A republic claims its war is fought entirely by drones. The pilots inside them are teenagers the state has declared not to be human, and the officer commanding them by radio has never seen their faces.
2 titles · 23 episodes · ~9 hours
One story, split across two broadcast cours. Watch Part 1, then Part 2 — that is the entire anime, 23 episodes. The only thing worth knowing in advance is that the episodes carry on numbering across the split, so Part 2 opens on episode 12 rather than episode 1.
Start here. Eleven episodes, aired April to June 2021, covering the first light novel volume. The ending is a stopping point rather than a conclusion, so line up Part 2 before you begin.
⚠ This does not end the story. The first cour stops partway through, and Part 2 continues from that exact point.
Twelve episodes, numbered 12 to 23 in the original broadcast. The last two were delayed to March 2022, which is why the run stretches across two calendar years. This half adapts the second and third novels and brings the adaptation to its end.
There is no order to work out here, but there is a naming problem worth explaining, because it sends people looking for content that does not exist.
The anime aired as a split cour: eleven episodes from April to June 2021, then twelve more from October 2021, with the last two held back to March 2022 so the studio could finish them. Japanese broadcast numbered the second cour as episodes 12 through 23, continuing straight on. Crunchyroll listed it under a Season 2 banner instead, and that label stuck — which is why people ask about a third season when only one season has ever been made.
A recap called Special Edition aired between the two cours in June 2021, retelling the first cour largely from Lena's side of the radio. It contains no new story and exists because of the four-month broadcast gap, so it is not listed above. Watching back to back, you have no gap to bridge.
The first cour ends mid-scene rather than at a resolution. Treat the two parts as one 23-episode series and do not stop at the break.
86 EIGHTY-SIX has 2 seasons in the main run — 23 episodes altogether.
| Title | Type | Episodes | Aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| 86 EIGHTY-SIX | TV Series | 11 episodes | April 2021 |
| 86 EIGHTY-SIX Part 2 | TV Series | 12 episodes | October 2021 |
2 titles · 23 episodes · ~9 hours
Where each part of the anime lines up with the source, so you know where to pick up reading.
Only spin-offs that tie into the main story are listed here — anthologies, fan books and the like are left out.
Asato Asato's light novels are still running. Fourteen volumes have been published in Japan, and the author confirmed that the fourteenth begins the series' final arc, so the story has a shape now even though it has not ended. The anime covers the first three volumes, which means everything from volume four onward — the majority of the series — exists only in print. Yen Press publishes the novels in English and has kept reasonably close to the Japanese schedule. There is also a manga adaptation, but it stalled early and covers far less ground than the anime does.
Part 1 first, then Part 2. That is the whole anime — 23 episodes, one continuous story. Japanese broadcast numbered the second cour as episodes 12 to 23, so if a platform shows Part 2 starting at episode 12, nothing is missing.
Not in the way the label suggests. The anime is one split-cour season: eleven episodes from April to June 2021, twelve more from October 2021 to March 2022, numbered continuously. Crunchyroll marketed the second half under a Season 2 banner, which is why the counting gets confusing — what fans call a third season would actually be the first genuinely new season.
No. Special Edition aired on 27 June 2021, in the four-month gap between the two cours, and recaps the first cour largely from Lena's point of view. It has no new story in it. If you are watching back to back there is no gap to bridge, so skip it — though it plays well as a re-watch after you have finished.
The production announced in December 2021 that episodes 22 and 23 needed more time, and they aired on 12 and 19 March 2022 instead. Nothing was cut or reordered — the delay only affected the original broadcast, so watching now you will not notice it.
Yes. Crunchyroll produced an English dub covering the full 23 episodes, with the same cast throughout both cours. Both the subtitled and dubbed versions are complete.
None. All 23 episodes adapt the light novels directly, running through the first three volumes without inserting anime-original arcs. The one piece of non-story animation is the Special Edition recap, and it sits outside the numbered run entirely.
Crunchyroll, including through its Prime Video channel. Worth knowing: the series was pulled from Crunchyroll and Netflix in May 2026 when its licence lapsed, and returned to Crunchyroll in August 2026 with all 23 episodes. Availability still varies by country, so check your region before assuming it is gone.
Not announced. The anime finished on 19 March 2022 and nothing further has been greenlit by A-1 Pictures or Aniplex as of September 2026. The source material is well ahead of the adaptation, so there is plenty left to adapt, but no production has been confirmed.
Volume 4, subtitled Under Pressure. The anime adapts the first three volumes and stops at a clean boundary, so the fourth picks up directly. Yen Press publishes the novels in English.
