plunderer second season

Plunderer Season 2 Release Date: Will the Anime Return Soon?

Plunderer is a widely recognized anime series in the action-fantasy genre that made its debut in early 2020. The Crunchyroll licensed anime is adapted from the manga series created by Suu Minazuki, which has been published by Kadokawa since 2014. Premiering on January 8, 2020, on Japanese television networks, Plunderer quickly expanded its reach globally, thanks to streaming platforms like Hulu TV. The series was brought to life by the Geek Toys studio, known for its work on titles like Hensuki. Its first season, comprising 24 episodes, captured the attention of anime enthusiasts worldwide. Now, almost five years later of the first season’s debut, fans still eagerly await news about the second season. Has the anime been renewed? Let’s dive into the details to find out.

What is the Plot of Plunderer?

In a world driven by numbers, everyone in Plunderer has a “score” that represents their worth. This score increases based on actions throughout one’s life, like accumulating points for accomplishments. However, if a person fails to collect new points over time, their score begins to decrease, and once it reaches zero, it’s equivalent to dying. In this unique universe, the pursuit of one’s score defines survival.

The story follows Hina, a determined young woman on a mission to find the elusive “Red Baron,” after her mother’s score is mysteriously wiped. During her journey, she meets Licht, a man with a low score of his own, who is also searching for the Red Baron. Together, this unlikely duo embarks on an exciting and dangerous adventure, with Plunderer blending action and suspense in a captivating way.

Fans are eagerly anticipating the continuation of their thrilling journey in the second season. The concept of Plunderer draws a striking resemblance to the theme explored in the first episode of Season 3 of Black Mirror on Netflix, where societal value is also determined by quantifiable measures.

plunderer
Image credit: Crunchyroll

Is Plunderer Renewed for a Second Season?

As of December 27, 2024, Geek Toys studio or any related company involved with the anime has not yet renewed Plunderer for a second season. However, there’s no need to panic, as delays in announcements are common in the anime industry. While no official statement has been made regarding the anime’s renewal, we can still explore the factors that could influence the decision to continue the series.

Several key factors need to be considered to assess the possibility of a second season. The most significant of these is whether there is enough source material available for adaptation. Another important aspect is the anime’s popularity, both in Japan and internationally, which plays a crucial role in a show’s future.

Manga of Plunderer

The Plunderer anime is an adaptation of the manga written and illustrated by Suu Minazuki. The manga, serialized in Monthly Shōnen Ace magazine, began its publication journey in December 2014. As of today, the manga consists of 21 volumes, with the final volume released on April 26, 2022. Reports indicate that the manga has 1.6 million copies in circulation.

So, how much of the manga has been adapted into the anime’s first season? The answer is that the first season of the anime covers 38 chapters (Volume 10) out of a total of 82 chapters. With 44 chapters left as source material, there is sufficient content to produce a second season. Given how much of the story was adapted in the first season, a potential second season would probably adapt until the manga series’ last chapter.

Although there is sufficient source material for a second season, the 21st volume marked the conclusion of the series. Since the manga has concluded, promotional efforts tend to diminish over time, which could impact the chances of a renewal. This is why fans are hoping for an announcement soon, as the longer the wait, the harder it will be to secure a new season.

46%
Manga adaptation rate

The Popularity of the Anime

plunderer characters
Image credit: Crunchyroll

When Plunderer was first released, it was relatively unknown worldwide. However, over time, the number of people discovering the series has grown. The anime still enjoys an above-average search popularity on Google globally. On MyAnimeList, the anime is currently ranked 521th in terms of popularity. However, its disc sales were disappointing. The anime sold only around 200 copies in its first volume, which is far below expectations. (Typically, anime series are expected to sell at least 3,000–4,000 copies.)

It is important to note that disc sales have generally decreased in recent years due to changing consumer habits. Fortunately, Plunderer is available to watch through streaming platforms like Crunchyroll, Hulu TV, and Netflix in some regions.

Lastly, we can see that the anime has 15,000 followers on its X page, which demonstrates its popularity in Japan. Considering its widespread popularity, this figure is low. Anime shows that have been given the go-ahead for new seasons in Japan usually have more than 100,000 social media followers.

plunderer second season
2nd Season Chance of Plunderer
Popularity on Mynanimelist
80
Popularity on Social Media
55
Popularity on Google Searches
66
Success in Disc Sales
46
Reader Rating40 Votes
76
Positives
Above-Average Popularity
Big Distributor such as Hulu
Sufficient Manga Source Material Availability
Negatives
Average Reviews (6.64 on MA, 6.3 on IMDb)
Only One Season
Not a Best-Selling Manga Series
Low Popularity in Japan
No Success in Disc Sales
Manga Ended
No Renewal Since 2020
40
Renewal Possibility

On the anime studio side, there is Geek Toys, a Tokyo-based studio founded in 2017 with a medium production capacity compared to the major studios in the industry. The studio has rolled up its sleeves for a manga adaptation anime series titled “Headhunted to Another World: From Salaryman to Big Four!” for 2025. Previously, this studio took on the production of four different anime in a single year. We believe they will allocate sufficient capacity and enthusiasm for a successful project like Plunderer, and we don’t foresee any bottlenecks from the studio’s side.

When is the second season of Plunderer?

Plunderer has not yet been renewed for a second season. We speculated above about the second season of the anime and discussed the possibilities for renewal. At the moment, the manga has enough source material, and it enjoys above-average popularity worldwide. However, the anime isn’t very popular in Japan, it didn’t perform well in disc sales, and the manga is no longer ongoing. Although we have some concerns, there is still hope for a new season but this likelihood is not more than what we speculated above. If the anime is renewed soon, the average production time is about a year. In this case, it is unlikely that we will see a new season before 2026. If you are curious about the continuity of the story, we recommend you to get the manga series and start reading beginning from Volume 10. Stay tuned for the updates regarding the anime series!