So, you just finished Attack on Titan and someone told you there’s this other show. A show with the same director, the same legendary composer, and basically the same "humanity behind walls" vibe—but with steampunk trains and armored zombies. Sounds like a slam dunk, right?
Then you go to search for it. And you realize finding where can i watch kabaneri of the iron fortress is like trying to navigate a post-apocalyptic wasteland without a map. It’s a mess.
Between the 2016 TV series, the recap movies, and the Netflix-exclusive sequel, the licensing for this franchise is scattered across the digital equivalent of several different train stations. Honestly, it’s annoying. You’ve got different companies owning different "chunks" of the story, and if you aren’t careful, you’ll end up watching the sequel before the actual show.
Don't do that.
The Streaming Breakdown for 2026
If you’re looking for the original 12-episode TV series—the one where Ikoma first turns into a Kabaneri—Crunchyroll is currently your best bet.
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For a long time, this was trapped in "Amazon Jail." When it first came out, Amazon Prime Video had an exclusive deal with the Noitamina programming block in Japan, which meant if you didn't have Prime, you were basically out of luck. Thankfully, those exclusive rights expired a few years back. Now, the TV series is available on Crunchyroll with both the original Japanese sub and the English dub.
But wait. There’s a catch.
The sequel movie, The Battle of Unato, isn't on Crunchyroll. It’s on Netflix.
Netflix lists The Battle of Unato as a three-episode series rather than a movie, which is super confusing for new viewers. To make things even more stressful for completionists, current tracking shows that Netflix is set to lose the rights to The Battle of Unato on September 13, 2026. If you’re reading this before then, go watch it now. If it’s after that date, the licensing might have shifted back to Crunchyroll or Sony, but for now, it's a Netflix exclusive.
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Where to Find Each Part
- Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress (The Series): Crunchyroll, Prime Video (in some regions), and Rakuten Viki.
- The Battle of Unato (The Sequel): Netflix (leaving Sept 2026).
- The Recap Movies (Light That Burns/Gathering Light): These are harder to find on major streamers but sometimes pop up on The Roku Channel or Plex. Honestly? You can skip these if you've seen the series; they're just highlights.
Why the Licensing is Such a Nightmare
It’s all about how the show was funded. Wit Studio (the folks who did the first three seasons of Attack on Titan) teamed up with Fuji TV’s Noitamina. Back in 2016, Amazon was trying to muscle into the anime space by buying exclusive rights to everything on that block.
It worked, but it also buried the show.
By the time the sequel, The Battle of Unato, was ready in 2019, the market had shifted. Netflix snagged the global rights for the movie, while Crunchyroll eventually picked up the home video and streaming rights for the original series once the Amazon deal cooled off.
This is why you have to jump between apps just to finish one story. It’s not "one-stop shopping" like most modern hits.
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The Watch Order Most People Get Wrong
If you search for where can i watch kabaneri of the iron fortress, you’ll likely see the movies listed first. Don't be fooled.
- The TV Series (12 Episodes): Start here. This covers the fall of Aragane Station and the journey to Kongokaku.
- The Battle of Unato: This takes place six months after the series. Watch this on Netflix.
Skip the recap movies (Light That Burns and Gathering Light) unless you just want to see the high-budget fight scenes again. They don't add new plot.
Is It Still on Prime Video?
Kinda. It depends on where you live. In the US, it’s mostly moved to Crunchyroll, but in several international territories, the original Amazon deal still lingers or has been renewed. If you already pay for Prime, check there first, but don't expect the English dub—Amazon was notorious for only providing subtitles for their early anime pickups.
What to Do If It Disappears
Given the weirdness with Netflix losing "Original" titles in 2026, we might see the whole franchise reunited under the Crunchyroll/Sony umbrella by the end of the year. That would be the dream.
For now, your best move is to grab a Crunchyroll subscription for the main course and use that Netflix account (while you still can) for the desert. If you're a physical media nerd, the Blu-rays released by Funimation/Crunchyroll are the only way to guarantee you won't lose access when these contracts expire.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Check Crunchyroll first: Search for the 12-episode series to get the core story.
- Verify Netflix: If you want the sequel, watch The Battle of Unato before the September 2026 removal date.
- Check Viki or Roku: If you don't have the big two, these platforms often host the series for free with ads.