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Wrath of Rakshasa will join Raging Bull, BATMAN: The Ride, X Flight and SUPERMAN: Ultimate Flight as designs by Bolliger & Mabillard.

Six Flags Great America, Illinois’s largest theme park, has announced a new dive coaster will make its debut in 2025. The name, Wrath of Rakshasa, was announced in a press conference on Aug. 15 with Park President, John Krajnak. Krajnak announced the ride will be located in the Country Fair area of the park, taking the place of the water ride, Buccaneer Battle, that closed in 2021. 

Designed by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M), Wrath of Rakshasa will stand at 180 feet tall and feature a record-breaking 171 foot drop at a 96 degree angle with speeds that reach up to 67 miles per hour. Dive coaster designs typically include near-vertical drops, providing passengers with a free-falling moment. Wrath of Rakshasa’s untraditional train carts create a new experience for thrill-seekers, as the coaster features two to three rows and seats up to 10 riders per row.

“Six Flags Great America continues to push the limits of innovation and thrills, as we introduce the world’s steepest drop with the most inversions on a dive coaster,” Krajnak said. “Wrath of Rakshasa joins our already impressive lineup of record-breaking roller coasters and attractions at the park, demonstrating our commitment to delivering cutting-edge experiences for our guests.”

The name chosen by the park was an intentional play on theming as Rakshasas are shape-shifting demons in Hindu mythology. Wrath of Rakshasa is not the first demon-themed roller coaster in the park, as neighboring the new ride is the Demon, which follows the theme through name and ride experience. 

“We think it’s time that the Demon had another demon just next door for company, and that’s how Wrath of Rakshasa came to be created,” Krajnak said.  

The last roller coaster opened in the park was in July 2019 with Maxx Force making its debut. However, the previous roller coaster designed by B&M was X Flight which opened in May 2012. The roller coaster products built by B&M have become iconic parts of Six Flags Great America, as their other rides consist of BATMAN: The Ride, Raging Bull and SUPERMAN: Ultimate Flight. The popularity of B&M’s roller coasters has fans excited about the potential of Wrath of Rakshasa. 

“I think that adding a new roller coaster would make the park more fun because some of the rides get boring after a while,” sophomore and Six Flags season pass holder Isabella Locascio said. “I would expect [Wrath of Rakshasa] to have higher drops and more twists and turns, a mix of both would definitely make the new coaster beat the old ones.”

With Wrath of Rakshasa becoming the park’s first dive coaster, riders can enjoy a new coaster variety filled with screams, thrills and frights.