Despite its inconsistency through the years, the Terminator franchise is still praised as one of the most influential sci-fi sagas of all time, which makes the lack of news on its most recent success especially frustrating. Although James Cameron is returning to make the seventh Terminator movie, that's not the project I'm talking about here.
Terminator is primarily known for its feature-length installments, even if only the first two are regarded as way above average in terms of quality. That said, the franchise hasn't been afraid to flesh itself out in other media. For instance, The Sarah Connor Chronicles ran for two seasons between 2008 and 2009 before being canceled.
Even though it was axed, the show received praise from fans and critics alike. Many hailed it as a return to form for Terminator after some pretty underwhelming efforts to reinvigorate the franchise. Then, 2024 brought along another stellar entry to the saga, but there's been no news on a continuation since season 1 ended.
Terminator Zero season 2 still hasn't been announced despite season 1's success
Netflix partnered with Skydance and Production I.G. to add an anime flair to the Terminator timeline. Unlike its predecessors, Zero introduced a new batch of characters and took place in Japan. Even in the absence of Arnold Schwarzenegger's star power, the show thrived. It served as a great jumping-on point for new fans, while not forgetting to include important details for those who've followed Terminator since the first movie in 1984.
In true Netflix style, all eight episodes of Terminator Zero season 1 landed at once on August 29, 2024. It currently has an impressive score of 87% on Rotten Tomatoes and was also generally well-received by fans. Despite its great reputation and a compelling cliffhanger ending, Netflix still hasn't announced another run of Terminator Zero.
Terminator's constant changes to its time travel rules and its penchant for retcons can make the movies tricky to follow at times, which can be alienating for casual viewers. Terminator Zero avoids all that complex lore by starting from the ground up, while also introducing a fresh take on temporal canon that explains the franchise's various paradoxes and narrative inconsistencies — for those keeping track of them.
I'm sure a lot of effort is going into James Cameron's Terminator comeback movie that's currently in the works, but I just hope that Zero doesn't get left behind as a side-effect of that excitement. The anime has more than earned its chance to continue to contribute to the franchise. If more episodes aren't greenlit, it'll be a huge shame.
I'll be very surprised if Terminator Zero isn't renewed
Netflix has made no official announcement that Terminator Zero season 2 is happening, even after more than a full year has passed since season 1 dropped on the streaming platform. Still, there is perhaps cause to be optimistic about the show's potential return. At the very least, showrunner Mattson Tomlin has explained via Anime Mojo that he has plans for multiple more seasons of Terminator Zero.
Tomlin already knows "what the last episode is" when it comes to Terminator Zero, and it sounds like he can slot that finale in at the end of any future season, if he has enough notice. When the showrunner's passion and forethought are taken into account, paired with how well Terminator Zero season 1 performed, I'm trying to stay optimistic that Netflix will announce its return soon.