Fairy Tail is one of those franchises everyone has heard of and nobody can quite tell you where to start — 300-plus TV episodes across four runs, plus a sequel series airing right now. Here's the clean version: the watch order, where each part streams, and what SenpaiRanks' voters actually think of it, split into the two numbers a single MAL score won't give you.
Quick answer
Fairy Tail (Hiro Mashima's guild-of-wizards shonen) runs in four TV blocks — the original 2009–2013 series, the 2014–2016 continuation, the 2018 Final Series, and the ongoing sequel Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest (J.C. Staff). According to SenpaiRanks, the 2014 run scores highest at Consensus 7.78, with the Final Series at 7.71 and the original at 7.61. The whole franchise streams on Crunchyroll (sub and dub) in most regions. Watch order = release order.
The watch order
You do not need to overthink this — Fairy Tail is meant to be watched in release order, and each block picks up where the last left off.
1. Fairy Tail (2009–2013) — Consensus 7.61
The original 175-episode run by A-1 Pictures and Satelight. This is the foundation: Natsu, Lucy, and the loudest guild in Fiore. Streams on Crunchyroll.
2. Fairy Tail (2014–2016) — Consensus 7.78
The continuation, and the highest-rated block on SenpaiRanks. This is where the arcs get bigger and the payoff starts landing.
3. Fairy Tail: Final Series (2018) — Consensus 7.71
The 51-episode finale that adapts the manga's ending — the Alvarez war. Closes the original story.
4. Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest — Consensus 7.10
The sequel, now animated by J.C. Staff, following Natsu's team on the continent's oldest unfinished job. Start it only after the Final Series.
Is Fairy Tail actually good?
Depends who's grading. IMDb's general-audience star average flattens it into "fun fantasy show." SenpaiRanks' anime-native voters are more precise: a mid-to-high-7s Consensus across the board means it is broadly well-liked without being a top-tier prestige pick — a comfort-food battle shonen with real emotional highs and some pacing sag. If you like guild-family stakes and big power-of-friendship swings, it lands. If you want tight, economical storytelling, the filler will test you.
For more like it, our best shonen anime ranking, best fantasy anime ranking, and best action anime ranking all overlap with Fairy Tail's lane. Watched it already? Rate it on SenpaiRanks — your score moves where the franchise sits on the fantasy board.
Frequently asked questions
Q: What's the correct Fairy Tail watch order?
A: Release order: Fairy Tail (2009–2013) → Fairy Tail (2014–2016) → Fairy Tail: Final Series (2018) → Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest. Each block continues directly from the last.
Q: Where can I watch Fairy Tail?
A: Fairy Tail streams on Crunchyroll (subtitled and English dub) in most regions, with 100 Years Quest airing there as it releases. Regional catalogs vary.
Q: How many episodes is Fairy Tail?
A: The original three TV blocks total over 320 episodes, and Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest is adding more as a sequel series.
Q: Is Fairy Tail good?
A: On SenpaiRanks it holds mid-to-high-7s Consensus scores (peaking at 7.78 for the 2014 run) — broadly well-liked as a comfort battle-shonen, strongest on guild-family stakes and its big finale.
Q: Do I need to watch Fairy Tail before 100 Years Quest?
A: Yes — 100 Years Quest is a direct sequel that assumes you've finished the Final Series. Start there and you'll be lost.