Terra Formars currently has 23 manga volumes — and if you’re wondering whether now is the right time to start collecting, this guide covers the full run in detail.
For readers new to manga (Japanese comics, typically read right-to-left and published as compact paperback volumes), Terra Formars is one of the most violent, inventive, and deeply unsettling sci-fi series out there. Giant humanoid cockroaches. Genetically modified soldiers with insect powers. A Mars terraforming project gone horrifically wrong. This guide breaks down every volume, every story arc, and every edition question so you can jump in with confidence.
All 23 Terra Formars Manga Volumes — Series Overview
Here’s the quick rundown: Terra Formars currently has 23 volumes published in both Japanese and English. The series is ongoing — after a long hiatus that ran from December 2019 to April 2024, it returned to Weekly Young Jump; a shorter pause then followed from April 2025, and serialization resumed again on December 18, 2025 — so more volumes are on the way.
A quick note on how manga publishing works: most manga series are first released chapter-by-chapter in Japanese magazines, then collected into paperback volumes (typically containing several chapters each). When a series goes on “hiatus,” it means new chapters have stopped appearing in the magazine — which is why Terra Formars’ volume count paused at 23 for a while.
The series is written by Yu Sasuga and illustrated by Kenichi Tachibana. It originally launched in Miracle Jump before moving to Weekly Young Jump — both manga magazines published by Shueisha in Japan. In English, the manga is published by VIZ Media, one of the largest manga publishers in North America and the company behind series like Naruto, One Piece, and Death Note.
Here’s a snapshot of the key details:
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Volumes (Japanese) | 23 |
| Volumes (English) | 23 |
| Status | Ongoing |
| Japanese Publisher | Shueisha (Young Jump Comics) |
| English Publisher | VIZ Media |
| Serialization Start | Jan 2011 (Miracle Jump); Apr 2012 (Weekly Young Jump) |
| Latest JP Volume | Vol. 23 (July 2024) |
| Serialization Resumed | April 2024 (long hiatus ended); Dec 18, 2025 (from 2025 pause) |
If you’ve been waiting for the series to come back from hiatus — it has. The story isn’t finished yet, and with new chapters arriving, additional volumes beyond 23 should follow. That said, all 23 English volumes are available right now, and at roughly 23 volumes it’s a very reasonable commitment compared to longer-running series. It’s a solid time to start collecting even though the ending hasn’t arrived yet.
Story Arcs by Volume — How Terra Formars Is Structured
The premise of Terra Formars is deceptively simple: centuries ago, scientists seeded Mars with moss and cockroaches to begin terraforming the planet. When humans finally arrive, those cockroaches have evolved into towering, intelligent, superhumanly strong creatures — the Terraformars. Humanity’s response? Send soldiers surgically modified with insect and animal DNA to fight back.
What follows is a brutal, high-mortality story told across several major story arcs — meaning distinct phases of the plot, each with its own setting, cast focus, and conflict. In manga, arcs function like seasons of a TV show: connected but self-contained enough to have their own beginning, middle, and climax. The series doesn’t protect its cast from death — characters die frequently and graphically. That’s the deal with Terra Formars, and it’s what makes the stakes feel real.
The Bugs 2 Arc (Volumes 1–2)
The series opens with humanity’s second manned mission to Mars — called Bugs 2 — and it goes wrong almost immediately. The crew discovers that the cockroaches they expected to find have transformed into massive, muscular humanoids with terrifying speed and strength.
These early manga volumes establish everything Terra Formars is about: desperate survival against overwhelming odds, a cast that is absolutely not safe from death, and the dawning realization that humanity is wildly unprepared for what it created. The tone is horror as much as action. Crew members are killed in shocking ways, and the power gap between humans and Terraformars feels hopeless.
This arc is relatively contained and serves as a prologue for what comes next. It’s dark, it’s fast, and it hooks you by making you understand that this manga will not play fair with its characters.
The Annex I Arc (Volumes 3–17)
This is where Terra Formars truly expands — and where the bulk of the manga volumes live. The Annex I mission is humanity’s third expedition to Mars, but this time the crew is much larger and far better prepared. Each soldier has undergone the Bugs Procedure — a surgical modification that grafts insect or animal characteristics onto their bodies, giving them unique combat abilities.
One fighter might have the explosive power of a bombardier beetle. Another might gain the silk-spinning abilities of a spider or the crushing strength of a mantis shrimp. The variety is wildly creative, and the manga leans into biological science (real and exaggerated) to explain each transformation. It’s part battle manga, part nature documentary with the violence cranked to maximum.
The Annex I arc is the series’ longest and most complex stretch, spanning roughly fifteen volumes. The multinational crew fractures along national lines, with different countries pursuing hidden agendas. Betrayals stack on top of each other. The Terraformars themselves reveal new, terrifying capabilities — including the ability to steal modifications from fallen human soldiers and use them. That escalation transforms the conflict from a survival story into a full-blown arms race.
Expect high body counts, tactical combat that rewards paying attention, and some shocking twists about what the various governments actually want from Mars.
Earth Arc and Beyond (Volumes 18–23)
Eventually, the Terraformar threat is no longer confined to Mars. The Earth arc sees the conflict arrive on humanity’s home turf, combining biological warfare with political conspiracy. The stakes shift from “survive on an alien planet” to “prevent global catastrophe,” and the series explores how governments, military organizations, and shadowy power brokers react when the monsters show up at their doorstep.
This portion of the story also coincided with the series’ extended hiatuses — Terra Formars went through significant publication gaps — most notably a hiatus from December 2019 to April 2024 — before the series resumed in Weekly Young Jump. A shorter hiatus followed in April 2025, with serialization resuming again in December 2025. Volume 23 (the most recent) was released in Japan in July 2024, and with new chapters now being published, the story is moving forward again.
These later manga volumes are slower-paced than the Annex I arc’s relentless action, but they build out the political and conspiratorial layers of the world in ways that add real depth.
The World and Its Lore — Why Terra Formars Hits So Hard
Terra Formars occupies a unique space. It’s technically science fiction, but the body horror, the monstrous enemies, and the grim fatalism of its world give it a dark fantasy atmosphere that sits comfortably alongside the grimmest, most uncompromising manga in the medium.
The Bugs Procedure
The central conceit is brilliant and horrifying: the Bugs Procedure surgically implants insect or animal DNA into human subjects, allowing them to temporarily transform and access that organism’s abilities. A character modified with the genes of a bullet ant gains incredible striking power. Someone with desert locust DNA can sprout wings and fly.
But the procedure isn’t a gift — it’s a weapon, and the people who undergo it are treated as expendable. Governments select candidates from marginalized populations, prisoners, and people with nothing to lose. The transformation itself is agonizing, and not everyone survives it. Even the “successful” subjects are tools to be used and discarded.
The Terraformars
The enemy is unforgettable. The Terraformars are evolved humanoid cockroaches — enormous, muscular, pitch-black figures with flat, expressionless faces. They’re fast enough to dodge bullets, strong enough to tear humans apart bare-handed, and intelligent enough to coordinate tactics and use tools.
Worse, they can absorb the Bugs Procedure modifications from dead human soldiers, turning humanity’s own weapons against them. It’s a nightmare escalation that keeps the series from ever feeling safe, even when the human side scores a victory.
Themes
Beneath the action, Terra Formars is fundamentally about expendability. Who gets sent to die? Who profits from the sacrifice? The series draws uncomfortable parallels between its fictional world and real-world patterns of exploitation — sending the powerless to fight wars that benefit the powerful.
The manga depicts extreme violence and high character mortality. It does not shy away from gore, and the death scenes are designed to be shocking. This is firmly seinen territory — a manga demographic category meaning the series is aimed at adult male readers, with content and themes geared toward a mature audience. If you’re sensitive to graphic violence or body horror, be aware that Terra Formars leans into both heavily and consistently.
Manga vs. Anime — Where the Adaptation Diverges
Terra Formars has received two anime TV seasons plus additional OVA releases. Season 1 (2014) adapts the Annex I arc, and Season 2 — titled Terra Formars: Revenge (2016) — continues the Annex I storyline. There is also a two-episode OVA (Terra Formars: Bugs 2 Arc, 2014) that adapts the Bugs 2 arc (Volumes 1–2) — it was bundled with manga volumes 10 and 11 rather than broadcast on television. An additional Earth arc OAV was released in 2018, bundled with volumes 21 and 22 (in August 2018 and November 2018 respectively). If you’ve heard about the anime and are wondering whether to watch it instead of reading — the answer is pretty straightforward.
The anime adaptation is notorious for its censorship. The broadcast versions obscured much of the violence with black circles and shadows, sometimes blocking out large portions of the screen during action scenes. For a series where the visceral impact of the violence is central to the storytelling, that censorship undermines the experience significantly.
The manga delivers the complete, uncompromised version of the story. Every transformation, every death, every horrifying reveal hits the way the creators intended. The art by Kenichi Tachibana is detailed and powerful — the Terraformars are genuinely frightening on the page, and the action sequences have a sharpness and clarity that the anime couldn’t always match even in uncensored form.
The anime also covers far less of the story than the manga’s 23 volumes. The two TV seasons adapt the Annex I arc, while the OVAs cover the Bugs 2 and Earth arcs — but substantial story content throughout the series exists only in the manga. If you start with the anime, you’ll need to switch to the manga eventually anyway. Readers who watched the anime and want to continue in manga form should pick up around Volume 8 or 9 to find where Season 2 leaves off, though starting from Volume 1 is always the best option for full context.
The recommendation: Start with the manga. It’s the definitive way to experience Terra Formars. If you enjoy it and want to see certain fights animated, the anime can be a fun supplement — but the manga comes first.
Which Edition of Terra Formars Manga Volumes Should You Buy
English Singles by VIZ Media
The standard way to collect Terra Formars in English is through the 23 individual volumes published by VIZ Media. These are standard-sized manga paperbacks — the compact, roughly 5″ x 7.5″ format you’d find for any other VIZ title.
All 23 English volumes are currently available. The English release is consistent across the full run.
There are no known omnibus editions (collected books combining multiple volumes into one thicker book), deluxe hardcovers, or other special format releases for Terra Formars in English. If you’re hoping for a two-in-one or three-in-one format to save shelf space or money, it doesn’t exist for this series at this time. The singles are your option.
At typical retail price, individual manga volumes generally run in the range you’d expect for standard-format paperbacks. With 23 volumes to collect, it’s worth budgeting for the full set — though you can always start with the first few volumes to see if the series clicks before committing to the whole run.
Volume 23 — the most recent English release — is available now.
Terra Formars, Vol. 23
Digital vs. Physical
Terra Formars is available digitally through platforms like the VIZ Manga app, Kindle, and other major digital manga storefronts. Digital is a solid choice if you want instant access and don’t need shelf space. The art translates well to screens, though some of the two-page artwork spreads during major fights — where the art stretches across both the left and right pages — benefit from a physical reading experience.
Physical volumes are worth collecting if you’re the type who likes having manga on a shelf. With 23 volumes, it’s a substantial but not overwhelming collection. The spines look great lined up together.
Collecting Tips
- Start with Volume 1. Terra Formars is best read from the beginning — the early Bugs 2 arc is short and sets up everything that follows.
- 23 volumes is a manageable commitment. Compared to long-running series with 30, 40, or 50+ volumes, Terra Formars is a reasonable buy-in even if more volumes are coming.
- The series is ongoing. With serialization active again as of December 2025 following a brief 2025 pause, new volumes beyond 23 will eventually arrive. Keep that in mind if you prefer waiting for completed series — but all 23 currently available volumes tell a substantial, satisfying chunk of the story.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many volumes of Terra Formars are there?
23 volumes are published in both Japanese and English as of the most recent releases. The Japanese Vol. 23 came out in July 2024. With serialization having resumed, the volume count will grow.
Is Terra Formars finished?
No. Terra Formars is an ongoing series. It went through extended hiatuses — most notably a gap from December 2019 to April 2024 that made many readers wonder if it was abandoned. Serialization resumed in April 2024, then a shorter hiatus ran from April 2025 before the series resumed again on December 18, 2025. The story is not yet complete. However, all 23 English volumes are available right now, and they contain a huge amount of story — enough to keep you reading for a long time before you catch up to where the series currently stands.
Who publishes Terra Formars in English?
VIZ Media publishes the English edition. All 23 volumes are available through major book retailers and digital manga platforms.
Should I read the manga or watch the anime?
Read the manga. The TV anime seasons (Season 1, 2014; Season 2 Revenge, 2016) are heavily censored in their broadcast versions, cutting out much of the violence that makes Terra Formars what it is. OVA releases (Bugs 2 Arc, 2014; Earth arc OAV, 2018) also exist and may have different censorship treatment, though the TV broadcasts are the most widely seen versions. The anime also only covers a fraction of the full story. The manga is the complete, uncensored experience — it’s the way this series was meant to be consumed.
Is Terra Formars appropriate for all readers?
Terra Formars features extreme violence, body horror, and frequent character death. It’s a seinen series — meaning it’s published for an adult audience — and it does not hold back on dark content. If you’re comfortable with that, it’s an incredibly engaging read with creative world-building and genuinely tense action. If graphic violence or body horror isn’t your thing, this may not be the right series for you regardless of experience level.
What order should I read Terra Formars in?
Just read the main series from Volume 1 through Volume 23 in order. There is a prequel spinoff called Terra Formars: Asimov, which explores backstory set before the main series — but note that Terra Formars: Asimov does not appear to have an official English release at this time (it is available in French and Italian, but not in English). The core story is told entirely in the main numbered volumes. No complicated reading order needed. Start at Volume 1 and go.