The Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse season 2 episode 1: Arthur's Ultimatum offers salvation or destruction

After a six-month hiatus, The Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse returned with Four Knights of the Apocalypse season 2 episode 1 on October 6th, 2024. What started as a personal revenge quest and a quest for answers by Percival has ballooned into saving the kingdom from King Arthur Pendragon's wrath.

The first season ended with episode 24 on March 31st, 2024, on a huge cliffhanger that Four Knights of the Apocalypse season 2 episode 1 picks up from immediately. It's been a hard journey for Percival and the Knights already and Four Knights of the Apocalypse season 2 episode 1 shows it's only going to get harder from here on out.

Disclaimer: The following article will contain spoilers for The Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse season 1.

The Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse season 2 episode 1: King Arthur's "salvation" speech foretells doom

A brief recap of Season 1

The Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse Season 2 Episode 1 opens with a brief recap of Season 1. Percival lived a peaceful life with his grandfather Varghese on God's Finger, until that peace was shattered by one of Camelot's deadliest holy knights and Percival's potential father Ironside.

Following Ironside murdering Varghese and leaving Percival for dead, Percival set out to find answers. Along the way, he learned of the prophecy of the Four Knights of the Apocalypse and made many stalwart friends and companions. His friends included the poison magic user Nasiens, the truth-seeing swordswoman Lady Anghalhad, the mysterious fox Sin who turned out to be Lancelot, and the formally cowardly would-be Holy Knight Donny.

A recap of the Liones Arc (Image via TMS Entertainment)

After many mishaps, including saving the town of Sistana, solving problems in Cant that involved Donny's former brother-in-arms, and defeating The Dark Talismans, the four finally found themselves in the kingdom of Liones. After a couple of misunderstandings, the prophesized Four Knights of the Apocalypse were finally brought together: Percival, Lancelot, Tristan, and Gawain.

This joyous occasion included the return of several Seven Deadly Sins regulars like Meliodas and Tristan. It was harshly interrupted by several enemy attacks on Liones, including Lancelot's former teacher Jericho, and two returning enemies: Melascula and Galand. While the twin demons were defeated and Jericho forced to flee, Four Knights of the Apocalypse Season 1 ended with King Arthur Pendragon making a rare in-person appearance and stopping everyone.

King Arthur's bigoted ultimatum/Fight with Meliodas and Tristan

King Arthur’s ultimatum in Four Knights of the Apocalypse Season 2 Episode 1 (Image via TMS Entertainment)

Following an action-packed OP featuring the song MMH by UVERworld that packs plenty of visuals like the Four Knights all fighting Arthur, The Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse Season 2 Episode 1 opens with King Arthur delivering a bigoted speech to the people of Liones. His message? Turn away from non-humans and join him in salvation in Camelot, or die.

Throughout his narcissistic monologue, Arthur swore that anyone who joined him would be reunited with the lost and deceased in Camelot. It would require only the extermination of non-humans and anyone else who resisted. Though his King's Authority magic prevented most from resisting, Meliodas and Tristan lept into action against him.

Meliodas was powerful enough to carve whole mountains apart, and Tristan couldn't keep up with the two. Their clash was hard and quick, everyone going all out with their strikes and magic. Meliodas tried to get through to Arthur with words, deflecting lethal strikes aimed at Tristan.

But no words could sway Arthur, and Tristan risked losing control of himself. Were it not for Lancelot's Shining Road technique, there was a real risk Tristan and Meliodas would've died. Lancelot then began his duel with Arthur, with everyone else too frozen or exhausted to aid him.

Lancelot vs. Arthur

Lancelot took to Arthur with lightning speed, hitting Arthur several times, knocking two teeth out, and making him bleed. Compared to his godly stature and arrogant attitude at the start, Arthur looked positively shaken by Lancelot taking him in a relatively even fight.

Lancelot also cleanly destroyed Arthur's blade when he attempted to kill Tristan. Although Arthur's sword reformed, Lancelot continued to dance around him while taunting him about not using his right arm since it had been bitten off during the original Seven Deadly Sins.

Four Knights of the Apocalypse Season 2 Episode 1: Arthur retreats (Image via TMS Entertainment)

This proved costly, as Chaos is contained in Arthur's right arm and he uses it to throw Lancelot backwards and damage him. It also threatens Liones with hordes of large monsters until Lancelot's magical pressure manages to banish it. Though Lancelot manages to pierce Arthur's chest, it's revealed that he struck an illusion when Arthur teleports away.

Ironside and the other Canterlot Holy Knights appear in the sky on their ship, warning Arthur that a full-scale war would be risky since the other Sins (Gowther, Ban, King, and Diane) are all turning their attention to Liones. While teleporting away along with his ship, Arthur delivers another statement: The Four Knights of the Apocalypse now have his full attention and will be feeling his wrath.

Epilogue: The gang finally rests

Liones rebuilding (Image via TMS Entertainment)

It's worth noting that the last 10 episodes, from when Percival's group fought the Dark Talismans to the aftermath of all the chaos in Liones, have transpired over a single day. It's no surprise then that everyone is so tuckered out, especially after having to aid in rebuilding and helping the kingdom recover from all the violence.

Four Knights of the Apocalypse Season 2 Episode 1 ends peacefully, with Percival and his motley crew able to rest in a real bed for the first time in a long time. Some things weigh on their minds, such as Percival wanting to know if the promise of Camelot was real, Lady Anne worried about people being deceived by Arthur, and how powerful Lancelot and Arthur were for Donny.

Percival’s crew rests (Image via TMS Entertainment)

Percival was also very down, thinking himself useless until Nasiens comforted him. Anne was also extremely excited that Percival met Meliodas and Percival took that to mean he should get stronger. It's fitting that they all get to say something given how much they've been through.

One last note was Lancelot genuinely smiling at the sight awaiting him when he came to their dwelling: everyone was asleep together on one bed. He said they'd get food together some other night, a rare display of vulnerability for the normally cool Sin. Four Knights of the Apocalypse Season 2 Episode 1's ED is a peaceful yet heartrending song Akairo by Hanna Hope, with visuals of Percival waking up from being treated by Varghese to see his friends in his place.

Four Knights of the Apocalypse Season 2 Episode 1 overall review

Four Knights of the Apocalypse Season 2 Episode 1 is a good return to form for the series that began in 2023. Though a rather odd decision to have the finale of the Chaos in Liones arc be the starter of season 2, it does heighten the stakes by seeing the main villain in action.

The fights are significantly improved, being very fluid and not having any smudges or downturns in animation between the two clashes. They show Arthur's abilities and that Meliodas and Lancelot haven't lost a step. The animation is clean as always, perhaps more polished than season one had.

Four Knights of the Apocalpyse season 2 episode 1: OP and ED shots (Image via TMS Entertainment)

The Chaos in Liones arc was 31 chapters long in the manga, now adapted into 12 episodes in the anime. That is a lot for an anime, and all the events, fights, meetings, and misunderstandings happen over a single day. All of this is to say that ending the chaotic series of events with the heroes having time to rest and collect themselves is good.

It's also good for the audience since Four Knights of the Apocalypse Season 2 Episode 1 opens the second season with a bang and a promise of more. It's a fitting opener, showcasing the main villain, and the severe gap in power and abilities between the new heroes and the old. It is a great end to a long arc with many twists and character arcs.

Final Thoughts

The old and new contrasted in the OP and ED (Image via TMS Entertainment)

Four Knights of the Apocalypse Season 2 Episode 1 finally ends the Chaos in Liones arc. The anime has the advantage of showing off more in half the time, this time adapting chapters 77 to 81 of the manga. This means they cover the important fight scenes and flashbacks within them.

Once again, this series doesn't explicitly require prior knowledge of Seven Deadly Sins to enjoy and can be enjoyed by those who gave season one a chance. If the series continues being as fluidly animated, well-acted, and generally as enjoyable as Four Knights of the Apocalypse Season 2 Episode 1 is? it's safe to say Seven Deadly Sins is back in force.