Dead Rock

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Dead Rock
First tankōbon volume cover, featuring Yakuto (front) and his dragon form (back)
Genre
Manga
Written byHiro Mashima
Published byKodansha
English publisher
ImprintMonthly Shōnen Magazine Comics
MagazineMonthly Shōnen Magazine
Original runJuly 6, 2023 – present
Volumes7

Dead Rock (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiro Mashima. It has been serialized in Kodansha's shōnen manga magazine Monthly Shōnen Magazine since July 2023, with its chapters collected in seven tankōbon volumes as of May 2026.

Plot

Dead Rock is an academy in the demon world where students are trained to conquer the human world as demon rulers. Yakuto, a young demon descended from a black dragon, is one of seven applicants who pass the school's deadly special entrance exam into Class F. On his first day of class, Yakuto murders his homeroom teacher and reveals his true objective is to kill God, a supreme evil being who serves as Dead Rock's principal. To this end, he involves his classmates in his plans as they fight to survive Dead Rock's brutal curriculum, murderous teachers, and ambitious rival students.

Characters

Yakuto (ヤクト)
A demon boy who seeks revenge against God for exterminating his family and people, the Dragon Roots. He has the power to transform his arm or entire body into that of his "root" ancestor, a black dragon, the latter of which reduces his lifespan. His dragon form resembles Fairy Tail character Acnologia.[3]
Frey (フレイ, Furei)
An arsonist who manipulates fire with the power of her root, an ifrit. She enrolls in Dead Rock to satisfy her love of battle, as well as to surpass and honor her older sister, who failed to graduate from the school.
Raizen (ライゼン)
A swordsman whose Orochi root allows him to split his weapon into eight copies. He seeks the power of a demon king to rescue his kingdom's princess, whose soul is sealed within his broadsword.
Hien (ヒエン)
A wolf-eared demon with the root of Fenrir, which gives him the ability to create ice with his katana. He comes from a feudal clan rumored to have caused their homeland's eternal winter, which he desires to end by becoming a demon king.
Mikoto (ミコト)
A necromancer whose lich root allows her to reanimate the dead as flesh-eating zombies. She is later revealed to be an undercover agent of Ghost, the demon world's secret service, who targets Dead Rock's corrupt faculty members.
Hani (ハニー, Hanī)
A living haniwa giant and descendant of Thor who wields a lightning-infused hammer and is capable of shrinking to human size. He is intelligent and analytical, desiring to study humans rather than conquer them.
Chako (チャコ)
A crow demon with a Yatagarasu root. Her true identity is Zelecia (ゼレシア, Zereshia), a shapeshifting cat-eared girl with a black wizard root, which grants her powerful black magic that she suppresses with her crow form. She shares Yakuto's goal of killing God.
God (神, Kami)
The omnipotent creator and ruler of the three worlds of existence, presiding over the demon world as principal of Dead Rock. His real name is Elfed (エルフェド, Erufedo).

Publication

Written and illustrated by Hiro Mashima, Dead Rock started in Kodansha's shōnen manga magazine Monthly Shōnen Magazine on July 6, 2023.[2][4] Mashima has stated that he had not intended for the manga to be a long series, but extended it due to positive reader reception.[5] The series went on hiatus in May 2026, and is scheduled to resume publication in Q4 of the same year.[6] Kodansha has collected its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes, with the first released on November 16, 2023.[7] As of May 8, 2026, seven volumes have been released.[8]

In July 2024, Kodansha USA announced that it had licensed the manga for English release in North America, with the first volume released on March 4, 2025.[9][10]

Volumes

No. Original release date Original ISBN English release date English ISBN
1November 16, 2023[11]978-4-06-533310-5March 4, 2025[10]979-8-88-877350-5
  1. "God of the Demon World" (魔界の神, Makai no Kami)
  2. "School Rule Number Three" (校則第三条, Kōsoku Daisanjō)
  3. "Classroom Massacre" (皆殺しの教室, Minagoroshi no Kyōshitsu)
2April 9, 2024[12]978-4-06-535370-7June 10, 2025[13]979-8-88-877374-1
  1. "Death Arena" (大闘技場（デスアリーナ）, Desu Arīna)
  2. "Fire Cry"
  3. "God Saves" (ゴッドセイブズ, Goddo Seibuzu)
  4. "Curse Velocity" (カーズベロシティ, Kāzu Beroshiti)
3August 7, 2024[14]978-4-06-536168-9August 12, 2025[15]979-8-88-877478-6
  1. "Yakuto vs. Cougar" (ヤクトvs.クウガ, Yakuto vs. Kūga)
  2. "You Can't Have My Prey" (獲物は渡さない, Emono wa Watasanai)
  3. "Slaughter" (惨殺, Zansatsu)
  4. "Deep Cry" (ディープクライ, Dīpu Kurai)
  5. "White Calamity" (白い厄災, Shiroi Yakusai)
4February 7, 2025[16]978-4-06-537931-8February 3, 2026[17]979-8-88-877511-0
  1. "Class F vs. Bren" (F組vs.ブレン, Efu-gumi vs. Buren)
  2. "Dead or Alive" (デッド・オア・アライブ, Deddo oa Araibu)
  3. "Ghost" (ゴースト, Gōsuto)
  4. "The Afternoon Portion" (午後の部, Gogo no Bu)
  5. "Eiji and Dest" (エイジとデスト, Eiji to Desuto)
5July 9, 2025[18]978-4-06-540094-4September 15, 2026[19]979-8-88-877806-7
  1. "The Slime vs. the Nine-Tailed Fox" (スライムvs.九尾の狐, Suraimu vs. Kyūbi no Kitsune)
  2. "Words I'm Burning to Say" (伝えたい炎（ことば）, Tsutaetai Kotoba)
  3. "Hecatoncheire" (百手（ヘカトンケイル）, Hekatonkeiru)
  4. "The Rule Murmuring Death" (死を囁くルール, Shi o Sasayaku Rūru)
  5. "A Rondo of Flame and Wolf" (炎と狼の輪舞曲（ロンド）, Honō to Ōkami no Rondo)
6December 9, 2025[20]978-4-06-541645-7December 15, 2026[21]979-8-88-877985-9
  1. "Ifrit" (炎王（イフリート）, Ifurīto)
  2. "A Class on Living" (生きる為の授業, Ikiru Tame no Jugyō)
  3. "Consolation Prize" (残念賞, Zannenshō)
  4. "Faith" (信仰, Shinkō)
  5. "Elfed" (エルフェド, Erufedo)
7May 8, 2026[8]978-4-06-541645-7——
  1. "Sensei" (先生)
  2. "The Hecatoncheire" (ヘカトンケイル, Hekatonkeiru)
  3. "Underneath the Mask" (その仮面の下には, Sono Kamen no Shita ni wa)
  4. "Reunion" (再会, Saikai)

Chapters not yet in tankōbon format

  1. "What I'll Do" (僕のやる事, Boku no Yaru Koto)
  2. "What You Believe In..." (信じるものは…, Shinjiru Mono wa...)
  3. "All He Has Left" (残された時間, Nokosareta Jikan)
  4. "God Fragment" (神の欠片, Kami no Kakera)

Reception

Reviewing the first English volume for Anime News Network, Rebecca Silverman rated it three stars out of five, criticizing the large number of characters introduced in the first chapter, but expressing interest in its setting; MrAJCosplay wrote more positively, giving it four stars while praising the "air of mystery" surrounding the characters.[22]

References

  1. Dead Rock. Kodansha USA. Archived from the original on April 22, 2026. Retrieved April 30, 2025.
  2. Cayanan, Joanna (June 5, 2023). "Fairy Tail's Hiro Mashima Launches Dead Rock Manga". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  3. Wolf, Ian (June 16, 2025). "Dead Rock Volume 2 Review". Anime UK News. Archived from the original on August 28, 2025. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
  4. 真島ヒロが3作同時連載、魔界学園ダークファンタジー「DEAD ROCK」が月マガで. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. July 6, 2023. Archived from the original on January 6, 2024. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  5. Burn, Seth (October 31, 2024). "New York Comic Con 2024: Hiro Mashima Talks With Anime Herald". Anime Herald. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
  6. Pineda, Rafael Antonio (May 8, 2026). "Hiro Mashima's Dead Rock Manga Goes on Hiatus, Returns With New Arc This Winter". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 8, 2026. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  7. 真島ヒロ最新作「DEAD ROCK」1巻、魔王養成機関で“神”に挑むダークファンタジー. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. November 16, 2023. Archived from the original on January 6, 2024. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  8. 【2026年5月8日】本日発売のマンガ単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). May 8, 2026. Archived from the original on May 8, 2026. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  9. Pineda, Rafael (July 4, 2024). "Kodansha USA Reveals 12 New Print Manga, 2 Digital Manga". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on July 4, 2024. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  10. Mateo, Alex (March 5, 2025). "North American Anime, Manga Releases, March 2–8". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 9, 2025. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
  11. 【11月16日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. November 16, 2023. Archived from the original on November 16, 2023. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  12. 【4月9日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. April 9, 2024. Archived from the original on April 18, 2024. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  13. Mateo, Alex (June 12, 2025). "North American Anime, Manga Releases, June 8–14". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on September 4, 2025. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
  14. 【8月7日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. August 7, 2024. Archived from the original on August 7, 2024. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  15. Mateo, Alex (August 14, 2025). "North American Anime, Manga Releases, August 10–16". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on August 17, 2025. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
  16. 【2月7日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. February 7, 2025. Archived from the original on February 7, 2025. Retrieved February 7, 2025.
  17. "DEAD ROCK 4". Penguin Random House. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  18. 【7月9日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie. Natasha, Inc. July 9, 2025. Archived from the original on April 22, 2026. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  19. "DEAD ROCK 5". Penguin Random House. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
  20. 【12月9日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. December 9, 2025. Archived from the original on April 22, 2026. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
  21. "DEAD ROCK 6". Penguin Random House. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
  22. Silverman, Rebecca; MrAJCosplay (April 23, 2025). "DEAD ROCK – The Spring 2025 Manga Guide". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 24, 2025. Retrieved September 6, 2025.