Action and adventure await fans next year with today’s news that AMC Global Media’s HIDIVE will present the highly anticipated new dark fantasy BLADE & BASTARD as part of the fast-growing anime service’s 2027 line-up.
BLADE & BASTARD is adapted from Creator Kumo Kagyu’s popular light novel series, which itself is based on Wizardry. This legendary hit video game franchise helped shape the video game industry’s evolution and gave birth to modern-day role-playing video games. Set to premiere in 2027, BLADE & BASTARD will stream exclusively on HIDIVE and be available to subscribers throughout the U.S. and Canada, as well as in key overseas markets, including the U.K., Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. Today’s announcement coincides with the global release of the English subtitled version of the series’ new teaser trailer, which can be viewed HIDIVE’s YouTube channel here.
“We’re thrilled to reveal that the upcoming new anime BLADE & BASTARD will stream
exclusively on HIDIVE as part of our 2027 simulcast slate,” said John Ledford, President of HIDIVE. “This eagerly-awaited dark fantasy offers an exciting mix of action and adventure that is sure to entertain audiences all series long. Stay tuned for more news about BLADE & BASTARD!”
Deep in the unexplored reaches of the dungeon, the corpse of a man named Iarumas is discovered. Once resurrected, Iarumas loses all memories of his life before death and must now spend his days delving into the dungeon, collecting a finder’s fee for retrieving the bodies of dead adventurers. His skills quickly earn him some grudging respect even as he is scorned for his cold, utilitarian attitude. Because the living keep their distance from him, Iarumas is left to consort primarily with the dead. That is, until he meets Garbage, a feral young swordswoman and sole survivor of a massacred party. With Garbage by his side, Iarumas decides to venture deeper, scouring the dungeon for clues to his past while simultaneously avoiding monsters, traps, and the inevitability of a permanent ashen demise by God’s hand.
BLADE & BASTARD is adapted from the now six-volume light novel series written by Kumo Kagyu and illustrated by so-bin, which launched in December 2022 under Drecom Media’s DRE Novel and is based on the Wizardry role-playing video games franchise published by Drecom Co., Ltd. The English language version of the light novels is available in both print and digital formats from Yen Press and J Novel Club, respectively. In June 2023, a subsequent manga series
The new series is directed by Tomoki Kobayashi, with series composition by Naruhisa Arakawa, character design by Rina Iwamoto, together with monster design cooperation from Jun Suemi, sound direction by Kisuke Koizumi, music by Hayato Matsuo, and animation by xingfu. The cast of BLADE & BASTARD stars Makoto Furukawa as Iarumas, Tomori Kusunoki as Garbage, Daiki Yamashita as Raraja, Saori Hayami as Ainikki, and Shion Wakayama as Berkanan.
Of special note, two separate panels at the L.A. Convention Center during this weekend’s Anime Expo 2026 will feature BLADE & BASTARD. On Saturday, July 4, at 11:30 am Pacific in Room 408AB, the Warner Bros. The Japan Animation Production Industry Panel will provide the latest update on the series, along with special giveaways for the attendees. And shortly after at 1:00 pm in Room 511ABC, the Drecom Industry Panel will present an exclusive Q&A with series stars Makoto Furukawa and Daiki Yamashita.
Source: Press Release
