Looking for the complete Reincarnated as a Sword manga reading order? The short answer: read Vol. 1 through Vol. 17 in numbered order. That’s the entire sequence — no branching timelines, no alternate-universe spin-offs, no “read volume 3.5 before volume 4” nonsense.
Below you’ll find the full reading order, a spoiler-free arc guide so you know what you’re getting into, buying info, and answers to the questions that trip up newcomers — especially if you’re coming in from the anime. A quick note: this series includes some darker backstory elements (including slavery and violence against a child character) early on, but the overall tone balances those heavier moments with warmth, humor, and satisfying action.
Reincarnated as a Sword Manga Reading Order — The Quick Version
The manga, based on the light novel by Yuu Tanaka (original Japanese name: 棚架ユウ) with art by Tomowo Maruyama (original Japanese name: 丸山朝ヲ), follows a single continuous storyline. A light novel, for those unfamiliar, is a style of short Japanese novel — often illustrated — that frequently serves as the source material for manga and anime adaptations. Read the volumes in numbered order. That’s it. No detours.
Here’s the full English release list:
| Volume | Status |
|---|---|
| Vol. 1 | Available |
| Vol. 2 | Available |
| Vol. 3 | Available |
| Vol. 4 | Available |
| Vol. 5 | Available |
| Vol. 6 | Available |
| Vol. 7 | Available |
| Vol. 8 | Available |
| Vol. 9 | Available |
| Vol. 10 | Available |
| Vol. 11 | Available |
| Vol. 12 | Available |
| Vol. 13 | Available |
| Vol. 14 | Available |
| Vol. 15 | Available |
| Vol. 16 | Available |
| Vol. 17 | Available |
The series is ongoing. As of now, there are 19 volumes released in Japanese and 17 volumes in English. More English volumes will continue to roll out, so if you catch up and want more, the Japanese releases are ahead of you.
Start at Vol. 1. Read through Vol. 17. You’re done (for now).
What Each Volume Covers — A Spoiler-Free Arc Guide
One of the nicest things about Reincarnated as a Sword is how cleanly its story flows. Each volume picks up right where the last one ended. There are no filler chapters or disconnected side stories that break up the main narrative. But if you want a sense of what you’re getting into before you commit, here’s a broad overview — kept as spoiler-free as possible. (An “arc” just means a self-contained story segment within the larger series — think of it like a season of a TV show.)
Vol. 1 — The Beginning of a Beautiful Partnership
A man dies and wakes up as a sentient sword stuck in the ground in a fantasy world. He’s fully conscious and aware — he can think, observe his surroundings, and eventually communicate telepathically — but he can’t move on his own and has no wielder. That changes when a young cat-eared girl named Fran stumbles onto him. Fran is a slave who’s endured terrible treatment, and pulling Teacher (as she names the sword) from the ground gives her the power to fight back. Their first adventure exploring a monster-filled dungeon together establishes the dynamic that makes the whole series work: Teacher provides strategy, skills, and a parental kind of warmth, while Fran provides the courage, determination, and combat instincts. By the end of Vol. 1, you’ll know whether this series is for you.
Vols. 2–3 — The Alessa City Arc
Fran and Teacher arrive in the city of Alessa, where Fran signs up with the local adventurers’ guild — an organization that posts jobs like monster hunting and dungeon exploration, then ranks its members based on ability. These volumes are about Fran proving herself in a world that doesn’t take her seriously — she’s young, she’s from a beastfolk tribe (a race of people with animal features who face discrimination in this world), and she’s wielding a sword that talks. The early rank-up challenges, where Fran takes on harder jobs to climb the guild’s hierarchy, give the story a satisfying sense of forward momentum. You get to see Fran grow from a scrappy survivor into someone the guild can’t ignore. The world opens up nicely here too, giving you a feel for how this fantasy society operates.
Vols. 4–6 — Tournament and Conspiracy
This is where the stakes ramp up. Fran enters a tournament that pits her against stronger, more experienced fighters, and the results draw attention — not all of it welcome. Political intrigue starts weaving into the story alongside the action. The bond between Teacher and Fran deepens in ways that feel earned rather than forced. These volumes are a great example of what the series does well: balancing lighthearted character moments with genuine tension.
Vols. 7–10 — Expanding Horizons
The world grows considerably in these volumes. Fran and Teacher move beyond the regions established in earlier arcs, encountering new cultures, new threats, and allies who bring their own goals and complications to the table. The series maintains its blend of action and character development, and Fran’s long-term ambitions — tied to her identity and her tribe’s history — start getting more direct attention. If the tournament arc hooked you, these volumes reward your investment with a broader scope.
Vols. 11–16 — Raising the Stakes
Without getting into specifics that would spoil the fun, the most recent stretch of the series continues to escalate. Fran faces challenges that test her in ways the early guild missions never could, and Teacher’s own nature and origin become increasingly relevant to the plot. The series doesn’t lose momentum — each volume moves the story forward meaningfully, and the character dynamics that made the early volumes work continue to be the emotional backbone. If you enjoyed everything up to Vol. 10, you’ll keep enjoying the ride.
The key takeaway: this is a linear story. Every volume follows directly from the previous one. There’s no point where you’d skip ahead or read out of order.
How the Manga Relates to the Light Novel
The Reincarnated as a Sword manga is a retelling of the light novel — the same story adapted into a visual, comic-style format. Like most manga based on light novels, it condenses the source material. Some scenes are trimmed, some are reordered, and the story rhythm is adjusted to work better with artwork and paneling.
What does that mean for you as a reader?
- The manga alone gives you a complete experience. You don’t need the light novel to understand or enjoy the story. The manga tells the same core narrative with strong artwork that brings the action and character expressions to life.
- The light novel is further ahead in the story. If you catch up on the manga’s 17 English volumes and want more, the light novel continues past where the manga currently is. It also includes more of Teacher’s private thoughts, more detailed skill descriptions, and scenes that the manga trimmed for flow.
- The two don’t map one-to-one. Manga Vol. 5 does not correspond to Light Novel Vol. 5. This trips people up (more on that in the mistakes section below).
Since this guide is focused on the manga reading order, the recommendation is straightforward: start with manga Vol. 1 and read forward. If you later want to supplement with the light novel for extra depth, that’s a great option — but it’s not required.
Where to Buy Reincarnated as a Sword Manga in English
All 17 currently available English volumes are published by Seven Seas Entertainment and are out in both print and digital editions. You’ll find them at major book retailers and digital manga platforms like Kindle, Kobo, and BookWalker.
Since the series is ongoing, new English volumes continue to release periodically. If you’re starting fresh, you’ve got a solid 17-volume run to work through — enough to keep you busy for a while. At typical retail prices for manga volumes, the full 17-volume set is a meaningful purchase, so you may want to start with a few volumes to confirm it’s your kind of series before committing to the whole run.
For a convenient starting point, the latest English release is Vol. 17, and you can grab it along with earlier volumes at major retailers.
Reincarnated as a Sword (Manga) Vol. 17
A few buying notes:
- Digital vs. print is purely preference. The artwork reads well in both formats. Digital is instant and saves shelf space; print is nice to collect and easier on the eyes for long reading sessions.
- Check availability before ordering a big haul. Individual volumes occasionally go temporarily out of stock in print. If you’re buying the whole run at once, digital guarantees you won’t hit gaps.
- New volumes release on a rolling basis. With 19 Japanese volumes already out and only 17 in English, there are more on the way. The gap between Japanese and English releases is normal for translated manga.
Common Mistakes New Readers Make
These are the errors that come up most often when people start reading Reincarnated as a Sword in manga form — especially readers coming over from the anime.
Mixing up manga and light novel volume numbers.
This is the big one. The manga and the light novel are numbered independently, and they do not correspond one-to-one. Manga Vol. 8 covers different material than Light Novel Vol. 8. If someone online says “pick up at Vol. 7,” make sure you know which format they’re talking about. For this guide, every volume number refers to the manga unless stated otherwise.
Skipping to “where the anime left off” instead of starting from Vol. 1.
This is tempting if you’ve already watched the anime and don’t want to retread familiar ground. But the manga includes scenes, character details, and moments that the anime condensed or changed. Starting from Vol. 1 gives you the full version of events you already enjoyed, plus things you haven’t seen. It’s a richer experience, and since the early volumes read quickly, you’ll catch up to new material faster than you’d expect.
Assuming the series is finished.
It’s not. Reincarnated as a Sword is an ongoing series with 19 Japanese volumes and 17 English volumes as of now. If you’re the type who prefers to binge a completed series, you’ll want to know that going in. The good news is that 17 volumes is a substantial amount of story — you won’t feel shortchanged. But you will eventually catch up and have to wait for more.
Starting with the light novel and expecting the manga to pick up where you stopped.
Because the two formats cover material at different rates and in different order, you can’t seamlessly jump from one to the other mid-story. If you want to read the manga, start the manga from the beginning. Same goes for the light novel. They’re parallel retellings of the same story, not two halves of one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Reincarnated as a Sword manga finished?
No. The series is ongoing. There are currently 19 volumes in Japanese and 17 in English, with more on the way.
Do I need to read the light novel before the manga?
Not at all. The manga stands on its own as a complete reading experience. The light novel offers additional depth and is ahead of the manga in terms of story progress, but it’s entirely optional. Many readers enjoy the manga without ever touching the light novel.
How many manga volumes are there?
As of the latest verified count: 19 volumes in Japanese and 17 volumes in English. Both numbers will continue to grow since the series is ongoing.
Should I watch the anime or read the manga first?
Either works. The anime is a solid adaptation that covers the early portions of the story, so it’s a fine entry point if you prefer animation. The manga covers the same material with more detail and extends further into the story. If you’ve watched the anime and want to continue the story, reading the manga from Vol. 1 is still the recommendation. The exact crossover point between the anime and manga shifts depending on which scenes were adapted, so rather than trying to pinpoint a specific volume to jump in at (and risking missed context), starting from the beginning is the most reliable approach. The early volumes are quick reads, and you’ll catch details the anime skipped along the way.
Is there a Season 2 of the anime?
A second season of the anime has been announced. For the latest details on its release timing, check current anime news sources. In the meantime, the manga extends well past where Season 1 ended, so switching to the manga is a great way to continue the story without waiting.
Who created the manga?
The light novel is written by Yuu Tanaka (original Japanese name: 棚架ユウ). The manga adaptation features art by Tomowo Maruyama (original Japanese name: 丸山朝ヲ). The manga’s first Japanese volume was released in April 2017.
Can I read the manga digitally?
Yes. All English volumes are available in digital format through platforms like Kindle, Kobo, and BookWalker, in addition to print editions.
How often do new English volumes come out?
The release schedule varies, but new English volumes come out periodically as the translation catches up to the Japanese releases. With a 2-volume gap between the Japanese and English counts, there’s a steady flow of new content on the way.