The Classroom of the Elite anime franchise is set to continue, with a fifth season officially announced. The confirmation arrived immediately following the broadcast of the 16th and final episode of the fourth season, which also debuted a celebratory visual.
The popular psychological school drama, based on Shougo Kinugasa's light novel series, has seen consistent releases since its debut. The first season aired in Summer 2017, followed by a lengthy gap before seasons two and three arrived in Summer 2022 and Winter 2024, respectively. The most recent fourth season premiered on April 1, kicking off with a 90-minute special covering the first four episodes. As one of the top-rated anime on MyAnimeList with a 7.93 score from over 269,000 voters, the series has maintained a strong following.
Classroom of the Elite has adapted the original light novel series, which concluded its first run in 2019. Kinugasa has since launched a sequel light novel series covering the "Second Year Arc," which finished in November 2024, and has begun a "Third Year Arc" in March 2025. The franchise boasts over 11.6 million copies in print across its novels. Multiple manga adaptations have also been serialized, with a new one, Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e 2 2nd Stage, beginning in January 2025.
Seven Seas Entertainment handles the English licensing for both the light novel and its manga adaptations. The anime has been available internationally through streaming platforms, with Crunchyroll simulcasting the recent seasons.
Source: MyAnimeList
