Little Witch Academia Season 3 - What We Know So Far
While you can find anime covering anything you can think of, the unique medium of Japanese animation particularly shines in the area of family-friendly series. Usually magical in theme and pulling from all corners of the imagination, there are plenty of amazing adolescent-focused anime out there — just look at "Sailor Moon," "Cardcaptor Sakura," and of course, "Pokemon," and that's not even getting into the movies, like Hayao Miyazaki's whole catalog of works. Thankfully, the animation studios don't seem to be stopping anytime soon, and in the past ten years, there have been hit after hit series released, one of which is "Little Witch Academia."
Produced by Studio Trigger, "Little Witch Academia" is actually one of the few anime that isn't based on a pre-existing manga, though since its creation, there have been multiple manga releases. Originally a short film written by Masahiko Otsuka and directed by Yoh Yoshinari as part of the Young Animator Training Project's Anime Mirai 2013 project, the popular short was followed by another in 2015, before finally getting its own television series in 2017 (Anime News Network). "Little Witch Academia" quickly moved to Netflix around the world, releasing 25 episodes as two seasons and gathering a huge fanbase. All about a young girl who becomes inspired to learn witchcraft and spread magic and joy, it makes perfect sense that "Little Witch Academia" is such a hit series. It wowed audiences and critics alike, earning a spot on multiple best anime lists of the 2010s, including at IGN and Crunchyroll.
So where's the third season? Here's everything we know so far about "Little Witch Academia" Season 3.
When is Little Witch Academia Season 3 coming out?
Unfortunately, this is a bit of a mystery, as the series has not been cancelled or renewed officially yet. But considering its extreme popularity, it would be a crime not to make more episodes of "Little Witch Academia." The first and second seasons both came out in 2017, and since then, the only further development in the "Little Witch Academia" franchise was another manga arc that ran from 2017 to 2018, and a video game called "Little Witch Academia: Chamber of Time," which came out around the same time.
Looking at Studio Trigger's current projects, they have been quite busy the past few years. They have two highly anticipated projects in the works — two shorts as part of "Star Wars: Visions" for Disney+, and "Cyberpunk: Edgerunners" for Netflix. As for the creator of "Little Witch Academia," Yoshinari was previously working on "BNA: Brand New Animal," an original work available on Netflix, which came out in early 2020 (Anime News Network). The series is now completed, so Yoshinari is technically free to turn his attention to a possible "Little Witch Academia" Season 3.
Considering the possibility that Yoshinari may be working on a new "Little Witch Academia" project right now, it would probably be at least a year before fans to see any final product, so keep your fingers crossed that there is news soon.
What characters will be in Little Witch Academia Season 3?
"Little Witch Academia" revolves around a young girl named Atsuko, Akko for short, who dreams of becoming a talented witch after seeing the performances of Shiny Chariot, a well-known witch who disappeared ten years ago. In order to follow her dream, Akko decides to attend Luna Nova Magical Academy, where she initially has difficulty because of her non-magical background. There she meets many friends and frenemies, with the two girls she grows closest to being Lotte and Suzy. Lotte is Akko's mild-mannered roommate and close friend, a Finnish witch with an affinity for communicating with fairies and spirits that live in tsukumogami, or old items that spirits have come to possess over the years. Meanwhile, Akko and Lotte's other roommate Suzy is a witch from the Philippines with a more mischievous nature, whose talents lie in brewing potions.
Two important teachers at Luna Nova Magical Academy are Professor Ursula, whose real identity is Chariot du Nord a.k.a. Shiny Chariot, while Croix is a new teacher who used to be friends with Ursula before betraying her. Ursula helps Akko train and learn the magical arts, and she promotes using positive emotions like joy and love to spread magic throughout the world. Wanting all the power for herself, Croix is working on using negative emotions like anger and sadness to amplify her magic and take control of the Shiny Rod, a magical artifact that has chosen Akko to be its true owner.
What will Little Witch Academia Season 3 be about?
Throughout Seasons 1 and 2 of "Little Witch Academia," Akko and her friends are learning magic and training, while Croix builds up power to enact her dark plan. Of course, it all backfires on Croix when the power she accumulates becomes too much for her to control, threatening to destroy the Academy and more. Akko, her friends, her teachers, and fellow classmates all come together to become Nine New Witches, based off of the legendary Nine Olde Witches who saved the world long ago, in order to work together and stop Croix's magical creation from destroying everything. The group succeeds in preventing the destruction, allowing magic to flow freely through the world once again. An added bonus is that Akko and the others begin to inspire a new generation of witches, while people who were distrustful of magic and witches are coming around to their good nature.
The second season of "Little Witch Academia" doesn't leave anything on a cliffhanger, but that doesn't mean that there isn't much more to explore. While Akko has shown herself to be a naturally talented witch, she still has trouble flying on a broom, and she's definitely not at the magical level of her role model, Shiny Chariot. Along with that, Ursula is still under a curse that Croix put on her years earlier. At the end of Season 2, Croix is sent away to face the consequences of her actions, but she vows to be back at the Academy again soon to teach. Ursula tells her she will wait for her, and Croix promises to remove the curse soon. As Akko and her friends are still very young and inexperienced, there are plenty of ways the show could further explore their journey as they learn more magic and fight off dark forces.