Sekiro: No Defeat looks unique, brutal, and absolutely stunning.
There have been rumors about a possible Sekiro anime for quite some time now. In fact, some leakers in the industry were talking about it since 2023. The rumors got pretty much confirmed recently, when the Japanese publisher Kadokawa registered the web domain "Sekiro-Anime.jp".
And now at the Gamescom Opening Night Live we finally got the confirmation along with an awesome trailer.
What We Know So Far
The anime will be developed by Qzil.la and will release in 2026. This will mark the studio's first full-fledged anime, since they have previously only worked on anime openings, endings and smaller projects. You might have seen some of their works, as the opening to the beloved Hell's Paradise was made by Qzi.la.
The anime will be directed by Kenichi Kutsuna – a key animator who worked on famous animes like Naruto: Shippuden, Bleach, One Punch Man. Kutsuna says, that the goal is to create a "memorable experience", as:
"it is being crafted to leave a lasting impression on both dedicated fans of the game and those who are discovering the world of Sekiro for the very first time."
In order to be even more authentic and faithful to the game's source material, the Japanese voice actors Daisuke Namikawa, Miyuki Satou, and Kenjiro Tsuda will reprise their roles as Wolf, Kuro, and Genichiro Ashina respectively.
AI Allegations
In the comments of the trailer and other sites, many fans of the game seem anxious about Qzil.la's involvement. This is due to the reason that the studio self-reportedly uses AI to improve anime production. But it is way too early to jump to conclusions just yet.
I hadn't heard of Qzilla, the production company behind Crunchyroll's Sekiro anime. The trailer okay, but something felt kind of off. Looked them up on MAL, and they didn't seem to have much motion in terms of the thirteen things it's produced. Checked the company website and... pic.twitter.com/qi7qgmH6d3
— Isaiah D. Colbert is on Bluesky (@ShinEyeZehUhh) August 19, 2025
We will just have to wait for more information or until the show releases to know if AI was being used during the production. Sekiro: No Defeat is reportedly set to feature full, hand-drawn 2D animation, and the trailer seems to support that claim.