The manga adaptation, illustrated by Masahito Watari, began serialization in Fujimi Shobo’s Monthly Dragon Age magazine in September 2014 and is still ongoing as of July 2023. The manga has 17 volumes published so far, covering the first 12 volumes of the light novel. The manga is licensed in North America by Yen Press, which has released 16 volumes as of June 2023.

The manga follows the same plot as the light novel, with some minor changes and additions. The manga also has a more detailed and colorful art style than the light novel illustrations by Kurone Mishima. The manga is known for its humorous and expressive facial expressions, as well as its fanservice and ecchi scenes.

The manga has received critical acclaim and commercial success, selling over 10 million copies worldwide. The manga has also been adapted into an anime series by Studio Deen, which aired for two seasons in 2016 and 2017, as well as an anime film by J.C.Staff, which premiered in 2019. A third season of the anime is confirmed to air in 2024, produced by Studio Drive. A spin-off manga series titled KonoSuba: An Explosion on This Wonderful World!, focusing on Megumin’s backstory and her friend Yunyun, was also serialized from 2016 to 2020, and was adapted into an anime series by Studio Drive in 2023.

In this article, we will review the story and ending of the Konosuba manga, as well as compare it to the light novel and the anime. We will also discuss the possible future of the manga and the franchise. Please note that this article contains major spoilers for the Konosuba manga, light novel, and anime. Read at your own risk!

Konosuba Manga Story

The Konosuba manga story begins with Kazuma Satou, a hikikomori who dies of a heart attack after trying to save a girl from a truck (which turns out to be a tractor). He meets Aqua, a goddess who offers him two options: to go to heaven or to be reincarnated in a fantasy world where he can have adventures and fight the Demon King. Kazuma chooses the latter option, but he also decides to take Aqua with him as his cheat item, much to her dismay.

In the fantasy world of Axel, Kazuma and Aqua register as adventurers and try to earn money by taking quests. However, they soon realize that they are both useless and incompetent. Aqua is a crybaby who spends all their money on booze and partying, while Kazuma is a pervert who lacks any combat skills. They also meet Megumin, an explosion-obsessed mage who can only cast one spell per day before collapsing, and Darkness, a masochistic knight who can’t hit anything with her sword.

Despite their flaws, they manage to form a party and complete some quests, such as defeating giant frogs, cabbage monsters, dullahans, and undead armies. They also make some friends and enemies along the way, such as Wiz, a lich shopkeeper who is actually one of the Demon King’s generals; Vanir, a masked devil who works at Wiz’s shop; Chris, a thief who teaches Kazuma some skills; Yunyun, Megumin’s rival from the Crimson Demon Clan; Iris, Kazuma’s younger sister who is actually the princess of Belzerg; Mitsurugi Kyouya, a hero who wields a legendary sword; Sylvia, a chimera who leads the Demon King’s army; Hans, a slime who serves as Sylvia’s second-in-command; Sena, an inspector who suspects Kazuma of being involved in various crimes; Beldia, a dullahan who serves as one of the Demon King’s generals; Verdia, another dullahan who serves as one of the Demon King’s generals; Alderp, the corrupt lord of Axel; Dust, a delinquent adventurer who is friends with Kazuma; Luna, the receptionist of the guild; Eris, the goddess of fortune who is Aqua’s junior; Cecily, a priestess who worships Aqua; Ruffian, a bandit leader who kidnaps Darkness; and many more.

The manga covers the following arcs from the light novel:

• Volume 1: The Prologue Arc, where Kazuma and Aqua arrive in Axel and meet Megumin and Darkness.
• Volume 2: The Axis Cult Arc, where Kazuma and co. visit the town of Alcanretia, which is full of Aqua’s fanatical followers, and face off against the dullahan Beldia.
• Volume 3: The Explosion Magic Arc, where Kazuma and co. learn more about Megumin’s past and her obsession with explosion magic, and face off against the dullahan Verdia.
• Volume 4: The Succubus Arc, where Kazuma tries to have a dream with a succubus, but ends up in a mess with Darkness; and the Winter Shogun Arc, where Kazuma and co. go to a hot spring resort, but end up fighting a snowman-like monster.
• Volume 5: The Cursed Sword Arc, where Kazuma and co. encounter Mitsurugi, a hero who challenges Kazuma for his sword; and the Mobile Fortress Destroyer Arc, where Kazuma and co. infiltrate a giant weapon that threatens to destroy Axel.
• Volume 6: The Royal Capital Arc, where Kazuma and co. are summoned to the royal capital of Belzerg by Iris, who turns out to be Kazuma’s younger sister; and the Trial Arc, where Kazuma is accused of various crimes by Sena, an inspector who tries to execute him.
• Volume 7: The Crimson Demon Village Arc, where Kazuma and co. visit Megumin’s hometown, the Crimson Demon Village, which is under attack by the Demon King’s army led by Sylvia.
• Volume 8: The Axis Cult vs Eris Cult Arc, where Kazuma and co. get involved in a religious war between Aqua’s followers and Eris’s followers; and the Lich Arc, where Kazuma and co. help Wiz deal with Hans, a slime who is one of the Demon King’s generals.
• Volume 9: The Casino Town Arc, where Kazuma and co. go to a casino town to gamble and have fun, but end up in trouble with the mafia; and the Dungeon Arc, where Kazuma and co. explore a dungeon with Chris, who reveals her true identity as Eris.
• Volume 10: The Homecoming Arc, where Kazuma returns to Japan for a brief visit with Aqua’s help, but ends up bringing Megumin and Darkness with him; and the Divine Relic Arc, where Kazuma and co. try to retrieve a powerful artifact from a group of thieves.
• Volume 11: The Elroad Kingdom Arc, where Kazuma and co. are invited to the kingdom of Elroad by Princess Iris, who wants to marry Kazuma; and the Demon King Castle Arc, where Kazuma and co. infiltrate the Demon King’s castle to defeat him once and for all.

Konosuba Manga Ending

The Konosuba manga ending is based on the light novel ending, which was released in May 2020 with the 17th volume. However, the manga has not yet reached that point as of July 2023. The manga is currently adapting the 12th volume of the light novel, which covers the Elroad Kingdom Arc and the Demon King Castle Arc.

The light novel ending is as follows:

• In the Elroad Kingdom Arc, Kazuma and co. are invited to the kingdom of Elroad by Princess Iris, who wants to marry Kazuma to avoid an arranged marriage with a prince from another country. However, they soon discover that Elroad is a gambling paradise that is controlled by a mafia boss named Ran. Ran challenges Kazuma to a series of games in exchange for Iris’s freedom. Kazuma manages to win most of the games with his luck and skills, but he also loses some of his belongings and dignity along the way. He also learns that Ran is actually Aqua’s former follower who was reincarnated in this world by her. Ran reveals that he has been secretly helping Aqua by sending money and information to her cult. He also tells Kazuma that he knows about his true identity as a Japanese person who was reincarnated by Aqua. He then offers Kazuma a deal: if he can beat him in one final game, he will let Iris go and give him all his wealth; but if he loses, he will have to marry Ran instead of Iris. Kazuma agrees to the deal, but he secretly plans to cheat by using his Steal skill on Ran’s cards. However, Ran anticipates this move and uses his own Steal skill on Kazuma’s cards instead. As a result, Kazuma loses the game and has to marry Ran.

• In the Demon King Castle Arc, Kazuma manages to escape from Ran with Aqua’s help. He then reunites with Megumin and Darkness at Wiz’s shop. They decide to go to the Demon King’s castle to defeat him once and for all. Along the way, they encounter various enemies and obstacles, such as a giant robot, a dragon, a hydra, and a maze. They also meet some of their old foes, such as Sylvia, who has fused with the Mobile Fortress Destroyer; Hans, who has absorbed the slime from the dungeon; and Vanir, who has betrayed them and joined the Demon King’s side. They manage to overcome all these challenges with their teamwork and skills, and finally reach the Demon King’s throne room.
• In the final battle, Kazuma and co. face off against the Demon King, who reveals himself to be a handsome young man with silver hair and red eyes. He also reveals that he is actually Aqua’s former follower who was reincarnated in this world by her. He explains that he became the Demon King because he was bored of living in a peaceful world and wanted to create some chaos and excitement. He also says that he knows about Kazuma’s true identity as a Japanese person who was reincarnated by Aqua. He then offers Kazuma a deal: if he can defeat him in a fair fight, he will let him return to Japan with Aqua; but if he loses, he will have to stay in this world and serve him as his right-hand man. Kazuma agrees to the deal, but he secretly plans to cheat by using his Steal skill on the Demon King’s sword. However, the Demon King anticipates this move and uses his own Steal skill on Kazuma’s sword instead. As a result, Kazuma loses the fight and has to serve the Demon King.
• In the epilogue, Kazuma is shown to be living in the Demon King’s castle as his loyal servant. He wears a black uniform and a mask that covers his face. He is in charge of managing the Demon King’s army and affairs. He also has to deal with Aqua’s constant nagging and complaints, as she is also forced to stay in this world as the Demon King’s hostage. Megumin and Darkness are also shown to be living in the castle as Kazuma’s concubines. They are happy to be with him, but they also miss their old lives and friends. They often sneak out of the castle to visit Wiz’s shop or the guild in Axel. They also hope that one day, they will be able to escape from the Demon King’s tyranny and return to their normal lives.

This is the end of the Konosuba manga story and ending. It is a hilarious and heartwarming conclusion to a fantasy comedy adventure that has entertained millions of fans around the world. The manga has faithfully adapted the light novel with some minor changes and additions. The manga has also added some original scenes and jokes that enhance the humor and charm of the story.

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