Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir, best known simply as Miraculous Ladybug, is currently one of the most popular children’s animation TV series out there. The story follows Marinette and Adrien, a pair of Parisian superheroes who must keep their identities a secret for the sake of protecting themselves and their Miraculous, the magical objects that give them powers. If the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous fall into the wrong hands — i.e. the supervillain Hawk Moth’s — the world as we know it could be in serious peril.
Despite its French origin, the show premiered in South Korea, in 2015, before making its way to screens around the globe. Now with five seasons, two special movie-length episodes, and one full-length movie, Miraculous Ladybug continues gathering new viewers, curious to see what all the fuss is about and what makes this such a beloved series. Watching Miraculous Ladybug isn’t as easy as starting at episode one and binge-watching from there; fans of the show frequently debate whether new viewers should watch the show in release order or in chronological order. There’s merits to both but if you’d like to see it for yourself, here’s both watch methods as well as what we think is the is the best order in which to enjoy the show.
Miraculous Ladybug watch order by release date
The most obvious way to watch Miraculous Ladybug is by order of release date. While you can definitely watch it this way, the show doesn’t necessarily air according to the chronological event timeline. For example, both Marinette and Adrien already have their Miraculous and are familiar with their powers in the first episode.
- Season 1, episodes 1-26
- Season 2, episodes 1-26
- Season 3, episodes 1-26
- Special episode “Miraculous World: New York — United Heros”
- Special episode “Miraculous World: Shanghai — The Legend of Lady Dragon”
- Season 4, episodes 1-26
- Season 5, episode 1-27
- Ladybug & Cat Noir: The Movie
If you’re okay with being thrown right into the action, then this might be the right watch order for you. That being said, we recommend a slightly different approach if you want to watch the show in chronological order.
The best Miraculous Ladybug watch order
With some TV series, watching episodes by order of release works just fine, but that’s not always the case. Taking into account the canonical timeline of the show, Miraculous Ladybug should be watched in its chronological order of events.
- Season 1, episode 25: “Ladybug & Cat Noir – Origins, Part 1”
- Season 1, episode 26: “Stoneheart – Origins, Part 2”
- Season 1, episodes 1–24
- Season 2, episodes 1–26
- Season 3, episodes 1–26
- Special episode “Miraculous World: New York – United Heroes”
- Special episode “Miraculous World: Shanghai – The Legend of Lady Dragon”
- Season 4, episodes 1–26
- Season 5, episodes 1–27
- Ladybug & Cat Noir: The Movie
While we recommend watching Ladybug & Cat Noir: The Movie after watching season 5, it doesn’t fit perfectly into the canon. The film offers a simplistic take on the two heroes and their origin story from the show but some plot points differ. In our opinion, it’s best to enjoy it as its own thing separately from Miraculous Ladybug.
Miraculous Ladybug is a simple yet compelling series, full of interesting and diverse characters that draw its audience in. The show is available for streaming on Netflix and Disney Plus.