Everything You Need to Know Before Watching The Apothecary Diaries Season 3

Get your Sherlock Holmes mode on, because The Apothecary Diaries Season 3 is almost here.

This time, Maomao has even more mysteries waiting for her. Strange illnesses, suspicious incidents, palace politics… basically, everything she loves getting involved in.

Season 2 left us with the Shi clan rebellion, Shisui’s shocking identity reveal, Gyokuyou’s new baby, and Jinshi stepping further into his royal responsibilities.

Now, Season 3 is taking Maomao into the next chapter.

Before we follow her there, let’s take a look at what’s waiting.

Maomao Steps Out of the Rear Palace

Maomao has spent most of her time inside the Rear Palace. This season finally changes that.

The story moves into the city and eventually toward a neighboring country. Maomao is stepping outside the Rear Palace and into a much bigger world.

That also brings some familiar faces along for the ride.

Rahan and Rikuson are both returning this season. Rahan, Lakan’s adopted son, has an impressive talent for numbers. Rikuson, meanwhile, continues serving as Lakan’s deputy.

It’ll be nice to see more of the world outside the Rear Palace. I’m particularly curious about Maomao here.

She knows how the palace works by now. Put a suspicious situation in front of her, and she’s going to investigate. Obviously.

Shisui’s Story Isn't Over Yet

Shisui’s story gets complicated very quickly.

She turns out to be Loulan, the mysterious consort from the Garnet Pavilion. Suddenly, a lot of her strange behaviour makes sense.

Then the Shi clan rebellion throws everything into chaos. For a while, Shisui appears to be gone for good. This part was legit brutal.

Later, we learn that she survived and took on the name Tamamo.

Even the little hairpin Maomao gave her becomes important. It becomes one of the clues that Shisui survived and is now living as Tamamo.

Chou’u survives the rebellion too, although his life takes a very different turn. He ends up under Maomao’s care after waking with severe memory loss. He remembers very little about the person he was before the rebellion. After everything that happened to him, he deserved the chance to start over.

By the time Season 3 starts, Chou’u is living with Maomao at Verdigris House and helping around the apothecary.

Gyokuyou Has a New Heir

Gyokuyou has a baby boy now. More importantly, her son is the new Crown Prince.

This shifts a lot inside the Imperial family.

Gyokuyou is no longer simply one of the Emperor’s consorts. She is now the mother of the heir and the Empress. Her position has changed drastically.

After everything Maomao and Gyokuyou went through during the second season, seeing her finally with her baby is almost a little peaceful. Almost.

This is The Apothecary Diaries, after all. Peace usually lasts a few minutes before somebody develops a mysterious illness or finds something suspicious in their food.

Jinshi’s Life Is Changing

Jinshi’s life is about to get considerably more complicated.

He spent most of the story inside the Rear Palace as a eunuch, while hiding his real identity. During the Shi clan rebellion, he finally reveals his true identity and leads the Imperial Guard into battle.

Now, we’ll see him take on his responsibilities as the Imperial Brother. Palace duties come with expectations, decisions, and problems he can’t run away from.

His relationship with Maomao is a different story entirely. The two are getting closer, yet somehow they’re still terrible at having a normal interaction.

Maomao has her own strange way of dealing with Jinshi. Jinshi, meanwhile, can turn even an ordinary conversation with her into a whole situation. Their unusual romance is definitely one of the things I’m looking forward to.

Basen is also returning as Jinshi’s assistant and bodyguard. Considering everything on Jinshi’s plate this season, Basen’s job just got a lot harder.

A Strange New Mystery

This is what makes The Apothecary Diaries so loved. Give Maomao a mystery, and she’s happy. This time the new mystery starts with breakfast. Very interesting.

At Verdigris House, Maomao notices locusts in the morning meal and starts investigating the strange detail. This small incident is what triggers her next mystery. Because leaving a suspicious detail alone has never really been her thing.

The problem is that the mystery doesn’t stay small. Loulan’s final warning points toward signs of disaster threatening the country. Whispers of famine are also beginning to spread. Which is scary, to be honest.

Then there’s Bai Niangniang.

She is a mysterious figure who is rumoured to be an immortal maiden. We still know very little about her or what she wants. What exactly is she hiding? That’s something Season 3 will have to answer.

Maomao has a strange breakfast, a mystery to solve, and apparently a lot more trouble waiting for her. Yeah. This sounds about right.

When Are We Getting Season 3?

The Apothecary Diaries Season 3 premieres on October 2, 2026.

In Japan, the series airs every Friday at 11 PM on Nippon TV’s FRIDAY ANIME NIGHT block. Crunchyroll’s Fall 2026 lineup also includes the series for the Indian Subcontinent.

There’s one catch, though. Season 3 is split into two cours. The first cour begins in October 2026, while the second is scheduled for April 2027.

OLM returns to handle the animation, with Akinori Fudesaka directing.

As if that wasn’t enough Maomao for one year, The Apothecary Diaries is also getting its first theatrical movie.

The Apothecary Diaries: Bōhi no Hihō arrives in Japanese theaters on December 11, 2026. It features a completely new story concept from Natsu Hyūga.

The movie follows Maomao and Jinshi as they head south to return the remains of a consort who died five years ago. Then they discover that her body is strangely well preserved. Maomao naturally starts digging into the mystery. Their journey takes them to the bustling water city of Minan, where they try to solve bigger mysteries.

So yes, there’s going to be a lot of Apothecary Diaries to keep up with.

I’m not complaining.

One Last Thing Before Maomao Returns

Maomao is back at Verdigris House. Gyokuyou is the Empress and her baby boy is the Crown Prince. Jinshi has a much bigger role to deal with. Shisui is alive somewhere under the name Tamamo.

Things are already getting strange.

There are signs of disaster, whispers of famine, and a mysterious immortal maiden in the middle of it all. Then there’s Bai Niangniang, whose role we still know very little about.

Between a new mystery, a movie, and a story that finally leaves palace walls, season 3 has so much coming.

As for Maomao, well… she’s doing what she does best. Finding trouble. Or perhaps trouble finding her.