Chained Soldier Season 2 is filled to the brim with strong women, great power, and invading demons coming through dimension gates, and one young man dealing with a unique way of saving humanity through servitude. The winter anime line-up has us all excited about Takahiro and Yohei Takemura returning to this supernatural war drama, this time with all-new studios backing them up.Chained Soldier Season 2 is set to begin on January 8th, 2026, on several Japanese networks, including Tokyo MX, BS Asahi, MBS, and AT-X, as well as streaming exclusively for international fans on HIDIVE. The first episode will introduce us to the powerful Azuma family, showcase the first-ever anime for Kana Hanazawa as Ren Yamashiro, and also move over to Passione and Hayabusa Film studios for animation.Ren Yamashiro, the chief of the Anti-Demon Corps' 10th Unit (Image Source: Passione and Hayabusa Film)Viewers in Japan can also look forward to a special version of the episode containing less censoring available on AnimeFesta, d Anime Store, and DMM TV starting January 13th, 2026. HIDIVE typically releases new episodes at these approximate times:Pacific Standard Time (PST): 8 am, January 8, 2026Central Standard Time (CST): 9 am, January 8, 2026Eastern Standard Time (EST): 10 am, January 8, 2026India Standard Time (IST): 8:30 pm, January 8, 2026Greenwich Mean Time (GMT): 3 pm, January 2026Casts of Chained Soldier Season 2A battle sequence from Chained Soldier Season 2's trailer (Image Source: Passione and Hayabusa Film)For the new season, there are some big changes to the cast and crew. The voice cast will have new members like Kana Hanazawa, who will voice the new character Ren Yamashiro. He’s going to bring that coldly accurate style and tons of awesome moments! Also joining the cast are Kana Ichinose (Konomi Tatara), Fairouz Ai (Mira Kamiunten), Manaka Iwami (Bell Tsukiyono), Fuka Izumi (Yakumo Ezo), and Yukana (Fubuki Azuma).The Azuma family is a key part of the story's development, and the other characters are introduced below. Also, Sayuri Sadaoka stars as Riu Myouga, Hina Kino as Saki Tokoroyama, Anna Yamaki as Kaiko Itsuki, Shiori Isawa as Tobera Azuma, Yuna Nemoto as Homare Azuma, and Kaori Maeda as Maia Azuma.Production Changes and Theme SongsFor Chained Soldier Season 2, a brand new crew is on board. The studio Passione and Hayabusa Film have taken animation production over from seven arcs, while the directorial team will be led by Masafumi Tamura, who has previously directed The World's Finest Assassin and Wise Man's Grandchild.The series's soundscape is renewed and evolving with fresh theme songs. The opening theme song "Hikari yo, Boku ni" (English Translation: Light, Come to Me!) is performed by the voice of Kyouka Uzen, Akari Kito. The ending theme songs include two separate performances: "Cipher Cipher," arranged and performed by Kana Hanazawa, and "LOVE LOVE Beam," performed by Maaya Uchida.Story ContinuationEzo is seen riding on Yuuki's transformed Shuki (Image Source: Passione and Hayabusa Film)Chained Soldier Season 2 continues to tell the tale of a world where mysterious gates to an alternate dimension, called Mato, allow the release of dangerous monsters named Yomotsu Shuuki upon humanity with women having been granted super powers from strange "Peaches," as a result allowing the rise of a matriarchal society with female warriors (Anti-Demon Corps) to protect the human race.Yuuki Wakura has a power known as a "doubling effect" on those women who use the Peaches; however, he can only experience this by becoming Kyouka Uzen's "willing slave." The second season will provide a deeper exploration into the relationship between Yuuki and Kyouka, introduce several new units in the Azuma family commanders, and display the transformations Yuuki undergoes.The new trailer shows off even better animation, more developed sound, and character development in ways that add something really special to the franchise compared to what was available in season one. The action scenes look a lot cleaner.Final ThoughtsChained Soldier Season 2 positions itself as a standout entry in the Winter 2026 anime lineup. Higher production quality with more characters and continuing the epic tale of the supernatural from the first season, this season will blow away the expectations of the previous season.Whether you're returning to the world of Mato or discovering the series for the first time, Chained Soldier Season 2 delivers action-packed supernatural storytelling with complex character relationships and high-stakes battles against monstrous threats.