Blue Lock Season 1 has concluded with a thrilling episode 12 that left fans wanting more. The episode was full of unexpected surprises, such as the end of the second selection round, leaving only 35 of the best strikers, the introduction of Sae Itoshi, who will face off against Rin Itoshi in Season 2, and the appearance of new players, such as Shido Ryusei. These plot twists have left viewers eager for what’s to come in season 2.
The episode marks the end of season 1 and the beginning of season 2. Initially consisting of 300 participants, only 35 remain, knocking out 265 others. Some old players appeared, including Isagi, Bachira, Chigiri, Nagi, Reo, Barou, and Rin Itoshi, but some of the 35 remaining strikers are new characters.
The introduction of new characters in the final episode is meant to arouse the viewers’ curiosity, especially the character Shido Ryusei, who is involved in a debate with Isagi, criticizing his teammate Kunigami as an inexperienced and kind-hearted striker who doesn’t belong in Blue Lock. This has resulted in Isagi and his friends disliking Shido.
Not only does episode 12 focus on the strikers, but it also brings the external constraints that question the Blue Lock system to light. This also marks the beginning of the unity between Ego and the striker players.
Ego Jinpachi is the visionary behind Blue Lock. He is intelligent, agile, and firm in his ways, and his designed system at Blue Lock is a testament to that. Although his words are hurtful, they are intended to build the players’ mental resilience. At the end of episode 12, the strikers ultimately feel that Ego is on their side.
At the end of the second selection round and the start of the third selection round, Ego speaks in front of everyone as a fellow player and coach. He announces that the next match will be against the U-20 Japan team, and it will determine Blue Lock’s future. Ego’s statement is a declaration that he will fight alongside the strikers. Finally, Ego shows that he believes in the capabilities of his students, the Blue Lock strikers. This creates a bond that had not existed before.
Season 1’s end with the new characters, the Itoshi brothers’ showdown, doubts about the strikers’ capabilities by the outside world, and the bond that has formed between Ego Jinpachi and the strikers make the episode 12 finale an exciting conclusion. Fans cannot wait to see what happens in season 2 of the anime, Blue Lock.
