Fire Force season 3 episode 9: Arthur's parents reappear as Shinra and Sho have an Adolla Link

With Arthur Boyle’s make-believe quest still ongoing, Fire Force season 3 episode 9 was expected to primarily focus on wrapping up this plotline in a relatively uneventful way. Officially released on Friday, May 30, 2025, the installment did indeed conclude this focus, but did so with an unexpected twist.

What Fire Force season 3 episode 9 did not continue to focus on in a significant way was the White-Clad’s preparations for the Great Cataclysm. Fans also didn’t get an update on Sister Sumire, or the work Princess Hibana was doing following her discoveries at the St. Raffles Convent.

Fire Force season 3 episode 9 sees Company 8 all but finish their preparations for the final battle

Brief episode recap

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Fire Force season 3 episode 9 began with Arthur Boyle explaining what Orichalcum was and how it was perfect for reforging his Excalibur. The episode then returned to where the previous installment ended, seeing Arthur conclude that they needed to go to the Nether despite his map clearly saying otherwise. Vulcan Joseph, Lisa Isaribi, and Yu decided to go along with Arthur since it was obvious they couldn’t change his mind.

Along the way, he ignored a woman asking for help since he was busy with the “main quest.” After Vulcan used an analogy to explain why Arthur wasn’t getting it, he, Lisa, and Yu celebrated their being together once again. The foursome then reached the Nether and decided to enter despite the obvious and potential risks. Yu was then driven crazy with fear due to it being his first time in the Nether, with Arthur trying to help him overcome it.

Fire Force season 3 episode 9 then saw Vulcan and Lisa discuss her memories of the Nether during her time with Giovanni. As they promised to defeat him in their inevitable next conflict, Vulcan drove home the importance of making sure Arthuer was at his best. They then mused on the mysteries of their world as focus shifted to Shinra Kusakabe in Asakusa. He was pondering his fight with Leonard Burns and the other various truths he’d learned thus far in the series.

Fire Force season 3 episode 9 reveals what Arthur's parents have been up to in the years since abandoning him (Image via David Production)

Konro Sagiyama then entered, with Shinra then asking him if he remembered how he initiated his Adolla Link so he could do the same and enter Adolla himself. Focus then returned to Arthur and co in the Nether. While they wanted to let Arthur feel satisfied, they also recognized that they were going too far into the Nether to stay safe. Lisa then tried to use her powers to fool Arthur into ending the quest, but he unfortunately recognized her ploy.

Fire Force season 3 episode 9 saw As they all argued about this, Arthur said he felt a presence, which was revealed to be his parents. He asked them what they were doing here while Vulcan swore he had no part in this. They had a touching reunion in vein with Arthur’s delusions of knighthood and kinghood, but Vulcan interrupted to point out how nonsensical this was. He asked them for an explanation, to which they asked if they were all Fire Force soldiers.

He and Arthur’s mother then called themselves the Resistance, claiming they acted to correct the Tokyo Empire’s corruption. However, they quickly revealed that this was simply a way to satisfy Arthur’s father’s own delusions after they had to flee in the middle of the night to avoid their debts. They explained that they’d been hiding out in the Nether since abandoning Arthur.

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Fire Force season 3 episode 9 saw his mom add that they wanted to take him with them, but he was just a child and she wanted neither to be unfair to him, nor abandon her husband. They then claimed their doing so prevented a crisis from befalling the world, at which point they revealed their knowledge of the Evangelist, the Great Cataclysm, and more. Vulcan asked them where they heard of this, to which Arthur’s husband said he was “a seer.”

He explained that one day while daydreaming to escape reality, he received a vision of this as a flashback began which showed Arthur’s parents abandoning him. Arthur then confirmed that these were his parents, saying he didn’t fall for such tricks. While the others were still skeptical, Arthur’s father then said he had an idea his son would appear here to look for something. He then lead Arthur away to an area with a bunch of pre-Great Cataclysm technology.

Fire Force season 3 episode 9 then saw Vulcan identify a piece Arthur’s parents singled out as a nose fairing from a space rocket, made of a special and super heat-resistant aluminum alloy. Arthur immediately took to it and moved his fantasy along with it, as three children who looked like Arthur appeared. These were revealed to be his siblings who were born in the Nether. Yu tried speaking out for how unfair this was to Arthur, but he was unfazed by this.

Sho finally recognizes Shinra as his big brother in Fire Force season 3 episode 9's final moments (Image via David Production)

Vulcan then immediately dropped his act to say he could forge Arthur a sword out of the nose fairing, which he was also unfazed by. They then returned to Asakusa, where Vulcan and co began forging the sword. Arthur’s parents and siblings also returned with them and were exploring Asakusa. Eventually, Arthur’s sword was completed and his delusions satisfied, after which it was revealed his parents and siblings had left on another “adventure” again.

Fire Force season 3 episode 9 then shifted focus to Benimaru Shinmon who was trying to help Shinra create an Adolla Link. After instructing him on how to open his third eye, Shinra was finally able to initiate an Adolla Link. The episode ended with him seeing his brother Sho Kusakabe in Adolla and calling out to him as Sho recognized him as his big brother.

Final thoughts

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With Arthur’s journey completed and Shinra reaching out to Sho, season 3 episode 9 is seemingly making the final preparations for the climactic clash with the White-Clad. Fans can expect the next episode to focus primarily on Shinra’s conversation with Sho, which will likely be an attempt to bring him over to Company 8 and co’s side. Fans can also expect a brief scene showcasing Arthur’s new Excalibur and its incredible potential.