Devilman Manga Volumes: Full Breakdown (2 Books!)
How Many Devilman Manga Volumes Are There? 5 Volumes, 53 Chapters
Devilman (デビルマン) by Go Nagai and Dynamic Productions (Nagai’s production company) was originally published chapter by chapter — a process called serialization — in Kodansha’s Weekly Shonen Magazine from June 1972 to June 1973. “Shonen” simply means the magazine targeted a young male audience, though Devilman’s story goes far darker than that label suggests. In that short span, Nagai packed 53 chapters across 5 collected volumes into one of the most influential manga ever created.
If you’re new to manga, here’s how the structure works: chapters are the individual installments of the story (like episodes of a TV show), and volumes are the physical books that collect multiple chapters together. Devilman has 53 chapters gathered into 5 volumes — that’s the complete story.
The series is fully complete. It has been finished since 1973 — there’s no waiting for new chapters, no worrying about the series being put on an indefinite pause, no “will they cancel it?” stress. The story has a definitive beginning, middle, and end.
Here’s the part that makes collecting Devilman incredibly simple: in English, all 53 chapters were collected into just 2 hardcover omnibus volumes — meaning oversized books that bundle multiple original volumes into one — called Devilman: The Classic Collection, published by Seven Seas Entertainment. That’s it. Two books. The entire saga of Akira Fudo, Ryo Asuka, and the demons sits on your shelf in two spines. For anyone used to staring down 20+ volume series and wondering where to start, Devilman is refreshingly compact.
The bottom line: you need 2 books to own the complete Devilman story in English.
Complete Volume Breakdown
Original Japanese Volumes
Here’s how the 5 original Japanese volumes break down:
| Japanese Volume | Release Date | Content Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Vol. 1 | December 1972 | Akira Fudo’s transformation into Devilman; the merger with the demon Amon; the battle against the first wave of demons begins |
| Vol. 2 | December 1972 | Devilman faces increasingly powerful demon adversaries; the scope of the demon threat becomes clear |
| Vol. 3 | March 1973 | The conflict escalates; human society begins to fracture under the pressure of demonic revelation |
| Vol. 4 | July 1973 | Paranoia and mob violence grip humanity; the line between human and demon blurs |
| Vol. 5 | September 1973 | The apocalyptic finale — one of the most famous endings in manga history |
A couple of things stand out from that timeline. First, volumes 1 and 2 came out in the same month — December 1972 (the tankōbon collected-volume release date; serialization in Weekly Shonen Magazine had been running since June 1972) — which gives you a sense of the frantic pace of early-’70s manga publishing. Second, the entire run from first volume to last spans less than a year. The story moves fast, and every single volume drives toward that ending.
How the English Omnibus Maps to the Japanese Volumes
The Devilman: The Classic Collection (Seven Seas Entertainment) collects all 5 Japanese volumes into 2 oversized hardcover omnibus editions:
- Classic Collection Vol. 1 — Covers Japanese volumes 1–3 (roughly the first half of the story): Akira’s transformation into Devilman, his early battles against demons, and the escalating conflict as the demon threat becomes public
- Classic Collection Vol. 2 — Covers Japanese volumes 4–5 (the second half through the finale): humanity’s descent into paranoia and mob violence, and the apocalyptic ending that made this series legendary
Devilman
Together, these two omnibus volumes cover every one of the 53 chapters. Nothing is cut, nothing is rearranged. You get the full Devilman experience.
A Note on Spinoffs
If you’ve seen titles like Devilman Grimoire, Devilman vs. Hades, Devilman Lady, or Amon: The Darkside of the Devilman floating around — those are all separate works. They are spinoffs, sequels, or reimaginings set in the Devilman universe, not part of the original 5-volume Devilman series. You do not need any of them to read the core story, and none of them are required to understand the plot. The original 5 volumes (or 2 English omnibus volumes) tell a complete, standalone story on their own.
What the Complete Set Costs and Which Edition to Buy
The Classic Collection Is the Way to Go
For anyone buying Devilman in English today, the Classic Collection omnibus edition from Seven Seas Entertainment is the definitive choice. These are large-format hardcovers with quality printing that does justice to Go Nagai’s intense artwork. All 53 chapters, two books, done.
The Classic Collection volumes are still in print and widely available at major retailers, which means you won’t need to hunt through secondhand markets or pay inflated prices just to read the story.
What About Older English Editions?
Older single-volume English editions of Devilman have been published in the past, but they’re generally out of print. You might spot them in used bookstores or on secondhand sites, and if you’re a collector who likes tracking down vintage manga editions, they can be fun to find. But for practical purposes — actually reading the complete story without gaps or hassle — the Classic Collection is the straightforward choice. It’s in print, it’s easy to find, and it contains everything.
One of the Most Affordable Complete Manga Sets
This is one of the biggest selling points of Devilman as a collected series: it’s just two books. Compare that to picking up a series that runs 30 or more volumes, and the difference in shelf space and wallet impact is obvious. You’re buying two hardcovers and you’re done. For readers who want to experience a complete, legendary manga without a massive financial commitment, Devilman is hard to beat.
At list price, two hardcover omnibus volumes represent a very reasonable investment for a foundational manga. Check current pricing at your preferred retailer — since the books are in print, availability and pricing tend to be stable.
How Devilman’s Ending Defines the Series
This section stays spoiler-light, but here’s what you need to know: Devilman’s ending is considered one of the most important moments in manga history. That’s not an exaggeration. The way Go Nagai closes this story influenced decades of creators who came after him — from dark fantasy manga like Berserk to the anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion to Attack on Titan. If you’ve enjoyed any dark, apocalyptic, or philosophically heavy manga or anime, there’s a good chance it owes something to the way Devilman ends. And if those titles are new to you, just know that Devilman is where a lot of modern dark storytelling in manga traces its roots.
Every Volume Matters
One of the remarkable things about Devilman being only 5 volumes long is that there’s zero filler. Not a single chapter feels like padding or a detour. The story escalates with every volume — the stakes get higher, the tone gets darker, and the emotional weight compounds. Volume 1 sets up a world. Volume 5 tears it apart. Every step between is necessary.
This is a series where skipping ahead or reading a summary genuinely robs you of the experience. The ending works because of everything that comes before it. The quiet moments, the character relationships, the slow creep of dread — all of it pays off.
Commit to the Full Run
Because Devilman is so short, there’s really no reason not to read the whole thing. Two books. You could read it over a weekend. And the payoff of that ending — knowing you experienced every page that led to it — is something that stays in your memory. This is the kind of story people talk about years after reading it, and the brevity is part of what makes it so powerful. Nothing is wasted.
If you’ve been meaning to read Devilman for a while, or if you just discovered it through Devilman Crybaby (the 2018 Netflix anime adaptation of this manga), or through seeing it referenced in discussions about other dark manga, the commitment here is minimal and the reward is enormous. Grab both volumes and read them front to back.
Where to Buy Devilman Manga Volumes in English
Getting your hands on the complete Devilman is straightforward. Here are your main options:
Online Retailers
The Devilman: The Classic Collection volumes (published by Seven Seas Entertainment) are available through major online bookstores. Since the omnibus edition is currently in print, you should have no trouble finding both volumes at standard retail pricing.
Amazon carries the Classic Collection. Both volumes are typically available for standard shipping.
Physical Bookstores
Large bookstore chains and independent shops with a manga section may carry the Classic Collection, especially stores with a strong classics selection or a dedicated section for mature-audience manga. If they don’t have it on the shelf, most can order it for you.
Used Market
If you’re the type who enjoys collecting older editions, you may find previous single-volume English releases on secondhand platforms. Just be aware that these older editions can be incomplete (not all volumes may have been released in every edition), and prices for out-of-print manga can be unpredictable. For a clean, guaranteed-complete reading experience, stick with the Classic Collection.
The Simplest Manga Collection You’ll Ever Complete
It’s worth repeating one more time: the entire Devilman manga is 2 English books. That’s it. No hunting for out-of-stock volumes, no waiting for future releases, no box sets to deliberate over. You buy two hardcovers and you own one of the most important manga ever published. For a series with this much history and influence, the barrier to entry is wonderfully low.
Whether you’re a new manga reader looking for something short and powerful, or you’ve been reading for years and somehow haven’t gotten around to Devilman yet — now’s the time. Two books. That’s the entire Devilman.
