BASTARD!! Heavy Metal Dark Fantasy manga volumes have one of the more complicated situations in dark fantasy manga. The series has 27 volumes in Japanese but only 19 in English, and the story remains unfinished after more than a decade on hiatus. Whether you discovered BASTARD!! through the 2022 Netflix anime adaptation, the classic 1990s OVA, or just through its reputation as one of the wildest dark fantasy manga ever published, this guide covers every volume, what’s available in English, and how to actually get your hands on copies.
This series contains graphic violence and sexual content throughout, and is rated for mature readers. Keep that in mind if you’re buying for someone else or if mature content is a concern for you.
BASTARD!! Heavy Metal Dark Fantasy Manga Volumes — 27 in Japanese, 19 in English
Here’s the short version before we get into details:
- Total Japanese volumes: 27 — the last one came out in March 2012
- Total English volumes: 19 — published by VIZ Media, discontinued in 2009
- Series status: On hiatus — the story is unfinished with no confirmed return
- Author: Kazushi Hagiwara (萩原一至)
- Published under the Jump Comics brand in Japan (Jump Comics is the manga imprint connected to Weekly Shonen Jump, one of Japan’s biggest manga magazines)
So what does that mean for you as an English-speaking reader? It means there’s an 8-volume gap — volumes 20 through 27 were never officially translated into English. The story you can read in English cuts off well before where the Japanese edition stops. And even the Japanese edition doesn’t have an ending.
That’s a lot to take in, but if you’re the kind of reader who can enjoy a wild ride even without a destination, BASTARD!! has plenty to offer. Just go in with your eyes open.
Complete Volume Guide
BASTARD!! began its original magazine run in the late 1980s — like most manga, it was published chapter by chapter in a magazine before those chapters were collected into the bound volumes you can buy. The volume releases span over two decades. The pacing shifted dramatically over the series’ run — early volumes came out at a steady clip, but the gaps between later releases stretched into years.
Here’s a representative look at the volume timeline:
| Volume | JP Release | EN Available? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vol. 1 | 1990 | Yes | Series debut — introduces Dark Schneider and the world |
| Vol. 2 | 1990 | Yes | Continues the opening story segment |
| Vol. 3 | 1989 | Yes | |
| Vol. 4 | 1989 | Yes | |
| Vol. 5 | 1989 | Yes | Characters named after heavy metal bands become a clear pattern here |
| Vol. 6 | 1989 | Yes | |
| Vol. 7 | 1989 | Yes | |
| Vol. 8 | 1990 | Yes | |
| Vol. 9 | 1990 | Yes | |
| Vol. 10 | 1991 | Yes | Mid-series battles escalate — characters become dramatically more powerful |
| Vol. 11 | 1992 | Yes | |
| Vol. 12 | 1992 | Yes | |
| Vol. 13 | 1993 | Yes | |
| Vol. 14 | 1993 | Yes | Gaps between volumes start widening here |
| Vol. 15 | 1994 | Yes | |
| Vol. 16 | 1995 | Yes | |
| Vol. 17 | 1996 | Yes | |
| Vol. 18 | 1996 | Yes | |
| Vol. 19 | 1998 | Yes (final EN volume) | Last volume VIZ Media published in English |
| Vol. 20 | 1998 | No — Japanese only | |
| Vol. 21 | 1999 | No — Japanese only | |
| Vol. 22 | 2001 | No — Japanese only | ~2-year gap from previous volume |
| Vol. 23 | 2004 | No — Japanese only | |
| Vol. 24 | 2006 | No — Japanese only | |
| Vol. 25 | 2008 | No — Japanese only | |
| Vol. 26 | 2009 | No — Japanese only | |
| Vol. 27 | 2012 | No — Japanese only | Most recent volume; story still unfinished |
A few things stand out from this timeline:
- The first 15 volumes came out across about five years (1989–1994), which is a remarkably fast pace
- Volumes 16–27 took another seventeen years (1995–2012), with increasingly long gaps between releases
- The English edition stopped at volume 19, which corresponds to a Japanese release from 1998 — meaning the VIZ Media translation only covers material from the series’ first decade
The tone and art style also shift across the run. Early volumes have a scrappier, more energetic feel — fast-paced battle manga aimed at a young male audience. As the series progresses, the artwork becomes increasingly detailed and elaborate — which likely contributed to the slower release schedule. Hagiwara’s detailed illustration work in the later volumes is genuinely impressive, but you can see why the production pace slowed down.
For English readers, volumes 1 through 19 cover the bulk of the earlier, faster-paced story segments. You’ll get a substantial amount of story, but you won’t reach anything close to the series’ current stopping point.
How Dark Does It Get — Tone and Content Notes
BASTARD!! wears its influences on its sleeve — or more accurately, on its album-cover-inspired chapter title pages. The series blends high fantasy warfare with heavy metal aesthetics, and it cranks both up to maximum volume. The BASTARD!! Heavy Metal Dark Fantasy manga volumes are not for the faint of heart.
Here’s what to expect content-wise:
- Graphic violence is a constant. Battles involve sorcery, swords, and destruction on a massive scale. The series doesn’t shy away from showing the consequences
- Sexual content appears throughout. This is a series from the late ’80s and early ’90s that leaned hard into sexualized depictions of its female characters — deliberately provocative content meant to appeal to its target audience — and it goes well beyond what you’d see in most modern manga aimed at young men
- Dark sorcery and demonic imagery are core to the setting. Characters are named after heavy metal bands and albums (Dark Schneider, Arshes Nei, and others all take their names from real bands or musicians), and the aesthetic matches — pentagrams, dark rituals, and apocalyptic stakes
This is peak late-’80s / early-’90s manga excess, and that’s genuinely part of its following among dedicated fans. If you’ve read other manga from this era, you’ll recognize the energy. If you’re coming from modern dark fantasy manga like Berserk (a slower, more psychologically intense dark fantasy) or Jujutsu Kaisen (a contemporary action series with horror elements), the tone is going to feel very different — less introspective, more bombastic and unapologetically over-the-top.
BASTARD!! is not a subtle series. It’s a loud, brash, maximalist fantasy that revels in spectacle. Some readers find that refreshing; others find it exhausting. Knowing what you’re walking into makes all the difference.
Content advisory: This series is rated for mature readers. The combination of graphic violence, nudity, and sexual content means it’s not appropriate for younger readers. Some depictions of female characters and certain story elements reflect attitudes from the late 1980s and early 1990s that many modern readers will find dated or uncomfortable — particularly around how the series treats its female cast in sexual situations. Go in informed.
Is BASTARD!! Finished or Still Going?
This is the question everyone asks, and the answer is frustrating: BASTARD!! is on hiatus, and has been since 2012.
The last Japanese volume (volume 27) was published in March 2012. That’s over a decade without a new chapter from Kazushi Hagiwara. There has been no official announcement of cancellation, but there’s also been no announcement of the series continuing.
What that means practically:
- The story is unfinished. Major plot threads remain unresolved
- There is currently no ending. If you start BASTARD!!, you’re reading a story that stops rather than concludes
- The chances of continuation are unclear. Long hiatuses in manga aren’t unheard of, but one stretching past a decade with no communication is not encouraging
The 2022 Netflix anime adaptation did bring a wave of new attention to the series, and some fans hoped that might push things forward — but no new manga chapters have materialized.
If you’re the type of reader who needs closure, this is important to factor into your decision. BASTARD!! has a lot of worthwhile material across its 27 volumes (or 19 in English), but it won’t deliver a satisfying conclusion — at least not yet.
That said, plenty of manga fans read and enjoy series that are unfinished. The journey itself has value, and BASTARD!! delivers an experience you genuinely can’t get from other manga. Just go in knowing where things stand.
English Editions — What’s Available and What’s Not
The English publication history of BASTARD!! Heavy Metal Dark Fantasy manga volumes is straightforward but limited:
- 19 volumes were published in English by VIZ Media before the license was discontinued — meaning VIZ chose not to continue purchasing the translation and publishing rights from the Japanese rights holder
- No omnibus editions (collected volumes that bundle multiple books together into one larger book), no deluxe editions, and no re-releases exist in English
- Volumes 20–27 have never been officially translated into English
- Digital availability: the English volumes are not currently available as official digital editions. You won’t find them on Kindle or other major digital manga storefronts. Physical copies are the only official English option
- The English editions were published under standard single-volume formatting
This means the English manga market for BASTARD!! is essentially frozen in time. What was printed is what exists. There are no collected editions, no hardcover premium releases, and no digital alternatives.
For comparison, many manga series from this era have received modern re-releases — collected editions, hardcover versions, or digital editions. BASTARD!! has gotten none of that treatment in English. The 19 volumes that VIZ Media published are the only official English option.
The gap between volumes 19 and 27 is significant story-wise. English readers who finish volume 19 and want to continue the story have no official path forward in English. This is one of the biggest frustrations for English-speaking fans of the series, and it’s a reality that’s unlikely to change unless a publisher picks up the license again.
The 2022 Netflix anime adaptation renewed interest in the series, which sparked speculation about possible new English manga releases. But as of now, nothing has materialized.
Where to Buy BASTARD!! Volumes in English
Because the English edition has been out of print — meaning VIZ Media stopped producing new copies years ago — buying BASTARD!! volumes takes more effort than picking up a current series. No bookstore is going to have these on the new releases shelf.
Amazon is a reasonable starting point for tracking down copies. Some volumes may still be available new from third-party sellers, while others will only be available used. The final English volume — volume 19 — can sometimes be found through Amazon’s marketplace.
bastard heavy metal dark fantasy, Vol. 19
For readers who want to start at the beginning, volume 1 is the place to start:
Here are some practical tips for hunting down out-of-print manga:
- Expect variable pricing. Out-of-print manga volumes can range from reasonable to surprisingly expensive, depending on how many copies are still circulating and how much demand exists. Certain volumes in a series tend to be scarcer than others
- Secondhand is often the primary option. For a series that’s been out of print this long, used copies in good condition are a perfectly normal way to build your collection
- Check multiple sources. Beyond Amazon, used bookstores and manga resellers (online shops that specialize in selling manga, such as the Crunchyroll Store or secondhand sellers on eBay) sometimes have older volumes in stock. If you attend anime or manga fan conventions, the vendor areas can be a good place to find older titles
- Be patient with collection building. You probably won’t find all 19 volumes in one place at one time. Collecting an out-of-print series is a gradual process — grab volumes when you see them at reasonable prices
One thing to keep in mind: renewed interest in a series (from the Netflix anime, for example) can drive up prices for out-of-print volumes. If you’re interested in BASTARD!!, starting your collection sooner rather than later is generally a good idea.
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BASTARD!! Heavy Metal Dark Fantasy is a unique piece of manga history — a loud, extravagant dark fantasy series that blends sword-and-sorcery with heavy metal culture in a way nothing else quite replicates. The publication situation is messy (hiatus, incomplete English release, out-of-print volumes), but for readers who are drawn to its specific brand of chaos, it’s a series worth experiencing. Just know what you’re getting into: 19 English volumes of an unfinished 27-volume series, with no current plans for more. If that sounds like your kind of adventure, volume 1 is where it all starts.