I don’t know about you, but it’s mid-November and it already feels like the year is wrapping up. AS announced their seemingly yearly now (if you count Yule Log 1 & 2) holiday special in The Elephant, and it appears the year is done… but then there’s 2026.

Today Adult Swim has announced season 3 of the critically acclaimed Primal will be arriving to the network (and next day to HBO Max) on Sunday, January 11th @ 11:30p. Legendary animator, Genndy Tartakovsky returns to quite literally resurrect Spear for a third outing. What will happen? Will he reunite with dino-buddy Fang? Only time will tell as we experience a brand-new season.

First Look video and more details below.

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BURBANK (November 20, 2025) – From the mind of visionary creator Genndy Tartakovsky (“Dexter’s Laboratory,” “Samurai Jack,” “Star Wars: Clone Wars,” “Sym-Bionic Titan,”), the five-time Emmy Award winning series produced by Cartoon Network Studios that follows a caveman at the dawn of evolution, “Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal,” returns for a third season Sunday, January 11 at 11:30pm ET/PT on Adult Swim, next day on HBO Max.

Combining artistry and pulse-pounding action, the first two seasons followed Spear as he formed an unlikely bond with an almost extinct dinosaur and later made the ultimate sacrifice after a final standoff turned fatal. The third season of “Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal” opens with a shocking twist that resurrects Spear in a new form—stripped of memory and humanity—and forces him to roam a brutal, untamed world as a shadow of his former self. As Spear battles savage landscapes and deadly foes, faint echoes of his past begin to stir, leading him toward an emotional and explosive reunion that will test the limits of survival.

Tartakovsky said: “After two seasons, I was ready to move on until an idea surfaced that was pulpier, bad-ass, and undeniable. Everyone agreed and Season Three was born.”

“I mean, not everyone can kill off their main character and then go ‘on second thought…’ and pull it off!” said Michael Ouweleen, president of Adult Swim. “But Genndy tends to not make things easy for himself, and what we get as a result is a season three that is more bonkers than the decision to kill Spear off in the first place! You thought there was emotion to the main character dying in season two, wait till you see what’s in store for season three.”

“Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal” is created by Tartakovsky with art direction from Scott Wills (“The Ren & Stimpy Show,” “Samurai Jack”) and music composition from Tyler Bates (“Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Samurai Jack,” “Unicorn: Warriors Eternal”) and Joanne Higginbottom (“Salem,” “Samurai Jack,” “Unicorn: Warriors Eternal”) and sound effects design from Joel Valentine (“Samurai Jack,” “Big City Greens,” “Unicorn: Warriors Eternal”).

About Author

John J Galbo

New York-based John J. is the Creator/EiC for [adult swim] central and founder of the Art Comedy Pop-Culture Network. He has hosted podcasts like The Swimcast and Pop-Culture Anonymous, among others.

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