Go Nagai — one of the most influential manga creators in the history of the medium, especially in horror and dark fantasy — created Devilman in the early 1970s. The original manga is only five volumes long, but decades of sequels, spin-offs (related but separate stories), retellings (new versions of the same story), and crossovers (stories where characters from different series meet) have turned it into a sprawling web of interconnected and sometimes contradictory works. If you’re looking for a clear Devilman manga reading order, you’re in the right place.
If you just finished Devilman Crybaby on Netflix and want to read the source material, or if you’ve heard about the manga’s legendary ending and want to experience it yourself, this guide lays out exactly where to start and what order to follow.
The good news: the core reading path is much shorter than you’d expect.
The Best Devilman Manga Reading Order (Start Here)
Here’s the full picture at a glance. The original manga by Go Nagai is always step one — every single sequel, spin-off, and retelling in this franchise assumes you know that story and how it ends.
You absolutely do not need to read every spin-off to enjoy the franchise. Most readers will be perfectly satisfied with just the Essential tier.
| Tier | Title | Type | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | Devilman (original manga) | Core story | Read this first, always |
| Recommended | Shin Devilman | Side stories set during the original | Read after the original |
| Recommended | Amon: The Darkside of the Devilman | Darker expansion of key events | Read after the original |
| Recommended | Violence Jack | Sequel set after the original’s ending | Read after the original |
| Recommended | Devilman Lady | New protagonist, same universe | Read after the original (Violence Jack adds context) |
| Optional | Devilman Saga | Far-future story in the same universe | Read after the original and Violence Jack |
| Optional | Devilman Grimoire | Same story retold differently by a new creator | Standalone; separate timeline |
| Optional | Devilman vs. Hades | Characters from different series meet | Standalone; does not affect core story |
The Essential tier is one manga. That’s it. You can read the entire original Devilman in an afternoon — it’s 53 chapters across 5 volumes — and walk away with a complete, self-contained story. Everything else builds outward from that foundation.
What Each Part Covers and Why It Goes in That Spot
Devilman — The Original Manga (Start Here, Always)
This is where everything begins. Devilman tells the story of Akira Fudo, a kind-hearted teenager who merges with the powerful demon Amon in a desperate attempt to protect humanity from a demonic apocalypse. What starts as a fairly conventional action manga escalates into something far bleaker and more ambitious — Go Nagai was publishing this in Weekly Shonen Magazine (a popular weekly manga anthology aimed at teenage boys) in the early 1970s, and the places he took the story were genuinely shocking for the time.
The manga ran from December 1972 to September 1973, totaling 53 chapters across 5 volumes. It’s a completed series and a quick read by modern manga standards.
For English readers, the most accessible edition is the Seven Seas Classic Collection from the manga publisher Seven Seas Entertainment. This edition compiles the full story into 2 omnibus volumes — meaning each book collects multiple original volumes into one larger book, so you get the complete manga in just two physical books. These are solid editions that give you the full original manga in a compact package.
Devilman, Vol. 5 (final volume)
Why must this come first? Because literally every other work in the Devilman franchise — every sequel, every spin-off, every retelling — assumes you know this story. More specifically, they assume you know how it ends. The ending of Devilman is one of the most famous conclusions in manga history, and trying to read any sequel without that context would be like watching a movie’s deleted scenes without having seen the movie.
Shin Devilman — Side Stories Within the Original Timeline
Shin Devilman doesn’t continue the story forward — instead, it expands on events that take place during the original manga’s timeline. Think of it as bonus episodes that flesh out the world and characters while the main plot is unfolding.
The best time to read Shin Devilman is immediately after finishing the original manga, while the story is still fresh in your mind. It deepens your understanding of the Devilman universe and adds texture to events you’ve already experienced.
That said, Shin Devilman is not required reading for understanding any of the sequels. If you’re eager to move on to Violence Jack or Devilman Lady, you can safely come back to this one later. It enriches the experience rather than being structurally necessary — you won’t be confused by anything in later entries if you skip it.
Amon: The Darkside of the Devilman — A Darker Expansion
Amon: The Darkside of the Devilman takes the already dark tone of the original manga and pushes it further. This work explores events surrounding the final act of the original story from the perspective of the demon Amon — the entity that merged with Akira Fudo.
A key detail: Amon was written and illustrated by Yū Kinutani, based on Go Nagai’s original Devilman — Nagai holds original creator credit as the author of the source Devilman manga, but Kinutani is the sole author and artist of the Amon series itself. The result is a grimmer, more graphic take on familiar events. If you thought the original Devilman was intense, Amon dials the violence and body horror up considerably, with more explicit depictions of gore and cruelty than the original. This series earns its mature content warnings, so be aware going in that it goes further than even Crybaby did in some respects.
Read this after the original manga. Amon directly references late-story developments, and trying to read it first would spoil major reveals. Its placement in the reading order is flexible — you can read it before or after Violence Jack — but it must always come after the original.
Violence Jack — The Post-Apocalyptic Sequel
Here’s where the Devilman franchise gets really interesting (and really long). Violence Jack is set in a shattered, post-apocalyptic world — civilization has collapsed, and survivors struggle through a brutal landscape — and for most of its run, it reads like a standalone survival horror manga with no obvious connection to Devilman.
That connection is revealed gradually. And when it clicks into place, it recontextualizes both Violence Jack and the original Devilman in a way that’s genuinely rewarding.
Violence Jack is a long, brutal series — spanning approximately 38 volumes in its complete Japanese edition — that demands patience. Note that as of this writing, no official English-language manga edition of Violence Jack has been published, so English-only readers may find this title harder to access. The payoff ties directly back to the ending of Devilman in ways that are best experienced unspoiled. This is exactly why it must be read after the original — the major reveal that connects the two works would spoil the ending of Devilman.
If you’re the type of reader who enjoys a slow burn with a massive payoff, Violence Jack is well worth the investment. If you prefer tighter, more focused stories, you can skip it without losing the ability to enjoy other entries in the franchise.
Devilman Lady — The Spiritual Successor
Devilman Lady features an entirely new protagonist but connects to the broader Devilman universe in significant ways. It’s what fans call a “spiritual successor” — not a direct sequel that continues the same plot, but a new story that explores similar themes of transformation, identity, and the line between human and demon through a fresh lens and a different cast.
You can read Devilman Lady after finishing the original manga. Prior knowledge of Violence Jack adds additional context and makes certain connections land harder, but it’s not strictly required. If you skipped Violence Jack, you’ll still follow and enjoy Devilman Lady just fine.
Devilman Saga — A Far-Future Continuation
Devilman Saga represents Go Nagai’s later return to the Devilman universe, set in a different era far removed from the original story. It’s the most optional of the recommended titles — interesting for devoted fans who want to see where Nagai took the mythology, but not essential for appreciating the core franchise.
Place this after reading both the original manga and Violence Jack for the fullest context. Without those two foundations, some of the references and thematic connections in Devilman Saga will fly past you.
Spin-Offs and Retellings You Can Safely Skip
Not everything with “Devilman” in the title is part of the main storyline. Here’s what you can set aside without missing anything from the core narrative:
- Devilman Grimoire — A modern retelling written by Go Nagai and illustrated by Rui Takatō. This is not a continuation of the original storyline — it’s the same basic story reimagined from scratch with updated art and some different narrative choices. Think of it as an alternate-universe version of Devilman. It’s perfectly fine as a standalone read if the premise interests you, but it has no bearing on the main reading order.
- Devilman vs. Hades — A standalone sequel set after the original manga, featuring a crossover with Go Nagai’s own Mazinger Z mecha franchise. Fun if you’re already a fan, but entirely optional. It does not affect your understanding of any other entry in the franchise.
- Other crossover and tribute works — Various crossover titles and tribute manga have been published over the decades. Unless a work directly continues the story that began in Go Nagai’s original manga (the way Violence Jack or Devilman Lady do), treat it as optional reading you can circle back to whenever curiosity strikes.
The guiding principle is simple: if it doesn’t directly continue the story that began in Go Nagai’s original 1972 manga, it’s not part of the core reading path. Read it if you want, skip it if you don’t, and don’t stress about it either way.
Where to Buy the Devilman Manga in English
The original Devilman manga is the easiest entry to find in English. The Seven Seas Classic Collection packages the complete 5-volume story into 2 omnibus volumes, making it a convenient way to own the entire original series in just two books. Both physical and digital editions are available — if you prefer reading on a tablet or phone, check digital manga storefronts like Kindle, Kobo, or BookWalker for availability.
For the expanded universe titles, English availability varies by title and format:
- Shin Devilman — check current Seven Seas listings for availability; its inclusion in omnibus or standalone editions may vary.
- Violence Jack — as of this writing, no English-language manga edition has been published. The series is available only as Japanese-language imports (and in select other languages such as Italian). English-language readers interested in this title will need to seek out imports or wait for a future English license.
- Devilman Lady and Devilman Saga — English availability for these titles has been more limited. Check Seven Seas and other manga publishers for the most current listings, and look at digital storefronts if physical editions are out of stock.
- Amon: The Darkside of the Devilman — availability has varied over the years. Digital storefronts are your best bet for finding it currently.
The one title you can reliably find and buy right now — in both physical and digital formats — is the original, which is conveniently also the only title you truly need.
Common Mistakes New Readers Make with the Devilman Franchise
Starting with a spin-off or retelling instead of the original manga. This is the most common mistake, and the most damaging to your experience. Devilman Grimoire looks appealing because of its modern art, and Amon looks appealing because of its intensity — but neither makes full sense without the original as your foundation. Always start with Go Nagai’s original Devilman.
Treating the 1972 TV anime as a substitute for the manga. An animated TV series (anime) based on the same premise actually began airing in July 1972 — several months before the manga launched in December — and ran until March 1973. The two share a starting point, but they diverge heavily. The anime is a much lighter, more conventional action show. The manga goes to radically darker, more ambitious places — especially in its second half and ending. They’re essentially different stories. For the purposes of this reading order, you want the manga.
Reading Violence Jack without finishing the original Devilman first. This one’s a genuine experience-ruiner. Violence Jack contains a major reveal that ties it to the events and ending of Devilman. If you haven’t read the original, that reveal will simultaneously spoil Devilman’s ending and land without the emotional weight it’s supposed to carry. You lose twice.
Skipping the original manga because you watched Devilman Crybaby. The Netflix adaptation, directed by Masaaki Yuasa (the acclaimed anime director behind several other distinctive animated works), is a faithful and well-received retelling of the original story, and watching it is a perfectly valid way to experience the narrative. But the manga contains material that the adaptation condensed or omitted, and the reading experience is genuinely different from the viewing experience. If you loved Crybaby, the manga adds depth that the show didn’t have room for — and at only 5 volumes, it’s one of the fastest reads you’ll find for a franchise this influential.
Trying to read every spin-off before moving to sequels. The Devilman franchise has accumulated a lot of side material over fifty-plus years. Trying to be completionist before moving forward just bogs you down. The core path — original manga, then whichever sequels interest you — is short. Spin-offs and crossovers can wait.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to read all the spin-offs to understand the Devilman manga reading order?
No. The original Devilman manga is completely self-contained. It has a beginning, a middle, and one of the most definitive endings in manga. Sequels like Violence Jack and Devilman Lady build directly on it, but the original stands on its own. You could read just those 5 volumes and walk away fully satisfied.
Is Devilman Crybaby a good substitute for reading the manga?
Crybaby covers the same core story and does so faithfully, so watching it gives you the narrative foundation you need before reading sequels. However, the manga offers additional depth, different pacing, and material that the anime condensed. They’re complementary experiences rather than interchangeable ones. Even if you’ve already watched Crybaby, the manga adds layers that make the sequels and spin-offs richer — and at only two omnibus volumes, it’s a fast read.
What is the connection between Devilman and Violence Jack?
This is one of the franchise’s biggest reveals, and spelling it out here would undermine the experience of discovering it through reading. We’re deliberately leaving this unanswered because finding out on your own is part of what makes the reading order matter. What you need to know going in: the connection exists, it’s significant, and it directly involves the ending of the original Devilman. Read Devilman first, then Violence Jack, and let the pieces click into place on their own.
Is Devilman Grimoire a sequel or a retelling?
Devilman Grimoire is a retelling — a new version of the Devilman story, not a continuation of it. Think of it as an alternate-universe take: same basic premise, different execution, and a completely separate timeline from the original manga. It was written by Go Nagai and illustrated by Rui Takatō, and does not feed into the sequel chain of Violence Jack, Devilman Lady, or Devilman Saga. It’s enjoyable on its own terms, but it’s not part of the main reading order.