Kagurabachi Officially Reveals Dark Shonen’s Greatest Swordsman With New First Look

Kagurabachi fans just got a taste of what’s coming in 2027 with an official new preview of Dark Shonen’s newest and possibly the greatest swordsman to date. Chihiro Rokuhira, the new king of Dark Shonen anime, revealed his official anime design ahead of its long-awaited premiere.

Officially launching in April 2027, the Kagurabachi anime TV series finally revealed the full anime character design for Chihiro Rokuhira, arguably one of the most peculiar protagonists in Shonen Jump history. The dark anime swordsman, once mocked as the “Morbius of Manga,” is now seen as one of the most highly anticipated Shonen Jump anime adaptations in recent years.

Japanese entertainment company CyberAgent is well aware of the high expectations Kagurabachi fans have for an anime adaptation, as it has employed Cypic (Umamusume: Cinderella Gray, The Summer Hikaru Died) for the honorable task. Additionally, Kagurabachi fans worldwide will soon experience Episode 1 of the anime ahead of its 2027 release through an early international preview scheduled for 2026.

Kagurabachi’s New First Look Reveals Dark Shonen’s Greatest Swordsman

“A quiet boy who sets out on a journey to avenge his father, who was killed by the Hishaku, and to recover the six stolen Enchanted Blades,” the official character description for Chihiro reads, via a press release. “With the remaining seventh Enchanted Blade in hand, he walks a blood-soaked path.”

“In the newly unveiled character trailer, the protagonist, Chihiro Rokuhira, emerges with a piercing gaze that seems to shoot right through the viewer. ‘I can’t allow slime like you to wield a katana.’ — These words harbor his unwavering conviction and his resolve to bear the weight of it all. Clad in a jet-black coat and accompanied by the black goldfish, his figure exudes a quiet yet overwhelming presence, foreshadowing the epic battles that are about to unfold.”

Tetsuya Takeuchi (Action Animation Director on Sword Art Online II, Battle Scene Storyboards/Episode Director/Animation Director on Heavenly Delusion) assumes the role of official series director for Kagurabachi. Keigo Sasaki (Blue Exorcist, The Seven Deadly Sins) is in charge of character design.

Chihiro Rokuhira is voiced by Taihi Kimura, winner of the Best New Actor award at the 2025 Seiyu Awards. Kimura is also featured in Liar Game, The Beginning After the End, and Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe.

Kagurabachi Anime World Tour – World Premiere Screening at Anime Expo

• Location: Los Angeles
• Date & Time:
  • Friday, July 3, 2026
  • 4:45 – 6:05 PM PDT
• Venue: Los Angeles Convention Center (Room: JW Marriott Diamond)
• Details:
  • Screening of the first 20 minutes of Episode 1
  • Special appearance by anime cast and staff
• Panel Session Guests:
  • Taihi Kimura (as Chihiro Rokuhira), Takuro Imamura (Editor of Kagurabachi manga), Koichi Yasuda (Producer of Kagurabachi anime)

New and previous chapters of the Kagurabachi manga by Takeru Hokazono can be read digitally on the Viz Media and Manga Plus apps. The series has surpassed a cumulative circulation of 4 million copies since its initial release in Weekly Shonen Jump on Sept. 19, 2023.