No. As of March 2026, the Overlord light novel is not finished. And believe me, I check for updates more often than I should.
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TL;DR
- No, Overlord is not finished. 16 volumes are out. The series ends at 18 — Volumes 17-18 are written but not yet released.
- The major climax (Volume 14) is already available. You won’t be left on a cliffhanger reading what’s out now.
- Published by Yen Press in English. Translation is close to caught up with Japan.
- Maruyama has confirmed the ending. It’s coming. The wait is for publication, not writing.
There are 16 volumes out in both Japanese and English. Kugane Maruyama announced in the afterword of Volume 16 that the series ends at Volume 18. Volumes 17 and 18 haven’t been published yet. The last Japanese volume came out in July 2022 — nearly four years ago. English Volume 16 followed in July 2023.
So that’s the situation. Sixteen volumes in, two to go, no release date for either. It’s a frustrating spot to be in as a reader.
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What’s the Hold-Up?
Maruyama is actively writing, which is the good news. On December 31, 2025, he posted that he’d written around 240,000 characters for Volume 17 with roughly 30,000 left. For reference, the Ghost Ship of Katze Plains bonus story ran about 100,000 characters total. So Volume 17 is shaping up to be massive. I’m not complaining.
The other wrinkle: Maruyama said in the Volume 16 afterword that he plans to release 17 and 18 together, or at least very close. He’s done this before (Volumes 5-6, 12-13, 15-16 all came out a month apart). So he’s not going to drop 17, let it sit for a year, then start on 18. He’s writing both before releasing either.
That’s good news for the story. Bad news if you were hoping for something soon. Volume 17 is nearly written, but Volume 18 presumably hasn’t started yet. The r/overlord community puts the wait at another one to two years. My gut says late 2027 for both in Japanese. We’ll see.
How Many Volumes Does Overlord Have?
Sixteen published, two remaining. Here’s the full list:
| Vol | Title | JP Release | EN Release |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Undead King | Jul 2012 | May 2016 |
| 2 | The Dark Warrior | Nov 2012 | Sep 2016 |
| 3 | The Bloody Valkyrie | Mar 2013 | Jan 2017 |
| 4 | The Lizardman Heroes | Jul 2013 | May 2017 |
| 5 | The Men of the Kingdom Part I | Dec 2013 | Sep 2017 |
| 6 | The Men of the Kingdom Part II | Jan 2014 | Jan 2018 |
| 7 | The Invaders of the Large Tomb | Aug 2014 | May 2018 |
| 8 | The Two Leaders | Dec 2014 | Sep 2018 |
| 9 | The Magic Caster of Destruction | Jun 2015 | Jan 2019 |
| 10 | The Ruler of Conspiracy | May 2016 | May 2019 |
| 11 | The Craftsman of Dwarf | Sep 2016 | Oct 2019 |
| 12 | The Paladin of the Sacred Kingdom Part I | Sep 2017 | Jun 2020 |
| 13 | The Paladin of the Sacred Kingdom Part II | Apr 2018 | Jun 2021 |
| 14 | The Witch of the Falling Kingdom | Mar 2020 | Jun 2022 |
| 15 | The Half-Elf God-kin Part I | Jun 2022 | Mar 2023 |
| 16 | The Half-Elf God-kin Part II | Jul 2022 | Jul 2023 |
| 17 | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| 18 | TBA | TBA | TBA |
Yen Press handles the English license and they’ve been decent about keeping pace. Usually six to twelve months behind Japan on each volume.
Will There Be a Volume 19 or Beyond?
Officially, no. Maruyama said the series ends at 18 and he’s had that number in mind for a while.
But there’s fan speculation that Volume 17 has gotten long enough to split into two volumes the way 12/13 and 15/16 did. If that happens, the current “Volume 17” becomes 17 and 18, and the finale becomes 19. To be clear, this is Reddit talk, not anything Maruyama has confirmed. I wouldn’t plan around it.
What About the Web Novel?
There’s a web novel. Maruyama originally wrote Overlord online starting in 2010, first on Arcadia, later on Shōsetsuka ni Narō. It ended in March 2012, before the light novel even launched.
The web novel diverges from the light novel around Volume 8 onward, and the community treats it as a historical artifact, not the real version. If you’re new to the series, start with the light novel. The web novel doesn’t reflect where the story ended up and nobody’s updating it.
What About the Anime?
The anime has four seasons (2015, 2018, 2018, 2022) plus the Sacred Kingdom movie from September 2024. The four seasons cover roughly Volumes 1-11 and 14. The Holy Kingdom arc (Volumes 12-13) got the movie treatment instead.
No Season 5 announcement as of early 2026. Given where the anime left off and the manga wrapping in 2023, it’s hard to say whether more anime is coming before the LN finishes. The fandom assumption is Seasons 5 and 6 would cover Volumes 15-18 once the novels are done. I hope they’re right, but I’m reading the LN either way.
Should You Start Reading While It’s Unfinished?
Yes. Without hesitation. Sixteen volumes is a complete reading experience even without the finale. The arc that most fans call the series’ climax — Volume 14, the destruction of the Re-Estize Kingdom — is already out. Compare that to something like No Game No Life, where the actual plot has been stalling for a decade with no announced conclusion. Overlord doesn’t feel like that at all.
Overlord has a defined end. Maruyama is writing it. Two volumes is a short distance. I started reading knowing it was unfinished and I don’t regret it for a second.
The real question isn’t whether it ends. It’s whether you want to wait. If you need the complete package, you’re looking at 2027 or later for the Japanese finale, then another year or two for Yen Press to release the English editions. That’s a long time to hold off on 16 volumes that are already there and already great.
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FAQ
Is Overlord light novel complete?
Not yet. 16 of 18 announced volumes are published. Volumes 17 and 18 have no release date as of early 2026, but Maruyama is actively writing.
How many volumes does Overlord have in English?
16 volumes in English, published by Yen Press. The most recent is Volume 16 (July 2023).
When is Overlord Volume 17 coming out?
No official date yet. Maruyama reported on December 31, 2025, that he was nearly done writing it. With Volume 18 still to go, community estimates put the Japanese releases around 2026-2027, with English editions a year or so behind.
Does Overlord have a confirmed ending?
Yes. Maruyama announced in the Volume 16 afterword that the series ends at Volume 18.
Is the Overlord web novel finished?
Yes, but it’s not the same story. The web novel ended in March 2012 before the light novel began, and diverges significantly from the LN starting around Volume 8. The light novel is the definitive version.
Does Overlord have a sequel?
There’s a sequel manga called Overlord: New World that began serialization in April 2024, set after the main story events. No light novel sequel has been announced.