You Should Read

The Beginning After the End: A Spoiler-Free Manhwa Guide

Published: 18 July 2026

The Beginning After the End is a full-colour fantasy webcomic about a powerful king who dies and is reborn as Arthur Leywin, a baby growing up in a world of magic, monsters and adventurers.

Arthur keeps the memories, discipline and combat experience of his previous life, but his second chance gives him something his old kingdom never could: a loving family and people he genuinely wants to protect.

This spoiler-free guide explains what to expect from the comic, whether it counts as manga or manhwa, how it compares with Solo Leveling, whether the anime is a good starting point and where to begin reading.

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What Is The Beginning After the End About?

King Grey possessed strength, authority and wealth, but his life at the top was defined by isolation.

After his sudden death, he awakens as Arthur Leywin, the newborn son of two retired adventurers living on the magical continent of Dicathen.

Arthur retains his memories and experience as Grey. He understands combat, leadership and discipline long before his new body is capable of using them.

He quickly discovers that his new world is governed by mana. While most children would be years away from serious magical training, Arthur begins examining the system with the patience and knowledge of an experienced adult.

His unusual abilities naturally attract attention, but his new life also presents a challenge that cannot be solved through strength alone.

Arthur now has parents who love him, friendships he wants to preserve and a genuine fear of losing the warmth he never experienced as a king.

Browse the English print editions in the The Beginning After the End graphic novel collection.

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Is The Beginning After the End Manga or Manhwa?

The Beginning After the End is commonly described by readers as manhwa because it uses a full-colour webcomic format associated with Korean webtoons.

More precisely, it is an English-language fantasy webcomic created by TurtleMe and originally published digitally through Tapas. Yen Press publishes the physical English edition as a comic.

That means it does not fit perfectly into the traditional categories:

• Manga usually refers to comics originating in Japan.
• Manhwa usually refers to comics originating in Korea.
• The Beginning After the End was created for an English-language webcomic audience and shares features with modern full-colour manhwa.

For shopping and recommendation purposes, it is usually placed alongside manhwa and webtoon print editions such as Solo Leveling and Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint.

Read our broader explanation of manga, manhwa and manhua for more detail on the different formats.

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What Should You Expect?

A reincarnation story that begins properly at the beginning

Arthur is not reborn directly into the body of an adult warrior or instantly placed inside a major battle.

The story follows him from infancy, allowing readers to see his relationship with his new parents, his first discoveries about mana and the gradual development of his abilities.

This slower opening gives his second life emotional weight. The Leywins are not temporary background characters waiting for Arthur to begin his real adventure. They are the reason his new life becomes worth protecting.

A powerful protagonist with room to grow

Arthur’s previous experience makes him unusually capable from a young age.

He understands training, reads situations quickly and approaches danger with the instincts of someone who once ruled through strength.

However, knowing how to fight does not mean he understands everything about the new world. Its magical rules, creatures, politics and cultures still contain dangers beyond his previous experience.

His body also needs time to catch up with his knowledge. Arthur may know what he wants to do long before he can safely perform it.

Clear progression through magic and combat

The series places considerable emphasis on Arthur becoming stronger.

Readers see him develop his mana core, practise elemental magic, train with weapons, take formal assessments and learn from more experienced fighters.

New abilities generally emerge from training, unusual encounters or discoveries about the magical system rather than appearing without explanation.

Family and friendship alongside power

King Grey reached the top of his original world and found very little waiting for him there.

Arthur’s new family gives him a different reason to pursue strength. He does not simply want to dominate his surroundings or prove that he is exceptional.

He wants enough power to protect the people who have shown him the affection and loyalty missing from his previous life.

That emotional difference is central to the series. Arthur is not only becoming stronger than Grey; he is trying to become a better person than Grey.

A world that expands gradually

The early story begins with Arthur’s home and family before expanding into journeys, magical creatures, adventurer organisations, kingdoms and formal education.

This allows readers to learn about Dicathen alongside Arthur rather than being presented with every nation, power system and political conflict immediately.

The scale continues increasing as Arthur grows older and becomes capable of recognising the larger threats surrounding his new world.

Action without abandoning character development

The comic contains magical battles, sword fighting, dangerous creatures and increasingly powerful opponents.

Its appeal is not limited to those confrontations. Arthur’s decisions are shaped by his previous loneliness, his attachment to his family and his fear that pursuing power could turn him back into the person he used to be.

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Who Should Read The Beginning After the End?

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What Makes The Beginning After the End Stand Out?

The series begins with a protagonist who has already achieved the goal many fantasy heroes pursue.

Grey became powerful, respected and feared. None of it made him happy.

His reincarnation therefore gives the story a different direction from a simple rise-to-power fantasy. Arthur does become exceptionally capable, but strength itself is not new to him.

What is new is affection.

Arthur experiences parents who worry about him, companions who stand beside him and people whose safety matters more than his position.

The most important progression is not only the growth of his mana core or combat ability. It is his gradual understanding that a successful life cannot be measured entirely by how difficult he is to defeat.

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Is The Beginning After the End Like Solo Leveling?

There is a clear overlap in audience.

Both are full-colour fantasy comics featuring determined protagonists who become increasingly powerful through recognisable stages of progression.

However, they offer different experiences.

Choose The Beginning After the End if you want a broader reincarnation story that follows the protagonist through different ages and relationships.

Choose Solo Leveling if you want quicker progression, modern dungeon raids and a stronger game-system structure.

Browse the Solo Leveling manhwa and light novel collection to compare the two series.

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Should You Watch the Anime or Read the Comic?

The anime is an accessible introduction to Arthur, his family and the magical world of Dicathen.

It offers voice performances, music and animated versions of the early action scenes. Two seasons have now expanded the amount of Arthur’s story available on screen.

The original comic offers:

• Full-colour artwork designed for the webcomic format
• More control over the pace of emotional and action scenes
• Additional visual and character details
• More of Arthur’s continuing story in English print

The anime is a reasonable way to find out whether the premise interests you. The comic is the stronger choice for readers who want to continue further into Arthur’s progression and explore the original visual adaptation.

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Should You Start from Volume 1 After Watching the Anime?

Starting from Volume 1 is recommended.

The early story may already be familiar, but beginning again ensures that smaller character moments, explanations and pieces of worldbuilding are not missed.

It also lets you experience how Arthur’s new family life develops in the original full-colour comic before the story expands into larger adventures.

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What Should You Read If You Like The Beginning After the End?

Solo Leveling places greater emphasis on rapid power growth and dungeon combat, while Mushoku Tensei spends more time on the consequences of reincarnation and personal failure.

The shared appeal is a protagonist receiving another opportunity to build a stronger life inside a dangerous fantasy world.

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Where Should You Start Reading The Beginning After the End?

Start with The Beginning After the End, Vol. 1.

The opening volume introduces King Grey’s death, Arthur Leywin’s new family and his discovery of the magical system governing Dicathen.

The full-colour English paperback is published by Yen Press and carries ISBN 9781975345631.

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How Many English Volumes Are Available?

Ten English print volumes had been released by July 2026.

Volume 11 is scheduled for release on 25 August 2026, with the English print series continuing beyond it.

Stock can vary across the individual volumes. The The Beginning After the End collection displays the editions currently listed at Ripperholics.

For future English release dates, check the UK Manga Release Calendar.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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