Why You Should Watch Classroom of the Elite Season 4 Even If You're New to the Series

The following article contains spoilers for Classroom of the Elite.

Classroom of the Elite, also known as Youjitsu, is now streaming its fourth season of the anime. While not as popular as One Piece, the series has maintained a loyal and dedicated fanbase since its debut years ago.

Even though the anime is now covering the midway point of the story, the new season is impressively beginner-friendly and might be a great option for fans who like mystery, tension, and psychological thrillers. Let’s explore why even those who have never heard of this series should give it a try, and how Season 4 serves as a surprisingly accessible entry point.

Classroom Of The Elite: Ayanokoji’s Best Quotes, Ranked

Cool, calm, and collected Ayanokoji has made numerous statements that have influenced the opinions of fans and spectators alike.

Classroom of the Elite Has a Unique Premise

At first, Classroom of the Elite might seem like just another series about teens in a prestigious high school. There are several stories set in this kind of setting, like Mahouka (The Irregular at Magic High School), or Ouran High School Host Club. This series, though, follows a premise more similar to Kakegurui: elite schools means high stakes. It might feel a bit like Danganronpa, since the characters are clearly competing with each other, but without the killing part. And, in this case, it’s not that the school has been hijacked or anything: the competition is part of the game. As is the constant threat of expulsion.

In this kind of setting, the main character is usually someone who struggles to reach the top. On the contrary, the main character, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, was raised in a secret institution called “The White Room,” which has the goal of fostering top talents by removing “unnecessary” things from their education. For this reason, Ayanokoji is incredibly smart, but also incredibly manipulative (and also lacking in social skills in the beginning).

Who’s That Character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Who’s That Character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)

Now, in high school, he is studying at the Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing School, the place made for those who will become “the future of the country.” Despite being “a genius among geniuses,” he maintains a mediocre profile. This lands him in Class D, the place for underachievers, in order to avoid attention and experience a “normal” school life. However, it’s important to remember that the lowest tier of the most prestigious school still includes people above the average of society. In any case, because of his personality, fans are divided over him. He is still one of the most popular characters, but there is a good chunk of fans that dislike him.

What draws people to this series are the challenges that the characters must overcome, either alone in “special tests” (which are very different from ordinary written tests) or as a class, since students also gain points based on their collective performance as a class. This is mostly a psychological thriller set in high school, but the series also depicts the characters as regular teenagers who have feelings and are discovering themselves as they grow up.

What is Going on in the Original Novel?

picture: horikita in classroom of the elite novel.

The series follows Ayanokoji in his school years, which means that it is divided into “subseries” showing each of his years as he progresses; every year poses new, different challenges as the school dynamics change. The novel has now reached its final saga, Year 3, where Class D has been promoted to Class A thanks to Horikita’s efforts, but Ayanokoji has moved to Class C. This marks the first time he is competing against his former peers as a member of a different class.

Each of the previous years comprised about 12 volumes, so it’s likely that Classroom of the Elite Year 3 will also be around the same length. Currently, three volumes have been released in Japan. The first volume has already been released digitally in English, but the printed version is set to be out on May 5, 2026.

Can You Watch Youjitsu Season 4 Without Watching the Rest?

picture: ayanokoji in classroom of the elite season 4 teaser trailer.

It’s usually not recommended to start a series partway through, much less in the fourth season. However, this new season marks the first term of the second year. Therefore, the first episodes, while continuing the story, are also very friendly to beginners. That’s because a lot of key concepts are reinforced through dialogue in a way that new fans would easily understand what’s going on. Even if they are still lost on a few details, they will get the core elements of the series and will be able to enjoy the tension and the narrative.

For example, Ayanokoji thinks several times about how the new dynamics have changed the logic that worked for Class 2-D in the previous year. This way, new fans can understand both the new concepts and how things worked in the previous seasons. Of course, it would be better to watch the episodes while catching up on the previous seasons in order to perfectly understand what’s going on.

How to Catch Up on Classroom of the Elite

classroom of the elite episode 5 horikita 2

The most obvious way to catch up on the series would be to start reading the original, but it may take some time, and it will require a significant investment, since the series now has more than 25 volumes. Still, the series is licensed in the US by Seven Seas, with digital and print releases. The publisher has already released the first volume of Classroom of the Elite Year 3 digitally (the printed version will be out in May).

To keep up to date with what the anime has already covered, new fans would only need to read all the 14 volumes of Year 1; the main plot contains 11 volumes and there are three bonus volumes (Volumes 4.5, 7.5, and 11.5).

But to understand the anime, the best option might be to simply watch the previous seasons on Crunchyroll (and on Netflix in select Asian territories), since the anime makes a few changes to the plot and works within its own logic. However, given that Season 3, in particular, was harshly criticized due to low animation quality, new fans might need some patience to watch it all.

What to Expect from Season 4

Classroom of the Elite Season 4 is slated for a total of 16 episodes. Since the premiere included four episodes, this means the season will run for 12 weeks. Given the pace of the anime and the title (Classroom of the Elite Season 4: Second Year, First Term), it will likely adapt up to Volume 4.5, which ends before the School Sports Festival.

Fortunately, the season seems to be delivering decent animation. As the series does not include many action scenes, focusing more on delivering psychological tension, the animation doesn’t need to be as polished as a series like Demon Slayer. There are still some scenes that feel stiff, but the animation has been generally acceptable so far. It seems the series will maintain the quality and the pace, delivering a good season this time.

Classroom of the Elite Season 4 is currently streaming on Crunchyroll, subbed in English and many other languages. An English dub has already been announced.