Shaman King was a manga series by Hiroyuki Takei that was serialised in legendary Weekly Shonen Jump between 1998 and 2004. It followed Yoh Asakura, who is a medium between the worlds of the living and dead, who has lofty goals of being the Shaman King. To do it, he must compete in the Shaman Fight tournament and defeat all the other shamans. As the Shaman King, he will gain the ability to shape the world as he sees fit.
Over the years, Shaman King has gone onto be a big hit. It has sold over 35 million copies, spawned multiple spin-offs, and received a well-loved anime series.
With the series’ English translation and its many spin-offs, becoming widely available again and the new anime series on the way, it’s never been a better time to read Shaman King. This guide will help you to start reading the classic manga by explaining the different editions and spin-offs.
What Should I Read First?
With a whole bunch of prequels/sequels/spin-offs, it can be hard to figure out where the best place to start reading the Shaman King franchise. My recommendation is with the original series, which is simply called “Shaman King”. It’s the first manga series to be created and the foundation in which everything branches off of.
In total, there are 35 volumes of Shaman King. You can sample this series over on the Kodansha Comics website.
Where Do I Read Shaman King?
At the present time, the best way to read ALL of Shaman King is digitally. It’s the only format where everything, including spin-offs/prequels/sequels, has been officially translated into English.
Comixology/Amazon previously had an exclusivity deal where that was the only place you could purchase/read Shaman King. However, it appears that in November, 2021, that the manga series is available on other platforms such as Google Play, My Anime List, and Apple Books.
Note: A previous version of the above referenced Comixology as it’s own platform. However, in February, 2022, it was absorbed into Amazon. You can find more about what that means for you in this comprehensive guide.
If you prefer to binge-read Netflix style, you can sign up to Comixology Unlimited (only available to those in the US) for a monthly fee.
For those who prefer to read in print, then you have two options:
First, you could track down the Viz Media editions from the 2000s. There are plenty of copies of these on eBay, but they come with a downside. Viz never finished publishing Shaman King in its entirety. Only 32 of 35 volumes were translated in English.
Luckily, there is another way to read Shaman King in print. Kodansha began collecting the manga series in massive 3-in-1 omnibus editions. These 600-page started being released in in February, 2021 and look like they will continue until 2023. As of this latest update in March, 2022, seven editions are available.
Prequels, Sequels, and Spin-Offs
If you’ve finished reading the original Shaman King series and want to read more then you’re in luck. There’s plenty more to read in the form of sequel series, prequels, and spin-offs. These have never been officially translated into English until now and will be available digital-only at this stage. Find out all about these below.
Shaman King Zero
Written and art by Hiroyuki Takei.
Shaman King Zero is a prequel series that explores what the characters were up to before the original series. It was originally serialised in Japanese between 2011-2014.
Number of Volumes: 2 (complete)
Format: Digital-only
Links: Comixology/Kindle | Apple Books
You can read the first chapter for free on the Kodansha Comics website.
Shaman King: Flowers
Written and art by Hiroyuki Takei.
Shaman King: Flowers is a sequel series that was originally in Japanese between 2012-2014. It’s set about 16 years after the Shaman Fights and stars Hana Asakura, who is the son of Yoh and Anna Asakura.
The series ended it’s run 2014 because the Jump X, the magazine the manga was serialised in, discontinued. Shaman King: The Super Star (see below) acts as a sequel to Flowers and continues the story.
Number of Volumes: 6
Status: Complete
Format: Print/Digital
Links: Comixology/Kindle | My Anime List | Apple Books
Kodansha will be releasing Shaman King: Flowers in print from August 2023.
You can read the first chapter for free on the Kodansha Comics website.
Shaman King: Red Crimson
Written by Hiroyuki Takei. Art by Jet Kusamura.
Shaman King: Red Crimson is a spin-off series that stars Tao Jun and Li Pairon. This series is notable for being the only one not to be drawn by series creator Hiroyuki Takei.
Number of Volumes: 4 (so far)
Status: Complete
Format: Digital-only
Links: Comixology/Kindle | My Anime List | Apple Books | Google Play
You can read the first chapter for free on the Kodansha Comics website.
Shaman King: The Super Star
Written and art by Hiroyuki Takei.
Shaman King: The Super Star is a sequel to Shaman King: Flowers and continues the story of Hana Asakura. The series is still being serialised in Japan so there will be new volumes of this series in the future.
Number of Volumes: 5 (so far)
Status: Ongoing
Format: Digital-only
Links: Comixology/Kindle | My Anime List | Apple Books | Google Play
You can read the first chapter for free on the Kodansha Comics website.
Shaman King: Marcos
Written and art by Jet Kusamura.
The newest of the Shaman King spin-offs is Marcos. This one explores the X-Laws and the disappearance of Marcos.
Number of Volumes: 4
Status: Complete
Format: Digital-only
Links: Comixology/Kindle | My Anime List | Apple Books | Google Play
You can read the first chapter for free on the Kodansha website.
Shaman King & a garden
Written by Hiroyuki Takei and Jet Kusamura. Art by Kyo Nuesawa.
This spin-off focuses on Canna, Mathilda, and Marion and explores their origins.
Number of Volumes: 3 (so far)
Status: Ongoing
Format: Digital-only
Links: Comixology/Kindle | My Anime List | Apple Books | Google Play
You can read the first chapter for free on the Kodansha Comics website.
Have Your Say!
Have you found this guide helpful? Is there any other manga that you think would benefit from a guide like this? Share your thoughts in the comments below or via Facebook or Twitter.
Super useful!! Thanks alot
Great! thx dude!