While manga readers may know Takehiko Inoue best as the creator of sports manga Slam Dunk, he’s also the mind behind the historical epic Vagabond. Launched in 1998 and currently on hiatus, this martial arts series is a retelling of the life of the legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, starting from the age of 17. Viz Manga has been published a translated version for some time, but now they’re releasing a hardcover “Definitive Edition.”

The first book clocks in at 728 pages, compiling the first three volumes of the series. The story starts back when Musashi was known as Shinmen Takezo: a young, fiery warrior who strove to be “invincible under the sun.” After coming back to his village and being punished for his crimes, he is “reborn” as Musashi and seeks to make a name for himself abroad. Besides being a gorgeously written and drawn manga to begin with, this volume is excellently localized. Even if you know nothing about Japanese history, it’s easy to follow and thrilling to read.

A classic manga that I am glad to see published as a definitive edition. As a librarian trying to build a core collection of manga for our library this makes my heart happy. It is very hard to collect the older titles or replace older copies that are wearing out.
Vagabond is about Miyamoto Musashi arguably the best swordsman who ever existed. Fans of samurai manga and anima, like Ruroni Kenshin, should look to Vagabond and Miyamoto for their inspiration. So many samurai stories are based on Miyamoto and stories of his skills and life path.

This is a must read for manga and anime fans.

I wasn't sure what I was expecting when I opened the 700+ page digital file, but I came away really liking what I read! In a lot of ways, Vagabond has a lot of the same positives as Berserk, detailed art, well choreographed battle scenes, battles and betrayals. It also has some of Berserks flaws as well, reliance on the threat of assault for drama is used twice for female characters. What I found particularly compelling was the parallels between the two friends who left their small village to go off to war. They go down verry different paths, one more for self improvement and the other more self-serving. It's compelling and well worth the read if you're okay with more mature themes!

Published by Viz Media and available January 21, 2025, Vagabond Definitive Edition, Vol. 1 collects the first three volumes of one of the most highly regarded manga ever. It's the third highest rated manga on anilist.co and even from reading just the opening chapters it's easy to see why. The art is perfect -- it's realistic in a way I've rarely seen before, even in other seinen series and the action is awesome. As it should be, it's about the legendary 17th century swordsman and philosopher Miyamoto Musashi. This series will appeal to fans of both fantastical action series like Berserk and history-based series like Vinland Saga, and I'll look into getting this volume for work once it's released.

This was a must-buy as soon as it was announced. Inoue is a mangaka legend, and Vagabond is unanimously considered a masterwork for good reason.