Sentenced to Be a Hero Episode 1 Review (Winter 2026 Anime)
Sentenced to Be a Hero (also known as Sentenced to Be a Hero: The Prison Records of Penal Hero Unit 9004) aired its first episode on January 3, 2026. Honestly, the show came as a huge shock to me , because Sentenced to Be a Hero has received high ratings on IMDb and has also gone viral on the internet.
Source: 【公式】勇者刑に処す X account
At first, I thought Sentenced to Be a Hero was a light novel series anime which is full of dialogue and has little progression for the story. But as I watched the anime, I quickly realized I was wrong. Sentenced to Be a Hero is not an anime which is full of dialogues, but full of actions and battles. Our MC, Xylo Forbartz (will call him Xylo onwards), fought with the demons and the demon lord for the whole episode.
The battles in Sentenced to Be a Hero have been conducted in high-quality animations; every battle scene and explosive scene is very clean and smooth. Besides the high-quality battle animations, Sentenced to Be a Hero also has very unique settings, which will leave a huge impression on viewers.
After watching the first episode, I was really satisfied and able to understand why Sentenced to Be a Hero has received high ratings. It is a fantastic start, and I wanted to use this post to share some of my specific thoughts on the episode.
Please be aware, spoilers ahead so read at your own risk!
Source: 【公式】勇者刑に処す X account
What is Sentence & Hero:
Before I dive deep into the preview of the first episode, allow me to introduce the world of this anime.
Unlike other anime, becoming a hero in this world is not a good thing. Becoming a hero won’t give you any harem, cute or sexy teammates, or cheat abilities. Well, by becoming a hero, you do get an ability, which allows you to be revived even if you die countless times, but this actually comes with huge costs. Since heroes can be revived countless times, heroes are used as tools to fight against demons and demon lords.
In the world of Sentenced to Be a Hero, there are a lot of demons and demon lords, so a hero is a useful tool for humanity. In this world, no one sees a hero as someone who protects others, but just as tools to fight against demons, and also a compulsory service—a punishment for individuals that have been convicted of serious crimes.
Our MC, Xylo, is a hero and someone who has been convicted of a serious crime, so he is repeatedly dispatched to the front lines as the leader of Penal Hero Unit 9004 and fights against demons since the beginning of the episode.
Although Xylo has a special ability to turn whatever sword or dagger he throws into an explosive, which has effects on the demons, to defeat a demon lord, his power alone is just not enough. Luckily, he encountered Teoritta, the 13th goddess.
Source: 【公式】勇者刑に処す X account
Hero & Goddess - Xylo & Teoritta:
Sentenced to be a Hero is ultimately the journey of Xylo and Teoritta, making their interaction the heart of the series. In any anime, strong chemistry or meaningful conflict between the leads is what leaves a lasting impression, and the first episode delivers this perfectly. Every action feels vivid, and the dialogue allows us to sense their deep-seated emotions.
Xylo has great experience fighting against demons, so he definitely knows that without the power of a goddess, fighting against demons and demon lords is impossible tasks. But since he has been through a lot, he refused to use a goddess until the very end, and of course, with that hesitation, he paid a huge price.
Even without knowing all the details or reading the light novel, just through the animations and dialogues, we can feel every emotion Xylo has very clearly. On the other hand, we can also feel the shock that Teoritta had.
Teoritta is a goddess who was born to be a weapon, or even a tool, to fight against demons and demon lords. For Teoritta, being used by humans to fight against demons is a normal thing; not to be used is the thing that makes her feel weird and uncomfortable. Teoritta wishes to fight with Xylo since Xylo has the heart to save others, but unfortunately, Xylo rejected her until the very end and even tried to pass Teoritta to Patausche Kivia (will call her Kivia onwards).
Teoritta is a weapon, a tool; all she wants is to fight with a person who has the heart for saving others. To be honest, it is a quite simple wish, but since Xylo rejected her multiple times, it left Teoritta feeling confused and uneasy for most of the time.
The interactions and conflicts between Xylo and Teoritta are truly compelling; almost every scene leaves a lasting impression and makes us wonder, "Why?" Why Xylo rejects Teoritta, why Teoritta wants to fight so much, and why Xylo became a hero.
An X post you might be interested in:
◢◤ ⚡︎ TVアニメ『#勇者刑に処す』
— 【公式】勇者刑に処す 懲罰勇者9004隊刑務記録 (@yushakei_PJ) January 7, 2026
アフレコメイキング記録 #01⚡︎ ◢◤
#01 「刑罰：クヴンジ森林撤退支援」
名シーンをキャスト陣が熱演🔥
「頼む。もう他に方法はねぇ」
ザイロ・フォルバーツ役 #阿座上洋平
テオリッタ役 #飯塚麻結#yushakei pic.twitter.com/poALYX1tT9
The word Hero & Xylo’s Path:
In this world, the title of "Hero" is a mark of shame. To most people, including Kivia, Xylo is a despicable criminal. When Kivia sees Teoritta with him, she is outraged, insulting him and even attempting to pick a fight.
The most striking moment is when Xylo saves a crowd of people from demons. At first, the survivors are touched and grateful—until they realize Xylo is a “Hero." The moment his identity is revealed, the gratitude turns to insults. Xylo endures this harsh reality in silence, but as a viewer, it is painful to watch.
Most people don’t know the pain or the history that Xylo is holding, so of course, they hate him just because he is a hero. Everyone hates Xylo; they don’t believe him and they question every act he takes—except Teoritta. Although Teoritta looks very young and sometimes really acts like a child, she somehow noticed the true nature of Xylo. She believed that Xylo is the knight who will save others from demons.
Unlike other criminals or heroes, Xylo does have the heart and will take action to save others, like a true hero. Although Xylo ignored and rejected Teoritta many times, Xylo always ended up moving his body to save others. Even when Kivia made terrible decisions, or when a demon lord appeared, instead of running away or ignoring others, Xylo fought for everyone just like a true hero. Maybe these are the reasons why Teoritta decided on and picked Xylo as her knight.
Xylo may seem harsh to Teoritta and did say something bad to her, but we can understand him. As someone who has encountered all those events, it is very natural for Xylo to close his heart to everyone, including a goddess.
An X post you might be interested in:
◢◤ ⚡︎TVアニメ『#勇者刑に処す』
— 【公式】勇者刑に処す 懲罰勇者9004隊刑務記録 (@yushakei_PJ) January 12, 2026
渋谷4基ヒットビジョン映像公開⚡︎ ◢◤
先週まで掲出された
屋外広告映像をWEB 公開⚔️
┉┉┉┉┉┉┉┉┉┉┉┉┉
主題歌#SPYAIR 「Kill the Noise」
┉┉┉┉┉┉┉┉┉┉┉┉┉https://t.co/5WnyeTboEN#勇者刑活動記録 #yushakei pic.twitter.com/VqroLeqS7Q
Conclusion:
Personal Rating: 9/10
The first episode of Sentenced to Be a Hero is exceptional and fully deserves its high ratings. Between the top-tier animation and the complex character dynamics, it sets a high bar for the rest of the season. It answers just enough questions to get us hooked while leaving us curious for more.
I highly recommend everyone give this a try as the Winter 2026 Anime. I am eagerly looking forward to the next episode and will be back to share more thoughts soon!
Sentenced to Be a Hero: Youtube Trailer
Where to watch: Crunchyroll Netflix
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