SEKIRO The Movie “SEKIRO: NO DEFEAT” Announced for 2026 Release With PV and Theme Song “Blu” by Ryuichi Sakamoto

The popular action game SEKIRO: SHADOWS DIE TWICE is getting a theatrical anime adaptation. The film SEKIRO: NO DEFEAT is scheduled for release in 2026, with a promotional video and theme song details revealed.

The theme song has been confirmed as “Blu” by composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, taken from the album The Best of “Playing the Orchestra 2014.”

Hand Drawn 2D Animation Brings the World of SEKIRO to the Big Screen

The anime will be produced entirely in hand drawn 2D animation. Animation production is handled by Qzil.la Inc., while KADOKAWA Corporation and ARCH Inc. are responsible for production and project planning.

The film aims to capture the emotional yet beautiful lives of its characters, intense sword clashes, and the distinctive world where the brutality of Japan’s Sengoku era coexists with traditional Japanese beauty. The production emphasizes hand drawn animation to fully express the atmosphere of the original game.

Staff and Cast Return From the Original Game

The main staff includes Kenichi Kutsuna as director, Takuya Sato as scriptwriter known for Kase san, and Takahiro Kishida known for Haikyu!! as character designer.
Several voice actors from the original game will reprise their roles.

Daisuke Namikawa returns as Wolf, Miyuki Sato as Kuro, and Kenjiro Tsuda as Genichiro Ashina.

Additional returning cast members include:

Jin Urayama as The Sculptor
Shizuka Ito as Emma
Akimitsu Takase as Hanbei
Takaya Hashi as Owl
Tetsuo Kanao as Isshin Ashina

The newly released PV showcases thrilling sword fight scenes, the tragic yet beautiful lives of the characters, and a striking world where the fierce Sengoku era blends with traditional Japanese aesthetics.

Comment From Director Kenichi Kutsuna

“When adapting the overwhelmingly beautiful world of SEKIRO: SHADOWS DIE TWICE into animation, I gathered every sense of beauty I could bring into this production.
Whether you are a fan of the game or experiencing the world of SEKIRO through animation for the first time, I believe this film will leave you with something meaningful after watching it. Please look forward to it.”

Comment From Shun Fukudome, CEO of Qzil.la

“Expressing the beauty and intensity of the original work through animation has been a challenge that required great determination.

Together with an incredible team of creators who share this vision, we are constantly experimenting to pursue visual expression that only animation can achieve. We are committed to creating a work that will deeply resonate with both fans of the original and those encountering the story for the first time.”

Comment From Tetsushi Suzuki, President of ARCH

“When planning this project as a producer, we discussed with the staff how to portray the story of a lonely master and servant through animation.

Although they are bound together, they remain isolated. We believe this theme deeply connects to people living in the modern world as well.

Through this project, Director Kutsuna also launched the creative collective STUDIO BETTA, with ARCH participating in its management. We are grateful to FromSoftware, the creators of the original work, to KADOKAWA which oversees domestic distribution, and to Crunchyroll which oversees international distribution, for helping bring this project to audiences.”

Source : ORICON NEWS