Fire Force Season 3’s Controversial Betrayal, Explained

Fire Force Season 3, Episode 1 “Indomitable Resolve” kicked off the shonen anime’s final season with one of the best anime plot twists of 2025. The jam-packed premiere delivered everything fans were hoping to see and more. While the episode didn’t have any fiery action sequences or physical clashes between the 8th and the White Clad, it did something more explosive. Fire Force Season 3, Episode 1 laid the stage for what’s to come, as the shonen anime heads towards its final episodes.

The episode began with a dynamic recap as Captain Obi and the Chief celebrated the 8th astounding achievement in uniting the Fire Force under one banner, but that celebration was immediately cut short. The Tokyo Empire army bursts in the door alongside masked members of the White Clad and arrest Captain Obi. Yet, the episode’s biggest twist came later, taking up most of the premiere’s runtime, as, piece by piece and line by line, Fire Force delivered one of the best sequences in the anime’s history.

The White Clad & The Tokyo Empire Alliance Upends the Status Quo in Fire Force

The White Clad Now Has the Upper-hand in the Final Conflict

Towards the end of Fire Force Season 2, the 8th strategized to unite all of Fire Force under one banner in order to have the advantage and numbers against the ever-powerful White Clad. Unbeknownst to them, however, the White Clad had their own plans set in motion. What’s more strategic than becoming allies with the Tokyo Empire and the Holy Temple of Sol? While fans still don’t know all the members of the White Clad, it’s clear that this season is going to be focusing more on the cult’s members, their abilities, and, more importantly, their power over the Tokyo Empire.

The White Clad having this much power really shifts the status quo within the world of Fire Force. There’s no telling how far they will go to dismantle everything that the 8th worked so hard to set up. While that shift began with Captain Obi’s arrest, it didn’t stop there, because the White Clad’s true power was on display over the course of the Season 3 premiere. The Tokyo Empire requests that the 1st attend a meeting at the Curia, and so Captain Burns, along with some of his men, accept the request. What follows is perhaps one of the most chill-inducing sequences in the premiere.

The Tokyo Empire Blames the Fire Force for the Division Within the Empire

As soon as they arrive at the Curia, Captain Burns and his men discover that the Tokyo Empire has united with the White Clad under the pretense that this will finally unite the people and allow humanity to no longer fear spontaneous combustion. The explanation? The empire’s belief that it’s the many powers gathered within the empire, i.e. the Fire Force, that’s causing this lack of unification and the only way to course correct this is through the Tokyo Empire and the White Clad becoming one.

Of course, Captain Burns and his men at first reject the very notion of this. They are ready to take on the White Clad right then and there, with Captain Burns even igniting his abilities, but they are all reminded that they stand in a Holy place, and fighting should never occur within the Curia. This becomes the first of many steps that are taken to disarm the men, but more specifically, Captain Burns, as he is one of the strongest pyrokinetics in the anime.

Haumea’s Ability Brings Captain Burns To His Knees

The White Clad Will Use Religion to Control Anyone They Need To

Haumea activates her ability, Talking Head, which allows her to interpret the electrical signals within the brains of others so that she can understand their thoughts, feelings and emotions. By doing so, she sets a trap for Captain Burns and begins her machinations to get him to submit. Haumea understands that Captain Burns has connections to the Adolla Link, God, the Other World, and the Holy Mother within mere seconds and spreads her distortion of truth.

This is the most explicit display of gaslighting in all of media, because Fire Force literally and visually shows the audience every step and every piece that Haumea uses to slither her way into Captain Burns’ mind. She picks up on his wariness and his fears, his sense of duty and even how high his awareness is to what is taking place. Haumea brings up his right eye, and how he lost it. She spins a tale so convoluted yet undeniable that by the time she’s through, even the audience is doubting their position.

Haumea appeals to Burns’ priesthood, his devotion to his faith. When one of his men tries to object, she even uses one of their previous victims, someone they injected a bug, the organism that forces humans to go through combustion, into as cannon fodder. She proclaims Rekka fell because of his evangelism, not because of them, further gas-lighting. When the others proclaim it was the White Clad that killed him, Haumea doesn’t even deny it but spins it by claiming it was a necessary sacrifice.

Haumea sets up everything she needs to before using her ace card and stating that all they are doing is following the will of Sol. Once that is on the table, Captain Burns can no longer fight against his own faith and devotion. When he poses his final question, Haumea responds with words too powerful for Burns to deny and thus bends the knee, betraying his men, the Fire Force, and more importantly, Shinra. By the time the episode ends, Captain Burns is willing to use Captain Obi as bait to lure Shinra so that they can grab him.

What Does This Ultimately Mean for Fire Force?

With Captain Burns now fully devoted to the White Clad, there’s no doubt that Fire Force Season 3 will lead to a clash between him and Shinra. Who will stand victorious has yet to be seen, but the shonen anime’s long-awaited third season is already off to a good start. With the final season being split into two cours, there’s a high chance that the first cour will end with this clash and on a massive cliffhanger.

With twelve more episodes remaining this season, fans will be on the edge of their seats to see what the effects of this status quo mean, and how will the Fire Force be affected by it? The repercussions and consequences are sure to be vast. Fire Force Season 3 episodes release every Friday at 1:53 AM JST; 12:53PM EST; 9:53AM PT on Crunchyroll & Netflix.