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Another long-running popular Shonen series has come to an end, withUndead Unluckpublishing its final chapter in Shonen Jump after 5 years. Alongside it’s 239 chapters,Undead Unluckalso received numerous side novels and the first season of its anime adaptation was released just last year.
But for fans who have been left wanting more from the series, you’ll be excited to learn that there is still more to come fromUndead Unluck. 2025 should still be filled with plenty of content forUndead Unluckfans to enjoy, so you don’t have to say goodbye to the series just yet.
Warning: Spoilers forUndead UnluckManga and Anime Ahead
Final Volumes to Release in April
The Series Final Volumes Are Dropping as a Double Release
WithUndead Unluckreceiving a double release of Volumes 26 and 27 in April, fans may receive some surprises after the weekly finale of the series. Many other popular releases in Shonen Jump already have their volume releases include new or augmented content from their weekly chapters, including more detailed artwork, changed dialogue, and even added scenes. Final volumes in particular often get even more special treatment.
My Hero Academia’sfinal volume, for example, saw dozens of new pages added, with a final “epilogue” chapter added to the story. Even outside of Jump,Attack on Titansaw new chapters added by the author, seemingly in reaction to fan reception.Undead Unluckhas been facing discussion for months about whether the series was rushing towards the end, so the author could add some new content to satisfy more questions about the story.
While the author has also given his final comment in Weekly Shonen Jump aboutUndead Unluck, he may also leave some final regards to fans in the last volume of the series.
3rd Light Novel to Release in April As Well
On top of the manga volumes,Undead Unluckwill also be receiving its third Light Novel release in April. Light Novel series are a special addition to manga series in Japan, where mangaka explore side stories that aren’t able to get as big of a focus in the main manga. In the case ofUndead Unluckas well as many other series, the mangaka Yoshifumi Tozuka is overseeing the story, providing input for the novels while they are mainly authored by a different writer. Sawako Hirabayashi is the author forUndead Unluck’slight novels.
In keeping with tradition, the 2 previous light novels focused on the more “slice-of-life” moments that often can’t find a place in the rapidfire pace of weekly action shonen titles. For example, the first light novel focused on different characters' daily lives, outside of what we see in the manga, how they might fare on a day when they aren’t facing the threat of Master Rules. For a manga where do-or-die situations often arise, it’s a nice change of pace that helps fans develop a closer bond to these characters.
The 2nd light novel, one fans were eager to see, was about the “romantic” lives of our Union characters. In a series already known for its management of romance, it went even deeper in its discussions with characters and what they feel about love and even who they might be in love with. This was the last light novel to release, and it dropped in October 2023, so it’s been a while since fans have enjoyed a new side story fromUndead Unluck.
The 3rd novel’s contents have not been revealed yet, so it’s any guess as to what fans can expect. With the ending of the series showing fans the wedding of Andy and Fuuko, some are hoping that we will see a post-canon story that might pick up with our main characters as parents, or even just highlight some of their adventures after the main story has ended.
It is important to note that these light novels have not received an official translated release yet. With the series ending, however, it is more likely for the back catalog to be reassessed for possible future releases. In the meantime, there are many fan summaries and discussions around the stories, with Tozuka adding original art for fans to enjoy in these stories as well.
Anime Special
A Special “Sequel” Anime is Scheduled for This Year
Finally, in Winter of 2025,Undead Unluckwill be receiving a special 1-Hour episode before possibly leading into Season 2 of the anime. “Winter 2025” can often confuse fans as to whether this means January or December, but as official releases note a “late 2025” release window, it mostly likely means fans can expect this episode to release by the end of the year.
There is debate as to whether this special is confirming Season 2 of the anime. Previews reference this special as a “sequel” to Season 1 of the anime, but there isn’t any further mention of expected cours of other episode release dates. Sneak peeks for the special suggest that there will be a continuation of the fight at the end of Season 1, but with the extended run time, fans can hope to see original story content added by Tozuka. Many popular series receive canon-adjacent recap first episodes that show our characters in unique scenarios while mainly functioning as a way to catch viewers up to speed on expectations for the current season, but this does not appear to be the case for thisUndead UnluckSpecial.
Undead Unluck Season 1 was already a fantastic adaptation of the story, taking creative liberties to showcase the strong points of the series (episode 1 was a surprising detour from the first pages of the manga) so hopefully a Season 2 could maintain that energy.
More to Come From the Author
Undead Unluckwas Tozuka’s very first long term serialization after winning a newcomer award for his first oneshot mangaCosmic Arc Travelin 2013. While there haven’t been talks of a sequel so far, where the author goes from here is still undetermined. Fans have fallen in love with the Tozuka’s determination to feature romance as an important subject in a magazine often derided for handling it unwell. Along with the unique power system and world-building inUndead Unluck, as well as the “looping” story mechanic, Tozuka’s first serialization was a tremendous success.
For anyone who found enjoyment in reading or watchingUndead Unluck, keep a lookout for how this promising mangaka moves forward from here.
Undead Unluck is available to stream on Hulu where available. You can read the Undead Unluck Manga on VIZ’s Shonen Jump App.
