Crunchyroll’s Berserk Heir Is Back, And It’s A Dark Fantasy Masterpiece

One of the most exciting aspects about dark fantasy growing more prominent on Crunchyroll is the genre’s tendency to present series that may overlap with vibes of the classics, but not feel like carbon copies. One year ago, a particularly exciting new dark fantasy anime, Clevatess, debuted on the platform and immediately sparked Berserk comparisons. Established in a similarly bleak and unforgiving fantasy world, the eponymous central Dark Beast takes an interest in humanoids after taking in the baby heir to the throne of Hiden, resurrecting a human hero he slaughtered to help protect the child.

Season 1 of Clevatess was an excellent cour of dark fantasy anime by Lay-duce, gradually breaking down Clevatess (or Klen in his humanoid form) and his barriers of indifference. Alicia, his resurrected hero servant, successfully avenges her father while facing a heinous Dark Beast possessing a powerful general. New secrets and threats emerge by the finale, with more than one spectacular fight scene and a villain’s violent demise sure to linger in the audience’s memory. Thanks to a screener for Clevatess season 2, episode #1 provided to ScreenRant by Crunchyroll, a fresh glimpse of what’s ahead sets up an initially different tone, but with far greater mysteries ahead.

Crunchyroll’s Excellent Dark Fantasy Anime Clevatess Returns For Season 2

Warning: Spoilers Ahead for Clevatess Season 2, Episode #1!Despite setting up an episode largely loaded with dialog and character introductions, Clevatess season 2 sets up a glorious preview of what’s ahead. Alicia, clad in an academy uniform with her face just out of full view, is seen surrounded by insects, asking whether what she is seeing is indeed actual Hell. Darkness engulfs a small body of water with a lone island in the center, while a nervous Naie Chiffonlits watches from the distance. At the top of an ominous spire emerging at the eye of this dark storm is a black spire that seemingly reaches the moon, with Klen at the top, clutching a Book of Toah, issuing a challenge to those who seek its power.

This is how Clevatess season 2, episode #1 sets up its premise, a disjointed preview of the events ahead, while mysterious new characters watch on in awe. No kingdom-wide massacres, no resurrections, no glorious battles besides some mild skirmishes, happen in this episode, but already, viewers get a sense of a greater magic-focused arc. It all follows the events setting up Alicia, disguised as a Hidenean named Alyssa Sleihunt alongside Klen Vatiss, to go undercover to the Solsein Divine Academy.

The tonal shift in the moments ahead is at least mildly offset by this initial glimpse of future events for Clevatess viewers. A tri-nation conference is set up to settle blame for Boelate’s invasion of Hiden, in which an uneasy ceasefire is negotiated, in exchange for infiltrating the oldest institution in Edthea. On the surface, it almost feels like a Mages Guild questline in Bethesda’s The Elder Scrolls franchise, but this arc will soon set up major events for the ongoing plot in Clevatess. It’s a load-bearing season premiere, with plenty of character introductions and even would-be rivals joining the academy alongside Alicia and Klen, beyond some significant tweaks.

New Look, Same Great Clevatess

Despite a much more peaceful, outwardly-pleasant set of developments in the Clevatess season 2 premiere, don’t be mistaken. Alicia and Klen are on borrowed time, only succeeding in getting a brief ceasefire in order to infiltrate Solsein to reach season 1 villain Drel’s secret room. To get in, they must approach from the front, where only certain types are allowed to enter. As spotted in the trailer, this means Alicia in particular undergoes a drastic transformation thanks to Klen’s powers, making her significantly smaller, and getting a Hidenean nose and pointed ears to fit in, while Klen, amusingly, changes little about himself.

It produces some entertaining hijinks to keep things light while the show almost aggressively introduces others joining the academy, including Edison, Sarasa, Tygel, Leon, and Ray, while reintroducing others returning from season 1. Particular characters even show a proficiency with magic resembling the Book of Toah Klen possesses, sparking his interest, while various students immediately clash to show their stuff. There’s key insight into the other factions that was less present in season 1, including Boelate’s emperor, who is willing to exchange forgiveness to his subordinates for insights into Drel’s secret room.

These are all new developments, and despite being in a significantly less bleak state of affairs, it still strongly resembles Clevatess. In the middle of these magic fights, the anime’s already-excellent sound design resurfaces, courtesy of returning Sound Director Kiyotaka Taguchi and Sound Effects staff Yūji Furuya.

The episode is significantly more loaded with dialog, but it also sets up major plot beats ahead, and audiences will quickly latch onto new character introductions, whether its Ravens remnants or the various students attending Solsein. It sets up a fascinating narrative which, while lighter in tone than other dark fantasy anime currently airing, has plenty of potential in the episodes ahead. But don’t be hasty to get attached.

Klen and Alicia Explore A Fascinating Mystery in Clevatess Season 2

While character introductions certainly take up plenty of focus in the new Clevatess season premiere, the exposition surrounding the lingering mysteries of the anime take up much of the rest. One particular mystery is that of Vordin, and the research Drel carried out under his control. The way Alicia sees things, Drel was made to research magic in this scenario, but why would Vordin push for something that actively empowers humanity?

Naturally, another mystery is that of the secret room itself, with Naie possibly being set up to reveal this. It should go without saying, but those who read ahead should avoid divulging too much about this episode and the surrounding arc. While these questions are certainly tantalizing gifts from the premiere, there’s plenty to discover for those who stick around for future episodes, while Clevatess’ grander plot unfolds.

Clevatess Is Far From A Berserk Clone

Naturally, a dark fantasy anime is always going to be subject to comparisons to the greats of its genre, in this case being Berserk. While season 1 immediately set off plenty of reasonable comparisons, from the visceral and gory combat, to the brutal backstory of characters like Nelluru, it’d be fair to at least compare Clevatess tonally to Berserk, but similarly to Kentaro Miura’s classic, the series is surprisingly not nearly always a dour affair. There’s a sort of humor in Klen, an immensely powerful, eldritch entity being worn down by little baby Luna, and in season 2, it’s played for laughs when he ambushes Alicia offscreen by changing her physiology without her knowing.

Berserk has plenty of lighter moments too, owing to comic relief characters like Puck and Isidro, to chip away at Guts’ emotional barriers as he gradually grows the Black Swordsman Party. Much of this happens to Klen by the end of season 1, but in its place, he seems to have a sense of curiosity piqued by this first introduction to Solsein, while carrying out a mission to protect Luna’s home during the ceasefire. So while they both inhabit dark fantasy worlds and even occasionally overlap in tone and subject matter, Clevatess is in no way attempting to overtake Berserk’s prestige, and that’s a good thing.

Clevatess is certainly a different animal from the rest of the anime in the season 2 premiere, but it’s a highly necessary episode in setting up its major arc. Viewers are now well aware of the incredible capacity for action the series holds, and even this premiere’s modest glimpses of combat still showcase much of what made the anime great for season 1. There’s plenty of reason to have faith that the show will produce some truly jaw-dropping moments soon.

Release Date

July 2, 2025

Network

AT-X

Writers

Yūji Iwahara, Keigo Koyanagi

Cast

• 

  Shigeru Chiba

  Broco (voice)

• 

  Mutsumi Tamura

  Clen (voice)

• 

• 

Pros & Cons

• Excellent sound design remains a major series highlight.
• Character designs are varied and distinctive, which helps differentiate among a swarm of new introductions.
• This season premiere sets up multiple tantalizing mysteries while exercising decent world-building.

• The pace of this episode is somewhat held back by exposition, however necessary it is.
• The relative lack of action and lighter vibes might initially hurt the hype for some viewers.