So you’ve stumbled across My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds the Hero’s and want to know the best way to read it. Good news: the manga reading order is refreshingly straightforward. There’s a single manga series, no spinoffs, no alternate editions — just Volumes 1 through 6 in the English edition, read in numbered order. That’s the whole answer.
Let’s get you sorted with the details.
My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds the Hero’s — Reading Order at a Glance
The reading order here is as simple as it gets:
Read Volumes 1 → 2 → 3 → 4 → 5 → 6 in the English edition.
That’s it. No branching paths, no side stories to squeeze in between volumes, no “read this spinoff after chapter 20” complications. Just one continuous manga series published by Seven Seas Entertainment (the English-language manga publisher handling this title) in both print and digital formats.
A few quick facts to orient you:
- The manga is based on a light novel by Matsuri Akai — a light novel is a style of Japanese novel, typically shorter and faster-paced than a standard novel, often paired with illustrations
- Manga art is by Hiroyuki Aigamo, with character designs by Tozai
- The series is ongoing — there are currently 7 volumes in Japanese and 6 volumes in English
- The English edition is ongoing, so more volumes will follow
If you’re someone who just needed that quick answer, you’re all set. For everyone who wants more detail on formats, the light novel connection, or where to jump in after watching the anime, keep reading.
Manga vs Light Novel — Which Version to Follow
Like many manga set in the “isekai” genre — stories where characters are transported from the real world into a fantasy world — this series didn’t start as a manga. It began as a light novel by Matsuri Akai, and the manga is an adaptation of that source material.
So which one should you follow? Both are valid entry points, and neither one requires the other. Here’s how they compare:
The manga is the most accessible option for visual readers. Hiroyuki Aigamo’s art brings the action sequences and dungeon environments to life in a way that written narration can’t quite replicate. If you prefer seeing combat choreography and character expressions laid out visually across the page, the manga is where you want to be.
The light novel goes deeper into world-building, internal monologue, and the protagonist’s tactical thinking. Light novels generally have more room to breathe — scenes that get compressed into a few manga pages might span several pages of detailed narration in the novel.
For a pure reading-order perspective, the manga stands on its own. You don’t need the light novel to understand what’s happening in the manga. But if you enjoy seeing the same events from a different angle, the light novel makes a good companion.
Print or Digital — Choosing Your Format
Seven Seas releases the English manga in both print and digital, and the content is identical between the two. There are no collected multi-volume editions, no deluxe hardcovers, and no special collector’s versions in English. Just one standard edition per volume.
That makes the format decision pretty simple. The content is the same either way — pick whichever suits your reading habits. Some people like the feel of physical manga pages and the look of spines lined up on a bookshelf; others prefer having everything on a tablet with no physical storage needed. There’s no “better” choice here, just personal preference.
Volume-by-Volume Reading Order
Here’s your volume-by-volume breakdown. Since this is a single ongoing series, you simply read them in numbered order. Each volume picks up right where the last one left off.
Volume 1
This is where everything begins. An entire high school class gets summoned to a fantasy world — a setup common in isekai stories, where ordinary people are pulled into a new realm and given special abilities. But instead of focusing on the designated hero, the story follows the protagonist who receives the Assassin class. His stats are absurdly high, far exceeding what anyone expected, and the gap between him and the supposed hero of the group becomes immediately apparent.
Volume 1 establishes the core premise: the group dynamics within the summoned class, the political machinations of the kingdom that brought them there, and the protagonist’s growing realization that something about this summoning isn’t quite right. It’s a strong setup that hooks you with mystery as much as action.
Volume 2
The story shifts deeper into labyrinth exploration — the characters descend into sprawling underground dungeons filled with monsters and traps. While the hero’s group follows the expected path, the assassin protagonist begins operating more independently. His solo growth accelerates, and the gap between his capabilities and the rest of the class widens further.
This volume is where the dungeon-exploration side of the series finds its footing. If you enjoy watching a protagonist who is far stronger than he lets on systematically dismantle challenges that would flatten a normal group, Volume 2 delivers on that front.
Volume 3
Stakes go up significantly here. The hidden truths behind the class summoning start to surface, and what seemed like a straightforward “defeat the big villain” scenario turns out to be far more complicated. Trust begins to fracture, and the protagonist has to decide who among his classmates — and among the kingdom’s power players — he can actually rely on.
Volume 3 is a turning point for the series. The tone shifts from dungeon exploration toward political intrigue and conspiracy, adding layers to what could have been a simpler story about a strong protagonist steamrolling every challenge in his path.
Volume 4
The scope expands beyond the labyrinth. New alliances form, and the protagonist faces confrontations in broader settings. Characters who were background figures in earlier volumes start playing more significant roles, and the web of conflicts between the summoned class, the kingdom, and other factions grows more tangled. The political maneuvering that Volume 3 introduced picks up real momentum here.
Volume 5
The world opens up even further as rising tension with the kingdom drives the story forward. The protagonist and his allies navigate increasingly dangerous political terrain, and the power dynamics established in earlier volumes start producing real consequences. Relationships that were tested in previous volumes reach breaking points, and the story sets up confrontations that have been building since the beginning.
Volume 6
This is the latest English release as of the most recent Seven Seas publication. The ongoing conflict continues to develop on multiple fronts, and plot threads seeded early in the series start paying off here. Volume 6 rewards readers who have been paying attention to the slower-building storylines woven through earlier volumes.
My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds the Hero's, Vol. 6
A note for readers keeping up with the Japanese releases: there are currently 7 volumes out in Japan, so the English edition is one volume behind. Seven Seas will continue releasing new volumes as they are translated and prepared for the English market, so expect Volume 7 to follow in due course.
Anime Adaptation — Where It Fits in the Reading Order
An anime adaptation exists for this series, which is how a lot of English-speaking readers first discover it.
If you watched the anime and want to continue the story in manga form, you have two options:
Option A: Start from Volume 1. This is the recommended approach. Manga adaptations include details, character moments, and pacing choices that anime episodes often condense or rearrange. Starting from the beginning gives you the full experience as Hiroyuki Aigamo drew it.
Option B: Pick up where the anime left off. If you’re confident you absorbed the anime’s story well and just want to move forward, you can jump ahead in the manga. Since exact episode-to-volume mapping depends on how the adaptation paced its material, the easiest method is to skim the opening pages of each volume until you spot where the anime’s final scene falls. From there, continue in order.
Either way, the manga reading order itself doesn’t change — it’s still Volumes 1 through 6 in sequence. The only question is where you personally choose to begin.
Before You Start — What to Know
A few things worth knowing before you pick up Volume 1:
- No prerequisites needed. You don’t need to read the light novel first. You don’t need to watch the anime first. Volume 1 of the manga is a perfectly clean starting point.
- Know what you’re getting into genre-wise. This is an isekai fantasy — meaning the characters are transported from the modern world into a fantasy setting — with a protagonist who is far stronger than anyone around him realizes. Expect dungeon exploration, group politics among the summoned classmates, a slowly unfolding reveal of the protagonist’s true power, and a main character who is quietly the most dangerous person in every room he enters. If that kind of story appeals to you, this series delivers.
- The series is ongoing. You’ll reach the end of Volume 6 and want more — that’s just the reality of following an ongoing manga. Future English volumes will arrive as Seven Seas continues releasing them. The Japanese edition is ahead by at least one volume, so there’s definitely more story coming.
- If you want a companion read, the source light novel is available in English through Seven Seas/Airship. Note that as of this writing the English light novel has fewer released volumes than the English manga, so it does not cover further into the story — but reading both can give you complementary perspectives rather than an identical experience.
Start Here — The Recommended Reading Order
Here’s the full recommended manga reading order in one clean list:
- Volume 1 — Start here. Class summoning, assassin awakening, isekai premise established.
- Volume 2 — Labyrinth exploration and solo growth.
- Volume 3 — Summoning conspiracy revealed, tone shifts.
- Volume 4 — New alliances, broader conflicts.
- Volume 5 — Kingdom tensions escalate.
- Volume 6 — Latest English release, ongoing story continues.
Format: Print or digital — both from Seven Seas Entertainment, both identical in content.
Side stories or spinoffs to worry about? None. Just one straightforward numbered sequence.
Future volumes? The series is ongoing in Japan with 7 volumes published so far. Keep an eye on Seven Seas for new English releases.
That’s the whole picture. Grab Volume 1, settle in, and enjoy watching an assassin quietly outclass everyone around him.