HELLO welcome to Kirabera's simplified Gintama episode guide

This list is helpful for anyone starting Gintama or rewatching the entire series, you can decide to skip certain episodes to get to the plot quicker then revisit skipped episodes later
Near the end of the series the anime chronology gets a little strange due to scheduling so you can use this as a guide to watch things chronologically if you wish
Just so you know this is HIGHLY subjective in terms of what episodes you can or can't skip, so don't blame me if you end up missing out on something you would rather have watched lol
This list is not meant to replace watching the entire series as a whole. Skip at your own risk, and even skipped episodes should be watched eventually.

Must watch, character introduction, major plot contribution, or major arc

Skip if you must but these are really good, doesn't affect main plot but worth the time (aka you will regret skipping)
Can skip but come back to it eventually , no contribution to plot (you might not regret right away but you will eventually)

Season Episode # Arc/Plot Manga chapter (Lesson #)

Jump Festa Special 2005 1-2 Anime Pilot Special Special 2-hour episode, is a quick intro to all the characters but doesn't really contribute to anything. Skip if you want to get into the series right away.
Season 1 3 Manga Pilot 1
4 Kagura 2-4
5 Zura 5-6
6 Ostuu 7
7 Hasegawa / Prince Baka 2
8 Kondo 8
9 Hijikata 9
10 Sadaharu 10
11 Otose 11
12 Catherine 4
13 Harusame Arc 12-14
14 A Harusame aftermath 15
14 B Princess Soyo 23
15 Elizabeth 20
16 MADAO 16
17 Gengai, Takasugi 29-31
18 Panty Thief 28
19 Beach Samurai 32
20 Haunted Shinsengumi 33-34
21 Kappa 18
22 Sacchan 40
23 Sakamoto 26-27
24 Saigou 38-39
25 The famous Hot Pot Episode 100
26 Taka-chin 36-37
27-28 Rengokukan Arc 42-45
29 A Kagura takes Lake Touya 35
29 B Cockroaches 47
30 Otsuu's fan 19
31-32 Memory Loss Arc 50-52
33 Rebuilding Yorozuya (Memory Loss aftermath) 54
34-35 A Densha Otoko parody (Shinpachi's Cat-Eared GF) 85-86
35 B Mayora-13 65
36 Hattori (Dream Catcher) 48-49
37 Christmas, Santa and Ben 99
38 A Neo Armstrong Cyclone Jet Armstrong Cannon 103 Even if it isn't important to the plot you NEED to know what a Neo Armstrong Cyclone Jet Armstrong Cannon is
38 B Fireworks 56
39 Ikumatsu 55
40-42 Umibouzu Arc 57-63
43 A Replacing Kagura (Umibouzu aftermath) 64
43 B - 44 5 Ninja Arc 67-69
45 Sadaharu and AneMone 71-73
46 Cabaret Girls 74
47 My Neighbour Hedoro 66
48 A Hijikata and Gintoki 75
48 B Kick the can 76
49 Princess Kada 70

Season 2 50 New ideas for Gintama anime (actually hilarious please watch)
51-52 Infant Strife Arc (Appo and Nizou) 77-80
53 Firefighter Tatsumi 21-22
54-55 Mother Arc, Kyoshiro 104-106
56 Otsuu's Shinsengumi Day 101-102
57 Battery Episode (Mutsu's cargo)
Movie adaptation: Shinyaku Benizakura-hen 58-61 Benizakura Arc 89-97 Replace these episodes with Shinyaku Benizakura-hen (movie) for extra sweet HD action scenes
62 Benizakura aftermath 98
63 Future-seer Okuni 124
64 Katsura interview 108
65 Beetle Hunt 83-84
66 Dango 109
67 A Delivery Girl Mach Noriko 87
67 B Nurse Sacchan 88
68 Haunted House 82
69-71 Fuyo Arc, Tama 140-146
72 A Sadaharu at dog park 126
72 B Katsura learns to drive 125
73 Bear Hunter 41
74 M-Zombies 133-134
75 Recap
76-81 Yagyuu Arc 110-123
82 A Golden Balls
82 B Hamuko 25
83 Shogun at Cabaret Club 127-128
84-85 Hardboiled Arc 135-137
86-87 Mitsuba Arc 129-132
88 Kyuubei's group date 138-139
89 Bleach parody with Lake Touya 150
90 Hospital Nurse 46
91 Fasting Camp 156-157
92 Sniper 152 Minor setup for Prosecution Arc, not absolutely necessary (but this episode is pretty funny)
93 Space Woman 151
94-95 Hasegawa Prosecution Arc 153-155
96 Umibouzu on Atlas 170-171 There's a DVD special HD version of this episode
97 A Cat's Punch 24
97 B Gura-san!!! 107
98-99 Owee Arc 147-149
Jump Festa Special 2008 2 Shiroyasha Kotan Fake movie trailer for the Jump Festa Special, has major plot holes so don't take seriously lol

Season 3 100 Gorilla author and Gintaman 169

101-105 Shinsengumi Crisis Arc 158-168
106 Soccer
107-108 Guardian Dog Arc 184-186
109 Joui entrance test with Yamazaki 173
110 Katsura in jail, Shachi 193-194
111 A Agomi in love
111 B Umbrella in the rain 172
112 Tama's day off 183
113 Shinsengumi washroom revolution 188
114 Mayora-13
115-118 Ryuguu Palace Arc 174-182
119 Hijikata quits smoking 202
120 A Zura works at Amanto restaurant
120 B Hasegawa works at sushi restaurant 187
121-123 Monkey Hunter Arc (Screwdriver Arc) 189-192
124 Otsuu writes new songs
125 Recap, characters' best moments
126-128 Correspondence Arc (Shinpachi's pen pal) 203-206
129-130 Kintaro Arc 207-209
131-134 Ghost Ryokan Arc (Stand Arc) 196-201
135 Gorilla author and editors
136 Hasegawa's new house 230
137 A Stalkouple
137 B Christmas, Santa and Ben
138 Old Yorozuya 195
139-146 Yoshiwara Arc (Yoshiwara in Flames Part 1) 210-228
147 Yoshiwara aftermath 229
148-149 Saw parody 233-235
150 Fake endings (also hilarious please watch)

Season 4 151-152 Barber Arc 231-232

153 Kagura can't sleep 237
154 Kyuubei's birthday 236
155 Horse betting
156 Street stall 238
157-163 Otsuu Official Fanclub Arc 239-245
164 A Fake Yorozuya
165 B Doraemon parody
165 Ginfluenza / Ill Smith 246
166 Hijikata and Gintoki
167-170 Tama Quest Arc 247-251
171 A Yorozuya break-in
171 B Hair loss
172 Shinsengumi interrogation 252
173 A fake Elizabeth
173 B Gintoki Sadaharu soul switch
174 A Gintoki Hasegawa fishing
174 B Elevator 253
175 Dentist 263-264
176 Recap in 3D!
177-181 Red Spider Arc (Yoshiwara in Flames Part 2) 254-262
182-184 Character Poll Arc 265-268
185 A Mayonnaise Factory
186 B Bee extermination 269
186-187 Rokkaku Arc (Okita's Death Flag) 270-272
188 When will Madao bloom? 274
189 A White Demon
189 B Radio Exercises
190-192 Kabukicho Stray Cat Arc 275-279
193 Cooking class 280
194 Shinsengumi snot attack 281
195-199 Diviner Arc 282-289
200-201 Santa Arc 290-292

Gintama' (Season 5) 202-203 Timeskip Arc 324-326 Starting from this episode please watch every single OP in full until the thing happens.
 204 A New years cards 294
204 B Valentine's chocolates 295
205 A Anpan 293
205 B Kondo's date 313
206 Catherine in love 296
207-208 Glasses Arc 318-321
209 More filler than any other filler you've ever seen
210-214 Kabukicho Four Devas Arc 297-309
215 Four Devas aftermath 310-311
216 Patriot 331-332
217 Shogun at the pool 322-323
218 Crab Shogun 327-328
219 A Punching Bag Iwamatsu 333
219 B-220 Hedoro at the bathhouse 334-335
221-222 Jugemu Arc 314-315
223 Matsudaira's daughter's birthday party 329-330
224 Blu-Ray-ko 343 You'll know why this is necessary
225-226 Jail Arc 340-342
227 Sket Dance crossover 360.1
228-229 Love Chorisu Arc 348-350
230 Death Cancer (cell phones) 351
231 Funeral 316-317
232-236 Renho Arc 353-360
237-238 Vacation Arc (Shogun snowboarding) 344-346
239-240 Scandal Arc 336-339
241-242 Host Club Arc 362-364
243 Shachi the manga artist 361
244-247 Baragaki Arc, Isaburo and Nobume 365-370
248 Who wants to be a Madaonaire? 371
249 Crystel's Christmas present 381
250 New year envelopes 382
251 Kotatsu of balding 383 There is no fourth wall. All secrets are out.
252 We're sorry! Gintama suddenly ends

Gintama' Enchousen (Season 6) 253-256 Kintama Arc 372-380

257-261 Courtesan of a Nation Arc 386-399
262-264 Beam Saber Arc 403-410
265 Sadaharu runs away 401-402

Gintama Kanketsu-hen (Movie) The Final Chapter: Be Forever Yorozuya Standalone movie. You can watch this anytime; this premiered right after S6 and was meant to wrap up the anime since they didn't plan for future adaptations.

Gintama° (Season 7) 266-267 Frozen Time Arc 484-485

268 Yamazaki in love 384-385
269 A Seita studying 417
269 B Shinpachi hiding porn mags 455
270 A Sacchan in the mirror 418
270 B Yamazaki becomes a ninja 423
271-272 Joui Reunion Party Arc 452-454
273 Winning lottery ticket 450-451
274 A Yorozuya poster design 416
274 B New Kabukicho Four Devas 436
275-277 Dekobokko Arc (Gender Swap Arc) 437-441
278 Seita's school lunch 443
279-281 Shinigami Arc 463-469
282 Hasegawa's scary stories 456
283-284 Confessional Arc (Zura and Sho-chan) 412-415
285 Kondo's summer festival 460-461
286 A Soyo's watermelon game 411
286 B Yorozuya helps Seita with homework 462
287-289 Soul Switch Arc 470-476
290-291 Kaientai Arc 477-480
292 A New outfits 434
292 B Shimura-style Ultimate Technique 486
293 Two apes (Kondo's childhood) 482-483
294-295 Afro Arc 488-491
296-297 Feigned Illness Arc 457-459
298 A/B Shachi's manga 400, 442
299 A DraQue parody, Tetsuko repairs a hero sword 497
299 B Tama's friend the cigarette vending machine 498
Optional: watch Love Potion Arc (OVA) and Porori-hen (Season 9) now before moving on for timeline fluidity. Recommended if you like sitting through all the plot-heavy action in one go. Avoid if you want to watch some light-hearted stuff in between shit literally hitting the fan at mach speed.
Gintama° Shogun Ansatsu-hen 300-307 Shogun Assassination Arc 502-524
Gintama° Saraba Shinsengumi-hen 308-316 Farewell, Shinsengumi Arc 525-551

Gintama° Aizenkou-hen (OVA) 1-2 Love Potion Arc 492-496

Gintama. Rakuyou Kessen-hen (Season 8) 317-328 Rakuyou Decisive Battle Arc 552-595

Gintama. Porori-hen (Season 9) 329-330 Kagura's Boyfriend Arc 419-422

331-332 A Homeless Arc (Ikumatsu's father) 431-433
332 B-333 A Hasegawa tries to die 444
333 B Shinsengumi vs Mimawarigumi 435
334-336 Excalibur Arc 424-429
337-339 HDZ48 Arc (Idol Arc) 445-449
340 A Game promo 430
340 B-341 Guardian Spirits Arc 499-501

Gintama. Shirogane no Tamashii-hen (Season 10) 342-361 A Silver Soul Arc (Part 1) 596-668 Watch every single ED in the second half of this season for extra Gintama feels.
361 B-367 A Silver Soul Arc (Part 2) 669-686
367 B Final Ending Scam Trial (We're sorry x2) The anime didn't manage to wrap up in its scheduled time slots so basically it ends in a cliffhanger.

Jump Festa Special 2019

New anime has been announced! AAAAAAAAAAAAA IT'S A MOVIE AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA Manga ended. We're crying.
Hi I'm Kirabera thanks for checking out my episode guide
I write Gintama fanfiction sometimes but not that much
Please check out my work at: AO3 FF.net