Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 in 2026 — Release Date, Story & Fan Reactions
JUJUTSU KAISEN Season 3 - The Culling Game Arc © Crunchyroll
After an explosive second season, Jujutsu Kaisen is set to return with Season 3 — and the wait won’t be too long. Anime fans have been eagerly scouring for any news on Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3’s release date, storyline hints, and the community’s reactions. The good news is that Season 3 is officially confirmed for early 2026, and it will dive into one of the manga’s most intense arcs yet.
In this article, we’ll break down everything we know so far about Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 — from its premiere date to what the Culling Game arc entails, plus how fans on Reddit are hyped up with expectations. (Note: Mild spoilers from Season 2 and the manga are included, as Season 3 will adapt the Culling Game arc.)
Release Date: When is Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3?
It’s official: Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 will premiere in January 2026. In fact, a special 5th anniversary livestream for the anime revealed a teaser announcing that Season 3 (subtitled “The Culling Game Part 1”) will debut in January 2026. Soon after, Crunchyroll and other sources confirmed the exact date — January 8, 2026 — which will kick off with a double-length, two-episode premiere. This means fans get an hour-long treat right out of the gate as the new season begins.
Notably, Japanese theaters hosted an early screening event: a “Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution” compilation film, which premiered on November 7, 2025, featuring the compilation of Season 2’s Shibuya Incident arc, along with the first two episodes of Season 3. That gave lucky attendees a sneak peek at the Culling Game arc’s beginning. For everyone else around the world, Season 3 will be available on Crunchyroll (outside Asia) as part of the Winter 2026 anime season, so mark your calendars. The roughly two-year gap since Season 2 has only amplified the excitement, and all signs point to an epic return in early 2026.
Story: The Culling Game Arc and What to Expect
Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3’s story will pick up immediately after the devastating Shibuya Incident (the climax of Season 2), and it’s set to adapt the next major saga from Gege Akutami’s manga. This includes a few short transition arcs — Itadori’s Extermination and Perfect Preparation — and then the main event: the Culling Game arc. If you thought Shibuya was intense, the Culling Game raises the stakes even higher.
So, what exactly is the Culling Game? In the aftermath of Season 2, villain Kenjaku (revealed to be the puppet-master behind Geto) has enacted a deadly tournament-like ritual. The Culling Game is essentially a supernatural battle royale orchestrated by Kenjaku: countless sorcerers — including newly awakened curse users among ordinary people — are trapped in barrier “colonies” and forced to fight for survival. The chaos is all part of Kenjaku’s plan to trigger the evolution of humanity by making sorcerers and non-sorcerers kill each other.
Our protagonist Yuji Itadori and his allies enter the Culling Game with two crucial goals: stop Kenjaku’s scheme and free Satoru Gojo from the Prison Realm. Remember, at the end of Season 2, Gojo was sealed away, and Yuji was left sentenced to death (with Yuta Okkotsu assigned as his executioner). Season 3 will follow Yuji, Megumi Fushiguro, Yuta, Maki Zenin, and others as they form unlikely teams to tackle the Culling Game’s challenges and find a way to break Gojo’s seal.
Fans can expect many new characters and intense battles in this arc. For instance, we’ll meet powerful players like Kinji Hakari (the third-year student hinted at previously), Panda’s old classmate Kirara Hoshi, the lawyer-turned-sorcerer Hiromi Higuruma, comedic wildcard Fumihiko Takaba, and more. Each colony in the Culling Game presents a different showdown — from Tokyo to Sendai — introducing fearsome cursed technique users and epic fights. Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 is essentially one big, high-stakes tournament arc — one that spans dozens of manga chapters and will likely run for a full two-cour season (around 23-24 episodes) given its scope.
Without spoiling too much, prepare to see some of the manga’s most talked-about showdowns brought to life. Yuji and Megumi will face life-or-death battles that test their growth, Maki Zenin continues her quest after the Zenin clan fallout, and even characters like Yuta Okkotsu (from Jujutsu Kaisen 0) step into the spotlight again. All the while, the mystery of Kenjaku’s endgame looms, and the question remains: can Gojo be freed in time to turn the tide? Season 3’s story will be dark, unpredictable, and packed with the blend of horror, action, and heartfelt moments that Jujutsu Kaisen is known for.
Fan Reactions and Expectations: What Are Fans Saying?
The anime community is absolutely buzzing with excitement for Season 3, and nowhere is this more evident than on Reddit and social media. Fans of Jujutsu Kaisen have been sharing their expectations, hopes, and even some fears, ever since the Culling Game arc was confirmed for adaptation. Here’s a look at what the fandom is saying:
Hype for Favorite Characters: Many viewers are eager to see the return of characters who took a backseat in Season 2. “I’m very excited to see Choso and Megumi, they’re two of my favorite characters and I’ve been missing them,” one Reddit user commented, also hoping to see characters like Hakari and Kirara shine in Season 3. In fact, the fan added that “all the new [Culling Game] players will be interesting, too — and Takaba, of course.” There’s a lot of anticipation to finally watch these manga characters animated and see their abilities in action.
Anticipation of Epic Moments: Readers of the manga know that the Culling Game arc contains some massive, internet-breaking moments, and anime-only fans are in for some shocks. On Reddit, one discussion posed the question of which scenes will blow up the fandom upon release. The top answers read like a hype checklist — Maki Zenin’s showdown with the Zenin clan, the battles in the Sendai Colony, Hakari vs. Kashimo, Choso & Yuki vs. Kenjaku, and of course Gojo’s unsealing — all moments that one fan predicted would “absolutely break the whole internet” when they air. In short, expectations are sky-high that Season 3 will deliver some of the best action sequences in the series so far (with plenty of twists along the way).
Praise for the Animation Teasers: With the official Season 3 teaser trailer and visuals coming out, the fandom has been dissecting every frame. The reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. “JJK Season 3 is looking absolutely insane,” one excited viewer wrote, praising the preview of the animation quality. Fans noted the “perfect blend of modern 3D depth and hand-drawn art” in the new footage, with studio MAPPA’s production giving each cut a cinematic feel. Some even commented that Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 “feels like MAPPA is entering a new era of animation quality,” potentially topping even the impressive work done in Season 2. In other words, the animation studio appears to have upped its game, and fans are ready for a visual feast.
Overall, the sentiment in the community is a mix of eager excitement and confident expectations. Season 2 left fans emotionally wrought (we’re all still processing certain character fates…) and desperate to see what comes next. Now that Season 3 is on the horizon, viewers are gearing up for what many believe could be the most “legendary” season yet. Between the high-octane battles, the emotional character payoffs, and the culmination of long-running story threads, Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 has all the ingredients to be a huge hit. If the fan reactions so far are anything to go by, January 2026 can’t come soon enough.
Sources: Official announcements and news from Crunchyroll and Anime News Network confirm the release details for Season 3. Story arc information is based on the manga by Gege Akutami and official summaries. Fan reactions have been sourced from community discussions on Reddit, reflecting the excitement and expectations surrounding Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3. With credible news and passionate fan voices combined, the stage is set for an anime season to remember.