It has been two long years, but Bungo Stray Dogs fans finally have a Season 4 to look forward to. Written by Kafka Asagiri and illustrated by Sango Harukawa, Bungo Stray Dogs follows protagonist Atsushi Nakajima, who joins the Armed Detective Agency that solves mysteries and completes missions to protect Yokohama. The thing is, Atsushi can turn into a were-tiger and is one of many in the Agency with special powers called abilities. One of the cool quirks about the series is that each character is named after a famous writer, while their abilities are named after those writers' respective books.
The third season of Bungo Stray Dogs aired in 2019, beginning shortly after the events in Season 2 when Atsushi and Akutagawa defeated the Guild's leader Fitzgerald. However, a new and much more dangerous foe emerged in Season 3. Here are the key events fans should remember before Bungo Stray Dogs Season 4 premieres.
The Orphanage Director Who Haunts Atsushi
As a young boy, Atsushi lived in an orphanage where he suffered physical and psychological abuse at the hands of its director. Even after leaving the orphanage and carving out a new life at the detective agency, the director's shadow continues to follow Atsushi, with fear and panic arising at the very mention of him. The trauma is so deep, Atsushi believes his life is only worth living if he is able to save other people. When he heard about the director's death, he was initially elated that his nightmare was finally over. But aside from relief, there's another, more complicated emotion involved.
His feelings toward his 'father-figure' are complex to say the least. The director abused Atsushi for years, but he purposefully made himself detestable so Atsushi's target for hate would be someone other than himself. But in doing this, the director instilled a sense of justice in Atsushi, who understood what it was like to be weak and powerless. Thus he actively resisted becoming like the headmaster. In a crucial way, the director's violence toward Atsushi made him the person he is now in Bungo Stray Dogs.
The Mysterious Villain Fyodor Makes His Move
Fyodor Dostoevsky, leader of The Rats in the House of the Dead, first appeared in Bungo Stray Dogs' Season 2 finale when he almost caused the destruction of Yokohama via the Moby Dick. Through Season 3, little remains known about his ability known as Crime and Punishment. The only clue is that Fyodor can kill people with a single touch, making him an extremely dangerous villain.
A member of Fyodor's organization, Pushkin, released a dangerous virus that infected the presidents of the Port Mafia and the Armed Detective Agency, Mori and Fukuzawa. It will slowly eat away at their lifespans unless the two of them fight each other, only disappearing once one of them is killed.
This isn't the first time the Armed Detective Agency and Port Mafia have gone head to head but with each side desperate to save their respective leaders, everyone is pulling out all the stops. However, Fukuzawa urges his subordinates not to kill Mori, knowing the death of the Port Mafia's leader would only trigger an all-out war. In the hopes of preventing any more deaths, Fukuzawa and Mori fight each other one-on-one. Luckily, they are stopped by someone unexpected.
Fyodor Is Arrested... But Looks Completely Calm
Aside from the fact that nobody knows what Fyodor's ability truly is, the villain is also extremely intelligent, rivaling the brains of Dazai. If the latter always seems a step ahead of everyone, Fyodor is a step ahead of Dazai, making him an absolutely terrifying person to deal with. In the Season 3 finale, the Armed Detective Agency and the Port Mafia were racing against time to catch the ability user while Atsushi and Akutagawa rushed to Fyodor -- only to discover the villain wasn't even at the base in the first place.
It looked as though Fyodor had slipped through their fingers once more, only for Dazai to foil his plans. Fyodor is arrested by the Special Division, yet he hardly looks upset. In fact, just before he gets pulled away, there's a sinister smirk on his face. This won't be the last time Bungo Stray Dogs fans see Fyodor.