Pacific Rim: The Black

Lore & Background

Set in the same universe as the original film, the series depicts a world where monsters called Kaiju arise from the Pacific Rim and overrun Australia. Humans build gigantic armed robots, Jaegers, to fight back, but fail, leading to the continent being abandoned except for isolated pockets of survivors. The story follows teenage siblings Taylor and Hayley Travis, left behind by their parents who left to combat the Kaiju and never returned. Five years later, Hayley discovers a long-abandoned training Jaeger called Atlas Destroyer, which she and Taylor activate, embarking on a quest to find their parents. Along the way, they face marauding Kaiju and other survivors who try to seize the Jaeger for themselves.

Reader's Guide

Pacific Rim: The Black expands the Pacific Rim franchise into animated form, offering a direct continuation of the film universe. Produced by Legendary Television and animated by Japanese studio Polygon Pictures, the series was developed by Greg Johnson and Craig Kyle, who chose 3D animation with 2D aesthetics to balance cost and visual ambition. The show received a 71% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics noting its striking visuals and expansion of series lore, though it lacked the humor of the films. A prequel graphic novel, Pacific Rim: Blackout, was released on February 22, 2022. The series is significant for bringing the franchise to a new medium and exploring a post-apocalyptic Australia overrun by Kaiju.

Did You Know?

• The series was originally set for a 2020 release before being pushed to 2021.
• The showrunners considered 2D animation but chose 3D to allow more dynamic camera movement.
• Polygon Pictures was selected because they were considered 'masters' of combining 3D animation with 2D aesthetics.
• A prequel graphic novel titled Pacific Rim: Blackout was released on February 22, 2022.