The anime film SEKIRO: NO DEFEAT, based on FromSoftware’s award-winning action game SEKIRO: SHADOWS DIE TWICE, is set to screen at theaters across Japan for a limited three-week run beginning September 4, 2026. The production has unveiled a new set of scene cuts showcasing its stunning hand-painted background art, and on August 18 — Japan’s “Rice Day” — character details for Ochi no Miko (変若の御子) were also revealed alongside a special visual.
A Fully Hand-Drawn 2D Feature Film
SEKIRO: NO DEFEAT is a full 2D animated film drawn entirely by hand, directed by Kenichi Kutsuna — a leading web animator in Japan’s sakuga scene making his feature-film directorial debut. The film is produced by Qzil.la, with production and overall producing handled by KADOKAWA and ARCH respectively.
Story
Set during Japan’s Sengoku period, the story takes place in the land of Ashina, hidden beyond snow-covered mountain passes. Wolf (狼), a seasoned shinobi raised on the battlefield, serves the young lord Kuro (九郎), the last descendant of a bloodline called the Dragon’s Heritage (竜胤) — a power capable of granting immortality. The two are bound together as lonely master and retainer, fleeing Ashina samurai who seek to exploit Kuro’s blood.
Along the way, they discover that the Dragon’s Heritage also spreads a deadly plague known as the Dragon’s Rot (竜咳). Kuro, learning that only his own death can end the affliction, resolves to sever the Dragon’s Heritage at the cost of his life. Wolf, upon learning of his master’s hidden resolve, sets out alone to fight against fate itself and change Kuro’s destiny.
Hand-Painted Backgrounds by Studio Aojashin
One of the film’s most distinctive features is its background art, created using predominantly analog techniques. Art director Yuji Kaneko (金子雄司), head of studio Aojashin (青写真), painted each background by hand on paper using actual pigments and brushes. The studio has previously contributed to acclaimed works including Kill la Kill, Ranking of Kings, Patema Inverted, and Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan’s Island.
Kaneko commented on his approach:
“What I was conscious of in this film’s art was making good use of ‘cinematic black.’ In analog paint, pure black doesn’t exist — you mix various colors to achieve something that looks black, and on top of that, the colors shift again when projected onto a screen. I also deliberately left the brushstroke texture and the vitality of the paint visible, as the director requested.”
The newly released scene cuts include a majestic view of Ashina Castle rising dark against snowy mountains, rendered in a style reminiscent of ink-wash painting, with the pale sky, roof tile textures, and frozen air all meticulously captured. Other cuts show Wolf and Kuro standing in a pampas grass field, a tense confrontation between Wolf and Genichiro in the castle’s great hall, and a candlelit tatami room where the quiet bond between master and retainer is tenderly illuminated.
Ochi no Miko Revealed on Rice Day
On August 18, Japan’s “Rice Day,” the production unveiled character information for Ochi no Miko (変若の御子), voiced by Risa Shimizu (清水理沙). The character possesses the power to produce rice and plays a pivotal role in the story. A special “rice visual” was released for the occasion, depicting Ochi no Miko cradling grains of rice in her hands while bathed in a soft white light, conveying a sense of warmth and sanctity.
Additional scene cuts show her resolute gaze, a quietly sorrowful expression, a moment of prayer with rice cupped in her hands, and a profile shot in darkness as she looks out with an anxious expression. The film’s official X (formerly Twitter) account is also running a rice giveaway campaign to mark the occasion.
Film Details
- Title: SEKIRO: NO DEFEAT
- Release: September 4, 2026 (3-week limited theatrical run, Japan)
- Original Work: SEKIRO: SHADOWS DIE TWICE (FromSoftware)
- Director: Kenichi Kutsuna
- Screenplay: Takuya Sato
- Character Design: Takahiro Kishida
- Sub-Director: Shunsuke Fukui
- Chief Animation Director: Kaito Mogi
- Action Animation Director: Takami Mukoda
- Art Director: Yuji Kaneko
- Color Design: Azusa Sasaki
- Photography Director: Keisuke Nozawa
- Editor: Yoshinori Murakami
- Liquid Art: Atsushi Harata
- Color Grading: Tatsuya Fukumoto
- Music: Shuta Hasunuma
- Theme Song: “Blu” by Ryuichi Sakamoto (from The Best of ‘Playing the Orchestra 2014’)
- Sound Director: Yasushi Nakura
- Sound Effects: Kiyotaka Kawada
- Animation Production: Qzil.la
- Produced by: KADOKAWA / ARCH
- Distribution: ANIMEC
Cast
- Wolf: Daisuke Namikawa
- Kuro: Miyuki Sato
- Genichiro Ashina: Kenjiro Tsuda
- Sculptor (Busshi): Jin Urayama
- Emma: Shizuka Ito
- Hanbei: Mikimitsu Takase
- Owl (Fukuro): Takaya Haji
- Isshin Ashina: Tetsuo Kaneo
- Ochi no Miko: Risa Shimizu
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