Duolingo Launches Anime-Inspired Series ‘The Final Test’ To Promote Japanese Learning

Duolingo is turning its famous, or infamous, depending on your academic proclivities, green owl mascot into an animated hero.

The language-learning app has announced The Final Test, a five-episode, short-form animated series produced with Titmouse, one of the world’s leading indie studios, which has worked on shows including Big Mouth, Star Trek: Lower Decks, and The Legend of Vox Machina, among many others.

Premiering October 13 on Duolingo’s YouTube channel, the anime-inspired series follows Duo and his friends in an origin story that expands the company’s mascot lore. The characters face challenges to “keep their streak — and each other — alive,” according to Duolingo.

Each 60-second episode is voiced entirely in Japanese, with subtitles available in nine languages, including English, Spanish, and Korean. The project is designed to celebrate and promote Duolingo’s updated Japanese courses, which are now accessible to learners worldwide.

“Anime is a global cultural phenomenon, and for so many people, it’s the spark that gets them excited to learn Japanese,” said Duolingo Chief Marketing Officer Manu Orssaud.

Duolingo debuted a teaser for The Final Test at New York Comic Con, alongside limited-edition merchandise such as plushies and enamel pins. The app will also feature new animations and themed widgets inspired by the series.

This isn’t the app’s first foray into animation. In 2022, the company acquired Detroit-based design and animation studio Gunner, a longtime creative partner behind much of Duolingo’s in-app animation and marketing art. And last year, Duolingo added another Detroit studio, Hobbes, effectively launching an internal motion design division and nearly doubling its creative capacity. Together, the acquisitions underscore how deeply Duolingo is investing in animation as a key part of its brand and user experience strategy.