Crunchyroll gave fans a fresh look at one of its most anticipated anime projects during Anime Expo 2026 by unveiling the first character designs for Ghost of Tsushima Legends. The reveal took place during the company’s annual Crunchyroll Showcase at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on July 3, where attendees were treated to exclusive announcements, premiere trailers, and updates on upcoming anime titles.
The new visuals offer another glimpse at the anime adaptation of PlayStation’s acclaimed action-adventure franchise, which was first announced last year through a partnership between Crunchyroll, Aniplex, Sony Music, and PlayStation Productions. Although a release date remains under wraps, the latest reveal confirms that production continues to move forward while highlighting the series’ distinctive samurai-inspired art direction.
Beyond Ghost of Tsushima Legends, the showcase also featured major reveals including the announcement of Solo Leveling: Beyond the System, new trailers, and updates for several highly anticipated anime scheduled to arrive on Crunchyroll over the coming months.
First character designs showcase the anime’s samurai aesthetic
The newly revealed character designs provide fans with their clearest look yet at the upcoming adaptation’s visual style. According to Crunchyroll, Ghost of Tsushima Legends follows one of the last surviving samurai as he fights to defend Tsushima against the invading Mongol Empire, adapting the world inspired by the beloved video game.
The anime brings together an experienced creative team. Takanobu Mizuno serves as director, while HAYATE Inc. oversees production. Satoshi Maejima and Gen Urobuchi of NITRO PLUS are writing the script, with Urobuchi also handling story composition. Character designs are created by Takashi Okazaki, and animation production is being handled by KAMIKAZE DOUGA.
Crunchyroll said the series aims to translate the game’s signature samurai atmosphere into a cinematic anime experience. Additional production updates, including the premiere date, will be announced at a later time.
Crunchyroll Showcase delivers major Anime Expo announcements
While Ghost of Tsushima Legends attracted significant attention, another headline announcement came with Solo Leveling: Beyond the System. Fans learned that the new theatrical anime film is officially in production and will continue Sung Jinwoo’s story immediately after the events of Season 2. A teaser key visual and promotional concept video were also unveiled during the panel.
The showcase featured several additional surprises. Dave Grohl appeared in a special video message confirming that Nirvana’s “Breed” will be the opening theme for The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn’t a Guy At All, which is scheduled to premiere in early 2027. Meanwhile, attendees also received an exclusive look at Chihiro Rokuhira’s provisional character design during a special Kagurabachi panel featuring Japanese voice actor Taihi Kimura.
More anime headed to Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll also announced or provided updates on several upcoming titles across different genres. These included Here U Are, Fate Rewinder, The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 5, Dengeki Daisy, Aoashi Season 2, Gacha Girls Corps, Magical Buffs – The Support Caster is Stronger Than He Realized!, The Vermilion Mask, and Overgeared.
The broad lineup demonstrated Crunchyroll’s continued investment in expanding its anime catalog, but the first character reveal for Ghost of Tsushima Legends stood out as one of the showcase’s biggest moments. As fans wait for additional production details, the latest preview has offered an encouraging glimpse of how the acclaimed samurai universe is being adapted for anime.
