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In the unpredictable world of anime, the journey from niche interest to mainstream sensation is often driven by a mix of timing, audience engagement, and storytelling magic. One might expect Zatch Bell! to be among the shonen giants of the 2000s. Makoto Raiku’s creation not only spanned 33 volumes over six years but also inspired a 150-episode anime that enjoyed a coveted spot on Cartoon Network’s Toonami lineup. Despite these credentials, Zatch Bell! somehow remained overshadowed by other series. Yet, it possesses all the hallmarks of a classic: a driven hero, an intriguing power system, and a clear, compelling objective.
The story follows young Kiyo Takamine and his partner, Zatch Bell, an amnesiac Mamodo demon. Together, they face off against a hundred other demons, each seeking to claim the throne as the next king of the Mamodo World. Despite the series concluding in 2006 and the manga wrapping up in 2007, Zatch Bell! has maintained a loyal fanbase yearning for more. This longing might finally be appeased by the release of a sequel, which could reignite interest and potentially elevate Zatch Bell! to a new level of popularity in the 2020s, positioning it as a shonen frontrunner.
After more than a decade of silence, fans had come to accept that Kiyo and Zatch’s saga had concluded with Zatch ascending as the Mamodo king. However, Zatch Bell! 2 breathes new life into the series. The sequel revisits a now-adult Kiyo as he reconnects with Zatch, who has matured into a 19-year-old ruler. A fresh threat to the Mamodo World emerges, prompting Zatch to disperse the remaining demons. This development sparks the appearance of new spellbooks on Earth, setting the stage for renewed conflicts and power struggles.
Zatch Bell! 2 Crafts A Compelling Original Story In A Classic Universe
With little developments following Zatch Bell!‘s conclusion in 2007, fans had come to terms with the idea that Kiyo Takamine and Zatch Bell’s story had reached its end. There’s a proper sense of closure that’s felt when Kiyo helps Zatch Bell become the kind of the Mamodo World. Zatch Bell! 2 picks up a little over a decade later as an adult Kiyo visits Mamodo King Zatch, who is now 19. A new conflict threatens the Mamodo World and leads to Zatch scattering the various demon survivors as the emergence of new spellbooks on Earth creates problematic power struggles.
It’s not uncommon for sequels to turn to time-skips in order to rejuvenate the narrative. That being said, Zatch Bell! 2’s 13-year jump forward feels fitting considering how much time has passed in the real world. A sequel that picks up immediately after Zatch Bell!’s ending would feel like a step backwards that threatens to undo the original’s ending. Zatch Bell! 2 exhibits restraint regarding the familiar faces that return and the new dangers that present themselves.
There’s also a real purity to Zatch Bell! 2 where it feels like it was made for the right reasons, rather than a hollow cash-grab to milk a popular intellectual property dry. Zatch Bell! 2 was released because it’s a story that needed to be told, rather than an excuse to keep churning out content so that a franchise remains relevant. Curiously, Zatch Bell! started all the way back in 2022, coinciding with the series’ 15th anniversary.
Zatch Bell! 2 initially was released through digital distribution, but has gradually produced physical releases. As of 2024, Zatch Bell! 2 had over 900,000 copies in circulation, which is a testament to the scrappy title’s ability to grow through word of mouth. Six volumes have been compiled so far, with 37 chapters being released, and new stories coming out every month. Zatch Bell! 2‘s 37 chapters are significantly shorter than its predecessor’s 323 chapters, but it’s entirely possible that the sequel reaches a comparable length. If nothing else, it’s not going away any time soon.
More Zatch Bell! Is Needed To Redeem The Anime’s Reputation
Zatch Bell!’s anime received three 50-episode seasons, which is considerably more than many 2000s shonen series got to play around with. There’s tons of personality on display in these 150 episodes, but they’re still considered to be an inferior and incomplete anime adaptation. Zatch Bell!’s fate is unfortunately all-too similar to many other popular manga that are arguably adapted too early. This causes Zatch Bell!’s anime to progressively go off-script and introduce original ideas that veer from the source material.
Raiku’s manga hadn’t yet finished, which means that the Zatch Bell! anime features a very different – and lackluster – finale than its source material. The anime veers into original territory following the Faudo Arc’s conclusion and it completely skips the Clear Note Arc that operates as the manga’s final storyline. The Clear Note Arc is some of Zatch Bell!’s strongest material and the anime instead builds to a premature duel between Zatch and Brago with the grander fate of the Mamodo World still up in the air. It’s an ending that’s both disappointing to manga readers and unfulfilling to anime-only fans.
The ongoing success of Zatch Bell! 2’s manga could be parlayed into an opportunity to remake the original anime. An updated take on the material that’s akin to Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood would be the perfect approach for Zatch Bell! A new series would be conducive to a more accurate anime adaptation that covers the entirety of the manga and reaches a proper conclusion. It’s an opportunity for anime fans to finally experience the Zatch Bell! story the way it’s meant to be told before they then jump into Zatch Bell! 2.
Furthermore, Zatch Bell!’s English dub was prematurely cut short, only dubbing 104 of the anime’s 150 episodes. An unfinished dub isn’t the primary reason to bring back a title, but it still creates an additional need for closure that would generate excitement for fans. An anime remake could bring back the original voice cast, yet complete the project this time around instead of leaving fans in limbo.
Finally, there’s never been a better time to reboot Zatch Bell! since the legal hurdles that surrounded the series’ rights have finally been resolved and in the favor of Makoto Raiku, no less. Raiku having control over his own series means that a new Zatch Bell! anime would happen on his own terms without outside interference compromising his vision. There were many years when new Zatch Bell! content, let alone from Raiku himself, would have been impossible.
Zatch Bell! 2 Has Reignited Rumors Of A New Zatch Bell! Anime
An official Zatch Bell! 2 anime has not been confirmed, but there’s been an energy to 2026 regarding creative anime reboots, sequels, and reimaginings, between the announced Ghost in the Shell, World Trigger, and Dragon Ball Super projects that are in the pipeline. After establishing success over the course of four years, Zatch Bell! 2 has proven that it’s not just some flash-in-the-pan fascination. There’s staying power to this sequel series that is deserving of receiving an anime of its own.
There have been rumors that a Zatch Bell! 2 anime announcement is imminent even though there’s no concrete evidence on the topic. The franchise’s 25th anniversary in 2026 would certainly be an appropriate time to announce an anime sequel. This fortuitous timing, combined with the success of the Zatch Bell! 2 manga, increases the likelihood of a corresponding anime adaptation.
It’s not hard to picture Zatch Bell! taking Dragon Ball Super’s current approach, where it starts with a remake of past material that then feeds into a new sequel series afterward. This strategy seems even likelier considering that Zatch Bell! is a Toei property, who are in a very remake-friendly mindset between what they’re doing with Dragon Ball and One Piece. Zatch Bell! has its share of options to consider when it comes to its potential revival and future, whether it’s through a Zatch Bell! 2 manga that surpasses the original, a new anime reboot that does the first Zatch Bell! justice, or a sequel anime that continues Kiyo and Zatch’s shonen exploits.
Zatch Bell!
- Release Date
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2003 – 2012
- Directors
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Tetsuharu Nakamura, Yukio Kaizawa
- Writers
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Akatsuki Yamatoya, Hiroshi Hashimoto
- Franchise(s)
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Zatch Bell!