We’ll be seeing more of Teen Akilah when Yellowjackets returns for its fourth and final season.
Nia Sondaya, who has recurred as Teen Akilah since Season 2, has been promoted to series regular for the upcoming final chapter of the Showtime/Paramount+ Premium series.
The news follows a major—and unsettling—Season 3 finale, which left Akilah’s fate hanging in the balance. In the closing moments, Akilah walks away after confronting Teen Lottie (Courtney Eaton), making it clear she will no longer follow the increasingly dangerous “Wilderness” visions. Her disappearance immediately sparked questions about whether she survived the aftermath—questions Season 4 is now positioned to answer.
Season 3, titled “Full Circle,” delivered some of the show’s biggest revelations yet. In the wilderness timeline, Mari was revealed as the long-teased “Pit Girl,” while Shauna emerged as the new Antler Queen, symbolized by her donning Jackie’s necklace. In the present-day storyline, the survivors continued spiraling under the weight of guilt, trauma, and violence, with Natalie successfully making radio contact that hinted rescue may finally be within reach. The finale also revealed that Callie was responsible for Lottie’s death, deepening the moral fractures within the group.
Created and executive produced by Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, Yellowjackets follows a high school girls’ soccer team whose plane crashes in the remote northern wilderness. The series moves between their harrowing fight for survival in the 1990s and the long shadows those experiences cast over their adult lives nearly 25 years later.
Season 4 has been confirmed as the final chapter, with Lyle and Nickerson previously stating the series was always designed to have a “proper ending.” The final season is expected to focus heavily on the survivors’ reintegration into society following their rescue, while continuing to unpack the present-day consequences of what they did to survive.
Production is scheduled to begin in early 2026 in Vancouver, with the season expected to premiere in late 2026. Returning cast members include Melanie Lynskey, Christina Ricci, Tawny Cypress, Sophie Nélisse, and more, with Hilary Swank set to reprise her role as adult Melissa.
Sondaya’s promotion signals that Teen Akilah’s story—once quieter compared to some of the show’s more dominant figures—will play a meaningful role in how Yellowjackets ultimately closes out its descent into survival, belief, and consequence.
Sondaya’s additional credits include FBI, Truth Be Told, and Bel-Air.