The Eminence in Shadow: Where does Season 1 leave off in the light novel and manga

Daisuke Aizawa’s highly lauded dark-fantasy anime series The Eminence in Shadow recently concluded the first season with a grand finale. Although there has been no word from the production house or creator of the anime, fans of the series are going berserk with the requests, demanding a sequel.

With the end of season 1, Cid Kagenou’s journey to becoming the strongest man in the entire world and his "eminence in shadowy" modus operandi has been put on a brief hiatus. As there is still so much to learn about the protagonist and the intentions of the Cult of Diablos, fans are having difficulty being patient about what comes next in the series.

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The Eminence in Shadow season 1 has entirely covered the first two volumes of the light novel series

Fans who can’t resist the urge to learn about the upcoming events in the season can start reading from the third volume of the series. The Eminence in Shadow volume 3 covers major chapters such as Lawless City Bandit Hunting!, Storming the Crimson Tower!, Pursuing the Blood Queen!, and more.

Although there are no chapters left behind to adapt from volumes 1 and 2, fans might have to start with the beginning of the series as there are several nuanced details in the light novel and manga that Studio Nexus hadn’t adapted into anime. In the manga version by Anri Sakano, volumes 1 to 6 have been adapted, meaning fans can start reading from the seventh volume.

The light novel, manga, and anime adaptations of The Eminence in Shadow series follow a different order, which might confuse fans initially. Although the anime introduced all the Seven Shadows of Shadow Garden, the manga didn’t mention Eta and Zeta at all.

Each volume of The Eminence in Shadow light novel series has more than 300 pages, comprised of six chapters, a prologue, and an epilogue. In the manga adaptation, each volume has 49 chapters. The light novel series has five volumes in circulation worldwide, and the manga has been adapted into ten volumes. Moreover, the franchise has also inspired a spin-off series, titled The Eminence in Shadow! Shadow Side Story, which has been collected in four tankobon volumes.

Here’s how Yen Press, the official publisher of The Eminence in Shadow light novel series, has described the plot:

Even in his past life, Cid's dream wasn't to become a protagonist or a final boss. He'd rather lie low as a minor character until it's prime time to reveal he's a mastermind...or at least, do the next best thing-pretend to be one! And now that he's been reborn into another world, he's ready to set the perfect conditions to live out his dreams to the fullest.

It further continues:

Armed with his overactive imagination, Cid jokingly recruits members to his organization and makes up a whole backstory about an evil cult they need to take down. Well, as luck would have it, these imaginary adversaries turn out to be the real deal, and everyone knows the truth but him!

The Eminence in Shadow anime adaptations still have a plethora of source material left for season 2 and beyond. Like the previous season, fans can expect the upcoming installment to run for 20 episodes, covering volumes 2 and 3.