FEATURE: What You Need to Know to Catch Up for Dr. STONE Season 3

taiku and senku in dr. stone

Get excited! Dr. STONE Season 3 is here, which means it's time to refresh your memory on the first two seasons of this unique anime that mixes heroes' journeys, post-apocalyptic survival, brutal battles, and some pretty darn impressive science for one entertaining, action-packed adventure comedy. Here's everything you need to know about Dr. STONE before checking out its third season, titled Dr. STONE NEW WORLD!

1. The World Before 2. Brain vs Brawn 3. Key Characters 4. Inventions 5. What's Ahead

The World Before

the green flash takes over the world in dr. stone

Imagine, if you will, a flash of light that covers the entirety of the planet. In an instant, humanity is rendered immobile yet still conscious, nothing more than thinking statues, the only warning having been stone birds falling out of the sky. The first episode of Dr. STONE could almost read like a horror movie, but it's actually a fun sci-fi series with loads of comedy thrown in.

Senku unpetrifies after 3,700 years, a fact he knows because he somehow kept himself conscious and counting the entire time, believing he would one day return to human form and would need to know how long he had been frozen. The world around him is now devoid of the trappings of modern life, instead filled with nature... and the stone statues of the rest of humanity who have not yet returned to their previous state.

This sets Senku on his path of discovery. He is determined to find a way to bring back humanity, but to do so, he'll need to survive — which means he'll need to reinvent things like shelter, tools and clothing along the way, effectively reviving our modern standard of living along with the, well, living.

Brains vs Brawn

senku and tsukasa stand in a cave in dr. stone

Not only does Senku recognize that he is in need of inventions, he knows he needs people to survive too... especially when he's being chased by a lion pride he can't possibly fight himself. Reviving Tsukasa was the right move in the moment, as Tsukasa takes on the pride and saves Senku and his friends. But it may have been the wrong choice in the long run.

Tsukasa has a very different opinion than Senku when it comes to bringing back civilization. Senku believes everyone has the right to be revived simply on the basis of being human. Tsukasa remembers the injustices of the former world and refuses to go back. He wants to keep only the pure-hearted and innocent moving forward and is more than OK with leaving the rest to remain as statues, or worse, destroying those statues outright.

This opposition drives Senku and Tsukasa apart. They form their own camps, one living off the land and the strength of their backs (the Tsukasa Empire), one using science and brains to advance (the Kingdom of Science). Both sides see the other as an enemy. Senku can't let Tsukasa destroy actual human lives and Tsukasa can't let Senku revive those who might inflict suffering on those around them.

This leads the two groups to an all-out war in which Tsukasa is injured when he is betrayed by Hyoga (his right-hand man who he resurrected in an attempt to get more muscle on his team), forcing him and Senku to join together to bring Hyoga down. Senku doesn't yet have the technology to save Tsukasa from injuries this severe. He promises his rival that he will freeze him and one day revive him a second time. Now that the war is over, the remaining members of the Tsukasa Empire are shocked at the Kingdom of Science's democratic nature.

Key Characters to Know Before Season 3

senku in dr. stone

Senku Ishigami - A science nerd turned to stone for over 3,000 years. The first to unpetrify, he is determined to bring back civilization and technology using his knowledge of science.

taiju in dr. stone

Taiju - Senku's best friend spent his days after revival doing all the grunt work so Senku would have more time for the actual science. Later, he acted as a spy for Senku from inside Tsukasa's camp. His main goal is to be with Yuzuriha, who he had been wanting to profess his love to for five years before being turned to stone.

yuzuriha in dr. stone

Yuzuriha - The love of Taiju's life — who seems to return the sentiment. Her skill in craftmanship is integral to carrying out her secret mission: rebuilding the stone humans smashed by Tsukasa.

tsukasa holds the tip of a blade between two fingers in dr. stone

Tsukasa - The leader of the anti-science crowd, Tsukasa believes in returning the world to a more natural state. He leads by brute strength and a bit of deception despite his firm refusal to revive anyone he deems as greedy.

gen in dr. stone

Gen - A mentalist and magician revived by Tsukasa and sent to spy on Senku's camp. Gen is originally aligned with Tsukasa but is eventually swayed by Senku's scientific progress and the hope of a brighter future for civilization. He defects from Tsukasa's camp, throwing himself fully into Senku's demanding projects in exchange for soda and ramen. Relatable.

kohaku in dr. stone

Kohaku - A descendant of humans who had managed to escape the petrification (by being trapped in a space shuttle at the time), Kohaku is a fierce warrior and one of Ishigami Village's strongest protectors. She is the first human Senku comes across who wasn't from the before times and is interested in Senku as a person which he deflects, assuming she wants to pursue a relationship.

hyoga in dr. stone

Hyoga - While Tsukasa has made his desire to end Senku and the Kingdom of Science very clear, he does seem to have some sort of moral code. Hyoga does not. He is ruthless and manipulative, joining forces with Tsukasa only so he can find the primate king's weakness and take his place. He ends up betraying Tsukasa, causing Senku to save his rival and initiate a promise to revive him a second time.

byakuya in dr. stone

Byakuya - Senku's father, Byakuya was an astronaut and a true lover of science... it runs in the family. He was onboard a space shuttle during the petrification, allowing him to leave behind clues to the flash's origin for Senku to solve in the future as Byakuya always believed his son would have the fortitude and intelligence to survive the mass extinction event.

Inventions

senku and his invetion in dr. stone

Senku has a clear love and respect for science, which propels his civilization forward in record time. He pretty much starts reinventing things from our present era as soon as he unpetrifies. Everything he creates fills an important need. From inventions as complicated as an armored tank and as simple as a paper airplane... that also happens to explode.

These inventions are usually building toward something bigger, like when he needed a cellphone to keep his team three steps ahead of Tsukasa's during the Stone Wars. That required batteries and light bulbs first, and those light bulbs required glass.

Not only do these inventions build toward large plot devices, but they are also often spun out into dozens of other helpful uses. Glass is used to make melon helmet corrective lenses and telescopes. Magnets are used for filtration, act as compasses and later, with the help of a little lightning, stronger magnets work to form a generator. It's the system that keeps on giving.

What Lies Ahead

gen in a pirate hat in a crow's nest on a ship in dr. stone

Senku wants to make sure that whatever caused the petrification beam doesn't happen again — he doesn't believe humanity would survive a second attack. He intends to use the clues left behind by his father and the other space shuttle survivors to piece together the mystery of the great flash. To do this, he needs to travel to the light's origin... which just so happens to be on the other side of the planet. Season 3 will see Senku and his friends traverse the globe so they can put an end to the petrification once and for all.

Dr. STONE is a fascinating watch thanks to the science alone, and it doesn't hurt that Senku uses the major plot points/inventions to create smaller, fun, quality-of-life products along the way. Why not enjoy a little cotton candy while you're reinventing gold wires? With Senku's next goal revolving around traveling to the cause of the petrification, he'll need to successfully build his next invention: a ship.

Watch Dr. STONE Season 3 on Crunchyroll!