The Heroic Legend of Arslan (Arslan Senki)
#5914.02 adjusted 3.96 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 16 books Status Complete 1986–2017 Reading commitment High Yoshiki Tanaka Last reviewed 2026-11-01
Overview
The Heroic Legend of Arslan (Arslan Senki) is a Japanese fantasy novel series by Yoshiki Tanaka, published in 16 volumes from August 1986 to December 2017. It is set in a world modelled on the medieval Middle East. Pars, a wealthy kingdom on the Silk Road, is conquered by the invading Lusitanian army after King Andragoras III is lost in battle. Crown Prince Arslan escapes with the warrior Daryun and gathers allies, including the strategist Narsus, the archer Elam and the musician Gieve, to win back his kingdom. Volumes 1 to 7 cover that war. Volumes 8 to 16 cover fights with neighbouring states and with the Serpent King Zahhak and his followers. The author completed the final volume in 2017, and the series is finished.
Epic fantasy, Historical fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (16 works) counts toward ranking
The Heroic Legend of Arslan Yoshiki Tanaka
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Ōto Enjō; Japanese title 王都炎上. English title: The Capital Ablaze. Part One of the series (volumes 1-7). | 1986 | 1 | core | 4.02 (58 ratings) |
 | Ōji Futari; Japanese title 王子二人. English title: The Two Princes. Part One of the series (volumes 1-7). | 1987 | 2 | core | 4.25 (24 ratings) |
 | Rakujitsu Hika; Japanese title 落日悲歌. English title: The Sunset Elegy. Part One of the series (volumes 1-7). | 1987 | 3 | core | 4.22 (23 ratings) |
 | Kanketsu Kōro; Japanese title 汗血公路. English title: The Road of Sweat and Blood. Part One of the series (volumes 1-7). | 1988 | 4 | core | 4.10 (21 ratings) |
 | Seiba Koei; Japanese title 征馬孤影. English title: Shadow of a Lone Rider. Part One of the series (volumes 1-7). | 1989 | 5 | core | 4.17 (18 ratings) |
 | Fūjin Ranbu; Japanese title 風塵乱舞. English title: A Frenzy of Dust. Part One of the series (volumes 1-7). | 1989 | 6 | core | 4.17 (18 ratings) |
 | Ōto Dakkan; Japanese title 王都奪還. English title: The Capital Retaken. Part One of the series (volumes 1-7). | 1990 | 7 | core | 4.05 (19 ratings) |
 | Kamen Heidan; Japanese title 仮面兵団. English title: The Masked Army. Part Two of the series (volumes 8-16). | 1991 | 8 | core | 4.00 (13 ratings) |
 | Seiki Ruten; Japanese title 旌旗流転. English title: A Rotation of Banners. Part Two of the series (volumes 8-16). | 1992 | 9 | core | 3.85 (13 ratings) |
 | Yōun Gunkō; Japanese title 妖雲群行. English title: A Gathering of Clouds. Part Two of the series (volumes 8-16). | 1999 | 10 | core | 3.81 (12 ratings) |
 | Magun Shūrai; Japanese title 魔軍襲来. English title: Assault of Demons. Part Two of the series (volumes 8-16). First issued as a Kappa Novels paperback from Kobunsha. | 2005 | 11 | core | 3.67 (9 ratings) |
 | Ankoku Shinden; Japanese title 暗黒神殿. English title: Shrine of Darkness. Part Two of the series (volumes 8-16). First issued as a Kappa Novels paperback from Kobunsha. | 2006 | 12 | core | 3.78 (9 ratings) |
 | Hebi-Ō Sairin; Japanese title 蛇王再臨. English title: The Return of the Serpent King. Part Two of the series (volumes 8-16). First issued as a Kappa Novels paperback from Kobunsha. | 2008 | 13 | core | 4.11 (9 ratings) |
 | Tenmei Chidō; Japanese title 天鳴地動. English title: Heaven Resounds, Earth Quakes. Part Two of the series (volumes 8-16). First issued as a Kappa Novels paperback from Kobunsha. | 2014 | 14 | core | 3.50 (6 ratings) |
 | Senki Futō; Japanese title 戦旗不倒. English title: The Banners Yet Wave. Part Two of the series (volumes 8-16). First issued as a Kappa Novels paperback from Kobunsha. | 2016 | 15 | core | 3.60 (5 ratings) |
 | Tengai Mugen; Japanese title 天涯無限. English title: The Boundless Horizon. Part Two of the series (volumes 8-16). First issued as a Kappa Novels paperback from Kobunsha. | 2017 | 16 | core | 3.40 (5 ratings) |
Sixteen novels following Crown Prince Arslan of Pars from the fall of his kingdom to his reign as king.
Quick answers
- How many books are in The Heroic Legend of Arslan (Arslan Senki)? The Heroic Legend of Arslan (Arslan Senki)'s Core Canon is 16 books.
- What is the reading order for The Heroic Legend of Arslan (Arslan Senki)? Publication order, starting with Ōto Enjō. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is The Heroic Legend of Arslan (Arslan Senki) finished? Complete (1986–2017).
- How much reading does The Heroic Legend of Arslan (Arslan Senki) take? High reading commitment (estimated from 16 Core Canon books).
- How is The Heroic Legend of Arslan (Arslan Senki) ranked? #591 in this site's official ranking, based on 262 reader ratings across 16 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #591?
Ranked #591 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 4.02 across 16 core books.
- A smaller readership (262 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Uneven reception: its books range from 3.40 to 4.25.
- Less than 0.01 behind #590, The Bromeliad Trilogy (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.46.
Why explore this universe?
Well rated · 16 books · Complete · 262 ratings · Ranks #591 overall
Good choice if you want a long-running epic fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
Publication order (16 Core Canon books)
- Ōto Enjō (1986)
- Rakujitsu Hika (1987)
- Ōji Futari (1987)
- Kanketsu Kōro (1988)
- Fūjin Ranbu (1989)
- Seiba Koei (1989)
- Ōto Dakkan (1990)
- Kamen Heidan (1991)
- Seiki Ruten (1992)
- Yōun Gunkō (1999)
- Magun Shūrai (2005)
- Ankoku Shinden (2006)
- Hebi-Ō Sairin (2008)
- Tenmei Chidō (2014)
- Senki Futō (2016)
- Tengai Mugen (2017)
Documented internal/story order
- Ōto Enjō (1986)
- Ōji Futari (1987)
- Rakujitsu Hika (1987)
- Kanketsu Kōro (1988)
- Seiba Koei (1989)
- Fūjin Ranbu (1989)
- Ōto Dakkan (1990)
- Kamen Heidan (1991)
- Seiki Ruten (1992)
- Yōun Gunkō (1999)
- Magun Shūrai (2005)
- Ankoku Shinden (2006)
- Hebi-Ō Sairin (2008)
- Tenmei Chidō (2014)
- Senki Futō (2016)
- Tengai Mugen (2017)
Awards (verified)
- No awards found for this universe.
You might also like
Suggestions computed from what The Heroic Legend of Arslan (Arslan Senki) and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
- Chronicles of Elantra Urban fantasy / Epic fantasy · Ongoing · High commitment · 4.17
- The Imager Portfolio Epic fantasy · Complete · High commitment · 4.16
- The Witcher Dark fantasy / Epic fantasy · Ongoing · High commitment · 4.16
- The Death Gate Cycle Epic fantasy · Complete · High commitment · 4.07
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.02 across 262 ratings on 16 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Canon Extension: The Novels of Charles Williams, Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, The Deer and the Cauldron, Legendele Țării lui Vam, Guild Hunter, The Heroic Legend of Arslan and Labyrinths of Echo; open ratings filled accepted 2026-11-01
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Wikipedia: The Heroic Legend of Arslan Tier 2
- Japanese Wikipedia: アルスラーン戦記 Tier 2
- Arslan Senki Wiki (fan wiki) Tier 2
- Wikipedia: Yoshiki Tanaka Tier 2
- Kobunsha book pages Tier 2
- Rating platform series page (ratings only) Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-11-01
Rule: Core Canon = the sixteen novels of The Heroic Legend of Arslan, from Ōto Enjō (1986) to Tengai Mugen (2017). Companion guides, side works and manga, anime and game adaptations are excluded.