My Hero Academia season 8 dub expected release schedule: When are new episodes out?
MHA's final season is finally getting its English version mid-October.
My Hero Academia season 8 is officially kicking off. And for fans of the anime who have been patiently waiting for the English dub to make an appearance, then you're in luck: you won't have to wait much longer. The last season adapts the manga's Final War and Epilogue Arc, meaning that fans who are into intense action, powerful battles, and high stakes will be in for a real treat. But when can fans expect to watch the final arc of Izuku Midoriya in the My Hero Academia season 8 dub? Read on below for all the details. My Hero Academia season 8 English dub release schedule The original Japanese dub for the final season has been airing since early October, and it's been a stellar watch so far, with fantastic work by the voice actors who have been with the show since the very beginning. Now English dub fans, who might not be fans of reading subtitles, are getting their cake to eat as well. A confusing case with anime is that an English dub can take months to come out. Thankfully, Crunchyroll’s production of My Hero Academia’s is like a well-oiled machine at this point. Here's the expected release schedule for My Hero Academia season 8 dub! My Hero Academia season 8 episode 1 – 18th October 2025 My Hero Academia season 8 episode 2 – 25th October 2025 My Hero Academia season 8 episode 3 – 1st November 2025 My Hero Academia season 8 episode 4 – 8th November 2025 My Hero Academia season 8 episode 5 – 15th November 2025 My Hero Academia season 8 episode 6 – 22nd November 2025 My Hero Academia season 8 episode 7 – 29th November 2025 My Hero Academia season 8 episode 8 – 6th December 2025 My Hero Academia season 8 episode 9 – 13th November 2025 My Hero Academia season 8 episode 10 – 20th December 2025 My Hero Academia season 8 episode 11 – 27th December 2025 My Hero Academia season 8 English dub release date It's confirmed that the English dub of My Hero Academia season 8 will begin on 18th October. This means the dubbed episodes will be released two weeks after the subtitled episodes, as is usual for a show like My Hero Academia. New episodes will air each Saturday on Crunchyroll. Who is in the voice cast for the English dub of My Hero Academia season 8? The cast, confirmed by Crunchyroll, is below: All Might voiced by Christopher Sabat All for One (Young) voiced by Ryan Negrón Izuku voiced by Justin Briner Aoyama voiced by Joel McDonald Hagakure voiced by Felecia Angelle Kunieda voiced by Landon McDonald Fatgum voiced by Kyle Hebert Hercules voiced by Erica Mendez Present Mic voiced by Dave Trosko Stain voiced by Robert McCollum Tsukauchi voiced by Alejandro Saab Nana voiced by Stephanie Young Is there a trailer for the My Hero Academia season 8 English dub? Yes! You can check that out below: View oEmbed on the source website My Hero Academia is available to watch right now on Crunchyroll. Check out more of our Fantasy or Anime coverage or visit our TV Guide or Streaming Guide to find out what else is on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times View From My Sofa podcast.
One Punch Man season 3 release schedule: When are new episodes out?
Which days & times to remember to watch Saitama & co as soon as new episodes drop.
After over five years away, One Punch Man has finally returned for season 3, and there’s a good number of other anime episodes on the release schedule you’ll need to know the times for. Following Garou’s brawls with various heroes and Saitama’s effortless win against the Elder Centipede, One Punch Man season 2 ended on a curious cliffhanger that teased Garou getting drawn into the side of the monsters, getting ready to face the Hero Association. So you don’t have to wait any longer than you’ve already had to, along with not getting spoiled if you haven’t read ahead by going into the manga, we’re going into the release date and times of every One Punch Man season 3 episode – starting from all the episodes already out and all the way to the finale. One Punch Man season 3 release schedule: When are new episodes out? Crunchyroll recently confirmed that after the airing of the episode 0 recap special covering season 2 on 5th October, 2025, episode 1 of One Punch Man season 3 will launch on its scheduled release date of Sunday, 12th October, 2025 — followed by every other weekly episode that is scheduled to drop on the following dates – both in Japan and nationally: One Punch Man season 3 episode 1 – 12th October 2025 One Punch Man season 3 episode 2 – 19th October 2025 One Punch Man season 3 episode 3 – 26th October 2025 One Punch Man season 3 episode 4 – 2nd November 2025 One Punch Man season 3 episode 5 – 9th November 2025 One Punch Man season 3 episode 6 – 16th November 2025 One Punch Man season 3 episode 7 – 23rd November 2025 One Punch Man season 3 episode 8 – 30th November 2025 One Punch Man season 3 episode 9 – 7th December 2025 One Punch Man season 3 episode 10 – 14th December 2025 One Punch Man season 3 episode 11 – 21st December 2025 One Punch Man season 3 episode 12 – 28th December 2025 What time are the new One Punch Man season 3 episodes released? As confirmed by Crunchyroll in a news post, new episodes of One Punch Man season 3 will be released at the following times across key regions: 11:45pm JST 7:45am PT 10:45am ET 3:45pm BST As with previous seasons, the Japanese broadcast (via TV Tokyo) will take place before international audiences gain access through simulcast streaming. How many episodes will there be in One Punch Man season 3? One Punch Man season 3 is expected to run for 12 episodes, based on both seasons 1 and 2 running for the same count. Since anime studio JC Staff kept up the episode count as One Punch Man’s anime studio when it replaced Mad House after season 1, it’s safe to assume it will be a similar case for the third. Unless an official announcement extends the count, viewers should anticipate a straightforward 12-episode run covering the next major arc from the manga. Where can I watch One Punch Man season 3? All episodes of One Punch Man season 3 will be available to stream on Crunchyroll, which has confirmed worldwide distribution outside Japan. In Japan, the anime will first air on television bia TV Tokyo shortly before arriving on streaming services. In a statement reported by Anime News Network, One Punch Man season 3 was also originally set to stream on Hulu from 12th October. However, ANN has since added an update from Hulu that the release date has not been fully confirmed yet – but will be done so “at a later date”. While earlier seasons of One Punch Man have eventually been released on other streaming services like Netflix, we don’t expect season 3 to launch there until at least 2026. What is the plot of One Punch Man season 3? As revealed in its promotional trailers, One Punch Man season 3 will adapt the highly anticipated Monster Association Arc from the manga. This storyline sees the Hero Association mobilise its strongest S-Class heroes against an organised army of powerful monsters, resulting in some of the most intense battles in the series to date. Saitama, as always, finds himself caught between the chaos of these escalating conflicts and his own search for meaning in a world where no opponent can match his strength. Meanwhile, Garou continues to rise further as the scariest, compared to Saitama being the strongest – challenging not just the heroes but the very idea of what defines strength. View oEmbed on the source website One Punch Man is available to watch on Crunchyroll. Check out the rest of our Sci-Fi and Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what’s on tonight. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Spy x Family season 3 release schedule: When are new episodes out?
When and where you can watch the next season of the Forgers in action.
Since its debut in 2022, fans have been regularly checking for release schedules for the Spy × Family anime, and season 3 is no different. The 12-episode season 2 wrapped up in December 2023, and the long wait to reunite with the Forgers is almost here. Continuing its balance of action of light-hearted, feel-good comedy that's made Spy x Family one of the most popular anime going. Continuing to follow master spy Loid and his mock wife assassin Yor, raising the telepathic Anya to investigate political leader Donovan Desmond, in order to prevent a war, the adaptation of Tatsuya Endo’s hit manga is looking to get wilder with each episode. With lead times between anime seasons — and sometimes, even individual episodes — so unpredictable these days, it’s important to keep up with their exact release dates and launch times so you don’t miss out, or potentially get spoiled. Starting from its premiere date, here’s when and where you can catch every episode of Spy x Family season 3. Spy x Family season 3 release schedule: When are new episodes out? The release date for Spy x Family season 3’s premiere was Saturday 4th October 2025, on Crunchyroll and Hulu (US only), meaning the rest of its episodes will be out on the following dates of the same weekday: Spy x Family season 3 episode 1 - 4th October 2025 Spy x Family season 3 episode 2 - 11th October 2025 Spy x Family season 3 episode 3 - 18th October 2025 Spy x Family season 3 episode 4 - 25th October 2025 Spy x Family season 3 episode 5 - 4th October 2025 Spy x Family season 3 episode 6 - 1st November 2025 Spy x Family season 3 episode 7 - 8th November 2025 Spy x Family season 3 episode 8 - 15th November 2025 Spy x Family season 3 episode 9 - 22nd November 2025 Spy x Family season 3 episode 10 - 29th November 2025 Spy x Family season 3 episode 11 - 6th December 2025 Spy x Family season 3 episode 12 - 13th December 2025 What time are the new Spy x Family season 3 episodes released? Every new episode of Spy x Family season 3 will be released at the following times, according to various time zones: 11pm JST 7am PT 3pm BST 10am ET As detailed by the Spy x Family’s X (formerly Twitter) account, every episode of Spy x Family in Japan will air on Tokyo TV and other networks before dropping on Crunchyroll soon after. How many episodes will there be in Spy x Family season 3? Our current count of there being 12 episodes in Spy x Family season 3 is based on season 2 and the first half of season 1 having the same number. While season 1 of Spy x Family had two cours (allotments of 10-14 episodes) totalling 25 episodes, we expect Wit Studio and CloverWorks — the collaborating studios behind the anime’s production — to continue the precedent set with the lower episode count in season 2. Usually, when a show’s per-season episode count is lowered from two cours to one, whether due to production limitations or storytelling intent, it’s very rare to see studios reverse direction for the following seasons. That said, if the officially released episode count ends up being different, we’ll be updating this guide immediately. Where can I watch Spy x Family season 3? You will be able to watch every episode of Spy x Family season on Crunchyroll, whether you’re in the UK, US, or any other territory; US fans can also watch new episodes on Hulu. While Spy x Family is available to watch on Netflix, newer seasons appear on this particular service at a later date. At the time of writing, the anime is not available to watch via streaming service subscriptions like Disney+ or Amazon Prime. What’s the plot of Spy x Family season 3? As revealed in its official trailer, Spy x Family season 3 will follow Anya suddenly being more determined to study and earn more Stella Stars at Eden Academy – while trying to improve her relationship with Damian, and hopefully get Loid an in with Donovan Desmond as part of Operation Strix. This falls directly in line with the manga, as season 2 of the anime ended during the WISE Arc and is about to enter the five-chapter Friendship Schemes Arc (chapters 64 to 68). View oEmbed on the source website However, Old Lady Tonitrus Bolt has also appeared at Eden Academy, who thrives in giving students her namesake demerits that can get students expelled, putting Anya’s place at the school and Loid’s whole plan at stake. You can watch Spy x Family right now on Crunchyroll. Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10, PLUS a £10 John Lewis and Partners voucher delivered to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Ranma 1/2 season 2 release schedule: When are new episodes out?
Here's when Netflix fans can check out the follow-up to the beloved anime remake.
Following its triumphant return in 2024, season 2 of the Ranma 1/2 remake is finally here with plenty of episodes left to come. While season 1 reintroduced audiences worldwide to Rumiko Takahashi’s iconic martial arts romantic comedy, there’s plenty more fun to be had. So far, the anime remake has been faithful to the manga while updating its visuals and pacing, and season 2 is set to continue Ranma Saotome’s chaotic everyday life alongside Akane, Genma, and the rest of the ever-expanding cast. If you want to be sure you can watch every episode as soon as it drops, this quick and easy guide will tell you actually where and when you can watch all of Ranma 1/2 season 2 – with all release times and more details below. Ranma 1/2 season 2 release schedule: When are new episodes out? Following episode 1 Ranma 1/2 season 2, which has already premiered is Saturday 4th October, the rest of the weekly episodes will launch on the following dates: Ranma 1/2 season 2 episode 1 – 4th October 2025 Ranma 1/2 season 2 episode 2 – 11th October 2025 Ranma 1/2 season 2 episode 3 – 18th October 2025 Ranma 1/2 season 2 episode 4 – 25th October 2025 Ranma 1/2 season 2 episode 5 – 1st November 2025 Ranma 1/2 season 2 episode 6 – 8th November 2025 Ranma 1/2 season 2 episode 7 – 15th November 2025 Ranma 1/2 season 2 episode 8 – 22nd November 2025 Ranma 1/2 season 2 episode 9 – 29th November 2025 Ranma 1/2 season 2 episode 10 – 6th December 2025 Ranma 1/2 season 2 episode 11 – 13th December 2025 Ranma 1/2 season 2 episode 12 – 20th December 2025 What time are the new Ranma 1/2 season 2 episodes released? As confirmed on Ranma 1/2’s official website, every new episode of Ranma 1/2 season 2 will premiere at the following times across key regions: 00:55am JST 8:55am PT 11:55am ET 4:55pm BST Episodes will air first on Nippon TV, followed by other Japanese TV networks, before arriving on Netflix for international audiences shortly afterwards. How many episodes will there be in Ranma 1/2 season 2? We’re expecting Ranma 1/2 season 2 to consist of 12 episodes, since season 1 ran for the same number, though older anime adaptations of Ranma 1/2 often ran for longer cour (allotments of 10-14 episodes length, modern production schedules typically favour shorter seasons). Be that as it may, we will keep an eye out for the official episode count from MAPPA (the studio producing the anime) or Netflix, and we will update this guide if it’s any different from what we currently predict. Where can I watch Ranma 1/2 season 2? All episodes of Ranma 1/2 season 2 will be available to stream worldwide on Netflix. In Japan, fans can watch the series as it airs weekly on networks like Nippon TV, Aomori Broadcasting and Iwate Television, before the episodes are uploaded to streaming platforms. Currently, there are no plans for the new season to appear on services like Crunchyroll, Hulu, Disney+ or Amazon Prime at launch. Netflix remains the only confirmed international home for the series. What’s the plot of Ranma 1/2 season 2? View oEmbed on the source website Following the fun of season 1, the plot of the Ranma 1/2 remake for season 2 will see the debut of Mouse – Shampoo’s childhood friend. That’s alongside the appearance of Ranma’s new fiancée, Ukyo. Meanwhile, Ranma and Akane will be dealing with a variety of hilariously awkward situations whilst working out their own feelings toward each other. If you loved season 1, the season 2 trailer above is a good sign you’ll love the Ranma 1/2 remake more than ever. Ranma 1/2 is available to watch on Netflix. Check out the rest of our Sci-Fi and Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what’s on tonight. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
My Hero Academia season 8 release schedule: When are new episodes out?
Where and when you can watch the final chapter of Izuku Midoriya's story.
Since its anime debut back in 2016, My Hero Academia has remained a mainstay of the shonen anime world, and season 8 marks the climax of the journey. Season 7 wrapped up in June 2024, and the wait for the start of the final chapter is finally over with the recent drop of the MHA’s season 8 premiere. With its trademark mix of high-stakes action and heartfelt character drama, My Hero Academia has built towards its biggest showdown yet, pitting heroes and villains against one another in the Final War Arc. As Izuku Midoriya, Tomura Shigaraki, All Might, and All For One reach the end of their stories, fans can expect the rest of the season to be filled with more spectacle, sacrifice, and resolution. If you don’t want to miss out on major events as they happen, or not risk them getting spoiled for you on social media by not keeping up, you’ll need this go-guide to tell exactly where and when to watch this final season of My Hero Academia. My Hero Academia season 8 release schedule: When are new episodes out? The first episode of My Hero Academia season 8 dropped on its planned release date of Saturday 4th October 2025, meaning each new episode will then follow weekly on the same weekday: My Hero Academia season 8 episode 1 – 4th October 2025 My Hero Academia season 8 episode 2 – 11th October 2025 My Hero Academia season 8 episode 3 – 18th October 2025 My Hero Academia season 8 episode 4 – 25th October 2025 My Hero Academia season 8 episode 5 – 1st November 2025 My Hero Academia season 8 episode 6 – 8th November 2025 My Hero Academia season 8 episode 7 – 15th November 2025 My Hero Academia season 8 episode 8 – 22nd November 2025 My Hero Academia season 8 episode 9 – 29th November 2025 My Hero Academia season 8 episode 10 – 6th December 2025 My Hero Academia season 8 episode 11 – 13th December 2025 What time are the new My Hero Academia season 8 episodes released? As confirmed by Anime News Network, every new episode of My Hero Academia season 8 will be released at the following times, according to major time zones: 5:30pm JST 1:30am PT 4:30am ET 9:30am BST In Japan, the series will broadcast first on Yomiuri TV and Nippon TV before landing on Crunchyroll for international viewers shortly afterwards. How many episodes will there be in My Hero Academia season 8? Although not officially confirmed yet, it's likely that the final season of My Hero Academia will run for 11 episodes, based on season 2 of another anime, The Blue Wolves of Mibu (also known as Blue Miburo), will my taking MHA’s time slot from the 20th of September onwards. This doesn’t come as too much of a surprise, however, as My Hero Academia season 7 only left 33 chapters of the manga to cover. While only having 11 episodes to cover that many MHA chapters may still be a bit tight, the ending will still be as satisfactory as it was in the manga. Where can I watch My Hero Academia season 8? Fans outside Japan will be able to stream every episode of My Hero Academia season 8 on Crunchyroll. At the time of writing, newer seasons of My Hero Academia are not immediately available on services such as Netflix, Hulu, Disney+ or Amazon Prime. Earlier seasons have dropped on alternatives like Netflix longer after being first made available, but Crunchyroll remains the primary platform for simulcast releases. What’s the plot of My Hero Academia season 8? View oEmbed on the source website The final season of the anime, My Hero Academia season 8 will adapt the remainder of the manga’s Final War Arc and Epilogue Arc. Deku will be continuing his destined battle with Shiagraki, where one wrong move will put an end to hero society. Meanwhile, All Might faces off with All For One for a final battle, bringing their decades of painful rivalry to an end. With the war reaching its climax, other heroes and villains who’ve fought throughout will be watching in suspense as the fate of the world hangs in the balance. Altogether, season 8 promises to deliver a definitive ending to the saga that began nearly a decade ago, closing the curtain on one of modern anime’s most beloved stories. My Hero Academia is available to watch on Crunchyroll. Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
All My Hero Academia Class 1-A students ranked from weakest to strongest
Ahead of season 8's release, who is the strongest hero in Class 1-A?
During its more than 10-year run across both the anime and the manga, My Hero Academia has treated us to many adventures with Class 1-A, taking us all the way to season 8 on the screen. But the series has also made it clear that some students are definitely stronger than others. The 20 students of U.A. High School have gone from wide-eyed teenagers to near-professional heroes, honing their quirks and proving themselves against some of the series’ most dangerous villains. Following the Final War Arc across season 7, which saw them showcase their growth in both skill and maturity, it feels like the perfect time to evaluate where each of them stands in the power ranking. As we go further into the My Hero Academia anime’s final chapters in season 8, here’s our definitive ranking of the My Hero Academia Class 1-A students, from weakest to strongest, as of the end of Season 7. My Hero Academia’s Class 1-A students ranked from weakest to strongest 20. Minoru Mineta (Pop Off) Surprising almost no one, poor Mineta is still My Hero Academia’s weakest character in Class 1-A's ranked order. Sure, his sticky-ball quirk is surprisingly versatile; it can immobilise enemies, create barricades, and even save allies in dire moments. But compared to the increasingly destructive and flexible powers of his classmates, Mineta remains at the bottom of the pack. While he has had moments of bravery, his lack of combat potential leaves him firmly last. 19. Yuga Aoyama (Navel Laser) Aoyama’s dazzling naval laser certainly packs a punch, but it’s hampered by his chronic lack of control. His body simply can’t handle extended use, leaving him doubled over in pain. Season 7 revealed more of his inner strength during the U.A. traitor storyline, but in raw power terms, he still lags behind most of Class 1-A. 18. Toru Hagakure (Invisibility) Hagakure’s invisibility is useful for stealth and misdirection, and recent developments have shown her potential in light refraction attacks. However, her offensive capabilities remain underwhelming. Without significant combat techniques, she’s more of a support hero than a frontline fighter. 17. Rikido Sato (Sugar Rush) Sato can supercharge his strength by consuming sugar, making him a powerhouse for short bursts. Unfortunately, what stops Rikido from being ranked higher in Class 1-A is My Hero Academia showing that the drawback is severe; the more he eats, the more his intelligence drops. His quirk has a ceiling that leaves him outmatched against faster, more versatile classmates. 16. Koji Koda (Anivoice) Koda’s ability to command animals can be incredibly useful in the right setting, but its effectiveness depends entirely on the environment. He has grown braver and more vocal over time, but his quirk still struggles in situations where animal allies aren’t available. 15. Mashirao Ojiro (Tail) Our ranking of the Class 1-A students in My Hero Academia is getting kicked up a notch, as we start looking at the students with a higher level of skill, and Ojiro is a great starting point. Ojiro is a disciplined martial artist with a powerful tail that complements his fighting style. His hand-to-hand combat skills are formidable, but his quirk is relatively simple compared to others. Against more versatile opponents, he can quickly find himself at a disadvantage. 14. Mezo Shoji (Dupli-Arms) Gentle giant Shoji uses his extra limbs for reconnaissance, rescue, and combat support. His ability to replicate sensory organs makes him an invaluable scout. While durable and dependable, he’s rarely the one to turn the tide of battle, placing him in the lower middle of the class. While he may still not be the strongest in Class 1-A, Shoji jas done enough to earn respect among MHA fans. 13. Kyoka Jiro (Earphone Jack) Jiro has evolved from a shy background character into a confident fighter and strategist. Her earphone jacks allow her to unleash powerful sonic attacks and gather intelligence across wide areas. With the right equipment, she’s a serious threat, though her quirk isn’t as devastating as those ranked higher. 12. Mina Ashido (Acid) Mina’s acid quirk grants her strong offensive and defensive capabilities. She can melt through solid objects, create slippery surfaces, and coat herself for protection. Her mobility in combat is excellent, though she has yet to fully unleash the terrifying potential her quirk suggests. 11. Hanta Sero (Tape) Often described as a poorer version of Spider-Man, Sero uses his tape for both offence and movement. His mobility and binding techniques make him a valuable team fighter, and he has shown flashes of ingenuity under pressure. Still, his quirk lacks the sheer destructive capability of those higher on this list, with his tape attacks being easily undone when taking on an opponent with enough pure strength. 10. Denki Kaminari (Electrification) If our ranking of My Hero Academia students in Class 1-A was based on earlier seasons, Kaminari would be among the weakest, since he has always been held back by the side effect of his electrification quirk — frying his own brain if he overexerts himself. However, season 7 shows how far he’s come in learning precision control. Now able to deliver pinpoint electrical attacks with his gear, Kaminari is no longer just comic relief. 9. Tsuyu Asui (Frog) Asui’s quirk is one of the most versatile in Class 1-A. With her frog-like abilities, including enhanced jumping, camouflage, and a prehensile tongue — she can adapt to almost any situation. What’s more, her composure in battle and sharp tactical mind make her far more dangerous than she first appears. 8. Eijiro Kirishima (Hardening) Kirishima has steadily climbed the ranks thanks to his unbreakable spirit and upgraded “Red Riot Unbreakable” form. His hardening quirk has developed into an almost impenetrable armour, allowing him to endure devastating attacks while dishing out plenty of force himself. 7. Fumikage Tokoyami (Dark Shadow) Across the events of My Hero Academia, Tokoyami’s Dark Shadow is one of the most intimidating quirks in Class 1-A. While generally powerful during the day, it becomes near-unstoppable in darkness. By season 7, he has gained better control over his rampaging tendencies, making him a formidable all-rounder with both offensive and defensive might. 6. Ochaco Uraraka (Zero Gravity) Uraraka has grown immensely, evolving from a timid student to a confident hero-in-training. Her quirk allows her to nullify gravity, a deceptively simple ability with endless applications. Combined with her improved martial arts training and specialised gear, she’s now a capable combatant against top-level threats. 5. Tenya Iida (Engine) Class 1-A’s ever-dutiful president has honed his speed-based quirk to a razor edge, placing Tenya in the top five amongst our MHA student rankings. With his Reciprio Turbo upgrade, Iida can now move at incredible velocities for extended periods. His discipline, tactical sense, and improved stamina make him one of the class’s most dependable heroes. 4. Momo Yaoyorozu (Creation) Momo’s Creation quirk is arguably one of the most versatile in the entire series, since she can materialise virtually any object so long as she understands its composition. Her biggest obstacle has always been her own confidence, but by season 7, she has matured into a true leader and strategist. In the right circumstances, her quirk is nearly unrivalled. 3. Katsuki Bakugo (Explosion) Bakugo’s explosive quirk has always been destructive, but by season 7, his control and creativity are on another level. His combination of speed, aerial manoeuvrability, and sheer firepower makes him one of the deadliest fighters in the series. Despite his temper, Bakugo has proven himself both a rival and an ally of immense strength. 2. Shoto Todoroki (Half-Cold Half-Hot) Todoroki remains one of the most formidable members of Class 1-A. His mastery of both ice and fire gives him unmatched battlefield control, allowing him to freeze, burn, and reshape his surroundings at will. Season 7 shows how far he has come in balancing both sides of his quirk while also overcoming his emotional burdens, especially his relationship with his father, Endeavour. Todoroki is a devastating opponent at range and close quarters alike, and his growth has been remarkable. However, while he stands as one of the most complete fighters in the class, there is one student who edges him out. 1. Izuku Midoriya (Deku) At the very top of our ranked hero students in My Hero Academia is, of course, Midoriya, who has been on a formidable journey from quirkless underdog to inheritor of One For All, and all the other powers that have come with it. By the end of Season 7, Deku has mastered multiple quirks within One For All — including Blackwhip, Float, Danger Sense, and Fa Jin — alongside the raw power of super strength he first acquired, and has steadily been able to better handle it as time’s gone on. Even if it were just a couple of seasons ago, Todoroki would be #1 easily, but now, Midoriya’s versatility, adding to his raw power, is unparalleled: he can fight on the ground or in the air, up close or at range, with a tactical awareness that makes him incredibly difficult to pin down. Unlike many of his peers, Midoriya’s quirk arsenal grows more complex with every battle, and his creativity in combining them has pushed him into a league of his own. With both power and adaptability on his side, Midoriya rightfully claims the top spot as Class 1-A’s strongest student at the end of season 7, and that will be no different as we go further into season 8. Check out more of our Fantasy or Anime coverage or visit our TV Guide or Streaming Guide to find out what else is on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times View From My Sofa podcast.
One Piece filler guide: All canon and skippable episodes
With now over 1100 episodes to its name, the One Piece anime is ever than ever, but that means there might be more filler episodes to distinguish from the canon ones, too — making you need a watch guide like this one to follow the adaptation of Eiichiro Oda's manga properly. If you're coming back in the series after some time away, the anime's general premise is the same as it was back when One Piece first aired in 1999: a mischievous rubber man, Monkey D Luffy, has set off on a pirate journey to assemble a crew, reach the Grand Line, and find the franchise's titular treasure that will earn him the name of King of the Pirates. You'd think such a story wouldn't take over 26 years and 1140-something episodes to finish, but both the manga and anime cover a multitude of different stories as part of that overarching plot. In order to help widen the gaps between the manga and anime, though, the latter sometimes introduces filler episodes that are completely disconnected from the source material. These give the manga creators time to catch up, but we know there are plenty of fans who want nothing more than to skip them and just get to the core story. To help give you the best watching experience of all of One Piece's arcs to fit your preferences, we'll take you through which anime episodes are filler and canon, what's a mixture of the two, and where you can watch the whole series right now. Which One Piece episodes are purely skippable filler? After confirming reports by Crunchyroll and Anime Filler List, the complete list of One Piece episodes that are entirely skippable filler is as follows: Episodes 54-60: Warship Island arc Episodes 98-99: Arabasta arc Episode 102: Arabasta arc Episodes 131-135: Post-Arabasta arc Episodes 136-138: Goat Island arc Episodes 139-143: Ruluka Island arc Episodes 196-206: G-8 arc Episodes 220-225: Ocean’s Dream arc Episodes 279-283: Enies Lobby Arc Episodes 291-292: Enies Lobby Arc Episode 303: Enies Lobby Arc Episodes 317-319: Post-Enies Lobby Arc Episodes 326-336: Ice Hunter arc Episodes 382-384: Spa Island arc Episodes 406-407: Boss Luffy arc Episodes 426-429: Little East Blue arc Episodes 457-458: Marineford arc Episode 492: Post-War arc Episode 542: Fish-Man Island arc Episodes 575-578: Z’s Ambition arc Episode 590: Punk Hazard arc Episodes 626-627: Caesar’s Retrieval arc Episodes 747-750: Silver Mine arc Episodes 780-782: Marine Rookie arc Episodes 895-896: Cidre Guild arc Episode 907: Romance Dawn arc Episodes 1029-1030: Uta arc To clarify, we're referring to 'pure filler' as in content that is entirely original to the anime and was not adapted from the manga whatsoever. These can either be add-ons to currently existing arcs, or arcs that are exclusive to the anime altogether. For instance, episodes 131-143; the Post-Arabasta arc, Goat Island arc, and Ruluka Island arc; were stories that were not featured in manga at all — essentially adding more between the Alabasta and Jaya arcs. Meanwhile, episodes 98-99 were extra inclusions to the Alabasta arc. Of course, you're free to try out watching some of the filler arcs if you wish, but the rule of thumb is that these are somewhat lower quality than the manga-faithful episodes. These One Piece episodes are 100 per cent skippable if you're going for a viewing experience that follows the manga. Which One Piece episodes are mixed canon and filler? In anime like One Piece, mixed canon/filler episodes refer to those with a mix of both content that is still featured in the manga, but shares screen time with filler material as well. As laid out by the hardworking team at Anime Filler List and double-confirmed by Radio Times, the complete list of One Piece episodes that are mixed canon and filler is as follows: Episodes 45-47: Arlong Park & Buggy Side Story arcs Episode 61: Warship Island arc Episodes 68-69: Koby and Helmeppo arc Episode 101: Alabasta arc Episode 226: Foxy’s Return Arc Episode 354: Thriller Bark arc Episode 421: Amazon Lily arc Episode 489: Marineford arc Episode 520: Return to Sabaody arc Episode 574: Fish-Man Island arc Episode 625: Punk Hazard arc Episode 628: Caesar Retrieval arc Episode 633: Dressrosa arc Episode 653: Dressrosa arc Episode 657: Dressrosa arc Episode 679: Dressrosa arc Episode 690: Dressrosa arc Episode 731: Dressrosa arc Episode 738: Dressrosa arc Episode 751: Zou Arc Episodes 777-778: Zou Arc Episode 789: Whole Cake Island arc Episode 803: Whole Cake Island arc Episodes 878-879: Reverie arc Episodes 881-885: Reverie arc Episodes 887-890: Reverie & Land of Wano Arc Act 1 arcs Episode 924: Land of Wano Arc Act 3 arc Episodes 988-989: Land of Wano Arc Act 3 arc Episode 991: Land of Wano Arc Act 3 The general rule around these episodes is that they're technically optional as well, but fit in nicely with the fully canon One Piece episodes, since they flesh out a bit more of the story in their respective arcs. The exceptions might be those like episode 61, which is the conclusion of the entirely filler Warship Island arc – which might be confusing to those jumping straight in. Nevertheless, episodes like these are still a good bit of fun and are worth the additional tidbits of manga-faithful material. View Green Video on the source website Which One Piece episodes are completely canon? After reconfirming the findings by Crunchyroll and Anime Filler List, we've found that the complete list of One Piece episodes that are entirely faithful to the manga is as follows: Episodes 1-44: East Blue arc Episodes 48-49: Loguetown arc Episodes 52-53: East Blue arc Episodes 62-67: Arabasta arc Episodes 70-92: Drum Island & Arabasta arcs Episodes 94-97: Arabasta arc Episode 100: Arabasta arc Episodes 103-130: Arabasta arc Episodes 144-195: Jaya & Skypiea arcs Episodes 207-212: Long Ring Long Land arc Episodes 217-219: Long Ring Long Land arc Episodes 227-278: Enies Lobby arc Episodes 284-290: Enies Lobby arc Episodes 293-302: Enies Lobby arc Episodes 304-316: Enies Lobby arc & Post-Enies Lobby arcs Episodes 320-325: Post-Enies Lobby arc Episodes 337-353: Thriller Bark arc Episodes 355-381: Thriller Bark arc Episodes 385-405: Sabaody Archipelago arc Episodes 408-417: Amazon Lily arc Episodes 422-425: Impel Down arc Episodes 430-452: Impel Down arc Episodes 459-488: Marineford arc Episodes 490-491: Post-War arc Episodes 493-496: Post-War arc Episodes 500-505: Post-War arc Episodes 507-519: Post-War & Return to Sabaody arcs Episodes 521-541: Return to Sabaody and Fish-Man Island arcs Episodes 543-573: Fish-Man Island arc Episodes 579-589: Punk Hazard arc Episodes 591-624: Punk Hazard arc Episodes 629-632: Dressrosa arc Episodes 634-652: Dressrosa arc Episodes 654-656: Dressrosa arc Episodes 658-678: Dressrosa arc Episodes 680-689: Dressrosa arc Episodes 691-730: Dressrosa arc Episodes 732-736: Dressrosa arc Episodes 739-746: Dressrosa arc Episodes 752-774: Zou arc Episode 776: Zou arc Episode 779: Zou arc Episodes 783-788: Whole Cake Island arc Episodes 790-802: Whole Cake Island arc Episodes 804-806: Whole Cake Island arc Episodes 808-877: Whole Cake Island arc Episode 880: Whole Cake Island arc Episode 886: Whole Cake Island arc Episodes 891-894: Wano Country arc Episodes 897-906: Wano Country arc Episodes 908-923: Wano Country arc Episodes 925-987: Wano Country arc Episode 990: Wano Country arc Episodes 992-1028: Wano Country arc Episodes 1031-1083: Wano Country arc Episodes 1085-1145: Egghead arc Where to watch One Piece in the UK and US All episodes of the One Piece anime are available to watch right now on Crunchyroll, both in the UK and US. UK viewers can also find the One Piece anime on Netflix. If you're in the UK and don't feel like paying for a subscription, One Piece is also available to watch on BBC iPlayer. Keep in mind, however, that iPlayer only has access to the English dub, which has only covered up to episode 1088. You also need to have a paid TV license in order to access the BBC iPlayer service. In the US, the One Piece anime is also available to watch via streaming services like Netflix & Hulu, but they are regularly behind Crunchyroll in terms of current episodes as well. Read more: One Piece anime confirms return date after 6-month hiatus You can catch One Piece on Crunchyroll. Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide or Streaming Guide to find out what else is on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
How to watch all Demon Slayer arcs in chronological order: All anime seasons & movies
The way to view the whole anime series correctly, now that the Infinity Castle films are in the mix.
With the first Infinity Castle movie out, the ongoing watch order for the Demon Slayer anime has just gotten bigger, but there are some key tidbits to keep in mind if you want to see the whole series correctly in chronological order. Whether you're checking the anime out for the first time or are simply revisiting the show whilst waiting for Infinity Castle Part 2, there's no better time to get into the anime that's been taking the medium's world by storm over the years. After all, the tale of Tanjiro Kamado's journey to climb up the ranks of the Demon Slayers, and avenge his family against Muzan Kibutsuji, who transformed his sister into a demon, is essentially a modern classic at this point. However, Demon Slayer's own success has ended up making certain parts a bit confusing for some fans – with anime TV seasons and movies covering the same events making what and what not to watch slightly confusing. For any anime lover who wants to watch Demon Slayer the right way, including which anime chapters to check out and where you can find them, this quick and easy watch guide will take you through all you need to know. How to watch Demon Slayer in order – your recommended watch order Starting with the 26-episode first season from 2019, all the way up to the Infinity Castle trilogy, the correct chronological watch order for the Demon Slayer anime TV seasons and movies is as follows: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba season 1 Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train OR Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba season 2 - Mugen Train Arc Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba season 2 - Entertainment District Arc Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba - To the Swordsmith Village OR Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba season 3 - Swordsmith Village Arc Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba - To the Hashira Training OR Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba season 4 - Hashira Training Arc Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Infinity Castle movie Part 1 Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Infinity Castle movie Part 2 Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Infinity Castle movie Part 3 Why are there movies and anime seasons for almost every Demon Slayer arc? The reason that most seasons of Demon Slayer also have movie options is that each film covers the anime series' equivalent events for a cinematic release. There will be some very slight differences, but the story being told in each is the same overall. For example, Demon Slayer's Mugen Train movie has a higher production quality, but the arc's coverage in the first half of the anime's season 2, will provide some extra detail (since it came out after the cinematic version) while also being slightly longer. The next film, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – To the Swordsmith Village, covers the final two episodes of season 2, and the premiere episode of season 3. So there's also some overlap there. After that, season 3 adapts the Swordsmith Village arc from the manga, followed by the Hashira Training arc in season 4 – and its equivalent movie, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba – To the Hashira Training. Do I need to watch both the movies and TV seasons? It might be good to see both the film and TV seasons across different chronological viewings of Demon Slayer altogether, but watching all of them back-to-back is definitely not necessary. Will there be a Demon Slayer season 5? View oEmbed on the source website Despite the confusing precedent set by the other films, the Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle movies will not be adapted into a season 5 of the TV anime. Starting with 2025's Infinity Castle part 1, that and the remaining two films of the trilogy will conclude the entire Demon Slayer anime franchise. We haven't been given exact clarification as to why, but we're assuming it's along the lines of wanting to go out with a bang in the biggest way possible, rather stretch things out with a TV anime adaptation of slightly lower quality. With how quickly Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle went on to achieve various broken box office records, it's definitely worked in studio Ufotable and distributor Crunchyroll's favour. The manga's epic Infinity Castle arc then follows in the Infinity Castle trilogy of new movies, the first of which is out now and has broken box office records. Where to watch Demon Slayer in the UK and US The best place to watch Demon Slayer in the UK, US, and other territories is Crunchyroll — as this is home to all of the anime's TV seasons and movies, both in the English dub and Japanese version with subtitles. However, if you've already got a Netflix or Hulu (US-only) subscription, Demon Slayer is available there as well; we'd only recommend Netflix or Hulu if you're set on not seeing any of the movie versions of the anime's covered story arcs, though, since this particular streaming service does not have any of those films currently available. How many episodes of Demon Slayer are there? At the time of writing, there are 63 episodes of Demon Slayer. If you are short on time, you can watch the equivalent but shorter Demon Slayer movies above, so you can be generally caught up before watching Infinity Castle. All four seasons of Demon Slayer are currently available to watch on Crunchyroll. Visit our Fantasy hub for the latest news and features, or find something to watch with our TV Guide and Streaming Guide. Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Harry Potter TV series: Release date speculation, casting & latest news
Everything to know about the new Wizarding World TV series adapting the original seven books.
HBO's upcoming Harry Potter TV series is still far from getting a specific release date, but there's already been a ton of casting news to get us plenty excited for the new adaptation — including who's confirmed to take on the role of the titular wizard and who might be tipped to play the villainous Voldemort. In addition to the three young actors who have been cast as Harry, Ron, and Hermione, some already big names have been confirmed to be playing other classic characters, too. These include not only the IT Crowd's Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley, but also Dexter's John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, and Nick Frost (the Cornetto Trilogy) taking on the mantle of Rubeus Hagrid. Filming has already begun for the first season, adapting the Philosopher's Stone book into eight episodes — making it four times the length of the first among the Harry Potter movies. For more on the Harry Potter series, including the potential release date, more casting news, and the TV show's plot, the rest of this watch guide below has you covered. Harry Potter TV series release date speculation HBO's Harry Potter adaptation is currently expected to premiere in 2027, following comments by CEO & President of Warner Bros. Discovery, David Zaslav. Originally reported by TVLine, Zaslav told press back in November 2024: "Oh, it could probably be [2027], something like that". "But don’t hold me to any of that, because we’re just getting started in the writing and casting process". Although an exact release date hasn't been announced yet, we'll update this page as soon as we hear more. A lot has happened since Zaslav's comments, including the casting of the key actors, but logistically it still looks like a 2027 release date for the Harry Potter show is doable. Filming for the new Harry Potter began in July 2025, kickstarting what is intended to be a seven-season adaptation, taking place across the UK in locations like London Zoo, King's Cross Station, and Hertfordshire. If filming wraps by the end of 2025, that gives HBO a full year for post-production (which is likely to be quite complicated for a big-budget fantasy series), as well as getting started on season 2. One obvious concern is making sure the show stays on track to release one new season per year, so the lead actors don't end up growing too old for their roles. Speaking about HBO's plans to film new seasons as quickly and efficiently as possible, HBO CEO Casey Bloys, explained to Collider’s Steve Weintraub: "From 11 to 13, is a big jump in kids' lives. You can get away with 13 to 15, something like that. So we are going to have to think about scheduling and shooting so that they don’t grow too much between seasons. It is a consideration." "I think an annual schedule would be tough, but it depends on how much is written ahead of time." Bloys also confirmed that author JK Rowling is involved in the project, amid ongoing controversy regarding her views on trans rights, which have turned many former fans away from the franchise. In response to these concerns, an HBO spokesperson said (via Variety): "We are proud to once again tell the story of Harry Potter — the heartwarming books that speak to power of friendship, resolve and acceptance". "JK Rowling has a right to express her personal views. We will remain focused on the development of the new series, which will only benefit from her involvement." This has done little to quell concerns over Rowling's impact as a public figure, and how her income from the Potter franchise may be used to facilitate anti-LGBTQ+ projects. In recent years, the author was notably absent from the 20-year anniversary special of the Harry Potter movies, and the 2023 Hogwarts Legacy spin-off game faced boycotts. Meanwhile, several fan-run organisations have distanced themselves from Rowling, including the international association for real-life Quidditch, which has renamed the sport "quadball." Who will be the cast starring in the Harry Potter TV series? As mentioned above, the lead stars playing Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger have been confirmed. Back in September 2024, there was an open casting call looking for the three kids, with Warner boss Channing Dungey admitting it would be "tricky" to allocate the roles (via Variety). Now we know that, in HBO's Harry Potter series, Dominic McLaughlin will play Harry, Arabella Stanton will play Hermione and Alastair Stout will play Ron. Stanton is known for having previously starred in the West End production of Matilda, as well as the Andrew Lloyd Webber production of Starlight Express. Stout has been seen in TV advertisements, while McLaughlin will be seen in Sky Original comedy Grow. Following the lead actors being announced, showrunner Francesca Gardiner and director/executive producer Mark Mylod said in a statement to Variety: "After an extraordinary search led by casting directors Lucy Bevan and Emily Brockmann, we are delighted to announce we have found our Harry, Hermione and Ron". "The talent of these three unique actors is wonderful to behold, and we cannot wait for the world to witness their magic together onscreen. We would like to thank all the tens of thousands of children who auditioned. It's been a real pleasure to discover the plethora of young talent out there." Meanwhile, HBO previously announced that John Lithgow is set to play Albus Dumbledore in the new Harry Potter show. Lithgow previously said of taking on the role: "It came as a total surprise to me. I just got the phone call up at the Sundance Film Festival for yet another film, and it was not an easy decision because it's going to define me for the last chapter of my life, I'm afraid. But I'm very excited." Elsewhere, Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You) will star as Severus Snape, Janet McTeer (Tumbleweeds) will star as Minerva McGonagall, and Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead) will appear as Rubeus Hagrid. While those four series regulars had previously been rumoured to be joining the project, some other new additions have been more unexpected. The more surprising additions are Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell and Paul Whitehouse (The Fast Show) as Argus Filch, who will appear in guest/recurring roles. Thallon is currently best known in the theatre world and most recently starred in the Royal Shakespeare Company's 2025 Hamlet. In June, a whole load of new additions were also announced to fill out supporting roles. Katherine Parkinson (Rivals) will play Molly Weasley, Lox Pratt (Lord of the Flies) will play Draco Malfoy, Johnny Flynn (Ripley) will play Lucius Malfoy and Bertie Carvel (The Crown) will play Cornelius Fudge. Meanwhile, Leo Earley will play Seamus Finnigan, Alessia Leoni will play Parvati Patil, Sienna Moosah will play Lavender Brown, Bel Powley (Masters of the Air) will play Petunia Dursley and Daniel Rigby (I, Jack Wright) will play Vernon Dursley. Unfortunately, those hoping for returns from the film franchise's stars, such as Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson or Rupert Grint, are out of luck – it's not looking likely. Chatting to ComicBook.com, Radcliffe quashed any speculation about him making an appearance. He said: "My understanding is that they’re trying to very much start fresh, and I'm sure whoever is making them will want to make their own mark on it and probably not want to have to figure out how to get old Harry to cameo in this somewhere." He continued: "So I'm definitely not seeking it out in any way… but I do wish them, obviously, all the luck in the world, and I'm very excited to have that torch passed. But I don't think it needs me to physically pass it." Argus Filch star David Bradley told RadioTimes.com: "I think it’ll be very interesting to see what they will do with the extra time they’ll have to film more of the books than we could. "The Goblet of Fire and the last two, they were quite chunky – how do you condense those into a two and a half hour film? "Of course, you’ve got to sacrifice quite a lot of plot and characters. I’m assuming the reason they’re doing it is they’ll be able to include more of the story because they’ll have more screen time – a lot more than the films had. I’ll be interested. I haven’t had the call yet!" Asked whether it felt strange to see a new adaptation in the works, Jason Isaacs, who played Lucius Malfoy, mused: "It’s no weirder for me than for everybody else who’s seen the films. I happen to be in the films too." View Green Video on the source website He continued: "They make a new Spider-Man every 15 minutes. You know, there was a ton of stuff in the books that we left out. Yeah, it's an odd feeling, but it’s no odder for me than it is anyone else. I can’t wait to see them and see what they do." Behind the camera, we know that His Dark Materials writer Francesca Gardiner will serve as showrunner, while Succession director Mark Mylod is attached to produce and film some episodes. Meanwhile, JK Rowling will executive produce the series, alongside Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley-Letts. "Max’s commitment to preserving the integrity of my books is important to me, and I’m looking forward to being part of this new adaptation which will allow for a degree of depth and detail only afforded by a long form television series," said Rowling. Who is playing Voldemort in the Harry Potter series? The actor who will be playing Voldemort in the Harry Potter HBO series hasn't been revealed just yet, but well-known contenders like Matthew Macfadyen, Matt Smith, Paul Bettany, Cillian Murphy and Tom Hiddleston are in the running, according to Online Betting Guide. However, known entertainment industry leaker Daniel Richtman recently posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the Harry Potter TV show is "auditioning both men and women for Voldemort", so there is a chance Tom Riddle could be portrayed by a woman. There is no confirmation of either claim yet, but we will be updating this guide as soon as we hear more. What is the Harry Potter TV series about? The series will be based on all seven books in the series, originally published between 1997 and 2007. A statement from the newly branded Max explained: "The stories from each of Rowling’s Harry Potter books will become a decade-long series produced with the same epic craft, love and care this global franchise is known for. "The series will feature a new cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail, much-loved characters and dramatic locations that Harry Potter fans have loved for over 25 years." It continued: "Each season will be authentic to the original books and bring Harry Potter and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world, while the original, classic and beloved films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally." The Harry Potter series will stream on HBO Max. Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
One Piece anime release date schedule: When are new episodes out?
Despite a hiatus earlier in the year, One Piece has been back in full swing with a flurry of new episodes, with upcoming release dates you'll need to keep an eye on. As the Egghead arc continues, season 21 of the One Piece anime is now past its 50th episode, and is now heading toward its 1150th episode in total. Of course, going on for as long as it has, there's a variety of options to watch One Piece, but only one to see the newest episodes of the anime adaptation of Eiichiro Oda's beloved manga. For instance, BBC iplayer is a great way UK fans can watch One Piece for free, but only covers up to the Land of Wano Arc, and is limited to the English-dubbed version — not the Japanese subtitled version. Then there's the live-action Netflix adaptation of One Piece with a season 2 on the way, but that's a re-tread of the Straw Hat Pirates' earlier adventures than the first. One Piece release schedule: When do new episodes come out on Crunchyroll? Following the release of episode 1145, new episodes of One Piece are mostly planned to be released on Crunchyroll every Sunday, but a small delay has been announced. After episode 1145 dropped, the Japanese One Piece X (formerly Twitter) account announced a two-week break for the anime; this will be followed with an episode 145.5 recap special airing on 12th October. This means One Piece episode 1146 has a delayed release date of 19th October, 2025, instead of the 5th. Outside of that, the remaining episodes ahead should still be release every following week as planned. That said, based on the current schedule going as planned, the release date for every upcoming One Piece episode — starting with episodes 1146, 1147, and 1148 — is as follows: Episode 1,145.5 - "Dr. Chopper's Adventure Checkup -Traitors' Masquerade-”- 12th October Episode 1,146 - 19th October Episode 1,147 - 26th October Episode 1,148 - 2nd November Episode 1,149 - 9th November Episode 1,150 - 16th November Episode 1,151 - 23rd November Episode 1,152 - 30th November Episode 1,153 - 7th December Episode 1,154 - 14th December Episode 1,155 - 21st December Episode 1.156 - 28th December One Piece release schedule: When do new episodes come out on Netflix? Netflix releases new episodes of One Piece one week after their original premiere on Crunchyroll, meaning the projected release schedule looks like this: Episode 1,145 - "Friends Fight Together! Luffy and the Warriors of Elbaph" - 5th October Episode 1,145.5 - "Dr. Chopper's Adventure Checkup -Traitors' Masquerade-" – 19th October Episode 1,146 - 26th October Episode 1,147 - 2nd November Episode 1,148 - 9th November Episode 1,149 - 16th November Episode 1,150 - 23rd November Episode 1,151 - 30th November Episode 1,152 - 7th December Episode 1,153 - 14th December Episode 1,154 - 21st December Episode 1,155 - 28th December Episode 1,156 - 4th January What time do One Piece episodes come out? According to Crunchyroll's release calendar, new One Piece episodes drop on the streaming service at the following times across different regions: Pacific Time – 5pm on Saturday Eastern Time – 12pm on Saturday UK Time – 5pm on Sunday Central European Summer Time – 6pm on Sunday India Standard Time – 9:30am pm Sunday Philippine Time – 12am on Monday (Midnight on Sunday evening) Australia Eastern Daylight Time – 2am Monday How to watch One Piece in the UK Like in the US and other territories, the best place to watch the latest episodes of One Piece in the UK is Crunchyroll, but older episodes are available on Netflix, whilst BBC iPlayer is home to episodes with the English dub. Crunchyroll is, of course, ideal to watch One Piece as soon as it drops to avoid spoilers, but BBC iPlayer has exclusive streaming of the English dub, while Crunchyroll and Netflix only provide the Japanese version with subtitles. On the other hand, despite BBC iPlayer being technically free, you do have to have a TV licence in effect in order to access the streaming service legally, which costs £174.50 a year. Netflix is a nice middle-ground if you're already a subscriber to watch other shows, since you only have to wait an extra week for the newest episodes of the anime, and you get access to the live-action version of One Piece, too. You can catch One Piece on Crunchyroll and Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream. Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Will there be a Sakamoto Days season 2? Potential release date & where to start the manga
Episode 23 of the hit might be further away than you think.
After delightfully surprising anime fans on Netflix this year, it’s to be expected that you’re checking whether Sakamoto Days already has a season 2 announced with a release date in mind. The streaming service’s adaptation of Yuto Suzuki’s manga, about a hitman-turned-convenience store owner with a family, hit hard with its mix of anime-John Wick fantasy and over-the-top comedy, and wild action. Despite that, the airing of season 1’s finale – episode #22, Each One's Mission – hasn’t been followed with tons of information about a possible Sakamoto Days season 2, or the show’s 23rd episode that would start it off. That said, we’ve put together all of the information available right now to tell you how likely a second season of the hit anime is and when it could happen. Will there be a Sakamoto Days season 2? At the time of writing, a Sakamoto Days season 2 hasn’t been confirmed just yet, but a follow-up season is practically inevitable with the anime’s massive success so far; season 1 was not only enjoyed by critics, but also achieved 24 million views during the first half of the year – as revealed by Netflix in July. Whilst not the highest-performing show on the streaming platform altogether (Naruto scored 45 million views), that’s still a massive number for a brand new anime franchise. With season 1 finishing after its final episode on 22nd September 2025, we likely won’t see a season 2 announcement for Sakamoto Days for some time; this is usually the case with anime – especially with studios like Sakamoto Days’ TMS Entertainment. Nevertheless, with the success of the anime and the massive amount of chapters in the anime still to cover, we’re hopeful that plans for Sakamoto Days’ second season are being spoken about behind the scenes. When could a potential Sakamoto Days season 2 release date be? With the workload of its anime studio in mind, we estimate that Sakamoto Days could come back for season 2 (starting with episode 23) with a possible release date window of early 2027 for its first cour, followed by summer 2027 for its second cour. Normally, we’d expect a launch of early to mid-2026. However, the studio behind Sakamoto Days, TMS Entertainment, is made up of an ambitious team that takes on multiple anime at the same time – Rent-a-Girlfriend, Dr. Stone, Honey Lemon Soda, etc – jumping between seasons for each season as it comes. As a result, we believe Sakamoto Days’ second season could get pushed back as a result, as follow-up seasons of TMS's other shows have taken at least a year to produce. On the other hand, we’re aware of Netflix’s tendency to prioritise shows that are a definite success, marking the potential for TMS Entertainment to fast-track the next part of Sakamoto Days. As soon as we hear any update saying we might see episode 23 of Sakamoto Days sooner, we’ll update this guide accordingly. Didn’t Sakamoto Days season 2 already air? Rather than season 2 of Sakamo Days, the batch of episodes we just saw finish in September 2025 was the second half of season 1 — known as a second cour. In anime, cours are blocks of 10-14 episodes, either making up a series’ whole season, or two parts equalling 20 to 26 episodes. Whilst sometimes having a break in-between, or back-to-back with new openings and endings (like Jujutsu Kaisen season 1), both cours still count as a single anime season. Sakamoto Days season 1 was a prime example of this: season 1’s episodes 1 to 11, airing between January and March 2025, made up Part 1; episodes 12 to 22, dropping between July and September 2025, made up the second cour to become Part 2. With the many chapters of manga still to cover, we’d expect Sakamoto Days season 2 to follow the same pattern if it is renewed. Where to pick up the Sakamoto Days manga after season 1 With the wrapping up of season 1 with episode 22, the Sakamoto Days anime covers up to chapter 73 of the manga – meaning you should start reading chapter 74 of the manga and onwards if you want to start reading ahead. There may be some slight crossover with what was covered in episode 22 and after chapter 73, but because Sakamoto Days season 1 essentially ended with kicking off with the Japan Clear Creation arc, it’s better to start from this point for consistency and to make sure you don’t miss anything. Sakamoto Days streams exclusively on Netflix in the UK, US, and other territories worldwide. At the time of writing, Sakamoto Days is not on Crunchyroll or any other alternative anime streaming services. Check out the rest of our Sci-Fi and Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what’s on tonight. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Marvel Zombies ending explained: Who dies and will there be a season 2?
What happened at the end of the four episodes, and if we'll get any more. *CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE ENDING OF MARVEL ZOMBIES*
The highly anticipated Marvel Zombies season 1 has come and gone with an ending that’s left us on the type of cliffhanger we’ve not seen since the likes of Avengers: Infinity War. Across the mini-series’ four-episode run, we saw a wildly different story than the original 2005 comic written by Robert Kirkman — who, at the time, was also in the early days of his incredible runs of Invincible and The Walking Dead. Just like the What If... Zombies?! episode of What If…? that this series adaptation follows, the best thing about these alternative-reality Marvel Zombies stories is that anyone can die at any time, since there’s no concern about maintaining a mainline MCU continuity. What was a surprise, though, was that season 1 didn’t end the story as neatly as we would’ve thought, and left a lot of unanswered questions. Including who dies, which characters survive, and whether a season 2 is on the cards, everything key to know about Marvel Zombies’ ending is about to be explained. Marvel Zombies ending explained: What happened? During the climactic battle in the finale of Marvel Zombies’ four episodes, the efforts of the remaining heroes to protect Infinity Hulk from getting his abundance of cosmic Infinity Stone powers by the zombified Scarlet Witch (aka Wanda Maximoff/the Queen of the Dead/the Red Queen), and her scion army of the undead, end in defeat. Despite being able to smash his way to victory against zombie Thor, Wanda gets the drop on Infinity Hulk while he’s looking at Kamala, and starts to absorb all the energy of the Infinity Stones within him. Although it’s easy to wonder how Infinity Hulk could be caught off-guard so effortlessly, since this all-powerful version of Bruce Banner is wielding the powers of all six Infinity Stones and the Hulk combined, this was likely due to his exhaustion and being rusty when it comes to fighting. After all, he has literally just been sitting in Paris for five years doing nothing but absorbing all that energy. That also seems to be the reason even fighting a zombified Thor was still a challenge, even with all that extra power. All of the allies of Kamar-Taj have been killed by zombies, Valkyrie has been impaled by zombie Okoye, Blade was incinerated by zombie Thor, Shang-Chi is about to become a zombie due to being bitten again, and Spider-Man and Scott Lang are moments away from being killed themselves. With that, and being promised reality will be reset to bring her friends back, Kamala reluctantly gives in to Wanda’s demands to lend the Queen of the Dead her powers to help with wielding the energy of the Infinity Stones. Throughout the Marvel Zombies series, Wanda had been after Kamala Khan because of her own abilities via the bangles — allowing the Red Queen to utilise the Infinity Stones’ power effectively after absorbing them. After Kamala’s powers merged with Wanda’s and the stones’, a huge blast that spread beyond Earth into space ended with Kamala being back in a zombie-free Jersey, with both Kate and Riri still alive. However, it seems like Wanda tricked Kamala after all, as it turns out she’s been trapped in an illusion that’s actually still a zombie-filled earth. This is revealed by a still-alive Riri in the real world. After surviving her zombie bite with whatever she injected herself with in episode 1, she seems to have eventually tracked down Kamala and hacked her way through Wanda’s facade. Despite being able to do so for a few moments, while also desperately fighting off zombies at the same time, Riri’s able to make Kamala realise the mistake she’s made – the show ending with the would-be Ms Marvel having a horrified look on her face, followed by a final jump scare showing the Scarlett Witch’s real undead face. Whatever the exact sci-fi reasons for Kamala’s powers being essential to Wanda’s plans are, the Queen of the Dead seems to need her alive, which is presumably why Marvel Zombies ended without turning Kamala into a zombie herself and keeping her in this dream world. Who died during Marvel Zombies episode 4? Quite a few notable characters had already died before and during Marvel Zombies’ first few episodes: including Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Yelena Belova, Kate Bishop, Namor, Melina Vostokoff, Red Guardian, Thanos, Baron Zemo, Ghost, Groot, Rocket Raccoon, Death Dealer, and even Jimmy Woo. Throughout the finale battle, though, the following heroes had definitely lost their lives by the ending of Marvel Zombies: London Master Rintrah Sara Blade Thor (zombie) Hawkeye (zombie) Hank Pym (zombie) Janet Van Dyne (zombie) Did Spider-Man, Scott, Shang-Chi, Katy and Valkyrie die? Despite being seconds away from death during the finale, Spider-Man and Scott Lang seemingly did not die during the ending of Marvel Zombies. Spider-Man was about to get eaten by a giant zombie (presumably Hope), with Scott about to get his head jar smashed open, but Kamala’s joining of her powers with Wanda’s setting off the Infinity Stone blast likely shifted the remaining heroes elsewhere. Since whatever exactly the blast did shifted Kamala all the way back to Jersey, it’s safe to assume it would have done the same for the offers. The same goes for Katy; while it seemed like she got bitten by the zombie Jimmy and Death Dealer, a split-second shot shows both zombies biting her share of the Ten Rings on her wrists — not her actual flesh. With Shang-Chi, it’s a bit more complex; the ending of Marvel Zombies definitely saw the Quantum Virus infection taking hold, but Kamala and the Scarlett Witch’s blast set off just before we could see the rest of his living body turn. Finally, while we saw Valkyrie get stabbed through the abdomen by zombie Okoye’s spear, we never actually saw her die, either. Having Spider-Man alive is the most likely of all, since Peter Parker would be the next likely player to take the lead in Marvel Zombies Season 2. For the rest, though, the rule is always the same TV and movies: if we never see the body, they’re likely not dead. What happened to Bucky in Marvel Zombies? Despite being telekinetically thrown off into the great distance by Wanda back in What If... Zombies?!, we never saw Bucky Barnes again in season 1 of Marvel Zombies, nor ever even mentioned. While the Super Soldier Serum-infused Winter Soldier could stay that way, that same rule of ‘if you never see the body…’ gives the possibility of Bucky having survived his long fall in What If…?, leaving the door open to his return in a Marvel Zombies season 2. Is Marvel Zombies getting a season 2? At the time of writing, whether there will be a Marvel Zombies season 2 hasn’t been confirmed just yet, but Marvel Television head Brad Winderbaum and showrunner Bryan Andrews confirmed that the show will get more episodes if there’s a big enough audience. In an interview with Comicbook.com, the pair explained that people essentially have to “subscribe to Disney+ and watch this show”. "If that happens, they will get more. And we are excited. We’re ready." In a separate interview with Variety, Andrews confirmed that there’s “so much material” for a season 2. So, if we do want to see what happens to Kamala, Spider-Man, and the rest of the Marvel Zombies series universe, more will have to check it out. Despite a mediocre critic score of 67 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes, audiences seem to be liking Marvel Zombies a lot more, with a rating of 82 per cent. Most importantly, though, Marvel Zombies is topping Disney+’s streaming charts — already being #1 in the Top 10 in the UK Today list on the streaming service. We haven’t seen any actual viewing figures across the world just yet, but this is already a good sign that there’ll be enough demand for a Marvel Zombies Season 2 that Disney+ agrees to give us just that. Marvel Zombies is available to stream on Disney+. Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle movie ending explained — Who dies and who survives Part 1?
Battles, betrayals, and cliffhangers shake Infinity Castle. **CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR DEMON SLAYER: INFINITY CASTLE MOVIE AND MANGA**
The Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle movie is officially here! When we watched the film for our Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle movie review, we found there was definitely a lot to process over its two-hour and 35-minute runtime. Ultimately, the first part of the trilogy adapting the manga’s final arc, certainly lived up to its higher stakes. With Tanjiro, Zenitsu, Inosuke, and the Hashiras being spread out across the titular Infinity Castle, there were a lot of players and various fights against the Upper Rank demons to keep track of. That includes one with a major cliffhanger, which was surprising since the rest of the film segued into the remaining brawls to come quite nicely. For those confused about any or all of the first Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle movie’s ending, here’s all you need to know about what happened — including who died and who survived. Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle movie ending explained: What happened to Tanjiro, Giyu, and Akaza? The main battle in Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle saw Tanjiro reunite with Akaza (along with Giyu by our hero’s side) and was by far the most intense. Both Demon Slayers sliced off the Upper Rank Three demon’s limbs numerous times, but Akaza’s endless regenerative ability, stamina, and power eventually overwhelmed them both — to the point where the brawler-style demon even broke Giyu’s sword with just his first. Tanjiro, however, managed a major breakthrough via a couple of flashbacks, one of our favourite anime tropes. Combined with comments he remembered from Inosuke and a childhood lesson he learned from his father days before his death, Tanjiro unlocked two abilities: Transparent World and Selfless State. Transparent World is an ocular ability only accessible to those who’ve unlocked their Demon Slayer Mark. With it, users can see the inner workings of other living beings; analysing breathing, blood flow, and even the flexing of muscles; to get an edge on predicting enemy movements for dodging, and even finding an opening to strike at a much quicker pace. Selfless State is a type of Zen state, an even rarer ability and even more crucial to defeating Akaza. That’s because part of the reason Akaza’s attacks were so relentlessly fast and accurate was because he could detect what’s known as Fighting Spirit, a power-based presence that everyone gives off on some level — even babies. If you try to think of Fighting Spirit as the Demon Slayer version of Ki Sense in the Dragon Ball franchise, which lets others sense power levels, life force, and such, you wouldn’t be far off. It is also filled with emotive elements like bloodlust, anger, hatred, and the general will to fight. Self State essentially allows users like Tanjiro to remove all emotion and enter a tranquil sense of being, one that is only pure focus. Because Self State is so rare, with general knowledge of it surrounded in mystery, Akaza never encountered a human devoid of Fighting Spirit once in his hundreds of years alive. With that, Akaza couldn’t see Tanjiro coming, something he'd never dealth with before this point. Even when Tanjiro gave himself away, his lack of Fighting Spirit made Akaza unable to predict where his attack was coming from, and his head was sliced clean off as a result. The scene was referenced in by Tanjiro voice actor, Zach Aguilar, during a chat with RadioTimes.com alongside Johnny Bosch. “I can see the moments in the theatre, like, where people will freak out, like, ‘oh, no way!'”, Aguilar said. Surprisingly, though, Akaza’s indomitable will made him able to fight on without his head, and even nearly regenerate as easily as he had done with his arms earlier in the battle. However, before he could, he finally remembered his former life as a human named Hakuji and how he came to be a demon in the first place. Akaza finally recollected how the unjust murders of his fiancée Koyuki, and her father Keizo — who also originally taught Hakuji his Soryu fighting style — caused him to go on a blood-soaked rampage in revenge. After killing the dozens of members of the rival dojo who murdered Koyuki and Keizo, Muzan Kibutsuji soon happened upon Hakuji/Akaza and transformed him into the demon we know. After regaining his human memories, Akaza’s guilt and desire to be with his loved ones were too much to bear. So, he fatally wounded himself with a flurry of punches before he could regenerate the rest of his head, and died peacefully whilst smiling at Tanjiro — seemingly in gratitude for reuniting him with his family. As for Tanjiro and Giyu, both ended the battle alive, though they did find themselves collapsing from exhaustion as Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle came to a close. What happened to Shinobu, Doma, and Kanao? Poison Hashira Shinobu Kocho’s fight against Doma, Upper Rank Demon Two, ended on a slightly more tragic note. Although it first seemed like the petite swordswoman could overcome her disadvantage in height and strength by utilising her incredible speed and variety of poisons, Doma — the versatile head of the Eternal Paradise Faith cult – was able to quickly break down and become resistant to every concoction she might inject him with. In a final attempt to avenge her sister Kanae’s death at Doma’s hands, Shinobu lunged with another variety of poison directly into Doma’s neck, from which he unfortunately recovered. He then killed Shinobu and broke her back. In a cruel twist of fate, Kanao, Shinobu’s adopted little sister and apprentice, walked in on the two just as Doma was absorbing her mentor’s body — which is a more efficient method of eating humans used by Doma in the midst of battle. There was some shifting back and forth between different fights, but Kanao’s and Doma’s was the only one to end on a cliffhanger. As the credits on Infinity Castle roll, we see the younger Demon Slayer tired and cut up with Doma still bragging, and their fate left up in the air. What happened to Kanao, Doma & Inosuke in the manga after the Infinity Castle movie? **Contains spoilers for the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba manga** In the manga (which will also inspire the upcoming Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle part 2), Kanao actually impresses Doma with speed and strength that might actually make her more powerful than her dead master. Inosuke, who we saw towards the end of the Infinity Castle movie running around killing lesser demons, crashes in and joins the fight against Doma. The Beast Breathing style Demon Slayer is not only enraged at Doma for the death of Shinobu, but that of his mother Kotoha, too. It turns out that both her and an infant Inosuke were taken in by the Eternal Paradise Faith cult, before Kotoha realised Doma was devouring followers and tried to escape with her son. Unfortunately, she was caught, killed, and eaten shortly after she dropped Inosuke off a cliff in hopes he would survive. Which he did indeed, and went on to be raised by boars. Inosuke, while grateful he can now remember his mother and his true origins, still vows to kill Doma for what he’s done. View oEmbed on the source website Doma executes some crafty tricks and tries to escape, but is soon stopped in his tracks thanks to a final secret weapon from Shinobu: the special poison she had coursing through her own body, which Doma absorbed without realising. This was secretly Shinobu’s plan the entire time. Over the course of a year, with the help of Lady Tamayao, Shinobu had been steadily filling her body with wisteria flower poison. Her sword also contained the deadly poison, but only 50ml, which Doma could easily resist. By allowing herself to be absorbed, however, Doma gets hit with an amount of Wisteria poison worth Shinobu’s entire body weight of 37kg — over 70 times the lethal dosage. Already causing his body to melt and take away his energy, Shinobu’s secret Hail Mary gave Kanao and Inosuke the advantage they both needed to behead Upper Rank Two at last. They not only avenge Shinobu, but her sister Kanae, Inosuke’s mother, and all the other innocents Doma killed over the years, too. What happened to Zenitsu & Kaigaku? Out of all the big fights that took place during the Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle movie, Zenitsu vs Kaigaku was the most straightforward and the most epic the blonde-haired swordsman has ever been. Throughout the entire film, Zenitsu had shed his usually cowardly persona for one that’s more straight-talking, focused, and angry. That’s because of the letter Zenitsu received toward the end of the Hashira Training Arc in Demon Slayer season 4. It told him that not only did his former fellow Thunder Breathing student Kaiguku defect to become a demon, but their master — former Thunder Hashira, Jigoro Kuwajima — recently committed suicide by seppuku out of pure shame. Enraged, Zenitsu fought Kaigaku in a battle of Thunder Breathing for revenge. Known for only being able to perform the first of Thunder Breathing’s six forms, Kaiguku underestimated Zenitsu throughout the entire clash. This was also partly due to the new Upper Rank Six demon’s long-standing inferiority complex, stemming from the fact that Kaigaku could ironically only use all Thunder Breathing forms other than the first — originally causing Jigoro to name both him and Zenitsu as shared successors to the fighting style, instead of being the sole heir. Much like Akaza against Tanjiro, Kaiguku's underestimation of his opponent was his undoing. At a moment he least expected, Zenitsu revealed a secret seventh form of Thunder Breathing he invented himself: Flaming Thunder God. Zenitsu beheaded Kaigaku with ease and avenged their master before quickly collapsing from exhaustion and the wounds Kaigaku had delivered. Zenitsu also unknowingly delivered justice for the deaths of Gyomei's adopted children, as it was revealed in Demon Slayer season 4 that a human Kaigaku gave up their locations to a demon in order to save himself. Some would say that Zenitsu being able to defeat an Upper Rank demon so effortlessly compared to other fights shown in the anime looks far-fetched, since Gyutaro and Daki from season 2 were the previous Upper Rank 6 — and left Sound Hashira Tengen, Tanjiro, Inosuke, and Zenitsu himself with far worse injuries. On the other hand, Yushiro, who arrives to give aid to Zenitsu, notes that Kaiguku was far weaker due to him being a relatively new demon who was still getting used to his abilities. If facing Kaigaku alone as he did even a year later, it’s far more likely that Zenitsu would’ve been quickly defeated instead. What happened to Muzan Kibutsuji & Lady Tamayao? After being caught off-guard by Kubayashiki’s explosion and Lady Tamayao’s poisonous attack, Muzan escaped deep within the Infinity Castle and sealed himself off in a fleshy cocoon while he recuperates. With Lady Tamayao also attached and getting slowly absorbed, Muzan is preparing for the battle ahead and eager to kill the remaining Demon Slayers once and for all. Based on what we know about the manga, though, we predict this won’t happen until Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle part 3, since there’s another big battle to come in part 2 first. Who will the other Hashira fight in Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle part 2? **Contains Spoilers for the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba manga** Anything we saw of the other Demon Slayers and Hashira — like Gyomei, Muichiro, Mitsuri, and Obanai — was just them making their way through the Infinity Castle, killing lower-level demons. With Tanjiro, Giyu, Kanao, Inosuke, and Zenitsu exhausted after the fight with Doma is concluded, this movie's ending hints that Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle part 2 will follow the manga once again by pitting some of the other warriors against the biggest remaining demon: Upper Rank One, Kokushibo. Despite going against Gyomei, Sanemi, Shinazugawa, and Muichiro all at once, we know the upcoming battle against Kokushibi will be even more of a nail-biter than it was in the manga — and will likely take up most of part 2. This is quite a lengthy fight in the manga as well. So, after what we believe will be the early portions of the Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle sequel showing Doma’s demise at the hands of Inosuke and Kanao, it looks like almost all of part 2 will be Kokushibo’s battle against the Demon Slayer Corps, followed by Muzan’s resurgence in part 3. We still have no release date or window for Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle part 2, so now, the long countdown begins. Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle part 1 is in UK cinemas from 12th September. Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Demon Slayer star promises fans will "freak out" and "cry" over first Infinity Castle movie
Emotional times are ahead in the start of Demon Slayer's final arc.
With the ending of the Demon Slayer anime adaptation finally in motion with the release of the Infinity Castle movie, we already knew from our review that fans were going to be pleased, but now the man behind the protagonist Tanjiro himself says audiences are in for some intense emotions. Ahead of Infinity Castle’s release on 12th September, we spoke to Tanjiro Kamado voice actor Zach Aguilar and the voice of Giyu, Johnny Yong Bosch. After watching the movie for the first time ourselves, we had some key questions to ask the big-name voice actors as we process the start of the Demon Slayer Corps's final battle against Muzan Kibutsuji and his remaining Upper Rank demon minions in the titular Demon Castle, following the ending of season 4. When asking about the two’s feelings about both the film’s ending and what’s ahead — as this Infinity Castle film is the first of a trilogy, with the next instalment’s release date yet to be announced — Aguilar couldn’t help but reflect on these particular times with this role he’s played for so long, including the 2021 English dub of the incredibly successful Mugen Train movie. “[It] blew my mind recording it…” Aguilar told RadioTimes.com. “I always feel so privileged. I felt so privileged recording Mugen Train when I did that one, because I'm like, wow, I can't believe I'm watching this movie now, I can see the moments in the theatre, like, where people will freak out, like, ‘oh, no way!' "And then the moments where they cry. Demon Slayer just has that awesome formula, and they bring it every time, so I'm just… hyped to see everything that's to come. They keep stepping it up every time.” Without going too heavily into spoilers, the fight with Akaza is "incredible”, as he also mentions. It definitely makes for some intense, emotional moments. There are, of course, other battles going on as hinted in this first movie’s trailer, too, including a couple with Zenitsu and Shinobu, but Akaza’s reunion with Tanjiro and what follows it is the standout. After all, Infinity Castle marks the first time Akaza has faced any Demon Slayers since killing Rengoku in Mugen Train, and Tanjiro — who was sadly not in a position to stop it happening, but has been mourning the loss of his friend since — just happens to be among the very first he counters, with Bosch’s Giyu by his side. It goes a lot saying that a lot of strong feelings will be at play for cinema goers who’ve been patiently waiting for their follow-up. Still, the actor bringing the English-speaking version of our favourite Sun Breathing user to life has laid it out to us how he’s been giving it more than his all in the face of Infinity Castle’s higher stakes in this part of the Demon Slayer story — enough to even impact his voice. Aguilar explained, “I knew how big of a deal this is, I knew the audience that it was gonna reach, I mean, I know this is the final battle of Demon Slayer, so I'm here to bring my all in every capacity. Every scream, every bit of emotion that comes out of Tanjiro, I truly poured my heart and soul into it… "So much so that I was doing some of the scenes, and I actually lost my voice, because I kept saying to the director, I'm like ‘wait, I have another one, I have a different idea, let me do it again, one more time’ so any scream that I have done, you are… I can assure you, you are getting 120% of my ability watching it in the theatre.” What’s more, it isn’t just the voice cast who’ve been stepping things up even further — it’s Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle’s visual quality too, with the heightened work of the franchise’s longtime anime studio, Ufotable. The previous anime seasons already had a cinematic-level quality that made them top our previous ‘best anime’ list, but the new movie kicked it up a few notches with higher fidelity and astounding effects. While excited to play Giyu again, with the Water Hashira “not really been at the forefront” for a long time, Johnny Yong Bosch also expressed how he’s blown away at Ufotable’s continued efforts. “I feel like each time, they've raised the bar again, you know?” said Bosch. “And, I just, you know, even working on this and dubbing, you get lost in the animation, and you go, ‘oh, hang on, I'm supposed to be working!’ But it's so beautiful to watch that you just get drawn in. So, yeah, really, I'm sure they're just gonna keep doing better and better. It's really awesome to be a part of it, too.” Aguilar also mentioned how excited he was “to team up with Johnny and get to have these awesome, epic moments”, and now, it’s not too long until you can go experience those for yourself, with Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle’s release date getting closer by the minute. Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle part 1 is in UK cinemas from 12th September. Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle movie review - A gripping and gorgeous anime spectacle
Six years after the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba anime appeared on the small screen in early 2019, the beginning of the end is finally here. The first of three Infinity Castle movies adapting the final chapters of Koyoharu Gotouge’s wildly successful manga series is headed to UK cinemas. The anime's film adaptations tend to slice through records like protagonist Tanjioro and co slice through monsters. Mugen Train, for example, became the highest worldwide grossing film of 2020, and Infinity Castle’s earlier release in Japan quickly broke every weekend box office record in the country. Now that we’ve seen the latter for ourselves, we’ve been reminded why. While this is absolutely not a film for newcomers or those who are multiple seasons behind (unless they're into spoilers), fans who’ve been keeping up with the worldwide phenomenon that is Demon Slayer will be more than happy with the finale’s first slice. View oEmbed on the source website Infinity Castle starts exactly where episode 8 of the anime’s fourth season left off, at the conclusion of the Hashira Training arc. While there's a brief snippet of the ending to remind you of where it left off, rewatching the finale — or catching up in general, if you haven’t already — is best if you want the most cohesive watching experience. Although Kagaya Ubuyashiki and Lady Tamayao got the drop on Muzan Kibutsuji, it came at the cost of the former sacrificing himself and a few loved ones via a huge mansion explosion. In the aftermath, the Demon King has hidden himself away in his base — the titular Infinity Castle — to recuperate. As all the Demon Slayer Corps are trapped and scattered inside the vast space, Tanjiro, Zenitsu, Inosuke, and the multiple Hashira must find Muzan to defeat him. But, of course, it won't be easy as they must face the remaining ultra-powerful Upper Rank demon minions they run into on the way. On paper, the decision to dedicate the entire remainder of Demon Slayer’s Infinity Castle arc into a film trilogy from the get-go, rather than one at a time, is a curious one — since it could make any of the entries potentially bloated depending on their content. In execution, this approach does make the pacing more engrossing. Foremost, though, turning the arc into a feature film appears to have unlocked a much higher budget for the animation, allowing studio Ufotable to make Demon Slayer look more captivating than ever. Although it didn’t seem possible already, Ufotable has marked Infinity Castle as the point where they’ve polished their craft even higher, wowing us as much as back when they broke the internet with episode 19 of season 1 all those years ago. Weekly episodes in the anime definitely have cinematic flair, but with the latest feature-length budget, the results are staggering. The blend of the Infinity Castle’s 3D environments and 2D character work was seamless, more so when going from the castle's constantly shifting halls to the constantly dazzling elemental sword attacks. The multiple elemental Breathing Styles of the many swordsmen we’ve come to love over the years have always impressed visually, but this latest movie seems to make scenes leap off the screen with a higher fidelity all around, upping the weight and impact of every blow as a result. That elevation can be felt in the audio too, with an ear-pleasing soundscape provided by returning Demon Slayer composers Kajiura and Go Shiina, who gently reaffirm why they're some of the best composers in anime right now. This is paired with impeccable voice-acting across both the sub and dub and a delightful score with new vocal centrepieces, Taiyō ga Noboranai Sekai by Aimer and Zankoku no Yoru ni Kagayake by LiSA respectively. The result encapsulates Demon Slayer’s tragic undertones and the raw emotional fire of the series's final battles. Even the finely placed comedic moments, portrayed through the hilarious dumbfounded facial expressions that usually shine best in the manga, feel more pronounced. They're also placed in the right moments, and don't clash tonally with the most important fights One such brawl is with Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho, whose own arc and motivations are finally revealed. As with the manga, her fight is a particular standout, worthy of a cinematic screening with fast-paced flourishes, larger-than-life effects, and quiet rage bubbling over her once-peaceful demeanour. That further boost in animation quality also heightens the increasingly terrifying nature of the upper rank demons like Doma, Upper Rank #2 , who accentuates a carefree elegance and beauty whilst being one of the most nefariously evil demons of them all. Although Zenitsu is usually a source of added levity in the Demon Slayer franchise, this film delivers his most defining moment yet — a breathtaking sequence where his fear finally gives way to conviction after discovering a deeply personal connection to one of the Castle’s foes. Although this is another example of where you definitely need a refresher of the Hashira Training arc to understand all that’s going on, his transformation from comic relief to true warrior is both satisfying and thrilling to watch unfold. It’s around the halfway mark when the action really gets turned up to 11, though. That's when Akaza finally rejoins the conflict directly. Alongside being a narratively satisfying follow-up to Tanjiro’s arc, set in motion with Rengoku’s death, it provides a flurry of well-animated fight choreography — everything’s kept at an incredible jaw-dropping pace, but still drawn well enough so viewers can tell what’s going on. After all, the best part about these huge boss fights in all of Demon Slayer is that one wrong move during a big attack could cost a key character’s limbs or even their lives. Watching Infinity Castle, it’s more suspenseful than ever. Fight choreography is depicted as an increasingly artistic yet monstrous dance between blades, fists, and other demonic weapons, and gets sharper as the film goes on. With most of Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle focusing on Akaza, however, other stories explored in this part of the trilogy do end up taking a back seat. That’s including one in particular being left on a cliffhanger, which can be frustrating for anime-only fans who don’t want to read ahead with the manga, considering other elements that were lent screen time instead. It could be argued that this is to remain faithful to the source material, something the animation is also serious about. Besides, adding a resolution to that storyline might've felt too long considering how much time is spent on the fight scenes. Still, the third act can feel about 10-15 minutes too long coming after the already sizeable Akaza fight. If you’ve only watched the anime up until now, and if you don't know what happens afterwards, we wouldn't blame you for coming away frustrated. As a reviewer who knows what’s coming next after reading the manga, though, Infinity Castle does end at the right place, and sets up the next step for Tanjiro’s ‘revenge for Rengoku’ arc, started back in Mugen train. And, of course, the even bigger battle to come. Albeit slightly disproportioned in the way it spins the first batch of the many plates that make up the manga’s final arc, part 1 of the Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba: Infinity Castle is a gorgeously crafted anime spectacle that does its source material justice. Newcomers should stay away, but because Ufotable understands its core audience well enough, this has been almost perfectly catered to Demon Slayer’s many fans across the world, working as a high-octane, action-fuelled upping of the stakes. Even when considering the manga, it’s both the most gorgeous and the most gripping Demon Slayer has been yet, and makes us want to jump into part 2 right away. Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle part 1 is in UK cinemas from 12th September. Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
UK Pokémon Masters explain how to be the very best, like no one ever was
Anaheim’s Pokémon World Championships dazzled fans with its spectacle of fun matches, stunning attractions, roaring crowds, and nail-biting finals, but it wasn’t just the winners standing tall. As well as previewing Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Radio Times Gaming spoke to three key voices from the UK about their Pokémon VGC careers, and the hard-earned insights they've gained along the way. Masters competitors Tom Winter from London and Dyl Yeomans from Cardiff, as well as Niall Crallan (a Professor from York) shared the lessons they've learned about Pokémon's elite level. We spent the whole of Pokémon Worlds 2025 being amazed at how jaw-dropping this annual global event has become. Together, these three’s stories paint a picture of what it really takes to play and thrive at this level, as well as offer advice on how you can do the same. Life on the biggest stage Competing at Pokémon Worlds isn’t just about knowing the metagame; it’s about preparing for an atmosphere unlike anything else in gaming. Winter, who placed just outside the Top 50 with a 6-4 finish, admitted the nerves are part of the experience. “Well, it’s the hardest tournament of the year. Obviously, it’s the World Championship. So you always feel pretty nervous, because you want to do as well as you can. But I don’t know, I tried to come in not setting any expectations or goals on myself, so I was stressed and nervous, but probably not as much as last year, which was my first Worlds”. For Yeomans, competing for the first time and finishing with a 5-3 record in their debut meant walking in without a blueprint. “It was my first time playing Worlds. I had no idea what to expect. So, with nothing to base it off, I don’t think I was stressed or nervous or anything, but I didn’t feel too excited either. Just like, whatever happens, I guess.” Both emphasised that preparation for Worlds goes far beyond what’s needed at locals or even regionals. “The volume of it is just so much more to do, because…there’s like, one shot in it for the year, and obviously, you want to prepare a lot for the other events. But because it’s Worlds, everyone is just slightly more focused on it. "It’s like, ‘make sure you know every single match, what to do at every single turn’, things like that. Make sure the team is as perfect as it can be.” “No one at this will probably use their teams again. This was the big showing for it. You either do it or you don’t,” Yeomans explained. Interestingly, after speaking about the fact that the lower-level tournaments leave some room for experimentation, Yeomans hones their advice down to the fact that Worlds leaves “literally no room for error”. “So, if you make a mistake, that will cost you the game. If you make two mistakes, that’s the set, and you can only use two of those”. Echoing the sentiment, Winter added: “Yeah, similar to Dyl really…it only comes around once a year. You have to qualify for it, 2025 was much harder to qualify for because they introduced a different sort of point system for players in TPCI countries. “You’ve only got one shot, and you want to make it count.” Advice for aspiring players For those hoping to one day follow in their footsteps, both players urged fans to begin small and focus on enjoyment. Yeomans kept it simple: “Just always play to have fun, I think is the main thing. I always play better when I’m having fun. So just find a way to always keep it fun, and then you will just keep improving, and eventually you will just be there, I think.” Winter pointed to the social side of the scene: “Find out where your locals are so you can meet people in an environment that feels less pressurising than at, say, a regional event. All you have to do is hop down to your local card store… you make great friendships and connect to people. You can travel to events together, but it also makes it fun — going back to Dyl’s point, if you’re having fun, you can enjoy playing the game, then you’re gonna keep coming back.” Yeomans even recollected the pair's first regional in 2023, messaging the friend they’d met the week before, asking advice on whether their team looked good enough — a sweet emphasis on how collaboration and supporting one another is still at the heart of the Pokémon community so many years later. The Professor’s path Not every role at Worlds takes place on stage. For Niall Crallan, judging matches as a Professor is about making sure players’ experiences are as smooth as possible. “Professors do quite a lot of different things. A lot more of it is about giving people the best experience.” For those hoping to follow the same route, Crallan gave some clear and simple pointers: “The first step, really, I believe everybody who becomes a Professor should be somebody who’s played in tournaments before, to really see the player experience. After going along to those local events like the leagues, and essentially, everybody starts there and gains that experience with smaller events that might have 10 or 20 players, and then gradually build up through regionals and obviously internationals and Worlds.” A growing future Behind it all, the organisers are already planning how to scale. Chris Brown, The Pokémon Company International’s Director of Global Esports and Events, told us: “Our hope is sort of healthy growth every year. In Europe, for example, we’re seeing, instead of 3,000 attendee events, maybe there are six or 7,000 attendee events. Five years from now, I could only hope.” That growth means even more opportunities for UK fans and competitors to sharpen their skills without always needing to travel across the Atlantic. Winter and Yeomans might not have lifted trophies this year, but their message is a winner in itself: success starts with fun, community, and practice. Crallan, meanwhile, shows that the path to Worlds isn’t just about battling; it’s also about building and supporting the scene. For fans in the UK, that future looks brighter than ever. With Pokémon Worlds 2026 set for San Francisco, already teasing its biggest fan experience yet, now is the time to jump in at the official website to learn how to qualify and compete yourself. In the meantime, check out our quiz below if you want to test your knowledge. View Riddle on the source website Read more on Pokémon: Best Pokémon gifts - the greatest merch Best Pokémon games on Switch - our ranking Best shiny Pokémon - the coolest creatures Best Dragon-type Pokémon - who's your fave? All cat Pokémon - the felines to catch Pokémon natures guide - all you need to know Pokémon type chart - strengths and weaknesses explained Legendary Pokémon - the full list Pokémon Scarlet and Violet cheats - handy hacks Pokémon Emerald cheats - what you need to know Pokémon Fire Red cheats - all codes Pokémon Go friend codes - and how to find them Pokémon games in order - where to start Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Pokémon Worlds 2025 was one of the best events ever for fans, and it's only going to get bigger
There are hopes attendance will double in the next five years.
While competitive Pokémon for both the TCG and video games has been around for what feels like as long as the franchise itself, the annual global celebration seems to top itself every year in terms of being the pinnacle of competitive play. In tandem, though, it’s also been a regular reminder as to not only why it’s the go-to time for Pokémon fans to come together, but it’s getting bigger and better every year, too. For Worlds 2025, in particular, Radio Times was invited out with a load of other outlets and content creators to see just how Anaheim’s version marks a major turning point for Pokémon’s competitive scene, as one of the most ambitious gaming events out there becomes a must. What is Pokémon Worlds? For the uninitiated, Pokémon Worlds is the annual summit where the year’s top players across multiple formats from the regional levels - Video Game Championships (VGC — Scarlet & Violet, in this case), the Trading Card Game (TCG), Pokémon GO, and Pokémon UNITE - compete for world titles. Among those formats, there are also three brackets each: Junior for up to 12 years old before the start of the tournament season, Senior for 13-16, and Masters for 17+. Then, along with a pretty Pikachu trophy and unique card if you take fourth place or higher, there's a cash prize of up to $50,000 up for grabs as well. Yet, it is also much more than a competition. The event functions as a hybrid of festival, convention, and global reunion, offering opportunities for casual fans and seasoned competitors alike to immerse themselves in every facet of the Pokémon universe. At the Anaheim Convention Center, for example, Worlds 2025 transformed the venue into a living showcase of the brand. Beyond the competition halls and incredible opening ceremony featuring performances from musicians like NateWantsToBattle, there were side event tournaments that both fans and Worlds dropouts can take part in. There were also Play Lab sessions to teach newcomers how to play the card game and Scarlet & Violet competitively, a cosplay showcase, a museum featuring past Pokémon games and Worlds winners, a TCG art gallery, community panels from big fandom names like Joe Merrick (Serebii), a giant Miraidon motorcycle, poster signings with talented TCG artists, the opportunity to buy extra merch and very, very expensive merchant cards, and tons more interactive experiences — the Pokémon world, at Worlds, felt like our (Cl)oyster. Even before the tournament week, however, we were offered some amazing extra experiences. Not only were we given an early walkthrough of the new Pokémon Centre pop-up store, packed with plenty of merch exclusive to Anaheim’s Worlds, but we were also among the first in the world to have a hands-on preview with the upcoming Pokémon: Legends Z-A game (take that, Gamescom). A festival as much as a tournament The sheer variety of activities alone sets Pokémon Worlds like Anaheim’s apart from other franchise-dedicated gaming events. While competitors from Friday 15th to Sunday 17th August battled it out, spectators had plenty of other bits to enjoy, like watching the first couple of days’ tournaments on huge monitors throughout the centre, dedicated spaces for card and pin trading, a cosplay showcase, more side-event tournaments, their own chance to play the latest games like the Legends: Z-A demo, and Black Bolt & White Flare art showcase — all underscoring how the Championships now cater to both competitive and casual audiences. Still, it turns out everything before Sunday 17th was a warm-up, since all four of the finals held in the Anaheim Convention Center’s arena was truly the cherry on top that took our breath away. A first for Pokémon Worlds and the franchise’s tournament scene in general, each match was set in the middle of a glorious centre battleground — surrounded by thousands of fans in the audience, elevated by spectacular LED-lit staging, lively commentary, and dazzling stage effects — painting the artistry of Pokémon battles into the shade of epic global sporting events we always imagined them to be playing in Pokémon Silver in 2001. I said it before on my Instagram at the time, and I’ll say it again: I finally understand what football, wrestling, and F1 fans are going on about when I say this is the atmosphere you want to be in if you’re a fan. Even without getting into the nitty-gritty of this year’s Pokémon Worlds statistics, its growing reach seems clear. Thankfully, we have those anyway. As shared with us by PR reps from The Pokémon Company International, Pokémon Worlds 2025 saw nearly 2,500 competitors from 48 countries and regions join over 25,000 attendees representing more than 60 regions, all supported by a staff contingent of more than 1,500 personnel. Insights from the organisers While those numbers are certainly huge, with the larger spotlight on Pokémon’s steps into the new era of its games - the upcoming generation 10, new Switch 1 and 2 games, and the ever-expanding variety of the TCG with new sets - we can’t help but wonder about the future. In a roundtable interview with Chris Brown, The Pokémon Company International’s director of global esports and events, we personally asked about the event’s growth and where he sees Pokémon’s competitive scene, including Worlds, going within the next five years. With far-in-advance logistics aside, Brown sounded very optimistic, explaining: "Our hope is sort of healthy growth every year." He elaborated further: "In Europe, this past season, our regional championships averaged over 3,000 attendees. I think we're over almost 2,000 players per show. I think we're going to grow that significantly, actually, this upcoming year." (They did.) "The team, how we approach that is, you know, sort of looking at [what] year to year is like. 'What did we do last year?' 'Was it a sell-out for this age division? OK, well, how much demand was there?' and then we try to project it. "Five years out, my hope would be maybe we double. Maybe in Europe, for example, we're seeing, instead of 3,000 [at] attendee events, maybe there are six or 7,000 [at] attendee events. Five years from now, I could only hope." What's next for Pokémon Worlds 2026? While that 100 per cent+ boost over the next half-decade sounded like a hefty aspiration, it wasn’t that hard to understand the reasons for it once we understood what came next. After the nail-biting finals of Worlds’ VGC tournament (an incredible match between Giovanni Cischke vs James Evans you should watch, by the way) soon followed the closing ceremonies — not only including new content trailers for the TCG, Legends: Z-A, GO, TCG Pocket and Unite, but also an exciting trailer for Pokémon Worlds 2026 in San Francisco. We already knew this going in, but we didn’t know the fact that Anaheim was merely a test for what The Pokémon Company is planning for the next American-bound World Championships. Alongside the finals set to be held in the Chase Center, an NBA-calibre arena that dwarfs even Anaheim’s impressive set-up, it will also debut PokémonXP — a new fan-centric programme blending panels, workshops, guest appearances, and exclusive stores, providing attendees with more varied ways to engage. Essentially, everything we spent doing in the earlier days ahead of Worlds was a sort of trial version for what this new appetiser event for next year’s Worlds is going to be. And quite frankly, it’s a damn good time that makes the ultimate Pokémon esports event even better. Fancy yourself a Pokémon master? Try our quiz below! View Riddle on the source website Read more on Pokémon: Best Pokémon gifts - the greatest merch Best Pokémon games on Switch - our ranking Best shiny Pokémon - the coolest creatures Best Dragon-type Pokémon - who's your fave? All cat Pokémon - the felines to catch Pokémon natures guide - all you need to know Pokémon type chart - strengths and weaknesses explained Legendary Pokémon - the full list Pokémon Scarlet and Violet cheats - handy hacks Pokémon Emerald cheats - what you need to know Pokémon Fire Red cheats - all codes Pokémon Go friend codes - and how to find them Pokémon games in order - where to start Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
How to beat Giovanni in Pokémon Go: August 2025 counters
Giovanni is back as Pokémon Go's big villain for 2025 – here's how to beat him with the best counters in August.
We're into another month and another team for Team Rocket boss Giovanni in Pokémon Go. With a trio of Shadow Pokémon, Giovanni's August team can dish out a huge amount of damage, and if you're not ready for him, you'll be in for a nasty shock. Of course, you'll have to take down Giovanni's Grunts and Team Rocket Leaders before you get the chance to battle him. So, if you're after the best counters for Giovanni's August 2025 line-up, read on! How to beat Giovanni in Pokémon Go: August 2025 counters To beat Giovanni and his June 2025 line-up in Pokémon Go, you'll need to fill your party with the following counters: Bring a Fighting-type to counter Persian, Kangaskhan and Rhyperior Bring an Ice-type to counter Rhyperior, Nidoking and Giratina Bring a Fairy/Ghost/Dark/Dragon-type to counter Giratina Below are the Pokémon you can expect to see in each round. This time, only round two has an element of mystery to it. First round: Persian (Normal-type) Weakness: Counter with Fighting-type attacks Second round: Kangaskhan (Normal-type) Weakness: Counter with Fighting-type attacks Rhyperior (Ground and Rock-type) Weakness: Counter with Grass, Water, Fighting, Ground, Steel, and Ice-type attacks Nidoking (Poison and Ground-type) Weakness: Counter with Water, Ice, Psychic, and Ground-type attacks Third round: Altered Shadow Giratina (Dragon and Ghost-type) Weakness: Counter with Ice, Fairy, Ghost, Dark and Dragon-type attacks It’s worth noting that if Giovanni defeats you once, you can demand a rematch at the same location. So, if he ends up using a second Pokémon you weren't prepared for, you can even leave the battle, switch out party members, and re-enter as long as you stay in the same location. Best Persian counters in Pokémon Go Shadow Persian is always the first Pokémon that Giovanni throws into battle. Being a Normal-type Pokémon, Shadow Persian is very weak against Fighting-type attacks. Any fighting-type move that you dish out will cause 160 per cent extra damage. With this in mind, something like Machamp or Lucario would be strong counters! Lucario's Power-Up Punch or Machamp's Cross Chop would be solid attacks against Persian. One thing you will not want to use is a Ghost-type Pokémon. Persian has a resistance to these ghoulish creatures, with their attacks doing 39 per cent less damage to Persian. So don't use any of those! Best Kangaskhan counters in Pokémon Go Luckily, Kangaskhan is a Normal-type, just like Persian, so you probably won't need to change very much. Just like before, Machamp or Lucario are your best options. That being said, this month, it might be worth bringing both, as you'll see later on... Best Rhyperior counters in Pokémon Go Giovanni's Rhyperior has very strong stats, but its Rock and Ground-type gives it a ton of weaknesses with six in total: Water, Fighting, Grass, Ground, Steel and Ice. To make the most of these weaknesses, using counters like the Water-type Kingler will deal the most damage, with Bubble as its Fast Attack and Crabhammer as its Charged Attack, since it's also not vulnerable to any of Rhyperior's attacks. Kartana is also a strong choice as a Grass and Steel-type, but you'd need to be wary of Rhyperior using Superpower in its potential moveset since Kartana is weak to Fighting-type moves. In this case, pure Grass-types like Roserade and Rillaboom are excellent back-ups to quickly beat Shadow Rhyperior if you use Razor Leaf and Gross Knot for both Pokémon's Fast Moves and Charged moves respectively. Again, your Machamp and Lucario from Persian will both work wonders here. Best Nidoking counters in Pokémon Go Giovanni's Nidoking may not have quite as many weaknesses as Rhyperior, but it shares a couple thanks to its Ground typing, meaning you can kill two birds with one stone Kingler will again be an excellent shout here, as the same Bubble and Crabhammer that will demolish Rhyperior will do plenty of damage to Nidoking too, although not quite as much as Nidoking is only 2x weak to Water. Really, any Water Pokémon will do - Vaporeon is another great shout simply because they're quite easy to obtain if you don't have a solid Water Pokémon already, while some Psychic-types like Espeon or Gardevoir could be a great shout too. Best Giratina counters in Pokémon Go Shadow Dialga is a Dragon and Ghost-type Pokémon, so it has a fair few weaknesses: Ice, Dragon, Ghost, Dark and Fairy. Ideally, Kyurem would be the best choice as its dual Ice and Dragon-type will both demolish Giratina, but its Ice-type in particular will cover Rhyperior and Nidoking too. If you haven't got a Kyurem, there are still plenty of other options. Dragon-types like Shadow Palkia, Shadow Salamence or Shadow Garchomp are all great options. On the Fairy-type front, Dawn Wings Necrozma is another excellent choice. If you challenge Giovanni multiple times, make sure to heal your best Pokémon between attempts and target each of his team members with the right counters, and you'll soon be able to beat him. Pokémon Go is available to download on iOS and Android devices. View Riddle on the source website Read more on Pokémon: Pokémon Go Raids schedule - upcoming battles Best Pokémon gifts - the greatest merch Best Pokémon games on Switch - our ranking Best shiny Pokémon - the coolest creatures Best Dragon-type Pokémon - who's your fave? All cat Pokémon - the felines to catch Pokémon natures guide - all you need to know Pokémon type chart - strengths and weaknesses explained Legendary Pokémon - the full list Pokémon Scarlet and Violet cheats - handy hacks Pokémon Emerald cheats - what you need to know Pokémon Fire Red cheats - all codes Pokémon Go friend codes - and how to find them Pokémon games in order - where to start Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A preview – Mega Evolution is so back
Almost three years since the launch of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet, and even longer since the surprisingly fun and inventive Legends: Arceus, the upcoming Pokémon Legends: Z-A has a lot of excitement built around it as the next dedicated RPG adventure title in the classic series. It’s not only expanding on innovations brought on Legends: Arceus, but also mixing in mechanics from Pokémon games past with the returned focus on X and Y’s Mega Evolution (it even adds some new Mega Evolutions, including the much hyped Mega Dragonite). In a twist of events, whilst in Anaheim, California, ahead of Pokémon Worlds 2025, Radio Times Gaming got the chance to sit down and be amongst the first to play Pokémon Legends: Z-A ahead of its October release. And, while this initial dive in was super quick, it’s been enough to get us extra keen for the whole package. The hands-on demo for media and content creators behind closed doors was split into two halves of around 10 minutes each. The first was set in Legends: Z-A’s new big area for Luminose City, the Battle Zone, where, at night, Trainers battle it out to climb the ranks of the game’s Z-A Royale. In order to earn enough points for a Challenger Ticket key item, we had to take on a handful of Trainers, which worked as a tutorial for the new real-time battle system. While this at first may seem familiar to Legends: Areceus’ boss battles against frenzied Pokémon — which merely came down to dodging and throwing specific items — Legends: Z-A is the Pokémon series’ first full commitment to the concept of battles happening in real time. Although it’s complete chaos at first, if turn-based Pokémon is all you’re used to, it soon becomes a lot more manageable — as both you and your Pokémon can move around, dodge and, of course, launch attacks of your choosing. What's more, you can’t just spam whatever moves you like in rapid succession, as each has to recharge after use. The time of each recharge is seemingly dependent on the power and use of each move. For instance, my demo partner Pokémon, Chikorita, needed what felt like around 10 seconds to recharge its Leafage attack, whilst it could use Growl in a much shorter time. That alone opens up a plethora of strategic avenues, from getting used to running around, sorting teams and moves based on speed as well as power, and practicing the ideal time to switch out Pokémon in battle for a better type match-up. Needing to keep track of an opponent Pokémon’s moves for dodging, my HP deciding whether to use Potions, and which attacks are ready to use, did feel hectic when getting used to the controls, but more or less became second nature by the end of the 10-minute section. It turns out that this was essentially a warm-up to the second half of the demo. After chasing Zygarde through the city outskirts for a short while, we got our first exposure to the game’s plot about rogue Mega Evolution. For some mysterious reason, an Absol we ran into quickly Mega Evolved and started running amok — needing us to use our own Mega Lucario to stop it in its tracks. The 'mon vs 'mon battles incorporate the same mechanics as the Trainer battles, but these rogue bosses were tougher to overcome overall. Dodging was imperative, and a rogue Mega Pokémon could only be beaten by another Mega Evolution. You damage these bosses with attacks to get Mega-like orbs that can charge up your Mega Evolution meter. It was simple enough to beat, since we had enough Potions in our party for survivability, but raw-dogging a fight like this without any healing items would’ve been especially challenging. That’s along with getting used to the boss fight-specific mechanics, like its larger-scale AoE (area-of-effect) attacks. Additionally, as anarchic as this boss battle felt, whilst the new controls still felt generally fresh, the thrill of a battle like this felt like a triumph. Towards the end of the demo, everything seemed to kick into place. Mastering the dodging of this angry Absol’s moves, pummelling it with the array of Mega Lucario’s Fighting and Steel-type moves — whilst getting enthralled with the pretty visuals and energising soundtrack — it truly immersed me for a moment into what those big real-time Pokémon battles in the classic anime must have felt like. While on that train of thought, it got me even giddier as to what other cinematic battles might be ahead of me in the full game. Still, it painted a fascinating picture of what the overall plot of Z-A is going to look like — giving it a ‘solve the mystery’ vibe from the Detective Pikachu movie, but with many more Pokémon battles. As a bonus, Pokémon Legends: Z-A looked and sounded great on the Switch 2 as well — showing off a nice glossy aesthetic with all the Mega Evolution effects popping off screen. It’s easy to think that Luminose City would’ve looked even better if the game didn’t have to be technologically compromised to run on the Switch 1 (the version of which we didn’t get to see). Even playing as we were on Switch 2, the larger aesthetics, like the building assets around the city, still seemed a bit too plain, too flat, and too ‘copy and paste every window 1,000 times’. Be that as it may, if you’re playing on the shiny new current-gen system, you’ll still be more than pleased with the overall gloss and the decent performance on the Switch 2 edition. It's pretty, its packs a snappy integration into full real-time combat, and it looks to have an intriguing plot. Pokémon players both keen and unsure about Legends: Z-A should now be more than excited, as far as first impressions go. Granted, the opening slice we’ve seen was incredibly small, but it’s at least shown enough of the core experience to get our hooks in, and we're very eager to see more. Pokémon Legends Z-A launches 16th October for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. You can order your copy now. Fancy yourself a Pokémon master? Try out quiz below! View Riddle on the source website Read more on Pokémon: 23 weird rumours that plagued the Pokémon fandom – 5 of which are still unresolved Best Pokémon gifts - the greatest merch Best Pokémon games on Switch - our ranking Best shiny Pokémon - the coolest creatures Best Dragon-type Pokémon - who's your fave? All cat Pokémon - the felines to catch Pokémon natures guide - all you need to know Pokémon type chart - strengths and weaknesses explained Legendary Pokémon - the full list Pokémon Scarlet and Violet cheats - handy hacks Pokémon Emerald cheats - what you need to know Pokémon Fire Red cheats - all codes Pokémon Go friend codes - and how to find them Pokémon games in order - where to start Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
23 weird rumours that plagued the Pokémon fandom – 5 of which are still unresolved
Find out which are true, hoaxes, and still a mystery in the world of Pocket Monsters.
Ever since the launch of Pokémon Red and Blue back in 1996, fans have whispered myths, shared cheat codes in playgrounds, and speculated endlessly on what Game Freak might be hiding behind the next bush or beneath the next truck. Some of these rumours turned out to be real (hello, MissingNo.), while others were... creative, to say the least. Total gubbins, to say a little more. In a franchise packed with secrets, it’s no surprise that so many strange stories have sprung up over the decades. But which ones did you fall for? From hidden Pokémon to fake sequels, haunted cartridges to datamined dreams, we’ve rounded up 23 of the weirdest, funniest, and most persistent Pokémon rumours that ever spread through the fandom – with several that still haven’t been fully resolved to this day. 1. MissingNo. — the Glitch Pokemon MissingNo. is one of the earliest and most famous Pokémon glitches in the franchise’s history — which turned out to be very true. Short for “Missing Number”, this anomaly appears in Red and Blue when players perform a specific sequence involving the Cinnabar Island coastline. Encountering MissingNo. could duplicate items and distort graphics, leading many to believe it was a hidden or scrapped Pokémon. Though technically a glitch, its consistent presence made it feel intentional. MissingNo. became a beloved piece of gaming folklore and a cornerstone of Pokémon mythos. With how potentially game-breaking causing this glitch can be, though, like corrupting your Hall of Fame entry or save file altogether, we wouldn’t want to test this again in 2025 just in case. However, I can confirm the Cinnabar Island-MissingNo. glitch did work on my Pokémon Blue multiple times when I tried it back in the late 1990s. Even now, after digging up my old cartridge, the dozens of extra Master Balls and unlimited Rare Candy (shown with a glitch-pixel next to its number) are still there in my old save file to this day. 2. Mew is hiding under the truck by the SS Anne Perhaps the most infamous Pokémon rumour of all time. According to the playground whisper network, if you traded over a Pokémon that knew Surf before SS Anne leaves and used Strength on a suspicious truck nearby, you’d discover Mew. The same result could apparently happen if you lost a battle on the SS Anne and got sent back to the dock. There was a truck there, lending just enough mystery to fuel this myth for years. Alas, there was never a hidden Mew under it – though you could get Mew via glitching or official events. 3. Pikablu is a secret evolution of Pikachu Before Pokémon Gold and Silver were released, a mysterious blue mouse-like Pokémon began circulating online, in magazines, and in the short film Pikachu’s Vacation, which was shown before Pokémon: The First Movie. Fans dubbed it "Pikablu" and speculated it was a Water-type evolution of Pikachu, or even an Electric-Water hybrid. It turned out to be Marill – an entirely separate Pokémon from Gen 2. 4. Catch Yoshi in Red/Blue Some truly wild rumours claimed that Yoshi from Super Mario could be obtained in the original Game Boy games. The rumour, which turned out to indeed be a hoax, required a trade between a Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue save file — each with a completed Pokedex with 150 (minus Mew). One player with Red would need to send over a Dratini, the receiving Blue player then evolve it to Dragonite, and trade it back. Finally, the Red player would have to return to the encounter spot for Mewtwo in Cerulean Cave, and use a Firestone — finally evolving Dragonite into Yoshi to be #999 in your Pokedex. This may have been an elaborate April Fool’s Joke, but a well-thought-out one nonetheless. 5. Find Celebi in Ilex Forest One of the longest-lived Gen‑2 rumours claimed that Celebi, the time‑travelling mythical Pokémon, could be summoned at the shrine in Ilex Forest — west of Pokémon Silver and Gold’s Azalea Town. Fans traded bizarre instructions on bulletin boards: visit Azalea’s shrine, use “developer‑only” items like a Rainbow Wing and Silver Wing, and a Level 30 Celebi will appear. The truth was that the shrine was originally a decorative touch with no intended function — until Game Freak heard about the persistent rumours and decided to officially tie Celebi into that location in Crystal via the GS Ball event. In Japan, players used the Mobile System GB to receive a GS Ball, left it with Kurt, then placed it at the Ilex Forest shrine and battled a Level‑30 Celebi. Western players, lacking the event, chased phantom methods until glitch devices or Virtual Console re‑releases opened the loophole. What’s remarkable is that Game Freak didn’t plan this shrine Celebi encounter. There are even quotes from original staff saying they don’t remember why the shrine existed — but then leaned into the myth to make the rumours come true in later versions, though there was still never a way to legally get Celebi in any of the Gen-2 games outside of Japan. 6. Lavender Town Syndrome Perhaps the most chilling entry among Pokémon rumours we’ve found so far: Lavender Town Syndrome. Emerging in the early 2010s, this creepypasta baselessly accused the Lavender Town theme from Pokémon Red and Green (the original Pokémon games in Japan) of causing illness, insanity, and even suicides among Japanese children, thanks to hidden ultrasonic tones and binaural beats. Over time, commenters bolstered it with fake scientific-sounding explanations, supposed spectrograms with the word “leave now” spelt by Unown shapes, and ties to the infamous Dennō Senshi Porygon seizure incident. In reality, the Lavender music was unsettling but not dangerous. It uses atonal, shrill notes, sure, but nothing harmful. Investigations found no official record of any illness, and the stories were entirely fan‑made. Media analysts liken this creepypasta's appeal to “re‑enchanting childhood with shadows”, giving familiar territory a dark underbelly. 7. The PokéGods A batch of ancient rumours centred on “PokéGods”, ultra-powerful Pokémon supposedly unlocked by absurd feats in the Gen-1 games: surf patterns around Cinnabar, beating the Elite Four 100+ times, or finishing Pokémon League challenges in under a set time. Rumoured capturable bosses included merged Legendaries, godlike sprite remixes, or bizarre unseen species. Mew tied into this too; with Pokémon #151 having so little known about it at the time, Mew was essentially thought of as the first PokéGod, with the aforementioned SS Anne truck as the way of summoning it. There was also the previously mentioned Pikablu, an evolution of Venusaur and Charizard, alternative evolutions for Eevee, misinterpreted real Pokémon like Donphan, and many more. Still, no proof ever appeared in any game, nor were these ever acknowledged. Be that as it may, the lore passed through forums, magazines, and message boards with ritualised instructions that no modern emulator could follow. 8. Beat the Elite Four 100 times to Become a Gym Leader A close cousin to the PokéGods myth: “Defeat the League a hundred times and something new happens.” Each generation had variant versions, like beating Silver 200 times in Pokémon Crystal, or repeating the Elite Four in Emerald with max Pokédex triggers. The hope was to unlock Mega Legendaries, secret masters, or alternate regions — or most prolifically, become a gym leader. In every case, across Gen I to Gen VIII, nothing happened, which was unsurprising since every instance of the rumour gave no details as to how being a gym leader would work. Nonetheless, the tenacity of this rumour made it a staple of fanfiction and forum FAQs, and it is still discussed on Reddit threads to this day. 9. Catch Togepi in Red/Blue The first generation of Pokémon games truly made for a plethora of different kinds of rumours. Leaked or rumoured sprites for upcoming Pocket Monsters caused some to believe that you could catch not-yet-revealed creatures in Red and Blue if you just followed the right steps. One of our favourites is that Pokémon Red and Blue players could get Togepi by taking on the Elite Four and defeating them with just a Level 100 Exeggutor in their party. While this feat could technically be possible, the prize of the adorable baby Pokémon was nothing but another hoax. 10. Red dies in Mt Silver - UNRESOLVED Mt Silver, the cavernous endgame showdown in Pokémon Gold and Silver, spawned the legend that Red (the silent final boss) was actually a ghost or undead version of the original trainer who died on the mountain. Fans on message boards like GameFAQs pointed to the grave-like location, haunting music, and Red’s lifeless sprite. Some theorists used quotes like “Your Pokémon… soul…” (misread in-game text) to support their case. Despite fan art and fanfic explosion, Game Freak never confirmed or denied, and later media never validated it. So, the legend lingers with no resolution. 11. A secret cave behind Bill’s house In many fan theories, surfing around Bill’s house above Cerulean City at a particular time (like midnight or after eight battles) would open a hidden cave with rare Pokémon or even Mew inside. Some claimed that Bill knew secrets about MissingNo. or other anomalies. This rumour spread via chain‑mail style emails and early Pokémon chat rooms, but developer commentary and datamining confirm no such coded feature ever existed. It’s another example of playground lore masquerading as discovery. 12. Pokemon Let's Go Johto - UNRESOLVED A long-running rumour in the Pokémon community has teased a Let’s Go Johto remake, a second set of Pokémon Silver & Gold remakes following in the footsteps of Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee. Fans speculated that Pokémon Let’s Go: Soul and Let’s Go: Silver could modernise the Johto region with simplified catching mechanics and HD visuals. Hints like updated Johto sprites in Pokémon Go and subtle tweets from official accounts only added fuel. Despite repeated apparent “leaks”, no such titles have ever been confirmed by Game Freak. 13. "Pokémon Black" – the haunted version Long before Gen V’s Black & White, a creepypasta circulated about a bootleg “Pokémon Black” cartridge with distorted music, deleted Pokédex entries, and a Ghost-type called simply “Ghost” that erased enemies and players. This was tied into Lavender Town Syndrome, Silent Hill-style jump scares, and cursed save files. Videos showed fake title screens and glitch areas. In truth, none of this existed in cartridges or ROMs; it was a fan-made horror story, later conflated with the actual Pokémon Black game but bearing no relation. 14. Pokémon Grey instead of Black & White 2 After Black & White, speculation about a third game letter (as had been tradition with Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald) led to rumours of Pokémon Grey. Fans imagined it containing hidden Legendaries. But Game Freak never released Grey — instead, Black 2 & White 2 followed, breaking the trilogy tradition and being the first ever numbered sequels to Pokémon games. Grey became shorthand for conspiracy theories, leaked box art rumours, and supposed promotional material that never existed. 15. Zygarde's secret form will unlock in “Pokémon Z” Zygarde, a Pokémon with multiple forms in Sun & Moon, spawned a legend that Pokémon Z would finally reveal its 100 per cent form and full story arc. Fans pointed to dialogues in Kalos-era NPCs hinting at a third game, and rumoured trademarks. But instead of “Z”, the storyline extended into Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon with new Zygarde forms. The original expectation was never fulfilled, and Zygarde’s true significance remains contestable in the fandom. 16. Mega Arceus exists Arceus’s self-proclaimed status as the “Original One” spawned intense Mega Evolution rumours, especially with fan-made mockups showing it glowing, with changing plates or halos. Forums insisted Arceus had a form hidden behind code or one that was only accessible after beating certain games. Despite multiple doctored images and petitions, Mega Arceus never appeared in any generation. Arceus stayed Arceus; though held high in lore, it never got a Mega makeover. 17. The Azure Flute will be distributed Within Pokémon Diamond & Pearl, the Azure Flute was meant to summon Arceus when placed at Mt Coronet — a coded item left unused in retail versions. Supposedly, a special event unlocked it for some players, but others rebuked those claims as hacks. Players altogether were left chasing rumours of hidden side quests or secret events tied to the Flute. Even with datamining revealing its existence, fans still debate why it remained unreleased internationally — and whether its omission was due to marketing, technical reasons, or Game Freak simply forgot about it. 18. A Pokémon MMO is secretly in the works – UNRESOLVED Every few years, screenshots or mockups circulate on platforms like Reddit or 4chan of a “Pokémon Online/MMO”. Some show 3D avatars, chat bubbles, or even evo storms. These claims are always fan-made or indie mods, so nothing is ever official. The rumours feed collective desire for a massively multiplayer Pokémon world, but aside from Pokémon Go and spin-offs, Game Freak has never announced a true MMO. Tales of phoney developer hiring, leaked email addresses, or pseudo-E3 screenshots have always fallen apart under scrutiny so far. View Green Video on the source website 19. Pokémon Stars is coming to Switch After Sun & Moon, leaks suggested a third version for Nintendo Switch — Pokémon Stars — would bundle Ultra assets and reintroduce features from the Gen VII games. Supposed box art, download data, and trademark applications went viral. But Stars never dropped. Instead, Game Freak moved directly to Sword & Shield, then Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. Stars remains a much‑cited “lost third version” rumour amongst fans who believed it was cancelled but real. 20. Delta Emerald is real After Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire’s endgame featuring the Delta Episode storyline, speculation grew for Delta Emerald — a third version of the game, in the same manner as what Pokémon Emerald was to the original Ruby & Sapphire. There were nods in the game’s files, concept references, and datamines, including Altaria‑Delta. But no official release happened. Files never appeared in future games, and Game Freak never acknowledged preparation for such a version. 21. Gorochu was Pikachu's lost evolution This is one of the few rumours that turned out to be true. Gorochu, Pikachu’s supposed third evolution after Raichu, was designed with fangs, horns, and even a potential Fire‑Electric typing. In interviews with creators Ken Sugimori and Atsuko Nishida, they confirmed the concept existed early in Gen I development but was scrapped due to cartridge space and balance concerns. By Gen II, the team prioritised adding Pichu rather than extending Pikachu’s evolution line in the other direction. Fans adore Gorochu partly because it's proven, tangible cut content — but also remains unreleased, giving it legendary status, made more so thanks to the above epic fan art by Foxeaf. How accurate the fan art is compared to Game Freak's original concept remains to be seen, so this is the closest we have to go off. 22. A region based on India is coming soon - UNRESOLVED Rumours of an India‑based Pokémon region have circulated since Gen VIII, based on cultural fan art, mythological inspiration in character design (e.g. Yogkitree‑like motifs in certain Pokémon), or marketing speculation. Though Pokémon Legends: Arceus introduced an Azewel-like Shrine Forest drawing from Himalayan vibes, there's no official confirmation from Game Freak or Nintendo about a full-fledged India-themed setting. Still, this feels like a ‘never say never’ type of rumour. View Riddle on the source website 23. The Space World 1997 demo has even more secrets - UNRESOLVED Finally, the Space World 1997 Gold/Silver demo is real — and remains one of the few rumours still actively unravelling. In 2018, the early demo leaked, revealing scrapped sprites, unused Pokémon, and hidden code. Even now, hobbyist dataminers claim to find new content: dozens of unused designs (including early gen-1/2 forms), rare sound files, and even alternate map layouts. Because the code is still being studied, fans consider it an ongoing mystery — and it’s one of the few entries where fresh revelations may still come. Watch this space, PokéManiacs! Read more on Pokémon: Best Pokémon gifts - the greatest merch Best shiny Pokémon - the coolest creatures Best Dragon-type Pokémon - who's your fave? All cat Pokémon - the felines to catch Pokémon natures guide - all you need to know Pokémon type chart - strengths and weaknesses explained Legendary Pokémon - the full list Pokémon Scarlet and Violet cheats - handy hacks Pokémon Emerald cheats - what you need to know Pokémon Fire Red cheats - all codes Pokémon Go friend codes - and how to find them Pokémon games in order - where to start Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
The Mighty Nein release date, cast and latest news on Vox Machina spin-off
Critical Role have another exciting animated series on their hands.
It's a good time to be a Critical Role fan as the D&D group's animated empire is going from strength-to-strength, with The Legend of Vox Machina continuing to be in rude health and spin-off The Mighty Nein on the way this year. The creative team's panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2025 brought a slew of new information about The Mighty Nein, including confirming a premiere date on Prime Video in the winter and announcing some high-profile guest stars. Among them are Disney icons Ming-Na Wen and Auli'i Cravalho, plus Dune: Prophecy star Mark Strong, We Were Liars alum Rahul Kohli and screen legend Alan Cumming, who has recently earned acclaim as the host of The Traitors (US). Of course, you can expect your Critical Role favourites to also lend their voices to the project, taking on decidedly different roles to those we saw in The Legend of Vox Machina. If you're not quite ready to say goodbye to that original show, then we're relieved to say that you don't have to – it's been renewed for a fourth and fifth season on Prime Video, which will conclude the story of that lively campaign. Here's everything we've learned about the Mighty Nein series so far. The Mighty Nein release date The Mighty Nein will premiere on Prime Video on Wednesday 19th November 2025. It's not yet clear what the full series schedule will be, but new seasons of The Legend of Vox Machina typically unfold over a period of three to four weeks, so it's possible that this spin-off will follow a similar timeframe. We'll bring you more updates on the launch as it comes in. The Mighty Nein cast – including confirmed guest stars <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2024/10/CF37075-96a3b0f.jpg" width="2121" height="1414" alt="Travis Willingham, Marisha Ray, Taliesin Jaffe during the Critical Role panel at 2025 San Diego Comic-Con. They are sitting behind a desk, speaking and laughing into microphones." title="Critical Role on Prime Video: The Mighty Nein and The Legend of Vox Machina Cast Panel at 2025 San Diego Comic-Con" /> The Mighty Nein series will star Critical Role cast members Laura Bailey, Marisha Ray, Taliesin Jaffe, Ashley Johnson, Liam O'Brien, Travis Willingham, Sam Riegel and Matthew Mercer. The group, who previously lent their voice to The Legend of Vox Machina, will be taking on different roles for this new campaign, which focuses on a realm threatened by a "powerful arcane relic". Bailey will voice cleric Jester Lavorre, Ray is monk Beau Lionett, Jaffe is hunter Molly Tealeaf, Johnson is barbarian Yasha Nydoorin, O'Brien is wizard Caleb Widogast, Willingham is warlock Fjord Stone, Riegel is goblin Nott the Brave and Mercer is influential dark elf Essek Thelyss. The Mighty Nein has also announced a starry guest cast including Mark Strong (The Penguin), Alan Cumming (Avengers: Doomsday), Tim McGraw (1883) and Anika Noni Rose (The Princess and the Frog). You can also expect to hear The Book of Boba Fett star Ming-Na Wen, Moana's Auli'i Cravalho, The Fall of the House of Usher's Rahul Kohli, Devil May Cry's Robbie Daymond and Star Trek icon Jonathan Frakes (aka Riker in The Next Generation). Here are all the Mighty Nein animated series cast members we know of so far: Marisha Ray as Beauregard "Beau" Lionett Taliesin Jaffe as Mollymauk "Molly" Tealeaf Ashley Johnson as Yasha Nydoorin Liam O'Brien as Caleb Widogast Travis Willingham as Fjord Stone Laura Bailey as Jester Lavorre Sam Riegel as Nott the Brave Matthew Mercer as Essek Thelyss Mark Strong as TBC Alan Cumming as TBC Tim McGraw as TBC Anika Noni Rose as TBC Ming-Na Wen as TBC Auli’i Cravalho as TBC Rahul Kohli as TBC Robbie Daymond as TBC Jonathan Frakes as TBC The Mighty Nein plot: What is it about? Like The Legend of Vox Machina before it, Mighty Nein is based on a Dungeons & Dragons campaign played by the cast members of Critical Role. This particular story follows a band of misfits and criminals who find themselves in the middle of a great conflict in the land known as Wildemount, revolving around a dangerous reality-shaping artefact. The Mighty Nein trailer The Mighty Nein dropped a teaser trailer at San Diego Comic-Con 2025, getting fans excited for what's to come. Watch here: View oEmbed on the source website Previously, in 2023, Prime Video had dropped a brief announcement promo, confirming development on The Legend of Vox Machina spin-off. Here's a reminder of that clip: View oEmbed on the source website The Mighty Nein is coming to Prime Video on Wednesday 19th November 2025. View Affiliate Playlist on the source website Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast. Add The Legend of Vox Machina to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" class="x_OWAAutoLink" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
Wednesday season 2: Release date, cast, news for Netflix series
Tim Burton's gothic fantasy drama will return.
It's almost time for the Addams family to return in Wednesday season 2, with the release date fast approaching! Thankfully, we're being hit by trailers and first-look images left, right, and centre – and it looks like Enid (Emma Myers) is in trouble this season, with best pal Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) being her only hope. Unlike season 1, Wednesday season 2 will be released in two parts, spreading out all the action to come - including the arrival of new cast members including Billie Piper, Steve Buscemi, and Joanna Lumley – and a guest appearance from none other than Lady Gaga! So, as trouble awaits us in season 2, here's everything we know so far about season 2's release. Wednesday season 2 release date Wednesday season 2 will fittingly premiere on Netflix on Wednesday 6th August 2025, but this is for just one of the season's two parts — with the second releasing on Wednesday 3rd September of the same year, as confirmed in the teaser trailer below. Hype for more from Wednesday has been building ever since Netflix confirmed via social media late last year that season 2 of the hit fantasy show has wrapped, sharing a snap of star Ortega. A caption alongside the snap read: "Rest in Production. That’s a wrap on Season 2." Filming had been taking place in Ireland. View oEmbed on the source website Plus, while nothing is confirmed, we could be in for even more seasons beyond season 2. Speaking to Variety, showrunner Miles Millar revealed that he and co-creator Alfred Gough hoped for the show to continue beyond just season 2. He explained: "For us, it's always looking at the future, and when we sit down to create a show, it's looking at multiple seasons, ideally. "That's never expected, but that's the anticipation – that hopefully the show is successful. "So, you always lay out at least three or four seasons' worth of potential storylines for the characters. It can evolve and change. "Often, you want to see which characters or cast pop and who you like to write for, so you want to keep it open and organic enough to change it and evolve. But we certainly have a pretty clear runway of what we want to do in future seasons." How many episodes will there be in Wednesday season 2? There will be eight episodes in Wednesday season 2 – the same as season 1. Reportedly, the episode titles are: Part 1: 1. Here We Woe Again – Directed by Tim Burton, Written by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar 2. It's My Party and I'll Woe If I want to – Directed by Paco Cabezas, Written by Matt Lambert 3. Dance The Night A Woe – Directed by Paco Cabezas, Written by Valentina Garza 4. Now You See Me, Now You Woe – Directed by Tim Burton, Written by Lauren Otero Part 2 5. Let Me Woe you Again – Directed by Angela Robinson, Written by Erika Vazquez & Siena Butterfield 6. The Final Woe Down part 1 – Directed by Angela Robinson, Written by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar and Kayla Alpert 7. The Final Woe Down part 2 – Directed by Tim Burton, Written by TBA 8. The Final Woe Down part 3 – Directed by Tim Burton, Written by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar & James Madejski Wednesday season 2 cast: Who will star? The following cast members are confirmed to star in Wednesday season 2: Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams Emma Myers as Enid Sinclair Hunter Doohan as Tyler Galpin Joy Sunday as Bianca Barclay Moosa Mostafa as Eugene Georgie Farmer as Ajax Victor Dorobantu as Thing Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia Addams Luis Guzmán as Gomez Addams Isaac Ordonez as Pugsley Addams Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo as Deputy Ritchie Santiago Jamie McShane as Sheriff Donovan Galpin Fred Armisen as Uncle Fester Billie Piper as Capri Steve Buscemi as Barry Dort Joanna Lumley as Grandmama Haley Joel Osment as The Kansas City Scalper Lady Gaga as Rosaline Rotwood Thandiwe Newton as TBC Evie Templeton as TBC Owen Painter as TBC Noah Taylor as TBC Christopher Lloyd as TBC Frances O’Connor as TBC Heather Matarazzo as TBC Joonas Suotamowill as TBC Of course, it wouldn't be Wednesday without our star, Jenna Ortega, as Wednesday Addams. The star revealed to Harper's Bazaar that she's once again grappling with playing the cello, saying in an interview: "We’re shooting the second season right now, so I think it was maybe two weeks ago I pulled a good portion of my hair out for a cello piece. "We shot that one-and-done, and then we’re moving on to the next one, so I am currently playing, never said I was good." Alongside Ortega, it's clear we'll see plenty of our returning characters develop throughout season 2, including Emma Myers as Enid Sinclair and Joy Sunday as Bianca Barclay. While Hunter Doohan wasn't previously on Netflix's confirmed cast, leading to some uncertainty about his return, a first look teaser showed him back in action as Tyler Galpin, confirming that he'll definitely be back. We're also set to see some acting royalty join the cast, including Billie Piper as new character Isadora Capri. Fans recently saw first-look imagers of Doctor Who star Piper in costume as Nevermore Academy's new head of music. Steve Buscemi is also joining the cast as Barry Dort, and Joanna Lumley as Grandmama. Thandiwe Newton and Addams Family movie actor Christopher Lloyd are also among the new additions. Lady Gaga will also be making a cameo appearance and is set to portray the "mysterious and enigmatic" Rosaline Rotwood, "a legendary Nevermore teacher who crosses paths with Wednesday", it was confirmed during Netflix's Tudum event. As detailed above, the singer's guest appearance will take place during Part 2 of the new season. Ortega also previously said she would love Gaga to be part of season 2 – so perhaps she had a hand in the casting. "I'm sure Netflix would love that," Ortega told Variety. "I think Mrs Thornhill [played by Christina Ricci] and Wednesday had this weird mentor relationship or kind of understood each other in a certain way, so, if Lady Gaga were to be a part, I think it would have to be two monsters that understand each other." The opening clip released as part of the event also revealed who Haley Joel Osment will be portraying, with the actor starring as The Kansas City Scalper, "America's most elusive serial killer". <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2024/05/WEDNESDAYS2TableRead00037V2r-3182e84-e1715089709362.jpg" width="7808" height="5205" alt="Georgie Farmer, Victor Dorobantu, Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nayo, Joy Sunday, Owen Painter, Emma Myers, Billie Piper, Jenna Ortega, Evie Templeton, Luis Guzmán, Isaac Ordonez, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Alfred Gough, Noah Taylor, Miles Millar, Tim Burton, Steve Buscemi, Moosa Mostafa and Hunter Doohan on the set of Wednesday season 2" title="Wednesday season 2" /> It's not currently confirmed whether Gwendoline Christie will return as Principal Larissa Weems. One actor we're not expecting to see back is Percy Hynes, who played Xavier Thorpe, after he confirmed his exit from the show following sexual misconduct allegations. Sharing the above cast photo to his Instagram story as captured by Yahoo! news, Hynes said "I had so much fun working on this show. I can't wait to watch season 2 :) Much love." Ortega has since addressed his exit when talking to Vanity Fair, describing it as a "weird redirect" and adding: "But we’re introducing so many different characters that I think it kind of will get lost.” What could be the plot for Wednesday season 2? Season 2 will pick up where season 1 left off, with Wednesday Addams once again trying to solve mysteries surrounding her boarding school and the town it's in. The opening clip released as part of Netflix's Tudum 2025 event kicks off with the character having mastered her psychic abilities in order to pursue a long-term obsession: tracking down the Kansas City Scalper, an elusive and dangerous serial killer. In a flashback sequence, we see 6-year-old Wednesday shocking her classmates with a presentation on the cold case's most gruesome aspects. There's more chaos from then on, as we see Wednesday overcoming airport security as she and Thing (Victor Dorobantu) head off in opposite directions. Once they arrive in Kansas City, the pair track down Chet aka the Kansas City Scalper, but when Wednesday tries to chase him, she suffers one of her visions. “This season, Wednesday’s psychic visions change," Wednesday co-creator and showrunner Alfred Gough told Tudum. "She’s spent her summer vacation mastering her psychic ability, but then something goes wrong, so she returns to Nevermore with her psychic ability glitching. Over the course of the season, it’s a struggle to recover her power.” As to what happens to Chet, and how Wednesday will deal with her glitching powers, fans will have to wait for the new season to drop, though it does look like she might be enlisting the help of season 1’s antagonist, Tyler Galpin (Hunter Doohan), if a previous first-look teaser from Netflix is anything to go by. The clip suggested Wednesday is planning a jailbreak in season 2, as it kicked off with a shot of the outside of Willowhill psychiatric hospital, before taking us inside, where we see Tyler Galpin chained to the wall. The footage then cuts to Jenna Ortega's Wednesday looking as sombre as ever, heralding a tense reunion for the pair. Could she be asking for Tyler's help to fight an even more dangerous enemy? Ortega previously mentioned that the show will lean more into horror, which fans will be thrilled to hear. She said at the Emmys: "I've received some scripts now for the second season, and we're definitely leaning into a little bit more horror." While we might be steering toward more horror, we're moving away from romance, with Ortega revealing that Wednesday won't have a love interest in season 2. She said in Variety's Actors on Actors: "We're ditching any romantic love interest for Wednesday, which is really great." One thing that showrunner Miles Millar is keen to add more of in the second season is the Addams Family themselves, with Netflix's first look clip confirming that Pugsley, Wednesday's younger brother, will attend Nevermore this season. Millar previously told TV Line: "We felt like we just touched the surface with those characters and the actors are so amazing in those roles. "Catherine is, I think, an iconic Morticia. The relationship between Wednesday and Morticia is also essential to the show, and the idea that Wednesday is trying to forge her own path outside the family is important." He added: "[We] definitely want to feature the family as we did this season in a couple of episodes if we were to get a second season." Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Millar also spoke about how they would hope to continue the "inspiring" nature of Wednesday as a young teenage protagonist. He said: "We’re also the father of four daughters between us. So, we have definitely culled from life for this one, and I think we’re definitely inspired to write or find a teen girl character like this, who’s so rare, who’s so self-confident, literate, smart, weird and unapologetic about all those things. "Often, teen girls can start off as an ugly duckling, and they blossom into a swan, whereas here Wednesday is fully formed. I think it’s such an amazing aspirational role model to see this character. It’s so rare to see a female teen protagonist like this." Additionally, Gough and Millar teased the possibility of further exploring the theme of female friendships in season 2. In the same The Hollywood Reporter interview, Gough said: "We wanna sort of explore and sort of complicate all of those relationships going forward. The school was closed when they left, which gave us the most possibilities for season two, and I think that’s something that we’re excited to explore. "We’re excited to explore now that Wednesday’s dipped her toe into the friendship pool, what’s that gonna look like?" One thing's for sure – Ortega will back the character in a big way, as she always has done. The actress has also been a vocal champion of Wednesday from the start, going as far as changing dialogue from some scenes to better suit the character without informing the writers beforehand, to coming up with her groovy dance moves (which were inspired by Lisa Loring’s iteration of Wednesday back in 1994) by herself. Ortega added to Tudum: "[Wednesday] sticks to her guns, and she’s not out to please anybody. Which, as someone who used to be an immense people pleaser, I really respect." Is there a Wednesday season 2 trailer? Yes! Check out the latest trailer for Wednesday season 2 below: View Green Video on the source website Wednesday is streaming now on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream. Looking for something else to watch? Check out the best Netflix series and best Netflix movies to keep you entertained, or visit our TV Guide or Streaming Guide. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Black Clover season 5 release date speculation, latest news
After a long wait, the Black Clover anime is set to return.
After a four-year wait, we finally have some good news regarding the future of Black Clover. Announced at Anime Expo 2025, the show is set to return for a fifth season. Debuting in 2017, this fantasy anime series is a beloved title among shonen fans. Adapted from the long-running manga series by Yūki Tabata, it concluded its most recent season in 2021. And crucially, that season ended on a cliffhanger. The season 4 finale, titled The Faraway Future, ended with the protagonist Asta preparing to train for an oncoming war. But since then, fans have been left hanging. After a while, even the most loyal viewers get tired of rewatching Black Clover's filler episodes while they wait. In the long gap between seasons, the show's creators did release a movie titled Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King. However, this 2023 film takes place during an earlier point in the story's timeline, so it doesn't continue the main plot. With the fifth season now officially on its way, here's everything we know about the future of Black Clover. Black Clover season 5 release date speculation At present, there's no official release date for Black Clover season 5. However, it seems likely to arrive sometime in 2026, considering the timing of the announcement at Anime Expo in July 2025. The new season will stream on Crunchyroll, and (somewhat confusingly) is being described as "season 2" of the show, framing the first four seasons as "season 1". Black Clover's creators haven't confirmed why there was such a long wait between seasons, but the two most likely reasons are the difficulty of releasing one season per year, and the limited amount of source material left to adapt. By taking a pause between seasons 4 and 5, the show gave the original manga a chance to publish more material. Who could return for Black Clover season 5? If we go by the latest Black Clover episode and film appearances, these are the most likely cast members to return for season 5: Asta - Gakuto Kajiwara (JP) / Dallas Reid (EN) Yuno - Nobunaga Shimazaki (JP) / Micah Solusod (EN) Noelle Silva - Kana Yūki (JP) / Jill Harris (EN) Liebe - Nobuhiko Okamoto (JP) / Bryce Papenbrook (EN) Yami Sukehiro - Junichi Suwabe (JP) / Christopher R Sabat (EN) Magna Swing - Genki Muro (JP / Ian Sinclair (EN) Julius Novachrono - Toshiyuki Morikawa (JP) / Robert McCollum (EN) Dallas Reid is currently best known for his ongoing work in My Hero Academia, while Bryce Papenbrook can be heard in Attack on Titan. What could happen in Black Clover season 5? Assuming that this season continues to adapt the original manga series, we can expect the next storyline to cover the Spade Kingdom Raid Arc. Season 4 already sets the stage for this arc, where the Clover and Heart Kingdoms join forces to raid the Spade Kingdom. Their goal is to prevent the Dark Triad from releasing demons onto the Continent – and to rescue their captured allies. This includes Yami, who was captured by the Spade Kingdom's Zenon back in season 4. View Green Video on the source website Is there a trailer for Black Clover season 5? Yes! The season 5 announcement arrived alongside a teaser trailer, which you can watch here on YouTube: View oEmbed on the source website In the meantime, Black Clover is still available to stream on Netflix, Crunchyroll, and Hulu. Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Niantic teases Pokémon Go's 10th anniversary: "Next year is going to be a Pokémon fan's dream come true"
Amid the sunny skies, exclusive missions and new Shinies in Pokémon Go during Go Fest 2025 in Paris, the event also gave us the chance to ask the developers what’s next. Ahead of Pokémon Go’s 10th anniversary next year, we've been wondering what that huge landmark might entail. Can you believe it's nearly 10 years since the original Pokémon Go summer? Between hunting Shiny Frigibaxes and finishing the new Volcanion Special Research, we had time to sit down with some people in the know and look ahead to 2026. According to Michael Steranka, Pokémon Go’s senior product director, next year's decade-marking celebrations will be "a Pokémon fan's dream come true". Steranka has been part of the Niantic team and working his way up since 2017, a year after Go’s original launch. We got the chance to chat with him at Go Fest. We first asked about the core vision for the remainder of 2025, of which Steranka replied that Niantic is going to be "very much focused on social in the game", giving players "more opportunities, more reasons to connect with one another". While being unable to share specifics, he did clarify that there are some "really amazing things that players are going to truly enjoy and be excited to experience". It was then, however, that we really got into the meat of it and asked how the 10th-year anniversary plans were coming along, which was when Steranka started expressing an even higher level of passion for what’s to come. "Our 10-year anniversary has been one of my personal main projects that I've been focused on over the past year and a half, two years by now," he explains. "It's such a huge opportunity. There are not many games in the world that can say that they've existed for 10 years, let alone grown over the course of those 10 years, like Pokémon Go has, and we really want to take that opportunity to celebrate with players. "And so, we have a number of things in development. We have a number of experiences planned, nothing specific I can share right now — but just know that, especially because it's not just Pokémon Go's 10-year anniversary, it's the Pokémon franchise's 30-year anniversary as well, I think next year is going to be a Pokémon fan's dream come true, basically." Hearing that years’ worth of time has already been put into Pokémon Go’s milestone event should be a relief to players, given all of the teams Steranka coordinates with in his role on the day-to-day. Even on Go Fest 2025 itself, Steranka spoke about how "almost every single team at the company touches Go Fest in some way, shape or form". When talking about new features, like the Crowned forms of Zacian and Zamazenta, for example, he discussed how his team worked with Niantic’s "game designers to design the holistic experience, whether it's in the park or in the city or the greater experience", along with working with the marketing team to make sure the proper information is conveyed to players. Also including the "player experience team [being] on site, to help with any technical troubleshooting", Steranka laid out that the "entire organisation" contributes in some way — which coincides with "balancing with a long-term vision and content of the game" itself. Altogether, the kind of undertaking for any game event in terms of next year’s Go Fest and regular gameplay — much less a 10th-anniversary celebration — requires spinning a lot of plates. So, it’s a relief to hear that Pokémon Go’s director has been giving the game’s big birthday the time it needs to cook just right across all the chefs taking part. That same enthusiasm and careful planning appear to be the case with Niantic’s local teams, as well. After all, while each Go Fest sees regular big names on the global level like Steranka turn up, it also gives the developer’s local teams the chance to show their stuff by hosting the event, along with sharing how they’ve been engaging with their communities and what they’ve got planned. In the case of Go Fest 2025: Paris, we got to hear about this from Moise Kabongo — Pokémon Go’s country marketing manager for France. In addition to hearing Kabongo expressing how the community in France "[has] been growing massively", we asked about his team’s own plans to celebrate the 10th anniversary. While Kabongo couldn’t disclose any details either, he could reassure us that "the communities in France and all the countries will definitely be very excited", along with the prediction that "the community will keep growing as much as they’ve been over the past months". "We’ll just have to wait a bit and see, but trust me, we’re really looking forward to next year." Kabongo also mirrored much of the rest of Niantic’s enthusiasm for the game going forward, despite what could easily be argued about a live-service game of its age. When any game reaches a long lifespan as Pokémon Go has, it’s easy to worry gameplay and content output might become stagnant. After all, even Steranka mentioned to us in his interview how "it only gets harder and harder as the years go by" to "strike a tricky fine balance" of "giving lots of fun things for our most dedicated die-hard players to enjoy on a regular basis, while not also overwhelming maybe more casual players, or people coming in for the first time". That self-awareness seems to have provided Pokémon Go with added longevity, since it has given Niantic the chance to take steps back and "make sure people have an opportunity to breathe", and letting the team do the same by "[improving] the baseline experience of the game" instead. As Steranka also interestingly put it: "Pokémon Go never stays constant, right? We always want to adapt with what we're sensing from the player base at any given time." The recent Scopely acquisition of Pokémon Go, which took place at the end of May, has been said by Steranka to offer "nothing but upside for [Niantic]", since the new owner’s desire is to "just empower [the] team to do the things [they’ve] always wanted to do". With the deal being so fresh, it’s likely we won’t see the long-term impact of the Scopely acquisition for a while. Nevertheless, Kabongo said, "The Pokémon Company and the Pokémon Go Team is very dedicated to keeping improving the gameplay for the years to come," even adding, "so I can definitely see Pokémon Go lasting forever." If Steranka’s continued vision and Scopely’s mentioned empowerment work out, hopefully Kabongo’s words can come true. While we wait to see what next year has in store, and the future beyond that, why not try our quiz below? View Riddle on the source website Read more on Pokémon: Best Pokémon gifts - the greatest merch Best Pokémon games on Switch - our ranking Best shiny Pokémon - the coolest creatures Best Dragon-type Pokémon - who's your fave? All cat Pokémon - the felines to catch Pokémon natures guide - all you need to know Pokémon type chart - strengths and weaknesses explained Legendary Pokémon - the full list Pokémon Scarlet and Violet cheats - handy hacks Pokémon Emerald cheats - what you need to know Pokémon Fire Red cheats - all codes Pokémon Go friend codes - and how to find them Pokémon games in order - where to start Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Pokémon Go Fest Paris: Inside a "vacation experience" with exclusive content, new shinies and even more surprises
Attending one of the prettiest Go Fests yet.
Pokémon Go Fest, an annual in-person celebration of Niantic’s almost decade-old hit mobile game, Pokémon Go, has been going on for almost as long as the AR title itself. However, its Go Fest 2025: Paris where the event has seemed to set a really special stride in its ninth year — both in location and execution – in the exquisite setting of Parc de Sceaux and local city areas. “I do think Parc de Sceaux is probably the most beautiful venue we’ve ever had a Go Fest at," says Michael Steranka, Pokémon Go’s Senior Product Director, who leads the game’s live direction and strategy on a global scale, having been with the company since 2017. “It's just so picturesque. And of course, Paris itself as a city is a dream destination for most, and the city offers such an amazing backdrop to play the game in. It gives players so many incredible, you know, sightseeing opportunities to enjoy while they're participating in the city part of Go Fest." It’s a reflection that’s part of a familiar scene, sat under the shade of an umbrella in the Media & Partners area, after RadioTimes.com had been whisked over to Paris on the Eurostar to experience Pokemon Go’s iteration of the gaming convention experience, but “on steroids” — which is, funnily enough, the phrase Steranka also used when speaking to us last year in 2024’s Go Fest: Madrid. Despite the deja vu, it’s clear these words are held very near and dear to his heart, hearing how Niantic views "Pokémon Go Fest as the tip of the spear for [their] game". “It's kind of the epitome of the type of experience we really believe in. In Pokémon Go; it's all about exploration. You're going to a new city sometimes that you've never been to before. Exercise, you know, I've worked up more of a sweat here than the most hardcore exercise regimen I've probably ever participated in, and then real-world social[ising]. "You know, I've met so many players here, and I meet so many players at every Go Fest I go to, and it's just such a fun time to connect with others who share similar passions as you." Still, to properly understand what makes Pokémon Go Fest so special to its community as a newcomer to the concept, you have to know what exactly is on offer to attendees and why it’s such a good time. So, here are all the best bits about Pokémon Go Fest: Paris, some of which will hopefully make their way next year to the 10th anniversary event. What is Pokémon Go Fest? Like those of the past, three in-person Pokémon Go events are spread across the world this year: Paris as its European leg, Osaka for its Asian leg, and Jersey City in America. Preceding Pokémon Go Fest 2025: Global (the worldwide version taking place at the end of month all players can participate in), the location-based Go Fests not only give trainers early access to new Pokemon and content — like an encounter with new Legendary, Volcanion — but also exclusive Special Research, raids and fun attractions to enjoy with fellow trainers. What’s more, there were other debuts, like the early launch of Shiny Frigibax and Carbink, along with exclusive cosmetics of Pikachu in a French suit and Falinks dressed as a steam train — arguably the best outfits launched in the game yet. Including a giant inflatable Pikachu, a real-life Gym, meet and greets with other mascots like Snorlax and Eevee, quizzes with free prizes, getting to meet notable trainers and game artists, trying out elite-tier grub from its many food trucks, and even grabbing from a selection of exciting merch; plushies, exclusive shirts and hoodies, bags, wallets, and more. There was so much extra going on, it only made my two-day trek in Parc de Sceaux go even faster. After all, even when you’re not playing the game, that aforementioned picturesque quality of Parc de Sceaux’s stunningly crafted gardens, water features and jaw-dropping views make Go Fest’s setting so easy to stop playing and get mentally lost in — like when you can’t help but stare at a gorgeous piece of artwork you find at a museum. Each year, the Go Fest teams do their best to make the most of each location and its surroundings so each iteration feels unique and distinct, and Paris' has raised the bar. Compared to 2023’s Pokémon Go Fest: London, for example, which split four habitats with different spawns and mission objectives across a very wide open area, the main section of Parc de Sceaux is a long, slightly hill-descending, rectangular landscape. While still a lengthy walk from one end to the other to reach all of the habitats during the Special Research, you could do so while every other gameplay section of the park was in full view. It also not only made navigating each section of the map much easier, but you could do so while being wowed by the majestic view of, say, the park’s prolific Château de Sceaux, with the adorable giant inflatable Pikachu in the distance. The blistering heatwave Paris had during the peak of Go Fest did make exploring somewhat of a challenge initially, hitting 30 degrees Celsius most of the Friday. Still, organisers thankfully planned well ahead of time by giving plenty of warning to come prepared with suncream, once again placing a good number of ‘hydration stations’, and keeping in mind Parc de Sceaux’s vast selection of tree-based shade to hide under among the edges of its main stretch. Although the latter made for quite a funny sight, with the vast majority all huddled together under the trees at the side — making the shadeless, sometimes patron-less centre look like No Man’s Land by comparison — it didn’t take away from the fun of catching Pokemon to complete Special research during each day’s 9am to 6pm runtime. A trip like no other While Parc de Sceaux usually doesn’t have many PokéStops or Gyms, watching that change in an instant – with dozens of them suddenly appearing along with a surge of Pokémon spawns – is one of the most satisfying sights for a Pokémon Go player – as seen in our ‘immaculate vibes at Pokémon Go Fest TikTok’. Having this suddenly huge playing field to enjoy Pokémon Go in, with tons of other players around, makes it feel like you’re in a virtual theme park, but it’s even better because you know almost everyone there is a lover of Pokémon like you. Even when not counting the tons of players who travel from all over to Pokémon Go Fests, "the French Community [has kept] growing massively," as said by Moise Kabongo, Niantic’s Country Marketing Manager for France. The local community for the game has been so dedicated: "Paris represents the second-biggest city in Europe, where Pokémon have been caught the most." When I asked Kabongo if he had noticed any big similarities or differences between Go’s other player markets, like the US or UK, he honed in on a strong point that Pokémon Go players, no matter where they are, seem to share a common way of thinking. “I think Pokémon Go is a game that brings people together who are like-minded. So that's why the game is still working this well after almost 10 years”, he said, which is why "Go Fest attracts players from all across the world". That sentiment only adds to the overall allure of Pokémon Go Fest that Steranka touched on during my own conversation with him as to why Go players should give one of these in-person events a chance, if they feel up to it — feeling like a unique vacation on multiple levels. Unlike at a typical gaming convention, "you're not just at a panel receiving information. You're an active participant, and so you get to progress your personal account and catch amazing Pokémon that you might not have the opportunity to catch otherwise," he explains. "For more than anything, Go Fest really tries to create this sort of vacation experience for our players. You'll get to see a beautiful park that you've probably never been to before, and you'll get to explore the beautiful city, all with the backdrop of Pokémon Go to help enrich those memories." Play however you like Despite the community-driven core of Go Fest, though, what’s really been refreshing about Paris' version in particular is how flexible it makes the need for social interaction, depending on what kind of player you are. At its peak attendance on Saturday, where hundreds (if not thousands) of players were out exploring — surely a fair mix of introverts and extroverts — the Special Research missions, raids and other activities didn't force anyone to socialise with strangers too heavily. Sure, you can make some new pals if you really want to, but it's not foisted upon you. Some missions, like Special Research around Legendaries Zacian and Zamazenta and their newly added crowned forms, do require you to take on five-star raids with multiple participants, but actually, speaking to folks outside of joining the raid party isn’t required. Besides that, none of the Special Research around Volcanion requires you to go up to other players and try to organise trades or battles. There were plenty of big groups who either came together or just met for the first time, but there were plenty of solo players too, just enjoying the game in their own company. If anything, that’s what Pokémon Go that Go Fest: Paris seems to have really maintained that fine balance of. Introverts can still go to bask in a real-world version of that global sense of community they hold dear, but they aren’t pressured to step out of their comfort zone either — giving them the option to just chill in the shade, catch a load of new Shinies, and bask in the pretty French gardens if they like. Still, when some of the biggest community-based features of the events happened, like the huge Gigantamax Inteleon raid, which drew in over 1000 players at the same time, they felt just as epic whether you were with a crew of your best mates or on your own. Bringing everyone together On the other hand, that emphasis on togetherness touches on one of the best things about Pokémon — either bringing people together or it being a huge part of their lives, whether through friends or significant others. Surprisingly, there were a lot of people among the latter. At Go Fest: Paris alone, six Pokémon Go couples got engaged — assisted by the lovely team at Battenhall PR who helped organise much of Go Fest altogether. Then, another couple who got engaged at Go Fest: Madrid last year came to Paris during this year’s event for their honeymoon. Lucky enough to witness one of these myself while in the queue to meet Mimikyu, who now looks like they’re officiating, I can’t help but think this demonstrates how special Pokémon has become. Next year will be the franchise’s 30th anniversary and Go’s 10th, and with that, it’s become a multi-faceted part of people’s lives. That fact has gone far enough that even the developers and organisers behind Pokémon Go and Go Fest are diehard players themselves, injecting their own affection for the game into their work. When asked about any specifics regarding the 10th anniversary celebration, Kabongo noted that the team is "very excited" and "really looking forward to the next year," even though they can’t give anything away right now. Whatever comes though, Go Fest 2025: Paris has definitely raised the bar. View Riddle on the source website Read more on Pokémon: Best Pokémon gifts - the greatest merch Best Pokémon games on Switch - our ranking Best shiny Pokémon - the coolest creatures Best Dragon-type Pokémon - who's your fave? All cat Pokémon - the felines to catch Pokémon natures guide - all you need to know Pokémon type chart - strengths and weaknesses explained Legendary Pokémon - the full list Pokémon Scarlet and Violet cheats - handy hacks Pokémon Emerald cheats - what you need to know Pokémon Fire Red cheats - all codes Pokémon Go friend codes - and how to find them Pokémon games in order - where to start Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
The Witcher 4 release date speculation, platforms, story and trailers
The Witcher 4 is coming, and this is what you need to know.
The Witcher 3 is one of the best games of all time, equally popular with critics and players alike, so it's no surprise that hype for The Witcher 4 is as high as it is. Announced in a surprise reveal at The Game Awards 2024, developer CD Projekt Red sparked a flurry of interest as fans clamour for any information on the game they can get their hands on. Previously dubbed 'Project Polaris' while in pre-production, it's been confirmed that Geralt is no longer our protagonist, with his adopted daughter Ciri taking the reigns. The full release is years away, especially since CDPR is also now working on Cyberpunk 2, so you may want to consider tiding yourself over with Netflix's The Witcher season 4, or even the original novels by Andrzej Sapkowski. But with that, let's take a look at everything you need to know about The Witcher 4, including release date speculation, gameplay info and more. The Witcher 4 release date speculation We don't have a Witcher 4 release date just yet, but we believe it won't come out until at least 2027. That's because while the first cinematic trailer we've got looks fantastic, the process of the game itself will likely be a very different story - since the developer has more than learnt its lesson from Cyberpunk 2077 the detriment of releasing a game too early. Since May 2022, the game was in pre-production - the process of laying out the game's foundations technologically and narratively. While this step is very intensive in its own right, full-scale production - which The Witcher 4 entered in November 2024 - is by far the longest stage, taking anywhere between one to four years, or even longer depending on the scope of the project. What's more, combined with the massive undertaking of developing a huge open-world RPG on a different engine than what they've used before, those aforementioned lessons CDPR learned from the release of Cyberpunk 2077 led to them making significant structural changes in their production - making sure development stages and designs better defined and more cohesive respectively. In addition, CD Projekt Red is no stranger to long lead times for games after the first trailers have dropped. Again taking Cyberpunk 2077 for example, the 2020 dystopian sci-fi RPG took another two and a half years to come out after its first full trailer was dropped at E3 2018. Then again, establishing whole worlds that size for brand-new IPs can take an extremely long time. Then again, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, released in May 2015, had its first trailer revealed in June 2013. That's nowhere near as long a wait, but even if CDPR's improved the production pipeline, it wouldn't come as any surprise if we ended up hearing The Witcher 4 wouldn't come out until late 2027 or even early 2028 instead. What platforms will The Witcher 4 be on? Although CD Projekt Red has yet to confirm platforms, it seems certain that The Witcher 4 will launch on PS5, PC and Xbox Series X/S. Don't expect it on PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch systems, though, given the massive technical limits of the ageing hardware. The Switch successor, aka The Nintendo Switch 2, on the other hand, you never know, but that will depend on its technical capabilities. Nevertheless, we'll update this article as soon as we know more. Read more on The Witcher games: How to download The Witcher 3 next-gen update The Witcher 3 trophies - the full list of achievements The Witcher remake - when's it coming? Can I pre-order The Witcher 4? There's no way to pre-order The Witcher 4 just yet, with the game not having any product pages at online retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy or GAME at the time of writing. You could always buy The Witcher 3 from Amazon if you haven't played it already, of course, or if you just fancy giving it another play-through before the sequel arrives in stores. The Witcher 4 gameplay and story details The Witcher 4 stars Ciri, not Geralt, as its playable protagonist. In the game, Ciri is taking on her own journey to become a professional monster slayer, being a fully-qualified Witcher; she's seemingly gone through the Trial of Grasses - the painful trials of a low survival rate involving potions that alter the nervous system and mutate the body with new abilities, as Geralt went through, shown by the signature cat-like eyes. Little else is known about the game as of now, but what we already know is enough to build the hype. Over on the official Witcher website, CD Projekt Red revealed a little bit more as to what sort of journey you're in for in general: "The Witcher 4 is a single-player, open-world RPG. At the start of a new saga, players take on the role of Ciri, a professional monster slayer, and embark on a journey through a brutal dark-fantasy world," says the developer. "Powered by Unreal Engine 5, it aims to be the most immersive and ambitious open-world Witcher game to date." In the game's first official trailer, we see Ciri fighting a seriously creepy monster to save the sacrifice of a young woman. It's like something out of a folk horror movie, and we can't wait to learn more. We see Ciri struggle in the fight until she swigs from a flask which gives her Witcher-y powers. It's a very fitting moment since it's one of the signature tropes we'd seen from the past Witcher games and trailers featuring Geralt when fighting horrific beasts. Unfortunately, we're yet to see any gameplay, but we can expect some elements from those in the trailer, like the chain around Ciri's wrist, to make it into the actual game. In June 2025, CD Projekt Red showcased the game in an Unreal Engine tech demo following the studio's move to the engine. While the demo itself garnered a huge amount of praise from fans, especially once it was revealed that it was apparently captured on a base PS5 console, it does not show gameplay capture, so is by no means representative of how the game will actually look. Either way, it's still worth checking out! View oEmbed on the source website Is there a The Witcher 4 trailer? Yes, there is a The Witcher 4 trailer, which debuted at The Game Awards in December 2024. The six minute long cinematic reveal trailer has it all. Intrigue, creepy monsters, folk horror and Ciri, who is the star this time instead of Geralt. It's definitely worth a watch: View oEmbed on the source website Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
'Blake's 7's Josette Simon made me realise I could be an actor,' says Murderbot's Noma Dumezweni
The actress opened up about sci-fi and representation.
Noma Dumezweni (Only Murders in the Building) is currently starring in Apple TV+'s shiny new sci-fi Murderbot alongside Alexander Skarsgård. Her character Dr Mensah leads a team of scientists tasked to survey a dangerous alien planet, and faces plenty of challenges along the way. During an exclusive chat with RadioTimes.com, the actress opened up about the importance of representation in sci-fi, and how another iconic character in the genre inspired her. "The first time, when I was young, that I saw a possibility of myself being an actor was actually Josette Simon in Blake's 7, all those years ago," she said. "Dark-skinned, Black woman with short hair. And here I am sitting in front of you because of that woman in Blake's 7, a sci-fi in the future," she added. "There's a possibility of different worlds. And she made me see myself as possible." Simon famously played Dayna Mellanby in the '70s sci-fi. Dumezweni is no stranger to appearing in exciting, and even fantastical, worlds. She famously played Hermione Granger in Harry Potter stage play The Cursed Child, and recently appeared in Disney's live-action Little Mermaid as Queen Selina. "Representation is literally that thing," Dumezweni explained. "Can you see yourself in the narrative? Can you see yourself in the story, not just emotionally, but physically, environmentally? It's all of the things. Who are you as a human? And that's what representation is." Murderbot is currently airing on Apple TV+. Subscribe to Apple TV+ here. Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Will there be The Wheel of Time season 4?
The fantasy series has been dealt a devastating blow.
The Wheel of Time has come to an abrupt end on Prime Video, with the streamer axing the epic fantasy series after three seasons. An adaptation of Robert Jordan's beloved novels, the series followed Moiraine Damodred (Rosamund Pike) as she sought out the prophesied Dragon Reborn, who is ultimately revealed to be Rand al’Thor (Josha Stradowski). There are 14 weighty books in the original series, meaning plenty more material left to adapt, but Prime Video won't be bringing any more of the saga to live-action amid concern over the cost of the production. The decision marks one of the more high-profile cancellations of recent months and is sure to provoke a backlash from fans, many of whom felt that the show had finally found its footing in the latest run of episodes. Read on for more context and insight on why there won't be The Wheel of Time season 4. Will there be The Wheel of Time season 4? No. Prime Video has cancelled The Wheel of Time after three seasons on the streaming platform. In May 2025, news broke that the media giant was pulling the plug on the costly production, which was particularly hard to take, given that season 3 had been its most critically acclaimed to date. Indeed, star Rosamund Pike suggested (via 13News) that adapting storylines from Robert Jordan's fourth novel – which was a popularising entry in the original book series – could help to introduce the show to a wider audience. "That's when a huge volume of fans discovered The Wheel of Time," she recalled. "I really hope that we get to continue this journey because the fans deserve it, the books deserve it, and our actors deserve it." In an interview with TechRadar, co-star Josha Stradowski concurred that the team "found our form" in season 3 and that he was "confident" in the work that they'd done. Why won't there be The Wheel of Time season 4? The Wheel of Time was reportedly cancelled due to "financial" reasons (via Deadline), with Amazon executives considering that viewership was not high enough to justify the substantial cost of the production. It seems that, after years of extravagant spending, Prime Video is taking a closer look at some of its most pricey shows in order to identify areas where savings could be made. Fantasy fans will remember that even the streamer's flagship title The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power appeared to struggle to its season 3 renewal, taking months to gain a green light – and ultimately doing so with a potentially transformative time-jump. Deadline notes that the cancellation of The Wheel of Time came after "lengthy deliberations" about the show's future, given that its audience was sizeable – analyst firm Nielsen logged more than 530 million minutes watched on the week of season 3's premiere (see TVLine). So, it's hardly as if nobody was watching, but with a reported price tag of $260 million for the first two seasons alone, The Wheel of Time just wasn't performing at a level that Prime Video considered worthy of such an investment. The Wheel of Time seasons 1-3 is available to stream on Prime Video. View Affiliate Playlist on the source website Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Will there be a Solo Leveling season 3? Latest news and speculation
Everything to know about the anime's future so far.
While you might have expected Solo Leveling season 3 to have been confirmed right away, given the anime's huge success so far, an official release date might be further off than some would think. The first season of Solo Leveling premiered in early January 2024, while the first episode of season 2 dropped a year later, within the first week of January 2025 — even preceded by a late 2024 season 1 compilation film, Solo Leveling: ReAwakening. Despite that quick turnaround for an initial follow-up season, the finale episode of season 2 aired on 30th March 2025, with nothing else confirmed at the time. Since then, however, news on another set of adventures with Sung Jinwoo has been coming slowly but surely. With quotes from Crunchyroll and those at Solo Leveling's anime studio, A-1 Pictures, here's everything there is to know about a season 3 so far. Is Solo Leveling season 3 confirmed? Solo Leveling season 3 hasn't been confirmed yet, but big names at Crunchyroll have expressed both hope and certainty that more episodes will be on the way. The closest we've gotten to a confirmation so far is by Crunchyroll's head of Head of Theatrical & Distribution, Mitchel Berger, who spoke to Deadline about the upcoming Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle movie. When the opportunity opened up to talk about the future of Solo Leveling, Berger expressed confidence, saying: "We just concluded season 2, which did really well for us, so I’m sure there will be more content in future." "We’re not sure exactly when, but it will be here and fans will continue to see the story," he added. That echoes an earlier discussion Deadline had with Crunchyroll President, Rahul Purini. When asked about a third season of Solo Leveling, he replied with "We hope so," before providing some clarification as to why the wait may be a bit longer than some might anticipate. Purini said: "The [series] creators want to work on a lot of shows. Anime is really popular, so there’s a lot of demand, and so we have to find the right time to get started on the next season." A long-running studio part of Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation, which has been handling dozens of various anime properties to create new seasons, films, and OVAs. While Solo Leveling is an undoubted success, another round of episodes being on the back burner wouldn't come as too big a surprise. Still, those aforementioned creators haven't hesitated to express their enthusiasm and gratefulness to their fans. Taking part in a Reddit Q&A on the show's official account, producers Sota Furuhashi and Atsushi Kaneko were asked by one user about whether season 3 will be able to "level up". They invoked the advice of the late, great Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama, saying: "Do you know Dragon Ball's Genki-dama (Spirit Bomb)? We need your energy! If we’re going to make a season 3, it’s going to take all the support and energy from the fans. I learned that from Akira Toriyama himself! May the great Akira Toriyama Rest in Peace." It seems fans are going to have to make some noise to ensure a season 3 gets made. When could the release date of Solo Leveling season 3 be? We believe that if Solo Leveling season 3 gets confirmed, we won't see it air until at least late 2026 or early 2027. Realistically, though, we might not even see a third season until late 2027 or early 2028, depending on A-1 Pictures' workload on other projects. In the aforementioned Reddit Q&A, Kaneko recently offered an insight into how long the animation process is, saying in response to a different user's question: "Each episode takes about 10 months to complete, with some of the longer ones taking up to 12 months. As for localisation, we work hard to achieve a near-simultaneous global launch." Kaneko added: "Subtitling happens almost around the clock to meet the delivery, and the dubbing process typically takes 2 to 3 weeks per episode." For those who are confused as to how Solo Leveling could come out with an entire second season in just one year, it should be noted that some episodes are worked on simultaneously among the studio's various team members. That said, 10 months is still a lengthy turnaround for one anime episode, but such a timescale is worth the quality we as viewers get out of the final product. There is also uncertainty surrounding Nakashige Shunsuke's availability, with the director reportedly busy with other projects, which could cause further delays. But of course, there's always the possibility that Solo Leveling could bring in a new director for season 3. As soon as more information is revealed, we'll be updating this article so you know right away. Where can I watch Solo Leveling online? In locations like the USA and UK, Solo Leveling seasons 1 and 2 are both available to watch right now on Crunchyroll – both in their original Japanese version (with subtitles) and dubbed version. Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Alexander Skarsgard teases faithful adaptation of Murderbot – with author having key input
The Apple TV+ series is mostly sticking to the book.
TV and film adaptations of books don’t always follow the source material, but Murderbot’s lead has hinted that the series version will follow its novella rather faithfully. While Martha Wells's Murderbot Diaries series is currently comprised of seven books, season 1 of the show only follows All Systems Red – the first book. Even when the first trailer for Murderbot first dropped, we knew that the Apple TV+ adaptation would at least carry over the novella’s premise about a newly sentient cyborg who has to hide their unique personality. It turns out All Systems Red’s initial short length helped pave the way to make the show more faithful to the book. Ahead of Murderbot’s release, RadioTimes.com spoke to Skarsgard and asked about any changes that had to be made. He responded: "The first season is based on All Systems Red, which is the first novella of the series of the Murderbot Diaries, and it’s a novella. "It's very short, it's brief, it's condensed, the storyline is pretty straightforward in terms of, like, the beats that are happening, the action beats with that kind of propels it forward." "And so we felt that was the structure that's kind of the blueprint, and it works really well in the novella, so there was no reason to kind of change that," Skarsgard added. On the other hand, Murderbot wasn’t completely free of changes from the novella. Instead, adjustments had been made to SecUnit’s human clients from the book instead. "So I think what we did was more on a character level, probably an inter-relational level between the characters. We also, for some reason, the group of humans that murder bot is assigned to protect is slightly smaller," Skarsgard explained. “We combined a couple of characters made two into one, because we felt that it was easier to kind of build relationships with these humans if they're if there aren't quite as many of them. "But other than that, I think it's quite faithful to Martha Wells's novella, and we try to stay very faithful to the tone of Murderbot, as well that the character that I'm playing." The Northman actor also left room for some other tweaks that are yet to be seen in the show, like the like of SecUnit altogether. He elaborated: "Obviously, with the freedom to kind of explore and create our own version of [Martha Wells's] character, that was also important to feel that there was an opportunity to kind of make the armour slightly different from the one in the novel, if we felt the need to." Murderbot will continue on Friday 23rd May on Apple TV+. Subscribe to Apple TV+ here. Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.