FromSoftware’s action game Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is getting a full television anime series titled Sekiro: No Defeat, streaming exclusively on Crunchyroll starting in January 2027. Kadokawa, Qzil.la, and ARCH are producing the eight-part series, which expands upon a theatrical version currently screening across cinemas in Japan.
Crunchyroll holds global streaming rights worldwide, excluding Japan, China, Korea, Russia, and Belarus. The animated series adapts the original game’s plot, following the shinobi Wolf and Kuro, the Divine Heir, across a reimagined Sengoku-era Japan torn apart by conflict and the search for immortality.
The project marks an unusual distribution path from Japanese art houses to Western streaming platforms. The animated feature originally screened internationally at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France under the “Feature Films: Midnight Specials” programme and premiered in North America at Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival. Following a planned three-week run in Japanese cinemas, Kadokawa extended the domestic cinema screenings before expanding the material into eight serialised episodes for home viewing.
The production team claims the project is fully hand-drawn, setting it apart from contemporary 3D digital pipelines commonly used in video game adaptations. Kenichi Kutsuna directs the series, with screenwriting handled by Takuya Satou, best known for writing and directing the anime adaptation of Steins;Gate. Takahiro Kishida (Haikiu!!, Durarara!!) serves as character designer, adapting FromSoftware’s visual aesthetic into animation model sheets.
Production Staff and Cast Details
Qzil.la, alongside production company ARCH, founded in 2017, handles the animation. Both studios operate out of Tokyo, placing the core production alongside FromSoftware’s own headquarters.
| Role | Production Lead |
| Director | Kenichi Kutsuna |
| Screenwriter | Takuya Satou |
| Character Designer | Takahiro Kishida |
| Deputy Director | Shunsuke Fukui |
| Chief Animation Director | Kaito Moki |
| Action Animation Director | Takashi Mukoda |
| Art Director | Yuji Kaneko |
| Color Designer | Azusa Sasaki |
| Cinematographer | Keisuke Nozawa |
| Editor | Yoshinori Murakami |
| Sound Director | Yasushi Nagura |
| Composer | Shuta Hasunuma |
| Produced by | ARCH |
| Production Company | Qzil.la |
The announced Japanese voice cast sees major voice talent stepping into key roles:
- Wolf: Daisuke Namikawa
- Kuro / The Divine Heir: Miyuki Satou
- Genichiro Ashina: Kenjiro Tsuda
The press announcement made no mention of an English dub or Western language cast, leaving it unconfirmed whether Western voice actors like Noshir Dalal will reprise their roles from the English audio track of the original video game.
The video game Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, published by Activision, has sold over 10 million units worldwide since its 2019 launch.
Watch the official trailer for the series on YouTube:
Quick Links
- Stream the upcoming series when it airs on Crunchyroll.
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