Kingdom in English: where it stands before volume 12

What Kingdom is about

Kingdom is a manga by Yasuhisa Hara. It began in Japan in 2006. The series blends action and drama. Its themes are military conflict, war and history in ancient China.

The story opens in China in the third century BC. Seven warring states are locked in a fight for control. Shin is a servant boy in the state of Qin. The wars took his parents from him. Every day he spars with his best friend. They use wooden swords. The two boys share one plan. They want to rise from nothing and become great generals.

That plan meets the real world fast. A power struggle erupts at the royal palace. Shin gets dragged into a fight to protect the boy king of Qin. History knows that king well. He is the ruler who later united China and became its first emperor.

At its core Kingdom is a war epic. Huge battles drive it. Military strategy shapes those battles. Court politics run underneath everything.

Who it suits

Readers of historical fiction are the obvious audience. If you enjoy large-scale tactics you will find a lot of them here. Kingdom also fits anyone who roots for an underdog. Shin does not start at the top. He climbs the ranks one battle at a time.

Where it stands in Japan

Kingdom is not finished. The series is still running in Japan. It has 80 volumes there so far. That run stretches back to 2006 and new volumes keep coming.

Where it stands in English

VIZ Media publishes Kingdom in English. The first volume came out on 11 November 2025. As of October 2026 the English edition is at volume 11. That one arrived on 15 September 2026.

Compare that with Japan at 80. English readers are still early in the story. For a new reader that is good news. Catching up to the English edition means reading 11 volumes. It does not mean reading 80.

When volume 12 comes out

Mark the date. Kingdom volume 12 comes out in English on 20 October 2026. It is a paperback from VIZ Media.

Here is how the English releases line up so far:

• Volume 1 from VIZ Media on 11 November 2025
• Volume 11 from VIZ Media on 15 September 2026
• Volume 12 from VIZ Media on 20 October 2026

How to start

The answer is simple. Start with Volume 1. VIZ Media released it in English on 11 November 2025. From there you read straight through to volume 11. Then volume 12 is waiting for you.

Already partway in? Check which volume you stopped at. Everything up to volume 11 is out now. Volume 12 is the next step after that.

You can track every English volume and its date on the Kingdom series page.

Quick answers

• How many volumes does Kingdom have? 80 in Japan so far. The series is still running.
• Is Kingdom finished? No. It is still running in Japan.
• How many volumes are out in English? English is at volume 11. Japan is at 80.
• Who publishes it in English? VIZ Media.
• When does volume 12 come out in English? On 20 October 2026.