Upon returning to DWMA, Soul becomes a Death Scythe having consumed 99 souls. Soul and Maka kill Arachne and claim her soul. As the DWMA work to reach Arachne's inner sanctum only to find she has taken on a spider-like form. During a fight with Mosquito, Kid is sucked into the Book of Eibon and meets a dark figure. The Baba Yaga Castle infiltration is an arc of its own. He realizes it's Crona before he is killed, with Stein assumed to have killed him. He comes to DWMA to investigate a possible spy within the school. It is also the volume where Joe Buttataki arrives, but with a different purpose than in the anime. So where should one start with the Soul Eater manga after finishing the anime? For those not wanting to start from the beginning, Volume 10 would be the best bet as Chapter 36 aligns almost perfectly with Episode 35 before their plots go separate ways. RELATED: 5 Anime Adaptations That Are Completely Different From the Manga But Crona's arc is intrinsic to the defeat of Medusa and Asura. It goes without saying that Maka is a strong female protagonist in her own right, exemplified by her partnership with Soul as they eventually succeed in creating a Death Scythe (another element the anime leaves out). The anime favors Maka in some of the most significant battles, when a number of deeds were actually done by Crona. The anime changed a number of elements that would have made Maka, Soul, Kid, and especially Crona even stronger characters.
The difference with the manga is how the character arcs are handled, with almost all of the main cast's storylines full of compelling character development and satisfying ends. Only ten episodes are dedicated to the fight, making his status as the villain less impactful.įor those picking up the Soul Eater manga after finishing the anime, it isn't a question of what comes after the anime's ending but rather what was left out in the middle. As a result, the anime leaves little room for the final conflict with Asura. But despite the well-crafted internal tensions within the main cast, there were a number of deeper elements that were never touched on or left incomplete. As seen with Stein and Soul, this phenomenon can happen to Meisters and weapons alike, creating a fantastic parallel to the very souls they must hunt down. The Soul Eater anime builds up the international conflicts that come with the threat of characters succumbing to various forms of madness.
RELATED: Fullmetal Alchemist: The 5 Plot Twists That Defined the Entire Series In the end, Asura is defeated when Maka is able to punch him square in the face - not because of any one weapon technique, but the strength of bravery in her heart. The Meisters and their respective weapons clash with Asura despite his increased strength. During their battle in the Death Room, Lord Death and Asura injure each other as Asura kills Arachne and consumes her soul. In the rising stakes, Lord Death uses "BREW" to turn all of Death City into a giant robot that eats Asura, trapping him within the city. The remainder of the series covers the fights between and students and staff of the DWMA and Arachne's group Arachnophobia. As Medusa and her allies succeed in raising Asura, he ultimately joins forces with Arachne. RELATED: Fire Force's Spooky Soul Eater Easter Eggs May Have Cross-Universe SignificanceĪfter introducing its three main Meister-weapon teams, Soul Eater establishes Medusa as the main antagonist as she manipulates Crona and works to awaken Asura from beneath Death Weapon Meister Academy. Let's break down the major differences between the two mediums. This ultimately leads to the anime diverging from the manga but still keeping with original overall plot. While this isn't odd for the world of manga and anime, Soul Eater has multiple character arc and plot changes across the entire series. The anime isn't as clearly adapted from its manga as other shonen like My Hero Academia. However, it isn't quite that simple for Soul Eater. For those looking for more content, it would normally be safe to pick up the manga and continue from where the anime ends. The manga is available in English from Yen Press.Ītsushi Ōkubo's Soul Eater manga was adapted by Studio Bones in 2008 with great success and lasting popularity, but the anime's single season might have fans turning to the manga for more story. The anime is available for streaming on Hulu. WARNING: This article contains heavy spoilers for the Soul Eater anime and manga.