If nitty-gritty anime with loads of action and rough men is your go-to, then Bastard!! Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy will be right up your alley. From dark wizards and volatile kingdoms to mysterious powers at play, Bastard has them all.
Of course, the anime also provides a steady supply of bloody, gory battles. It adheres to its title and provides a dark fantasy world with the most metal protagonist. Some gorgeous ladies also partake in the series, and the dark lord is no stranger to temptations.
A bonkers dark force is called upon to save a kingdom, but his ambitions go far beyond saving anyone. His only goal? To destroy the world while bedding beautiful women.
Bastard!! Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy has received two seasons, with the first season being divided into two cours. So let’s discover the world of Bastard here:
Plot
The anime begins in a post-apocalyptic world after humans have been destroyed by a dark entity they created. The world is plunged into a dark age where humans suffer from attacks by orcs, lizard men, and all kinds of monsters.
The Kingdom of Metallica is threatened as its castle is under attack in the absence of its knights. Yoko, a young girl, knows how to unleash a super-powerful force if the kingdom is ever in great danger. A dark entity is trapped within a teen boy, Lucien, and can only be freed if he is kissed by a virgin maiden.
Yoko breaks the seal when their lives seem to be in danger. Dark Schneider appears and destroys the enemies but has no intention of helping anyone else. His goal is to destroy the world.
Trailer
Since the Bastard!! anime was released in three installments; it has received eight trailers in total. You can find all of the trailers for Bastard!! Below, from season 1 to season 2.
Season 1 Cour 1 Trailers:
Bastard!! Season 1 Cour 2 Trailer:
Bastard!! Season 2 Trailers:
Visual
Here are some of the visuals for the Bastard!! anime, and each of them highlights Dark Scheider and his subsequent foes:
Is Bastard Anime Renewed for Season 3?
Currently, no official confirmation has been released regarding Bastard anime third season. However, it has plenty of chances to get another sequel. The manga has enough chapters left for adaptation, and the anime is popular among otakus.
Given that the second season was announced four months after season 1 ended, we have plenty of time to receive confirmation. If a third season does air, it is likely to be out in 2024.
Bastard Studio, Cast, and Crew
Bastard!! Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy anime is produced by studio Liden Films.
The following are its animation staff members:
- Director: Takaharu Ozaki
- Series Composition: Yōsuke Kuroda
- Music: Yasuharu Takanashi (Team-MAX)
- Original Creator: Kazushi Hagiwara
- Character Design: Sayaka Ono
- Art Director: Kazuhiro Inoue (Kusanagi)
Of course, we can’t forget the main cast members behind the dynamic characters;
- Hiroki Yasumoto as Gara
- Kishō Taniyama as Dark Schneider
- Tomori Kusunoki as Tia Noto Yoko
- Yōko Hikasa as Arshes Nei
- Ari Ozawa as Sean Ari
- Binbin Takaoka as King of Meta-llicana
- Hisashi Izumi as Geo Noto Soto
- Kanae Itō as Lucien Renlen
- Kensho Ono as Kall-Su
- Nao Tōyama as Sheila Tuel Meta-Ilicana
- Shizuka Itou as Kai Harn
- Takehito Koyasu as Di-amon
- Tomokazu Sugita as Abigail
- Volcano Ōta as Bon Jovina
- Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as Lars
Release Date and Episode Count
Bastard!! Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy is an ONA series that first debuted with 13 episodes on Netflix on June 30, 2022. The second cour of season 1 carried 11 episodes that were released on September 15, 2023. Season 2 contains the latest batch of episodes and was released on July 31, 2023. The anime has received 39 episodes in total as of yet.
Bastard!! had also received a six-episode OVA that was released from 1992-1993.
Where to Watch Bastard!!?
Bastard!! Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy is a Netflix-exclusive anime and is available to watch on the site worldwide. If it is not available in your country, you can use a trusted VPN like Nord, Expres, or others to access the anime.
Is Bastard Manga Finished?
No, Bastard!! Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy manga has not ended yet and is currently ongoing in the Ultra Jump magazine. However, the manga has a very irregular release schedule, and the latest chapter was published in 2010.
Bastard!! Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy has received 144 chapters to date, compiled into 27 volumes, and is currently on indefinite hiatus.
How Many Manga Chapters Did the 2 Seasons Cover? Which Chapter to Read Next?
Bastard!! Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy, the 2022 ONA series, adapted to chapter 82 of the manga in two seasons. So you can begin reading the manga from chapter 83 if you are too impatient to wait for the next episodes.
Episode 39 of Bastard!! Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy adapted “Hell’s Requiem Mass,” which is chapter 82, and was published in volume 12 of the manga.
As season 2 of Bastard!! Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy reached its finale, and the truth behind Schneider’s identity was finally revealed. Kall-Su survived, and Anthrasax summoned the demons and was approaching for a head-on battle.
In season 3, we will see a furious battle waged, and it’s going to get more gory than ever.
Comment below what you think will happen next and if you just can’t wait for the next release date to be announced.
