The Summer 2026 Anime Preview Guide

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation III

When a 34-year-old underachiever gets run over by a truck, his story doesn't end there. Reincarnated in a new world as an infant, Rudy will seize every opportunity to live the life he's always wanted. Armed with new friends, some freshly acquired magical abilities, and the courage to do the things he's always dreamed of, he's embarking on an epic adventure—with all of his past experience intact!

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation III is based on the light novel series by author Rifujin na Magonote and illustrator Shirotaka. The anime series is streaming on Crunchyroll on Sundays.

I had mixed feelings about season 2 of Mushoku Tensei, the isekai with one of the most predominantly problematic protagonists in the entire genre. Suffering through Rudeus Greyrat's Erectile Dysfunction arc was grueling, and then there was that scene with the poor beast girls and their urinary incontinence. It was a lot, and it's no wonder that most of my friends who watched the first season along with me gave up in disgust during the second.

I'm nothing if not thick-skinned when it comes to these things, though, so I soldiered on through and gritted my teeth in preparation for the third season's onslaught. Yet I need not have worried. This is a return to the glory days of the first season, especially helped by the fact that Rudeus barely even cameos—and only in flashback. No, this episode belongs to Eris, who disappeared off-screen at the end of season one, leaving Rudeus a terse note (that she clearly thought communicated her intentions adequately) after they'd shared their first night and lost their virginity together. Now we see things from Eris' point of view.

Eris is still the hot-tempered firecracker we always knew she was, but now she has something to prove—at least to herself. All through the episode, she repeats one mantra under her breath: “Rudeus”. Her goal is to become the sort of woman she thinks can stand beside the man she loves, the one she has put on a pedestal—the one she left behind to mope, thinking he was abandoned, who eventually (unbeknownst to her) got married to someone else… Yeah, I really worry about how this is all going to turn out when they're eventually reunited.

The episode begins with one of Mushoku Tensei's trademark montages, set as ever to Yuiko Ōhara's gorgeous music. As most prominently done in season one, this is an excellent way to set the scene, reintroduce characters, and ease the viewer back into this beautifully drawn world. Mushoku Tensei's rustic, hand-drawn, organic look marks it out as a particularly special production, one where the animators expend great care and attention to detail to make this world convincing and lived-in.

Beast Lady and Sword King Ghislaine take Eris to meet her mentor, Sword God Gal Farion, a cool and calm gentleman with a facial scar and formidable skill with the sword. Eris makes not the slightest effort to extend social graces to Gal, nor any of his underlings, beating two of them (including his daughter Nina) to a pulp. Gal's impressed by her feral nature, and especially her determination to fight Dragon God Orstead, whom Gal himself admits is above him.

So then Eris embarks on years of rigorous training, single-mindedly striving to attain her goal, attracting first the ire and then eventually the grudging admiration of her peers. The fight scenes are so well drawn and choreographed that the entire episode is mesmerizing. I missed Eris' wild presence last season, and I'm delighted to see her back. Like all of the best Mushoku Tensei episodes, the whole thing flashes by in the blink of an eye. I'm excited to watch this show again. This is a practically flawless return.

Eris hasn't exactly prioritized making friends at Sword God Gal's dojo. Gal's daughter Nina, in particular, feels displaced by her, especially after the mess Eris made of her face after their first meeting. She's also sick of the feral, animalistic girl who stalks the halls barefoot and dripping with sweat after her most recent training session. “You'll always be a virgin,” Nina taunts her, assuming that no man could desire such a filthy woman. Yet Eris boasts that she already has a lover, Rudeus, the one whom she's pushed herself for years to become his equal, and they've already given their bodies to one another. Nina, of course, struggles to believe this and sets out on her own investigation for the truth.

If anything, poor Nina discovers that Eris' stories about him didn't cover even half his accomplishments. This “Quagmire Rudeus” (his nickname can't help but remind me of the similarly named creepy perv character from Family Guy—which is fairly apt, to be honest) has slayed a dragon single-handedly and performed all manner of other heroic feats. When she tracks him to his magic school, we witness once more some events from last season, particularly the battle between Rudeus and the giant purple Demon King Badigadi. Nina has little choice but to eat humble pie and admit that, yes, Rudeus is amazing. (Though she never got to experience his erectile dysfunction, so she doesn't know the whole story.)

Chastened by her newfound respect for Eris and her man, Nina resolves to train alongside her—and soon a third rival is added to the mix: Isolde, the Water King swordsman. These three have a really fun dynamic together, as each is weak against one aspect of another—meaning that between them, there is no clear victor in a straight ranking.

Reportedly, the second part of this episode is anime-original, though scripted by original Mushoku Tensei novel author Rifujin na Magonote. The three sword-girls go hunting, and it's a typically exciting and well-animated action sequence—the kind this series absolutely excels at. It leads to some character development for Eris too, as she begins to soften around these girls she could well one day think of as friends. She learns how to rein in her overwhelming animosity—by thinking of Rudeus. This makes sense, as when she began to fall in love with him, years ago now, it did indeed soften her rough edges a little. Without him nearby, she reverts to pure animalism and unfettered brutality.

This has been a wonderful two-episode diversion from Rudeus' story, and an excellent start to Mushoku Tensei's third season. I find myself much more optimistic about the show's future compared to those dark days in season 2. Hopefully, it can keep this high bar up without Rudeus and his libido tripping over it and falling into the pit once more.

When it comes down to the three main women in Rudeus' life, the one we've spent the most time with is unquestionably Eris. From episodes 5 to 23, she was a constant presence. Then suddenly she was gone from both the story and Rudeus' life. More than anything, the first half of the second season was about the hole she left behind—how it affects Rudeus both physically and mentally and how he can eventually heal from the woman he loved leaving him so suddenly right after their first night together.

Now, of course, we know Eris—know that she loves Rudeus dearly. The hurt she caused him was from a terrible choice of words in her letter, far more than by her absence. We see at the end of the first season that she thought it was obvious that she was the one holding him down: that's why she wrote that they “weren't a good match.” However, even now, Rudeus is still dealing with the insecurity caused by his past life as a socially ostracized shut-in. It's a wound that never quite completely scars over. So, it's no surprise he took her words to mean that he wasn't man enough for her—leading to his inability to get it up and all that followed.

Outside of the first-season midquel OVA, we haven't spent any meaningful time with Eris since then. That's 25 episodes. So it's about damn time we get back to her story. This episode rolls back the clock to shortly after we last saw her. Eris travels with Ghislaine to meet the latter's master, Sword God Gal Farion, and train under him.

The episode does a great job of reminding us why Eris is going so far. Her love for Rudeus, her insecurity over her own fighting skills, and her fear of Orsted have all combined to set her on this new path. Eris isn't training for the hell of it—not because her father is the Sword God or because the dojo is the only life she knows. She's training in the pursuit of an impossible goal: To prevent anyone from killing Rudeus, she has to be able to stop anyone who tries—even the impossibly powerful Orsted who nearly did so with ease.

While the other students go through drills and do work around the dojo—or even eat meals and have fun—Eris swings her sword. We see her single-minded drive through the animation and art—her clothes are dirty, ragged, and stained. She cares nothing for appearance or self-care. But what earns her the title of Mad Dog is that she's always ready for a fight. Moreover, she's not interested in having duels. She fights to win—and that only ends when she's down for the count or her opponent is.

Who her opponent is doesn't matter. She will fight anyone—even those vastly more powerful than her. But what's most impressive about Eris isn't that she lacks fear; it's that she has fear but overcomes it. When her sword breaks, she attacks. When intimidated by Gal Farion, she attacks. When disarmed by the Northern Sword Emperor, she attacks. She refuses to be the girl cowering in fear as the one she loves was taken from her—never again.

Add on top of the amazing character work some of the best sword-fighting animation I have ever seen, and you have a great season premiere. I honestly can't think of a single misstep or way to make it better at any level of production. It's simply fantastic.

While the first episode of the season was focused on Eris' drive and the power it imparts, this episode is about the inherent weaknesses that come with it.

Eris has taken everything in her life—her love, fear, and inadequacy—and used it as kindling for the furnace within. Everything else she once had has been discarded. She cares nothing for titles (be they noble or dojo-related), friendship, or even self-care. All there is is the sword—and beyond it, Orsted. Every fight is a life-or-death battle—and if her current opponent sees it as anything else (like, say, a friendly duel), that's their own problem.

But while this mindset grants Eris great strength, it also makes her predictable. The rage that fuels her makes her attacks obvious to those who know how to look for it—like Isolde in this case. And as Orsted is a master of all styles, including Isolde's water style, that means he can do the same. Until she gets her murderous aura under control, Orsted is as unreachable as he's ever been.

Of course, knowing that and doing that are two totally different things. Even when Eris, Nina, and Isolde talk out the weaknesses they exploit when fighting each other, no simple solution is found. However, it is at this point that Eris, for the first time in years, becomes distracted. Seeing that Nina has a coat similar to Ghislaine's, she becomes curious. The test and the rank that come with the coat mean nothing to Eris, but the coat itself is a symbol—a metaphorical connection to someone she treasures: Ghislaine.

And as the three spend time with each other as they head out to kill monsters and get Eris her coat, Nina has a revelation. She has been around Eris for so long at this point that she knows there is one time when her rage subsides. It's when it is all but extinguished by love: when she talks about Rudeus. The day after sharing this with Eris, Eris defeats Isolde for the first time.

This shows Eris the need for balance within her life. Just swinging her sword alone would not have solved the problem she was facing. Bouncing ideas off of Nina and Isolde—i.e., being sociable—did. Likewise, when Nina tells Eris to take a bath and wash her damn clothes, she takes it to heart—especially as Nina couches it within the idea that Rudeus won't want a stinky, disheveled girl.

In the end, Eris has learned that there are many paths to improvement—and she's going to need to walk every one if she hopes to best Orsted and protect Rudeus.