School Spirits is officially coming back to Paramount+ for a third season, and fans won’t have to wait long to return to Split River High. Season 3 will premiere on January 28, 2026, picking up directly in the aftermath of the Season 2 finale and pushing the mythology of the afterlife even further.
School Spirits Season 3 Release Date and Episode Plan
Paramount+ has set January 28, 2026 as the launch date for School Spirits Season 3 in the U.S. The new chapter will consist of eight episodes. The streamer will drop the first three episodes on premiere day, then move to a weekly release schedule for the remaining installments.
This hybrid rollout gives fans an initial binge to dive back into the mystery, while still keeping the conversation going week after week—an approach increasingly common for genre shows aiming to build buzz and social media engagement.
Where Season 3 Picks Up After the Season 2 Ending
Season 3 doesn’t time-jump or reset; it starts right on the heels of the Season 2 finale. Maddie Nears, who has now returned to the world of the living, has to face the emotional and practical fallout of having spent so much time as a ghost tied to her high school.
Her return isn’t a neat happy ending. Instead, the series leans into the complications of coming back from the dead—how people see her, what she remembers, and how her experience in the afterlife shapes every choice she makes. At the same time, the show makes it clear that “crossing back over” has consequences for more than just Maddie: the barrier between the living and the dead at Split River High is weaker than ever.
The New Season 3 Trailer
Paramount+ is using Season 3 to double down on the show’s supernatural lore. Expect the trailer and early footage to tease not just teen drama, but a bigger, more intricate look at how the afterlife connected to Split River actually functions.
As the preview hints, the mystery isn’t just who died and why—it’s why this school keeps pulling spirits in, and what, or who, is really in control of the rules.
Diving Deeper Into Split River High’s Dark History
While the first two seasons focused heavily on Maddie’s disappearance and death, Season 3 shifts the spotlight to the school itself. The new episodes explore the unnaturally high number of deaths tied to Split River High over decades, suggesting that the building is more than a simple backdrop for ghost stories.
Expect Season 3 to tackle questions that were only touched on before:
- Why so many students have died in and around the school.
- How these deaths might be connected across different eras.
- What the school’s past reveals about the rules governing the afterlife in this universe.
Characters continue to investigate Mr. Martin, the enigmatic authority figure in the afterlife realm, as well as the meaning of the mysterious “scars” and how they relate to the process of crossing over. Rather than background details, these elements move to the center of the plot, turning Season 3 into a deeper dive into the mechanics and ethics of this version of the afterlife.
A Teen Supernatural Drama With Growing Stakes
Created by Megan and Nate Trinrud, School Spirits has always blended teen drama with mystery and supernatural elements. Season 3 keeps that DNA intact but expands the scale. Split River High remains the primary setting—a confined space where ghosts are unable to move on and instead circle their unresolved stories—but the emotional and metaphysical stakes are higher than ever.
This time, the writing leans more heavily into:
- Maddie’s emotional fallout from being alive again after forging deep connections as a ghost.
- The importance of physical spaces and personal objects linked to each character’s death.
- The evolving relationships between the living and the dead, especially as the barrier between worlds becomes unstable.
The tone stays consistent with earlier seasons—personal, introspective, and character-driven—while still pushing the central mystery forward. Fans shouldn’t expect a total reinvention of the format, but rather a steady escalation of what’s already worked: emotionally grounded teen storytelling wrapped in a supernatural framework.
Cast: Who’s Back for School Spirits Season 3?
Peyton Roi List returns as Maddie Nears, anchoring the story as someone who has literally lived on both sides of the veil. Around her, the core ensemble from previous seasons is back, including key figures like Simon, Wally, Xavier, and Nicole, whose relationships with Maddie and with each other continue to evolve under increasingly strange circumstances.
Season 3 also promotes some recurring characters to more central roles, giving long-time fan favorites additional screen time and narrative weight. On top of that, new faces are introduced—figures designed not just to shake up the friend dynamics, but to expand the mythology of Split River High and its resident spirits.
These fresh characters are likely to bring in new time periods, new tragedies, and new perspectives on what it means to be stuck between life and death, pushing the show further away from its initial, single-case mystery into a broader, interconnected web of stories.
How Season 3 Changes the Big Picture of School Spirits
Across its first two seasons, School Spirits started as a very focused whodunit—what happened to Maddie, who’s responsible, and why. By Season 3, that foundation is still important, but the show’s scope has clearly widened.
The new episodes are positioned to:
- Reframe Maddie’s story as one part of a much larger pattern linked to the school and the afterlife.
- Interrogate the rules that govern the ghostly world—rules that no longer seem fixed or fair.
- Raise existential questions about memory, identity, and what it means to move on or stay behind.
Instead of just asking “Who killed who?”, Season 3 leans into a more ambitious question: What kind of system are these characters trapped in—and can it be changed? That shift gives the season a more serialized, mythology-driven feel while still keeping the focus tightly on the emotional lives of its teen characters.
When and How to Watch School Spirits Season 3
For U.S. viewers, School Spirits Season 3 will stream exclusively on Paramount+ starting January 28, 2026. The platform will drop three episodes on day one, followed by a new episode every week until the season wraps its eight-episode run.
With its blend of supernatural mystery, high school drama, and slow-burn world-building, Season 3 is poised to keep School Spirits in the conversation for fans of YA genre series who want something more character-focused than a traditional horror show.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Series: School Spirits
- Season: 3
- Platform: Paramount+
- U.S. Premiere Date: January 28, 2026
- Episode Count: 8 episodes
- Release Pattern: 3 episodes at launch, then weekly
FAQ
When does School Spirits Season 3 come out on Paramount+?
School Spirits Season 3 premieres on Paramount+ on January 28, 2026. U.S. subscribers will be able to stream the first three episodes on launch day, with new episodes arriving weekly afterward.
How many episodes are in School Spirits Season 3?
Season 3 is made up of eight episodes. The release model combines a mini-binge at launch—three episodes at once—with a weekly rollout for the remaining five episodes.
Do I need to watch Seasons 1 and 2 before Season 3?
Yes. Because Season 3 picks up immediately after the Season 2 finale and continues long-running mysteries about Maddie, Mr. Martin, and the rules of the afterlife, watching the first two seasons will give you essential context for the characters and the stakes.
Is School Spirits more horror or teen drama in Season 3?
Season 3 continues to prioritize teen drama and character relationships while layering in supernatural mystery and a darker exploration of the afterlife. It includes eerie and suspenseful elements, but it’s not a pure horror show; it’s best described as a YA supernatural drama with emotional and investigative storylines.
