Dr. Stone season 4 episode 12 review: TMS Entertainment perfectly builds tension for the future in finale

Heading into Dr. Stone season 4 episode 12, fans were hoping to see TMS Entertainment stick the landing after an incredible penultimate installment to the first cour. Officially released on Thursday, March 27, 2025, the finale delivered in nearly every aspect, especially as a means of setting up the second cour, premiering in July 2025.

While Dr. Stone season 4 episode 12 did take a step back in action, it was by no means an uneventful or boring episode, sticking to the series’ typical approach with great success. Likewise, even despite this lack of action, TMS Entertainment ends the season on a truly perfect note which is sure to get fans tuning in again come July.

Dr. Stone season 4 episode 12 review: Narrative setup and wrapup, character development, and more make for a perfect conclusion

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As mentioned above, the single biggest strength of Dr. Stone season 4 episode 12 is its setup of future events. From the start, focus is given to how this war between Senku Ishigami and Dr. Xeno Houston Wingfield’s forces will play out. This not only gives fans clear expectations of what the episode will achieve, but also makes for fantastic natural tension by the nature of neither side looking to give the other an inch.

Likewise, in a cour centered around high stakes and drastic losses in the result of failure, this is a truly perfect way to end. The resolution of this tension is also incredibly well done, serving more as a temporary truce than a full-fledged victory or defeat. This, in turn, adds further depth and complexity to the season’s events thus far, and makes it clear there’s more to come even in spite of this ceasefire.

Dr. Stone season 4 episode 12 also excels at weaving character development into this narrative wrapup for the first cour and setup for the second. A particularly significant scene is Xeno’s attempts to convince Chrome. For both characters, it gives them the chance to reaffirm their values and ideals, proving that neither is willing to change even in the face of their respective adversities. This is especially significant for Xeno given his antagonistic role in the series.

Stanley Snyder shines in Dr. Stone season 4 episode 12 (Image via TMS Entertainment)

Stanley Snyder receives similar significant development, particularly in the context of narrative setup for the fourth season’s immediate future. His relentless desire to rescue Xeno both reaffirms his base characterization and expands on it by showing just how far he’d go to save Xeno. Narrative setup especially helps here, making it clear Stanley would chase Xeno to the ends of the earth to save him and help him achieve his dream.

Dr. Stone season 4 episode 12 was likewise clearly produced with the goal of setting up this future conflict in mind, masterfully building around this core goal. While the episode doesn’t have a significant amount of action, what little exists also further drives this home, such as Senku and co’s escape with Xeno into open waters. Likewise, since the series is far from a battle shonen at its core, it’s difficult to call this lack of heavy action a true negative.

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That being said, the series’ animation quality is as consistent and top-notch as ever, which has always been TMS Entertainment’s strength in general and with Dr. Stone specifically. While seemingly insignificant since it isn’t spent on eye-popping sakuga, it’s this level of quality and resultant lack of errors that truly immerses fans in the viewing experience. In a series where its story is a major selling point, this achievement is undoubtedly worthy of commendation.

Outside of these major strengths, Dr. Stone season 4 episode 12’s other areas are adequate enough in other areas not to drag the episode down. Cast performances aren’t quite as impressive as in prior episodes, but far from reprehensible. The episode is also more vanilla with production stylization and directorial choices than others but how tight production is overall more than makes up for this.

Final thoughts

Dr. Stone season 4 episode 12 sees the series start sailing to a bright future ahead (Image via TMS Entertainment)

Without a doubt, season 4 episode 12 serves as an excellent pause point for the final season’s exciting events. The anime’s path forward is clearly indicated, while the battle against Xeno’s forces on the California coast is simultaneously given a satisfying conclusion. Much like their approach to most of the season so far, TMS Entertainment leaves fans on the perfect note as the winter 2025 broadcast season comes to an end.

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About the author

Joseph has been working as an anime content specialist for Sportskeeda since the past 2.5 years. Primarily covering his core genre, he also contributes to popular culture writing news stories and cult classic features on older series.

Joseph holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Delaware, United States. His love of anime, combined with his background in literature, influenced his interest in engaging readers through the written word. He maintains complete accuracy in his content by verifying each and every piece of information regardless of how long it takes, and ensure that the output is impartial and free of bias.

Chainsaw Man, One Piece, Berserk, Undead Unluck, Re:ZERO, Tower of God, Jujutsu Kaisen, Inuyasha, and Fire Punch are some of Joseph’s favorite animanga. His exposure to 4kids' Sonic X series, One Piece, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Dragon Ball Z on Toonami fueled his enthusiasm for the medium.

When not dissecting anime plots, Joseph likes to cook, play games, work on cars, browse new music, and watch pro wrestling, especially AEW. He also enjoys ocean-based activities - beach trips, fishing, swimming and watersports.

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Edited by Joseph Brogan