The World’s Strongest Rearguard: Labyrinth Country’s Novice Seeker is heading into the climax of its promotion exam arc. Episode 11, titled “The Temptation of Returning to the Origin” (原点回帰の誘惑), arrives on Sunday, September 13, 2026, and it picks up right where the previous episode left off — with Arihito Atobe and his party facing a terrifying situation in the Shrieking Wood. The episode will stream worldwide on Crunchyroll at 6:00 a.m. PDT / 9:00 a.m. EDT, with Japanese broadcasts airing on Tokyo MX at 10:00 p.m. JST the same day.
Episode 11 Release Date and Time for Major Regions
New episodes of The World’s Strongest Rearguard release every Sunday. For episode 11, the global streaming schedule is as follows:
- USA and Canada: 6:00 a.m. PDT (Pacific), 7:00 a.m. MDT, 8:00 a.m. CDT, 9:00 a.m. EDT, 10:00 a.m. ADT
- United Kingdom, Portugal, Ghana, Ireland: 1:00 p.m. GMT / 2:00 p.m. BST
- Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Poland, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Denmark: 3:00 p.m. CEST
- Finland, Greece, Romania, Ukraine, Turkey: 4:00 p.m. EEST
- India: 6:30 p.m. IST
- Japan and South Korea: 10:00 p.m. JST / KST
- Australia: 11:00 p.m. AEST (Sydney, Melbourne), 10:30 p.m. ACST (Adelaide), 9:00 p.m. AWST (Perth)
- Brazil: 10:00 a.m. BRT
- Mexico: 7:00 a.m. CST
Crunchyroll delivers the episode with English subtitles at the same moment for most regions. The exact time may shift slightly depending on daylight saving changes, so checking the platform directly is recommended.
How and Where to Watch Episode 11
Crunchyroll is the primary streaming home for The World’s Strongest Rearguard outside Japan. The platform carries the series in North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, Oceania, the Middle East, CIS, India, and Southeast Asia. Viewers can watch on the Crunchyroll website, mobile apps, and smart TV applications. The series is also available through the Amazon Channel and Apple TV Store.
In Japan, the broadcast schedule is:
- Tokyo MX: Every Sunday at 10:00 p.m. JST
- Sun TV: Every Sunday at 25:00 JST (effectively Monday at 1:00 a.m.)
- BS11: Every Monday at 25:00 JST (effectively Tuesday at 1:00 a.m.)
ABEMA and d Anime Store provide simultaneous terrestrial streaming in Japan. ABEMA offers the latest episode for free for one week starting every Sunday at 10:00 p.m. JST.
Other Asian platforms carrying the series include Bahamut Anime Crazy, Hami Video, LiTV, MyVideo, friDay Video, LINE TV, CATCHPLAY+, iQiyi, TrueID, and meWatch. Muse Asia streams the show on YouTube for regions including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Pakistan at 9:00 p.m. GMT+8 every Sunday. India receives episodes through Muse Asia starting at 9:00 p.m. GMT+8 on Tuesdays.
Episode 10 Recap: The Shrieking Wood and a Bloody Discovery
Episode 10, titled “The Beautiful Girl in the Maddening Forest” (狂える森の美女), aired on September 6, 2026. The episode opened with Arihito Atobe and his party preparing for their promotion exam. Rumors circulated about a Named Monster appearing in the exam venue, the Shrieking Wood. Georg, the former rank-one leader of the party Polaris, had gone ahead with his group but had not returned. Louisa confirmed that no one from Polaris had come back.
Before departing, Madoka offered the party an appraisal scroll and a precious healing potion despite being unable to join them due to her Merchant skill. Misaki praised Madoka’s hard work. While the team entered the Shrieking Wood, Madoka visited Rikerton’s Dissection Center to check on monster material processing. Melissa surprised her using a new stealth suit made from a camouflage stone. The two had a conversation about the suit from a Merchant’s perspective, and Madoka invited Melissa to sit and have tea.
Inside the Shrieking Wood, Arihito’s party faced monsters that used status abnormalities to overwhelm their targets. The forest demanded more caution than any previous dungeon. During their exploration, the group found Georg, the former rank-one leader of Polaris, lying on the ground covered in blood. The sight of such a powerful fighter brought down raised serious questions about what lurked in the forest. The episode ended with a scream breaking the silence, setting up the intense confrontation in episode 11.
What to Expect in Episode 11: The Promotion Exam Climax
Episode 11, titled “The Temptation of Returning to the Origin”, pushes the promotion exam into its final stage. Arihito’s party must fight members of Polaris who are being controlled by a Named Monster called the Vine Puppeteer (蔓草の傀儡師). The battle is difficult, and the party struggles against their manipulated opponents.
During the fight, Arihito summons the Demi-Harpy, a monster his party had fought before, to turn the tide. The episode then takes a mysterious turn. Arihito suddenly finds himself in the same place he first arrived when he came to the Labyrinth Country. A voice says, “It seems we all died.” In this strange space, Arihito is called a “Hero.” The episode promises to deliver the climax of the promotion exam while raising new questions about Arihito’s role in this world.
Story Progress and Series Background
The World’s Strongest Rearguard: Labyrinth Country’s Novice Seeker follows Arihito Atobe, an overworked office worker who dies in a bus accident and is reborn in the Labyrinth Country. He receives the rare Rearguard class, a support role that excels in attack, defense, and healing. Joined by a demi-human mercenary and his former boss, Arihito explores deadly dungeons and rises through the ranks.
The anime premiered on July 5, 2026, and consists of 12 episodes. The series is directed by Yūji Yanase at Maho Film, with Deko Akao handling series composition and Eriko Yanagimoto as the main character designer. The opening theme song “license” is performed by Redhair Rosy, and the ending theme “Owaranai Yoru no Mamori-kata” is performed by Inner Journey.
The Japanese voice cast includes Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as Arihito, Aoi Koga as Theresia, Sakura Nakamura as Kyōka, Yui Ishikawa as Elitia, Saori Hayami as Suzuna, Kaede Hondo as Misaki, Kanon Takao as Madoka, and Yuka Aisaka as Melissa. Maaya Sakamoto voices Ariadne.
The light novel series is written by Tōwa with illustrations by Hūka Kazabana. It began in 2017 and has nine volumes released under KADOKAWA’s Kadokawa Books label, with total circulation surpassing 1.7 million copies. A manga adaptation illustrated by Rikizo is serialized in Kadocomi. Yen Press publishes both the light novel and manga in English.
Related:
Episode 12 and Series Finale
The season finale, episode 12, is scheduled for September 20, 2026. With the promotion exam reaching its climax in episode 11, the final episode is expected to resolve the conflict in the Shrieking Wood and set the stage for the next chapter of Arihito’s journey.
Also Read: The World’s Strongest Rearguard Episode 10: Release Date, Streaming Time and Story Update
Stay tuned to VvipTimes for more anime release schedules, recaps, and streaming guides.
Leave a Reply