A new trailer has been revealed for the upcoming second season of The Elusive Samurai, which highlights its opening theme song and debut in Japan on July 17, 2026.
The second season’s opening theme previewed in the trailer is “Onigoto” by Japanese singer and actor Kento Nakajima.
Yuta Yamazaki (Love Rice, Wonder Egg Priority assistant director) returns as the director for the anime’s second season, with Yusuke Kawakami (Bocchi the Rock! live performance director) as assistant director, Yasushi Nishiya (Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle sub-character designer) as character designer and chief animation director, Yoriko Tomita (Red River, My Dress-Up Darling Seasons 1-2) as series composer, Kazuko Nakashima (Trapezium, Fureru.) as color designer, and Ayumi Kojima (The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World) as art director. CloverWorks is in charge of the animation production once again.
Meanwhile, the anime’s main voice cast stars:
- • Asaki Yuikawa as Hojo
- • Hinaki Yano as Shizuku
- • Mari Hino as Kojirou
- • Sayumi Suzushiro as Ayako
- • Aoi Yuki as Genba Kazama
- • Kikunosuke Toya as Fubuki
- • Yuichi Nakamura as Suwa Yorishige
The first season of The Elusive Samurai ran from July 2024 to September 2024 with a total of 12 episodes. The second season was first announced in October 2024. Crunchyroll is streaming the anime in select countries and territories worldwide and will do so again for the second season.
The original manga series by Yusei Matsui, the author of Assassination Classroom, was serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump from January 25, 2021 to February 16, 2026. Twenty-five tankobon volumes have been published in Japan as of May 2026, with a 26th volume set to be released on August 4, 2026. The manga won the 69th Shogakukan Manga Award in 2024.
The Elusive Samurai manga is published digitally on Manga PLUS, while VIZ Media licensed it for English print release, describing the main synopsis as:
After the massacre of his family by the traitor Ashikaga Takauji, Tokiyuki flees with the help of a handful of loyal retainers who have also survived the purge. One of them is Suwa Yorishige, an ally of the Hojo clan and lord of Suwa Province. The slightly odd Yorishige also claims to be clairvoyant and foretells that Tokiyuki will one day become the ruler of Japan. But for the moment, escaping from enemy territory is the priority!
Sources: The Elusive Samurai Official X/Twitter (2), Crunchyroll News