Saddle up, nerds — the Old West just got a serious upgrade. Bass X Machina premiered on Netflix on November 3, 2026, and it is one of the boldest animated swings of the year: a steampunk sci-fi western inspired by real-life lawman Bass Reeves, with Brian Tyree Henry voicing the lead and serving as an executive producer.
If the premise sounds wild, that is the point. Creator LeSean Thomas — the mind behind Netflix's Yasuke and Cannon Busters — takes Reeves's legend and pushes it into a world of outlaws, machines, and supernatural threats. Animation comes from Studio Mir, the studio Netflix promoted as the team behind its Devil May Cry anime, so expect action with real weight behind it.
At the heart of the story is a father who becomes judge, jury, and executioner to protect his family, even at the cost of everything he has. The trailer's most repeated line has Bass insisting he is trying to stop a war, and that tension — lawman, father, and reluctant warrior — is what sets this apart from a standard western retread. Henry himself has described the show as a "crazy spaghetti Western, steampunk punk rock" story, and has spoken about the importance of adding a Black hero to the anime space.
The voice cast is stacked:
- Brian Tyree Henry as Bass
- Janelle Monáe as Glory
- Tati Gabrielle as Dana
- Cree Summer as Ahni
- Chaske Spencer as Lighthorse
- Currie Graham as Rivenbark
- Starletta DuPois as Etta
Thomas executive produces alongside Henry, Jennifer Wiley-Moxley, Chad Handley, and Chan Chandler, with original music from Roman GianArthur and Nate Wonder of Wondaland — a fittingly punk-rock sound for a show that refuses to play it safe.
Here is the best part for binge-watchers: the full first season is available now. All six episodes dropped at once on Netflix, so there is no weekly wait — just six episodes of steam, steel, and showdowns. Netflix first teased the series on August 21, 2026, followed by a full trailer in October, and the wait is officially over.
Henry is no stranger to animation, having voiced Jefferson Davis in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Across the Spider-Verse, but Bass X Machina is his first step into anime — and it is a hell of an entrance. If you love westerns, love anime, or just love watching a legend get reimagined with gears and grit, this one belongs at the top of your queue tonight.
Have you started Bass X Machina yet? Drop your first impressions in the comments — no spoilers for the folks still saddling up!
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