Though it was revealed last summer, the Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice anime adaptation, titled Sekiro: No Defeat, has been flying under most folks’ radars. It’s coming later this year, and its newly released second trailer is a stunner.
As previously announced, the Sekiro anime is airing exclusively on Crunchyroll and has been directed by Kenichi Kutsuna (Puella Magi Madoka Magica), with character designs by Takahiro Kishida (Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle). Takuya Satou (Otherside Picnic) handled the writing, with Shuta Hasunuma (A New Dawn) working on the original music. Check out the latest trailer below:
“In adapting the overwhelmingly beautiful Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice into an anime, I have poured every ounce of my ‘beauty’ into creating this work,” Kutsuna said in a statement released alongside the trailer. “Whether you’re a longtime fan of the game or experiencing the world of Sekiro for the first time through this anime, we’re confident this work will leave you with something to take home. Please look forward to it.”
Fans of FromSoftware’s game will already find plenty to chew on in the anime adaptation’s latest trailer, with bosses like Gyoubu Oniwa and Genichiro Ashina giving Wolf plenty of trouble. Overall, the show seems to be giving Sekiro more of a clear plot, yet it looks and feels extremely faithful to the original adventure and its lyrical tone, so colour me impressed.
Even more impressive is the 2D animation on display, which has a distinct look that takes me back to the 1990s. Shortly after the release of the first trailer, there were claims Sekiro: No Defeat could be using AI in its production pipeline, but the company behind the project quickly shot down those comments and assured fans only hand-drawn animation was being used.
It remains to be seen how the full series fares, but it’s encouraging to see one of FromSoftware’s more unique works being adapted in a way that feels both fresh and familiar. Dark Souls next, please? (Because Elden Ring is going live-action, in case you forgot.)
