86 Eighty-Six Season 2 - What We Know So Far

"86 Eighty Six" is a military science-fiction series created by Japanese light novel author Asato Asato with illustrations by Shirabii. Originally published in 2017 through ASCII Media Works and licensed in North America by Yen Press, "86 Eighty Six" is the winner of multiple light novel accolades. This includes winning the 23rd Dengeki Novel Prize Competition in 2016 (via Anime News Network). In 2018, the novel series received its own manga adaptation. In 2021, an anime adaptation developed by A-1 Pictures premiered internationally. An English Dub of the series followed shortly after the initial premier.

The story of "86 Eighty Six" revolves around Vladilena "Lena" Milizé, handler for the remote mecha squadron known as Spearhead. Spearhead pilots spider-like mecha known as Juggernaut, and they protect the country of San Magnolia from the threat of the Legion — an army of autonomous mecha created by the Giad Empire. Though they fight on the front lines, all Juggernaut pilots are Colorata, a racial minority within San Magnolia that has been permanently interned in the country's 86th district by the majority population of fair-skinned Albas.

Like many other anime, "86 Eighty Six" is what's considered a "split-cour" anime. This means that the first season is divided in half, with each set to broadcast at different points of the year. The first cour, consisting of 11 episodes, finished airing June 2021. Now, fans are patiently waiting for the second cour to come along. Here is what we know so far about this upcoming release.

According to a separate article from Anime News Network, the second cour of "86 Eighty Six" is set to premiere in October 2021. This is extremely good news for fans of the first cour. Assuming there are no unexpected delays, they won't be forced to wait more than a few months to see how Lena and Spearhead's adventures develop further.

This benefit is also shared by anime fans who prefer watching their favorite shows in dub. Crunchyroll has taken it upon themselves, as they have done with many shows before, to simulcast "86 Eighty Six" in both Japanese and English as it airs in Japan. Because of that, the predicted October release date also extends to dub-watchers. Until then, the original manga and light novels are the only thing fans have to go on if they want to learn more about the series' story.

The core cast of characters in "86 Eighty Six" are at the heart of the series. The relationship between Colorata and Alba is explored through Lena's (played by Ikumi Hasegawa, and Suzie Yeung in English) long-distance relationship with Spearhead (via Myanimelist). Though she starts out with pro-Colorata sympathies at the series' beginning, her understanding of their struggle as soldiers and second class citizens deepens as the story continues. This is especially true of her relationship with Spearhead Captain Shin "Undertaker" Nouzen (Shouya Chiba/Billy Kametz).

However, these two are only a small part of what makes up the rest of Spearhead. Other core members that may be present in the second cour include Raiden Shuga (Seiichirō Yamashita/Jonah Scott), Theoto Rikka (Natsumi Fujiwara/Casey Mongillo), Anju Emma (Saori Hayami/Maureen Prince), and Kurena Kukumila (Sayami Suzushiro/Erica Mendez). Even then, this group still only composes a fraction of Spearhead's numbers, and the number of characters will only grow as Lena is set to encounter the next generation of Spearhead soldiers.

When the first cour of "86 Eighty Six” finished, Spearhead had accomplished a major step in their final mission. They were tasked with driving forward into Legion territory until all of them fell in battle. As it turns out, the unit is more of a death sentence for any 86 (the colloquial term for Colorata) that nears the end of their military service. By the end of the first cour, the Spearhead we know is stuck deep behind enemy lines with only one working Juggernaut. Another battle leaves the fate of many members ambiguous, with only Shin confirmed to be alive. Meanwhile, Lena awaits the arrival of Spearhead's replacements.

With only half of "86 Eighty Six's" manga adapted, A-1 Pictures still has plenty to go off of in finishing off the show's first season. According to the synopsis available on Myanimelist, later events of "86 Eighty Six" feature Lena following in the footsteps of the original Spearhead. Evidently, some members are still alive, but that doesn't ensure an end to their conflict. If and how the show's heroes survive to live another will be explored when the second cour for "86 Eighty Six" releases in October.