The wait is almost over for fans of psychological school battles. The production team behind Classroom of the Elite has dropped the second official trailer for the upcoming fourth season, and with it came two big confirmations: the theme song artists and the exact premiere date. The new episodes, which mark the beginning of the Year 2 arc, will arrive on April 1, 2026.
This new batch of information gives a clear picture of what to expect when Kiyotaka Ayanokoji and his classmates return to screen. The trailer, released by Kadokawa, offers a proper look at the animation quality from Studio Lerche and previews the fresh tension waiting in the new school year .
A 90-Minute Special Launches the New Season
Instead of a standard 23-minute episode, Classroom of the Elite Season 4 will kick off with a longer premiere. The first episode is scheduled as a 90-minute special, which effectively covers the first four episodes of the new season . This extended runtime allows the story to establish the new setting and introduce the first-year students without rushing.
According to the broadcast details released alongside the trailer, the special will air in Japan on AT-X at 8:30 p.m. JST on April 1, with subsequent broadcasts on Tokyo MX and other networks later that night . Following this strong start, the series will settle into a weekly schedule. From episode five onward, new episodes will air every Wednesday .
Theme Songs: MONSTER and Liar Veil Set the Tone
Music plays a big role in setting the mood for any anime season, and the fourth season brings in two well-known names to handle the opening and ending themes. The new trailer previews both songs, giving fans a taste of the audio experience .
Eir Aoi, known for her powerful vocals in hits like “Innocence” from Sword Art Online and “Ignite” from Sword Art Online II, performs the opening theme titled “MONSTER.” The track carries an energetic and intense feel that matches the psychological warfare Ayanokoji engages in .
On the other side, ZAQ, a singer-songwriter who has contributed themes for Chลซnibyล demo Koi ga Shitai! and Overlord, performs the ending theme “Liar Veil.” The title itself hints at the deception and hidden motives that define the series .
Full Cast Returns Alongside Six New Additions
The voice cast for the main characters remains consistent with previous seasons, ensuring continuity for the characters fans have followed since 2017. Shลya Chiba returns as the unreadable protagonist Kiyotaka Ayanokลji, while Akari Kitล is back as the ambitious Suzune Horikita .
The supporting cast also reprises their roles, including Ayana Taketatsu as Kei Karuizawa, Yurika Kubo as Kikyล Kushida, and Masaaki Mizunaka as the aggressive Kakeru Ryลซen. Nao Tลyama returns as Honami Ichinose, and Rina Hidaka is back as Arisu Sakayanagi .
Since the story moves into the second year, new characters enter the scene. The production has confirmed six new cast members who voice the incoming first-year students. These new students are not background fillers; they play significant roles in the conflicts of the new term .
- Minako Satล as Tsubasa Nanase
- Hiroya Egashira as Kazuomi Hลsen
- Momoko Seto as Ichika Amasawa
- Shinnosuke Tokudome as Takuya Yagami
- Iori Saeki as Sakurako Tsubaki
- Shลgo Sakata as Riku Utsunomiya
Studio Lerche Handles Production with New Director
Animation production remains with Studio Lerche, the team behind the previous seasons and other titles like Assassination Classroom and Angel Beats! . However, the director’s chair sees a change. Noriyuki Nomata directs this season, taking over from previous directors. Nomata brings experience from projects like Kujima Utaeba Ie Hororo .
Yasushi Shigenobu oversees the series scripts, a role he has held since the third season. He writes the scripts alongside Kyลko Katsuya. Maki Kลno handles character design, adapting Tomoseshunsaku’s original illustrations for animation. The musical score comes from Masaru Yokoyama and Kana Hashiguchi, produced by Lantis .
What Happens in Season 4: The Second Year Begins
Classroom of the Elite Season 4 adapts the first semester of the “Year 2” arc from Shลgo Kinugasa’s light novels . The story resumes with Ayanokลji and his classmates advancing to their second year at the Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School.
The school’s ruthless meritocracy remains unchanged. Students must use every tool at their disposalโintellect, manipulation, and strategyโto climb the class rankings. But the new school year brings new threats. A group of talented and unpredictable first-year students enter the school, and not all of them are friendly . Among them is a mysterious “assassin” sent from the White Room, the facility where Ayanokลji was raised. This new enemy knows about Ayanokลji’s past and targets him specifically .
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The promotional trailer shows glimpses of these new characters confronting the old guard. Tsubasa Nanase, Ichika Amasawa, and Sakurako Tsubaki appear prominently in the key visual and trailer, indicating their importance to the plot . The season promises the same tense mind games and psychological battles that define the series, but with higher stakes now that Ayanokลji’s class must defend its position from multiple sides .
Streaming and Broadcast Information
For viewers outside Japan, Crunchyroll has confirmed it will stream the series as it airs. The platform previously streamed the first three seasons, making it the go-to place for catching up before the premiere . In India, the previous seasons are available on JioHotstar .
The Japanese broadcast schedule is detailed, with multiple networks airing the show at slightly different times. The 90-minute premiere on April 1 airs on AT-X at 8:30 p.m. JST, followed by Tokyo MX at 10:30 p.m. JST. Later broadcasts occur on BS NTV, KBS Kyoto, Sun TV, and TV Aichi . After the premiere, weekly episodes maintain a Wednesday timeslot on these networks.
Building Anticipation for April
The release of the second trailer and full details so close to the premiere date builds proper excitement among the fanbase. Classroom of the Elite has grown from a hidden gemโdelayed between its first and second seasonsโinto a consistently anticipated title . The confirmation of a 90-minute first episode suggests the production team wants to immerse viewers immediately into the complex dynamics of the second year.
With the April 1 date locked in, fans have just over a month to revisit the first three seasons and prepare for the return of Ayanokลji’s calculated schemes. The new trailer, now available through Kadokawa’s official channels, offers the best look yet at what Studio Lerche has prepared for the continuation of this strategic school battle.
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