Ronin Warriors Returns With One of 2026’s Most Controversial Premieres

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January is shaping up to be a huge month for anime fans, with several popular series returning for new seasons. Shows like Jujutsu Kaisen, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Oshi no Ko, and My Hero Academia: Vigilantes are all premiering new installments, promising a strong year for anime. In a surprising development, Ronin Warriors is also making a comeback after a long hiatus with a reboot. While the series features new heroes, its villains are unlike anything seen before, leading to a rather divisive first episode.

The sequel to Ronin Warriors opens with a shockingly violent scene. The new villains – including characters like Nezu, Anayama, Unno, Kakei, and Mochizuki – immediately begin brutally attacking and killing ordinary people, making it clear how dangerous they are. Civilians, including men, women, and children, are quickly and mercilessly killed, which is a stark contrast to the more family-friendly tone of the original series. Adding to the unsettling scene, one of the villains even sings a popular 1980s song by the Japanese pop group, Onyanko Club. You can see the graphic violence in the clip provided.

Considering the name ‘Samurai Troopers,’ I was surprised to see such a violent opening sequence.

— 𝙒𝙖𝙛𝙛𝙡𝙚𝙨 (@MON0EYE) January 6, 2026

Ronin Warriors’ Bloody Return

For many Western anime fans, Ronin Warriors was their very first experience with the medium. The show originally aired on television in 1995 and later gained even more popularity on Cartoon Network’s Toonami block. While several anime series have been rebooted over the years, it’s rare for a show to return after being out of the public eye for so long. Ronin Warriors has always held a special place in the anime world, and the new sequel seems to be continuing that tradition.

Compared to the original Ronin Warriors villains, this new group is even more intense – the earlier antagonists didn’t resort to such extreme violence. Characters like Cale, Anubis, Dais, and Sekhmet were formidable opponents, possessing powers similar to the heroes and working for the demon lord Talpa. However, it doesn’t seem like Talpa will be returning in this new series, and that could be a problem for the new generation of Samurai Troopers.

A key part of how the original series ended involved the villains discovering they were being used by Talpa and then teaming up with the heroes to stop him. However, the new villains in this anime’s premiere have already caused a lot of destruction, suggesting this revival might play out differently. It remains to be seen exactly how this new anime will compare to the original.

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2026-01-07 19:16