Over the last few years, there have been several new adaptations and interpretations of classic Japanese IPs like Gridman the Hyper Agent, Kinnikuman, UFO Robot Grendizer, and Urusei Yatsura. A recent trademark application suggests that Legendary Armor Samurai Troopers, originally known as Ronin Warriors in the United States, may be next.

On October 16, 2024, Bandai Namco Filmworks (formerly Sunrise) applied to register two new trademarks: “サムライトルーパー” (Samurai Trooper) in two categories. Both categories are associated with merchandise; one is Class 25—clothing—while the other is Class 9—often associated with games. After searching the Japan Patent Office website for previous filings from both Bandai Namco Filmworks and Takara Tomy, it became clear that these are brand new filings.

Normally, projects like this are started to commemorate major anniversaries; SSSS Gridman, Kinnikuman: Perfect Origin Arc, and Grendizer U marked their respective series’ 25th, 45th, and 40th anniversaries, and Dragon Ball DAIMA and the upcoming Fist of the North Star anime are both 40th anniversary projects. Considering the timing, the new Samurai Troopers anime couldn’t be an anniversary project. Samurai Troopers originally aired from April 1988 to March 1989, so it just missed its 35th anniversary (2023) and would be too early for the 40th (2028). So, why now? According to the staff, they’ve actually been trying for a while.

Character designer Hideo Okamoto spoke at Sakura-Con 2019’s Samurai Troopers 30th anniversary panel, revealing that multiple attempts had been made to revisit Samurai Troopers. However, disagreements between IP holder Bandai Namco and major sponsor Takara Tomy killed the project every time. As long as Bandai and Takara squabble, a new Samurai Troopers anime will remain in limbo. But what about a game?

In an interview with Famitsu, Microids CEO Stephane Longeard announced that the company had three games based on Japanese IPs in development and was collaborating with “major Japanese publishers.”

Note: Ryokutya’s summary of the Famitsu article uses the term “メーカー” (maker). Google Translate reads it as “manufacturers,” but hours of reading Japanese game websites to find release dates and other information tells me that “maker” is being used in the same context that “publisher” would be used in English.

Microids currently has two Japanese IP in their portfolio: UFO Robot Grendizer and Cobra. Samurai Troopers shares two important similarities with these series: all three are old enough to be considered classic series and all three have a sizable French fanbase. Longeard stating that Microids is collaborating with “major Japanese publishers” shines a massive spotlight on Bandai Namco, since Bandai (a) is the third largest game publisher in Japan and (b) owns Samurai Troopers. It’s plausible that Bandai would allow Microids to use Samurai Troopers since, nowadays, Bandai rarely publishes games based on their own IPs if it’s not mecha-related or Digimon:

• Love Live’s games have been published by Kadokawa, Bushiroad, and Square Enix.
• Love Live! spinoff Yohane the Parhelion’s games were published by Inti Creates and BeXide.
• Phi Brain’s game was published by Arc System Works.

Looking at the entire situation—the trademarks, Okamoto and Longeard’s comments, the timeline of previous Bandai-involved anniversary projects—the following is possible:

• The new Samurai Troopers project actually is an anniversary project consisting of a new anime and the series’ first console game, but was held up Bandai and Takara’s bickering. Licensing also may have been an issue, as Longeard said it took three years to get the license to produce a Cobra game.
• A new Samurai Troopers anime is in the works, thanks to Bandai and Takara finally agreeing on the series’ direction.
• A new Samurai Troopers game is also in development, and the publisher is either Bandai Namco Entertainment or Microids.

Thanks to projecttokei for putting the trademarks back on my radar and to yukitoringo203 for sending me the Sakura-Con panel and a transcription of the remake discussion.