The much-anticipated anime adaptation, Guilty Gear Strive: Dual Rulers, an ode to the fan-favorite fighting game franchise, finally has a date set for its premiere.
So, do you find yourself drawn to realms of light or darkness? Either way, if you’re into guilty pleasures like Guilty Gear, there’s some exciting news in store for you. This beloved series is venturing beyond the gaming console with its anime adaptation launching in April 2025. Arc System Works has rolled out a brand-new trailer that brings Strive’s iconic 3D art style to life in a full-blown TV series. It’s also confirmed that the adaptation will be available on Crunchyroll. The trailer offers an April release window, but fans checking the official site will notice an exact start date of April 5. Whether it’ll be a simultaneous release on Crunchyroll remains a mystery, but undoubtedly, more details will surface soon.
The teaser also highlights a number of familiar faces returning to the screen. You’ll get to see series stalwarts like Sol Badguy and Ky Kiske, and favorites such as Bridget, Baiken, Dizzy, Jack-O’, Johnny, Leo, Elphelt, and Ramlethal. There’s also a new face on the scene: Unika, whose role remains somewhat enigmatic. However, we do know she’s set to become a playable character in Strive, likely at some point this year.
The official webpage paints a vivid picture of the storyline, set in a world where magic replaces the once-dominant science and technology as the primary energy source. In a world grappling with the consequences of creating the forbidden bio-weapons known as Gears, a rebellion shakes humanity to its core. Despite victory in the Crusades, the human race bears deep emotional scars years later. Amidst this, Sin Kiske, offspring of a human and a Gear, finds himself at his parents’ wedding ceremony—a union defying the societal norms against such marriages.
Even in peaceful times, such a ceremony’s realization took years and is met with a mix of apprehensions and congratulations. But things take a turn when a mysterious girl crashes the wedding—posing a connection to Gear bloodlines and a brewing animosity against Gears. What follows is a meeting bound to send ripples across the world.
If this all sounds dense and packed with intrigue, well, that’s just what Guilty Gear fans have come to expect from this beloved series. It’s always managed to capture its unique essence and keep things interesting.
