The global surge in anime’s popularity is undeniable, with standout titles like Jujutsu Kaisen and One Piece captivating more and more people around the world with their enthralling narratives. Amid this thriving landscape, a decade-old anime has taken the opportunity to formally reveal its return date. Kazue Kato’s legendary manga series Blue Exorcist has decided to revive itself with a third season of its anime after a 6-year-long hiatus.
Following its tradition of rising from the dead, the studio has released a surprise teaser and announced the official release of Blue Exorcist season 3, which is titled Shimane Illuminati Saga. This long-awaited return promises to rekindle the saga of Rin Okumura, the son of Satan on his journey to become a master exorcist.
Blue Exorcist season 3 will adapt the Shimane Illuminati arc of the original manga, which is the sixth major arc running from volumes 10-15. It will take place sometime after the events of the Kyoto Impure King arc. The new season will introduce a new enemy group called the Illuminati, led by an enigmatic man named Lucifer.
‘Blue Exorcist’ season 3 release date
During Aniplex Online Fest 2023, a short teaser and a key visual of the upcoming anime series were revealed to the public. The 31-second trailer also confirmed an official release window for the series, slating Blue Exorcist season 3 for January 2024. While a date is not yet finalized, rest assured that the series will be available to stream on Crunchyroll soon after 2023 comes to an end.
The series first started in April 2011, followed by the premiere of a second season six years later in January 2017. Both seasons were animated by A-1 pictures, but Blue Exorcist season 3 will be spearheaded by Studio VOLN instead. Daisuke Yoshida will direct for the studio, which is known for its 2018 coming-of-age anime drama film I Want to Eat Your Pancreas.
An official poster of the upcoming season was released by the studio, along with the details of the team behind the series. The poster features various main characters, including Rin and Yukio Okumura, Shiemi Moriyama, Ryuji Suguro, Izumo Kamiki, Renzo Shima, and Konekomaru Miwa.
Nobuhiko Okamoto and Jun Fukuyama will return to voice Rin and his twin brother Yukio, respectively. Other returning cast members include Kana Hanazawa as Shiemi Moriyama, Kazuya Nakai as Ryuji Suguroi, and Yuuki Kaji as Miwa Konekomaru.
Toshiya Ono will be overseeing the scripts while Yurie Oohigashi will serve as the character designer and chief animation director. Kohta Yamamoto and Hiroyuki Sawano will compose the score for the series.
Check out the latest teaser for Blue Exorcist season 3 below: