Fire Force season 3 episode 3 review: David Production's powerhouse animation makes up for slow start to season's action

Following a somewhat disappointing first two episodes, all eyes were on Fire Force season 3 episode 3 in the hopes its action would make up for the wait thus far. Officially released on Friday, April 18, 2025, the installment did exactly that, highlighting studio David Production’s powerhouse animation as the fighting began.

While Fire Force season 3 episode 3 does enough here to make up for the first two episodes, it is by no means perfect. One of the biggest limiting factors here is in its narrative pacing, with minimal plot development present throughout the installment. However, it does enough to leave fans not only satisfied, but excitedly looking ahead to the fourth episode next week.

Fire Force season 3 episode 3 review: Fans’ patience is rewarded with incredible animation, high-stakes action, and more

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One of the most impressive aspects of Fire Force season 3 is its incredible animation as mentioned above. Shinra Kusakabe and Joker’s fight against Leonard Burns best highlights this throughout the episode via its large scale attacks and dynamic movements. The impact frames in particular are also incredibly effective and impressive, especially those structured around Burns himself as he launches his first attacks.

This level of animation quality is present throughout the episode, but is simply best and most prominently demonstrated by this fight. The Eighth’s battle against Gold and the other Destroyers particularly highlights additional impressive fight animation. Scenes such as Akitaru Obi’s reappearance and Karim Flam’s conversation with Huo Yan Li instead highlight the studio’s incredible consistency and standard of quality.

Obi’s reappearance in Fire Force season 3 episode 3 also serves an incredible narrative purpose for the episode, reminding fans of what Shinra and co are fighting for. With how slow the second episode was, this reminder is certainly welcome inherently, but even more so for its intensification of the fight against Burns. By placing what Shinra is fighting for right in front of both him and fans, it adds another layer of tension to the installment.

Gold's brief skirmish against the Eighth also highlights Fire Force season 3 episode 3's incredible animation (Image via David Production)

Narratively, the episode also does a great job of building tension by how the fight against Burns is executed. It’s made clear from the start that this fight is a race against time given Burns’ pyrokinetic abilities, and having Shinra and Joker struggle gives fans a sense of dread. Combined with the fact that Obi is being dangled in front of Shinra and co, it gives a legitimate sense that this may be the Eighth’s first major failure in the series thus far.

In terms of plot advancement, Fire Force season 3 episode 3 is somewhat a mixed bag. What it does well in this regard is set up future reveals and developments via both the White-Clad, and Princess Hibana’s research into her and Sister Iris’ origins. This plays into the tension created by the first two episodes and this latest one, suggesting there’s much more to the White-Clad’s plan than fans currently know.

Fire Force season 3 episode 3 review: Pacing leaves much to be desired

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Virtually the only major negative of the latest installment is its pacing. Despite starting the action in this episode, it’s essentially a primer for the ongoing fights ahead of a presumed rise in intensity in the next release. While this normally wouldn’t be a problem, it becomes a major issue when looking at what the season has done so far; fans are three episodes in and effectively just getting past the setup and bare minimum start of the action.

While Fire Force season 3 episode 3 can somewhat justify this via the need to build Burns up as a major obstacle, there’s still ways to do this while having more action here. Delaying the Eighth’s arrival may have been the more prudent choice, allowing the fight against Burns to develop further until reaching a good cliffhanger. This would then allow the subsequent release to focus on the Eighth’s arrival, giving fans two great fight episodes instead of one decent one.

Final thoughts

The Eighth's early arrival kills Fire Force season 3 episode 3's pacing (Image via David Production)

Although Fire Force season 3 episode 3 has its flaws, it’s undoubtedly the strongest and most enjoyable watch of the final season thus far. Likewise, its major flaws speak to setting up incredible high points in the next few episodes, and while this somewhat justifies the approach, it’s nevertheless a major flaw in isolation.

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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