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20 years ago, the first chapter of Fairy Tail was published in the pages of Weekly Shonen Magazine. Since then, it has gone on to become one of the most popular and best-selling manga of all time, spawning both a prequel and a sequel manga as well as a hit anime adaptation and multiple films. Now it looks like Natsu, Lucy, Grey, and all their friends (and enemies) will be returning for brand new chapters starting later this year.

The announcement comes as part of the 20th anniversary celebrations for the original manga, which debuted in 2006 and ran through 2017. On the official website for all the Fairy Tail 20th anniversary announcements, Kodansha confirmed that Fairy Tail was returning to Weekly Shonen Magazine in August 2026 for a new story that it calls a “short-term, concentrated serialization.”

There aren’t any other details, and it isn’t clear exactly what the new serialization will be. Is this a new story or a very late epilogue? Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest, which is a sequel manga, is still ongoing. Does this new story take place before 100 Years Quest? Or is it somewhere between the end of the original Fairy Tail manga and its follow-up?

The only thing we’re really sure about at this time is that the new Fairy Tail manga will make its debut in August 2026 and will feature a “new story spun by Natsu and his friends.” The announcement seems to imply that original creator Hiro Mashima will be involved in the new series, as he was in Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest. Beyond that, we’re just waiting for more details. 

Each week, Popverse's resident anime expert Trent Cannon runs down the latest and, dare we say "greatest," in anime and manga in Popverse Jump. Some recent columns have included... 

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