A TV anime adaptation of the Nia Liston: The Merciless Maiden light novel series has been revealed with an October premiere window, a teaser trailer, and a teaser visual.
Motoko Nakanishi (Love Is Indivisible by Twins, Summoned to Another World for a Second Time) is directing the anime at KONAMI animation. Honoka Inoue is the titular Nia Liston, a frail maiden whose soul is that of a former, powerful hero who still seeks to fsce a powerful adversary in this new life.
Ⓒ南野海風・ホビージャパン/凶乱令嬢ニア・リストン製作委員会
Some of the other staff members are:
• Assistant director: Haruta Segi
• Series composer: Gigaemon Ichikawa (Himitsu no AiPri)
• Character designer: Yuki Ito
• Character designer: Kana Tosaoka
The Nia Liston light novels are written by Umikaze Minamino, the author of Kunon the Sorcerer Can See, and published under Hobby Japan’s HJ bunko label. Volume 1 was released in 2022, and the 10th volume will be out in Japan on January 30, 2026.
The initial illustrator for the series was Jishaku. Katana Canata took over from Volume 3 onwards. Volume 10’s credits, as well as the anime’s original character designer credit section, features both their names.
Nia Liston has received a Square Enix-published manga adaptation. The story began as a Shosetsuka ni Naro web novel in 2019 (with a different kanji for the first word), and was one of the award recipients of the HJ Shosetsu Taisho 2021 Zenki in the Shosetsuka ni Naro category.
J-Novel Club describes the light novel series’ synopsis as such:
A great hero lies undefeated on her deathbed, regretting that she never found a foe who could take her down. She never intended to meet her fate anywhere other than on the battlefield, and her peaceful demise has her wishing desperately that things could have been different… But when she suddenly comes to in the body of the young, frail Nia Liston, she’s got an all-new fight ahead of her. Nia is a sickly child, meaning she has a long way to go before she’s in fighting form. Now that she’s been given a second shot at life, however, she’s determined to get what she wants. She’s going to live—and die—for battle this time! Make way for the Merciless Maiden!
Source: Nia Liston anime website
