The Anime Order 
Watch order
Macross Watch Order
The Macross franchise runs to 18 entries — four TV series, eight films and six OVAs and specials — spanning 1982 to 2021, 178 episodes in all. The order below is a recommended viewing order rather than broadcast order — the reasoning is set out directly beneath.
- Entries18
- Episodes136
- TV series4
- Films8
Why this order
Macross is one loose timeline told in largely self-contained pieces, which makes it far friendlier than its forty-year run suggests. Each series is a new cast, a new war and a new set of songs; almost nothing requires what came before.
So the useful question is which door to use. Frontier (2008) is the best one for a newcomer — it is modern, it is the most polished thing here, and it works with no prior Macross at all. The order below starts with the 1982 original instead, because that is the chronological and emotional root and because Frontier is partly a conversation with it, but starting at Frontier and coming back is a perfectly good route and many people prefer it.
Two warnings. Do You Remember Love? is not a sequel to the 1982 series; it is a compressed alternate retelling of the same story, made two years later with far better animation, and later Macross treats *it* as the version that happened. Watch the series then the film, or the film alone if 36 episodes of 1982 television is too much. And Macross II is a non-canon early-90s OVA that later works ignore entirely — it is the one piece you can safely never see.
Macross Plus is four OVA episodes with no connection to any other entry and is widely held to be the best-directed thing in the franchise. If you only ever watch one Macross, several people would tell you to make it that one.
The order
| # | Title | Type | Year | Episodes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Macross Start here — or start at Frontier Choujikuu Yousai Macross Watch on Crunchyroll | TV | 1982 | 36 |
| 2 |  | Macross: Do You Remember Love? Retelling, not a sequel Choujikuu Yousai Macross: Ai Oboete Imasu ka | MOVIE | 1984 | 1 |
| 3 |  | Macross Zero Prequel, watch it later Watch on Hulu Disney Plus | OVA | 2002 | 5 |
| 4 |  | Macross Plus Standalone — the best of it Watch on Hulu Disney Plus | OVA | 1994 | 4 |
| 5 |  | Macross 7 Watch on Hulu Disney Plus | TV | 1994 | 49 |
| 6 |  | Macross Frontier The newcomer's entry point Watch on Hulu Disney Plus | TV | 2008 | 25 |
| 7 |  | Macross Frontier: The False Songstress Macross Frontier: Itsuwari no Utahime Watch on Hulu Disney Plus | MOVIE | 2009 | 1 |
| 8 | | Macross Frontier: The Wings of Farewell Macross Frontier: Sayonara no Tsubasa Watch on Disney Plus Hulu | MOVIE | 2011 | 1 |
| 9 |  | Macross Delta Macross Δ Watch on Hulu Disney Plus | TV | 2016 | 26 |
| 10 |  | Macross Delta: Passionate Walküre Macross Δ: Gekijou no Walküre Watch on Hulu Disney Plus | MOVIE | 2018 | 1 |
| 11 |  | Macross Delta: Zettai Live!!!!!! Macross Δ: Zettai LIVE!!!!!! Watch on Hulu Disney Plus | MOVIE | 2021 | 1 |
| 12 |  | The Super Dimension Fortress Macross II: Lovers Again Side story Macross II: Lovers Again Watch on Hulu Disney Plus | OVA | 1992 | 6 |
| 13 |  | Macross 7 Plus Side story | SPECIAL | 1995 | 12 |
| 14 |  | Macross 7: The Galaxy is Calling Me! Side story Macross 7: Ginga ga Ore wo Yonde Iru Watch on Hulu Disney Plus | MOVIE | 1995 | 1 |
| 15 |  | Macross 7 Encore Side story | OVA | 1995 | 3 |
| 16 |  | Macross Dynamite 7 Side story Watch on Hulu Disney Plus | OVA | 1997 | 4 |
| 17 |  | Macross Fb7 Listen to My Song! Side story Macross FB7: Ginga Rukon - Ore no Uta wo Kike! Watch on Hulu Disney Plus | MOVIE | 2012 | 1 |
| 18 |  | Macross Frontier: Labyrinth of Time Side story Macross Frontier: Toki no Meikyuu Watch on Hulu Disney Plus | MOVIE | 2021 | 1 |
Where to watch Macross
No single service carries all of it — the most any one has is 14 of the 18 entries. Each link goes to the earliest entry that service carries, so you start at the beginning rather than wherever its search drops you.
These links open in a new tab.
Streaming destinations as listed by AniList, checked September 26, 2026. Catalogues differ by country and change often — check the service for your own region.
Where to start
Macross (1982) is the earliest entry. In 1999, a giant alien spacecraft crash lands on South Ataria island. Humanity proceeds to attempt to rebuild this marvel, but political conflicts centered around the Macross result in a global war. After 10 years, the Unification Wars are finally over, the new Earth United Nations Government is in power, and work on…
What to watch after Macross
113 people who watched Macross recommend Gundam as the next thing — more than any other title. These are votes cast by viewers on AniList, not genre matches:
More like this
Macross is filed under 5 genres on this site. Each one lists every other franchise that shares it, with its watch order and filler figures.
Franchises sharing the most genres with Macross — a rough match by subject, not the vote-ranked suggestions above.
Frequently asked
How many episodes of Macross are there?
Macross has 136 episodes across 4 TV series, plus 8 films, which are counted separately.
How many Macross entries are there?
18 in total: 4 TV series, 8 films, and 6 OVAs and specials.
What order should I watch Macross in?
Follow the recommended order on this page, which is not the same as broadcast order. The reasoning for it is set out above the table, and you can switch the table to release order if you would rather see air dates.
Do I need to watch the Macross films and OVAs?
Most films and OVAs in a long-running franchise are side stories that sit outside the main continuity. They can be watched at any point, or skipped entirely, without losing the thread of the main series.
Last refreshed August 13, 2026