Dr. Stone season 4 episode 11: Action erupts as Senku and Xeno make their big moves

Given the previous installment’s conclusion, Dr. Stone season 4 episode 11 was expected to focus on the battle between the two Kingdoms of Science. Officially released on Thursday, March 20, 2025, the installment essentially focused on nothing but the ensuing action following the confrontation’s setup.

Dr. Stone season 4 episode 11 did so by splitting focus relatively equally between Senku Ishigami and Ryusui Nanami’s dogfight against Stanley Snyder, and the siege of the Perseus. However, the installment still found a way to end in a shocking twist with a tantalizing cliffhanger, setting up a tense yet climactic finale to the fourth season’s first part.

Dr. Stone season 4 episode 11 sees Xeno and Senku put each other into checkmate

Brief episode recap

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Dr. Stone season 4 episode 11 began with Ryusui Nanami and Stanley Snyder’s dogfight starting. Senku’s allies were split between excitedly watching and worrying about the consequences of failure. As the two planes passed each other, Senku Ishigami flashed what appeared to be a machine gun. However, Yo Uei explained that their real gun was his which they borrowed from him, with Senku confirming that the machine gun was fake.

As Stanley and Ryusui circled each other, military mangaka Tetsuya Kinomoto explained that dogfights were won by securing the six o’clock position relative to their enemy. This would allow them to get a lock on the enemy plane. Senku, meanwhile, commented on how intense the g-forces were before something snapped on the plane, which he immediately fixed. Ryusui commented on his obvious lack of experience relative to Stanley, who has the advantage here.

Dr. Stone season 4 episode 11 saw Ryusui say they can take advantage of Stanley’s speed advantage, doing a maneuver which forced Stanley to pass them. However, as they went through a cloud, Stanley climbed straight up into the sky to seemingly disappear from them. In reality, he was using a tactic which would allow him to regain the six o’clock position on Senku and co. He did exactly that as Ryusui said he wanted Stanley’s skill for himself.

Senku and Ryusui prove they can go toe-to-toe with Stanley in Dr. Stone season 4 episode 11 (Image via TMS Entertainment)

Stanley said that as amateurs, they had no hope of victory in this fight while locking onto their plane. Ryusui, however, executed a cobra maneuver which saw them fly straight up and allow Stanley to pass them. The latter was confident their plane would stall out due to not having enough power, but was proven wrong. Senku then revealed that they used castor oil to power their plane, which was more powerful than the fuel Stanley and Xeno originally used in it.

Dr. Stone season 4 episode 11 then saw Ryusui remove his goggles before taking aim at Stanley’s ship with Yo’s six-shooter. However, Stanley began performing evasive maneuvers which forced Ryusui to abandon the shot attempt. Meanwhile, Matsukaze was seen keeping an eye on the ground in case a second assault was launched. Dr. Xeno Houston Wingfield was then heard speaking about how their capabilities exceed Senku and co’s imaginations.

As he said this, a submarine was seen approaching the Perseus from underwater. Chaos erupted as the submarine breached the surface and began ramming the Perseus with explosive weapons. Xeno’s soldiers then began boarding the Perseus, armed with automatic weapons and protective armor. Thanks to the element of surprise and superior equipment, Xeno’s forces quickly took control of the Perseus by capturing those onboard.

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Dr. Stone season 4 episode 11 saw Gen Asagiri shocked to learn Xeno sent an actual submarine brigade to deal with Senku’s forces. Xeno’s forces onboard the Perseus declared their victory given their capture of the ship. Meanwhile, Senku came up with a plan to deal with Stanley, having Ryusui begin climbing straight up into the sky. This confused and angered Stanley given how absurd of a tactic it seemed, while Senku pulled out several bottles of acetylene gas.

He then began carpet bombing Stanley’s plane with the bottles, with one eventually bursting right in front of Stanley’s plane. As he went through it, focus shifted to the Perseus, where Moz, Matsukaze, and Ginro were still free and defeating some soldiers. The trio then went above deck to challenge the main group of forces, who tried dealing with them by throwing grenades. However, Matsukaze easily knocked them back and off the ship before they exploded.

Senku's mistake sends him and Ryusui crashing down to Earth in Dr. Stone season 4 episode 11 (Image via TMS Entertainment)

Dr. Stone season 4 episode 11 then saw Xeno’s forces point out that the dogfight was already over and that everyone should calm down. Focus then shifted to Stanley’s plane, which was stalling and quickly falling back to Earth. It eventually crashed in the nearby forest. However, Senku accidentally dropped a bottle of acetylene gas as this happened, causing their plane to stall and crash in the forest as well.

Senku and Ryusui then approached Stanley’s plane with their gun in hand, but discovered “Stanley” was actually a girl who looked very similar to him. Focus then returned to the Perseus, where Stanley appeared. Stanley shot Moz and Matsukaze as he and Xeno declared victory over Senku and co. However, the episode ended with Tsukasa Shishio’s team taking Xeno hostage, setting up a stalemate for the finale.

In summation

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Dr. Stone season 4 episode 11 is packed to the gills with action between Senku and Ryusui’s dogfight with “Stanley,” and the siege against the Perseus by Xeno’s forces. Likewise, the episode sees both Kingdoms of Science put the other in checkmate as a result of this exciting action. Fans can expect the finale to the final season’s first part to focus on negotiations between Xeno and Senku breaking down, leading to an incredible conclusion.