Will The Heroic Legend of Arslan Manga and Anime Be Canceled or Axed? Reasons Explained

Will The Heroic Legend of Arslan Manga and Anime be canceled or axed in the future? Some readers are concerned about the series due to several ongoing issues.

In this article, we break down the main factors that could affect The Heroic Legend of Arslan Manga and Anime’s future.

Was The Heroic Legend of Arslan Manga and Anime Canceled or Axed? Reasons Explained

The Heroic Legend of Arslan has not been canceled; the original novels are complete, and the manga is still ongoing.

It has also been adapted into an anime; the novel series, comprising 16 volumes, was published from August 1986 to December 2017, and the manga series has been serialized in the August 2013 issue of *Bessatsu Shonen Magazine* and continues to this day.

The Reason Behind the Reported Cancellation of the “The Heroic Legend of Arslan” Manga

Since the novel series has come to an end,

Since the original novel series for *The Heroic Legend of Arslan* has concluded, there seemed to be some confusion, leading to rumors that the manga adaptation had also ended.

The manga has not yet caught up with the novel, and since the story would appear to end abruptly if the manga were to conclude, speculation spread among readers that it might have been canceled.

Out of anxiety about a long-running series

The manga series *The Heroic Legend of Arslan* has been running for over 10 years and has more than 20 volumes, but since there is still a long way to go before it concludes, there seem to be concerns that it might be canceled before it’s finished.

In particular, since the artist, Hiromu Arakawa, is also working on several other popular titles, it’s entirely possible that the series could be canceled due to her busy schedule or other scheduling conflicts.

Because “cancellation” appeared in the search suggestions

When you search on Google or Yahoo!, several suggested search terms appear at the same time. However, when searching for “The Heroic Legend of Arslan,” the term “canceled” might have appeared, which could have led to a misunderstanding.

Since “The Heroic Legend of Arslan” is such a popular series, it seems many people were worried that it might be canceled and searched for “The Heroic Legend of Arslan canceled.”

As a result, when they searched for “The Heroic Legend of Arslan,” “canceled” appeared in the search suggestions, leading them to mistakenly think, “Has it been canceled?”

It seems they then got caught in a loop where, worried that it might have been canceled, they searched for “The Heroic Legend of Arslan canceled,” only to see “canceled” appear again and again.

Reasons Cited for the Cancellation of the “The Heroic Legend of Arslan” Anime

Season 2 ends with Episode 8

The first season of the anime *The Heroic Legend of Arslan* had a total of 25 episodes, but the second season had only 8 episodes. Since this was so much fewer than the first season, people seemed to suspect that it had been “canceled.”

However, it appears the series ended at this odd number of 8 episodes simply to wrap things up neatly based on the content of Volumes 5 and 6 of the original paperback novel series.

Due to a shortage of manga stock

Since the anime adaptation of *The Heroic Legend of Arslan* was based on the artwork style of the manga, there were rumors that the second season ended abruptly after only eight episodes due to a shortage of available manga material.

Although the original work is the novel *The Heroic Legend of Arslan*, the anime was produced based on the manga adaptation.

However, by the time the anime aired, the manga’s story had already caught up with the anime, and since there wasn’t enough manga material available to produce new episodes, it seems people wondered, “Was the second season cut short?”

Sluggish CD sales

The anime adaptation of *The Heroic Legend of Arslan* had decent viewership ratings, but since Blu-ray and DVD sales fell short of expectations, this may be why no subsequent seasons were produced.

In the anime industry, Blu-ray and DVD sales are a major source of revenue alongside viewership ratings, so when sales are low, it often becomes difficult to produce sequels.

In particular, “The Heroic Legend of Arslan” is a series that requires an epic storyline and a high production budget, so it’s possible that the production company decided to hold off on investing in a sequel because disc sales fell short of expectations.

An Explanation of the “Allegations of a Poor Conclusion” Behind the Cancellation of *The Heroic Legend of Arslan*

The reason the conclusion of *The Heroic Legend of Arslan* was criticized as terrible is that, following a fierce battle with the Serpent King Zahag, the Kingdom of Pars was destroyed, leading to a total annihilation ending in which Arslan and the main characters all lost their lives.

アルスラーン戦記完結まで読んだけど……。
うん、酷くね？　色んな伏線を滅茶苦茶雑に回収した挙句、名あり登場人物がアルスラーン含めほぼ全員戦死してるんだけど。
これなら王都奪還で完結させてたほうがマジで良かったと思う。敵も味方も誰一人幸せになってないぞ。

— 雨宮季弥 (@mtratw) April 14, 2023

As a result, the characters’ long-standing growth, friendships, and the fruits of their battles were all rendered meaningless, leading to dissatisfaction and criticism from readers and viewers regarding the ending.

In particular, the depiction of the deaths of major characters—especially Arslan—is cited as the reason why many fans felt disappointed, as the story took a direction far removed from the hopeful ending they had anticipated.

Furthermore, since author Yoshiki Tanaka is known for killing off important characters in his works—so much so that he has earned the nickname “Tanaka the Mass Murderer”—some readers felt that, conversely, the depiction of the characters’ deaths was rather lackluster compared to his past works.

This point also became a topic of discussion among fans and seems to have been a major reason why the story’s conclusion was deemed so disappointing.

How far does the final episode of the *The Heroic Legend of Arslan* anime cover? Where does the original manga pick up?

The anime series *The Heroic Legend of Arslan* aired for two seasons, while the novel series has six volumes and the manga series has 18 volumes.

Therefore, if you want to follow the story after the second season of the anime, you can start with Volume 7 of the novel series or Volume 18 of the manga series.

By the way, the “anime” is progressing as shown in the table below.

⇒Watch the anime “The Heroic Legend of Arslan” on Amazon Prime Video

Final Thoughts on The Heroic Legend of Arslan Manga and Anime

In conclusion, The Heroic Legend of Arslan Manga and Anime has not been canceled, and there are currently no strong signs of it ending early.

Overall, the series appears to be continuing without major issues.

Some readers thought the manga might not reach its ending because it has been running for a long time. The anime's second season also ended after only eight episodes, making it seem like it had been canceled.

However, The Heroic Legend of Arslan offers a rich fantasy world. The novels are the best choice if you want the full story now, while the manga is recommended if you want to enjoy Hiromu Arakawa's version at a slower pace.

It may still be worth checking out for yourself.

⇒Watch the anime “The Heroic Legend of Arslan” on Amazon Prime Video