How Do The Movies Fit Into The Madoka Anime Timeline?

Watch the 12 episode Puella Magi Madoka Magica series first, then watch the two condensed versions of the first two movies (‘Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie Part 1: Beginnings’ and ‘Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie Part 2: The Bell Are Ringing’), called ‘Beginnings’ and ‘Eternal’, for a nice summary of the main series in beautiful packaging. The third movie, ‘Puella Magi Madoka Magica The Movie Part 3: The Bell Is Dong!’ or ‘Rebellion’, is a true sequel to the series, picking up after the events of the finale and introducing major changes. I watched this in theaters directly after finishing the series, which made it so much harder to handle because I already knew all the back story. When watching spin-offs like ‘Magia Record’ remember that these are completely separate branches of the Madoka universe and not a direct continuation of the series.

When Madoka Magic films are discussed, I get really excited. Madoka Magic films are like a little theatrical puzzle, and understanding the timeline of films is pretty key to fully appreciating the Magic. To that end, I recommend the 12 episodes of Puella Magi Madoka Magica as the core of the story, and then the two film adaptations Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie Part 1: Beginnings and Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie Part 2: Eternal of the first 12 episodes of the TV series, followed by the third film Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie: Rebellion.

Then there is the third Madoka film, Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie: Rebellion, which is a direct sequel to the Puella Magi Madoka Magica TV series and thus follows on immediately from the end of the show. Like the rest of the movies it expands on the Madoka Magica universe, presenting a set of metaphysical possibilities in a far more detailed and complex form than previously seen, and, most importantly for new viewers, dramatically changes the fortunes of the main characters. Thus while the first two movies can be used as optional recaps by those with some knowledge of Puella Magi Madoka Magica, the third movie is an essential continuation of the main storyline of the series – so, for new viewers, the TV series must be watched first, and the first two films are optional, but the third film is a must. Note that while the Madoka Magica mobile game, Magia Record, has been adapted into an anime, it is set in an alternate storyline to the main Madoka Magica timeline and thus can be viewed by those new to the franchise as an alternate take on the Madoka Magica universe.

It still gives me shivers to this day thinking about when I realized that not all of the films were continuations of the TV series. So from my perspective there are the recap films and the continuation films. The two ‘Beginnings’ films and the ‘Eternal’ film recap the 12 episodes of the TV series in two feature length films. They reduce the pace of the story and include some new animation for certain scenes, as well as a change in perspective in some scenes, but the story is not altered in any way.

Of course, there’s also the sequel movie ‘Rebellion’. That one is set after the series finale and it changes a lot of the settings. The movie’s philosophical and emotional development is heavily based on the events of the series so it has to be watched after the TV show. While ‘Beginnings’ & ‘Eternal’ movies are a good starting point should you not have the time to watch the TV series first, then ‘Rebellion’ will not give you the character development of the TV series. It would be wise to watch a few write-ups or even scene by scene reviews of ‘Rebellion’ as it does a lot to complexify how one thinks the universe’s cosmology is and thus it’s up to the long-term fans of the series to debate and discuss the many ways in which it can be interpreted.