Will there be ‘The Promised Neverland’ season 3?

The anime The Promised Neverland has adapted two seasons from its original manga, but is the orphan saga truly over, or could there be more episodes in the future? Let’s break it down—spoilers ahead!

Will there be ‘The Promised Neverland’ season 3?

The anime, produced by CloverWorks, launched its first season in early 2019, followed by a second season in 2021. Now, in Fall 2024, we’re still sitting at just 23 episodes. And from the looks of it, that’s where the anime’s journey has ended. Given how season 2 wrapped up and the fact that Kaiu Shirai’s manga has already concluded, it’s unlikely we’ll ever see a season 3.

Season 1 was a huge success for CloverWorks. It adapted the first two story arcs from the manga, which spans 181 chapters across 20 volumes. The story starts with an exciting twist: a group of orphans realizes they’re being raised as food for human-eating demons. The season follows Emma, Norman, and Ray as they devise a plan to escape the orphanage and their caretaker, Isabella.

The show’s unique plot, mysterious world-building, and relatable characters made it a hit. Season 1 ended with the kids successfully escaping the farm, setting the stage for what dangers awaited them outside.

After two years of waiting, anime fans were eager for season 2, but when it finally dropped, things didn’t go as hoped. Many key arcs from the manga were either cut out entirely or rushed. Season 2 got only 11 episodes, and instead of carefully unfolding the story, it felt like we were watching a fast-forwarded summary — especially during the final episode, which was widely criticized.

In season 2, Emma and her friends survive in the outside world and team up with demons who don’t want to eat humans. They eventually return to the farm, overthrow Peter Ratri, and discover the gateway to the human world. However, instead of crossing over, the main characters choose to stay behind to free other humans and help demons break their dependence on eating people.

The finale wraps things up with a slideshow montage, skipping over important events and ending with a new “promise” between humans and demons. Emma, Ray, and Norman finally reunite with the other kids in the human world, and that’s where the story abruptly concludes.

To say season 2 was a letdown would be an understatement. It seemed like CloverWorks rushed through the material just to wrap things up and move on from The Promised Neverland. Important chapters and story arcs were either poorly adapted or completely skipped over.

With the conclusion of season 2, which included the new promise and the reunion scene, the anime has technically reached the end of the original story. If a season 3 were to happen, it would have to fill in the gaps from the parts skipped in season 2. While that’s not impossible, it’s pretty unlikely. Would I count on seeing a third season? Probably not.