A new report has revealed that the long-awaited Frieren Season 2 will have a decreased episode count compared to Season 1. Frieren: Beyond Journey's End debuted to near-universal acclaim in 2023. In the years since, this 28-episode first season has gone on to become one of the best-reviewed anime series of all time, boasting a glowing 100% rating on Crunchyroll with over.
The hit fantasy series is set to return in January 2026, ushering fans back into this fantastical world. Frieren Season 2 is set to release on Friday, January 16, and it has big shoes to fill. While fans are excited, a tinge of nervousness is evident among those who love the series, as they hope the show can reach the heights of the gripping first season.
A new update has sent the Freiren faithful into even more of a tizzy, as it seems Season 2 may be significantly shorter than the first. According to anime insider Sugoi LITE, Frieren Season 2 will consist of a paltry 10 episodes (less than half the number of episodes in the first season).
"Season 2 of TV anime Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (Sousou no Frieren) is listed with only 10 EPISODES," the known scooper posited on X. The online personality has been pretty reliable in his reporting on the anime industry, so this listing appears to be authentic.
In the comments to Sugoi LITE's original post, Frieren fans voiced their dismay at the decision. "Only 10," one user asked. Another remarked, "Looks like shrinkflation hit anime too."
The following season from Studio MADHOUSE's fantasy epic will once again follow immortal elf Frieren as she reconnects with her former adventuring party, discovering that she continues to age, while her mostly human comrades cannot. A third season of Frieren: Beyond Journey's End has not been announced at this point, but with plenty of the manga still to adapt, it would not come as a shock if one were to happen.
Why Is Frieren Season 2 So Short?
After dropping a killer 28-episode first season, seeing Frieren Season 2 cut down to a meager 10 episodes will likley come as a shock to longtime fans of the series. Nearly three years since the last season made its grand debut, hearing that the next season will be almost a third of the size could be devastating. However, there could be several good reasons why the move was made.
Across TV, but especially in anime, there has been a shrinking of episode counts over the past couple of years. The most significant benefit of this has been the reduction of what could be viewed as 'filler' by general audiences.
The 'filler' problem has been a persistent issue that has plagued anime for decades. This may be an effort to be more intentional with the Frieren: Beyond Journey's End story moving forward. Not to say Season 1 had any lulls in its storytelling or 'filler,' but splitting it up into smaller chunks could allow Studio MADHOUSE to produce the series at a faster pace, while doing away with anything that could be seen as unnecessary to the story.
The 10-episode order could also potentially signal that Season 2 will be split into several parts. Perhaps this first 10 is just the start of the show's second season in January, with another part (or cour) coming sometime later in 2026.
