"Armored Trooper Votoms: The Gray Witch": Twelve More Roles Introduced – From the Vamps Squad to a Young Mechanic

For "Armored Trooper Votoms: The Gray Witch," the completely new theatrical sequel to the classic real-robot series directed by Mamoru Oshii, the cast for twelve additional characters has been announced. Shinichiro Miki, Yuki Kaji, Yuichi Nakamura, Satoshi Tsuruoka, Tomokazu Sugita, Kenta Miyake, Chafurin, Hochu Otsuka, Daisuke Ono, Takayuki Sugo, Takahiro Sakurai, and Sumire Uesaka step into the new roles; accompanying this, character descriptions, comments from the voice actors, and a 30-second trailer have been released. The first of two parts of the film, produced as a Sunrise 50th anniversary work, will hit Japanese theaters on November 20, 2026.

The original TV series "Armored Trooper Votoms" was created in 1983 under the direction of Ryosuke Takahashi and shaped the genre of realistic combat mecha anime. More than four decades later, Oshii, internationally known for "Ghost in the Shell" and "Mobile Police Patlabor," continues the series. The plot of "The Gray Witch" is set at the end of the Hundred-Year War between the star powers Gilgamesh and Balarant in the Astragius Galaxy. At the center are the pilots of the humanoid combat machines AT (Armored Trooper) of the Scope Dog type, whose lives on the front planet Valkyria II are treated as sheer expendable material.

The previously announced main characters are Ash Vamps, voiced by Miyuki Sawashiro, and the officer Maki Stauffenberg, voiced by Mabuki Ando. Ash is a sergeant in the 601st Parachute Division and belongs to a penal company; because she always returns as the sole survivor from seemingly hopeless battles, she is feared as a "witch." Maki serves as a captain in the 808th Independent Propaganda Company and has the secret mission to investigate the enigmatic soldier. To find the truth on the battlefield, she ultimately joins the dangerous drop operation of Ash's unit herself as an AT pilot.

The twelve newly introduced characters group around this duo. Maki's staff includes the experienced sergeant Alix Barrack, voiced by Shinichiro Miki, as well as the private Ignis Schweinsteiger, nicknamed "Schweini," who was only recently assigned to the mission, voiced by Yuki Kaji – a role for which director Oshii reportedly immediately said "fits perfectly," according to Kaji. The so-called Vamps squad, which fights with Ash, consists entirely of problem cases: Fritz Gersdorf, voiced by Yuichi Nakamura, stood out in other units for defiant behavior but possesses exceptional AT skill. Brunhart Müller, voiced by Satoshi Tsuruoka, avoided a prison sentence by voluntarily reporting to the penal company. Adrian Dysler, voiced by Tomokazu Sugita, is a highly decorated pilot who was transferred as punishment for a breach of orders. Matt Hummels, voiced by Kenta Miyake, pilots a fire-support AT and joined the unit at his own request.

The military background is formed by Colonel Soltig van Gunnar, voiced by Chafurin, as commander of the front base on Valkyria II, as well as military police captain Vid Hildebrandt, voiced by Hochu Otsuka. His adjutant Meteusz Julian Podolski, voiced by Daisuke Ono, receives the order to monitor the newly arrived Maki. From the company responsible for AT maintenance come finally the special lieutenant Weissweiler, who rose from troop service, voiced by Takayuki Sugo, his deputy, the master sergeant Oliver, voiced by Takahiro Sakurai, as well as the young girl who works alongside Weissweiler in the maintenance unit and is voiced by Sumire Uesaka.

Several of those involved are considered dedicated fans of the series. Kaji spoke of a mix of awe and gratitude at being allowed to participate in a work by Oshii; Sugita, who deliberately puts the "biggest scoundrel" of the group into his role, is known for his pronounced Votoms passion. Miyake recalled nights spent watching the old TV series on LaserDisc, and Uesaka reported coming to the series via the spin-off "Pailsen Files." Chafurin, in turn, had already voiced a small role in the original series.

Sunrise (planning and production) and Production I.G as co-production partner are responsible for the production; distribution lies with Bandai Namco Filmworks. The screenplay is by Oshii and Kei Yamamura, with series creator Ryosuke Takahashi serving as supervisor. The characters are designed by Kazuchika Kise as well as Tetsuya Nishio, Takashi Kojima, and Shingo Ogiso; the mechanical designs come from Kunio Okawara and a team around Shinobu Tsuneki, Yoshihiro Sono, Ju Ishiguchi, and Wataru Inada. The music is composed by Oshii regular Kenji Kawai, and the sound is handled by Kazuhiro Wakabayashi. Part 1 of "Armored Trooper Votoms: The Gray Witch" opens in Japanese theaters on November 20, 2026; the date for Part 2 has not yet been announced.