Fans of the popular supernatural action series Blue Exorcist can mark their calendars, as Adult Swim’s Toonami programming block is set to air Blue Exorcist: Shimane Illuminati Saga. The highly anticipated third season will make its broadcast television premiere on Saturday, August 24, 2025, at 1:30 AM Eastern on Cartoon Network.
Toonami’s Enduring Partnership with Blue Exorcist
Toonami has a well-established history with the Blue Exorcist franchise, serving as a primary platform for its English dub premiere in the United States. The first season of Blue Exorcist originally aired on Toonami from February 22 to August 9, 2014. Following this, the Kyoto Saga, the anime’s second season, also premiered on the block on May 18, 2025. The return of Blue Exorcist with its latest installment reaffirms Toonami’s commitment to bringing major shonen anime to cable television.
Delving into the Shimane Illuminati Saga
The Shimane Illuminati Saga adapts volumes 10-15 of Kazue Katō’s original Blue Exorcist manga. This arc follows Rin Okumura and his fellow Exwires as they return to True Cross Academy after the events of the Impure King arc. The storyline sees an increase in demon sightings among humans, leading to new challenges for the Exorcists. A central conflict of the saga involves the mysterious Illuminati organization, led by Lucifer, one of Satan’s sons and a brother to Mephisto Pheles. The plot thickens as Rin’s classmate, Izumo Kamiki, becomes a focal point, facing a personal struggle when she is targeted and kidnapped by the Illuminati, revealing a complex web of betrayal and long-held grudges. The narrative promises to explore the weakening barrier between Assiah (the human realm) and Gehenna (the demon realm), pushing the Exorcist-in-Training students into the far-reaching schemes of their adversaries.
Production and Creative Team
Blue Exorcist: Shimane Illuminati Saga sees a change in animation studios, with Studio VOLN taking over from A-1 Pictures. Daisuke Yoshida steps in as the new director for this season, with Toshiya Ōno handling the scripts, Yurie Oohigashi designing the characters, and the renowned Hiroyuki Sawano along with Kohta Yamamoto composing the music. The season, which originally aired in Japan from January 7 to March 24, 2024, consists of 12 episodes. Uverworld performs the opening theme, “Eye’s Sentry,” while Mulasaki-Ima performs the ending theme, “Gakkyū Nisshi.”
The Future of the Blue Exorcist Anime
Since the conclusion of the Shimane Illuminati Saga, the Blue Exorcist anime franchise has continued to expand. A fourth season, titled Blue Exorcist: Beyond the Snow / The Blue Night Sagas, was announced in March 2024. The first part of this new season, Beyond the Snow Saga, aired from October 6 to December 22, 2024, with The Blue Night Saga following from January 5 to March 23, 2025. This ongoing adaptation ensures that fans will continue to follow Rin Okumura’s journey and the perpetual conflict between Assiah and Gehenna.
Broadcast Information
Blue Exorcist: Shimane Illuminati Saga will premiere on Toonami on Saturday, August 24, 2025, at 1:30 AM EDT.
