Wind Breaker season 2 episode 1: The fight against KEEL begins as Sakura and co get backup

Given where the first season ended, Wind Breaker season 2 episode 1 was expected to see Haruka Sakura and co run into individual KEEL members before the true brawl began. Officially released on Thursday, April 3, 2025, the season premiere pleasantly surprised viewers by jumping into the action almost immediately.

Wind Breaker season 2 episode 1 set the tone immediately, with a brief flash-forward scene starting the episode and showing how dire Bofurin’s situation was. However, this is thankfully remedied by the end of the episode thanks to some unexpected backup from a shocking group of characters.

Wind Breaker season 2 episode 1 sees Kaji remind Sakura of his duties as Grade Captain

Brief episode recap

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Wind Breaker season 2 episode 1 began with the fight between KEEL and the Bofurin already underway, seeing Haruka Sakura and his allies already in combat. Akihiko Nirei is seen cowering at first, before seemingly trying to run away in fear. However, he’s ambushed by some KEEL members, who’re going to beat him while he’s down, as Sakura realizes this. Before the scene fully played out, the focus shifted to a point in time prior to this fight beginning.

Nirei explained that, like Hayato Suo, all he knows about KEEL is their logo and rumors of their “borderline criminal activities.” Sakura followed this up by saying that their job was simple, only needing to drag Nagato back in order to achieve victory. They then arrived at KEEL’s headquarters, which Masaki Anzai confirmed. As Sakura questioned how they could enter, he got angry with Nirei for his phone going off, demanding an explanation.

Wind Breaker season 2 episode 1 saw them interrupted by Kyotaro Sugishita, who simply kicked the lock off the door. They were greeted by some KEEL members when they entered, with Nagato unconscious and beaten at their feet. Anzai charged, but Sakura stopped him, trying to speak with KEEL first. After they refused, Sakura made his intentions clear. This prompted dozens of other armed KEEL members to appear.

KEEL's VIPs arrive and throw the Bofurin off their rhythm in Wind Breaker season 2 episode 1 (Image via CloverWorks)

While some of the Bofurin members were worried about this, Taiga Tsugeura and Mitsuki Kiryu were unbothered, saying it was only three or four heads a person. Sakura boldly commented that he’ll handle all this on his own, which sparked a fire in the other Bofurin members. One of the KEEL members, seemingly the leader of this detachment, commented on the air around the Bofurin guys changing before ordering the others to charge in.

Wind Breaker season 2 episode 1 then saw the fighting begin, with the Bofurin holding their ground. Suo primarily focused on protecting Nirei, while Sakura and Anzai went to grab Nagato away from the KEEL leaders. However, Anzai was easily dealt with by the leadership, getting a severe head injury as a result. KEEL’s “VIPs” then appeared, with the first challenging Sakura directly.

Others then entered to target the other strongest Bofurin members present, those being Tsugeura, Kiryu, Suo, and Sugishita. The KEEL leader then announced that round two would start, infuriating Sakura with how all of the KEEL members were smirking. Sakura’s opponent was introduced as Takeru Kongo, while Tsugeura’s was Shiyu Kirishima. Sugishita’s was Taishi Mogami, while Kiryu’s was Renji Kaga, and lastly, Suo’s was Hansuke Tone.

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Wind Breaker season 2 episode 1 then saw the lesser Bofurin members start to fall as they concerned themselves with keeping each other safe. Sakura tried to go help them, but Kongo wouldn’t let him. Other KEEL members then began ganging up on Sakura, landing a hit to his head, which immediately began bleeding. The apparent KEEL leader then revealed that distracting Bofruin’s best removed the advantage they had, making it clear this was his plan.

The focus then shifted to Nirei, who analyzed the situation and came to a similar conclusion while recognizing he was holding Suo back. Nirei then mused on his involvement in Shishitoren, calling himself lame while remembering Sakura’s words to him about his lameness. The scene in which the episode opened then played out, revealing that Nirei decided he shouldn’t run away even if he couldn’t fight like the others.

Wind Breaker season 2 episode 1 saw him tackle a KEEL member before immediately getting pummeled by another, leading to those with weapons ganging up on him as seen earlier. Nirei apologized to Sakura as they went to strike him, but they were interrupted by a massive attack landing on a KEEL member. This was revealed to be Ren Kaji, who showed up with Takeshi Enomoto and Yuto Kusumi, who expressed gratitude that they showed up in time.

Kaji's return turns the tide of battle in Wind Breaker season 2 episode 1 (Image via CloverWorks)

KEEL’s leader acknowledged Kaji and co’s arrival, with Kaji glaring at him likewise. The KEEL leader tried reasoning with Kaji, seemingly in an attempt to get him and the other KEEL members to leave. However, Kaji said they were involved given the role they played as protectors, which included the people of Furin. As Kaji doubled down on their involvement, some of the KEEL members were seen shying away from the fight with Kaji and co’s arrival.

Wind Breaker season 2 episode 1 saw KEEL’s leader motivate them by threatening them, as Kaji and co began taking down their attackers swiftly in turn. Kaji had Enomoto and Kusumi handle the general brawl, while Kaji said he’d target KEEL’s leader. Kusumi quickly took Nirei outside and told him to wait there, making Nirei feel even more inferior. Enomoto then told the other Bofurin members to focus on the fights in front of them while they supported.

As Kaji approached KEEL’s leader, Sakura said to hold off since the leader was his like Kaji said to him. Kaji then interrupted Sakura’s fight, asking if he understood his current situation. He told Sakura that there was more to consider than beating up the enemy leader, which is why he was struggling against a nobody like Kongo. Kaji reminded Sakura of his role as a Grade Captain, telling him to do what he needed to do while he handled the leader as the episode ended.

Final thoughts

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Wind Breaker season 2 episode 1 is a fantastic start to the series, diving right into the action and wasting no time getting there. The small but significant twists and turns along the way further help to grab audiences’ attention, doing so in a way that is organic to the point of praiseworthiness. With the focus for the second installment being made clear by the premiere’s end, it’s safe to say fans are in for an exciting sequel season to the smash-hit television anime series.