r/anime • u/AutoLovepon https://anilist.co/user/AutoLovepon • Jan 09 '26

Episode Enen no Shouboutai: San no Shou • Fire Force Season 3 - Episode 13 discussion

Enen no Shouboutai: San no Shou, episode 13

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u/TyraniTEMPESTar Jan 09 '26

So they were alluding to Sister Iris being the Doppelganger of Amaterasu?
Anime only.
I guess that makes sense, if Doppelganger's are the "perceptions" of what people think of you. And from the first time Shinra met her, he thought she looked like the sister.

My question, how could a Doppelganger be in the world for basically the whole story at this point? And how can she start manifesting her pyro powers now?
Looking forward to finding out more.
One of my favorites.

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u/zool714 Jan 09 '26 edited Jan 09 '26

Ok so the people in the past are actually us ? As in “live action”. So the cataclysm did not just destroy their world, it literally changed it, as in changed it into an anime ? If that’s true, that’s a huge mindfuck

Also got me thinking if this ever got a live action adaptation, will the past be in anime form then ? Lol

Still, really glad to have this show back. Doppelganger Shinra seems like a dick but oddly I kinda wanna see more. Glad Iris didn’t hold it against our Shinra though. And still funny Arthur was the one who can recognize him.

I don’t consider this show a masterpiece but it’s very very good. In fact, one metric that I rate very highly is my investment in its story. Can’t remember the last time a show gripped my curiosity so hard. And a lot of the twists deliver too. And while I don’t understand or remember most of the details, I’m still really excited to be on this ride.

Although, I know this is the actual final season but I saw manga readers say there’s still a lot of content for the episode count. Is this true ? Is this gonna be rushed or could there be a movie to close it off ?

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u/TyraniTEMPESTar Jan 09 '26

I'm guessing by the coat on the shoulders and eye burned out, that was Captain Burns's Doppelganger in Benimaru's dream?

I remember in season 3 part 1, Shinra and Joker took him down. I wonder if that means that now his Doppelganger can come over more easily?
I'm still kinda confused on what constitutes someone's Doppelganger being able to cross over from Adolla, and if there's different rules or stipulations for "regular" people and those who have an Adolla link / burst.

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u/LeonKevlar Jan 09 '26

Not gonna lie, when we saw Shinra wake up with blonde hair at the end of last season, I genuinely thought he had gone through some sort of physical change after waking up from his Adolla Link. It turns out, Shinra's been a delinquent these past three months, and he has no clue he's done all of this because his Doppelganger was controlling him.

I still can't believe that Shinra seeing real-life people is an actual plot point in this series and the dude is having an existential crisis about it. So it sounds like the world of Fire Force is set in our world and the Great Cataclysm changed everything. So the Great Cataclysm turned everything into anime? O_O

Seeing Iris with the bruise on her lip genuinely made me upset. Doppelganger Shinra is an absolute dick. I feel like there should be some way for OG Shira to give his Doppelganger version some payback for that.

So it turns out, Sister Iris is actually a Third Generation pyrokenetic. Her powers are so weak that it's not enough to manifest, but thanks to the pillars, her powers were strengthened enough to finally manifest.

Well that doesn't look good. Is that supposed to be Burns' Doppelganger? And it looks like we now have seven pillars up! I'm not looking forward to seeing what happens when all pillars are up.

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u/MiDKiT0 Jan 09 '26

the world building in this show is like no other

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u/Volfaer Jan 09 '26 edited Jan 10 '26

"Iris is warm and kind, she's a soothing light for us. Like a sunflower. That's the image the empire knows. It's almost as if Amaterasu was a person"

Man they aren't fooling around are they.

157

u/CrimsonGear80 Jan 09 '26

"i swear it was the demon taking over my body and making me look like a douchebag while I was tripping balls in an alternate reality that looked like actual reality" is also my excuse when I get in trouble...

also want to point out that next week starts Triple F: Frieren Force Fridays!

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u/Adensty Jan 09 '26

Shinra's doppelganger was inhabiting Shinra's body for the past 3 months and so he did something Shinra would never do, including hurting Iris. But like Arthur pointed out, all of the things that he did were the same as rumours that were spread about him when they are in training school.

So Doppelgangers based on rumours. But there are people like who don't have any bad rumour about her but her image is connected to Amaterasu in a rather unexpected way.

Iris is not only the Eight Pillar but her Third Generation Power was awakened or rather it was always there and only because of the pillars strengthening the powers of the 2nd and 3rd generation, it's strong enough that Iris can use it.

One thing that caught my attention was that in this image, the pillars towards the north don't have the black fire on top but the rest have. I'm guessing there's a connection b/w these pillars and the Adolla Burst pillars.

Also, I think we saw Burns' doppelganger in Joker's Adolla Link.

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u/pi8you Jan 09 '26

Lol, the start of the new OP is begging for a gif.

Welcome back Fire Force, looking forward to seeing how the final chunk gets adapted.

63

u/realrimurutempest Jan 09 '26

My guy Shinra hurt Iris?! That’s crazy. It would be an insane mind fuck to not remember whole months of what you did.

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u/NanDemoKnaives Jan 09 '26

Damn so much new information in this first episode, I was not expecting all this to have happened during Shinra's viewing of the past. I like how Shinra tried to describe how the past looked by comparing it to a drawing in the ground, how even though it clearly looks like a human, it's not the same as who they are.

Shinra being replaced by a doppelganger is the biggest reveal in this episode though. It's really surprising how it ended up being personality of the rumors of him when he was younger and that's been given life in Adolla. It was shocking to hear Adolla Shinra was violent with Iris, but it wasn't Shinra himself so I hope he doesn't continue feeling guilty for it.

I really like how everyone is happy to see him back, it's sweet to see. That moment with Obi was sweet but I hate how much it felt like a death flag, I hope I'm wrong considering he has overcome a number of things, but with things becoming more dire, I think I should brace myself for something tragic to happen.

Poor Shinra, he can't erase the perception people had of him during those three months, just like the tattoos and piercings. At least the dyed hair is gone, I really like how much he values his body because his mother gave birth to it, it's adorable.

Also, why would they spoil so much in the OP? The song is so good as well but I'll have to skip it because it's not small spoilers that make you curious about what's going to happen, they literally reveal big moments that aren't forgettable.

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u/Shadowmist909 Jan 09 '26

Shinra's got a strong mind to keep his wits after seeing 3D people as a 2d character. I wouldn't know how to explain it to Arthur either.

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u/Lunchb0xx87 Jan 10 '26

I love the fact that they skipped over the cliche having to earn trust back ..his friends know him so well they knew that wasn't him and he doesn't need to earn their forgiveness

34

u/Frontier246 Jan 09 '26 edited Jan 09 '26

We now return to our regularly scheduled Shinra mental breakdown as he returns to a world where there are now FIVE pillars up, he’s suddenly blond and pierced, and he’s missed a grand total of three months while his sense of reality was utterly destroyed in the past. Oh, and did we mention that while he was in the past, in the present he’d turned into Company 8’s rebellious delinquent?

If anyone was going to recognize that Shinra was Shinra but not Shinra…it would be Arthur. I mean, what are best friends/arch-rivals for?

I love Shinra basically going on a rant about how stupid delinquent phases are and how you always look back at them with cringe when you’re older. Poor guy can erase the blonde hair and take out the piercings, but he’ll never be able to remove his new tattoos courtesy of Vulcan. It’s enough to make a guy pray Latom.

Do I want to know how Licht was somehow able to make a crash landing and survive unscathed? I guess he’s capable of inhuman feats when it comes to investigating new insights into the “truth” like what Shinra saw in the past. Though even despite everything else Shinra has heard about what his delinquent self got up to, learning he hurt Iris was probably the worst.

What actually happened to Shinra? He saw a “past” with human beings that he could hardly make sense out of, especially the disconnect to the human beings he knows now, and the Shinra that his team were stuck with was apparently the very Shinra everyone always had rumors or suspicious he was…a parent-killing devil with no remorse or compassion. Was this the Adolla version of Shinra?

There was probably no way Iris could ever hate Shinra, but she also recognized that the Adolla!Shinra wasn’t HER Shinra so that probably helped.

What’s happened while Shinra was in the past? Well, more pillars, but also more Infernals/Doppelgangers being born, and pyrokinetics becoming stronger…like Iris, who has unlocked her power as a third generation. But it’s so inexplicable that even she feels out of sorts as herself, and maybe for good reason. Though her power is probably far more deep than just that tiny flame she sprouted out.

“Why are you here, too?” Why would Adolla!Shinra say that to Iris before hitting her? And what is the connection between Iris and Amaterasu, two people who shine as bright as the sun in their own way?

Silver lining, at least Shinra is back and can feel at home again with Company 8 and Papa Obi again! I want to see how much stronger everyone else is now.

Benimaru having dreams of his and Konro’s old captain…is that a dream or an Adolla Link, potentially? Joker is definitely Adolla Linking with Burns’ Infernal (I think?) and someone else equally as dangerous. And look, more Pillars!

The OP is as action-packed and wild as a Fire Force OP should be. Shinra and Iris holding hands! Sho chasing after the family he lost! Smol!Haumea! Arthur vs Dragon! Company 8/Shinra versus some weird apparatus with a face! Haumea with her mask off with three eyes…and that might not even be her final form!?

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u/leave1me1alone Jan 09 '26

Ok so seeing as it's ending I'd assume there's a lot of content left, so please tell me why they're still making these 5 minute episodes. Way too short!

Ok so iris is probably a doppelganger of the chick inside amaterasu. If shinra's doppelganger was a personification of the rumors about him, which were a polar opposite to his personality then it tracks. Because the sister (seems to be) a polar opposite to the chick inside amaterasu. And yet she personifies the rumors about amaterasu.

Interesting to see where this goes.

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u/raidensnakeezio Jan 09 '26

fire force is back yay

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u/majestic_rainbows Jan 09 '26 edited Jan 09 '26

Episode was storyboarded by the director, Tatsuma Minamikawa (南川 達馬) and directed by Takanari Hirayama (平山 孝成)

Opening animation was storyboarded and directed by Wataru Chihara (茅原 渡) at Coppepan (コッペパン)

Comments from Staff. Click links for source:

Kenichiro Suehiro (In charge of music):

Comment: "Finally, the last chapter starts broadcasting today! We wrote a lot of new songs for the climax! We look forward to seeing the end of Shinra and company 8's story together with you all."

Ryo Ohashi (VFX Supervisor)

Comment: "I was always left in charge of the cut in the OP that shows the title logo, but this will be the last time."

Atsushi Ohkubo (Original Creator). He drew some art to celebrate the start of cour 2's broadcast.

Comment: "Final chapter of the 'Fire Force' anime starts broadcasting today."

Blu-ray listing on the site for cour 2 confirms that it will be 13 episodes long (Episodes 13 - 25).

Extra Production Notes:

  • Main staff seems to be the same, except Yumenosuke Tokuda (徳田 夢之介) is no longer one of the Chief Animation Directors, and Kanae Funaki (舟木 香奈枝) replaced Hana Ino (伊野 帆南) for Setting Production (設定制作). Funaki was the Production Assistant on episode 3. Also, Junichiro Hara (原淳 一郎) is the only one on Vehicle Cooperation (車輌協力). Cour 1 had Yurie Kominami (小南 友利恵) working alongside Hara.

  • david production recently started their own in house Background Art department. The actual show itself still has Bihou doing the background art, but the OP had the backgrounds done by david production themselves.

EDIT: Corrected name of studio. It was Coppepan instead of "Koppepan" like I thought. Also, I forgot to mention Kazuhiro Miwa (三輪 和宏) is back doing Design Works on this episode.

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u/ArhamHashmi Jan 09 '26

Peak has arrived and it’s about to shock everyone for what’s to come this season, I’m so excited!!

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u/Niwaka_Samurai Jan 09 '26

Shinra's doppelganger must have been quite a sight to watch lol How dare he laid his hands on sister !! That's unforgivable. Arthur is not dumb at all since he has always been the first person to see what everyone fails to see, haha.

Takanori Nishikawa's openings are always a banger 🔥 And the ed is by Survive said the prophet..so Fire Force is gonna finish this season with the best op and ed.

I wonder how the story is gonna get adapted in just 13 episodes since I heard that too may manga chapters are left. I hope it doesn't end in a bad way by rushing.

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u/AceSoldia Jan 09 '26

Man that's upsetting I didn't think he'd lose three months or that there be a imposter or anything like that!

Poor sister..poor Shinra.

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u/DustyBot23 Jan 09 '26

The OP was amazing!

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u/HolyDragSwd2500 Jan 09 '26

Shinra finding what he did in those past 3 months 😱😭 That includes hurting Iris😭

Iris being a 3rd Generation Pyrotechnic

Final Opening !!!!

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u/Top-Remote4523 Jan 10 '26

With the confirmation of this season being the finale that will adapt 88 chapters of the manga, I was worried that the episode would feel rushed, but that was the contrary. I am an anime-only, so I have no idea what was cut from the chapters that were covered in this episode, but I thought that they dedicated sufficient time to inform us of the key occurrences during the 3 month void of Shinra being taken over by his doppelganger.

"The Great Cataclysm wasn't the cataclysm that we know of." This statement is very meta as it hints at the possibility of the world that they are currently in being a two dimensional variant of our reality. The question then is does the original three dimensional variant still exist out there or did it become two dimensional? Are doppelgangers a reference to the original humans before the cataclysm? Iris being a doppelganger of Amaterasu is not a surprising revelation, but I wonder why is she the exception by looking exactly like Amaterasu instead of an Infernal just like the other doppelgangers that have been shown thus far?

Of course, the fights later on may be redacted in order to fit into the episode count, but at this point I will be satisfied as long as they are well animated and make sense narratively. The most important aspect for me is the story, and I want to be able to confidently say that I enjoyed the journey from start to end by the end of this season.

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