The Baki Legend Continues: Kodama Tales Brings the Second Part of the Series to English
One of the toughest and most charismatic martial arts manga series, Baki, is returning with a big surprise for its Western fans. New-generation publisher Kodama Tales has announced that it has licensed the English publishing rights for the Baki series, which is the direct sequel to the original Grappler Baki series and also known among fans as "New Grappler Baki." According to the announcement, the first two volumes of the series will hit shelves in November 2026.
Published between 1999 and 2005, this sequel series takes Baki Hanma's story to a much darker and more brutal place. This manga, which includes the "Most Evil Death Row Convicts" arc that reached a wide audience through the Netflix anime, follows five notorious criminals who come to Tokyo wanting to "taste defeat." Keisuke Itagaki's unique hyper-masculine art style and anatomical details reach their peak in this series.
With this licensing move, Kodama Tales has taken a giant step toward completing the Baki universe. The publisher had previously begun releasing the original Grappler Baki series in a 24-volume "Perfect Edition" (Kanzenban) format. The newly licensed sequel series is also expected to be presented with similar quality, featuring high-quality paper and special cover designs as printed in Japan. This massive franchise, which has sold over 100 million copies worldwide, is thus receiving such a comprehensive physical English edition for the first time.
This development offers fans who have only followed the series through digital platforms or anime the opportunity to complete their collections. Kodama Tales' move is also an indicator of how much interest in martial arts manga has grown in the Western market. Following the first two volumes to be released in November, the remaining 31 volumes of the series are planned to be published at regular intervals. If you want to add Baki's relentless struggle on the path to his father Yujiro Hanma to your library, don't forget to mark November on your calendar!
