It has been roughly a decade. Ten years since Ikki Kurogane first pulled out a blunt sword and defied every trope in the "magic high school" playbook. If you were watching anime in 2015, you remember the vibe. The market was absolutely drowning in light novel adaptations where a generic dude ends up in a school for magical warriors, accidentally walks in on a girl changing, and eventually saves the world with a harem of five girls he barely likes. Then came Chivalry of a Failed Knight—or Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry if you're a purist—and it kind of flipped the script.
Most of these shows fade into the seasonal abyss. They’re forgotten three months after the finale. Yet, here we are in 2026, and people are still asking the same question on Reddit, Twitter, and every obscure anime forum: Where is season 2? Honestly, the answer is a messy mix of industry politics, source material timing, and the simple fact that the anime business doesn't always care about what fans actually want.
The "Failed" Hero Who Actually Wasn't
Let’s talk about Ikki. He’s the "Worst One." An F-rank blazer who can’t manifest a powerful magical weapon. On paper, he’s the ultimate underdog. But the show didn't treat him like a victim. It treated him like an athlete. That’s the nuance people miss. While other protagonists win because of a "hidden ancient power" or some dormant demon soul, Ikki wins because he practices his sword swings until his hands bleed. He uses "Ittou Shura," a technique that basically forces his body to do a day's worth of work in one minute. It’s physically taxing. It’s dangerous. It makes sense.
Then there’s Stella Vermillion. She’s a princess, a genius, and should—by all anime laws—be an annoying tsundere for 24 episodes. Instead? She and Ikki are dating by episode four.
They’re a real couple. They have actual conflicts. They deal with jealousy and physical attraction in a way that feels surprisingly grounded for a show about people who summon fire-swords from their souls. This wasn't a "will-they-won't-they" tease that lasted forever. They committed. That’s why the fans stayed. You aren't just watching for the fight scenes; you're watching two people try to succeed in a world that wants them to fail.
🔗 Read more: Shamea Morton and the Real Housewives of Atlanta: What Really Happened to Her Peach
The "Asterisk War" Comparison That Killed the Momentum
If you want to understand why Chivalry of a Failed Knight struggled to maintain its spotlight, you have to look at The Asterisk War. They aired in the exact same season. They had almost identical premises: magical tournaments, high school settings, and fiery female leads.
But there was a big difference in how they were handled. The Asterisk War had a massive promotional budget and a pre-planned split-cour season. It was "the big one." Chivalry was the scrappy underdog produced by Silver Link and Nexus. While Chivalry generally received better reviews and higher ratings from the actual viewers, Asterisk had the corporate backing that guaranteed it more screen time.
It’s a classic case of the better product not always being the biggest commercial success. By the time the first season ended, the hype was there, but the production committee’s priorities had shifted elsewhere. Silver Link, the studio, stayed busy with other projects like Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya, and the window for a sequel slowly started to creak shut.
What Really Happens After the Anime?
If you only watched the anime, you ended at the Seven Stars Sword Art Festival's beginning. Ikki beats his rival, earns his spot, and proposes to Stella in front of a screaming stadium. It feels like a series finale, but in the light novels by Riku Misora, it’s barely the prologue.
💡 You might also like: Who is Really in the Enola Holmes 2 Cast? A Look at the Faces Behind the Mystery
The story gets dark. Really dark.
The light novels dive into the "Desperado" rank—warriors who have stepped beyond human limits. We find out more about the Kurogane family's corruption, and the fights move from school tournaments to international warfare. There’s a specific arc involving the Kingdom of Vermillion where the stakes become life or death for entire nations. If we ever got a season 2, we’d be seeing a much more mature, brutal version of the story.
The light novel series actually concluded in late 2023 with Volume 19. That’s a huge deal. Usually, anime is made to promote an ongoing book series. Once the books are finished, the incentive for a production committee to fund an expensive TV show drops to almost zero. They don't need to sell books anymore if the series is already over.
The Financial Reality of Season 2
Why hasn't it happened? Let's look at the numbers. To get an anime greenlit, you usually need a production committee—a group of companies like Kadokawa, record labels, and toy manufacturers—to agree that they will make a profit.
📖 Related: Priyanka Chopra Latest Movies: Why Her 2026 Slate Is Riskier Than You Think
- Physical Sales: Back in 2015, Blu-ray sales were the king. Chivalry did okay, averaging about 3,000 units. Not a flop, but not a "must-renew" smash hit like Monogatari or Sword Art Online.
- Streaming: This was right before the massive streaming boom where Netflix and Crunchyroll started throwing money at everything. If Chivalry had come out three years later, a second season would have been a no-brainer.
- The Studio: Silver Link is a great studio, but they are often booked years in advance. They have moved on to massive franchises and original works.
Is it impossible? No. We’ve seen shows like The Devil is a Part-Timer! and Bleach return after a decade. But those are outliers. For Chivalry of a Failed Knight, the silence from the producers has been deafening.
The Legacy of the "Worst One"
Even without a second season, the show left a mark. It proved that you can take a tired, cliché-ridden genre and make something special just by focusing on character growth and a healthy relationship. It didn't rely on "accidental pervert" tropes to fill time. It relied on Ikki's sheer will to overcome his lack of talent.
That resonates with people. Everyone feels like a "Failed Knight" at some point. Watching Ikki master "Seven Sins" or "Oikage" is cathartic because he earned every inch of that power.
If you’re desperate for more, you basically have one option: the books. The English translation of the light novels has had its own rocky road—Sol Press, the original English licensor, basically collapsed, leaving fans in limbo. However, the fan translation community has been incredibly active, and official digital versions have floated around different platforms.
Your Next Steps for Following the Story
Stop waiting for a trailer that might never come and dive into the actual narrative. Here is the best way to experience the rest of Ikki and Stella's journey:
- Read the Light Novels: Start from Volume 4. The anime covers Volumes 1 through 3. Volume 4 begins the actual Seven Stars Sword Art Festival, and it’s where the power scaling starts to get insane.
- Check the Manga: The manga adaptation is solid but it also ended prematurely, covering roughly what the anime did. It’s worth a look for the art, but it won't give you the "ending" you’re looking for.
- Track Riku Misora’s New Work: The author has moved on to other projects. Following his social media or new publications is the best way to support the creator who gave us Ikki in the first place.
- Watch for "Event" Announcements: Every once in a while, an anniversary event might trigger a "reboot" or a movie announcement. Keep an eye on the official Twitter (X) accounts for Silver Link or the Rakudai official site.
The reality is that Chivalry of a Failed Knight might remain a one-season wonder. But in a medium where most shows are disposable, being remembered ten years later is its own kind of victory. Ikki Kurogane was told he’d never be a knight; he became a king instead. Even if we never see him animated again, his story is complete on the page, and it’s a journey worth finishing.