The popular Adult Swim show Smiling Friends has officially ended, but fans want to know exactly how many Smiling Friends seasons exist and what episodes are available to watch right now. The surreal animated comedy created by Zach Hadel and Michael Cusack ran for three full seasons, with a few bonus episodes still on the way.
If you have been trying to keep track of this wild and colorful show, you are not alone. The series follows the employees of a small company called Smiling Friends Inc., whose only job is to make people happy. The main characters include the cynical Charlie, the optimistic little pink Pim, the office worker Allan, the tiny gibberish-talking Glep, and their strange boss called Mr. Boss. Their adventures take them to weird places where they meet even weirder people.
But the big news that dropped in February 2026 changed everything. The creators got together and told fans the show would not continue. Here is the complete breakdown of every season, every episode, and what is coming next.
How Many Smiling Friends Seasons Are There? The Simple Answer
There are three seasons of Smiling Friends. The show started with a surprise pilot episode back on April 1, 2020, during Adult Swim’s annual April Fools’ Day event. Nobody knew it was coming, and fans immediately loved the strange humor and unique animation style .
After that pilot, Adult Swim ordered a full first season. The show officially premiered on January 10, 2022, and the network aired almost all episodes in one single night, which was very unusual for a TV show . The first season had nine episodes total, including that original pilot and one special episode.
The second season took a little longer. It finally arrived on April 1, 2024, with another surprise premiere. The rest of season two started airing regularly on May 13, 2024, and finished on June 24, 2024. This season had eight episodes .
The third season came out in October 2025 and wrapped up its last episode on November 30, 2025 . This season also had eight episodes.
The Complete Episode Guide for All Smiling Friends Seasons
Season 1 (2020-2022)
The first season introduced viewers to the bizarre world of Smiling Friends. The episode list includes:
- Desmond’s Big Day Out – The famous pilot where Pim and Charlie try to help a man who always has a gun to his head. This episode first aired April 1, 2020, then again with the season premiere on January 10, 2022.
- Mr. Frog – A celebrity frog gets in trouble for eating a reporter, and the Smiling Friends must fix his image.
- Shrimp’s Odyssey – The team helps a gamer named Shrimp get over his breakup.
- A Silly Halloween Special – A Halloween-themed adventure with spooky surprises.
- Who Violently Murdered Simon S. Salty? – A mystery episode where the friends investigate a crime.
- Enchanted Forest – Pim and Charlie enter a magical forest with its own strange rules.
- Frowning Friends – A rival company appears that does the opposite of making people smile.
- Charlie Dies and Doesn’t Come Back – The title says it all, but things are never that simple in this show.
- The Smiling Friends Go to Brazil! – The season finale takes the crew to Brazil for more chaos .
Season 2 (2024)
The second season kept the weirdness going with eight new episodes. The exact episode titles from season two include adventures with new characters and deeper looks at the Smiling Friends world. Guest voices this season included Rich Evans as a Brown Alien and Jay Bauman as a Police Alien, both from RedLetterMedia . Dana Snyder also voiced a character called Rotten the Snowman .
Season 3 (2025)
The third and final season arrived in October 2025 and ran through November 30, 2025 . This season had eight episodes as well. One notable guest star in season three was Conner O’Malley as a character named Silly Samuel . Creed Bratton from The Office also voiced Mr. Frog’s Father .
Total episodes across all three Smiling Friends seasons: 25 episodes (9 in season one, 8 in season two, 8 in season three).
The Big Announcement: Smiling Friends Is Ending After Season 3
On February 25, 2026, creators Zach Hadel and Michael Cusack posted a video on Adult Swim’s YouTube channel and X account that shocked fans. In the six-minute video, Hadel started by saying, “I’m gonna cut right to the chase. This is not a bit, this is not a joke” . He then announced that the show would end after season three.
Cusack explained their decision honestly. He said, “To be perfectly honest, after we finished Season 3, Zach and I just both had the same feeling where we felt pretty burnt out after putting years and years into this, but also pretty accomplished. We just came to this feeling where we were like, ‘I think that could just be it,’ after Season 3” .
This news surprised many people because just months earlier, in June 2024, Adult Swim had announced the show was renewed for both a fourth and fifth season. At the Annecy Animation Festival, network executives confirmed seasons four and five were in production . But the creators had the final say.
Hadel explained their thinking: “We wouldn’t want to be doing more seasons half-hearted or burnt out or not feeling it. It’s not fair to us and it’s not fair to the audience to give you guys slop. It’s just not that kind of show” . He added that they wanted to leave fans “wanting more” rather than having people think, “That show is still on the air? Oh god” .
Two Final Episodes Are Still Coming
The good news for fans is that the Smiling Friends story is not completely over yet. The creators announced that two unreleased episodes from season three will air on April 12, 2026, on Adult Swim .
Hadel described these as “little stragglers” that did not make it into the initial season three run. He made sure to clarify that these are not finale episodes or the series ending. They are simply extra episodes that were produced alongside season three but had not aired yet .
So even though the show is ending, fans have two more adventures to look forward to with Charlie, Pim, Glep, Allan, and Mr. Boss.
Where to Watch All Smiling Friends Seasons
If you want to watch every episode from all three Smiling Friends seasons, you have options. The show originally airs on Adult Swim, the nighttime programming block on Cartoon Network.
For streaming, all seasons are available on Max (formerly HBO Max) . You can also purchase episodes or seasons on digital platforms like Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and YouTube TV.
The first season is also available on DVD. The DVD release from SDS includes all nine episodes plus special features like episodic commentary from the creators .
Why Fans Love This Show
Smiling Friends became a cult hit for good reasons. The animation style is completely unique. The creators mixed different techniques including traditional animation, computer animation, stop motion, rotoscoping, and even live-action . Every episode looks different and keeps viewers guessing.
The humor is also different from other adult cartoons. It is surreal without being mean. The characters actually care about helping people, even when things get completely crazy. Charlie is grumpy but has a good heart. Pim never gives up on anyone. Even side characters like Glep, who only speaks in gibberish, became fan favorites.
The show also attracted interesting guest stars. Finn Wolfhard and Nick Wolfhard voiced characters in season one . The late Gilbert Gottfried voiced God in a season one episode . Video creator Doug Walker (Nostalgia Critic) appeared in live-action, and James Rolfe (Angry Video Game Nerd) made a split-second appearance .
What the Creators Said About Ending the Show
In their announcement video, both creators expressed gratitude toward Adult Swim for supporting their decision. Cusack shared, “When we told them exactly this, they said, ‘If you’re not feeling like making a cartoon, we’re not going to stop you. Go have a break’” .
The network also left the door open for possible future projects. If the creators ever feel inspired to revisit the world of Smiling Friends, Adult Swim would welcome specials or additional episodes down the line . But for now, the series has a complete, respectful ending chosen by the people who made it.
Hadel and Cusack wanted to put “110%” into every episode . They felt that continuing when they were tired would lead to lower quality, and they refused to let that happen to their creation.
Also Read:
The Future of Smiling Friends
With the show ending after three seasons, fans now have a complete collection to enjoy. The 25 episodes plus the two upcoming April 2026 episodes give viewers plenty of weird, funny, and surprisingly sweet content.
The series leaves behind a strong legacy in adult animation. It proved that cartoons can be experimental, heartfelt, and absolutely bizarre all at the same time. Characters like Pim, Charlie, and Glep will stick with fans for years to come.
For anyone just discovering the show, now is the perfect time to start watching. You can experience the whole story from beginning to end without waiting for new seasons. The complete journey of the Smiling Friends is ready for you.
The final two episodes air on April 12, 2026, on Adult Swim. After that, the Smiling Friends mission will officially be complete. But the smiles they brought to viewers will last much longer.
Whether you have been watching since that surprise 2020 pilot or you just heard about the show from the ending announcement, the complete Smiling Friends experience is waiting for you. Three seasons, 25 episodes, and two final adventures coming in April tell the whole story of a tiny company trying to make the world a little bit happier, one weird client at a time.
