Wait, does an initial d first stage season 4 even exist? If you’ve been scouring the internet looking for it, you’ve likely hit a wall of confusing forum threads and weirdly labeled streaming titles.
Here is the thing: there is no such thing as "Season 4" of the First Stage.
✨ Don't miss: Gabrielle Solis: What Most People Get Wrong About Her Story
The Initial D anime is split into "Stages," not traditional Western seasons. While First Stage is technically the first season of the show, it only has 26 episodes. If you're seeing something labeled as the fourth season of that specific stage, you’re either looking at a mislabeled upload of Initial D Fourth Stage or a specific set of episodes from the original 1998 run.
The Real Identity of Initial D First Stage Season 4
Most people searching for this are actually trying to find Initial D Fourth Stage.
It’s easy to see why the wires get crossed. Some old bootleg DVDs and early streaming sites used to group the entire series under one header, calling Fourth Stage "Season 4." But in the world of Takumi Fujiwara and his AE86, the jump from First Stage to Fourth Stage represents a massive shift in both the story and the literal technology used to make the show.
If you are specifically looking for the fourth "act" or group of episodes within the 1998 series, that’s usually the Keisuke Takahashi vs. Takumi battle on Mount Akina. That’s the moment the series really finds its legs. It's when the "ghost of Akina" stops being a rumor and starts being a problem for the RedSuns.
🔗 Read more: The Front Falls Off: Why This 1991 Comedy Sketch Is Still The Best Way To Understand Modern Corporate Disasters
Why Everyone Obsesses Over Fourth Stage
If you are actually looking for Initial D Fourth Stage (which is what most mean by "season 4"), you’re in for a treat. This is arguably the peak of the franchise. By this point, the animation moved from those clunky, PlayStation 1-looking 3D models to high-octane, polished CGI.
This stage introduces Project D.
It’s a whole new vibe. Ryosuke Takahashi decides to stop just defending his home turf and starts an "expeditionary" team. He takes Takumi and Keisuke on the road to crush every record in the Kanto region. Honestly, it feels like a professional racing operation compared to the "kids hanging out at gas stations" energy of the earlier episodes.
Key Battles You Can't Miss
In this era of the show, the technical details get way more intense. We aren't just talking about drifting anymore. We’re talking about:
- The Blind Attack: Takumi literally turning off his headlights in the dark to vanish from the opponent's rearview mirror. It sounds fake. It’s actually terrifying.
- The Todo School Arc: This is where the street racers go up against professional "pro-shop" drivers. It's the ultimate test of whether Takumi’s mountain-bred instincts can beat actual racing theory.
- God Arm and God Foot: Two legendary older drivers who show the young kids that experience beats raw talent almost every time. Toshiya Joshima (God Arm) drives a Honda S2000 with one hand on the wheel. It's insane.
The Misconception of "The Lost Episodes"
Occasionally, fans use the term initial d first stage season 4 to refer to the Extra Stages or Battle Stages.
Extra Stage focuses on Mako and Sayuki (the Impact Blue duo). Battle Stage is basically a "best of" reel that re-animates the old 2D races with the newer 3D tech. If you see a "Season 4" that looks like the old 90s art style but features different races, you might be looking at a compilation.
How to Watch It Correctly
Don't get lost in the numbering. If you want to follow the story of the AE86 properly, follow this specific path:
- First Stage (The 1998 classic)
- Second Stage (The Emperor/Evo team arc)
- Third Stage (The movie—don't skip this, it bridges the gap to the 4WD battles)
- Fourth Stage (The 24-episode Project D expedition)
Basically, if you’ve finished the Third Stage movie, you are ready for what people mistakenly call initial d first stage season 4.
The transition is jarring at first because the character designs change—everyone looks a bit "sharper" and less like they walked out of a 90s shonen manga. But the Eurobeat is better than ever.
What You Should Do Next
If you’re still confused about where to find the episodes, check major streaming platforms under the title Initial D Fourth Stage.
Don't bother looking for "First Stage Season 4" on official sites like Crunchyroll or Hulu; it won't be there under that name. Instead, look for the Project D arc starting with the battle against the Seven Star Leaf team. That's the real start of the "fourth" major chapter in Takumi's life.
You should also double-check the soundtrack. If "Dogfight" by m.o.v.e. isn't the opening song, you're probably in the wrong place. Give it a listen, get your AE86 (or your mom's Camry) ready, and dive into the Saitama expedition arc. It’s where the series truly becomes legendary.