Sentenced to Be a Hero Anime Delayed to January 2026 with Extended Premiere Episode
Sentenced to Be a Hero anime delayed to January 2026, launching with a special 60-minute first episode and new updates from the production team
Image Via KAI
The anime Sentenced to Be a Hero: The Prison Records of Penal Hero Unit 9004 was originally scheduled to air in October 2025, but its release has been pushed back. Now they’re saying it will be in January 2026. The reason? Something about wanting to make it higher quality or better or something. Maybe everything wasn’t ready yet, or they didn’t like how some parts looked.
And also, the first episode is not of normal length. They are making it 60 minutes long, which honestly is kind of rare. Probably they think with that much time, they can explain everything nicely—the world, the backstory, and the characters. It could help people get into it better. But also, if it is not done in the right way, maybe it feels too long.
Studio KAI is doing the animation. The director is Hiroyuki Takashima, and Yoshitake Nakakoji is the assistant director and also designs the monsters. Kenta Ihara is writing the script and planning the whole thing. Character design is by Takeru Noda and the music is by Shunsuke Takizawa. They all sound like they know what they’re doing, but of course, we don't know how it'll go till it's out.
A Dark Hero Story That Works Differently
This show is coming from a light novel that went online in 2020, written by Rocket Shokai on Kakuyomu. After that, ASCII Media Works picked it up and released it under Dengeki no Shin Bungei. The drawings in the novel are from MEPHISTO.
The story is not like a usual hero story. Like, being a hero here is not a prize. It’s punishment. So they take criminals and turn them into heroes, then throw them into broken places full of monsters. When they die, they don’t stay dead. They come back to life and are made to fight again. Over and over. Main guy, Xylo Forbartz, is in this mess because he killed a goddess. But then he meets a different goddess, and things start changing. It’s not all doom. Something emotional in there too—maybe it’s about fixing yourself or breaking out of the system. Hard to say fully yet.
【重要なお知らせ】
— 【公式】勇者刑に処す 懲罰勇者9004隊刑務記録 (@yushakei_PJ) July 1, 2025
TVアニメ『#勇者刑に処す』ですが、作品のさらなるクオリティの向上、そして魅力を最大限にお伝えできる形で皆様にお届けできるよう、放送時期を変更させていただく運びとなりました。
変更後の放送開始は【2026年1月】を予定。また、第1話は60分拡大SPとしてお届けいたします。… pic.twitter.com/ZUeyGcHgye
Fans Outside Japan Can Read the Novel Too
The novel did get some attention. It won the 2020 Kakuyomu Awards in user picks and came second in the Tsugirano Awards. Yen Press is releasing the English version, so people outside Japan can check it as well.
There’s going to be a livestream on July 26 on Kadokawa Anime’s YouTube. The voice cast will be there—Yohei Azakami, Mayu Iizuka, Shizuka Ishigami, Shun Horie, and Shunichi Toki. Maybe they will talk about the anime more or show some new scenes.
Also Read: ELECEED Anime Drops Teaser Trailer and Visual Ahead of 2026 Premiere
Also, earlier in March, a trailer with voices was already shown at Anime Japan. So, fans have already seen a bit of how it may turn out.
Delay is not really great, sure. But if they are using the time to make it better, then maybe it’s not so bad after all. Waiting a few extra months isn’t the worst if the final thing ends up being worth it.
Written By “Sujoy Bhowmik - India Today Gaming”
