Bakunawa: Six Flags' 6-Record Serpent Coaster Is an Absolute Monster
Six Flags Great Adventure just dropped something that makes every other coaster in the park look like a kiddie ride. Meet Bakunawa — named after the serpentine moon-eater of Philippine mythology, and packing six world records into a single, utterly unhinged layout.
Unveiled on July 28, 2026, Bakunawa is already the headliner of New Jersey's thrill season, and the numbers are frankly stupid: tallest beyond-vertical drop on a launched coaster. Fastest inversion. Longest stall element. Most consecutive inversions. The thing reads like a coaster enthusiast's fever dream written on a napkin after three energy drinks.
What Makes It Tick
Bakunawa launches riders from 0 to 94 mph in under three seconds — not quite Top Thrill Dragster territory, but the similarities end there. Instead of a tall slow climb and one big drop, Bakunawa keeps attacking. The layout is a relentless series of inversions, airtime hills, and directional changes that don't let you catch your breath until the brake run. The centrepiece is an LSM-powered launch straight into a 155-foot tall top hat element, followed by a beyond-vertical drop that peels into the world's tallest inversion.
The coaster's signature move is a "stall element" — you go up, hang inverted for a stomach-churning few seconds, then drop out sideways. It's the longest such element on any coaster, and watching POV videos of it is enough to make your palms sweat. The train itself is a sleek, low-to-track design with lap bar only restraint, meaning you get floater airtime that feels like the seat dropped out from under you.
Six World Records. Six.
Let's rattle these off because they deserve to be said aloud:
- Tallest launched coaster with a beyond-vertical drop
- Fastest launched coaster inversion
- Longest stall element on any coaster
- Most consecutive inversions on a launched coaster
- Most inversions on a launched coaster overall
- Tallest coaster in New Jersey
Yeah, that last one is a bit of a technicality — Jersey doesn't have many coasters over 200 feet — but you don't build a ride called Bakunawa and then not claim every record you can get away with.
The Bigger Picture
Bakunawa is the latest volley in the coaster arms race that's been escalating all decade. Tormenta in Texas got the giga dive crown. Pantheon at Busch Gardens Williamsburg raised the multi-launch bar. Now Six Flags is staking its claim with a ride that prioritises inversion count and hangtime over pure height. It's a different philosophy — less "how far can you fall" and more "how many ways can we spin you before you pass out" — and honestly, I think it's the more interesting approach.
The era of just building taller is over. We're in the age of complexity. Rides like Bakunawa and Pantheon prove that the future of coasters is about what happens between the drops, not just the drops themselves. Multiple launches, directional changes, unexpected stalls — these are coaster designs that feel alive, like they're actively trying to trick you.
If you're near Jackson, New Jersey this summer, do yourself a favour. Ride Bakunawa early in the day, then ride it again at night when the serpent-themed lighting package turns the whole structure into a glowing beast. And maybe bring a change of underwear. You'll thank me later.