The Wizardry Connection
Blade & Bastard is set in the world of Wizardry, the pioneering 1981 dungeon-crawling RPG that helped define the JRPG genre from Final Fantasy to Etrian Odyssey. Kumo Kagyu, best known as the creator of Goblin Slayer, wrote the light novel series with illustrations by so-bin, the artist behind Overlord's cover art. The series launched in December 2022 through Drecom's DRE Novels imprint.
The story follows a resurrected adventurer who recovers corpses from a labyrinth, joined by a feral swordswoman companion. Oricon News reported that the series has surpassed 700,000 copies in circulation and been translated into more than 10 languages. J-Novel Club publishes the English edition under the full title Blade & Bastard: Warm ash, Dusky dungeon, with six volumes out so far.
The teaser PV gives a first look at the anime's dense, atmospheric take on dungeon exploration. Jun Suemi, the illustrator behind the original Wizardry monster art, is credited with monster design cooperation on the anime, tying the adaptation back to the franchise's visual roots. Robert Woodhead, co-creator of the original Wizardry, released a congratulatory video on the official Wizardry YouTube channel to mark the occasion.
Staff and Cast
Tomoki Kobayashi (Akame ga Kill!) directs at studio Xingfu, with Naruhisa Arakawa on series composition and Rina Iwamoto handling character design. Kisuke Koizumi serves as sound director and Hayato Matsuo composes the music.
Makoto Furukawa (Saitama in One-Punch Man) leads as Iarumas, the corpse-recovering protagonist. Tomori Kusunoki (Makima in Chainsaw Man) voices Garbage, his swordswoman companion. Daiki Yamashita (Izuku Midoriya in My Hero Academia) plays Raraja, while Saori Hayami (Yor Forger in Spy x Family) takes on Ainikki. Shion Wakayama (Momo Ayase in Dandadan) rounds out the core five as Berkanan.
Looking Ahead
Blade & Bastard is set for a 2027 premiere, with no specific season announced yet. HIDIVE has confirmed exclusive international streaming rights with a simultaneous release alongside the Japanese broadcast.
The source light novel is already available in English from J-Novel Club, giving fans a head start on the story. A manga adaptation by Makoto Kaedetsuki runs through Drecom's DRE Comics imprint. With the Wizardry trademark now held by Drecom and the original game's artist contributing to the anime, this adaptation carries an unusually direct lineage from the 1981 RPG to the screen.