Netflix’s new animated series Bass X Machina has made an impressive debut, earning a 100% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes following its 3 November 2026 premiere.
Created by LeSean Thomas and starring Brian Tyree Henry, the six-episode steampunk Western reimagines the story of real-life lawman Bass Reeves, placing him in a dangerous frontier filled with mechanical weapons, supernatural threats and ruthless outlaws.
The series incorporates historical inspiration with science-fiction elements, giving the Western genre a unique twist. All six episodes are now available to stream on Netflix.
While its early critical reception has been encouraging, the perfect score is based on a relatively small number of reviews.
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Why Bass X Machina Is Getting Attention
The series takes inspiration from Bass Reeves, a real-life Black lawman who became one of the first Black deputy US marshals west of the Mississippi River.
Henry voices Bass, a bounty hunter with a mechanical arm that can transform into a weapon. He is sent on a mission to find a missing scientist, but the assignment becomes personal when he discovers a connection to the man responsible for his injuries.
Along the way, he is joined by Dana, a young inventor voiced by Tati Gabrielle, whose approach to justice differs from his own. Between gunfights and mechanical creatures, the show deals with racial discrimination, revenge, colonialism and the consequences of violence, using the familiar language of Westerns to question the history behind the genre.
What Critics Are Saying About Its 100% Rotten Tomatoes Score
Early reviews have been particularly positive about the animation, action sequences and Henry’s performance. Rotten Tomatoes currently lists the series at 100% from 7 reviews, an encouraging start rather than proof of universal critical approval.
Screen Rant described the series as one of the most exhilarating and stylish combinations of anime and other genres, while Variety called it “rewarding to think about, yet just as easy to watch”, according to Forbes’ review roundup.
There are some reservations, though. Writing for RogerEbert.com, Rendy Jones praised its visual style and treatment of racial injustice but noted that repeated disagreements between Bass and Dana sometimes slow the story down.
The critical response suggests that Bass X Machina succeeds most when it combines its inventive setting with meaningful social themes, although its limited episode count leaves some parts underdeveloped.
Will Bass X Machina Get A Season 2?
Netflix has yet to announce a second season, and the show was billed as a six-episode limited series, which suggests the story was planned as a complete run. Creator LeSean Thomas’s earlier Netflix series, Cannon Busters and Yasuke, also ended after one season
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