The digital collectibles space has seen few projects captivate NFT enthusiasts quite like Azuki.

But when Azuki Elementals launched in June 2023, it proved that even a thriving ecosystem could be pushed further.

This guide explores everything you need to know about Azuki Elementals—from their origin and artistic direction to their market performance and role in the broader Azuki universe.

Key Insights

• Azuki Elementals is a 20,000-piece Ethereum-based NFT collection launched in June 2023
• The collection expands the Azuki universe with characters themed around four elements
• Created by Chiru Labs, the collection sold out in just 15 minutes during a presale
• Despite early excitement and a rapid sellout, market performance has been mixed
• Ownership grants benefits including access to The Garden, exclusive merch drops, and more
• Azuki’s roadmap includes major expansions through AnimeChain, integrations with Anime.com, and more

What are Azuki Elementals?

Azuki Elementals is a collection of 20,000 digital collectibles (NFTs) that broaden the Azuki universe. Each represents a unique character inspired by one of four classical elements: Earth, Fire, Lightning, and Water.

These digital assets live on the Ethereum blockchain, where they can be owned, traded, and sold.

This is the third major release in the Azuki ecosystem, following the original Azuki collection (10,000 NFTs) and the companion Beanz series.

Like their predecessors, the Elementals are designed in Azuki’s signature anime-inspired style—but with distinctive elemental themes that set them apart.

When and how were Azuki Elementals created?

The Azuki team unveiled the Elementals collection on June 23, 2023, during their high-profile Follow the Rabbit event in Las Vegas. It marked the first major character expansion since Beanz, igniting excitement across the NFT space.

Four days later, on June 27, minting went live through a tiered system prioritising the existing community:

1. First access: Original Azuki holders
2. Second access: Beanz holders
3. Planned public sale (which never actually happened!)

Minting used a Dutch auction format, requiring a 2 ETH deposit. If the final auction price settled lower, participants were refunded the difference.

The surprise? They sold out in just 15 minutes during presale—generating an estimated $38 million USD. The entire supply was claimed by Azuki and Beanz holders, leaving no NFTs for public sale.

Who created Azuki Elementals?

Azuki Elementals was developed by Chiru Labs, the same team behind the original Azuki project.

While individual artists and developers remain largely anonymous, the project reflects Chiru Labs’ ongoing vision of building “Anime 2.0”—a decentralised, community-owned anime brand.

By blending anime art, blockchain technology, and strong community-building, the team continues to grow the Azuki universe in visually compelling and technically innovative ways.

What makes Azuki Elementals unique?

Azuki Elementals retain the same anime-inspired style that made the original collection iconic—but with a new elemental twist:

• Lightning domain: Electric and storm-themed characters
• Earth domain: Nature- and terrain-themed designs
• Water domain: Aquatic and fluid-themed traits
• Fire domain: Characters with flame and heat aesthetics

The collection also features a variety of character types:

• Classic humanoid characters
• Kid versions (younger-looking avatars)
• Animal types (including frogs, red pandas, sloths, and cats)

Each NFT carries a unique combination of traits—covering backgrounds, clothing, accessories, and element-specific features.

On marketplaces and analytics platforms, Elementals are ranked by trait rarity, which often influences their market value.

Why were Azuki Elementals created?

Azuki Elementals were developed with several key goals in mind:

The collection adds depth to the Azuki universe with new characters and elemental lore, enriching the digital world of Hilumia and The Garden.

By prioritising existing Azuki and Beanz holders, the project rewarded loyal supporters and helped grow the core community.

With roughly $38 million raised through minting, Elementals provided a major capital boost to fund Chiru Labs’ broader goals—spanning animation, gaming, and merchandise under the “Anime 2.0” vision.

Where do Azuki Elementals exist?

Azuki Elementals are Ethereum-based NFTs, tradable on platforms like OpenSea, where users can browse traits and rarity rankings.

The official Azuki website also hosts a dedicated gallery that lets fans filter by element type. This gallery includes details on gachapon earnings for Elemental Beanz—hinting at future features or integrations.

Beyond marketplaces, the Elementals are actively shared and discussed in:

• The official Azuki Discord, where collectors gather for community events and trades
• The official @Azuki Twitter account, which shares updates and interacts with fans
• Other NFT-focused social spaces and collector forums

How were Azuki Elementals received?

Reception to Azuki Elementals was mixed.

Whilst the mint sold out within minutes, the secondary market floor price quickly dipped below the 2 ETH mint price. By April 2025, it had dropped to around 0.24 ETH—a significant decline.

The broader Azuki ecosystem also saw fallout, with floor prices for the original Azuki and Beanz collections slipping after the Elementals launch.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the community response to Azuki Elementals has been split down the middle:

Positive reactions included:

• Excitement around expanding the Azuki lore
• Praise for the elemental character themes
• Buzz from collectors who minted during presale

…but on the other side:

• Artwork too similar to the original Azukis, raising innovation concerns
• Technical minting issues, especially around short presale windows
• Fears of value dilution due to the 20,000 NFT expansion
• Lack of clarity about the immediate benefits of owning an Elemental

In response, the Azuki team acknowledged the concerns and promised improvements—including potential artwork updates and prioritised rewards for original Azuki holders.

What benefits do Azuki Elementals provide?

Elementals come with a range of perks and access within the broader Azuki ecosystem.

Access to The Garden

Elemental holders gain entry to The Garden, Azuki’s exclusive community space. Perks include:

• Access to exclusive streetwear collaborations
• Priority access to new NFT drops like the Azuki Alpha Starter Decks
• Invitations to real-world events and community experiences
• Participation in Hilumia, Azuki’s metaverse

Elemental Chips

All holders received a Soulbound Token (SBT) known as an Elemental Chip, commemorating the Follow the Rabbit event. These tokens may unlock future benefits.

Collector Status Program

Azuki’s Collector Status program rewards loyalty and long-term engagement—potentially influencing future airdrops, perks, and exclusive opportunities for committed holders.

What’s next for Azuki Elementals and the broader ecosystem?

Azuki continues to build on its ambitious vision, with Elementals playing a key role in its evolving roadmap.

$ANIME Token and AnimeChain

In January 2025, the long-awaited $ANIME token launched, designed to give governance and utility to anime fans. While initial reception was mixed, it marks a major milestone.

The accompanying AnimeChain—a Layer 3 blockchain developed with Arbitrum—aims to power fast, low-cost transactions across the anime ecosystem, which could benefit Elemental holders.

Anime.com Integration

Azuki’s acquisition of Anime.com represents another big step. The platform aims to serve as a central hub for anime content, potentially integrating with the Azuki ecosystem and digital assets like Animecoin.

Enter the Garden Anime Series

The upcoming anthology series, Enter the Garden, will feature collaborations with top anime studios. It may include Elementals-inspired characters—boosting their cultural visibility.

Trading Card Game

Expected by late 2025, the Azuki Trading Card Game could give Elementals new utility within interactive web3 experiences—joining a growing trend of NFT-integrated gameplay.

Physical and Digital Collectibles

Azuki is continuing to explore Physical Backed Tokens (PBTs) and exclusive merchandise drops, bridging the gap between digital ownership and real-world products—another avenue of value for Elemental holders.

Exploring Azuki Elementals

Azuki Elementals represent a clearly defined chapter in the Azuki project’s growth.

Though the launch faced some backlash and challenges, the collection remains central to Azuki’s long-term strategy and creative expansion.

For collectors and enthusiasts, understanding the context, design, market performance, and potential of Elementals remains essential. As Azuki pursues its “Anime 2.0” vision, the role of Elementals within that ecosystem is likely to evolve in exciting and meaningful ways.

Whether you’re a seasoned Azuki holder, a new collector exploring Elementals, or someone studying the NFT space, this collection offers a prime example of how digital assets can expand across multiple dimensions—both online and off.

Azuki has released the first official gameplay guide for its upcoming trading card game, outlining how the game will be played ahead of its first in-person tournament on July 5 in Los Angeles.

The guide introduces the core rules, game structure, and card types, offering a full explanation of how players engage in matches and win. The release of the guide gives players and tournament participants a clear framework to learn before the game’s formal launch later in 2025.

The guide is accessible directly on the official Azuki TCG website—no download is required.

Key Insights

• Azuki TCG gameplay guide is now live ahead of the tournament in Los Angeles on July 5
• The guide outlines rules for cards, field layout, and win conditions
• The full launch of the TCG is expected later in 2025

What is Azuki TCG?

Azuki TCG is a trading card game developed as part of the Azuki project, a web3-focused brand that includes digital art, online communities, and anime-inspired themes.

The TCG introduces a structured card game format featuring turn-based strategy, faction-based decks, and defined win conditions. It will be played both competitively and casually, with its first official tournament taking place in July 2025.

The release of a gameplay guide marks the project’s first detailed explanation of how the game works. Although Azuki is a blockchain-native brand, the guide does not currently mention any integration with digital assets or tokens.

How do you play the game?

Each player selects a faction and uses a 50-card deck built around a Leader card. The game is played on a field divided into two rows, with each row allowing up to 5 entities.

• Garden (front row): This is where battles take place; any cards here can be attacked or used to attack.
• Alley (back row): A protected zone used to stage cards before moving them forward using a Gate card.

Cards are moved from the Alley to the Garden using a Gate card. Once in the Garden, most cards must wait a turn before acting, unless they have a “Charge” attribute. In addition to these two rows, you have an IKZ pile and an IKZ area. The resource system is based on IKZ cards, which are tapped to pay for playing other cards. One IKZ card is revealed per turn from a separate pile and placed into the IKZ area for use or pay for card costs.

To win the game, players must either reduce the opposing Leader’s health to zero or cause the opponent to run out of cards in their deck.

Cards come in six categories:

• Leader: The central figure of a player’s deck
• Gate: Governs how cards move and influences strategy
• Entity: Units that participate in combat
• Weapon: Cards used to strengthen Leaders or Entities
• Spell: One-time effects
• IKZ: Resource cards used to pay for other cards

Additional mechanics include element types (Fire, Earth, Water, Lightning, Neutral) and tagged effects such as “Defender” or “When Attacked.”

What’s next for Azuki TCG?

The first official tournament for the Azuki TCG will be held on July 5, 2025 in Los Angeles, giving early players an opportunity to test the rules and mechanics in a competitive setting. The quick start guide provides a foundation for participants to prepare for this event.

A full public release of the game is expected later this year, though a specific launch date has not been confirmed. Additional updates are likely to follow the tournament, possibly including information on distribution, platform availability, and any digital features.

For more updates about Azuki TCG tournament, interested participants are encouraged to follow the official Azuki TCG account on Twitter/X or join the community on Discord.

Anime-themed web3 brand Azuki has announced Alley Escape, a new event scheduled for July 5 in Los Angeles, California.

Whilst details remain limited, the event coincides with Anime Expo 2025, suggesting it may be timed to engage fans attending one of the largest anime conventions in the world.

Previous Azuki events have attracted attention across both the web3 and wider anime communities, blending in-person activations with digital storytelling.

What is Anime Expo?

Anime Expo is an annual convention held in Los Angeles that showcases Japanese pop culture, including anime, manga, video games, and cosplay. Organised by the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA), it draws hundreds of thousands of attendees from across the globe.

The 2025 edition of Anime Expo will take place from July 3 to July 6, making Azuki’s Alley Escape part of a broader weekend of cultural events and gatherings.

According to the SPJA, the 2024 event attracted over 400,000 attendees from 64 countries, generating an estimated $100 million in economic impact for the city of Los Angeles.

What can we expect from Azuki during the event?

Specific programming for Alley Escape has yet to be revealed and registration has not yet opened, but further details are expected to be released soon via Azuki’s official channels, including Twitter/X and its Discord community.

Azuki has only hosted three official events to date: a 2022 party in Los Angeles, a two-day immersive installation in New York City during NFT NYC 2022, and a 2023 event in Las Vegas tied to the release of the Elementals collection. Each of these was designed to extend Azuki’s brand storytelling into the physical world, often including music performances, real-time wallet integrations, and unique merchandise.

With Anime Expo expected to draw hundreds of thousands of fans into downtown Los Angeles, Azuki’s presence may or may not include other forms of activation in partnership with related platforms such as Anime.com and the $ANIME token project.