Qzil.la-Produced Theatrical Anime 'SEKIRO: NO DEFEAT' to be Screened for 3 Weeks Only from September 4, 2026 (Friday)!
The theatrical anime 'SEKIRO: NO DEFEAT', produced by Qzil.la, is set to be screened nationwide for a limited three-week period starting September 4, 2026. Based on FromSoftware's popular game 'SEKIRO: SHADOWS DIE TWICE', the film is entirely hand-drawn 2D animation. It has also been selected for the Midnight Special section of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2026.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 9, 2026 at 04:00
- 🔍 Collected: May 8, 2026 at 19:32
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 8, 2026 at 20:11 (39 min after Collected)
FromSoftware, Inc.'s 'SEKIRO: SHADOWS DIE TWICE' is an action-adventure game depicting the battles of a shinobi in the late Sengoku period.
It has been decided that 'SEKIRO: NO DEFEAT', an anime based on 'SEKIRO', will be screened for a limited three-week period in theaters nationwide starting September 4, 2026.
Along with this, the main visual for the theatrical version has been released. With the tagline "Together. To live and to die," the journey of a helpless master and servant continues amidst falling snow.
This work is entirely hand-drawn 2D animation, produced by Qzil.la Inc. (read as "Kujira", Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director: Shun Fukudome, hereinafter "Qzil.la"), with KADOKAWA Corporation and Arch Inc. handling production and producing, respectively. The rating is [PG12].
Furthermore, 'SEKIRO: NO DEFEAT' has been selected for the Midnight Special section at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2026, a special category that gathers experimental and cutting-edge works.
Sharpened swordplay, meticulously depicted visual beauty. We will deliver the story of 'SEKIRO' to the world.
Theme Song: Ryuichi Sakamoto "Blu" (from the album 'The Best of 'Playing the Orchestra 2014'')
Ryuichi Sakamoto
Born in 1952, Tokyo. Completed his master's degree at Tokyo University of the Arts. Made his solo debut in 1978 with 'Thousand Knives'. In the same year, he participated in the formation of YMO. After YMO disbanded in 1983, he released works such as 'Ongaku Zukan', 'BEAUTY', 'async', and '12', continuously pursuing innovative sounds, which earned him global acclaim. For film scores, he won the BAFTA Award for Best Film Music for 'Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence' (83/Director: Nagisa Oshima) and the Academy Award for Best Original Score, Golden Globe Award, and Grammy Award for 'The Last Emperor' (87/Director: Bernardo Bertolucci), among many others. He also actively crossed over into the art world with stage productions like "LIFE" and "TIME", and large-scale installation exhibitions in 2018 at piknic/Seoul, 2021 at M WOODS/Beijing, 2023-2024 at M WOODS/Chengdu, and 2024-2025 at Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo/Tokyo. He frequently addressed environmental and peace issues, founding the forest conservation organization "more trees". He also established the "Tohoku Youth Orchestra" to support the musical activities of children in disaster-stricken areas. Died on March 28, 2023.
◾️Comment from Kenichi Kutsuna (Director)
In animating the overwhelmingly beautiful 'SEKIRO: SHADOWS DIE TWICE', I am approaching this production by gathering all the "beauty" I possess. The work is shaping up to be something that both game fans and those encountering the world of 'SEKIRO' for the first time through anime will surely take something away from. Please look forward to it.
＜Kenichi Kutsuna Profile＞
Born in 1983, Aichi Prefecture. Graduated from the Department of Image Media, Faculty of Media Arts, Nagoya University of Arts and Sciences. Began publishing animation online in his teens, which caught the eye of industry professionals, leading him to participate as a key animator in TV anime while still in university. After graduation, he worked as a freelance animator, active as a key animator, animation director, and character designer. He is known in the animation industry as a pioneer of digital animation. Recent major works include the OP animations, storyboards, direction, and animation direction for 'Vlad Love' (2021), 'The Fire Hunter', and 'Magical Destroyers' (both 2023).
◾️Comment from Shun Fukudome, Representative Director, Qzil.la
Expressing the charm of the original work, which combines beauty and intensity, through animation has been a challenging endeavor requiring great resolve. Together with the wonderful creators who have supported this challenge, we are daily experimenting and striving to pursue the visual beauty that only animation can express.
We will sincerely dedicate ourselves to production so that this work will deeply resonate with both fans of the original work and those experiencing the series for the first time through anime.
'SEKIRO: NO DEFEAT' Overview
◾️Title
【Japan】 SEKIRO: NO DEFEAT
【Overseas】Sekiro: No Defeat
■ STAFF
Original Work: SEKIRO: SHADOWS DIE TWICE (FromSoftware, Inc.)
Director: Kenichi Kutsuna
Screenplay: Takuya Sato
Character Design: Takahiro Kishida
Assistant Director: Shunsuke Fukui
Chief Animation Director: Kaito Motegi
Action Animation Director: Takashi Mukoda
Art Director: Yuji Kaneko
Color Design: Sa
It has been decided that 'SEKIRO: NO DEFEAT', an anime based on 'SEKIRO', will be screened for a limited three-week period in theaters nationwide starting September 4, 2026.
Along with this, the main visual for the theatrical version has been released. With the tagline "Together. To live and to die," the journey of a helpless master and servant continues amidst falling snow.
This work is entirely hand-drawn 2D animation, produced by Qzil.la Inc. (read as "Kujira", Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director: Shun Fukudome, hereinafter "Qzil.la"), with KADOKAWA Corporation and Arch Inc. handling production and producing, respectively. The rating is [PG12].
Furthermore, 'SEKIRO: NO DEFEAT' has been selected for the Midnight Special section at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2026, a special category that gathers experimental and cutting-edge works.
Sharpened swordplay, meticulously depicted visual beauty. We will deliver the story of 'SEKIRO' to the world.
Theme Song: Ryuichi Sakamoto "Blu" (from the album 'The Best of 'Playing the Orchestra 2014'')
Ryuichi Sakamoto
Born in 1952, Tokyo. Completed his master's degree at Tokyo University of the Arts. Made his solo debut in 1978 with 'Thousand Knives'. In the same year, he participated in the formation of YMO. After YMO disbanded in 1983, he released works such as 'Ongaku Zukan', 'BEAUTY', 'async', and '12', continuously pursuing innovative sounds, which earned him global acclaim. For film scores, he won the BAFTA Award for Best Film Music for 'Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence' (83/Director: Nagisa Oshima) and the Academy Award for Best Original Score, Golden Globe Award, and Grammy Award for 'The Last Emperor' (87/Director: Bernardo Bertolucci), among many others. He also actively crossed over into the art world with stage productions like "LIFE" and "TIME", and large-scale installation exhibitions in 2018 at piknic/Seoul, 2021 at M WOODS/Beijing, 2023-2024 at M WOODS/Chengdu, and 2024-2025 at Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo/Tokyo. He frequently addressed environmental and peace issues, founding the forest conservation organization "more trees". He also established the "Tohoku Youth Orchestra" to support the musical activities of children in disaster-stricken areas. Died on March 28, 2023.
◾️Comment from Kenichi Kutsuna (Director)
In animating the overwhelmingly beautiful 'SEKIRO: SHADOWS DIE TWICE', I am approaching this production by gathering all the "beauty" I possess. The work is shaping up to be something that both game fans and those encountering the world of 'SEKIRO' for the first time through anime will surely take something away from. Please look forward to it.
＜Kenichi Kutsuna Profile＞
Born in 1983, Aichi Prefecture. Graduated from the Department of Image Media, Faculty of Media Arts, Nagoya University of Arts and Sciences. Began publishing animation online in his teens, which caught the eye of industry professionals, leading him to participate as a key animator in TV anime while still in university. After graduation, he worked as a freelance animator, active as a key animator, animation director, and character designer. He is known in the animation industry as a pioneer of digital animation. Recent major works include the OP animations, storyboards, direction, and animation direction for 'Vlad Love' (2021), 'The Fire Hunter', and 'Magical Destroyers' (both 2023).
◾️Comment from Shun Fukudome, Representative Director, Qzil.la
Expressing the charm of the original work, which combines beauty and intensity, through animation has been a challenging endeavor requiring great resolve. Together with the wonderful creators who have supported this challenge, we are daily experimenting and striving to pursue the visual beauty that only animation can express.
We will sincerely dedicate ourselves to production so that this work will deeply resonate with both fans of the original work and those experiencing the series for the first time through anime.
'SEKIRO: NO DEFEAT' Overview
◾️Title
【Japan】 SEKIRO: NO DEFEAT
【Overseas】Sekiro: No Defeat
■ STAFF
Original Work: SEKIRO: SHADOWS DIE TWICE (FromSoftware, Inc.)
Director: Kenichi Kutsuna
Screenplay: Takuya Sato
Character Design: Takahiro Kishida
Assistant Director: Shunsuke Fukui
Chief Animation Director: Kaito Motegi
Action Animation Director: Takashi Mukoda
Art Director: Yuji Kaneko
Color Design: Sa