How Many Volumes of I’m the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire! Manga Are There?
As of this writing, Seven Seas Entertainment has published 8 volumes of the manga in English. The series is still actively being released, so that number will continue to grow.
A couple of important things to keep in mind:
- The Japanese release is further ahead. The original Japanese edition has more volumes out than the English edition. When a Japanese publisher grants an English company like Seven Seas the rights to translate and sell a series (a process called licensing), the English volumes typically trail behind by several months or more. If you’re eager for more story, this is worth knowing — though the English volumes are the easiest way for most readers to follow along.
- This is the manga, not the light novel. Both the manga (illustrated comic) and the light novel (prose text with occasional illustrations) are published in English by Seven Seas. Make sure you’re picking up the right format — the covers look different, and the manga volumes are clearly labeled as such.
Below, we’ll walk through every English volume that has been released so far.
Complete Volume List
Here’s the full list of English manga volumes with release dates. Each volume collects several chapters and moves the story forward at a satisfying pace.
| Volume | English Release | Format | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vol. 1 | December 2022 | Paperback / Digital | Series introduction — Liam’s reincarnation and early days as a noble |
| Vol. 2 | May 2023 | Paperback / Digital | Liam begins building his domain and military strength |
| Vol. 3 | November 2023 | Paperback / Digital | Political tensions escalate; Liam’s “evil” plans keep backfiring into good deeds |
| Vol. 4 | May 2024 | Paperback / Digital | Academy storyline begins — Liam enters a broader social world |
| Vol. 5 | Late 2024 | Paperback / Digital | Continued academy storyline and deepening conflicts |
| Vol. 6 | May 2025 | Paperback / Digital | Academy storyline continues with new rivals and complications |
| Vol. 7 | Late 2025 | Paperback / Digital | Further empire-level developments |
| Vol. 8 | May 2026 | Paperback / Digital | Latest English release |
Note: Release dates for Vol. 5 and Vol. 7 are approximate — check Seven Seas Entertainment’s official site for exact dates.
Seven Seas has been consistent about releasing new volumes roughly every five to six months, so if you’re starting the series now, there’s a solid chunk of story already waiting for you.
The manga is illustrated by Kai Nadashima, adapting Yomu Mishima’s original light novel. Nadashima’s art does a strong job capturing both the comedy and the large-scale sci-fi action the story demands.
What Each Volume Covers
Without spoiling anything major, here’s the general flow of the story across the manga:
Volumes 1–2 focus on setup. You meet Liam Sera Banfield after his reincarnation, watch him inherit his noble territory, and see him start making decisions he thinks are selfish and tyrannical. The comedy kicks in immediately — his attempts at being a ruthless evil lord keep getting misinterpreted as wise, generous leadership. His people adore him. His territory thrives. And Liam has absolutely no idea why.
Volumes 3–4 expand the world significantly. Liam’s military ambitions grow, he encounters rival nobles and political schemers, and the stakes get higher. The series does a great job of balancing lighthearted comedy-of-misunderstanding moments with genuine sci-fi action — space battles, piloted-robot combat, and political intrigue all play a role.
Volumes 5–8 push into academy and broader empire storylines, introducing new characters and putting Liam in situations where his reputation as a benevolent (but supposedly evil) lord creates increasingly absurd and entertaining complications.
The pacing is one of the manga’s real strengths. Each volume feels like it moves the story forward meaningfully, and the art does a solid job of bringing the galactic-scale setting to life. You’re never just treading water waiting for something to happen.
What Is I’m the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire! About?
Here’s the elevator pitch: a man in modern Japan has a miserable life. Betrayed, bitter, and broke, he dies — and gets reincarnated as Liam Sera Banfield, a young noble in a vast intergalactic empire set thousands of years in the future.
Liam’s plan? Live selfishly. Abuse his power. Be the evil lord he never got to be in his previous life. No more being the nice guy who gets walked over.
There’s just one problem: everything he does accidentally turns out great.
He trains with a sword master he thinks is teaching him dark, forbidden techniques — turns out the master is genuinely one of the greatest swordsmen alive, and Liam becomes incredibly skilled. He cuts taxes to weaken his territory (less revenue = less power, right?) — but the lower taxes attract settlers and businesses, and his domain booms. He tries to rule through fear, but his people interpret his stern leadership as strength and fairness, and they love him for it.
The entire series runs on this comedy of misunderstanding — a setup where the humor comes from the gap between what a character intends and what actually happens — and it works brilliantly. Liam is completely sincere in his desire to be evil, which makes the constant backfiring even funnier. There’s also a mysterious supernatural entity called the Guide who originally orchestrated Liam’s reincarnation expecting to feed on his misery — but since Liam keeps accidentally succeeding, the Guide is the one suffering instead.
What makes this series stand out in the crowded isekai landscape:
- Sci-fi setting. No swords-and-sorcery fantasy world here. We’re talking interstellar travel, giant space fleets, piloted giant robots, and galactic politics. It’s a refreshing change of scenery.
- Comedy-first tone. While there’s real action and genuine stakes, the heart of the series is comedic. The gap between Liam’s self-image (terrifying evil lord) and reality (beloved benevolent ruler) never stops being funny.
- Based on the light novel by Yomu Mishima. The manga adaptation by Kai Nadashima brings the story to life visually, with art that captures both the humor and the scale of the setting. The light novel series is also available in English from Seven Seas if you want to read ahead or prefer prose.
If you like isekai but you’re tired of the standard fantasy formula, this one is a genuinely fun twist on the genre. The sci-fi angle and the comedic premise give it a flavor all its own.
Is the Manga Still Ongoing?
The manga is published chapter by chapter in a Japanese magazine before those chapters are collected into the book-format volumes you buy in English — a standard process for most manga. As of now the series is still actively being published in both Japan and English translation. Seven Seas Entertainment continues to release new English volumes on a regular schedule.
Here’s what to know about the publication situation:
- Japanese publication is ahead of the English release. The original chapters continue to come out in Japan.
- English volumes are published by Seven Seas Entertainment in both physical (paperback) and digital formats. New volumes have been arriving roughly every five to six months.
- The gap between Japanese and English means there’s always more story available in Japanese than in English. For English-only readers, this just means you’ll have new volumes to look forward to for a while yet.
As for an anime adaptation, a 12-episode anime television series produced by studio Quad aired from April to June 2025 on ABC TV / TV Asahi in Japan. The series is also available for streaming on Crunchyroll internationally, so English-speaking fans can watch it now. If you’ve been reading the manga and want to see the story animated, it’s already out there waiting for you.
The good news for anyone jumping in now: with 8 volumes out, there’s enough story to give you a satisfying reading experience, and the series is not going anywhere anytime soon.
Where to Buy the English Manga
Seven Seas Entertainment is the licensed English publisher for both the manga and the light novel versions of I’m the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire! — so no matter where you buy, you’re getting an official, high-quality translation.
Individual volumes carry a typical manga retail price. Here are your main options:
Physical Copies
- Amazon — Easily the most convenient option for most readers. You can pick up individual volumes in paperback, and the series is well-stocked.
I'm the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire!, Vol. 8
- Barnes & Noble — Another solid option, especially if you prefer browsing in-store or want to use B&N gift cards.
- Crunchyroll Store — A dedicated anime and manga retailer that carries Seven Seas titles. Worth checking if you’re ordering multiple manga volumes at once.
Digital Copies
If you prefer reading on a screen (or just want instant access), the manga is available digitally on:
- Kindle — Read on any Kindle device or the Kindle app on your phone or tablet.
- Kobo — A good alternative if you use a Kobo e-reader.
- BookWalker — A digital storefront built specifically for manga and light novels. It works through a browser or dedicated app, similar to Kindle but focused entirely on Japanese comics and novels. They occasionally run sales on Seven Seas titles.
Manga vs. Light Novel — Don’t Mix Them Up!
This trips up more people than you’d think. Both the manga and the light novel of I’m the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire! are published in English by Seven Seas. They have different covers, different product codes, and separate volume numbering — meaning the manga’s Volume 3 and the light novel’s Volume 3 cover different portions of the story and are completely separate books.
- The manga is the comic version with panels, speech bubbles, and artwork on every page.
- The light novel is prose (text with occasional illustrations), and it’s further ahead in the story.
If you want the visual manga experience, double-check that the listing says “manga” before you buy. If you want to read ahead in the story beyond where the manga has reached, the light novels are the way to go — and plenty of fans read both.
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With 8 English volumes available and more on the way, now is a great time to start collecting the I’m the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire! manga. The premise hooks you immediately, the comedy lands consistently, and the sci-fi isekai setting feels genuinely different from the pack. Grab Volume 1 and see if Liam’s hilariously failed attempts at villainy win you over — for most readers, it doesn’t take long.