All Dungeon Meshi Episodes, Ranked Worst to Best

Dungeon Meshi (translated in English to Delicious in Dungeon) has just recently finished airing its first season on Netflix. The 24-episode season was fantastic, though some episodes were better than others. Here are all Dungeon Meshi episodes, ranked from worst to best.

All Dungeon Meshi Episodes, Ranked Worst To Best

24) Episode 9 – Tentacles/Stew

The ninth episode of the series may be the least entertaining of the bunch, but that doesn’t make it any less intriguing. If anything, it’s impressive how Episode 9 manages to still stay as compelling as it is despite being burdened with exposition and recapping of the story to characters who aren’t traveling in Laios’ party. This episode serves as a reunion and something of a culmination of less important plot threads, thus making the ranking this low.

23) Episode 16 – Cleaners/Dried With Sweet Sake

After all the excitement and chaos of the episodes leading up to the 16th episode, it’s no surprise that this episode calms things down considerably to let the characters breathe. The focus on finding a way out of the evolving dungeon adds tension to the episode, but the lore of dungeon-cleaning creatures and the return of a member of the party who abandoned them isn’t enough to elevate this Dungeon Meshi episode above the rest.

22) Episode 20 – Ice Golem/Barometz

This later episode of Dungeon Meshi is mainly dedicated to introducing Izutsumi as a new member of the party and her dynamic with each of the main characters. Given that Izutsumi is such a late addition as the season is drawing to a close, it’s harder to empathize with her inherently rude nature. The episode feels like a filler section, with the cast wandering the same space and no real development or progress toward the overall plot.

21) Episode 4 – Stewed Cabbage/Orcs

The fourth episode of Dungeon Meshi displays the series’ subtle and expert way of worldbuilding, putting great detail into its fantasy world. In this particular instance, the societal position of Orcs is given a large amount of screentime, and while the exposition can sometimes be clunky, the dialogue still feels genuine as Marcille, an elf, finds herself at odds with the Orcs that captured her and the others and eventually coming to understand their struggles as a species before the episode is over.

20) Episode 14 – Sea Serpent

Episode 14 is one of the few episodes of Dungeon Meshi that doesn’t focus on Laios and his party. Instead, it shows another party exploring the dungeon, who are only a few steps behind our main characters. Kabru is one of the most interesting (and cool) characters in the series, and seeing how differently he and his party interact compared to Laios and the others makes the world feel a lot more lived-in.

It’s also impressive how the writers and animators manage to take a location we already spent so much time in in previous episodes feel completely different, as there are new characters exploring the dungeon in their own unique way.

19) Episode 15 – Dryad/Cockatrice

This Dungeon Meshi episode is captivating for a number of reasons; there’s the interesting development of Laios following in his sister Falin’s footsteps by learning magic and the unexpected consequences that arrive from this new skill Laios is learning. In Episode 15, the party is put into different roles than they are used to, leading to creative and hilarious fighting sequences against monsters. Dungeon Meshi manages to stay fresh and exciting to viewers thanks to unexpected episodes like these.

18) Episode 2 – Roast Basilisk/Omelet/Kakiage

The second episode of Dungeon Meshi isn’t as strong of an outing as the introductory episode (more on that later), but it still features some great moments that help viewers get familiarized with the world of the anime. Party members other than Laios and Senshi, specifically Marcielle, come across as obnoxious at certain points, but it is just the growing pains of the characters finding their footing in the story that prevents this episode from being better than it could have been.

17) Episode 5 – Snacks/Sorbet

The fifth episode of Dungeon Meshi may feature one of the most delicious-looking meals in the entire series- and it’s made out of bugs and ghosts. The episode itself starts off with a hilarious and morbid introduction to Kabru’s party before we see Laios and his crew barely avoid the same fate that befell them. The episode elaborated on the ambiguous nature of death and life when in the dungeon, providing a delicious mixture of lore and beautifully animated food.

16) Episode 6 – Court Cuisine/Boiled In Salt Water

Episode 6 of Dungeon Meshi is one of the more unsettling ones, as Laios and the party attempt to find food through unorthodox and creative ways. In scenes straight out of Super Mario 64, Laios enters several magical paintings in hopes of transporting the food in the pictures back to the real world. It’s in this episode that subtle storytelling is at play here, featuring blink-and-you-miss-it moments that later end up being of utmost importance to the rest of the series.

15) Episode 7 – Kelpie/Porridge/Broiled with Sauce

This episode of Dungeon Meshi explores the stubborn and hard-headed nature of Senshi while also providing much-needed empathy for the constantly nagging Marcille. The setting of the episode and the exploration of the morality of magic all show the storytelling strengths of the series, progressing the story, giving us interesting character interactions, and expounding upon the world of Dungeon Meshi. Moreover, it has a serene water setting that sets the stage for imaginatively choreographed battles in later episodes.

14) Episode 21 – Egg/The Golden Country

Episode 21 of Dungeon Meshi is probably the most plot-heavy episode of the series. Not only does the episode pay off the tease of Laios’ connection to ghosts in Episode 15, but it also introduces an entirely new world within the dungeon. This new world and character leads the party closer to solving the mystery of Falin’s disappearance, as well as the nature of the dungeon itself. There’s an interesting prophecy angle introduced, which leads to intimate moments of self-reflection between the party that strengthens the episode even more.

13) Episode 10 – Giant Frogs/Above Ground

“Giant Frogs,” the tenth episode of Dungeon Meshi, is one of the best that demonstrates Laios and the rest of the crew’s teamwork in heated situations. As more and more interesting biomes of the dungeon challenge the team, they continue to rise to the occasion in hilarious and creative ways. In this particular instance, wearing the skin of frogs to pass through what should be poisonous foliage makes for a standout entry in the season.

Related: Dungeon Meshi Season 2 Release Window, Cast, and More

12) Episode 19 – Hag/Nightmare

“Hag/Nightmare” is particularly compelling because of the development it gives Marcille. Most of the episode is spent inside her head as Laios enters her mind to free her from a paralyzing nightmare that’s invaded her subconscious. Emily Rudd gives a fantastic performance as both a younger and older version of the elf in the English dub, and this introspective episode gives more insight into the character’s uptight nature, much like Episode 7 did for Senshi.

11) Episode 22 – Griffin/Familiars

Reaching closer to the end of the season, Episode 22 of Dungeon Meshi features one of the most creative battles in the season as the party attempts to save Senshi from a Griffin monster. Marcille, in particular, leads the charge with a monster of her own creation, controlled by her, which leads to some comedic (and stunningly animated) battles with the Griffin. The episode also teases Senshi’s dark backstory, providing some much-needed intrigue for the episode.

10) Episode 18 – Shapeshifter

“Shapeshifter” is perhaps the funniest episode that Dungeon Meshi has to offer, as it centers on the party being replicated by shapeshifters based on how they perceive each other. While the real Laios is easy to spot thanks to the comical caricature replicas, the rest of the party isn’t so easy. What follows is the show’s extremely amusing portrayal of Laios’ thought process and the rest of his friends’ bewilderment at his solution of identifying them. It’s an introspective episode that examines the dynamics of the party in the most fun way possible.

9) Episode 17 – Harpy/Chimera

Episode 17 of Dungeon Meshi is an incredible action-packed culmination of all the preceding events. Multiple parties that we have been following eventually convene to do battle with the newly created chimera, which happens to be Falin. Not only do we get new and unexpected team-ups as Laios and his party work with Kabru’s group, but the actions taken to save Falin are revealed to those who aren’t invested in saving her, giving viewers a grim new perspective on Laios and Marcille’s actions. It’s a fantastic episode that displays the strong writing of the series up to that point.

8) Episode 1 – Hot Pot/Tart

The first episode of Dungeon Meshi does an excellent job of introducing the world and characters, setting up the dramatic stakes, and brilliantly tying it all together around the premise of cooking dungeon monsters and turning them into food. The episode’s structure helps viewers get comfortable with the show’s format, and the diverse cast of characters that we’re introduced to for the first time (Laios, Marcille, Chilchuck, Senshi) also works well to keep us engaged in what is a phenomenal first episode.

7) Episode 8 – Raspberries/Grilled Meat

Episode 8 of Dungeon Meshi features some of the best animations the show has to offer, and the clever pacing of the episode only helps to exemplify it. What starts off as Marcille simply cleaning herself up turns into a dramatic fight for her life against an Undine. The setting of the battle, on a body of water which Mariclle iwas walking on using magic, leads to one of the most dangerous battlefields. The crisp body animation and decisive choreography all work in unison to create a stunning battle sequence. Add to that the fact that it’s intercut with flashbacks showing how Marcille knows Falin, and you have the perfect example of writing and animation working in unison to create something special.

6) Episode 23 – Griffin Soup/Dumplings -1-

The penultimate episode of Dungeon Meshi plays out like any other and also finally gives us Senshi’s tragic backstory. Perhaps the best aspect of Episode 23 is how intimately it manages to tie the concept of cooking (which has been prevalent all season) to the closure Senshi needs in order to get past his trauma. The brilliance and emotion of it show how much closer the party grows together; it also makes the shocking ending of all of them becoming different species (Senshi’s an elf now!) hit that much harder.

5) Episode 24 – Dumplings -2-/Bacon and Eggs

The season finale of Delicious in Dungeon picks up right from the previous episode in this ranking, with all of the party having essentially swapped species. Laios is a dwarf, Marcille is perhaps the most adorable half-foot in the entire series, Chilchuck is a tall man (human), Izutsumi is a dog, and Senshi is a handsome elf-man. It’s a hilarious episode that explores how each species works differently and ends with everyone back to normal before coming u with an unorthodox plan to save Falin that will no doubt come into play in Season 2. It’s a fantastic end to the season.

4) Episode 3 – Living Armor

“Living Armor” is perhaps my favorite episode of Dungeon Meshi in terms of animation alone. It’s impressive how Studio Trigger so early on set the precedent of what to expect from the series. In it, Laios and his party are ambushed by, you guessed it, living armor. What follows is breathtaking kinetic animation that sees Laios and his party carefully coordinate a way out of their precarious situation. The episode also delivers an incredibly satisfying explanation for living armor and a very cool boss battle for Laios that ends with him getting a monster sword. It’s one of the best episodes of the series.

3) Episode 13 – Red Dragon III/Good Medicine

Episode 13 is the aftermath of the most exciting arc of Dungeon Meshi, and while it doesn’t feature as much action or delicious food as the previous two, it still sets the trajectory course for the entire rest of the series, finally revealing the identity of the mad mage, and just exactly what they’re capable of in an intense battle with the party. The storytelling of the anime doesn’t get much better than this.

2) Episode 12 – Red Dragon II

“Red Dragon II” shows Laios and the party making a decision to use dark magic to revive Falin. The disturbing ritual is followed by a short moment of happiness, having finally saved Falin (for now). The series lives up to its title with this episode, cooking the red dragon in so many different ways, with some of the most delicious-looking food seen in an anime. The happiness of the party is short-lived, but it still makes for a nice reprieve before the chaos in the dungeon starts picking up again.

1) Episode 11 – Red Dragon I

Episode 11 of Dungeon Meshi has it all. At this point, the series had been building up to this climactic conformation. There’s also been extensive planning by Laios and the crew, and that leads to the best fight of the entire series. It’s not just because of the animations and choreography and sheer length of the fight; it’s because the story built up to it in the most satisfying way. Dungeon Meshi has everything you love about fantasy anime, and this episode is the best example of it.

And those are all Dungeon Meshi episodes, ranked from worst to best.

Delicious in Dungeon is available to stream on Netflix.