Goblin Slayer has more spinoff material than I expected when I started it. Sixteen main volumes, a four-volume prequel, a completed side story series, multiple manga adaptations, and the anime that skipped an entire arc. If you’re trying to figure out what to read and in what order, here’s the full breakdown.
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TL;DR
- Read the main 16 volumes first. Everything else comes after. I made the mistake of reading Year One too early and spoiled the mystique around GS’s backstory.
- Year One (4 volumes): Prequel covering Goblin Slayer’s origin. Read after the main series, not before.
- Dai Katana (completed side story): Optional standalone. Read whenever.
- After the anime: Season 1 covers Vol 1-2 with changes. Season 2 skips Vol 3 entirely and adapts Vol 4-5. Start from Vol 1.
The short version: read the main 16 volumes first. Everything else comes after. I made the mistake of reading Year One too early and spoiled some of the mystique around GS’s backstory. Learn from that.
More about Goblin Slayer
Where to Start After the Anime
The anime adapted the source material out of order and skipped content. Here’s the map:
Season 1 (White Fox, 2018): Volumes 1-2, with arcs reordered and bits of Volume 4 woven in. The farm defense from Volume 1 was moved to the S1 finale. Volume 3 (Harvest Festival) was skipped entirely.
Goblin’s Crown film (2020): Adapts Volume 5. About 60 minutes of new content after a 25-minute recap.
Season 2 (Liden Films, 2023): Volumes 6-8. Skipped straight past Volumes 3-4.
If you’ve seen everything: Start at Volume 3. It’s the biggest gap. The Harvest Festival arc has never been animated, and the dagger GS uses in Season 2’s opening credits was gifted to him in this volume. Then read Volume 4 (side stories), then continue from Volume 9 for completely new content.
If you want the full experience: Start at Volume 1. The anime reordered arcs and cut GS’s internal monologue, which changes how you understand his character. For a detailed breakdown of every difference, see our Goblin Slayer LN vs anime comparison.
The Main Series: All 16 Volumes
Every volume is published in English by Yen Press (Yen On imprint). The series is ongoing.
Volumes 1-3: The Core
Vol 1: The cave quest that establishes the stakes. Priestess’s first adventure. The party forms (High Elf Archer, Dwarf Shaman, Lizard Priest). The Goblin Lord siege on Cow Girl’s farm. GS removes his helmet. This is where the series earns or loses you. It earned me.
Vol 2: The Water Town arc. Sword Maiden hires GS to investigate goblins beneath the city. The best arc in the series, in my opinion. Sword Maiden’s backstory and her connection to GS’s trauma elevates the story beyond monster-hunting.
Vol 3: The Harvest Festival. The arc the anime skipped. Frontier town celebration, a Rhea Scout assassination attempt on Guild Girl, Priestess’s invocation dance, a Dark Elf fight. The community says this has “everything to love about Goblin Slayer in one arc.” Having read it, I agree. The fact that the anime skipped this still bothers me.
Volumes 4-5: Side Stories and the Northern Mountains
Vol 4: An anthology of short stories featuring supporting characters. Not one continuous arc. Worldbuilding, not narrative momentum. The anime pulled some of this material into Season 1. Brand New Day manga adapts the rest.
Vol 5: The Noble Fencer rescue mission in the northern mountains. Self-contained arc. Adapted as the Goblin’s Crown film (with significant cuts). Solid standalone quest that introduces a Goblin Paladin as a more intelligent goblin threat.
Volumes 6-8: Expanding the World
Vol 6: Wizard Boy’s first quest. Priestess denied rank promotion, then mentors a traumatized rookie. GS continues his methods. The anime adapted this in Season 2, Episodes 1-4 (with toned-down violence).
Vol 7: High Elf Archer’s sister’s wedding. The party travels south. Strongest High Elf Archer content in the series. GS starts showing cracks in the armor. The character dynamics deepen here. Some of the most natural moments in the series.
Vol 8: Sea goblins. Sword Maiden returns. Capital City visit. Princess kidnapped near Holy Mount. The scope expands beyond backwater villages for the first time.
Volumes 9-11: Deepening
Vol 9: Cow Girl ambush arc. GS’s domestic life threatened directly. The personal stakes increase.
Vol 10: Rookie Warrior arc. Political intrigue intensifies. New characters enter the picture.
Vol 11: Apprentice Cleric joins. The series broadens its cast while keeping the goblin focus.
Volumes 12-14: Expanding Scope
Vol 12: Vineyard arc. A Day in the Life manga adapts material from this volume.
Vol 13: Desert arc. New settings, new goblin variants. The series keeps finding ways to make goblins feel dangerous in unfamiliar environments.
Vol 14: Significant Cow Girl development. The domestic dynamic that’s been static for thirteen volumes finally shifts. The community is still debating this one.
Volumes 15-16: Latest
Vol 15: Viking-inspired quest. New territory for the party.
Vol 16: Most recent volume in English (November 2023). Ongoing goblin campaigns. No announced ending.
For a detailed review of every arc, see our Goblin Slayer light novel review. To check the series status, see is Goblin Slayer finished?
When to Read the Spinoffs
Year One (After the Main Series)
4 volumes in English (Yen Press). Written by Kumo Kagyu.
A prequel covering Goblin Slayer’s first year as an adventurer. Before Priestess. Before the party. Just a kid in cheap armor learning to kill goblins alone.
Year One is darker than the main series. I’ll put it this way: the first chapter makes the main series opening look kid-friendly. If Volume 1 was at your limit for dark content, Year One goes past it. It fills in GS’s backstory, how he trained with the rhea hermit, his early methods, the trauma that shaped his single-minded obsession.
Read it after finishing the main series (or at least after Volume 3). You need the context of who GS becomes to fully appreciate where he started.
Dai Katana (After the Main Series)
3 volumes, complete (Yen Press). Written by Kumo Kagyu.
A separate story set in the same world with different characters. Follows a ronin-style protagonist. Not directly connected to GS’s storyline. Think of it as an anthology set in the same TRPG universe. Optional.
Brand New Day (Manga, After Volume 4)
2 volumes, complete. Side stories featuring supporting characters from the main series. Adapts remaining Volume 4 material that the anime didn’t use. Short, fun, not essential.
A Day in the Life (Manga, After Volume 12)
3 volumes, complete. Lighter slice-of-life spinoff adapting Volume 12 material. Low-stakes. For fans who want more time with the cast outside of combat.
The Complete Reading Order
- Main LN Volumes 1-16 (in order)
- Year One Vols 1-4 (prequel, the darkest content in the franchise)
- Dai Katana Vols 1-3 (separate story, same world, optional)
- Brand New Day manga (side stories, optional)
- A Day in the Life manga (slice of life, optional)
That’s it. No interleaving. No complicated branching paths. The main series is the spine. Everything else is supplementary.
Can I Skip Any Volumes?
Volume 4 is the most skippable — it’s side stories, not a continuous arc. But the material adds world context that enriches later volumes.
Volume 3 is the one people ask about most because the anime skipped it. Do not skip it. The Harvest Festival arc is the community’s favorite for character moments, and it introduces plot elements (the dagger, Guild Girl development) that matter later.
Everything else builds on what came before. I read them all in order and wouldn’t skip any on a reread. The episodic structure means no single volume is a slog, but they all contribute to GS’s gradual character development.
FAQ
What is the Goblin Slayer reading order?
Read the 16 main light novel volumes in order, then Year One (4 vols, prequel). Dai Katana (3 vols, complete) is optional. Brand New Day and A Day in the Life manga are supplementary.
What volume does the Goblin Slayer anime end at?
Season 1 covers Volumes 1-2 (reordered). The Goblin’s Crown film covers Volume 5. Season 2 covers Volumes 6-8. Volumes 3-4 were skipped. Start reading at Volume 3 for the biggest gap.
Should I read Goblin Slayer Year One first?
No. Read the main series first (or at least through Volume 3). Year One is a prequel that hits harder with context about who GS becomes. It’s also significantly darker than the main series.
Is the Goblin Slayer manga a good substitute for the light novel?
The main manga covers all arcs (including the Harvest Festival the anime skipped) and has excellent art. The LN has richer internal monologue and TRPG meta-commentary. Both are good. The LN is the fuller experience.
Can I skip Volume 3 since the anime did?
No. The Harvest Festival arc is the community’s favorite for character development. It introduces plot elements used in later volumes. The anime’s decision to skip it was controversial for good reason.