The fourth season of Bungo Stray Dogs is still a ways away, but the anime has received a new piece of key art to tide fans over with.
Released on Oct. 4 via the official Bungo Stray Dogs website, the key art offers a glimpse at what the impending conflict between the Armed Detective Agency and the Hunting Dogs will entail. Both factions can be seen diving into a fight, with the Armed Detective Agency on the left and the Hunting Dogs on the right.
Something that stands out immediately is the makeup of those fighting for the armed detective agency. While mainstays like Nakajima Atsushi and Kunikida Doppo are fairly prominent, Dazai is noticeably absent from the fray; most likely due to his arrest in the season’s first teaser trailer. Likewise, theorganization’s leader Fukuzawa Yukichi can be seen entering the battle, hinting that he may play a more prominent role in this arc.
The key art also provides a fuller glimpse at members of the Hunting Dogs, with four key members shown off in all their glory. Most notably, every member of the Hunting Dogs is wearing a red cape and a decent number of them wield swords. This includes their commander Ōchi Fukuchi, who appears to be the only one not actively diving into the fray and stands with a cocky smile on his face.
Most notable of all, however, is that the Port Mafia is completely absent from the fracas. Why this is, and where they’ll fall in the wider season, remains to be seen.
There’s plenty more that can be gleaned from this key art, especially for eagle-eyed fans. The visual can be viewed in its entirety down below.
Bungo Stray Dogs Season 4 is currently slated for release in January of 2023. For more on the series, check out any of the related content down below. We’ve also got plenty more anime-related content, including lists of the best anime rivalries and the best anime fights of all time.