Bandai Namco Filmworks has confirmed that the fourth season of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime will premiere in April 2026, marking the franchise’s most ambitious television run to date. The upcoming season will air for a total of five cours, equivalent to roughly five quarters of a year, with the first two cours scheduled to broadcast consecutively.
Alongside the announcement, Bandai Namco Filmworks released a promotional video featuring special footage from the new season. Animation duties will once again be handled by Studio 8-Bit, which has overseen every television season of the series so far.
Voice actress Miho Okasaki is also set to return as Rimuru Tempest, continuing her role as the series’ central character.
The anime is based on the popular light novel series written by Fuse and illustrated by Mitz Vah. Originally serialised on the Shōsetsuka ni Narō website between 2013 and 2016, the story quickly gained widespread attention, amassing more than 400 million page views.
Micro Magazine began publishing the novels in print in 2014, concluding the main series with its 23rd volume on November 29. A companion side-story volume was released alongside the final book, and a new side-story novel series is planned to begin publication in 2026. Yen Press publishes the light novels in English.
The franchise’s anime adaptation began in October 2018 with the television version of Taiki Kawakami’s manga adaptation of the novels. The series was streamed internationally by Crunchyroll, with an English dub provided by FUNimation.
A second season launched in January 2021, followed by the spinoff series The Slime Diaries in April of that year, resulting in nearly nine consecutive months of televised content from the franchise in 2021.
Beyond television, the series has expanded through feature films and original anime projects. The first movie, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: Scarlet Bond, premiered in Japan in November 2022.
In November 2023, the three-episode original anime Coleus’ Dream debuted, with Crunchyroll streaming both subtitled and dubbed versions worldwide. The third season of the main anime aired from April 2024, running for two continuous cours.
Looking ahead, the franchise’s momentum is expected to continue into 2026. A second theatrical film, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime the Movie: Tears of the Blue Sea Arc, is scheduled to open in Japan on February 27, 2026. Crunchyroll has secured global theatrical rights, with international release plans to be announced by Sony Pictures Entertainment and Crunchyroll.
With a long-form fourth season and a major film set to arrive in the same year, 2026 is shaping up to be one of the most significant periods yet for the That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime franchise.
