The world of Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal is returning, but it’s coming back from the dead in more ways than one. A first-look teaser from New York Comic Con has confirmed that the acclaimed animated series will resurrect its fallen hero, Spear, as a zombie for its highly anticipated Season 3.
Primal Season 3 first-look teaser brings Spear back as a zombie
The last time fans saw Spear, the fiesty caveman had died in Primal Season 2’s emotional finale. Fang, his loyal dinosaur companion, survived and went on to raise her offspring alongside Spear’s daughter, creating what felt like a natural and hopeful ending. But the new teaser flips that ending on its head as Spear has somehow returned from the dead, now existing as a zombie in Tartakovsky’s brutal, pulpy world in Season 3.
Tartakovsky revealed to TheWrap that Spear’s resurrection wasn’t part of the original plan. “I started to think about it, like, ‘What did I do? I spent 20 episodes getting people to love these characters… and then I kill him,’” he said. “Maybe it was too early… Then all of a sudden, this thing pops up… maybe there’s a way around it. It’s a fantastical idea and it’s totally pulpy, which I loved about it,” Tartakovsky further stated.
That “way around it” seemingly draws from the show’s own lore. Season 1’s “Plague of Madness” had already explored zombie-like creatures, laying the groundwork for the upcoming twist that feels true to Primal’s wild tone. “This is something new and nobody’s going to expect it,” Tartakovsky teased, adding, “It’s going to flip the script on everything.”
The creator also shared that Season 3 will shift in tone and energy. While the show’s action and visceral beauty remain, the new arc explores “finding humanity in death.” About Spear, Tartakovsky explained, “He’s not aware of who he is. He’s a zombie… has no memory of what has come before. That part really opened up the doors for us a lot. Does he have memories? Does he not have memories? Are they flashes of bits or do things remind him of things of his past?”
Primal Season 3 premieres on Adult Swim and HBO Max in January 2026.
