Iconic supernatural romance manga, Vampire Knight received two 13-episode anime seasons from Studio Deen in 2008, with a single OVA also airing that same year. While the success and popularity of this well-known vampire/dark fantasy story encouraged the studio to release plenty of content 13 years ago, fans are still waiting for the anime series to be completed. Here's what's happened in Vampire Knight so far and the likelihood it will one day receive a Season 3.
The Plot of Vampire Knight
Vampire Knight stars Yuki Cross, a student at the Cross Academy boarding school who was adopted by the school's headmaster when she was a child. Yuki no longer remembers her childhood, with her first memory being when Kaname Kuran saved her from a vampire attack. Given her gratitude toward Kaname since the beginning, her admiration turns into a long-lasting crush that initially appears one-sided because he's a royal pureblood and she's merely a human. However, Kaname's true feelings begin to reveal when Yuki's childhood friend, Zero, makes his love for her apparent.
Despite being a vampire hunter who loathes vampires, Zero ironically becomes one himself and Yuki offers him her blood to help ease his thirst. Zero reluctantly accepts out of necessity but feels disgusted by what he's become. While he spirals into psychological warfare with himself, his hold on Yuki slips further away despite his desire to protect her.
In an unexpected and eventful Season 2, Vampire Knight fans were shocked to discover Yuki is also a pureblood vampire whose true identity is reawakened by Kaname's bite. Despite their romantic love for one another, viewers were taken aback when it was revealed the two share a sibling relationship and have been betrothed since they were children. After her long-lost memories of her childhood finally return, the series ends with Yuki choosing to leave Cross Academy with Kaname. As a brutal vampire hunter at the time of her departure, Zero vows to kill Yuki the next time they meet -- and she accepts his dark promise.
Will There Be a Season 3 of Vampire Knight?
Vampire Knight debuted in 2008 with a highly popular Season 1 adaptation of Matsuri Hino's manga. The series was quickly renewed for its second season, titled Vampire Knight: Guilty, which also aired and concluded at the end of 2008. While two seasons in quick succession gave fans hope for further content and a completed storyline, the anime surprisingly ended after Season 2.
Despite the buzz around Vampire Knight, the anime's source material began in 2004 and didn't conclude until 2013. Because it aired while the manga was still in the middle of its run, the series may have simply run out of content to use. The rapid success and demand for the anime outpaced Vampire Knight's manga and its ability to provide a complete conclusion to the series. By the time the manga finished in 2013, Studio Deen may have decided to abandon the series for other projects after having to wait for more source material.
As it's been over a decade since Vampire Knight ended its anime run, it's highly unlikely Studio Deen will reprise the series for a Season 3. While there is no news of the anime being renewed or officially canceled, fans can hold on to the slim hope that it will eventually get an extension thanks to its lasting popularity. In the meantime, the completed story of Yuki and her journey through love and bloodlust is available to readers willing to pick up the manga for long-awaited answers.
