Lazarus Anime: Cast, Season 2 Updates, Release Date, and Where to Watch
Fans want one clear answer about Lazarus anime, but the details sit scattered across ten different sites. You end up with old release dates, dead streaming links, and no real word on a second season. This guide fixes that. Below, you get the release date, every legal way to watch, the full character list, and the honest truth about Season 2.
Quick Facts: Lazarus Anime at a Glance
This table answers the most common search questions in one glance. Use it as a fast reference before reading the full breakdown below.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Title | Lazarus (LAZARUS ラザロ) |
| Director | Shinichirō Watanabe |
| Studio | MAPPA (animation), Sola Entertainment (production) |
| Action Choreography | Chad Stahelski (John Wick) |
| Original Network | TV Tokyo (Japan), Adult Swim Toonami (US) |
| Episode Count | 13 |
| Original Run | April 6, 2025 – June 29, 2025 |
| Genre | Sci-fi, action, thriller |
| Where to Stream | Max, Hulu, Adult Swim, Channel 4 (UK) |
| Season 2 Status | Not officially confirmed (as of June 2026) |
What Is Lazarus Anime About?
Lazarus anime is set in the year 2052, in a world that finally beat pain and disease. A neuroscientist named Dr. Skinner created a drug called Hapna, and it cured almost everything. Three years later, Skinner reveals the truth: Hapna kills its users after a three-year half-life, and the countdown has already started.
The U.S. government forms a five-person task force called Lazarus to hunt down Skinner within 30 days. Each one of the 13 episodes plays out like a single day of that countdown, which keeps the pacing tight and the tension constant. This premise pulls directly from real-world issues, since director Shinichirō Watanabe has said the opioid crisis and climate change both shaped the story.
Lazarus Anime Release Date: When Did It Premiere?
The Lazarus anime release date was April 6, 2025, airing near-simultaneously in Japan on TV Tokyo and in the United States on Adult Swim’s Toonami block. The series ran for 13 weeks straight, wrapping up with its finale on June 29, 2025.
Here’s the full breakdown of the schedule:
- Premiere date: April 6, 2025
- Finale date: June 29, 2025
- Episode count: 13 episodes total
- Release pattern: One new episode every week, with no breaks
- Simulcast: Japan and the US received episodes on the same weekend
Because Lazarus anime aired through Adult Swim, English-speaking fans got the English dub on day one instead of waiting months for a localized release, which is rare for most Japanese productions.
Where to Watch Lazarus Anime Online
If you’re asking where to watch Lazarus anime today, you have several legal options depending on your region. The full 13-episode season is available right now in both subtitled and dubbed formats.
- United States: Stream on Max or Hulu, or catch reruns on Adult Swim’s Toonami block.
- United Kingdom: Watch on Channel 4’s on-demand service.
- Canada: Adult Swim Canada carries the same simulcast schedule used in the US.
- Other regions: Check Crunchyroll or HBO Max listings, since availability shifts by country.
For the best experience, new viewers should start with the English dub if they want zero subtitle fatigue, while longtime Watanabe fans often prefer the Japanese audio track to catch the original tone of each performance. Either version covers the same 13 episodes, so neither version skips content.
Lazarus Anime Characters: Meet the Task Force
The Lazarus anime characters form a five-person team, each with a distinct skill set that keeps the group functional under pressure. Here’s a breakdown of the core cast and the people who voice them.
| Character | Role | Japanese VA | English VA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Axel Gilberto | Escape artist, field agent | Mamoru Miyano | Jack Stansbury |
| Douglas “Doug” Hadine | Team coordinator, physicist | Makoto Furukawa | Jovan Jackson |
| Christine “Chris” Blake | Firearms specialist | Maaya Uchida | Luci Christian |
| Leland Astor | Drone pilot, tech support | Yuma Uchida | Bryson Baugus |
| Eleina | Hacker (Mad Screamer) | Manaka Iwami | Annie Wild |
Axel spent years in prison for a minor charge before racking up over 800 years in sentences purely from repeated escapes, which makes him the obvious choice for a team built around finding someone who doesn’t want to be found. Doug brings the analytical mind of the group, having once studied physics under people who respected Dr. Skinner before his betrayal came to light.
Chris carries a complicated past tied to a former Russian special forces unit, and that history resurfaces mid-season when an old ally turned enemy recognizes her. Leland, despite being the youngest member at sixteen, pilots drones with sharp precision and avoids talking about his wealthy but broken family background. Eleina rounds out the group as a world-class hacker who slowly opens up to her teammates as the mission drags on.
Supporting Lazarus Anime Characters and Key Figures
Beyond the five-person task force, Lazarus anime characters extend into a wider cast that shapes the larger conspiracy:
- Hersch Lindemann – The Lazarus team’s commanding contact with the US government.
- Abel Anderson – Director of the NSA and the founder of the Lazarus initiative.
- Dr. Deniz Skinner – The three-time Nobel Prize-winning scientist behind Hapna.
- Schneider – An Army Intelligence officer secretly working against the team.
- Soryu – A ghost assassin hired to eliminate Axel, hiding a tragic backstory of his own.
Each supporting character adds a different layer to the central mystery, and most of them tie back to either the government’s cover-up or Skinner’s personal motives.
Who Created Lazarus Anime? Director and Studio Background
Shinichirō Watanabe, the director behind Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo, created and directed Lazarus anime. He first started planning the story back in 2018, with actual production beginning in 2021. MAPPA handled the animation, while Sola Entertainment managed overall production for Adult Swim.
Watanabe brought in Chad Stahelski, the director of the John Wick films, to design every fight sequence in the series. This partnership explains why the action in Lazarus anime feels closer to a live-action thriller than a typical anime brawl. Watanabe has openly credited the John Wick films as a major influence on how he wanted combat to look and feel.
The series also carries a personal tribute. Keiko Nobumoto, a longtime collaborator who co-wrote the original Cowboy Bebop, was originally set to co-create Lazarus before she passed away from esophageal cancer in December 2021. Watanabe has said her creative spirit stayed present throughout the rest of production.
Lazarus Anime Episode Guide: All 13 Episodes
Every episode title in Lazarus anime borrows its name from a music album, single, or EP from the second half of the 20th century, which adds a layer of musical homage running through the whole season.
| Ep. | Title | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Goodbye Cruel World | April 6, 2025 |
| 2 | Life in the Fast Lane | April 13, 2025 |
| 3 | Long Way From Home | April 20, 2025 |
| 4 | Don’t Stop the Dance | April 27, 2025 |
| 5 | Pretty Vacant | May 4, 2025 |
| 6 | Heaven is a Place on Earth | May 11, 2025 |
| 7 | Almost Blue | May 18, 2025 |
| 8 | Unforgettable Fire | May 25, 2025 |
| 9 | Death on Two Legs | June 1, 2025 |
| 10 | I Can’t Tell You Why | June 8, 2025 |
| 11 | Runnin’ with the Devil | June 15, 2025 |
| 12 | Close to the Edge | June 22, 2025 |
| 13 | The World Is Yours | June 29, 2025 |
This episode structure mirrors the show’s 30-day countdown, with each entry pushing the team closer to either saving humanity or running out the clock entirely.
The Music Behind Lazarus Anime
Music plays an unusually central role in Lazarus anime, with three respected musicians composing original scores instead of a single in-house composer. Jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington wrote the opening theme “Vortex,” while British producer Bonobo and electronic artist Floating Points handled additional scoring and insert tracks throughout the season.
The Boo Radleys performed the ending theme, also titled “Lazarus,” which closes out most episodes. “Dark Will Fall” and “Beyond the Sky,” two particularly noteworthy insert songs, both show Bonobo working with guest vocalists at significant junctures in the narrative. This soundtrack later earned the show an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music, and the composing trio went on to win Best Original Score for Animation at the Music Awards Japan.
Lazarus Anime Season 2: Will It Happen?
The biggest question fans ask right now is simple: is there a Lazarus anime season 2? As of June 2026, MAPPA and Sola Entertainment have not officially confirmed a second season, and there’s no production schedule, teaser, or release date on record.
That said, the door isn’t closed. Watanabe addressed the topic directly after the Season 1 finale, stating that the team’s story is “far from over” and that a sequel remains possible. This stands out because Watanabe rarely revisits his past projects, given that Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, and Space Dandy all stayed as single, self-contained seasons.
If Lazarus anime season 2 does get greenlit, industry estimates point to a realistic window of late 2026 or sometime in 2027, based on how long MAPPA’s production cycles typically run. Until an official announcement drops from Adult Swim or MAPPA directly, treat any “confirmed” claims online with caution.
Critical Reception: Is Lazarus Anime Worth Watching?
Lazarus anime received mostly positive reviews from both critics and general audiences. On Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds a strong 92% approval rating, with critics praising its kinetic action and constant supply of bold ideas, even while noting it doesn’t quite reach the originality of Watanabe’s earlier work.
Some early reviews were more mixed. IGN’s initial coverage of the first five episodes gave the series a 5 out of 10, criticizing the lead characters for feeling too detached from real danger. However, that same review acknowledged the apocalyptic stakes as genuinely compelling and left room for a more favorable opinion once the full season aired. By the finale, Lazarus had also picked up the Best Original Anime award at the 10th Crunchyroll Anime Awards in 2026.
The show also performed well commercially. It landed in the top 10 streaming charts worldwide, reaching sixth place on Netflix Japan and placing in the top 10 on both Amazon Prime Video Japan and HBO Max across several countries.
How Lazarus Anime Compares to Cowboy Bebop
Fans naturally compare every new Watanabe project to Cowboy Bebop, and Lazarus anime is no exception. Both shows share a small, mismatched crew chasing a central mystery, plus a soundtrack built around real musicians rather than a typical anime composer.
The difference shows up in tone and pacing. Cowboy Bebop spreads its story across 26 loosely connected episodes, while Lazarus anime compresses everything into 13 tightly plotted episodes tied to a literal countdown clock. Action also plays a bigger role here, largely because of Chad Stahelski’s direct involvement in choreographing every fight scene.
Neither show replaces the other. Cowboy Bebop fans get a different flavor of Watanabe’s storytelling with Lazarus anime, built more around modern anxieties like the opioid crisis and climate collapse than the freewheeling bounty-hunter format that made Bebop a classic.
Why Lazarus Anime Stands Out in the 2025–2026 Anime Lineup
A few specific choices set Lazarus anime apart from most action releases in its season:
- Hollywood-level fight choreography from a John Wick director, rare for any TV anime.
- A three-composer soundtrack spanning jazz, electronic, and rock influences.
- A near-simultaneous global release, giving English dub fans day-one access.
- A grounded sci-fi premise rooted in real issues like addiction and climate change.
- A complete, self-contained story that doesn’t pad its runtime to stretch for more seasons.
These choices explain why Lazarus anime kept trending through its entire 13-week run instead of fading after a strong premiere.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lazarus Anime
1. When did Lazarus anime release?
Lazarus anime released on April 6, 2025, airing simultaneously in Japan on TV Tokyo and in the US on Adult Swim’s Toonami block. The full 13-episode season concluded on June 29, 2025, with new episodes dropping weekly throughout that window.
2. Will there be a Lazarus anime season 2?
No official Lazarus anime season 2 has been confirmed as of June 2026. Director Shinichirō Watanabe has hinted that a sequel is possible, but MAPPA and Sola Entertainment haven’t announced a production timeline.
3. Who are the main Lazarus anime characters?
The main Lazarus anime characters are Axel Gilberto, Doug Hadine, Chris Blake, Leland Astor, and Eleina, who together make up the five-person task force. Each character brings a different skill, from parkour and firearms to hacking and drone piloting.
4. How many episodes does Lazarus anime have?
Lazarus anime has 13 episodes total, making up a single complete season. Each episode runs roughly 24 minutes and follows one day of a 30-day countdown.
Final Thoughts: Should You Watch Lazarus Anime?
Lazarus anime delivers a tight, 13-episode thriller built around a believable doomsday clock, sharp action choreography, and one of the most ambitious anime soundtracks in recent memory. Whether Season 2 happens or not, Season 1 already tells a complete story worth your time.
Stream it now on Max, Hulu, or Adult Swim, and drop a comment below telling us which Lazarus anime character you’d want on your own team if the countdown started tomorrow.
