Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is now six years old, so it was surprising to see it present at this year's Opening Night Live event at Gamescom. However, it wasn't a fresh game that fans were introduced to. This time around, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is getting its very own anime adaptation, and it's promising fans a beautiful and bloody adventure.
Sekiro was one of the biggest hits of 2019, with the FromSoftware-developed title even taking home the coveted award of Game of the Year at that year's Game Awards ceremony. It's considered by many gamers as one of FromSoftware's greatest works, so it's not surprising that it has inspired a full-blown anime. Naturally, the story stars the game's protagonist, Wolf, but this time around, his approach to combat may be quite different. The anime is officially titled Sekiro: No Defeat, which could potentially hint that Wolf's resurrection abilities won't be part of this adaptation.
Sekiro: No Defeat will be a Crunchyroll exclusive and will arrive in 2026.
Sekiro: No Defeat's Title Could Be Teasing a Lore Shake-Up
The title of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a direct reference to one of the game's most important features: resurrection. Sekiro offers players limited resurrection attempts when in combat. This allows Wolf to come back from the dead and continue where he left off. Of course, players can't use this feature whenever they feel like it. It has to be used strategically, but it remains a core piece of what makes Sekiro so special. Sekiro: No Defeat is a great opportunity to dive deeper into the game's lore, but it could also heavily imply a diversion from the source material, as the title makes it sound like Wolf should avoid defeat at any cost.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice has sold over 10 million copies.
Sekiro: No Defeat Implies the Risks Are Far Greater Now
If the anime adaptation doesn't include the ability to resurrect, then Wolf's journey has the potential to be even more harrowing. Even after six years, Sekiro still holds a lot of influence, and Sekiro: No Defeat is further proof that there is still more to explore within this fascinating world.
While it has yet to be confirmed if the resurrection ability will be present or not, the absence of such a feature could make Wolf feel slightly different as a character. This could be a compelling change, and while risky, may be the best option for the anime's story. Taking down the enemies Wolf encounters along the way in Sekiro is far from easy, so taking resurrection out of the equation quickly raises the stakes, which could make for some truly white-knuckle moments.
Sekiro: No Defeat is being produced by Studio Qzil.la.
Sekiro: No Defeat is further proof that there is still more to explore within this fascinating world.
More Sekiro On the Way is Cause for Celebration
It's been a long time since any fresh news about Sekiro came to light. As of now, Sekiro remains a standalone experience, as FromSoftware hasn't even released DLC for the beloved title. At this point, a sequel seems unlikely, but Sekiro: No Defeat can finally bring something fresh to the table. Longtime fans of the title continue to praise the game, and for very good reason, so it's great to have new content to look forward to, even if it's not a full-blown follow-up.
While the anime is confirmed for next year, it's unclear when exactly it will launch. There's no way to know for sure right now, but as the months pass, more news about Sekiro: No Defea t will hopefully come to light. Until then, now would be a great time to jump back into Sekiro.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 90 /100 Critics Rec: 96%
- Released
- March 22, 2019
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Violence
- Developer(s)
- From Software
- Publisher(s)
- Activision
- Engine
- Proprietary Engine
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG