Baki Franchise is a story focused on telling the story of a young man, Baki Hanma, who aims to be the strongest in the world. But the current strongest person in the world is his father, Yujiro Hanma. Over time, the anime series have been adaptations from different parts of the manga.
The manga series has sold over 80 million copies globally. The series is loved by many as it focuses on a man trying to get revenge on his father for killing his mom while trying to become the best, as his father is the strongest in the world. The author of the manga Grappler Baki and its four sequels is Keisuke Itagaki.
The anime focuses on the martial arts aspect and its vast spread. It shows many different types of martial arts over the whole franchise and shows how in order to become the strongest and best fighter, Baki had to learn various different forms of fighting styles the hard way.
The different adaptations can be confusing as they have almost no difference in their names, making it confusing about where to start. The following is a list that can help even newcomers with watching the series without being bothered about which is the correct order.
List of Baki Series in Order
- Baki the Grappler (2001) (aired from January 9, 2001, to June 26, 2001)
- Baki the Grappler: Maximum Tournament (aired from July 23, 2001, to December 24, 2001)
- Grappler Baki: The Ultimate Fighter (1994)
- Baki Season 1: Part 1 (2018)
- Baki Season 1: Part 2 (2018)
- Baki Season 2: The Great Raitai Tournament Saga (2020)
- Baki Hanma (2021)
Where to Watch the Baki Series
There are only three seasons of Baki available on the online platform Netflix, Baki (2018), Baki Season 2: The Great Raitai Tournament (2020), and Baki Hanma: Son of Ogre (2021). Grappler Baki: The Ultimate Fighter and Baki The Grappler Season 1 can be found on Youtube and uploaded by some third party. As for Baki The Grappler Season 2: Maximum Tournament, no official websites can be found to watch the series.
Baki Franchise Watch Order
Baki The Grappler (2001)
This series focuses more on the past of Baki and how he was trained to become one of the best martial artists. Ever since his birth Baki has only known fighting and nothing else. He learned various techniques from various martial arts and strengthened himself under the supervision of his mother, Emi Akezawa. She was the wife of Yuujirou Hanma, who was called the “Ogre” and deemed the strongest in the world.
When Baki saw that his mother’s teachings could not help him save his mother from his father, as Yuujirou killed Emi in front of Baki, he sought to become the strongest and defeat his father. This is the Childhood Saga and the first 16 episodes of this series.
Then they show how he starts encountering stronger and more feared enemies like Yasha Ape and tries to become stronger. Then the series moves on to the Underground Arena arc, with some amazing fight scenes. This part focuses on how Baki got exposed to more martial art styles, and while fighting them, he also used his mind to counter them and win matches against the fighters.
- Type: Tv series
- Episodes: 24
- Runtime: 25 minutes/ episode
Grappler Baki: The Ultimate Fighter (1994)
This is the first series you should watch if you want to watch the series according to the manga. But if you want to know the past of Baki Hanma and how he was created and trained to be the best, follow the above watch order. You can visit Youtube and find this 45-minute-long episode released as an OVA, it was uploaded by some random person but was never removed from the website but the proper authorities and has the whole episode without interruptions.
It focuses on the first arc, according to the manga, which is the Karate Tournament of the first saga- The Underground Arena saga. It was released in 1994 and animated by Studio: Sung San. It does not much cover the past of Baki but focuses more on the fighting involved in the story. There are a couple of fights, and Baki is beaten and defeated many times but does not give up and still comes out to the top of the Tournament.
- Type: OVA
- Episodes: 1
- Runtime: 45 minutes/ episode
Baki The Grappler Season 2: The Maximum Tournament (2001)
After the OVA, Baki The Grappler season 2: The Maximum/Ultimate Tournament, the next series should be watched, which covers the third saga of the manga, the Maximum Tournament.
In this series, Baki participates in the Maximum Tournament to compete against Japanese, Chinese, and American fighters. The fight happens in the same Underground Arena where he fought earlier. The series ends with a fight with his half-brother Jack Hanma who is much larger than Baki, but this does not stop Baki from defeating him and becoming the champion.
- Type: TV Series
- Episodes: 24
- Runtime: 25 minutes/ episode
Baki (2018)
After watching Baki The Grappler Season 2, the next series to be watched is Baki. It consists of two parts, Season 1: Part 1 and Season 1: Part 2. It is currently available on Netflix for streaming. It consists of 26 episodes in total and covers the next saga of the series, which is the Evil Death Row Convict Saga.
It focuses on five death row convicts who escaped from around the world and came to Japan to look for someone to defeat them. They all came to Japan because they heard the strongest man in the world lived there (supposedly Yuujioru Hanma). Many target Baki in the hope of trying to get to his father, but little do they know that he himself is enough to beat them.
He defeated many of the convicts but successfully failed to beat one of them. One of the convicts, Yanagi, left Baki poisoned after their fight, and it was such a poison that none could cure it. It left him weakened and nearly in a dead state despite his victory.
- Type: ONA
- Episodes: 26 (divided into two parts)
- Runtime: 24 minutes/ episode
Baki Season 2: The Great Raitai Tournament (2020)
The series consists of 12 episodes and includes two sagas of manga. This includes the Great Chinese Challenge Saga and Godlike Clash of the Kids’ Saga. In this series, fighters from all over the world will participate in the Great Raitai Tournament, which is held in China once in 100 years. Despite his debilitated condition, Baki wins the matches, is cured of poison along the way, and works to become the best by winning the Tournament.
- Type: ONA
- Episodes: 13
- Runtime: 24 minutes/ episode
Hanma Baki: Son of Ogre (2021)
The series comes after the ending of Baki Season 2: The Great Raitai Tournament. It includes Combat Shadow Fighting Saga and Great Prison Battle Saga. In this series, Baki is challenged by a boy named Ryumina Ayukawa, who Baki defeats later. However, in exchange, Baki takes a liking to the child and teaches him various basic techniques which can help him excel later.
Baki also intentionally commits a crime to get into prison with Biscuit Oliva. Baki wanted to beat the strongest man in the United States of America, Biscuit Oliva but was not able to do as Biscuit lives like a king in a highly protected facility, so the only way to get to him was through committing a crime.
- Type: TV Series
- Episodes: 12
- Runtime: 24 minutes/ episode
Also read: Hajime No Ippo Watch Order
