Baki Hanma VS Kengan Ashura brought together two of the most iconic fighting anime series of today, but is there any hope of a Baki Hanma VS Kengan Ashura 2?
2024 gave shonen anime fans a special treat in the form of an honest-to-goodness crossover special. More often than not, “anime crossovers” involve characters from within the same franchise, like Yu-Gi-Oh! Bonds Beyond Time which brought together the protagonists of its various anime series. When it’s an actual inter-series, it’s typically a team-up.
Baki Hanma VS Kengan Ashura broke the mold by not just bringing together separate franchises; it put together fights that had definitive conclusions. Still, the film only featured three fights, which leaves fans with loads of hypothetical matchups. Is there any hope of seeing these come to life, though?
Are they making Baki Hanma VS Kengan Ashura 2?
There is no indication from any party that there will be a sequel to the Baki Hanma VS Kengan Ashura film. As of this writing, there is no hint of another crossover from authors Yabako Sandrovich and Keisuke Itagaki, animation studios Larx Entertainment and TMS Entertainment, nor Netflix.
This is somewhat strange as the initial announcement from Netflix labeled Baki Hanma VS Kengan Ashura as a “series.” Despite this, all other marketing materials indicated it was a single film. Netflix also has a habit of not accurately describing what fans can expect from Baki anime series, as seen in 2020 when it announced that Baki VS Yujiro would happen during “next year’s season.” The anime adaptation of the fight didn’t come out until three parts later, in 2023. The kicker is that the movie has a fairly decisive conclusion despite a dusty finish in the fight between Baki Hanma and Tokito Ohma.
The first Baki Hanma VS Kengan Ashura came out of the blue. While there was a one-shot “Baki X Kengan” manga tribute chapter by Kengan’s Yabako Sandrovich and Daromeon in 2021, there was no indication that the series would come together again. That changed when Netflix announced the movie just eight weeks before its release.
Baki Hanma VS Kengan Ashura 2 unlikely with Baki-Dou anime’s future unclear
Fans hoping for a Baki Hanma VS Kengan Ashura sequel will likely be left wanting indefinitely. Alongside the fact that putting together crossovers is difficult due to the many stakeholders in IPs like this, these series may be drifting apart before long.
The first film was announced and aired through Netflix, which was also home to the anime series for either franchise. However, it’s not clear whether either will be returning moving forward.
A Baki-Dou anime was confirmed in 2024 before Baki Hanma VS Kengan Ashura by TMS Entertainment. TMS did not reveal where the anime would be released, and Netflix has not acknowledged the announcement in any way. This could indicate that TMS is looking for a new broadcast partner for Baki-Dou.
Meanwhile, there’s not yet any word on whether Kengan will be returning to Netflix. Kengan Ashura’s second season wrapped in August 2024. There’s no word on whether Kengan Omega will receive an anime adaptation or whether Netflix would have the rights to it, should it get created.
While a Baki Hanma VS Kengan Ashura 2 is unlikely under the best circumstances, it’s even less likely if one of them moves to a service like Crunchy Roll or Prime Video.
