Terminator Zero anime ends after season one as Netflix passes on renewal

Netflix anime Terminator Zero canceled after one season; creator Mattson Tomlin shares plans for future storylines

Netflix has officially canceled the anime series Terminator Zero after its first season, series creator Mattson Tomlin confirmed on his X (formerly Twitter) account. 

Despite receiving strong critical and audience acclaim, Tomlin explained that viewership numbers were insufficient to continue the show.

It was cancelled. The critical and audience reception to it was tremendous, but at the end of the day not nearly enough people watched it. I would’ve loved to deliver on the Future War I had planned in season’s 2 and 3, but I’m also very happy with how it feels contained as is. https://t.co/Dh7G6gkBF7 pic.twitter.com/dqCSXHIytg

— mattson tomlin (@mattsontomlin) February 13, 2026

“Maybe someday I’ll do a big thread about the plans I had for the full five-season run,” Tomlin wrote. He added that he had already written scripts for season two and outlined much of season three, leaving the door open to revisit the Terminator universe in a different form. “The series finale was special… and I’m extremely happy with how it feels contained as is,” he said.

Originally debuting in August 2024, Terminator Zero is set in the established Terminator universe and follows a soldier sent back in time to 1997 to protect scientist Malcolm Lee, who is developing a new AI system to counter Skynet. As Malcolm wrestles with the moral consequences of his creation, he is pursued by a relentless assassin, affecting the fate of his three children.

The English voice cast featured André Holland, Sonoya Mizuno, Sumalee Montano, Gideon Adlon, Armani Jackson, Rosario Dawson, and Timothy Olyphant. The Japanese cast included Yūya Uchida, Toa Yukinari, Saori Hayami, Hiro Shimono, Miyuki Sato, Shizuka Ishigami, Atsumi Tanezaki, and Yasuhiro Mamiya.

Produced by Skydance and animated by Production IG, the series was directed by Masashi Kudo, with Tomlin serving as showrunner and executive producer alongside David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Don Granger. Despite its cancellation, Terminator Zero has been praised for its storytelling, animation quality, and faithful expansion of the iconic franchise.