I believe it was a couple of years ago when a new Magic Knight Rayearth anime adaptation was announced as part of its 30th anniversary. Come Fall 2026 and that new adaptation will finally hit screens. The original 1994 series is considered a classic and was one of the first that delved into the (now overused) “isekai” concept.
Hikaru Shidou, Umi Ryuzaki, and Fuu Hououji are suddenly summoned to another world, “Cephiro,” while on a field trip to Tokyo Tower.
There, the three learn that Princess Emeraude, who has protected the peace and order of “Cephiro” with the power of prayer, has been taken captive, and that the world is in danger.
Summoned by Emeraude to save Cephiro, can the three girls truly become the legendary Magic Knights and save the princess and the world?!
During Anime Expo 2026 this weekend, a new trailer was revealed, which finally shows a glimpse of the Rune Gods. And yes, I’ve been very curious as to how they will look like with the benefits of modern animation.
By the way, I’m not saying, in any way, that the original series nor its animation were inferior, but certain liberties were definitely taken with the animation limitations during that period. For the Rune Gods, these were reflected in the relatively simpler designs that stripped down the ornamented visual elements.
These are all going back for the 2026 adaptation.
I did say they only showed glimpses with these head shots, but they do look really good. For more context, here are solicitation images of RIOBOT Rayearth to better illustrate the simplified designs.
Speaking of MODEROID, I am hoping Good Smile Company would also release kits of these modern versions, though I’m not the most optimistic on how they’ll do color separation. But I’ll worry about that once they’ve actually announced kits.
Magic Knight Rayearth (2026) will premiere in October along with the Fall 2026 anime season.
