How to read Death Note in English: where to start
Death Note is finished in Japan at 13 volumes. Here is what the story is about and how to begin it in English.
By Mangainfo · 3 min read
What Death Note is about
Death Note is the work of Tsugumi Ooba and Takeshi Obata. It started in Japan in 2003. The series mixes mystery, thriller, psychological drama and the supernatural. Detective and police work sit at its core. Its lead is an anti-hero. The setting is an urban fantasy version of Tokyo.
Light Yagami has the top grades at his Tokyo high school. One day in class he spots a black notebook landing in the school yard. It belongs to a shinigami named Ryuk. Ryuk let it fall on purpose. He wants to see what a human will do with it. The rule is simple. Write a name while you picture that person's face and the person dies.
Light makes his choice fast. He will turn the notebook on criminals. His goal is a world with no crime at all. The deaths keep piling up. People start to call the unseen killer Kira. Then a strange genius detective takes the case. He goes only by the name L.
What follows is a contest between two brilliant minds. Each one wants to unmask the other. The tension comes from plans, rules and bluffs. Fights are not the point here. Readers who like crime thrillers, moral debates and clever plotting will feel at home.
How far the series is in Japan and in English
The story is complete in Japan. It ended there in 2006 and runs 13 volumes. English is a step behind. As of October 2026 there are 12 English volumes out. VIZ Media publishes the English edition. That leaves one volume English readers do not have yet.
Where to start
The answer is short. Start with Volume 1. Our data lists one way in for English readers.
- Volume 1: Vol. 1 from VIZ Media. It came out on 10 October 2005. No list price is on record.
No omnibus or other edition appears in our data for Death Note in English. So the single volumes from VIZ Media are the path to follow. Read them in order from Volume 1. The story builds on its rules and plans. Skipping ahead would cost you the setup that makes the later moves land.
What comes next in English
No date is announced yet for the next English volume. Japan has 13 volumes and English stops at 12 for now. So the English edition is not finished. Mangainfo checks its sources for new dates every morning. When a date appears it goes on the series page.
Quick answers
- How many volumes does Death Note have? It has 13 volumes in Japan. The story is complete.
- Is Death Note finished? Yes. It ended in Japan in 2006. The English edition is not complete yet.
- How many volumes are out in English? English is at volume 12. Japan is at 13. VIZ Media handles the English release.
- When is the next English volume? No date is announced yet.
Every volume in one place
The Death Note series page lists every English volume with its release date. Use it to track what you have read. Check back there for the next English date once it is set.
More to read
-
Tsugumi Ooba manga in English: every series and where to start
Tsugumi Ooba wrote the story for 4 series with English volumes. Here is what each one is about and how far it has come in English.
-
Takeshi Obata manga in English: every series and where to start
Takeshi Obata has 6 series in English and 5 are complete. Here is what each one is about and how far it has come in English.
-
Kentaro Yabuki manga in English: every series and where to start
Kentaro Yabuki has 5 series with English volumes and 3 of them are complete. Here is what each one is and which one to pick up first.
