Last updated: 1 November 2026
Steins;Gate is a time-travel thriller anime about Rintaro Okabe, whose Akihabara lab accidentally invents a way to text the past and must undo the damage timeline by timeline. White Fox animated the original 24-episode series in 2011, plus an OVA, the 2013 film Load Region of Déjà Vu, and the 23-episode sequel series Steins;Gate 0 in 2018, all adapted from the 5pb. and Nitroplus visual novel.
About Steins;Gate
Rintaro Okabe and his friends run a tiny lab in Akihabara, inventing silly gadgets, until one of them accidentally sends messages into the past, and a text that changes yesterday quietly rewrites today. Okabe, a self-proclaimed mad scientist who calls himself Hououin Kyouma, discovers he alone remembers the old timelines, and every attempt to fix things pulls him deeper into the sights of the shadowy organisation SERN. White Fox's 2011 adaptation of the 5pb. and Nitroplus visual novel starts as a quirky comedy about lab banter and conspiracy jokes, then tightens into one of the most acclaimed time-travel thrillers in anime. A film, Load Region of Déjà Vu (2013), and a second series, Steins;Gate 0 (2018), set on a darker timeline where Okabe fails, complete the saga. With genius hacker Daru, childhood friend Mayuri and the brilliant, prickly Kurisu Makise at its heart, this is a story about how far one man will loop through time to save the people he loves.
Steins;Gate is a TV anime from 2011, first released in Spring 2011. It belongs to the Sci-Fi and Thriller and Drama genres and is listed as a completed series. The summary above is written by the AnimeYug team in our own words.
Official Trailer
Story & Plot
In the summer of 2010, Rintaro Okabe and his lab members, cheerful Mayuri Shiina and otaku hacker Itaru 'Daru' Hashida, build the PhoneWave, a microwave that turns bananas to gel. When a text message sent during an experiment arrives a week in the past, they realise they have invented time travel. Joined by neuroscientist Kurisu Makise, shrine attendant Luka Urushibara, part-timer Suzuha Amane and others, the lab sends 'D-Mails' that shift the world onto new timelines, and Okabe, gifted with 'Reading Steiner', is the only one who notices each change.
The fun curdles fast. SERN, a research organisation hunting its own time machine, closes in on the lab, and one timeline after another ends with Mayuri's death at a fixed hour. Okabe leaps back again and again, undoing each D-Mail and watching friends sacrifice their happiest changes, racing to reach the one world line, the Steins Gate, where nobody has to die. Steins;Gate 0 later shows the road not taken: an Okabe who gave up, and the long fight back to trying one more time.
Story Arcs & Episode Guide
The Steins;Gate anime is split into story sagas. Here is every saga in order, with its episodes and years.
| Arc | Episodes | Years | About |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steins;Gate (TV Series) | Episodes 1–24 | 2011 | D-Mails, SERN and Okabe's desperate time-leap loop to save Mayuri and Kurisu. |
| OVA: Egoistic Poriomania and Episode 23β | 2 special episodes | 2012 / 2015 | A light trip-to-America OVA, plus the alternate episode 23 that opens the road to Steins;Gate 0. |
| The Movie: Load Region of Déjà Vu | Movie | 2013 | A sequel film: one year on, Kurisu must save Okabe from slipping out of the timeline. |
| Steins;Gate 0 | Episodes 1–23 + OVA | 2018 | The beta world line where Okabe gave up, and the struggle that makes the true ending possible. |
Why Watch Steins;Gate
- Time travel with strict internal rules. Every change has a cost that comes due
- A slow-burn first half that pays off with one of anime's most gripping second halves
- Okabe's transformation from comic 'mad scientist' to a man breaking under endless loops
- Kurisu and Okabe's banter-to-bond relationship carries the whole emotional story
- Steins;Gate 0 enriches the ending instead of cheapening it, a rare sequel that earns its place
Who Is It For?
Steins;Gate is rated TV-14. It is a dialogue-heavy sci-fi thriller with little action: the danger comes from conspiracy tension, repeated tragedy and psychological strain rather than gore. Best for viewers who like puzzles, hard rules and stories that reward patience, and rewatching.
Main Characters
View all characters →
Voice Actors
The Japanese voices behind the main characters of Steins;Gate.
- Rintaro OkabeSelf-proclaimed mad scientist who alone remembers every timelineJapanese voiceMamoru Miyano
- Kurisu MakiseGenius neuroscientist who becomes the lab's brains: and heartJapanese voiceAsami Imai
- Mayuri ShiinaOkabe's gentle childhood friend, whose death he keeps relivingJapanese voiceKana Hanazawa
- Itaru HashidaSuper hacker 'Daru', the lab's engineering geniusJapanese voiceTomokazu Seki
- Suzuha AmanePart-time warrior with a secret from the futureJapanese voiceYukari Tamura
- Luka UrushibaraSoft-spoken shrine attendant caught in the timeline changesJapanese voiceYū Kobayashi
- Faris NyanNyanAkihabara's top maid-café star and Rai-Net championJapanese voiceHaruko Momoi
- Moeka KiryuSilent, phone-obsessed woman working for SERN's huntersJapanese voiceSaori Gotō
- Yugo TennoujiThe lab's landlord, 'Mr. Braun', with a hidden pastJapanese voiceMasaki Terasoma
- Nae TennoujiYugo's cheerful young daughterJapanese voiceAyano Yamamoto
- Maho HiyajoKurisu's senior colleague and keeper of the Amadeus AIJapanese voiceSayuri Yahagi
- Kagari ShiinaA girl from the future with a deep link to MayuriJapanese voiceMegumi Han
Staff & Production
- Original Creator
- 5pb. (MAGES.) and Nitroplus: visual novel; story by Chiyomaru Shikura
- Animation Studio
- White Fox
- Series Director
- Hiroshi Hamasaki and Takuya Satō; Kenichi Kawamura (Steins;Gate 0)
- Series Composition
- Jukki Hanada
- Music
- Takeshi Abo; Jun Murakami (with Nobuaki Nobusawa and Moe Hyūga on 0)
Manga & Source Material
Steins;Gate began as a visual novel by 5pb. (now MAGES.) and Nitroplus, the second entry in the Science Adventure series.
- The original visual novel was released for Xbox 360 on October 15, 2009, developed by 5pb. and Nitroplus, with character designs by huke.
- It is the second Science Adventure game, following Chaos;Head (2008) and preceding Robotics;Notes and Chaos;Child.
- The Science Adventure series has sold more than one million copies worldwide.
- Steins;Gate 0, a sequel visual novel set on the beta world line, was released in 2015 and became the basis of the 2018 anime.
- Steins;Gate Elite (2018) remade the novel using full animation from the TV series.
Music
Kanako Itō also sings the film's opening 'Anata no Eranda Kono Toki wo', while Ayane performs its ending 'Itsumo Kono Basho de'. The whole franchise keeps one musical family.
Opening Themes
- “Hacking to the Gate”by Kanako ItōThe iconic opening of the 2011 series.
- “Fátima”by Kanako ItōSteins;Gate 0 opening.
Ending Themes
- “Tokitsukasadoru Jūni no Meiyaku”by Yui Sakakibara (as Phantasm / FES)Main ending of the 2011 series.
- “Last Game”by ZweiSteins;Gate 0, first ending.
- “World-Line”by Asami ImaiSteins;Gate 0, second ending: sung by Kurisu's voice actress.
Series Timeline
- 2009
The Steins;Gate visual novel launches on Xbox 360 in Japan (October 15).
- 2011
White Fox's 24-episode TV anime airs and becomes a modern classic.
- 2013
The film Load Region of Déjà Vu opens in Japanese cinemas.
- 2015
The Steins;Gate 0 visual novel releases; the alternate episode 23β airs to introduce its world line.
- 2018
Steins;Gate 0 anime airs (23 episodes), and Steins;Gate Elite remakes the original game.
Quick Answers
Is Steins;Gate finished?
Yes. Steins;Gate has finished airing, so you can watch the complete story from start to end without waiting for new episodes.
What genre is Steins;Gate?
Steins;Gate is a Sci-Fi and Thriller and Drama anime. You can browse more titles like it on our Sci-Fi anime page.
When did Steins;Gate release?
Steins;Gate first released in Spring 2011. It is a TV series.
Should I watch Steins;Gate in chronological order or release order?
Watch in release order first: the 24 episodes of Steins;Gate, then the film, then Steins;Gate 0. There is a famous fan-made chronological order, episodes 1–22, the alternate episode 23β, all of Steins;Gate 0, then episodes 23–24, which shows events in timeline order. It is a fun rewatch, but it spoils the original's biggest twists, so it is not recommended for first-time viewers.
How many episodes does Steins;Gate have?
The franchise has 47 TV episodes: Steins;Gate has 24 episodes (2011) plus an OVA (episode 25) and the alternate episode 23β, and Steins;Gate 0 has 23 episodes (2018) plus its own OVA. The film Load Region of Déjà Vu (2013) sits between the two series.
Do I need to watch Steins;Gate 0?
It is not required (the 2011 series has a complete, satisfying ending) but 0 is far more than filler. It tells the story of the Okabe who failed, explains how the original ending became possible, and adds Maho Hiyajo and the AI Amadeus. Watch it after the original series and the film.
Is Steins;Gate good for beginners?
Yes, with one warning: the first half is deliberately slow, building characters and small mysteries before the thriller ignites around episode 12. Viewers who stick with it consistently rank it among the best anime ever made. It is rated TV-14, with tension and tragedy rather than graphic content.
Watch Order
Here is the release order for Steins;Gate and the series connected to it. Start at step 1 and work your way down.
- 1Steins;GateTV series, episodes 1–24 (2011): this series. Release order is the recommended first watch.
- 2Steins;Gate: Egoistic PoriomaniaOVA, episode 25 (2012). A light-hearted follow-up set after the finale.
- 3Steins;Gate: The Movie | Load Region of Déjà VuFilm (2013). Kurisu returns the favour and saves Okabe.
- 4Steins;Gate: Episode 23β | Divide by ZeroSpecial episode (2015). An alternate version of episode 23 that branches into Steins;Gate 0.
- 5Steins;Gate 0TV series, 23 episodes (2018) + Valentine's OVA. Chronological-order fans watch episodes 1–22, then 23β and all of 0, then episodes 23–24, but release order protects the twists for first-timers.
Where to Watch
Steins;Gate is officially available to stream on these platforms:
Streaming availability changes often and differs by country. Please check the platform in your region.