The Sentenced to Be a Hero: The Prison Records of Penal Hero Unit 9004 anime has received an over 90-second teaser trailer, a visual, an October premiere window, and new details. The show’s director is Hiroyuki Takashima (Symphogear XV co-action director, The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls U149 assistant director).
Sentenced to Be a Hero is based on the light novels written by Rocket Shoukai and illustrated by MEPHISTO, which began in 2021 and has seven volumes as of January 2025. KADOKAWA publishes the series under the Dengeki no Shinbungei label.
Sentenced to Be a Hero was originally a web novel that debuted on Kakuyomu in 2020. It has a manga adaptation by Natsumi Inoue. The anime is produced by Studio KAI.
Synopsis:
Heroism a punishment for only the worst criminals. Those sentenced to the fate of a hero are forced to fight on the front lines against deadly centers of contagion that rot the land and turn its creatures into roving armies of violent beasts. And if a hero dies, their only reward is being brought back to life so they can continue the never-ending battle. But when Xylo Forbartz, a member of Penal Hero Unit 9004 and a convicted goddess killer, comes face-to-face with a new goddess, the pact they forge might just be enough to change the world.
