The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World is bulking up its second season. Anime News Network reports that five cast members — Yuki Wakai, Toshiyuki Morikawa, Tetsu Inada, Daiki Hamano, and Riona Imaizumi — are joining the anime starting with episode 5, which airs Thursday.

It's a notable batch of names. Morikawa and Inada are veteran voices with decades of major roles between them, and their arrival alongside three more additions in a single episode suggests the season is heading into a meatier stretch of its story, with new characters arriving in force.

The fantasy series, based on the light novels about a prodigy sorcerer returning to academy life after wartime fame, earned a second season on the strength of its first run's following. Mid-season cast expansions like this one typically signal a new arc kicking off, giving returning viewers a clear jumping-back-in point.

Episode 5 lands Thursday, and with it the first look at what these five performers bring to the ensemble.