Earlier today, Kadokawa announced that the upcoming anime adaptation of Rocket Shokai’s Sentenced to Be a Hero: The Prison Records of Penal Hero Unit 9004 light novel has been delayed till January 2026. Kadokawa also revealed that the first episode will be a 60-minute special.
The anime was initially meant to air in October 2025. Moreover, the anime will hold a livestream on July 26 at 7:00 p.m. to reveal new details.
The cast and staff for the anime include:
- Yōhei Azakami as Xylo Forbartz
- Mayu Iizuka as Teoritta
- Shizuka Ishigami as Patausche Kivia
- Shun Horie as Dotta Luzulas
- Shunichi Toki as Venetim Leopool
Staff
- Director: Hiroyuki Takashima
- Studio: Studio KAI
- Assistant Director: Yoshitake Nakakōji
- Scriptwriter: Kenta Ihara
- Character Designer: Takeshi Noda
- Music Composer: Shunsuke Takizawa
- Worldbuilding: Nobutaka Ike
- Prop Designer: Kouta Sugawa
Rocket Shokai’s hit novel series debuted in October 2020 on Kadokawa’s Kakuyomu site. Since then, Kadokawa has been publishing the series in print, starting in September 2021, with illustrations by Mephisto.
Lastly, here’s an overview of the novel series, via publisher Yen Press:
Heroism—a punishment for only the worst criminals. Those sentenced to the fate of a hero are forced to fight at the front lines against the demon king’s army—and if they die, they can expect to be revived and continue the battle. But when their leader, convicted of killing a goddess, meets another goddess himself, the contract they forge may be enough to change the world…
