What Chapter Of The Manga Does Black Torch Season 2 Start From?

There is a particular kind of anime frustration that every longtime fan knows too well: you finish a great season, immediately reach for the manga, and discover that there is nowhere else to go.

That is exactly the strange situation surrounding Black Torch.

Tsuyoshi Takaki’s supernatural ninja manga has always felt like one of those series that deserved a much bigger life than it received. The original run was short, the story moved at a ridiculous pace, and the series never had the opportunity to develop into the long-running shonen franchise many readers expected. Now, after the anime adaptation has introduced Jiro Azuma and Rago to a much wider international audience, fans are naturally asking the obvious question:

What chapter does Black Torch Season 2 start from?

Unfortunately, there isn’t a simple chapter number to give.

Based on the story covered by the first anime season, there is no traditional manga chapter for a potential Season 2 to begin with. The original Black Torch manga contains only 19 chapters across five volumes, meaning the anime reaches the end of the available source material.

And honestly? That’s both exciting and slightly terrifying.

Black Torch Has Always Been a Manga That Needed More Time

One of the reasons Black Torch became such a cult favorite is also the reason a second season creates such a complicated problem.

The manga is incredibly short.

Instead of spending dozens of chapters slowly establishing its supernatural mythology, Black Torch throws readers into Jiro’s world almost immediately. We get the ninja heritage, his unusual ability to communicate with animals, the encounter with the mononoke Rago, and the introduction of the Bureau of Espionage before the story has much opportunity to breathe.

I personally think this is one of Black Torch’s biggest strengths and weaknesses at the same time.

The action is fantastic. Takaki’s artwork has an incredible sense of movement, and his character designs have the kind of sharp personality that makes a panel instantly recognizable. But there are moments where you can almost feel the manga rushing toward its next major battle because it simply didn’t have the luxury of a long serialization.

That becomes especially obvious when looking at the entire manga structure.

That’s the entire source material.

Nineteen chapters. Five volumes. No Chapter 20 waiting in the wings.

So, Where Would Black Torch Season 2 Start?

This is where some online discussions become misleading.

If you see someone claiming that Black Torch Season 2 starts at Chapter 20, take that information with a huge grain of salt. There is no conventional Chapter 20 available in the original manga to serve as the starting point.

If the first season adapts the complete manga story, then a second season would have to become something fundamentally different.

There are basically three possibilities.

1. An Anime-Original Season 2

This is probably the most interesting option.

The anime could continue the Black Torch universe with a completely original storyline developed specifically for television. Ideally, I would want Tsuyoshi Takaki involved in some capacity because the world of Black Torch feels much larger than the 19 chapters we actually received.

The Bureau of Espionage alone could support a lot more storytelling. The mononoke mythology has plenty of unexplored potential, while the history of Jiro’s ninja lineage could easily become the foundation for another major arc.

An anime-original continuation supervised by Takaki would be the dream scenario for me.

It wouldn’t have to pretend there is a missing manga chapter. Instead, it could openly become Black Torch’s next chapter in anime form.

2. A New Black Torch Manga

The second possibility is arguably even more exciting: Shueisha could revive the manga.

If the anime creates enough international attention, a new serialization or sequel manga could theoretically be commissioned. That would give Takaki the opportunity to expand the story properly instead of forcing everything into the extremely compressed structure of the original run.

The problem is obvious, though.

Creating manga is an enormous workload, particularly for an artist whose work is as detailed as Takaki’s. His later work, including Heart Gear, also demonstrates just how demanding his artistic style can be.

So while I would absolutely love to see a Black Torch Part 2, it would ultimately have to depend on whether Takaki actually wants — and is able — to return to Jiro’s story.

3. A Completely Original Anime Continuation

The final possibility is the one that makes me the most nervous.

A production committee could simply decide to continue the franchise using the established characters and world without relying heavily on Takaki’s original material.

We’ve seen anime-original continuations before, and they can work. But they can also go spectacularly wrong.

The reason Black Torch works is not just because it has ninjas, supernatural creatures and flashy fights. It has a very specific identity. Jiro’s personality, Rago’s presence, the strange mixture of modern espionage and traditional Japanese mythology — those ingredients need to remain intact.

If Season 2 turns into a generic supernatural action series, the whole reason fans became attached to Black Torch could disappear.

Why Did Black Torch Become Popular So Late?

This is probably the most interesting part of the whole situation.

Black Torch originally ran between 2016 and 2018, yet its reputation has continued to grow long after the manga ended. It became the sort of recommendation you would constantly see from manga readers saying, “You need to read this, even though it’s ridiculously short.”

That cult status is perfect for the modern anime environment.

Today’s audiences discover older manga through TikTok clips, YouTube recommendations, Reddit discussions and anime streaming platforms. A series that might have struggled to find a huge audience during its original publication can suddenly become a viral hit years later.

And Black Torch is almost designed for that environment.

The concept can be explained quickly. The artwork immediately grabs attention. The battles look spectacular. Jiro and Rago have a memorable dynamic. There isn’t a mountain of filler standing between the reader and the action.

In other words, Black Torch is incredibly easy to recommend.

I also think the short length has become an advantage. In an era where people hesitate before starting a manga with hundreds of chapters, telling someone that the entire original story fits into five volumes is almost irresistible.

What Should You Read After Black Torch?

If you’ve finished the anime and you’re desperately searching for “Black Torch Season 2 manga chapter,” the answer isn’t to hunt for a nonexistent Chapter 20.

Instead, I’d actually recommend going back and reading the original manga.

Even if you’ve already watched the anime, Takaki’s artwork is worth experiencing directly. Some of the visual details, character expressions and action choreography have a different impact on the page.

After that, there are several obvious choices for fans who want something with a similar energy:

• Psyren – A cult supernatural battle manga with a fascinating world and plenty of high-stakes action.
• Chainsaw Man – A much darker modern supernatural series with chaotic battles and unusual relationships between humans and monsters.
• Jujutsu Kaisen – Probably the easiest recommendation if what you enjoyed most was the combination of modern society, supernatural threats and powerful combatants.
• Heart Gear – The obvious choice for anyone who wants more of Tsuyoshi Takaki’s distinctive artwork and storytelling.

Personally, I’d start with Heart Gear. It isn’t another Black Torch, but it makes it obvious why Takaki’s visual style is so memorable.

Black Torch Season 1 Total Episode Count Projections: Deep Dive Analysis

My Take: Black Torch Deserves a Second Chance

Here’s where I land as a fan: I don’t think Black Torch should simply be stretched into another season because the anime became popular.

If the first season really exhausts all 19 manga chapters, that’s actually an opportunity.

Give Takaki a seat at the table. Let him expand the mythology. Give Jiro and Rago a new conflict that has enough room to breathe. Introduce new mononoke, explore the Bureau, and finally give the supporting cast the development that the original manga never had enough pages to provide.

That would be much more exciting than artificially searching for a “Season 2 starting chapter.”

The original Black Torch manga ended before it could show everything it seemed capable of becoming. That’s why its current resurgence feels so unusual. We’re not simply waiting for an anime to adapt the next arc.

We’re waiting to see whether a forgotten cult manga can finally become the larger franchise it always looked capable of being.

For now, fans shouldn’t believe websites claiming that Season 2 automatically begins with Chapter 20. The original manga has only 19 chapters, so there is no standard continuation point after the first season if the anime adapts the complete story.

Any genuine continuation would therefore need to be anime-original, based on a newly revived manga, or developed as an entirely new story within Takaki’s universe.

And honestly, if the anime’s success is strong enough, I wouldn’t mind waiting for the right continuation.

I’d rather get a carefully planned Black Torch comeback than another rushed 12 episodes that burn through its potential all over again.

Final Verdict

Does Black Torch Season 2 start at Chapter 20? No — there is no existing Chapter 20 in the original manga.

How much manga is available? The original story consists of 19 chapters collected into five volumes.

Could there still be a Season 2? Absolutely, but it would require new material rather than a straightforward manga adaptation.

What would I want? A continuation developed with Tsuyoshi Takaki’s involvement, preferably with enough creative freedom to finally explore the world that the original manga only had time to introduce.

For a series that once looked destined to remain a cult favorite, that’s a surprisingly exciting place to be.