A Third Season for 'Beastars' Is on Its Way, but When Can We Expect It?

Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for Seasons 1 and 2 of Beastars.

There are plenty of anime shows on Netflix for your binge-worthy pleasure, and Beastars is among one of the finest it has to offer. The show began airing weekly in Japan in 2019, with U.S. Netflix streaming entire seasons at once a few months after their Japanese airing. The show currently holds a 94 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, with the Critics Consensus calling it "well-made and beautifully animated."

The first season streamed on U.S. Netflix in 2020, with the second season following in 2021. In July 2021, the show was renewed for a third season. Can we expect the third season any time soon?

Beastars takes place in a world of anthropomorphic animals living in a modern society that's not unlike our own (think Zootopia, but more violent). Legoshi is a gray wolf attending the prestigious Cherryton Academy. His kindhearted nature is offset by his tall stature and brute strength. As he develops feelings for a small white rabbit named Haru, he is forced to confront whether his feelings stem from love or his carnal nature as a natural predator.

In this unique coming-of-age story, animals like Legoshi, Haru, and the rich and pompous red deer Louis try to exist in a modern world that constantly reminds them of their respective positions on the ever-present food chain.

Season 1 ended with Legoshi and Haru attempting to begin a relationship. In Season 2, Legoshi begins a solo investigation into which carnivore student at Cherryton killed and ate an herbivore on campus. After discovering the culprit, a brown bear named Riz, Legoshi challenges him to a fight to get Riz to turn himself in.

Though Legoshi is overpowered, Louis offers up one of his legs to Legoshi to help him recover his strength. Legoshi is eventually declared the winner, but considers dropping out of school after the ordeal.

While anime seasons these days typically take a year off before a new one comes along, Beastars is a different case. Beastars is almost entirely animated with CG by Orange Studio. While CGI is typically looked down upon in anime, Beastars been praised for its unique blend of 2D and 3D visuals.

That being said, it might take a little longer for Season 3 to come out. Season 1 began in Japan toward the end of 2019, with Season 2 following at the beginning of 2021. It stands to reason that we might not see Season 3 until late 2022 at the earliest. Worst case scenario: We may just have to wait for Beastars' return in 2023.

Despite the open-ended wait, there's still plenty to look forward to in the world of Beastars. The third season will likely begin following the "Interspecies Relations" arc from the original manga. After Legoshi drops out of school, he strikes it out on his own by finding his own place, getting a job, and meeting new people. It's here that Legoshi learns about the nature of the relationship between herbivores and carnivores outside of the Cherryton Academy walls.

Seasons 1 and 2 of Beastars are currently streaming on Netflix.