The Rose of Versailles Manga Reading Order

The Rose of Versailles Reading Order at a Glance

Here’s the straightforward reading order:

Reading Order	Content	Japanese Volumes	English Availability
Read First	The Original Story	Japanese Vols 1–10 (1972–1974)	5 Udon deluxe hardcovers (covers all 10 Japanese volumes plus bonus short stories)
Read Second (optional)	The Episode Edition	Japanese Vols 11–14 (2014–2018)	Licensed by Udon for English release — not yet published in English as of this writing

That’s it. The original story is the essential read — start here, no exceptions. It’s a complete narrative with a beginning, middle, and definitive ending. The Episode edition came decades later and is supplementary material, not a continuation.

If you’re reading in English, the 5 Udon deluxe hardcovers give you the entire original story. Together, the five hardcovers contain chapters 1–82 plus bonus short stories — standalone chapters that expand on moments or characters from the main narrative. That’s the full classic experience in one tidy package.

The Episode edition (Japanese volumes 11–14) expands the world with companion stories. Udon Entertainment has licensed the Episode edition for English release, but as of this writing no English volumes have been published yet. Either way, the 5 English hardcovers of the original story are the complete core reading experience.

What Each Part Covers and Why It Goes in That Order

The Original Story — First Half (Japanese Volumes 1–5)

This is where everything begins. The story opens in 18th-century France, introducing two characters whose lives will become intertwined with the fate of a nation: Oscar François de Jarjayes, a woman raised as a man to serve as commander of the Royal Guard, and Marie Antoinette, the young Austrian princess arriving at Versailles to marry the future Louis XVI.

Ikeda weaves real history with fictional drama in a way that feels effortless. You get the glittering excess of Versailles, the political maneuvering of the French court, and the personal struggles of characters caught between duty and desire. Oscar’s relationship with her childhood companion Andre Grandier begins to deepen here — what starts as loyal friendship slowly reveals itself as something much more complicated and much more affecting.

These early volumes establish the emotional core of the entire series. The romance doesn’t rush. It builds through shared danger, unspoken feelings, and the growing tension between Oscar’s public role and private heart. At the same time, Ikeda doesn’t let you forget the historical clock ticking in the background — the extravagance of the aristocracy, the suffering of the common people, the political pressure building toward revolution.

The original story was first published in 1972 in a weekly Japanese manga magazine, and these chapters captured an enormous readership in Japan. The art style is distinctly of its era — lush, dramatic, with flowing lines and expressive faces — and it’s gorgeous.

Every reader starts here. There’s no alternate entry point, no “you can skip to volume 3” shortcut. The story is built as a continuous narrative, and the emotional payoffs later depend entirely on what Ikeda sets up in these first five volumes.

The Original Story — Climax and Conclusion (Japanese Volumes 6–10)

The second half of the original story is where everything comes to a head — both historically and romantically.

As France hurtles toward revolution, Oscar and Andre’s relationship reaches its emotional peak. Without spoiling the specific beats (because experiencing them fresh is genuinely one of the great pleasures of reading this series), this is where Ikeda takes the slow-burning feelings from the first half and lets them fully ignite. The romance here is passionate, heartbreaking, and deeply earned. These are some of the most celebrated chapters in manga history, and they live up to that reputation.

The historical events escalate alongside the personal drama. The storming of the Bastille, the collapse of the old order, the fates of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI — Ikeda handles all of it with real weight. She doesn’t shy away from the violence and tragedy of the Revolution, but she never loses sight of the human stories at the center.

The original story was completed in 1974, and these 10 volumes form the full classic narrative. The ending is definitive. You won’t be left hanging or wondering what happened — Ikeda brings every major thread to a close. It’s the kind of ending that stays in your memory.

For English readers, the good news is that all of this is fully covered in the 5 Udon deluxe hardcovers. You don’t need to hunt down any additional volumes to get the complete story.

The Episode Edition (Japanese Volumes 11–14)

Decades after the original story concluded, Ikeda returned to the world of The Rose of Versailles with the Episode edition — four volumes published between 2014 and 2018 (Japanese volumes 11–14).

These are not a sequel. The original story’s ending stands on its own, and the Episode edition doesn’t continue past it. Instead, these volumes are companion stories — new chapters that expand the world and explore secondary characters in greater depth. Think of them as Ikeda revisiting her most famous creation to fill in corners of the story she hadn’t explored the first time around.

The reading order here is simple: finish the original 10-volume story first, then read the Episode edition. The companion stories assume familiarity with the full original narrative, and they’ll have much more resonance once you already know these characters and this world.

A note for English readers: Udon Entertainment has licensed the Episode edition for English release, but as of this writing no English volumes have been published yet. Whether or not you read the Episode edition, you’re not missing the core story — the 5 Udon hardcovers of the original give you everything that matters.

Where to Buy The Rose of Versailles in English

The current English edition of The Rose of Versailles consists of 5 deluxe hardcover volumes. These are substantial, beautifully produced books — each one collects roughly two Japanese volumes’ worth of content, covering chapters 1–82 plus bonus short stories. Together, they contain the entire original story.

Here’s how the English volumes map to the Japanese ones:

English Hardcover	Content
Volume 1	Chapters 1–22 (≈ Japanese Vols 1–2)
Volume 2	Chapters 23–44 (≈ Japanese Vols 3–4)
Volume 3	Chapters 45–66 (≈ Japanese Vols 5–6)
Volume 4	Chapters 67–82 + side story “The Countess in Black” (main story conclusion)
Volume 5	Side stories: “The Great Detective Loulou” (1984–1985)

Volume 4 concludes the main story with chapters 67–82 plus the side story “The Countess in Black.” Volume 5 collects “The Great Detective Loulou” side stories, originally published in 1984–1985. Together, all five hardcovers give you the complete original Rose of Versailles in English.

These hardcovers are the definitive way to read the series in English. The production quality is high — hardcover binding, larger physical dimensions than a standard paperback, and a translation that handles both the historical setting and the emotional dialogue well. Because the manga was originally written in Japanese, the quality of the English translation matters, and this one reads naturally.

A few practical notes on buying:

• Budget expectations. These are deluxe hardcovers with higher production values than a standard manga volume, so the list price per book is higher than a typical paperback manga. If you’re buying all five, plan accordingly — but you’re getting the complete story in five books rather than ten, which helps offset the per-volume cost.
• Availability can fluctuate. Because this is a classic series rather than a current bestseller, individual volumes sometimes go in and out of stock at major retailers. If you see the volume you need available, it’s worth grabbing rather than waiting.
• The Episode edition (Japanese vols 11–14) has been licensed by Udon for English release, but no English volumes have been published as of this writing. The 5 hardcovers of the original story remain the complete core English publication.
• There were no widely available English editions before the current hardcover release. The Udon hardcovers are the proper, licensed, complete English version.

Common Mistakes New Readers Make

A few things trip people up when they first approach this series. Here’s what to watch for:

Confusing the English and Japanese volume counts. This is the most common source of confusion. The Japanese edition has 10 original volumes plus 4 Episode edition volumes (14 total). The English edition has 5 hardcovers that cover the 10 original Japanese volumes. These are different numbering systems for the same content — the English books are just thicker — the first three each collect roughly two Japanese volumes’ worth of chapters, Volume 4 wraps up the main story, and Volume 5 collects the side stories. You don’t need 10 English books. Five is the whole story.

Starting with the Episode edition. If you somehow get your hands on Japanese volumes 11–14 first, resist the temptation to start there. These companion stories were written for readers who already know the original narrative inside and out. Reading them first would spoil major developments while robbing you of the emotional context that makes those stories meaningful.

Thinking the anime and manga tell the same story. The Rose of Versailles has a well-known 1979 animated television adaptation (anime) that many people encounter first. The anime is beloved in its own right, but it diverges significantly from the manga in its second half — characters have different fates, storylines resolve differently, and the tone shifts in distinct ways. If you’ve watched the anime and think you already know the whole story, the manga will surprise you, especially in the later volumes. They’re complementary experiences, not identical ones. And if you haven’t seen the anime at all, this won’t affect your reading in any way — the manga stands completely on its own.

Thinking the Episode edition is required reading. It isn’t. The original 10-volume story (5 English hardcovers) is the complete, self-contained narrative that made this series legendary. The Episode edition is bonus material for devoted fans who want more time in this world. Enjoyable? Absolutely, from what Japanese readers report. Necessary to appreciate the story? Not at all.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to read the Episode edition to understand the complete story?

No. The original story (Japanese volumes 1–10, English hardcovers 1–5) is fully complete on its own. It was written and concluded in 1972–1974 as a standalone narrative. The Episode edition came 40 years later as supplementary companion stories. You’ll have the full emotional experience with just the original.

Is the English edition complete?

The English edition completely covers the original story — all 10 Japanese volumes’ worth of content across 5 deluxe hardcovers, including bonus short stories. The Episode edition (Japanese volumes 11–14), consisting of companion stories published decades after the original, has been licensed by Udon for English release, but as of this writing no English volumes have been published yet.

Should I watch the anime before or after reading the manga?

Either order works, but be aware they tell meaningfully different versions of the story in the second half. If you want the original vision, start with the manga. If you’ve already watched the anime and loved it, reading the manga afterward will give you a fresh experience with storylines and character developments that diverge from what you’ve seen. Many fans enjoy both and appreciate the differences.

How does the English deluxe edition map to the Japanese volumes?

The first three English hardcovers each collect approximately two Japanese volumes: English Volume 1 covers Japanese Volumes 1–2, English Volume 2 covers Japanese Volumes 3–4, and English Volume 3 covers Japanese Volumes 5–6. English Volume 4 covers chapters 67–82 plus the side story “The Countess in Black” — this is where the main story concludes. English Volume 5 collects the “Great Detective Loulou” side stories. If someone references “Japanese volume 7,” you’d find that content in English hardcover Volume 4.

Where should a total beginner start with this series?

Grab English Volume 1. The Rose of Versailles is a remarkably accessible manga even for people who’ve never read one before. The historical setting gives you immediate grounding (you probably have some familiarity with Marie Antoinette and the French Revolution), and Ikeda’s storytelling is clear and engaging from the first chapter. By the end of Volume 1, you’ll know whether you’re in for the whole ride. (Spoiler: you probably will be.)