Ranma 1/2 Season 3 Premieres October 3 on Netflix

The third season of Ranma 1/2 arrives this October 3. Nippon TV airs it in Japan every Saturday at 24:55, and Netflix streams it right after, exclusively. With this, the MAPPA series has now premiered in October three years in a row: the first season came out in 2024, the second in 2025, and now the third is set for 2026.

This is not a continuation of the classic '90s anime. This version starts from scratch, as a "completely new anime" based on Rumiko Takahashi's manga. That's why the numbering is clear: the episode opening this season is episode 25 of the series. It's titled "Shugyō DE Dinner" ("Training DE Dinner") and already has an official synopsis.

What to Expect in Episode 25

The story moves forward with summer vacation just around the corner. Ryōga sends Ranma a formal challenge, a written letter demanding another fight. They clash again, but the gap in strength is obvious: Ranma has become much stronger after Cologne, Shampoo's great-grandmother, put him through brutal training.

Ryōga is left humiliated and burning for revenge against Ranma. That's when Cologne appears before him. The episode leaves the question hanging: what does the Chinese Amazon master want with Ranma's eternal rival?

MAPPA's Production Pace

The fact that the series keeps its annual schedule says a lot about the production plan. It's not common for a remake of this caliber to secure three consecutive seasons without long breaks. MAPPA has managed to sustain the pace with Ranma 1/2 at a time when the studio is juggling several major projects simultaneously.

The first episode of this new batch confirms that the story follows the manga at a measured pace, without skipping arcs. If the second season ended at episode 24, the third opens with material that manga readers will instantly recognize.

The Japanese broadcast runs on Nippon TV in the early hours of Saturday — technically, Saturdays at 24:55 — and Netflix holds exclusivity for streaming. As in previous seasons, the episode will be available right after the original broadcast.

The rest of fall 2026 is filling up: Ranma 1/2 is one of the season's major premieres, and not just because of nostalgia. The MAPPA series has earned its own audience among those who never saw the classic version.