Netflix’s Terminator Zero is the first anime adaptation of the franchise, allowing it to fully lean into the horror elements of this world.
Terminator Zero is the first time that this beloved franchise enters the world of anime. Doing so allows for a lot of uniqueness, delivering something unlike anything Terminator fans have seen before. The films certainly have underlying horror elements to them, but Terminator Zero brings that to the forefront, creating a series that will have viewers on the edge of their seat AND watching between their fingers.
This new Netflix series takes place over in Japan, giving fans a fresh persepctive on Judgment Day. It follows Malcolm Lee as he struggles with his morals. He knows about Skynet (you will have to watch to find out how), therefore he has created an opponent of sorts for it – Kokoro. As time starts to run out, he cannot decide on whether he should unleash his creation or not because he fears what would happen.
Switching back and forth between 2022 and 1997, it should come as no surprise to hear that a soldier is sent back in time to help protect humanity. She sets out to protect Malcolm, who is being hunted by an unrelenting assassin from the future. These events forever alter the fate of Malcolm’s three children.
Terminator Zero is unafraid to get dark and gritty. Writer Mattson Tomlin embraces the horror aspects that this franchise has always has, and brings that to the forefront. Leaving the animation up to the brilliantly talented team at Production I.G. proves to be the right choice, as this series is both beautiful and terrifying.
While this series is exploring the same day – August 29th – that the Connors took on Skynet, it offers up a whole new perspective and series of events. It does not wipe away what fans know and love by any means, but rather builds on it. There are Easter eggs and references that will have loyal fans excited to see, but it does not include them solely for the sake of fan service.
The story that is being told over the course of all eight episodes of Terminator Zero season 1 is intriguing and captivating. As soon as one episode ends, you are going to want to hit play on the next one. Twists are slowly and perfectly revealed, but that doesn’t mean that this is not an action packed series, because it is when it wants to be.
The entire first sequence has barely any dialogue. It is a high octane, heart pounding introduction to the series that will have viewers all but cheering. The new characters are easy to love. Easy to connect with. Easy to root for. Especially Malcolm’s three children. As viewers learn more about their lives, they are going to want to wrap all the kids in a bear hug and embrace them, assuring them it will all be ok.
In an effort to remain spoiler free, we will simply say that the final reveal is a doozy. It will have viewers all over the world begging for more. Terminator Zero‘s writing, voice acting, and visuals are all brilliant. This series is impressive. It puts a new spin on a well loved franchise that fans have never seen before. Now, bring on a season two.
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About Terminator Zero
2022: A future war has raged for decades between the few human survivors and an endless army of machines. 1997: The AI known as Skynet gained self-awareness and began its war against humanity.
Caught between the future and this past is a soldier sent back in time to change the fate of humanity. She arrives in 1997 to protect a scientist named Malcolm Lee who works to launch a new AI system designed to compete with Skynet’s impending attack on humanity. As Malcolm navigates the moral complexities of his creation, he is hunted by an unrelenting assassin from the future which forever alters the fate of his three children.
All eight episodes of Terminator Zero are now streaming on Netflix.
Netflix's Terminator Zero is the first anime adaptation of the franchise, allowing it to fully lean into the horror elements of this world.
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Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. She is also a Freelance Writer. Tessa has been in the Entertainment writing business for ten years and is a member of several Critics Associations including the Critics Choice Association and the Greater Western New York Film Critics Association.
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