Six Flags Great Adventure has finally revealed the identity of the massive purple roller coaster that has been rising over the New Jersey park—and somehow, the final announcement is even crazier than many coaster fans expected.
Bakunawa will open in 2027 as the world’s tallest and fastest spinning launch coaster. The new attraction will stand 382 feet tall, reach a top speed of 100 mph and send riders through 3,163 feet of track during a ride lasting approximately two minutes and 17 seconds.
Just reading those numbers is enough to get my attention. Then Six Flags added the words “floorless,” “free-spinning” and “upside-down launch.”
My mind is officially blown.
The Legend Behind Bakunawa
The attraction is inspired by Bakunawa, a legendary sea serpent from Philippine folklore that is said to live beneath the waves and hunger for the moon.
Six Flags is building the entire coaster experience around that legend. Riders will follow the serpent as it coils upward, rises from the sea and attempts to devour the moon during an eclipse. The purple track and towering spiral already give the attraction a very different identity from the park’s previous record-breaking coaster.
According to Six Flags, riders will climb 382 feet before reaching the top of the spire. Because each vehicle can spin freely, you could arrive at the top looking toward the sky, facing the ground or sitting completely sideways.
Then you drop back down the tower while continuing to spin.
That means the view and overall experience could change every time you ride. There may not be a traditional “best row” on Bakunawa because your seat’s position could be different during every major element.
Three Launches, Including One While Upside Down
Bakunawa will use three separate launches throughout its layout.
The first launch accelerates the train from zero to 60 mph. The second increases the speed from 60 to 80 mph while the train is inverted, creating what Six Flags is calling the world’s first upside-down launch. A third launch then pushes the train from 80 to its maximum speed of 100 mph.
An upside-down launch already sounds ridiculous on a traditional coaster. Now imagine experiencing it in a floorless vehicle that can also rotate freely.
You may enter the inversion facing forward, sideways or backward. Then, while hanging upside down, the train accelerates beneath you.
How is that even going to feel?
This is one of those coaster elements that is difficult to understand by simply looking at a rendering. We are probably going to need to ride it before we can fully process what Six Flags and the ride designers have created.
Six World Records in One Attraction
Six Flags says Bakunawa will claim six world records when it opens:
- World’s fastest spinning coaster
- World’s tallest spinning coaster
- World’s fastest inversion
- World’s longest stall inversion
- World’s first floorless spinning coaster
- World’s first upside-down launch
The fastest inversion will reportedly be experienced at 80 mph. The train will also reach a maximum bank of 180 degrees, adding another completely inverted moment to an already unpredictable layout.
Each train will carry 20 passengers across five coaches. Riders will sit in back-to-back seating arrangements, with four passengers in each coach. The coaster will operate with two trains and have a minimum height requirement of 48 inches.
Remembering the Former King of Great Adventure
It is nearly impossible to talk about Bakunawa without looking back at Kingda Ka.
Kingda Ka opened at Six Flags Great Adventure on May 21, 2005, as the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world. The Intamin accelerator coaster launched riders from zero to 128 mph in approximately 3.5 seconds before climbing its unmistakable 456-foot top hat. It then sent riders down a 418-foot drop before crossing a smaller airtime hill on the way back to the station.
The ride was not long, but it did not need to be. That launch and tower created one of the most intimidating coaster experiences ever built.
Kingda Ka eventually lost its speed record after Formula Rossa opened at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi in 2010, but it remained the world’s tallest operating roller coaster throughout the rest of its life. For almost two decades, its massive green tower dominated the skyline at Great Adventure and became one of the park’s most recognizable landmarks.
Its final rides took place on November 10, 2024. Six Flags confirmed the permanent closure several days later, leaving many coaster fans disappointed that they had not been given an official opportunity to say goodbye.
The tower was later demolished, ending an important chapter in roller coaster history.
From Kingda Ka to Bakunawa
Bakunawa will not be taller or faster than Kingda Ka. Kingda Ka reached 456 feet and 128 mph, while Bakunawa will stand 382 feet and reach 100 mph.
However, Bakunawa is trying to deliver a completely different kind of experience.
Kingda Ka was about raw acceleration, intimidating height and one unforgettable vertical climb. Bakunawa combines major height with free-spinning vehicles, floorless seating, multiple launches, inversions and a much longer layout.
Kingda Ka was the beast that ruled over Great Adventure for nearly 20 years. Now a new creature is preparing to roam the Boardwalk.
Instead of a giant tiger launching over a top hat, riders will be following a mythical sea serpent as it coils around a towering purple spire and attempts to devour the moon.
That feels like a fitting transition. Bakunawa does not appear to be trying to recreate Kingda Ka. It is introducing an entirely new generation of record-breaking coaster technology while still giving Great Adventure a massive skyline attraction.
That Spinning Tower Is Going to Be Wild
The section that has me the most interested is the top of the tower.
After climbing the 382-foot spire, the train will enter a spiral and reach a 180-degree bank. Since the coaches are spinning independently, riders could reach the highest point facing almost any direction before beginning the descent.
Kingda Ka gave riders a brief look across the park before sending them straight down the opposite side of its tower. Bakunawa could make that moment far more unpredictable.
One ride could have you staring directly toward the ground. Another could position you on your back looking toward the sky. You could even begin the descent while facing backward or sideways.
Add the floorless seating and this might deliver one of the strangest sensations ever created on a coaster of this height.
A New Signature Coaster for Great Adventure
Losing Kingda Ka was always going to leave a massive hole in the park’s identity. It was not simply another attraction. It was the coaster people could see from miles away and the ride many guests associated with Six Flags Great Adventure.
Bakunawa now has the difficult job of creating a new legacy in that same park.
Based on what Six Flags has revealed, this does not look like a safe or predictable replacement. The park is going big again with a coaster that combines height, speed and technology in a way we have never seen before.
A 100-mph free-spinning coaster already sounds wild.
A floorless train climbing 382 feet sounds even wilder.
Launching from 60 to 80 mph while hanging upside down sounds completely unhinged.
Bakunawa is currently scheduled to open at Six Flags Great Adventure sometime during the 2027 season. An exact opening date has not yet been announced.
Kingda Ka may have been the former beast of Great Adventure, but a new serpent is rising from the sea—and it sounds ready to devour the park’s skyline.
