Photo of Kazuo Koike
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Kazuo Koike

1 series 7 books in order 2 standalone books

Kazuo Koike (1936–2019) was a prolific Japanese manga writer (gensakusha), novelist, screenwriter, lyricist, and entrepreneur. He is best known for his violent, artful seinen manga, notably Lone Wolf and Cub, Lady Snowblood, and Crying Freeman, which—along with their numerous media adaptations—have been credited with influencing the international growth of Japanese popular culture.

Born
1936
Known for
Crying Freeman

Series by Kazuo Koike

Crying Freeman

5 books in order · 2014

  1. Cover of Crying Freeman vol. 1

    Crying Freeman vol. 1

    2014 · Kazuo Koike

    He is Yo Himomura, deadly assassin for the 108 Dragons, the Chinese Mafia. But to the criminal underworld who fear him, he is known as Crying…

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  2. Cover of Crying Freeman vol. 2

    Crying Freeman vol. 2

    2014 · Kazuo Koike

    Crying Freeman, the deadliest assassin of the 108 Dragons clan of the Chinese mafia has taken a bride, and she has passed the harsh tests of the…

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  3. Cover of Crying Freeman vol. 3

    Crying Freeman vol. 3

    2014 · Kazuo Koike

    A failed assassination attempt brings into Freeman's possession Muramasa, the Devil's Sword, an ancient samurai blade that brings misfortune and…

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  4. Cover of Crying Freeman vol. 4

    Crying Freeman vol. 4

    2014 · Kazuo Koike

    Cult leader Naiji Kumaga is poised for a hostile takeover of Japan. He has the tools--1000 submachine guns in a land with few firearms--but needs…

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  5. Cover of Crying Freeman vol. 5

    Crying Freeman vol. 5

    2014 · Kazuo Koike

    Once a humble ceramics artist, the infamous assassin known as Crying Freeman has risen in power to become the head of the 108 Dragons, the most…

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Standalone books

  1. Cover of Samurai Executioner
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  2. Cover of Lone Wolf and Cub
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Frequently asked questions

How many books has Kazuo Koike written?

We list 7 books by Kazuo Koike across 1 series, published between 2001–2014 — each shown in full reading order.

What order should I read Kazuo Koike's books?

Read each series in publication order. A good place to start is “Crying Freeman vol. 1.” Open any series above for its complete numbered reading order.

Where can I buy Kazuo Koike's books?

Every title links to Amazon from its series page — see our affiliate disclosure in the footer for how that supports the site.

Reading order compiled from author/publisher guidance and verified bibliographic data. Spotted a wrong order, a missing book, or any other mistake? and we'll correct it.

Some summaries adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.