Persona 5 the Animation Is Streaming Free on YouTube: Episodes 1-5 Daily From Sept. 15, Viewing Deadlines, and ABEMA’s 26-Episode Marathon for the 30th Anniversary

Episodes 1 through 5 of the TV anime PERSONA5 the Animation (the Persona 5 anime from here on) go up for free on Atlus’s official YouTube channel starting Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at 19:30. One episode premieres every day at 19:30 through Saturday, September 19. Each one stays up until 23:59 two weeks after it premieres, which means Episode 1 disappears on September 29.

Why free? It’s a celebration of the Persona series’ 30th anniversary and the 10th anniversary of Persona 5. The game launched on September 15, 2016, so the first day of the streams lands exactly on its 10th birthday. On September 19, a special anime, THE DAY BREAKERS, goes up too, and ABEMA has a free marathon of all 26 episodes lined up.

The more hours you sank into the game, the more likely you are to put the anime off with a “I’m curious, but 26 episodes is a lot.” I’m guilty of that myself, and my anime backlog only gets longer by the day. If that sounds like you, getting the first five episodes for free is the perfect way to decide whether you want to keep going.

So what should you watch, and by when? And how should you split things between YouTube and ABEMA? Let’s walk through the schedule and the highlights one by one (info as of September 15, 2026).

First up, the schedule, so you don’t miss anything.

*Prices in this article are converted from Japanese yen at ¥153 = US$1 (September 2026 rate).

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When Does the Free Persona 5 Anime Stream on YouTube Start and End?

Episode 1 goes live September 15 at 19:30, and Episode 5 stays up until 23:59 on October 3.

It’s all on Atlus’s official YouTube channel (@atlustube). According to an announcement on Persona Channel, the official info site, Episodes 1-5 premiere every day at 19:30 from September 15 to 19. Each episode can be watched until 23:59 two weeks after its premiere date. They don’t all vanish on the same day, so pay a little attention to your viewing order.

As the table shows, Episode 1 is the first to go, on September 29. Even if you can’t keep up one episode per weeknight, you can binge Episodes 1-5 over the weekend of September 26-27 and still make it. Just know that once that date passes, Episode 1 is gone. These deadlines are what was announced as of September, and they could change. If you’re planning to watch, keep an eye on the official X account for updates too.

The Special Anime THE DAY BREAKERS Drops the Same Night

Thirty minutes after Episode 5, at 20:00 on September 19, the special anime THE DAY BREAKERS goes up as well. It’s available until 23:59 on October 3, same as Episode 5. It’s a standalone special separate from the main TV series, so the most efficient move is to roll right into it once Episode 5 wraps. Go ahead and make Saturday night a full-on Persona night.

Why Can You Watch the Persona 5 Anime for Free Right Now?

It’s a campaign celebrating the Persona series’ 30th anniversary and the 10th anniversary of Persona 5‘s release.

The official announcement reported by Famitsu.com also describes the free streams as a celebration of the series’ 30th anniversary and Persona 5‘s 10th. The game version of Persona 5 came out on PS4/PS3 on September 15, 2016. Kicking off the anime streams on the very same date is the kind of touch that makes fans grin.

The Persona 5 anime is a 26-episode TV series that started airing in April 2018. According to Aniplex’s series page, animation production was handled by A-1 Pictures. The protagonist, Ren Amamiya, is voiced by Jun Fukuyama, Morgana by Ikue Otani, Ryuji Sakamoto by Mamoru Miyano, and Ann Takamaki by Nana Mizuki. It’s the same cast as the game, so if you came in through the game, it feels right at home.

This 30th anniversary rollout is really well thought out. Instead of dumping all 26 episodes for free at once, they release Episodes 1-5 one a day so there’s something to look forward to every night. From there, it flows into the September 20 livestream and then the ABEMA marathon. On the other hand, only five episodes being on YouTube is a bit of a letdown. Five out of 26 just gets you through the opening stretch of the story. Whether you can keep going depends on whether you can catch the ABEMA marathon.

Where Can You Watch Episode 6 and Beyond? What’s the Free ABEMA Marathon?

ABEMA’s Anime SPECIAL channel is airing all 26 episodes for free on September 21-22.

According to Persona Channel’s announcement, all 26 TV episodes air in two blocks: Monday, September 21, from 18:00 to 7:00 the next morning, and Tuesday, September 22, from 7:00 to 20:00. After that, from 20:00 to 24:00 on the 22nd, both specials, Dark Sun… and Stars and Ours, are scheduled to air. Everything stays free to watch for one week after broadcast.

The best way to watch is pretty clear. Catch Episodes 1-5 on YouTube, and if you’re hooked, pick it up from Episode 6 through the finale with ABEMA’s marathon. Since it stays free for a week after it airs, there’s no need to pull an all-nighter watching live.

What gives me pause is the sheer volume: 26 episodes over two days, September 21 and 22. The broadcast blocks add up to a full 26 hours across those two days. Even with a catch-up window, trying to plow through it all in one weekend is going to wreck your eyes. Back when I worked the night shift at a manga cafe in Kabukicho, I watched plenty of customers say “just one more episode” and end up greeting the sunrise. Take breaks, folks.

Watch-Along Streams Are OK Without Prior Permission

Persona Channel has also published guidelines for watch-along streams. As long as it’s an individual, non-commercial stream, you can do a watch-along without getting permission in advance, and you’re even allowed to use monetization features. In exchange, rebroadcasting the video or audio directly in your stream is prohibited. You’ll need to include the copyright notice “©ATLUS. ©SEGA.”, make it clear in your stream title that it’s a watch-along, and add the hashtag “#P30th.” If you’re planning to watch with a crowd while commentating, check the guidelines first.

What Else Is Part of the 30th Anniversary? Livestream and Gashapon Roundup

There’s a special livestream on September 20 and a 30th anniversary Gashapon line, “Mejirushi Accessory.”

The “Persona 30th Anniversary” special livestream kicks off Sunday, September 20, at 19:30 (the stream opens at 19:00). According to Persona Channel, the guests are Daisuke Namikawa, Jun Fukuyama, Shiori Sasaki, Lyn (Lyn Inaizumi), Azumi Takahashi, and Lotus Juice. Hosting duties go to Neki Matsuzawa and Kazuhisa Wada, general producer at P-Studio. Shiori Sasaki, the singer for Persona 4 Revival, is also set to give her first-ever live performance.

As a countdown to the livestream, a voice actor radio show streams every day from September 15 to 18 at 20:00 for about 30 minutes. Jun Fukuyama, Daisuke Namikawa, Akira Ishida, and Takehito Koyasu appear, sharing memories from each game. So from the 15th to the 18th, the routine is anime at 19:30, then radio at 20:00. For Persona fans, it’s shaping up to be a week of very busy evenings.

“Mejirushi Accessory” Gashapon Preorders Run Through September 24

On the merch side, Bandai’s Gashapon Persona Series Mejirushi Accessory ($3 per pull, tax included) is taking preorders on Gashapon Online. According to Dengeki Hobby Web and the product page, the lineup features the protagonists of P1, P2 Innocent Sin, P2 Eternal Punishment, P3, P3P, P4, P5, and P5X, for eight designs in total. Preorders run from 11:00 on September 15 to 23:59 on September 24, with shipping planned for late December 2026. They’re also slated for early sale in capsule machines across Japan.

Getting all eight series protagonists together is a lineup only a 30th anniversary could pull off. That said, it’s Gashapon, so you don’t get to pick what comes out. Try to complete the set of eight and the pulls pile up, and your wallet’s HP drains like the Reaper is chasing it down. If you’ve already got a favorite protagonist in mind, I’d recommend deciding up front how many times you’re willing to pull.

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Is the Persona 5 Anime Worth Watching Now? The Highs and the Caveats

Whether you’ve played the game or not, the first five episodes are well worth watching for free.

The biggest draw is getting to revisit the start of a long RPG story at a brisk pace, voiced by the same cast as the game. As someone who poured hours into the game 10 years ago, just seeing the vibe of the Phantom Thieves on screen again makes me happy. And for people who haven’t played it, it’s a free way in to get a feel for the world.

That said, there are some caveats. Condensing a long RPG into a 26-episode anime means some scenes inevitably get cut. The more carefully you worked through your Confidants in the game, the more likely it’ll feel a little thin. Also, only the first five episodes are free on YouTube. To see the rest, you’ll need to watch within the catch-up window of ABEMA’s marathon or use one of the streaming services.

Still, there’s real value in soaking up the world of Persona 5 one more time ahead of the 30th anniversary livestream and the new games on the way. As prep for getting the most out of the September 20 livestream, these five episodes are just the right amount.

Wrap-Up: Free Viewing for Persona 5 Anime Episode 1 Ends September 29

Episodes 1-5 of the Persona 5 TV anime stream free on Atlus’s official YouTube channel every day at 19:30 from September 15 to 19, 2026. Each episode is available until 23:59 two weeks after it premieres: Episode 1 through September 29, and Episode 5 plus the special THE DAY BREAKERS through October 3.

For the rest of the story, ABEMA’s Anime SPECIAL channel airs all 26 episodes free on September 21-22, with a one-week catch-up window after broadcast. The “Persona 30th Anniversary” special livestream starts September 20 at 19:30, and the “Mejirushi Accessory” Gashapon ($3, eight designs) is taking preorders until 23:59 on September 24. At the top of this article, I asked what to watch, where, and by when. The answer: watch Episode 1 on YouTube by September 29, then finish the series on ABEMA.

*This article is based on information as of September 15, 2026. Streaming schedules and viewing deadlines are subject to change, so check official announcements for the latest details.