What is the best order to watch Once Upon a Time?

For first-timers, we recommend Release Order as it's the intended experience. For rewatches, Timeline/Chronological Order offers a fresh perspective by following the in-universe chronology.

How many titles are in Once Upon a Time?

Once Upon a Time currently includes content across multiple formats. Use the section filters to view specific content types and the order variants to choose your preferred viewing order.

Should I watch Once Upon a Time in release order or chronological order?

Release order is best for first-time viewers as it preserves the creators' intended narrative reveals. Chronological order is great for rewatches and understanding the timeline better.

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Once Upon a Time

edited 2026-05-21

A complete viewing and reading order for Once Upon a Time, the ABC fantasy drama series (2011–2018) in which fairy-tale characters live under a curse in the town of Storybrooke, Maine. Covers all seven seasons of the main series, the one-season spinoff Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, and the four official tie-in novels.

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Tags · [main-series][spinoff]

page order

tv series8 items · 8 unwatched

01TV

2011The 22-episode debut season of Once Upon a Time, broadcast on ABC from October 23, 2011, to May 13, 2012, created by Edward Kitsis and Adam…

02TV

2012The 22-episode second season, broadcast from September 30, 2012, to May 12, 2013. The Dark Curse has been broken and Storybrooke's residents…

03TV

2013The 22-episode third season, broadcast from September 29, 2013, to May 11, 2014. The first half follows Emma, the Charmings, Hook, Regina, a…

04TV

2013The 13-episode debut and only season of Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, broadcast on ABC from October 10, 2013, to April 3, 2014. Set in the…

05TV

2014The 23-episode fourth season, broadcast from September 28, 2014, to May 10, 2015. The first half centers on Elsa (Georgina Haig) and Anna (E…

06TV

2015The 23-episode fifth season, broadcast from September 27, 2015, to May 15, 2016. Emma Swan becomes the new Dark One after sacrificing hersel…

07TV

2016The 22-episode sixth season, broadcast from September 25, 2016, to May 14, 2017. A new realm called the Land of Untold Stories is opened, re…

08TV

2017The 22-episode seventh and final season of Once Upon a Time, broadcast from October 6, 2017, to May 18, 2018. Operating as a soft reboot, th…

novels4 items · 4 unwatched