"Reincarnated as a Sword II" – New Key Visual and Trailer Show the Battle Against the Lich

The TV anime "Reincarnated as a Sword II" has a concrete start date: The second season of the adaptation of Yuu Tanaka's light novel series will air in Japan from October 7, 2026. Along with the announcement, those in charge released the first key visual, the second trailer, and a commercial spot, offering a detailed look at the new story.

The key visual shows Fran and her companion "Master" in the midst of battle, with the new major antagonist, Lich, rising before them. The undead ruler, who dwells in the depths of the floating island, is voiced by Shou Hayami. The second trailer is set to the opening theme "DREAM OF BUTTERFLY" by FZMZ and features action sequences against a host of undead creatures as well as the clash with Lich. Individual shots also hint at a connection between the character Nanashi, voiced by Shiori Izawa, and the floating island. In the commercial spot, the ending theme "Baribari Buddy" by the band Hanabie. can be heard for the first time.

The TV broadcast begins on October 7 at 24:00 (Japan time) on TOKYO MX; ABC TV follows the same night at 26:15. BS Asahi picks up the series starting October 9 on Fridays at 23:00, and AT-X from October 9 at 21:00. Already one week before the TV start, from September 30, the season will air on ABEMA, which will stream the episodes exclusively and in advance.

FZMZ and Hanabie. are responsible for the theme music of the second season. FZMZ frontman MAQUMA describes "DREAM OF BUTTERFLY" as a song about the paradox of the "butterfly dream" and the question of whether life before or after rebirth is the truly real one. Hanabie. describe their "Baribari Buddy" as a deliberately rousing piece whose chorus invites sing-along. The opening was written by MAQUMA and JACK, arranged by HONNWAKKA88; the ending was written by Yukina and Matsuri and arranged by Matsuri together with Keita Kawaguchi.

The source material by Yuu Tanaka, with illustrations by LLO, is published by GC Novels (Micro Magazine) and originally started in 2015 on the Japanese web platform Shosetsuka ni Narou. It centers on a protagonist who is reborn into a fantasy world as an "intelligent weapon" – a sword with its own consciousness – and there meets the cat-eared girl Fran, who calls him "Master." In the second season, the two set out for an island floating high in the sky. There they encounter the necromancer Jean Douby (Yuma Uchida), who wants to completely conquer the island's dungeon – a labyrinth full of undead, in whose depths Lich rules as dungeon master and king of the dead.

Direction is again by Shinji Ishihira, series composition and screenplay by Takahiro Nagano, and character design by Atsuko Saito. The animation is again produced by Studio C2C, and the music is composed by Yasuharu Takanashi. The voice cast includes, alongside Shinichiro Miki (Master) and Ai Kakuma (Fran), Hiroki Goto (Urushi), Yuma Uchida (Jean Douby), Shiori Izawa (Nanashi), and Shou Hayami (Lich). The first season aired from October to December 2022; the sequel was announced shortly after the finale. Before the start of the second season, AT-X will show a marathon of all twelve episodes of the first season on October 4. Internationally, the series will be available via the streaming service HIDIVE, which has added it to its fall 2026 lineup. Additionally, on September 30, the day of the streaming start, the October issue of the manga magazine Comic Ride will be released with the new spin-off "Reincarnated as a Sword: My Dish." In a special program celebrating the twelfth anniversary of the GC Novels label, Shinichiro Miki and Ai Kakuma also looked back at the first season on ABEMA and presented highlights of the sequel.