Azuki Elementals Review 2026: The Contested 20K Spin-Off

Azuki Elementals is an NFT collection of 20,000 characters set in the four domains of the Garden: Earth, Fire, Lightning and Water. It was released by the team behind Azuki, a PFP collection of 10,000 anime-inspired avatars that launched in February 2022. It lives on Ethereum.

The drop took place on June 27, 2023. It was sold at 2 ETH to Azuki holders, and reports say it raised around $38M in 15 minutes. Soon after, community members complained that many Elementals looked too similar to the original Azuki. Azuki's developers publicly said the mint was hectic, the PFPs felt similar and even dilutive to Azuki, and that they had lost some trust.

Market reaction was sharp. One report says the Azuki floor fell from over 14 ETH to 9.7 ETH in a day and the Elementals floor dropped 55% as presale buyers sold. A later headline refers to the Azuki DAO seeking a $39M refund for the drop. Since then, the brand has moved into an animated series and a wider holder ecosystem.

Azuki Elementals is a set of NFTs, which are unique tokens on Ethereum that record who owns each character. Owning one gives you the token and its artwork. Any further benefits depend on what the Azuki team offers to holders.

The collection launched through a holders-first sale in June 2023. Azuki holders could buy at 2 ETH after the project teased the drop at an event in Las Vegas, and the project also announced a presale around that time. After minting, the NFTs trade freely on secondary marketplaces, where the floor price reflects the cheapest listed piece.

Holders are linked to the wider Azuki ecosystem, which includes the original Azuki, Beanz, an animated series, and a reported Collector's Status system. The reported details of any token distribution come from a single article and should be checked with official sources.

The project does not publish a fee schedule for the collection itself. The mint price in 2023 was reported at 2 ETH per NFT for eligible Azuki holders.

Buying or selling on the secondary market involves marketplace fees, possible creator royalties and Ethereum gas costs. These are shown on the marketplace at the time of the trade.

There is no audit information for the collection. NFT risk includes smart-contract bugs, phishing, fake mint links and wallet compromise. Always verify contract addresses through official channels and use a wallet you control.

The main reported risk is reputational and financial. The 2023 mint was followed by steep price declines, public criticism and a refund push from a DAO. The project does not publish a regulatory or licensing status. NFT regulation varies by country, so check the rules where you live.

Collectors who are already invested in the Azuki and Beanz community, and people interested in anime-style NFT brands. It is not suited to anyone who wants a stable asset or guaranteed utility, since values dropped sharply after the 2023 launch.