Nakaba Suzuki had a massive problem. How do you follow up on a series where the main characters basically became gods? When The Seven Deadly Sins wrapped up, Meliodas and his crew were so overpowered that any further conflict felt impossible. But then came the Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse, and honestly, it changed the game by shifting the perspective entirely. It isn't just a "next generations" cash grab like some other shonen sequels we've seen lately. It’s a foundational rebuilding of the world of Britannia.
The story follows Percival. He's a kid living on a remote pillar in the sky called "God's Finger." He's innocent. He's kind of a goofball. But his life gets wrecked when a mysterious knight shows up and murders his grandfather. This knight happens to be Percival’s own father, Ironside. It’s dark. It’s personal. And it sets off a journey that connects back to a prophecy about four knights destined to destroy the world—or at least, destroy the version of the world King Arthur Pendragon is trying to build.
Why Arthur is the Villain Now
If you only watched the original series, seeing Arthur as the "Big Bad" is a total trip. In the first series, he was the bright-eyed protégé. Now? He’s the King of Chaos. He has created a "human-only" paradise called Camelot, and he’s willing to commit genocide against every other race—Fairies, Giants, Demons—to keep it safe.
It’s a nuanced shift. Arthur isn't just "evil" for the sake of being evil; he’s traumatized by the constant wars of the previous era. He thinks he's the hero. This makes the Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse feel much more mature than its predecessor. The stakes aren't just about who has the higher power level (though there is plenty of that). It’s about conflicting ideologies.
The "Four Knights" are the only ones who can stop him. According to the prophecy, these are four youths who will bring about the ruin of the world. Percival is one of them. The others? We eventually meet Lancelot (Ban's son), Tristan (Meliodas and Elizabeth’s son), and Gawain.
The Dynamic of the New Crew
Percival is the Knight of Death. That sounds scary, but his power is actually fueled by "Hope." It’s a weird, meta-physical ability where the more people believe in him, the stronger he gets. It makes him the ultimate underdog.
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Lancelot is the standout. Most fans agree he’s the coolest character in the sequel. He’s the Knight of War, and he’s incredibly strong, often acting as the "shonen mentor" figure despite being a teenager. He doesn't use a flashy weapon most of the time; he just wrecks people with his bare hands or a simple bow.
Then you have Tristan, the Knight of Pestilence. He’s a walking contradiction. He has Goddess blood and Demon blood. He wants to be a holy knight, but he’s terrified of the darkness inside him. It’s a classic struggle, but Suzuki handles it with more grace here than he did with some of the original Sins.
Gawain is the wildcard. She’s the Knight of Famine. She’s loud, arrogant, and uses the "Sunshine" ability—though not exactly like Escanor did. She’s a "failed" masterpiece in some ways, struggling to control a power that is clearly too big for her.
Breaking Down the World Building
Britannia feels bigger now. We aren't just staying in Liones. We’re seeing the fallout of the Holy War. The world is scarred. There are "Chaos Staffs" and "Chaos Knights" everywhere.
Suzuki’s art has also evolved. While some complained about the "roundness" of the character designs in the early chapters of Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse, the monster designs are some of the best in his career. The Chaos beasts are eldritch horrors. They look like something out of a nightmare, which contrasts perfectly with the bright, bubbly look of Percival and his friends.
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- The Power System: It’s no longer just "Power Levels" like Dragon Ball. Magic is categorized into types now: Hero, Life, Destruction, and Sealing.
- The Stakes: Characters actually die. There’s a sense of peril that felt missing toward the end of the original series when everyone was essentially immortal.
- The Lore: We finally get answers about what happened to the Lady of the Lake and the true nature of Chaos.
Honestly, the pacing is much faster. You don't have these long, drawn-out training arcs that go nowhere. Every encounter with a Chaos Knight feels like it’s pushing the plot toward the inevitable confrontation with Arthur.
Connectivity to the Original Series
You don't have to watch all seven seasons of the original show to enjoy this, but it helps. When Meliodas shows up—and he does—it feels earned. He isn't the main character anymore. He’s a king. He’s a father. Seeing him interact with Tristan is genuinely touching because he’s trying to be the dad he never really had.
The cameo appearances aren't just fan service. They serve the growth of the new kids. When Ban appears, it’s to show Lancelot’s independence. When Gowther shows up, it’s to provide vital intel that only an immortal doll would know.
Is it better than the original?
That’s a tough call. The original Seven Deadly Sins had the benefit of the "Seven Sins" mystery. We spent years wondering who the Lion’s Sin of Pride was. In Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse, we know who the knights are pretty early on. The mystery is more about how they will stop Arthur and what Arthur’s actual endgame is.
The animation for the sequel (handled by Telecom Animation Film for the first season) is also a significant step up from the disastrous "animation collapse" that happened during the later seasons of the original series produced by Studio Deen. It looks fluid. The colors pop. The fight scenes actually have weight again.
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What You Need to Know Before Jumping In
If you’re planning to dive into the manga or the anime, keep a few things in mind. First, Percival is a very different protagonist than Meliodas. Meliodas was a pervy, ultra-confident warrior with thousands of years of trauma. Percival is literally a child. His growth is more about losing his innocence and realizing that the world is a cruel, complicated place.
Second, the tone shifts. It starts out like a lighthearted adventure—kinda like early Dragon Ball—but it quickly turns into a high-fantasy war drama.
Key Locations to Watch
- God's Finger: Where it all starts.
- Liones: The hub of the resistance against Arthur.
- Camelot: A literal "heaven on earth" that exists in a separate dimension.
- The Demon Realm: Which plays a much more diplomatic role this time around.
Arthur Pendragon’s motivation is the most fascinating part of the sequel. He wants to eliminate everything that isn't human because he believes humans are the only ones who can't regenerate or live for thousands of years, making them the "true" victims of the world’s magical nonsense. It’s a villainous motivation that actually makes you stop and think.
Taking Action: How to Catch Up
If you want to experience the Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse the right way, start with the manga. Nakaba Suzuki’s linework is incredibly detailed, and some of the "horror" elements of the Chaos Knights don't translate perfectly to the screen.
- Read the Manga: Start from Chapter 1. The transition from the end of the original series is seamless.
- Watch the Anime: It’s available on Netflix in most regions. Use it to see the big fights, especially the Lancelot encounters.
- Check the Movies: The Seven Deadly Sins: Cursed by Light and Grudge of Edinburgh act as the "bridge" between the two series. They explain how the world got to this point.
The most important thing is to go in with an open mind. Don't just look for Meliodas. Look for Percival. The story is his, and his journey from a lonely boy on a mountain to a knight who carries the hopes of the world is one of the best character arcs in modern shonen.
Stop comparing the new kids to their parents. Let them be their own characters. Once you do that, you'll realize this sequel might actually have a more cohesive story than the original ever did. The world of Britannia is far from finished, and the threat of Chaos is just getting started.