Why Can't Sora 2 Generate Anime Videos Anymore? 3 Key Reasons Behind Pikachu and Ultraman Bans

Recently, many users have reported issues when generating anime videos with Sora 2: prompts like "Pikachu playing in the forest" or "Ultraman fighting monsters" are either directly rejected or produce characters that are completely "off-brand."

This isn't an operational error on your part, but rather OpenAI's recent implementation of new copyright protection mechanisms that have placed many familiar anime characters on a "blacklist." This article will explain the 3 key reasons behind this in plain language, analyze whether we'll be able to generate these characters again in the future, and provide 4 practical workaround solutions.

Core Value: After reading this article, you'll understand why these restrictions exist, learn how to bypass them to continue creating, and avoid wasting generation attempts and quotas.

Sora 2 Anime Restrictions: Which Characters Can't Be Generated?

After Sora 2's official release on October 1, 2025, many users excitedly tried to generate videos of their favorite anime characters, only to hit a wall. Let's first examine which characters are affected.

Widespread IP Bans

Through extensive user testing, many well-known anime IP characters have been completely banned from Sora 2 generation. This restriction is extremely broad, covering virtually all household names.

For Japanese anime, characters from Pokémon series like Pikachu and Charizard, all Ultraman series heroes, Dragon Ball's Goku, One Piece's Luffy, and Naruto's Naruto are all unable to be directly generated. Even Doraemon, EVA Unit-01, and various Gundam mechs are included.

Western anime IPs haven't been spared either. Disney's classic mascots Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, along with princess series characters like Snow White and Elsa, are all banned. Moreover, entire Marvel and DC universes of superheroes, including Spider-Man, Iron Man, Batman, and Superman, are all on the restriction list. Even Snoopy, Peppa Pig, and Transformers are affected.

Partial Restrictions: May Generate But With Poor Results

Some prompts trigger ambiguous restrictions where the AI attempts generation but results are often unsatisfactory:

Style Imitation:

• Miyazaki Hayao style → May generate, but artistic essence is far off
• Disney Princess style → Generated characters may have disproportionate features
• Pixar animation style → Rendering quality differs significantly from originals

Similar Character Types:

• Yellow electric mouse → Obviously referencing Pikachu, may be blocked
• Red and blue superhero → Implying Spider-Man, may fail generation
• Straw hat pirate captain → Pointing to Luffy, likely won't pass

Still Usable Creation Types

Good news: not all anime styles are banned. The following types can still be generated normally:

• Generic anime styles: "2D style character," "cute cartoon character," "Japanese animation character," "Q-version moe character"
• Original character descriptions: "Blue-haired magical girl," "forest elf boy," "cyberpunk hacker girl"
• Non-copyrighted creatures: "Cartoon-style cat," "cute little dinosaur," "talking rabbit"

Core Pattern: As long as your prompts don't directly name specific IP characters or obviously reference famous characters, they can generally pass.

3 Core Reasons: Why Does Sora 2 Restrict Anime Characters?

Many people don't understand: isn't AI just a tool? Why restrict what content I generate? Actually, there are three very practical reasons behind this.

Reason 1: Copyright Protection Upgrade – Rightsholders Control Feature

What is Rightsholders Control? This is a new feature prominently mentioned in Sam Altman's blog, understood as a "copyright holder control panel." Simply put, it allows copyright owners (like Nintendo, Disney) to proactively register their IPs and prohibit AI generation of related content.

How does it work? Imagine Nintendo applying to OpenAI: "Our Pokémon characters are copyright protected, please don't let users generate them." After approval, keywords like "Pikachu" are added to the blacklist. When your prompts trigger these words, the system uses "prompt detection" and "database comparison" to ultimately refuse generation.

Why does OpenAI do this? Sam Altman clearly stated that OpenAI hopes to build cooperative rather than adversarial relationships with copyright holders. Proactively implementing copyright protection mechanisms signals goodwill to copyright owners, avoiding collective resistance and numerous copyright lawsuits like those faced by Midjourney or Stability AI, thus paving the way for future cooperation (such as licensed paid generation).

Reason 2: Legal Risk Prevention – Increasing AI Infringement Lawsuits

In recent years, copyright lawsuits over AI-generated content have been endless. For example, artists and major image library Getty Images have sued Stability AI for copyright infringement, and Hollywood writers' and actors' strikes explicitly opposed AI tools. These lawsuits not only potentially bring astronomical damages but also seriously harm company reputation.

With the emergence of high-quality video tools like Sora 2, copyright holders' attitudes have become increasingly tough. Whether it's Nintendo with strict fan creation management or Disney treating its IPs as cash cows, neither will allow their core assets to be freely misused. Rather than passively waiting for legal notices, it's better to proactively comply and prevent legal risks in advance.

Reason 3: Paving the Way for Future Revenue Sharing Models

Sam Altman also hinted at an important direction in his blog: future potential launch of licensed paid generation features.

How would this work? Imagine free users can only generate original characters, while paid users can pay additional fees (e.g., $5/generation) to generate Pikachu videos. Of this $5, part would go to Nintendo as licensing fees, while OpenAI collects platform service fees.

This model is already mature in the music industry, where platforms like Spotify achieve win-win situations for users, platforms, and copyright holders by paying licensing fees to record companies. OpenAI likely hopes to replicate this model in the AI generation field. Therefore, current restrictions are preparing to establish a controllable, revenue-distributable licensing ecosystem for the future.

Summary of Three Reasons

Can We Generate Them in the Future? 3 Possibility Analysis

This is everyone's most concerning question. Based on current information, we've analyzed 3 possibilities.

Possibility 1: Permanent Ban (Probability ~30%)

This applies to top-tier IPs with extremely high sensitivity and commercial value. Typical examples include Disney's core characters (like Mickey Mouse), Marvel superheroes (like Spider-Man, Iron Man), and Nintendo's global IPs (like Mario, Pikachu). These companies have extremely strict brand image control and have even pushed for legal changes to extend copyrights, so they're unlikely to authorize ordinary users for random generation, even with payment.

User Strategy: Give up trying to generate these characters, use "similar but non-infringing" descriptions instead.

Possibility 2: Paid Authorization Unlock (Probability ~50%)

This is considered the most likely scenario, especially suitable for works from small to medium anime studios with strong commercialization willingness, independent game characters, etc. Future models might include pay-per-use, subscription systems, or purchasing specific IP "authorization packages." This is a win-win solution: users get legal generation channels, copyright holders gain new revenue, and OpenAI avoids risks while expanding income. Sam Altman's mentioned "revenue sharing model" likely refers to this direction.

Expected Launch: Late 2025 to early 2026.

Possibility 3: Limited Opening (Probability ~20%)

For some IPs where copyright holders have relatively relaxed attitudes, conditional opening strategies might be adopted. Restrictions might include: non-commercial use only, mandatory addition of unremovable IP source watermarks, limited content distribution scope, etc. This is similar to Midjourney allowing artists to apply for adding their styles to "exclusion lists," adopting "limited opening" rather than complete prohibition for some IPs.

3 Workaround Solutions: How to Continue Generating Anime-Style Videos

Although many characters are banned, we still have ways to create high-quality anime videos.

Solution 1: Use Original Characters Instead – Describe Features, Don't Name Names

The core idea is not to directly state IP names, but to describe their appearance and style features in detail, letting AI generate similar but non-infringing original characters.

Practical Examples:

❌ Wrong Example (will be rejected): Pikachu playing in the forest

✅ Correct Example (can be generated): A cute yellow little mouse with round cheeks, red circular cheek patches, pointed ears with black tips, lightning-shaped tail, happily bouncing in a sunny forest

Technique Summary: Avoid brand names, describe visual features extensively (colors, shapes, distinctive elements), and add words like "original design" or "unique" to emphasize originality.

More Substitution Examples:

• Ultraman: "Silver and red giant robot warrior with colorful energy indicator on chest, unique oval decoration on head, fighting monsters"
• Luffy: "Young pirate captain wearing straw hat, red vest and blue shorts, always with big smile, arms that can stretch"
• Spider-Man: "Superhero in red-blue tight suit, can shoot webs from wrists, swinging between city skyscrapers"
• Doraemon: "Blue robot cat with round body, magical pocket on belly, small bell hanging around neck"

Solution 2: Use Generic Anime Styles – Don't Name Specific Authors or Works

Use generalized style descriptions rather than naming specific authors or works to achieve desired effects.

Practical Examples:

❌ Easily Blocked: Miyazaki Hayao style flying scene

✅ Recommended Alternative: Hand-drawn animation style with warm, soft tones, delicately rendered clouds and sky, girl flying freely in the sky, full of fairy tale and dreamy atmosphere

Usable Generic Style Keywords: "Japanese animation style," "2D characters," "cel animation style," "90s Japanese animation aesthetics," "Q-version moe characters," "watercolor hand-drawn animation," "cyberpunk sci-fi animation," etc. Combining these keywords can clearly indicate style direction while avoiding copyright alerts.

Solution 3: Try Other AI Video Tools – Different Copyright Policies

Different AI tools have varying degrees of copyright policy leniency. If Sora 2 restrictions are too limiting, try other models.

Common Questions: Sora 2 Anime Restrictions FAQ

Q1: Why could I generate Pikachu before, but suddenly can't now?

A: OpenAI's copyright database is gradually being perfected. Sora 2's initial release had an incomplete database, but as major companies like Nintendo and Disney successively submit IP registrations, the ban list continues expanding. Future restriction scope may increase further.

Q2: Are all anime characters unable to be generated now?

A: No. Restrictions mainly focus on high-profile, high-commercial-value top-tier IPs. Generic style descriptions, completely original character designs, and some niche anime or public domain old anime not yet registered by copyright holders can still be generated.

Q3: Can I bypass restrictions by modifying prompts? Like changing "Pikachu" to "yellow electric mouse"?

A: May work short-term, but unstable. Using vague descriptions like "yellow electric mouse" sometimes passes, but AI's recognition capabilities are constantly evolving, and content may also be blocked during review stages. The most reliable method is still using completely original feature descriptions.

Q4: Do third-party platforms like Anime Sora using Sora 2 API have the same restrictions as official?

A: Yes, restrictions are identical. Because third-party platforms still call OpenAI's official model, copyright detection mechanisms are on OpenAI's server side and cannot be bypassed. However, these platforms usually provide Chinese copyright risk alerts, alternative solution suggestions, and more competitive pricing.

💡 Prompt Pre-check Service: Anime Sora platform provides free "prompt copyright risk detection" tools. Input your prompt, and AI will predict whether it might trigger copyright restrictions and provide modification suggestions. This helps avoid wasting generation attempts and improves success rates.

Q5: If I've already generated infringing content, will I face legal consequences?

A: Depends on usage scenario. Personal entertainment and academic research have low risk. But if used for widespread social media distribution, content may be removed by platforms or face copyright holder complaints. If used for commercial purposes like advertising or product promotion, risk is extremely high, likely resulting in copyright holder lawsuits and damage claims. Don't take risks.

Summary: Rationally View Restrictions, Explore Compliant Creation Paths

Sora 2's restriction on anime character generation isn't deliberately "making things difficult" for users, but rather a necessary process as the AI industry matures and becomes regulated.

Key Recap:

3 Restriction Reasons: Copyright protection upgrade, legal risk prevention, preparing for future revenue sharing models.

3 Future Directions: Top-tier IP permanent bans, most IPs moving toward paid authorization, some IPs with limited opening.

4 Workaround Solutions: Use original character descriptions as substitutes, use generic styles, try other AI tools, wait for official authorization.

Final Recommendation:

Rather than complaining about restrictions, view them as an opportunity for creative upgrade—shifting from "copying existing IPs" to "creating original content." The true value of AI tools isn't cloning a Pikachu, but helping us create the next "Pikachu"-level original character.

Compliant creation leads to sustainable success.

💡 Comprehensive Support: Anime Sora provides comprehensive copyright compliance support for Sora 2 users, including: prompt risk detection, alternative solution suggestions, policy update notifications, and technical consulting services. Whether you're an individual creator or enterprise client, you can find the most suitable solutions here. Visit our platform for details and start your compliant AI video creation journey!