Helluva Boss Season 3 Part 1: Hazbin Hotel Spinoff Balances Heartache & Hilarity In Brilliant Return | Review

Helluva Boss season 3 part 1 finally brings the animated series back to its roots, balancing its humor with the heart of its found family.

Helluva Boss has had many ups and downs over the course of its run. Created by Vivienne Medrano (known online as Vivziepop), the show serves as a spinoff and companion piece to Hazbin Hotel, both situated within "The Hellaverse." Beginning as a comedy series about a group of assassins for hire in Hell, the show later morphed into a character-driven comedy-drama featuring plenty of action-packed sequences and musical moments. The focus remained on the crass imp Blitzø (Brandon Rogers) — the "o" is silent — and his team of companions, but began shifting toward relationship drama, trauma, and the meaning of found family.

As a long-time follower of the Hellaverse, hopping on the train prior to Hazbin Hotel's YouTube pilot in 2019, I've observed Helluva Boss at war with itself since its series debut on YouTube in 2020. The show's shift from Blitzø's assassin business to his tense romance with the Goetic Prince Stolas (Bryce Pinkham) was rather swift. At first, the show seemed capable of balancing hilarious kill missions with its more dramatic elements. That was until the back half of season 2, when I began to worry the focus on Blitzø and Stolas' will they/won't they would damage the series for good.

However, Helluva Boss season 3 part 1 has dissuaded me from these doubts, showcasing the series is more than capable of being a comedy-drama about wacky assassination adventures and dramatic character storylines at the same time. In the three episodes I was given by Prime Video (the series' new debut home) for this review, I watched it finally regain its footing without compromising its comedic origins or dramatic evolution. The five core characters are the standouts of these opening episodes, defined by their relationship as a found family in a world of heartache.

Helluva Boss Season 3 Finally Lands A Balancing Act For Its Core Identities

Taking place some time after the end of Helluva Boss season 2, the new episodes follow the Immediate Murder Professionals (I.M.P.) as they more directly bring Stolas into the fold. Now stripped of his power, the avian prince works as the group's new communications lead, while Blitzø's adopted Hellhound daughter, Loona (Erica Lindbeck), begins joining the team on their missions. Stolas isn't doing well after losing the trust of his daughter, Octavia (Barrett Wilbert Weed), causing friction within his blossoming, more romance-driven relationship with Blitzø.

At the same time, imp couple Moxxie (Richard Horvitz) and Millie (Vivian Nixon) are about to face a new challenge: Millie is pregnant, and, when season 3 opens, has kept the secret to herself. The season's opener uses an old-fashioned assassination run to give Blitzø, Moxxie, and Loona something to do as Millie and Stolas share an unlikely spotlight together. It establishes their emotional journeys as the anchor of season 3 part 1, with doubt being a core theme shared between their respective tales.

Reframing Helluva Boss' characters around the assassination business helps return the story to its roots. The show has long been focused on Blitzø and Stolas' relationship, so much so that, for a while, it felt like the series forgot about its origin. Season 3 course-corrects on this front, giving the assassination mission a front-and-center appeal aided by it being Loona's first official mission as a field member. More than that, Blitzø and Moxxie's storyline intersects with their romantic partners on a thematic level, giving the assassination a greater purpose beyond a comedic mission.

After quite a long time of both premises playing a metaphorical tug-of-war to see which will get more screen time, the series has finally found a way for both to coexist. This continues in episode 2, a Millie-centered story that ties both worlds of the show together while keeping characters centered. Episode 3 is a different beast altogether, as it utilizes the idea of I.M.P.'s missions as a concept to deliver an emotional punch harder than any the series has driven thus far.

It's not without its flaws, though. Season 3's premiere serves as a smart reset, but also includes some of the most eye-rolling humor of the bunch. Even guest stars Anthony Padilla and Ian Hecox of Smosh fame can't save the humor with their line delivery. Thankfully, this is the only episode where the humor doesn't land. Episodes 2 and 3 are full of funny character moments, with the third installment in particular getting me to laugh out loud more than once. The show manages to fix some of its most glaring flaws in the drama department too.

Helluva Boss Season 3 Fixes Blitzø & Stolas In A Compelling Way

Helluva Boss has had a tendency to sanitize the decisions Blitzø and Stolas make in the name of true love. It's been the series' biggest flaw, oftentimes acknowledging the pair's affair and subsequent romance as messy without diving much deeper. This complication only furthers in the premiere, where Stolas is beginning to have second thoughts about what he's done. In particular, it ties into his rift with Octavia as he begins to question whether ruining his relationship with his daughter was worth the life he's now living with Blitzø.

On Blitzø's side of things, his arc in season 2 has made him much more receptive to a relationship with Stolas. He wants a real romance with him, and has begun putting in extra effort to show he wants to make things work. It's a compelling switch-up, showcasing how much Blitzø has changed while emphasizing Stolas' personal role in destroying good things in his life, like his relationship with Octavia.

Episode 3 is a masterpiece in this regard, peeling back both of their layers to reveal some disquieting truths. It's both the funniest and most dramatic episode of the bunch, offering deeper insight into both characters. By the end, my perspective on the pair had shifted, making me wonder just where the story is truly planning on taking these star-crossed lovers. I'm not sure how audiences will react, but it's certain to be dynamic fuel for the rest of the season.

Of course, other characters continue to shine with some memorable stories of their own. The previously mentioned episode 2 builds on Millie's characterization, a fitting follow-up to season 2's "Ghostf**kers." With her pregnancy reveal at the end of season 2, it feels like the show finally knows what to do with her character beyond her skills as an assassin. It's a breath of fresh air that makes the I.M.P. gang feel more fleshed out than they've ever been.

It helps that the animation has gotten a clear upgrade, with a smoothness surpassing even Hazbin Hotel season 2. There are frames across all three episodes that could be hung up on a wall, delivering powerful visual storytelling that goes hand-in-hand with both the funny and weighty elements of the show. With comedy that lands, high-stakes drama, and fantastic visuals, Helluva Boss has reached its apex.

As the first season of the show released on Prime Video instead of on YouTube (where new episodes will still debut some time after streaming), there's plenty of expectation about what it means for the Hellaverse's future. For fans awaiting any Hazbin Hotel Easter eggs, you and I are in the same boat. While Helluva Boss season 3 features more noticeable references to one shared attribute of the Hellaverse, you won't be seeing any VoxTek logos or character crossovers in the first three episodes. But, given the character-driven focus of this batch, it's probably for the best.

Helluva Boss season 3 delivers on a new era of the show. Third time really is the charm, and the show manages to get every aspect it's aiming for to blend together without question. The comedy, the drama, the action, the intense character moments. The series has finally found its footing by balancing all of them, while fixing a number of issues I thought had marred the series for good. Season 3 part 1 is off to a promising start, which will hopefully be followed through with for the remainder of the unreleased episodes.

Helluva Boss season 3 part 1 premieres with three episodes Wednesday, October 14 on Prime Video. Two episodes will be released per week until Wednesday, October 28. Season 3 part 2 will arrive in 2027.