Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress is an award-winning anime of 2016. It received a huge success, and since the end of the first season, fans have been demanding a Season 2.
Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress is written by Ichirō Ōkouchi, directed by Tetsurō Araki, and produced by Wit Studio. The anime premiered on the Fuji TV network in Japan from April 8, 2016, till June 30, 2016, and it also streamed on Amazon Prime.
Despite five years having passed since the release, Kabaneri of The Iron Fortress remains a popular anime. Although follow-up movies have been released after the first season, a second season still hasn’t been released.
When will fans finally get to see Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress Season 2? Is it currently in production or not?
Continue reading to find out.
What happened so far in Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress
The story of Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress starts during the Industrial Revolution in Japan, a strange virus outbreak that causes people to turn into Kabane (corpses). The Kabane are very difficult to kill as they only die if their heart, protected by an iron cage, is pierced out, or a vital body part such as their head is fully severed.
On the island country of Hinomoto, the survivors of this disease live in fortress-like “stations” to protect themselves from Kabane. People use fortified steam locomotives called hayajirō to access the stations and transport wares between them. One day, a hayajirō is hijacked by Kabane, and it crashes into Aragane Station, and they invade the city. Ikoma is a young engineer who uses this as an opportunity to test his anti-kabane weapon. But during the process, he becomes infected as well. Surprisingly, Ikoma resists the virus and becomes a half-human half Kabane called Kabaneri and gains superpowers.
Ikoma, assisted by another strong Kabeneri called Mūmei, and remaining survivors of the station board a hayajirō called Kōtetsujō, and they depart for their journey to Kongokaku. But the journey is difficult due to overpopulation, food shortages, unrest among the people, and a constant threat of attack from Kabane.
What is going on with Wit Studio?
After producing Season 1, Wit Studio also produced three movies of Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress. Since then, the studio has remained active and has worked on various projects, including The Ancient Magus’ Bride, Vinland Saga, Great Pretender, and Attack on Titan: Chronicle. Their most recent project is Ranking of Kings, which will be premiered in October 2021.
What do we know about Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress Season 2 so far?
So far, there has been no official announcement by Wit Studio regarding a Season 2. There was a rumor of a Season 2 coming out in 2018, too, but there were no updates about it after that. On the bright side, the franchise has remained active the past years, so maybe there can be an update about a Season 2 after some time.
What are fans saying about Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress Season 2?
Fans were delighted after seeing season 1 and flooded social media with questions and discussions about Season 2. Fans have been desperately waiting for Season 2 but are starting to feel hopeless because there’s been no confirmation of a Season 2. Some fans believe that the 2019 sequel movie already concluded the storyline, so they’re not expecting a Season 2.
Will there be Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress Season 2?
One of the reasons there should be a second season of Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress is its popularity, which led to winning the 2016 Newtype Anime Awards for Best TV Anime, Best Character Design, Best Studio, Best Screenplay, and Best Soundtrack. The show also has a loyal fan following which has still been demanding a season 2. The anime also received a good response in DVD and Blu-ray sales as it sold over 6000 copies.
However, there still hasn’t been a Season 2 as, unlike other animes based on manga, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress is an original series produced by Wit Studio. It received an average rating of 7.25 from voters on myanimelist. Many people consider the anime a bad version of Attack on Titan, which has harmed the success of the anime.
The franchise released a mobile game in 2018, but it was unsuccessful. Two films were released in December 2016 and January 2017, a compilation in two separate parts of season 1. In May 2019, a third movie titled “Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress: The Battle of Unato” was released, with a storyline set six months after the first season, but it received an average response. Arguably, the movie can be considered a Season 2, but since it was not very successful, it may be discouraging for the studio to further work on a season 2.
Considering these factors, the chances of a Season 2 are low. However, if the anime receives more recognition and demand from fans, there can be a Season 2, as the franchise has remained active by producing movies even if it was not a Season 2.
When will Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress Season 2 be released?
Thus far, there has been no official announcement about a Season 2 being released. The studio may have released the third movie to the storyline rather than releasing a second season. It is not confirmed if a Season 2 will even be released or not.
Hence, the release date cannot be confirmed or anticipated either.
What can we expect in Season 2 of Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress?
The plot for Season 2 is very unpredictable, Season 1 had a very emotional ending, and there is no available source material for Season 2. Season 1 is an original series, and the manga adaptation was released after the debut season, so it has nothing new.
However, if Season 2 were to be released, it would further show the dangers Ikoma and the remaining survivors face to live in a world with a threat from Kabane. Ikoma may be able to develop a better, more advanced weapon to fight against the Kabane. Season 2 may show how the outbreak had started and how the survivors built the stations within time.
