Dandadan Shares New Live-Action Shorts to Ring in The New Year (And They’re Terrifying)

Dandadan has become a juggernaut in the anime arena, and following its first successful two seasons, it was an easy bet that the series would return for a season three. With 2026 right around the corner, it’s no surprise that the shonen franchise is looking to celebrate the new year. In a shocking twist, Dandadan didn’t just celebrate the arrival of the coming year with a special gift for fans; it did so in one of the creepiest ways imaginable. While there have been plenty of extraterrestrial and supernatural threats, the Serpo aliens have long been one of the most terrifying, and they have returned to close out 2025.

The Serpo aliens were a major threat to Okarun and Momo, kidnapping the latter and inadvertently helping her to unlock her latent psychic abilities. Following their initial defeat in the anime’s first episode, the creepy extraterrestrials would return to once again threaten the pair later in season one, though they were absent from the latest season. If the anime adaptation continues following its source material, viewers can expect the Serpos to make a comeback in the future of the anime adaptation from Science SARU. As readers of the Dandadan manga know, things only get bigger as the series progresses. You can check out the creepy New Years’ shorts below.

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Dandadan’s 2026 Absence

As mentioned above, Dandadan will be returning for a third anime season, but fans shouldn’t expect to see Momo and Okarun return next year. Science SARU has confirmed that season three will arrive in 2027, giving the production house more time to weave the bizarre shonen story. When the anime does return, it will be diving into one of the biggest storylines that the manga has presented to date. This might come as a surprise to anime followers, since Momo, Okarun, and their allies recently hopped into a mech to fight a killer kaiju to end season two.

The “Space Globalists Arc” will be a big part of season three, which will present a wild new extraterrestrial threat to our heroes. Thanks to the introduction of the new character Bamora in the second season finale, Momo and Okarun are about to encounter more than they bargained for. With the heroes consistently adding new members to their troupe and gaining new powers with each subsequent episode, season three is sure to continue the trend of amping things up in Dandadan.

As for the anime world welcoming in 2026, anime fans should expect to see some major anime characters presented as horses to ring in the new year. As a part of the Chinese Zodiac, 2026 is referred to as the “Year of the Horse,” meaning that big franchises will most likely see their respective characters given some wild makeovers in this style. While the Serpo aliens might not be posing as horses in these live-action segments, they are ringing in 2026 all the same.

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