A decade after the Battle of the Breach, the oceans are still, but the restless peace is a façade belying the world's struggle to rebuild and the societal conflicts that arose from the aftermath of the Kaiju war. Jake Pentecost, son of legendary war hero Stacker Pentecost, has abandoned his pilot training for a life in the criminal underworld, dealing in black market Jaeger parts. His rogue lifestyle reaches a critical juncture when a foray into Jaeger tech theft lands him in the hands of the Pan-Pacific Defense Corps, who offer him a choice—prison or return to service. Bowing to necessity, Jake joins the PPDC as an instructor, conflicted yet driven by his father's legacy.

At the PPDC, Jake is reunited with his estranged sister Mako Mori, who now holds a leadership position, and is partnered with the disciplined and skilled pilot Nate Lambert. In the new training program, they encounter Amara Namani, a resourceful orphan who built her own miniature Jaeger, showcasing her genius-level engineering. Despite initial friction, they begin to form a bond, united by their shared understanding of loss and the desire to fight back against looming threats. Together, they must prepare a new generation of pilots for a war that seems inevitable, as seismic shifts indicate the impending return of the Kaiju and new, even more terrifying advancements tease an uncertain future for humankind.