Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom brings the popular anime series Overlord to the big screen. The movie continues where the anime’s fourth season left off. For those unfamiliar with the series, Overlord occurs in the MMORPG world of Yggdrasil, where Suzuki Satoru ultimately finds themselves trapped within the game after the servers shut down for good. Now known as Ainz Ooal Gown, the story follows him as he seeks to conquer this new reality while trying to find others like him.
In The Sacred Kingdom, Ainz’s latest target is the isolated Roble Holy Kingdom. Instead of following him, the story focuses on the Roble soldiers battling to reclaim their kingdom from the demon lord, Jaldabaoth. Ironically, these soldiers seek Ainz’s help, unaware he is behind their troubles. Ainz, always gentlemanly in his approach, subtly manipulates events to further his conquest.
As someone new to the series, going into the movie without any prior knowledge of the series was a mistake. Instead of focusing on Ainz, the film centers on two new characters: Remedios Custodio, the head of Roble’s military, and Neia Baraja, a squire. The two are contrasting personalities—Remedios is hot-headed and skeptical of Ainz. At the same time, Neia admires him and strives to become stronger under his guidance. This character development adds depth to the story as we see how their responses to Ainz’s hidden agenda unfold.
While Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom won’t resonate deeply with those unfamiliar with the series, fans will appreciate the continuation of Ainz’s dark fantasy conquest.
Despite my lack of knowledge before watching the film, it’s readily apparent that the world of Overlord is harsh, and the film doesn’t stop depicting this. Themes of racism, war crimes, and moral ambiguity are deeply embedded in the Roble Holy Kingdom’s actions and beliefs. Despite Ainz being the antagonist, his views often come across as reasonable, leaving Neia in awe and pushing her to embrace his philosophy. It’s fascinating to see how Overlord blends these dark themes with a rich character exploration, though it also highlights some issues.
The film’s main problem is its pacing. Although it runs for nearly two and a half hours, the first half feels rushed. Important character moments feel crammed together, and action scenes are primarily omitted or cut short. This violates the “show, don’t tell” rule of storytelling, making some sequences feel hollow. The second half, however, picks up the pace with well-paced action and deeper insights into Ainz’s strategies. Though there’s still humor, such as Ainz’s failed attempts to impress others with his gifts, the film focuses on serious fantasy drama.
For newcomers like myself, Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom is somewhat accessible due to its new cast and self-contained story arc. However, many key moments, like Ainz’s backstory and long-standing plans, may become confusing without context from the previous seasons. Nevertheless, the film will shine brightest for fans who already know the lore.
Like any anime movie based on an existing series, Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom is a niche film. So, overall, while it won’t resonate deeply with those unfamiliar with the series, fans will appreciate the continuation of Ainz’s dark fantasy conquest.
Rating: 3/5 atoms
Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom hits theaters on November 8th.
