Kenshi Yonezu has written a new song titled “Yodaka” (夜鷹) as the theme for the upcoming live-action film Kingdom: Tamashii no Kessen, which opens in Japanese theaters on July 17, 2026. Alongside the announcement, a new trailer featuring the song has been released, along with a fresh artist photo of Yonezu and comments from the creative team.
The Kingdom film series is based on Yasuhisa Hara’s popular manga. Four films were released between 2019 and 2024, collectively drawing over 17.34 million viewers and grossing more than 24.5 billion yen, establishing it as a flagship franchise in Japanese cinema.
The fifth installment, Kingdom: Tamashii no Kessen, adapts the manga’s highly popular “Allied Forces” arc (合従軍編). It depicts the largest battle in the series as the state of Qin faces six allied states in a war that will decide its survival. The trailer centers on Shin’s vow to become “the greatest general under the heavens,” interwoven with the ambitions of Qin King Ei Sei and the legacy left by General Ouki. The theme song “Yodaka” dramatically underscores tense scenes including the duel between Shin and Bankyoku.
Director Sato Shinsuke commented, “When I first heard the completed ‘Yodaka’ at the end of the film, I was moved by the poignant feeling within the song, which seemed to carry the same wounds and pain shared by enemies fighting each other.” Producer Matsuhashi Shinzo added, “I felt a simple, strong human ‘core’ at the center of the vast world.” Notably, the film’s subtitle was originally planned as “the greatest battle in history” but was changed to “Soul Showdown” (魂の決戦) inspired by the song.
The cast includes Yamazaki Kento, Yoshizawa Ryo, Hashimoto Kanna, Kiyono Sana, Oguri Shun, Tamaki Hiroshi, and Sato Koichi. Release details for the theme song “Yodaka” are currently undecided.
Comments
Kenshi Yonezu:
“I created a song called ‘Yodaka.’ I am honored to participate in the Kingdom films, which feel vast and open like a festival that clears the air for everyone once a year. I wish Shin all the best as he forges straight ahead, awkward as he is.”
Director Sato Shinsuke:
“Kingdom: Tamashii no Kessen casts shadows of individual battles that cannot be dismissed as simple good versus evil, amid a massive war. When I first heard ‘Yodaka’ at the end of the film, I felt the poignant pain of enemies who bear the same wounds and sorrow. The song seems to carry the sadness of war, where vengeance complicates the fight. ‘Yodaka’ is an incarnation of lonely souls. Their cries, hurting each other, echo in the film’s afterglow and make this film special within the series.”
Producer Matsuhashi Shinzo:
“I wanted Kenshi Yonezu to create the theme song that would open a new world for the ever-evolving Kingdom. I conveyed the setting of the greatest battle ever—Qin versus six nations—and asked him to watch the rough cut and compose freely, because I didn’t want to limit his imagination. When I first heard ‘Yodaka,’ I felt a simple, strong human ‘core’ at the heart of the expansive world. The film’s subtitle was initially ‘the greatest battle in history,’ but this song inspired us to change it to ‘Soul Showdown.’ Such was the impact. The duel between Bankyoku, who bears the ‘darkness’ of the soul, and Shin, the symbol of ‘light’ who accepts everything, will surely move audiences. And when you hear ‘Yodaka,’ you will be deeply moved by its splendid depth.”
“Yodaka” by Kenshi Yonezu
Theme song for Kingdom: Tamashii no Kessen
Release details TBA (stay tuned)
Kingdom: Tamashii no Kessen
Opening July 17, 2026 nationwide in Japan
© Yasuhisa Hara / Shueisha ©2026 Kingdom Film Production Committee
