7.3/1025 votes#1 - Sprouting Dive Start!
Season 3 Episode 1 - Aired 7/12/2018
Haruka has entered Hidaka University, where he's now training with the swim club to prepare for a newcomer tournament. One day, he runs into Asahi, a swim teammate from middle school. Haruka is later joined by Makoto, who also moved to Tokyo, at a coffee shop to catch up with Asahi... and the topic quickly turns to Ikuya, another teammate they swam with in middle school. On the day of the newcomer tournament, Haruka and Asahi are in the same race for the first time in years... and the spectacle is watched by Hiyori, who calls Haruka an "inferior copy of Ikuya." After the race, as Haruka is walking through the halls with Asahi, he catches sight of Ikuya passing by..
Director: Eisaku Kawanami
Writer: Masahiro Yokotani
7.0/1023 votes#2 - A Promise on a Shooting Star!
Season 3 Episode 2 - Aired 7/19/2018
Haruka and his relay teammates decide to hold a training camp in the summer of their second year of middle school. During the night, Haruka heads out to the pool and finds Ikuya looking up at the stars.
Director: Shinpei Sawa
Writer: Masahiro Yokotani
7.7/1022 votes#3 - First Swim in Another Country!
Season 3 Episode 3 - Aired 7/26/2018
Rin, now living in Australia, trains hard every day with swimmers from all around the world. Then a Japanese guy shows up where his team is training, challenging each of his teammates to races and beating them one by one. Even Rin is surprised when this newcomer reveals his identity...
Director: Yasuhiro Takemoto
Writer: Masahiro Yokotani
7.2/1020 votes#4 - Interference of Loss!
Season 3 Episode 4 - Aired 8/2/2018
Haru, Makoto, and Asahi visit Shimogami University in hopes of talking to Ikuya, but even after looking all over campus, they can't find him. Hiyori, however, notices them and makes it his mission to keep them from seeing Ikuya.
Director: Tatsuya Ishihara
Writer: Masahiro Yokotani
7.1/1020 votes#5 - An Ominous Workout!
Season 3 Episode 5 - Aired 8/9/2018
The Iwatobi High School Swim Club is participating in a joint training camp with the Samezuka Academy and Soufuukan High School teams. Sousuke is also participating as an alumnus. In the midst of the excitement, Rei and Nagisa notice that something is odd about Romio's swimming. Then Shizuru tells them the story of what happened to Romio in middle school...
Director: Taichi Ogawa, Taichi Ishidate
Writer: Haruna Matsuda
7.2/1020 votes#6 - The Mermaid of the Abyss!
Season 3 Episode 6 - Aired 8/16/2018
Hiyori still remembers the first time he saw Ikuya smile. Both boys grew stronger through rigorous training while they studied abroad in America... but seeing Haruka threw Ikuya off his stride. Now Hiyori wishes Ikuya would just forget about Haruka for good.
Director: Naoko Yamada
Writer: Reiko Yoshida
7.4/1022 votes#7 - A Solitary Medley!
Season 3 Episode 7 - Aired 8/23/2018
With the college championships approaching, all the swimmers are training hard on their own in addition to their official club practices. Haruka is also undergoing some extra training, with coaching from the mysterious man they've been seeing around campus. Makoto is concerned about the arrangement, but Haruka assures him that he asked for the help himself
Director: Noriyuki Kitanohara
Writer: Masahiro Yokotani
7.8/1023 votes#8 - Metamorphosis of the Soul!
Season 3 Episode 8 - Aired 8/30/2018
After the breakup of his middle school swim team, Ikuya decided to get stronger on his own and not rely on anyone. But Haruka, breaking out of his freestyle comfort zone to swim in the individual medley, tells Ikuya that he's not alone.
Director: Haruka Fujita
Writer: Masahiro Yokotani
7.4/1020 votes#9 - Interval in the Evening Calm!
Season 3 Episode 9 - Aired 9/6/2018
Haruka's next race is the All-Japan Invitational, which determines who will represent Japan at the global level. To prepare for this important tournament, Haruka is invited to a special training camp.
Director: Shinpei Sawa
Writer: Haruna Matsuda
7.7/1020 votes#10 - The Grab Start of Hope!
Season 3 Episode 10 - Aired 9/13/2018
Makoto has been unable to get in touch with Haruka following the friendly race at his training camp, making him worry that Haruka is dwelling on what happened. Then Nao approaches Makoto to tell him about a rumor he heard.
Director: Yasuhiro Takemoto
Writer: Reiko Yoshida
7.8/1022 votes#11 - Streamline of Unity!
Season 3 Episode 11 - Aired 9/20/2018
Makoto meets up with the members of the Iwatobi Swim Club who are in Tokyo for the nationals. Meanwhile, Haru continues his training.
Director: Taichi Ishidate
Writer: Masahiro Yokotani
8.5/1040 votes#12 - Dive to the Future!
Season 3 Episode 12 - Aired 9/27/2018
Nagisa, Rei, and the rest of the Iwatobi Swim Club have come to cheer on their former teammates at the All-Japan Invitational. Makoto tells them the story of how ever since Haruka swam for the first time, he'd been swimming only freestyle.
Director: Eisaku Kawanami, Taichi Ogawa
Writer: Masahiro Yokotani
The Best Episodes of Free! Season 3
Every episode of Free! Season 3 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Free! Season 3!
The story revolves around Haruka Nanase, a boy who has always loved to be immersed in water, and to swim in it. Before graduating from...
Genres:AnimationComedy
Network:Tokyo MX
Season 3 Ratings Summary
"Sprouting Dive Start!" is the best rated episode of "Free!" season 3. It scored 7.3/10 based on 25 votes. Directed by Eisaku Kawanami and written by Masahiro Yokotani, it aired on 7/12/2018. This episode is rated 0.3 points higher than the second-best, "A Promise on a Shooting Star!".