Overlord anime series is getting more and more closer to adapting all the source material (light novels). After Overlord season 4, is there enough source material for season 5? Here is everything we know about season 5.
The anime series is based on the light novels of the same name, written by Kugane Maruyama. Studio Madhouse is animating the series. The series follows a teenage boy, Satoru, who is fed up with his life and spends his days playing an MMORPG game.
Satoru gets trapped in the game world with his skeleton avatar called, Ainz Ooal Gown, and NPCs (non-player characters) come to life. Ainz decided to act as the Overlord until finds his teammates to get back to the real world.
Is Overlord Season 5 Confirmed?
Overlord season 5 is yet to be officially announced. Neither the production committee nor the studio has confirmed that Ainz’s story will continue in season 5.
Luckily, an Overlord anime film is in production, which takes place after the events of season 4.
The Overlord film will adapt the “Holy Kingdom Arc,” the tale of the light novel series volumes 12 and 13. When the kingdom is invaded by the demon emperor Jaldabaoth in “Holy Kingdom Arc,” the kingdom has no choice but to join forces with the lord of death, Ainz Ooal Gown, to defeat the demon.
Update Sept 28: The official Twitter account of the Overlord anime adaptation announced that Overlord “Holy Kingdom” movie is in production. More information will be announced soon.
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Is There Enough Source Material For Season 5?
The anime is based on the light novels, which currently have released 16 volumes. The author, Kugane Maruyama wants to end the light novels in two volumes, meaning volume 18 will be the final volume.
Overlord season 4 adapted volumes 10, 11 and 14 of the light novels. Volumes 12 and 13 are Holy Kingdom Arc which will be covered in the movie. This leaves us two volumes, 15 and 16, which is not enough source material as of now.
Volume 15 and a major portion of volume 16 are about Ainz’s internal thoughts and what’s happening around him. Since these are dialogue-heavy volumes with little action, a lot of content is likely to be skipped in the anime, which leaves very little source material to make a 13-episode season.
Moreover, volume 15 (352 pages) and Volume 16 (360 pages) are a lot shorter than Vol 12 (410 pages) and Vol 13 (584 pages).
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Overlord Season 5 Release Date
The Overlord season 5 release date is yet to be confirmed. Since there is not enough source material, it could years for season 5 to get animated. Next, we will speculate about when season 5 will likely be released.
The production committee is likely waiting for the author to release volumes 17 and 18, so they can start animating season 5. However, volume 17 is likely to be released next year. Overlord volume 16 was released in Japan in July 2022, and the English version is set to release in November 2022.
Luckily, the author, Maruyama, wants to release Vol 17 and 18 in close intervals, which means there will be enough source material for season 5 at the end of 2024.
Usually, an anime season of 13 episodes takes 18 months to 2 years to complete production (from animating to dubbing). Overlord season 5 will likely be released sometime in 2026, 4 years from now.
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Overlord Season 5 Story
The story in season 5 focuses on the Elf kingdom. After the annihilation of the Kingdom, Ainz wants to take a break. In season 4, we learned that Ainz wants Aura and Mare to get familiar with their kind, Elves.
Ainz, alongside the twins, takes a vacation to the Kingdom of Elves. However, The Slane Theocracy attacks the Elven king, fearing that Ainz will ally with the Elves, making their fight against the Sorcerer Kingdom even harder.
TL; DR: Overlord season 5 has not been announced because there is not enough material to adapt. Most likely, season 5 will release in 2026. A movie sequel is currently in production with no release date.
