Pokémon Horizons Season 3 Finale: Rising Hope Part 4 Hits Netflix Sept 18

Pokémon Horizons Season 3 Finale: Rising Hope Part 4 Hits Netflix Sept 18

Pokémon Horizons Season 3—Rising Hope Part 4 arrives on Netflix on September 18, 2026, capping the Laquium storyline that has run through Liko and Roy's journey. The Pokémon Company confirmed the date on its official site, and it is the batch international viewers have been waiting on since Part 3 wrapped in June. Below is what the finale covers, why Japanese fans have already moved on, and the industry rumor circling the series.

When Pokémon Horizons Season 3 Part 4 hits Netflix

The finale streams on Netflix starting September 18, 2026, at 12:00 AM PT. It is billed as "Pokémon Horizons: Season 3—Rising Hope Part 4," the concluding batch of the Rising Hope arc for Netflix's international audience. Part 3 ended on Episode 33, so Part 4 delivers the remaining episodes that resolve the season.

Title Pokémon Horizons: Season 3—Rising Hope Part 4
Netflix release September 18, 2026 (12:00 AM PT)
Main cast Liko, Roy, Dot, Ult (the Rising Volt Tacklers)
Antagonists Laquium and the Explorers
Featured mechanics Terastallization, Mega Evolution, new moves
The Pokémon Company — Pokémon Horizons: Season 3—Rising Hope Part 4 Comes to Netflix September 18
Image: pokemon.com

What happens in the Rising Hope finale

In Part 4, Liko, Roy, and the rest of the Rising Volt Tacklers move to stop Laquium and the Explorers once and for all while protecting Laqua and the world. The official synopsis promises the pair "call on the many friends they've met throughout their adventures," pulling the season's supporting cast into the final confrontation.

The battles lean on the mechanics the series has built up: Terastallization, Mega Evolution, and new moves push the team's Pokémon further than before. It is framed as the ultimate test of the group's skills and bonds — the payoff the Rising Hope arc has been building toward.

Collider — Pokémon Horizons Officially Sets Netflix Release Date for Major Season 3 Finale
Image: Collider

Japan is already past this: the 'Wonder Voyage' arc

A note for fans following the English release: Japan finished this story months ago. The Rising Hope arc's "Stellar Finale" (episode HZ136) aired on TV Tokyo on May 1, 2026, and the anime rolled straight into a new arc, "Wonder Voyage," which began airing on May 22, 2026. As of late August 2026 that arc is still running weekly in Japan.

In other words, Netflix's September 18 drop closes the chapter internationally, but the series itself has continued. If you avoid Japanese spoilers, the finale is where the Netflix version currently ends.

Is this the last weekly Pokémon anime?

One rumor is worth flagging clearly as unconfirmed. Leakers, including CentroLeaks, have speculated that Pokémon Horizons could be the franchise's final weekly anime after 29 years, and that the series tied to the tenth-generation games may shift to a seasonal format — a fixed run of roughly 12 to 26 episodes per year, closer to how One Piece and most modern anime are produced.

The Pokémon Company has not confirmed any format change. Treat it as speculation until an official announcement lands. What is confirmed is the September 18 finale and that the weekly broadcast is, for now, still going.

What Pokémon collectors should know

The finale spotlights Mega Evolution and Terastallization, and that lines up with what is on shelves right now. The 2026 wave leans hard into Mega Evolution — from prize figures and gashapon to the latest Pokémon Trading Card Game sets built around Mega cards. If the finale sends you looking for merch tied to the mechanics on screen, that is the current collecting sweet spot.

Fans stocking up ahead of the finale can browse Akibato's Pokémon figures and gashapon collection, which includes Mega Evolution prize items and 30th-anniversary Ichiban Kuji pieces. Card players chasing the Mega-era expansions can check the Pokémon Trading Card Game sets, all shipped worldwide from Japan.

For more on the Mega Evolution wave, see our guide to Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution—Delta Reign, the 30th Celebration set with its Pikachu chase cards, and our Pokémon World Championships 2026 recap.

Key takeaways

  • Pokémon Horizons Season 3—Rising Hope Part 4 streams on Netflix from September 18, 2026 (12:00 AM PT).
  • It concludes the Laquium storyline: Liko, Roy, Dot, and Ult face the Explorers in battles featuring Terastallization and Mega Evolution.
  • Japan already finished this arc ("Stellar Finale," May 1, 2026) and moved to the "Wonder Voyage" arc on May 22, 2026.
  • A rumored shift to a seasonal format for the tenth-generation era is not confirmed by The Pokémon Company.

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