Fire Force Season 3 Episode 13 (Episode 61 Overall) Review: "Unaware"

January 10, 2026 marked the start of Fire Force Season 3's second cour! Right from the new year, we got an episode that was both shockingly intense and filled with that signature Fire Force surreal humor.

Overall Impressions: Laughing at "Party Boy Shinra" Amid Despair, Trembling at Iris's Transformation

As the second cour opener, the new opening sequence immediately captivated with its visual beauty. The heavy, passionate direction foreshadows the story heading toward its final phase. You can feel the staff's dedication through every frame.

The episode title "Unaware" literally refers to Shinra's state while his body was taken over by his Doppelganger, but it also carries the horror of the world being unknowingly remade toward destruction. The gap between the serious world situation and Shinra's blonde hair and piercings... this exquisite balance is exactly what makes Atsushi Ohkubo's works so special.

The structural choice to drop the bombshell of Iris's power awakening had both manga readers and anime-only viewers equally gripping their seats wondering "What's going to happen?!"

Episode 13 Summary

When Shinra, who was seeing the pre-Great Cataclysm world in Adolla, wakes up, three months have passed at Company 8's temporary secret base in Asakusa. And when he looks in the mirror, he sees... blonde hair, piercings, and full-body tattoos!

• During the 3 months he was unconscious, his Doppelganger had taken control of Shinra's body
• The Doppelganger had Vulcan tattoo him and committed outrageous acts toward Iris
• The scene of Shinra returning to consciousness and cringing at his own "lame" appearance was one of this cour's biggest laughs

However, there's no time for just laughing. While Shinra was absent, seven massive pillars have already appeared in the world, and with just one more, the "Great Cataclysm" will be complete—a desperate situation. Furthermore, the revelation that Iris, who as a sister of the church feared fire, has awakened as a Third Generation pyrokinetic suggests that the world's fundamental rules are being overturned.

Licht's words: "Humans before the Great Cataclysm and humans now are different." If Doppelgangers are collective manifestations of people's images, then perhaps Shinra acting as a devil and Iris producing fire are all manifestations of the masses' "unconscious wishes."

Next Episode Preview

Episode 14 is titled "With the Sun at His Back." Finally, Asakusa's young boss Benimaru will face off against the Doppelganger of his predecessor and master, Hibachi Shinmon. The bonds between master and student, and the resolve of a "firefighter." I can already sense another god-tier battle with animation quality so good it borders on insanity!