That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Anime's 4th Season Premieres in April, to Run for More Than a Year

Fans of the popular isekai series have reason to celebrate, as Bandai Namco Filmworks revealed exciting news about the future of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. The production company confirmed on Friday that the anime's fourth season is scheduled to debut in April 2026, marking a significant milestone for the beloved franchise. What makes this announcement particularly noteworthy is the season's ambitious scope. The fourth season will span an impressive five cours (quarters of a year), totaling more than a full year of continuous content. The first two cours will air consecutively beginning in April, with the remaining three cours scheduled for later dates that have yet to be announced. This extended format represents the longest single season in the series' television history. To build anticipation, Bandai Namco Filmworks released a promotional video showcasing "special footage" from the upcoming fourth season, giving viewers their first glimpse of what's to come in this extensive new chapter of Rimuru Tempest's adventures. Production studio 8-Bit will continue its role as the animation studio for the fourth season, maintaining consistency with previous seasons. Voice actress Miho Okasaki will reprise her role as the protagonist Rimuru Tempest, ensuring continuity in the character's portrayal. The source material for That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime has an impressive origin story. Author Fuse originally serialized the narrative on the "Shōsetsuka ni Narō" (Let's Become Novelists) web platform from 2013 to 2016, where it accumulated over 400 million page views, demonstrating its massive popularity. Micro Magazine began publishing the light novel series in print format starting in 2014, with illustrations provided by Mitz Vah. The light novel series recently reached its conclusion with the release of its 23rd and final volume on November 29, 2025, just weeks before this announcement. This timing adds significant weight to Season 4, as it will lead toward the series' ultimate conclusion in animated form. Accompanying this milestone was a spinoff side story volume titled "Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken: Toaru Kyūka no Sugoshi-kata" (That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: How to Spend a Certain Vacation). Despite the main series ending, fans can look forward to a new side-story series, with the first installment planned for release in 2026. For English-speaking readers, Yen Press handles the publication of the novel series in English translation. The anime adaptation has enjoyed a successful run since its inception. The first television season, based on Taiki Kawakami's manga adaptation of the light novels, premiered in October 2018. The series was streamed by Crunchyroll with subtitles, while FUNimation Entertainment provided the English dub. The franchise's second television season began its first cours in January 2021. That same year, the series achieved an impressive feat with nine consecutive months of television anime content. This included the premiere of The Slime Diaries spinoff anime in April 2021, followed by the second cours of season two in July 2021, creating an extended period of continuous Slime content throughout 2021. The series expanded into film territory with "That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: Scarlet Bond," which opened in Japanese theaters in November 2022. The following year, in November 2023, the three-episode "That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: Coleus' Dream" anime debuted with all episodes released simultaneously. Crunchyroll continues to stream this content with both subtitles and English dub options. The third season of the television anime premiered in April 2024, running for two continuous cours, providing viewers with a half-year of new episodes. Looking ahead, the franchise will continue its cinematic presence with the second anime film, "Gekijō-ban Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken: Sōkai no Namida-hen" (That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime the Movie: Tears of the Blue Sea Arc), scheduled to open in Japan on February 27, 2026. This film features an original story supervised by creator Fuse, making it essential viewing for all fans as it contains content not found in the light novels. Crunchyroll, in partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment, has already secured worldwide theatrical distribution rights for this film, ensuring international audiences will have the opportunity to experience this original story on the big screen. Specific release dates for international markets will be announced in the future.