Yes. The That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime light novel is finished. Fuse completed the main series at 23 volumes. The final volume released in Japan in November 2025. The English translation by Yen Press is still catching up but the Japanese story is done.
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TL;DR
- Yes, the Slime light novel is finished. 23 volumes. Final volume released November 2025 in Japan. Fuse completed the story.
- English translation is catching up. Yen Press is still releasing volumes but the Japanese story is done.
- Season 4 starts April 2026 with five full cours committed to adapting the rest.
- Rimuru’s story has an actual ending. That’s rare for a series this popular. Worth reading now.
This was an eleven-year run. Fuse started serializing the web novel on Shousetsuka ni Narou in 2013, the light novel launched in 2014, and the story wrapped in 2025. Twenty-three volumes of nation-building, political scheming. One slime accumulating enough power to threaten gods. It got a proper ending. Not a cancellation, not a hiatus. Fuse announced the final three volumes when he was at Volume 20, so the conclusion was planned.
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How Does It End?
Without heavy spoilers: the Tenma War arc that dominates the final stretch of the series reaches its conclusion. The antagonists that Fuse spent volumes setting up get resolved. Rimuru’s nation, Tempest, reaches a state that feels like a genuine endpoint rather than just another stopping point.
I’ll be honest. Volumes 20 and 21 are the weakest in the series. The Tenma War goes heavy on battles, and Fuse’s fight writing isn’t his strength. But Volume 22 recovers, and the series wraps at 23 in a way that respects the world Fuse built. If you’ve read the web novel ending and were disappointed, the LN ending is different. Fuse took the WN feedback and reworked the conclusion.
For a full breakdown of what works and what doesn’t, see my Slime light novel review.
How Many Volumes Are There?
23 main volumes. Here’s the publication timeline:
| Vol | JP Release | EN Release (Yen Press) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 2014 | Dec 2017 |
| 2 | Oct 2014 | Mar 2018 |
| 3 | Mar 2015 | Jul 2018 |
| 4 | Jul 2015 | Dec 2018 |
| 5 | Dec 2015 | Apr 2019 |
| 6 | Jun 2016 | Aug 2019 |
| 7 | Dec 2016 | Dec 2019 |
| 8 | Jun 2017 | Apr 2020 |
| 9 | Dec 2017 | Dec 2020 |
| 10 | Mar 2018 | Jun 2021 |
| 11 | Sep 2018 | Sep 2021 |
| 12 | Mar 2019 | Mar 2022 |
| 13 | Sep 2019 | Sep 2022 |
| 14 | Mar 2020 | Mar 2023 |
| 15 | Sep 2020 | Sep 2023 |
| 16 | Mar 2021 | Mar 2024 |
| 17 | Sep 2021 | Sep 2024 |
| 18 | Mar 2022 | Mar 2025 |
| 19 | Dec 2022 | TBD |
| 20 | Jul 2023 | TBD |
| 21 | Mar 2024 | TBD |
| 22 | Mar 2025 | TBD |
| 23 | Nov 2025 | TBD |
Yen Press has published through Volume 18 in English. Volumes 19-23 don’t have confirmed EN release dates yet. If you want to read the complete series in English right now, fan translations exist for the later volumes. The community considers the edited machine translations for Volumes 18+ to be readable.
What About the Web Novel?
The web novel, which Fuse serialized for free on Shousetsuka ni Narou from 2013 to 2016, is also complete. But it’s a different story. The LN diverges significantly from the WN starting around Volume 3. Characters who die in one version survive in the other. Entire arcs play out differently. The WN ending was divisive in the community. The LN ending is its own thing.
Read the LN. It’s the definitive version. The WN is worth checking out afterward if you want a different take on the same premise.
What About the Anime?
Season 4 just started airing in April 2026. Here’s where the anime stands:
- Season 1 (2018, 24 episodes): Volumes 1-4
- Season 2 Part 1 (2021, 12 episodes): Volumes 5-6
- Season 2 Part 2 (2021, 12 episodes): Volumes 6-7
- Scarlet Bond (2022, film): Original story
- Season 3 (2024, 24 episodes): Volumes 7-11
- Visions of Coleus (2024, OVA): Side story
- Season 4 (April 2026, 5 cours): Volumes 12-23
The big news: Season 4 is committed to five full cours. That’s roughly 60 episodes, adapting the rest of the light novel through the end. 8-Bit is planning to animate the complete story. If they follow through, the anime will cover all 23 volumes. No other isekai adaptation has committed to this kind of scope.
If you’ve only watched the anime, you’re currently at about Volume 11 out of 23. The best action content in the series (the Empire Invasion, Volumes 12-15) is what Season 4 will cover first.
What About Spinoffs?
Tensura has a huge spinoff ecosystem, all manga:
The Slime Diaries (Tensura Nikki) is slice-of-life following Tempest’s daily operations. Got its own anime. Captures the cast’s personality better than some of the later main series volumes. My go-to recommendation if you love the characters.
Trinity in Tempest follows Demon Lord subordinates investigating Tempest. Solid world-building supplement.
The Ways of the Monster Nation is a travel guide format where a rabbitman reviews Rimuru’s country.
Clayman Revenge retells the Clayman arc from his perspective. Newer series.
None of these continue the main story past Volume 23. They’re side content, not sequels.
Will There Be a Sequel?
No sequel has been announced. Fuse hasn’t indicated plans for a continuation. The story wraps at Volume 23 with a conclusion that doesn’t set up a follow-up. Unlike Konosuba (which got a sequel project) or Mushoku Tensei (which has sequel web novel chapters), Tensura seems done.
That could change. The franchise is massive. Twenty-five million copies, multiple anime seasons, mobile games. If Fuse wants to return to this world, the publisher would greenlight it immediately. But as of early 2026, the main story is complete.
Should You Read It Now That It’s Finished?
Yes. A completed series means no waiting between volumes, no anxiety about cancellations, and you can pace yourself through the slower stretches knowing the payoff is there.
Twenty-three volumes is long. But Tensura reads faster than you’d expect because Fuse’s prose is straightforward and the nation-building hooks keep you turning pages. I burned through the Empire arc (Volumes 12-15) in about four days because each volume ended on a political cliffhanger that made putting it down feel wrong.
Start at Volume 1 even if you’ve watched the anime. The LN has trade negotiations and diplomatic maneuvering that the anime cut for time. Season 3’s controversial “meeting arc” works much better in print.
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FAQ
Is the That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime light novel complete?
Yes. 23 volumes, finished in Japan in November 2025. The English translation is ongoing through Yen Press (18 volumes published so far).
How many Slime light novels are there?
23 main volumes. There are also multiple spinoff manga series (Slime Diaries, Trinity in Tempest, Clayman Revenge, others) and the original web novel.
When did the Slime light novel end?
Volume 23 released in Japan in November 2025. Fuse announced the final three volumes when he reached Volume 20, so the ending was planned.
Is there a Slime Volume 24?
No. The main series ended at Volume 23. No sequel or continuation has been announced.
Does the anime cover the full light novel?
Not yet. Season 4 (premiering April 2026) is planned for 5 cours and will adapt Volumes 12-23, completing the story. Previous seasons covered Volumes 1-11.
Should I read the light novel or wait for the anime?
The LN is complete now. Season 4 will take over a year to air all 5 cours. If you want the full story without waiting, the LN is the way to go. The LN also has significantly more political and world-building content than the anime includes.