Steins;Gate is one of the best time-travel anime out there. The story is set in Akihabara, Japan and follows Rintaro Okabe, a self-proclaimed mad scientist who runs the Future Gadget Laboratory in an apartment with his friends. They create gadgets that have never been seen before, and their latest invention is the Phone Microwave, which can send text messages to the past. However, when they test it out, they find out that it has unexpected consequences.
As with any other series that delves into time travel, the plot of Steins;Gate can be confusing at times. If you want to watch it in the best way possible, here is the Steins;Gate watch order that will put everything chronologically for you.
Steins;Gate original series (episodes 1-22) (2011)
The original Steins;Gate anime series aired in 2011. After inventing a time machine, Rintaro and his friends accidentally change the course of history, leading to disastrous consequences. In order to fix the timeline, they must travel back in time and prevent the original accident from happening.
The episodes show viewers the consequences of time travel as well as the emotional impact it has on the characters. You should stop at episode 22, first, since you need to know what happens in the original timeline before you can understand the true ending.
Steins;Gate: Kyoukaimenjou no Missing Link – Divide by Zero (2015)
The next part of the franchise to watch is Kyoukaimenjou no Missing Link – Divide by Zero. This was a movie that was released in 2015 and it is essentially an alternate ending to the original Steins;Gate anime. It helps to further flesh out the story and improve upon the ending of the original anime.
In terms of story, this movie is a must watch as it changes up the ending of the original anime and gives more closure to the characters. In addition, it is simply a great movie that is very well made and worth watching regardless of whether or not you have seen the original Steins;Gate anime.
Steins; Gate 0 (2018)
Steins; Gate: Kyoukaimenjou no Missing Link – Divide by Zero also leads up to the events of Steins;Gate 0. It is a side story that focuses on Rintaro’s life after the events of the original Steins;Gate. It opens up with Rintaro in a coma, and his memories of Mayuri, Rintaro’s childhood friend and a member of the Future Gadget Laboratory, have been erased. The series then focuses on him trying to get them back while also uncovering the mysteries of what happened to him.
Steins;Gate original series (Episodes 23-24) (2011)
After Steins;Gate 0, we then circle back to the original series, specifically episodes 23 and 24. These two episodes form the climax of the original story and are essential for understanding everything that happens in Steins;Gate 0. It highlights the strength of the original series, and how it all comes together in the end. We won’t go into much detail to avoid spoilers if you haven’t seen it, but those who’ve finished the original series would know exactly what we’re talking about.
Steins;Gate: Egoistic Poriomania (2012)
In 2012, Steins;Gate: Egoistic Poriomania was released as an OVA. It is a side story that takes place after the events of the original series. It follows the members of the Future Gadget Lab as they support an acquaintance in an event in the United States. They meet up with Kurisu Makise, who has experienced recalling fragmented memories of the other worldlines (timelines) through dreams. This leads to her questioning Rintaro on whether the stuff she’s remembering really did happen to them.
Steins;Gate Movie: Load Region of Déjà vu (2013)
Lastly, the movie Steins;Gate: Load Region of Déjà vu is set a year after the events of the series. In it, we see Rintaro experiencing side effects from all the time-traveling he’s been doing. He has been seeing visions of other worldlines. Apparently, his Reading Steiner is being overloaded by all the memories of the worldlines that he’s been to. This causes him to fluctuate between his current worldline and the “R” world line. The film focuses on solving this anomaly.
(featured image: White Fox)
