Bass X Machina brings the real-life legend of Bass Reeves, the first Black deputy U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi River, into a wild new world of mechanical outlaws, magic bullets, and supernatural threats. Created by LeSean Thomas and animated by South Korea’s Studio Mir, the six-episode adult animated series arrived on Netflix on November 3, 2026. Critics have largely embraced the show’s bold mix of history and fantasy, giving it a Metascore of 83 on Metacritic, with all four sampled reviews marked positive.
A Legend Rebuilt With Gears and Guns
The series reimagines Bass Reeves as a bounty hunter with a steam-powered cybernetic arm that fires magic bullets. Set in a lawless Steampunk West overrun by brutal outlaws, machines, and supernatural terrors, Reeves is offered stable work as a lawman if he can track down a missing engineer named Eugene Starr. The engineer’s niece, Dana Starr, insists on joining the hunt, and her endless supply of gadgets and firm belief in nonviolence create an odd but effective partnership with the hardened bounty hunter.
The real Bass Reeves was born enslaved in 1838 and went on to serve as a deputy U.S. Marshal for 32 years, bringing thousands of fugitives to justice in Indian Territory. His life is widely believed to have inspired the Lone Ranger, and the show uses that historical weight as a foundation for its more fantastical elements. The story also pulls from America’s darker chapters, touching on the Trail of Tears, the Civil War, and the cycles of violence that followed.
Brian Tyree Henry Leads a Star-Studded Voice Cast
Brian Tyree Henry voices Bass Reeves and also serves as an executive producer on the series. Henry has spoken openly about what the role means to him as a Black fan of animation and comics.
“I want Bass X Machina to create space for other Black nerds like myself who maybe don’t really feel like they’re seen,” Henry told Den of Geek.
He described the show as a “crazy Spaghetti Western, steampunk punk rock” adventure and said the project was a three-year journey. The voice cast also includes Janelle Monáe as Bass’s wife Glory, Tati Gabrielle as Dana, Cree Summer as Ahni, Chaske Spencer as Lighthorse, Currie Graham as Rivenbark, and Starletta DuPois as Etta.
Janelle Monáe performs the show’s opening theme song, “HONOR KiLLING,” which critics have singled out as a standout element. The original score was composed by Roman GianArthur and Nate Wonder at Wondaland, with a sound that speeds up classic Western showdown rhythms to match the show’s action-packed anime style.
Studio Mir Brings the Steampunk West to Life
Studio Mir, the Seoul-based animation house known for The Legend of Korra, X-Men ’97, and Devil May Cry, handled the animation. The studio’s signature choreography shines in battle scenes where the Holy People, a group of Choctaw Nation women with elemental powers, create cyclones and hurl icicles alongside gunfire and towering war machines.
Critics have pointed out one visual shortfall. The 3D animation used in the final two episodes lacks the sharp style of the rest of the season and weakens the climax, according to Polygon. The show carries a TV-MA rating, and its fights are far bloodier than anything seen in The Legend of Korra.
What Critics Are Saying
Reviewers have largely praised the show’s ambition and style. Screen Rant called it “one of the most exhilarating and stylish mixes of the anime format and a variety of other genres”. Collider said the season is “a great example of what’s possible within the medium of animation” and welcomed more Bass Reeves adventures. IGN highlighted Brian Tyree Henry’s “reserved if subtly tortured demeanor” as the title character. Variety described the series as “rewarding to think about, yet just as easy to watch”.
Some reviews noted pacing issues. Tell-Tale TV wrote that the series “starts a little underwhelming in terms of story and character,” though the style and tone are strong from the beginning. But Why Tho? praised the world-building but said the six-episode count makes some character backgrounds feel rushed, especially Ahni’s backstory.
Release Details and Where to Watch
Bass X Machina is a six-episode limited series available to stream globally on Netflix as of November 3, 2026. The show premiered on the platform at 3:01 AM ET on its release date. The series was originally scheduled for an October 6, 2026 debut before moving to its final November date.
The show is an adult animated production, carrying a TV-MA rating for bloody violence and mature themes. Each episode runs approximately 24 minutes.
A Historical Figure With a New Kind of Story
Bass Reeves has been portrayed on screen before, most notably in recent years in HBO’s Watchmen, where his legend inspired the first superhero in that world. Bass X Machina takes a different path by pushing the story into speculative territory while keeping the historical weight of its lead character intact.
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LeSean Thomas, who previously created Yasuke and Cannon Busters, built the series around Reeves’s legacy and infused it with a steampunk Western aesthetic that pushes the genre into territory it has rarely explored. The show’s mix of Black history, anime action, and frontier mythology sets it apart from other Westerns and animated series currently streaming.
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