When to watch all 13 OVAs and specials without interrupting the main story
The OVAs are optional extras, not missing TV episodes. For a first watch, keep the route simple: finish each season, then watch its matching OVA set.
Watch Season 1 first, then Season 1 OVAs 1-6 and Road to Hero. Next, watch Season 2, followed by Season 2 OVAs 1-6. Continue the numbered TV seasons after that. This route is easy to follow, avoids premature character appearances, and keeps every OVA optional.
Use this order if you want the extra material without turning a short anime into a timeline puzzle.
Start with the complete first TV season. Do not insert an OVA before you know the core cast.
Use the numbered order. These short side stories expand characters without changing the main route.
It takes place before the main series, but the jokes and suit backstory land better after Season 1.
Return to the numbered TV story before opening the second OVA set.
Finish the six Season 2 extras in numbered order, then continue with the next TV season.
English title wording can vary slightly by release. The numbered order and season grouping are the important parts.
Season 1 OVA 1
Season 1 OVA 2
Season 1 OVA 3
Season 1 OVA 4
Season 1 OVA 5
Season 1 OVA 6
Season 2 OVA 1
Season 2 OVA 2
Season 2 OVA 3
Season 2 OVA 4
Season 2 OVA 5
Season 2 OVA 6
Road to Hero takes place before the TV story and explains part of Saitama's hero-suit history. Save it until after Season 1 on a first watch, then move into Season 2.
Some fans place individual OVAs between specific TV episodes based on character introductions and story premises. That can be fun on a rewatch, but the official releases do not present one required interleaving order. The season-by-season route is therefore the clearest recommendation for a first-time viewer.
Return to the numbered TV episodes, ratings, and season route.
The cleanest first-watch route is to finish a TV season, then watch that season's OVAs in numbered order. This keeps side stories from interrupting the main plot and avoids introducing characters before the TV series does.
There are 13 animated extras covered here: six OVAs tied to Season 1, Road to Hero, and six OVAs tied to Season 2. Title translations can vary slightly between releases and platforms.
No. The OVAs are optional side stories. You can follow the main anime by watching the numbered TV seasons in order and return to the OVAs whenever you want more comedy and character time.
Road to Hero is a prequel about Saitama before the main series, but it works better after Season 1 on a first watch. By then you already understand Saitama, his hero suit, and the series tone.
You can use a fan-made chronological order on a rewatch, but there is no required official interleaving route. Watching each numbered OVA set after its matching season is simpler and less likely to disrupt pacing.