Summary of this article
The new Sekiro: No Defeat anime trailer offers a glimpse into its Sengoku-era story set in the land of Ashina.
The anime is based on the action-adventure video game Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
Directed by Kenichi Kutsuna, the hand-drawn anime will premiere in Japanese theatres before streaming on Crunchyroll.
A new trailer for Sekiro: No Defeat, the upcoming anime inspired by the popular action-adventure game Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, has been unveiled, offering a closer look at the project’s visual style and storyline. The preview runs for more than 90 seconds and features dramatic scenes accompanied by intense music and dialogue from several characters.
Sekiro No Defeat anime trailer unveiled ahead of Japan premiere
Towards the end of the trailer, a striking line appears on screen stating that the characters must live together so that they may die together, hinting at the story’s darker themes. The anime has also been confirmed to receive a theatrical version that will premiere in Japan before its wider global release.
The theme song for the project will feature “Blu” by the late composer and musician Ryuichi Sakamoto. The track originates from his album The Best of ‘Playing the Orchestra 2014’.
Story set in Japan’s Sengoku Era
Sekiro: No Defeat is set during the Sengoku period of Japan, a time defined by political fragmentation and constant warfare. The narrative centres on the land of Ashina, a mysterious region shaped by ancient traditions and power struggles.
The story follows Sekiro, a loyal shinobi whose destiny becomes tied to a young boy known as the Divine Heir. The plot explores their struggle to protect the region while powerful forces threaten to seize control.
According to the official synopsis, Japan is depicted as a nation divided into rival territories. Ashina stands at the centre of this turmoil, where a new internal threat emerges decades after the region was reclaimed by the warrior Isshin Ashina.
Production team and streaming plans
The anime is being directed by Kenichi Kutsuna, who previously worked on projects including Magical Destroyers, Vlad Love and the opening animation for The Fire Hunter. Character design is being handled by Takahiro Kishida, known for his work on Haikyu!! and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind, while Yuji Kaneko is serving as background art director.
The anime was first revealed through a world premiere trailer shown at gamescom 2025. Following that announcement, speculation about artificial intelligence being used in the animation circulated online. However, the production team clarified in an official press statement that the anime had been “fully hand-drawn”.
Crunchyroll has confirmed that it will stream the anime internationally, excluding regions such as Japan, China, Korea, Russia and Belarus.
The original game Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, developed by FromSoftware, was released in 2018 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC, later expanding to additional platforms.
Sekiro: No Defeat is scheduled to premiere in theatres in Japan in 2026.
