Watch Order (Release Order)Recommended
0 / 6 watchedBoth series in air order with their recap films marked optional, then the Megalo Box reimagining as a separate extra.
Original story (1970 to 1981)
- 1 Ashita no Joe 79 episodes, April 1970 to September 1971. Mushi Production. Covers the early manga through the Rikiishi fight.
- 2 Ashita no Joe: The Movie 152-minute compilation of the 1970 series, released March 8, 1980. US title Champion Joe. Optional recap made to onboard viewers before the sequel.
- 3 Ashita no Joe 2 47 episodes, October 1980 to August 1981. Tokyo Movie Shinsha. Adapts the rest of the manga to its ending.
- 4 Ashita no Joe 2: The Movie Compilation of the second series, released July 4, 1981, about 112 minutes. Optional if you watched the full second series.
Related reimagining (optional, separate continuity)
- 5 Megalo Box 13 episodes. Sci-fi 50th anniversary reimagining with an original story. Not required for Joe's story.
- 6 Megalo Box 2: Nomad 13 episodes. Sequel to Megalo Box only.
About Ashita no Joe
Joe Yabuki goes from a drifting street fighter in the Doya slums to a professional boxer whose rivalry with Toru Rikiishi defines the story. Mushi Production animated the first series, 79 episodes from April 1970 to September 1971, and Tokyo Movie Shinsha made the 47-episode sequel from October 1980 to August 1981 under Osamu Dezaki both times.
Release order matches story order. Each TV series got a compilation film, in 1980 and 1981, and both are skippable recaps if you watch the full episodes. Megalo Box (2018) and its sequel Nomad (2021) are a separate sci-fi reimagining made for the 50th anniversary, so treat them as an optional extra after the original.
Good to know
There is no separate film titled Legend of the Champion Joe. Champion Joe is the US home video title for the 1980 compilation film, released by Tai Seng and later Discotek. The 1980 film runs about 152 minutes and the 1981 film about 112 to 114 minutes depending on the listing. Live action films from 1970 and 2011 exist but sit outside this anime list. No new Ashita no Joe anime had been announced as of September 2026.
