Last year, The Seven Deadly Sins: Grudge of Edinburgh Part 1 debuted on Netflix, an explosive entry into the long-running Seven Deadly Sins anime series. It moved the storyline ahead 14 years and introduced a brand new character, who found himself struggling with the dual nature of the powers within him.
After seeing his mother fall, he made it out to the strange and mysterious Edinburgh Castle, with one goal in mind: finding out what happened to his mother and conquering the abilities dormant within him.
There was only one real major issue with the film: it ended too early, with a second part scheduled for release later. Now, Part 2 has finally arrived, and it delivers a thrilling conclusion to what may be the biggest adventure the Seven Deadly Sins have seen yet. But one important question remains. Is it worth watching?
The Gist: It’s been 14 years since The Seven Deadly Sins’ original anime series gave way to the multi-part films. In Part 1, we met Prince Tristan Liones (Jeannie Tirado), the son of heroes Meliodas (Bryce Papenbrook) and Elizabeth Liones (Erika Harlacher).
He grew up a fierce warrior, yet still unsure of the demonic power burning within him, inherited from his father. It can slip out when it’s least expected, which often puts Tristan in a difficult place. But the abilities he gained from his mother, including the power of healing, can typically help resolve some of the issues brought on by what happens when his demonic abilities emerge.
After his mother Elizabeth collapses, Tristan realizes she’s afflicted by a curse, and he travels to Edinburgh Castle, where he believes he might be able to find a way to save her. When there, he realizes he’s in for a lot more than he bargained for. The second part of the film picks up right where the first one left off.
Tristan was on his way to see out the Holy Knight named Deathpierce (Ben Lepley), and ends up finding himself in the middle of a battle. Luckily, he has help in the massive conflict he finds himself in as the movie gets started: Lancelot reveals himself to him after ditching his Fairy form.
With the pair reunited after a fight that went awry years ago, the two princes move through the castle as they come face to face with the man named Deathpierce, who abhors non-humans. When everything comes to blows, Tristan is finally able to realize the full potential of his demon and healing powers, thanks to Meliodas and Elizabeth.
Deathpierce ended up a grotesque, twisted monster after failing to get his revenge against the Goddess race, as the series has previously explored. He fell victim to the Staff of Chaos which distorted reality for him and turned him into what he is. Thanks to his reunion with Lancelot, Tristan is able to understand himself and others without issue and harness the powers he needs to save everyone.
What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: The Seven Deadly Sins has always been an action-packed, classic Shonen series. The movies have been no different. If you vibe with anime like Dragon Ball Z, One Piece, or Naruto’s film adaptations, you’ll find plenty to love here, especially in its episodic battles and large-scale adventures. And there are several of those, so you can take your pick, really.
Performance Worth Watching: Deathpierce was a terrifying and imposing presence when introduced in the movie, and that’s due in part to Ben Lepley’s performance. He imbued Deathpierce with a bit of madness among his overwhelming strength, setting the stage for the transformation into insanity we’d later see occur.
Memorable Dialogue: “They’re on the hunt for anyone who’s not human,” Tristan says as he realizes there might be something nefarious going on during his first reunion with his childhood friend — but is almost immediately met with a sucker punch.
Sex and Skin: None at all, though it should be noted characters like Elizabeth and Diane (Erica Mendez) have abundant cleavage and skin on display.
Our Take: Though the conclusion to this film sticks the landing, it really didn’t need to be halved. It would have been great to see everything at once when the first film dropped months ago. But that doesn’t stop it from being the same touching, heartwarming story you’ve likely come to love as a fan of the series itself.
The point of view switches to Tristan and we spend more time with the original cast’s descendants this time around, but it still feels undeniably like another few episodes in the show. For that reason, it doesn’t strike you as a “side story” or extraneous. It really does feel like this is just the next evolution of the show, like a new “season.”
Of course, things do tend to wrap up rather smoothly, but that’s to be expected in the genre. Luckily, this story is exciting enough on its own to see Tristan learn and grow without having to suffer through some sort of loss at the end.
Our Call: STREAM IT. This is required viewing if you enjoyed the first half of the story – literally – because you’ll want to know what happens next. And if you’re not already a fan, watching this entry through might very well make you one. It’s well-crafted, looks great, and it’s action-packed. All we need now are more new episodes.
Brittany Vincent has been covering video games and tech for over a decade for publications like G4, Popular Science, Playboy, Variety, IGN, GamesRadar, Polygon, Kotaku, Maxim, GameSpot, and more. When she’s not writing or gaming, she’s collecting retro consoles and tech. Follow her on Twitter: @MolotovCupcake.