika is the first human to awaken alone and must find a way to bring all of her friends back.^{[9]
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Section 4 of 7:

Where to Watch Dr. Stone

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Dr. Stone is available on Crunchyroll, Hulu, and Netflix. Thankfully, you have plenty of options when it comes to watchingDr. Stone! Shows come and go from streaming platforms all the time, but currently, the series is available to stream (subbed or dubbed) on Crunchyroll (all seasons), Hulu (seasons 1 and 2), and Netflix (seasons 1-3). You can also rent or buy episodes and seasons on platforms like Amazon Prime Video, Vudu, and Google Play.
- The current season, Dr. Stone: Science Future, is streaming exclusively on Crunchyroll.
- Seasons 1 through 3 are also available to buy on DVD and Blu-ray.

Section 5 of 7:

When will the final season air?

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The final arc of season 4 (Science Future) will debut in April 2026. Science Future will be the fourth and final season of the Dr. Stone franchise. It’s split into 3 “cours”, or 3-month broadcasting blocks that correspond to Japanese television blocks (winter, spring, summer, fall). The first 2 cours have already aired, and the third and final cour is set to begin with episode 25 (“Future Engine”) in April 2026.^{[10]
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Section 6 of 7:

Is the Dr. Stone mobile game canon?

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The game Dr. Stone: Battle Craft is not canon and doesn’t add to the story. The mobile game is a fun way to engage with the Dr. Stone franchise, but it’s not considered important to either the anime or the manga. It’s a strategy-based game where you can collect minerals, build villages, and battle against enemies, but you ultimately don’t gain any deeper insight into the plot.

Section 7 of 7:

More Anime Watch Orders

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If Dr. Stone has you wanting to watch more anime, we’ve got you covered. Jumping into a new anime series can seem intimidating at first (especially if it’s been around for a long time). Where do you begin when there are multiple television seasons, movies, OVAs, and special releases to watch? We’ve broken down some of the most popular anime franchises and the best watch orders for them here:
- Jujutsu Kaisen
- Fate
- Bleach
- Black Clover
- Steins;Gate
- The Seven Deadly Sins
- Gurren Lagann
- Initial D