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Slam Dunk Watch Order
Slam Dunk spans 6 anime entries: the 101-episode TV series (1993-96), four short side-story films from 1994-95 (each 30-45 minutes and non-canon), and The First Slam Dunk (2022), which adapts the manga's climactic Nationals match the TV series never reached. Watch the series, then the 2022 film as the finale.
Slam Dunk Watch Order: complete list
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Why this order?
The trap is right there in the title. The First Slam Dunk is not episode one, not a remake, and not an origin story: it adapts the Shohoku vs. Sannoh match at the National Tournament, story material from manga chapters roughly 223 to 276 that the 101-episode TV series never animated. Sort this franchise by title, or by the lazy habit of watching movies after the series, and you get the right answer for exactly the wrong reason. Sort it by release date alone and the four 1990s films look like a continuation after 1996, which they are not.
Here is the shape of it. The TV series adapts Takehiko Inoue's manga up to roughly chapter 198 of 276: episode 101 ends with Shohoku boarding the train to the Nationals, and the entire tournament arc simply never got made for TV. The home stretch pads things out too, with 10 episodes flagged as filler on MAL (47, 85, 86, 92, 95 and 97-101), and episodes 97-101 are an anime-original send-off built around a practice match that is not in the manga. A clean exit is finishing episode 96 and jumping to the manga at chapter 198, though the send-off is harmless if you want it.
The four 1994-95 films are 30-45 minute side stories that premiered at seasonal Toei Anime Fairs during the TV run. None are canon, none advance the plot, and each slots mid-series: the first after episode 20, the second after episode 35, and the last two after episode 60. They also have no official US streaming release, so treat them as completist extras, not homework. There is also a 47-minute 1994 recap special (Ketsui no Shouhoku Basket-bu) that merely retells the Ryonan practice match; skip it and do not count it.
Then, 26 years later, Inoue himself wrote and directed The First Slam Dunk, retelling the Sannoh match from point guard Ryota Miyagi's perspective with new flashbacks and an epilogue. It earned about 279 million dollars worldwide, the most ever for a basketball film, and holds 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. It is self-contained by design, and starting with it cold is how many post-2024 Netflix viewers enter the franchise, but know that it hard-spoils where the whole story ends up. The minimal path loses nothing: TV episodes 1-101, then The First Slam Dunk.
How many episodes is Slam Dunk?
Slam Dunk has 101 episodes tracked in this guide. 10 of them are marked filler, leaving 91 canon episodes.
Timeline 1993-2022
Every entry by release year: rows that share a year are a cluster, and the long droughts are called out on the rail.
- 1993 Slam Dunk
- 1994 (Movie)Conquer the Nation, Hanamichi Sakuragi!
- 1995 Shohoku's Greatest Crisis! Burn, Sakuragi Hanam…Howl, Basketman Spirit!! Hanamichi and Rukawa's…
- 27-year gap
- 2022 The First Slam Dunk
Where to play it today
- The 1993 TV series streams on Netflix in the US (added September 2024, subtitled) and has also been available on Crunchyroll in sub and dub; availability shifts, check your region
- The First Slam Dunk streams on Netflix in the US (since August 25, 2024) and is rentable or buyable on Amazon, Apple TV and Fandango at Home, with a GKIDS Blu-ray; the four 90s side-story films have no official US streaming or home-video release
Availability changes often and varies by region - links search each platform for Slam Dunk.
Frequently asked questions
How many Slam Dunk anime series and movies are there?
Six entries: the 101-episode TV series (1993-96), four short side-story films of 30-45 minutes each (two in 1994, two in 1995), and The First Slam Dunk (2022). A 47-minute 1994 recap special (Ketsui no Shouhoku Basket-bu) also exists but is pure recap and not counted.
Do I need to watch the old Slam Dunk anime before The First Slam Dunk?
No. Takehiko Inoue wrote and directed the 2022 film as a self-contained retelling from Miyagi's point of view, with its own flashbacks and epilogue, and it covers a match the TV series never adapted. The series deepens it enormously but is not required. The one catch: the film spoils where the whole story ends up.
Is The First Slam Dunk a remake of the TV series?
No. Despite the word First in the title, it is the missing finale: it adapts the Shohoku vs. Sannoh match at the National Tournament (manga chapters roughly 223-276), which the 101-episode TV series never reached. It replaces nothing and follows everything in the series.
Does the Slam Dunk anime cover the whole manga?
No. The TV series stops at roughly chapter 198 of 276 (volume 22 of 31), just as Shohoku departs for the Nationals. The entire National Tournament arc was never adapted for TV; only its final match was ever animated, 26 years later, as The First Slam Dunk. To get the full tournament, pick up the manga from chapter 198.
How much filler does Slam Dunk have?
Very little, and almost all at the end: MAL flags 10 of 101 episodes (47, 85, 86, 92, 95 and 97-101). Episodes 97-101 are an anime-original send-off, including a combined Shoyo/Ryonan practice match that is not in the manga. A clean exit is finishing episode 96 and jumping to the manga at chapter 198.
Are the four 1990s Slam Dunk movies canon, and where do they fit?
They are non-canon side stories that slot mid-series: the first after episode 20, the second after episode 35, and the last two after episode 60. None advance the main plot, all are fully skippable, and none have an official US streaming release.
Is there a sequel to The First Slam Dunk?
Nothing has been announced or dated as of August 2026. Despite roughly 279 million dollars worldwide (the highest-grossing basketball film ever) and a 100 percent Rotten Tomatoes score, Inoue has pointedly declined to confirm or deny a follow-up.
What is the minimal Slam Dunk path for newcomers?
TV episodes 1-101 (optionally skipping the anime-original 97-101), then The First Slam Dunk. Or start with the 2022 film cold, then go back to episode 1, accepting that the film spoils the story's destination. The four 90s films can be dropped with zero continuity loss.
How many episodes is Slam Dunk?
Slam Dunk has 101 episodes tracked in this guide. 10 of them are marked filler, leaving 91 canon episodes.
Last verified · Sources: myanimelist.net, en.wikipedia.org, animenewsnetwork.com, justwatch.com
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