When Does the War Arc Start in The Beginning After the End Anime? Full Timeline and Breakdown
If you’ve been watching The Beginning After the End and wondering why everyone online keeps hyping “the war” even though the anime still feels like a fantasy adventure with academy drama and dungeon crawling — trust me, you’re not alone. As someone who followed both the webcomic and the novel for years, I can honestly say the biggest surprise about TBATE is how drastically the story changes later on.
At first glance, it looks like another overpowered reincarnation anime. Arthur Leywin is talented, calm, insanely smart, and levels up faster than basically everyone around him. But what makes TBATE different is that all the peaceful world-building, family moments, and training arcs are secretly preparing viewers for something much darker.
And yes — the real war is absolutely coming.
The important thing to understand is this: the actual War Arc does not begin early in the story at all. Based on the anime’s current pacing, fans probably won’t see the full-scale Alacryan invasion until Season 5.
That sounds far away, but honestly? The buildup is exactly why the payoff hits so hard.
TBATE’s Story Is Built in Major Eras
One thing I’ve always loved about TBATE is how carefully the story evolves. Every phase of Arthur’s life feels different in tone, scale, and emotional weight.
Here’s the easiest way to understand the progression:
| Saga | Main Focus | Expected Anime Season |
|---|---|---|
| Early Years Arc | Arthur’s childhood, mana training, Sylvia | Season 1 |
| Adventurer Arc | Note persona, dungeons, Twin Horns | Season 2 |
| Xyrus Academy Arc | School politics, Tessia, invasion setup | Season 3 |
| Epheotus Training Arc | Asura training, power evolution | Season 4 |
| War Arc | Dicathen vs Alacrya global conflict | Season 5 |
What’s interesting is that every arc slowly strips away the comfortable fantasy atmosphere. The further Arthur grows, the more dangerous the world becomes.
By the time the war starts, TBATE barely even feels like the same series anymore — in the best way possible.
Why Season 5 Makes the Most Sense
Looking at how Studio A-CAT adapted the anime so far, the pacing has actually been pretty methodical.
Season 1 mainly covered Arthur’s childhood and early development. Instead of rushing to action-heavy content, the anime focused on emotional foundations:
- Arthur’s relationship with his parents
- His bond with Sylvia
- His mana training
- His connection to Elenoir
- His growth from child prodigy to real fighter
Season 2 shifted into the Adventurer Arc, which is where Arthur finally starts building his public reputation as “Note.” This section introduces more dangerous combat and hints that the world is larger — and more unstable — than it initially appeared.
But the real turning point is the upcoming Xyrus Academy storyline.
That’s where the series stops feeling safe.
The Xyrus Academy Arc Changes Everything
A lot of anime-only viewers think the academy portion will just be a typical magic school arc.
It’s not.
Sure, there are tournaments, friendships, and romantic tension with Tessia Eralith, but underneath all of that, TBATE starts planting seeds for disaster.
The atmosphere becomes heavier. Political tension rises. Hidden enemies start moving in the background.
And then comes the invasion.
Without spoiling too much, the attack on Xyrus Academy is the moment many readers realized TBATE was transitioning into something far darker than standard fantasy adventure stories. It’s essentially the beginning of the end for Arthur’s peaceful life.
That’s why I fully expect Season 3 to end with a massive cliffhanger leading directly into the larger continental conflict.
Which TBATE Novel Volume Covers Season 3 Arcs? The Complete Breakdown
Season 4 Will Probably Be the Calm Before Hell
If the adaptation follows the novels properly, Season 4 should focus heavily on Epheotus — the realm of the Asuras.
This is where Arthur undergoes brutal training to prepare for enemies far beyond anything he has faced before.
And honestly? This part is necessary.
One criticism weaker fantasy series often suffer from is unrealistic power scaling. Characters suddenly become strong enough to fight gods without proper development.
TBATE avoids that problem completely.
Arthur earns every bit of his strength:
- Physical combat mastery
- Mana control
- Beast will synchronization
- Tactical growth
- Emotional maturity
By the time the war starts, viewers understand exactly why Arthur can stand on the battlefield beside monsters like the Scythes.
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The War Arc Is Where TBATE Becomes Truly Addictive
I genuinely think the War Arc is the reason so many novel readers become obsessed with TBATE.
The tone completely shifts.
The story becomes:
- darker
- more violent
- emotionally brutal
- politically complex
- psychologically exhausting
And unlike many fantasy anime, TBATE suddenly stops protecting characters with plot armor.
When the continent of Alacrya invades Dicathen, the scale becomes enormous. Battles are no longer isolated dungeon encounters — they become full military campaigns involving:
- fortress sieges
- naval warfare
- ambush tactics
- mass casualties
- betrayals
- collapsing kingdoms
The Scythes especially are terrifying. Compared to early villains, they feel almost unbeatable.
As a reader, this was the point where I stopped binge-reading for fun and started reading because I genuinely needed to know who would survive.
Why the Slow Build Actually Works
I know some viewers want the war immediately, especially fans coming from fast-paced shonen anime.
But TBATE’s slower progression is exactly why the later arcs hit emotionally.
The story spends time making you care about:
- Arthur’s family
- Tessia
- the Twin Horns
- the kingdoms
- the academy
- everyday life in Dicathen
So when war destroys those things, it matters.
That emotional investment is what separates TBATE from generic power fantasy series.
Arthur isn’t just fighting for “the world.” He’s fighting for people he genuinely loves.
And the anime absolutely needs several seasons to build that properly.
Final Prediction: When Fans Will Finally See the War
Unless the anime suddenly changes pacing or starts compressing huge sections of the novels, the timeline looks pretty clear:
| Anime Season | Main Storyline |
|---|---|
| Season 2 | Adventurer Arc |
| Season 3 | Xyrus Academy |
| Season 4 | Epheotus Training |
| Season 5 | Official War Arc Begins |
So realistically, anime-only fans probably still have a long wait ahead before seeing the full Alacryan invasion animated.
But honestly? That buildup is part of the experience.
Because once the war starts in The Beginning After the End, the series never truly goes back to being lighthearted fantasy again.
And if Studio A-CAT adapts those later arcs correctly, TBATE could easily become one of the most emotionally devastating fantasy anime of its generation.
