Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi
| Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi | |
 First tankōbon volume cover, featuring Kiyoshi Harai | |
| 悪祓士のキヨシくん (Ekusoshisuto no Kiyoshi-kun) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Shōichi Usui |
| Published by | Shueisha |
| English publisher | |
| Imprint | Jump Comics |
| Magazine | Weekly Shōnen Jump |
| Original run | June 24, 2024 – present |
| Volumes | 6 |
Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi (Japanese: 悪祓士のキヨシくん, Hepburn: Ekusoshisuto no Kiyoshi-kun) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Shōichi Usui. It began serialization in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine in June 2024, with its chapters collected in six volumes as of November 2025.
Plot
[edit]After losing his parents at the hands of demons at a young age, Kiyoshi Harai set out to become an exorcist capable of protecting many people. The youngest exorcist to graduate from the Exorcist Academy, and valedictorian of his class, Kiyoshi is the strongest exorcist ever. However, even he had a weakness: extreme shyness and introversion. He is assigned to work at the Naraku City Exorcist Association Branch Outpost, inside the Chinese restaurant Gates of Hell, where his life-saving mentor, Sakaki Tenma, is stationed. Alongside his peers, Kiyoshi fights to exorcise demons and become a shield protecting the weak.
Characters
[edit]Main
[edit]- Kiyoshi Harai (祓 清, Harai Kiyoshi)
- The main protagonist of the series. Although he is shy and somewhat naïve, he is an incredibly powerful exorcist with many calling him "The Ultimate Exorcist". He has a list of 100 things to do in high school. He is assigned to the Naraku Branch, run by Tenma Sasaki, and works at his restaurant where he makes omurice. His exorcism techniques are based on the Sun and Moon.
- Sosuke Hitsugi (棺 葬介, Hitsugi Sōsuke)
- Kiyoshi's self proclaimed rival, and a member of the Knights of Light. Although he tries to act like a stereotypical gifted and cold character, he is caring and hard-working. He carries a special gun that converts moisture in the air into holy water bullets. Recently, he has started to use water-based exorcism techniques.
- Tenma Sakaki (熾木 天馬, Sakaki Tenma)
- A laid-back exorcist and the leader of the Naraku Branch. He runs the Gates of Hell, which is a chūka ryōriya restaurant that specializes in Chinese cuisine. He is a former Cross Paladin. He has a demon familiar called "Hi-Stakes" which can transform into different weapons based on a roll of dice.
- Akari Jogasaki (浄ヶ崎 悪狩, Jōgasaki Akari)
- Kiyoshi's peppy partner. Although she is not skilled in combat, she always does her best to help. She has a unique ability to sense demons using the strand of hair on her head.
- Nehan Sanzugawa (三途川 涅槃, Sanzugawa Nehan)
- Kiyoshi's classmate in high school and a new member of the Naraku Branch. Originally an ordinary human, Nehan joined the Naraku Branch with his demon friend, Jack Joe as his familiar. They can combine into a powerful human/demon hybrid.
- Jack Joe (ジャック＝ジョー, Jakku Jō)
- A demon that Nehan befriended when they were kids. He is friendly and kind, contrary to most demons. He has amnesia.
Other exorcists
[edit]Concordia
[edit]- Tsurugi Hijiri (聖 剣, Hijiri Tsurugi)
- The deputy commander of Concordia, the Knights of Light. He is cold-hearted and ruthless in battle. He uses sword-based exorcism techniques.
- Mako Kusakari (鎖刈 魔子, Kusakari Mako)
- A member of Concordia and a friend of Sosuke. She acts like a delinquent. She has a artificial leg made of Cross Armor.
- Wincheser Matagi (叉木 ウィンチェスター, Matagi Winchesutā)
- A calm and collected member of Concordia. He uses a special gun to snipe demons.
- Karuta Jogasaki (浄ヶ崎 狩堕, Jōgasaki Karuta)
- A member of Concordia and the older brother of Akari. He uses lightning-based exorcism techniques.
Sanguis
[edit]- Kyoka Kurogane (黒鐘 凶華, Kurogane Kyōka)
- The commander of Sanguis, the Iron-Blooded Knights. She is seductive and bold. She has a contract with an angel. He exorcism techniques revolve around a giant bell she conjures and a tiger familiar.
- Yohko Ono (斧 妖枯, Ono Yōko)
- A deputy commander of Sanguis. She is sensitive about her short size, and will attack anyone who mentions it. She wields a large axe as her weapon of choice.
- Iwao Tatejima (盾島 巌, Tatejima Iwao)
- A deputy commander of the Iron-Blooded Knights. He states the obvious very proudly. He carries a pair of Cross Armor shields.
Demons
[edit]| Rank | Name |
|---|---|
| Great | Asuta Roth |
| 1 | Tonjinchi |
| 2 | Mukurojima |
| 3 | Kurose Sata |
| 4 | Gorgon Mede |
| 5 | Bakku Yoraku |
| 6 | Hydrako |
| 7 | ? |
| 8 | ? |
| 9 | Agashi |
| 10 | Ungashi |
| 11 | Meto |
| 12 | Sata |
| 13 | Mouroku |
| ex-5 | Jack Joe |
- Yamada (病魔田)
- A demon that Kiyoshi meets on his first exorcism job. Despite being a demon, he prefers to enjoy a simple life with his family. He befriends Kiyoshi, who spares him so he can go home to his family.
Publication
[edit]Written and illustrated by Shōichi Usui, the series began serialization in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine on June 24, 2024.[1] As of November 2025, the series' individual chapters have been collected into six tankōbon volumes.[2]
Viz Media and Manga Plus are publishing the series in English simultaneously with its Japanese release.[3]
Volumes
[edit]| No. | Japanese release date | Japanese ISBN | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | November 1, 2024[4] | 978-4-08-884323-0 | ||
| ||||
| During his first trial assignment, 16-year-old genius exorcist Kiyoshi Harai discovers he has a phobia of demons; he decided to become an exorcist and protect lives because he was orphaned as a child in a demon attack. The sympathetic demon Yamada coaches him through his anxiety and Kiyoshi frees him to return to his home, but they are interrupted by Demon Lord Meto; Kiyoshi exorcises Lord Meto while protecting Yamada. He oversleeps his graduation ceremony, disappointing fellow student Sosuke Hitsugi, who sees Kiyoshi as a rival, but arrives in time to exorcise Demon Lord Sata, bent on revenge. Kiyoshi is assigned to distant Naraku City to serve under Tenma Sakaki, who saved him when he was a child; Sakaki runs the Gates of Hell Chinese restaurant there with Diego, a part-timer, and Akari Jogasaki, an underachieving exorcist taking college classes. Because of his youth, Sakaki enrolls Kiyoshi in high school, where he makes his first friend, Nehan Sanzugawa. Nehan's imaginary best friend Jack Joe is an amnesiac demon who panics when he learns Kiyoshi is an exorcist, but Yamada's example showed Kiyoshi that kind demons exist. Exorcists from Concordia, including Sosuke and Tsurugi Hijiri, arrive to battle Jack Joe, who is one of the thirteen Demon Lords, but Kiyoshi defends him and Nehan. Jack Joe takes a mortal blow from Tsurugi meant for Kiyoshi; Sakaki arrives to sort out the chaos, and Nehan enters a contract with Jack Joe, saving his life. | ||||
| 2 | February 4, 2025[5] | 978-4-08-884394-0 | ||
| ||||
| Kiyoshi vows to become a Cross Paladin, the highest exorcist rank, demonstrating he can protect everything; at school, he checks off multiple social achievements after Nehan invites him to bowl with friends. At the bowling center, he exorcises a demon-possessed schoolmate. Sosuke takes the Grand Cross rank test with his friend/rival Kiyoshi; for the second phase, they are teamed up with Zangi Tosaka, an older candidate who has failed the test nine years in a row. The trio manage to tame the Ferocious Beast of Memento Forest, despite treachery from other candidates. In the third phase, they spar with famed Grand Crosses; when Tosaka is defeated through deceit, Kiyoshi takes on old man Yana, who declares that he failed Tosaka because of his ignoble birth. Incensed, Kiyoshi beats Yana and says he wants nothing to do with the Grand Cross if Yana's arrogance is typical. | ||||
| 3 | May 2, 2025[6] | 978-4-08-884511-1 | ||
| ||||
| Sakaki goes on a long-delayed vacation, meeting wayward exorcist Yuda at a cafe; Yuda, who sold his soul, was responsible for the spate of demon summonings in Naraku City. Kiyoshi is pressured to join the school occult investigation club, which inadvertently summon the Great Demon Lord Asuta Roth. Roth and Kiyoshi's struggle is punctuated by the Demon Lord's attempt to use Kiyoshi's childhood memories against him, but he rallies and fights back. Roth is amused, calling Kiyoshi his soulmate and vowing to see him again during the coming Black Parade before returning to the demon realm. After three days, Kiyoshi wakes up and Sakaki explains that during the prior Black Parade, demons overrun the human realm, massacring 200,000 people. To speed his recovery, the team go to the Exorcist Association's Goma hot spring where they meet Tsurugi's squad and strategize for the upcoming battle. Sakaki and Akari tutor Kiyoshi in rationing his precept power using specialized ping-pong equipment; Nehan and Jack Joe convince Tsurugi to teach them to fight. | ||||
| 4 | July 4, 2025[7] | 978-4-08-884567-8 | ||
| ||||
| To finish his training, Kiyoshi spars with Sakaki, who says near-death battles will strengthen him faster. After a week, they return to Naraku City, where Kyoka Kurogane, the commander of Sanguis, drops by the Gates of Hell and flirts with Kiyoshi. The date for the Black Parade is set for June 6, with the cult hole portal scheduled to open at 2 a.m.; to prepare, a storm is announced the night before, convincing the citizens to lock up their houses, and Sakaki sets a pentagram barrier to exclude low-level demons. Kurogane wastes little time in dispatching the 13th Demon Lord, Mouroku, then faces off with the 4th, Gorgon Mede. Sanguis tackle the 5th, Yoraku Bakku, who proves too fast for them, but Akari, Nehan, and Jack Joe save them from disaster; Yoraku Bakku and Jack Joe were longtime frenemies who separated after Jack Joe decided to live among humans. After defeating Yoraku Bakku, Jack Joe lets his old friend return to the demon realm. The 6th Lord, Hydrako, sets a trap for Kiyoshi. | ||||
| 5 | September 4, 2025[8] | 978-4-08-884657-6 | ||
| ||||
| 6 | November 4, 2025[2] | 978-4-08-884746-7 | ||
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Chapters not yet in tankōbon format
[edit]These chapters have yet to be published in a tankōbon volume.
- "Kiyoshi's Partner" (キヨシ君の相棒, Kiyoshi-kun no Aibō)
- "Roth's Confession" (ロトの告白, Roto no Kokuhaku)
- "Naraku City at Dawn" (夜明けの奈落市, Yoake no Naraku-shi)
- "The Black Parade -Finale-" (悪魔の狂想曲 ―終幕―, Akuma no Kyōsōkyoku ― Shūmaku ―)
- "The Baton to be Passed On" (託されるバトン, Takusa Reru Baton)
- "Cross Paladins Unite" (最高位悪祓土 集結, Saikō-i Akuhara-do Shūketsu)
- "Let's Stay at Hitsugi's House" (棺さん家に泊まろう, Hitsugi-san-ka ni Tomarou)
- "Exorcist Reunion" (再開の悪祓土, Saikai no Akuhara Tsuchi)
- "Let's Go to the Demon Realm" (魔界へいこう, Makai e Ikou)
- "Everyone's Favorite Burger from Wickie-D's" (みんな大好き 魔苦怒バーガー, Min'na Daisuki ma Niga Ika Bāgā)
- "The Cross Paladin Goro Shishido" (最高位悪祓土 死屍戸五郎, Saikō-i Akuhara-do Shishi to Gorō)
- "Goro Shishido vs. Helze Gaga" (死屍戸五郎VS地獄瀬ガガ, Shishi to Gorō VS Jigoku se Gaga)
- "A Friend in the Demon Realm" (魔界の友人, Makai no Yūjin)
- "The Great Race to Retake the Demon Lord's Castle" (魔王城奪還大レース, Maō-jō Dakkan Dai Rēsu)
- "The Great Demon Lord Helze Bub" (大魔王 地獄瀬ブブ, Dai Maō Jigoku se Bubu)
- "Eve of the Showdown" (決戦前夜, Kessen Zen'ya)
- "Kiyoshi in the Demon Realm Is Like a Moth to a Flame" (飛んで火に入る魔界のキヨシ, Tonde Hiniiru Makai no Kiyoshi)
- "One Kiyoshi Against One Thousand" (一清当選, Issei Tōsen)
Reception
[edit]The series was recommended by manga artist Eiichiro Oda, with whom Usui served as an assistant on One Piece.[3] It was nominated for the 11th Next Manga Award in the print category in 2025, and was ranked sixteenth.[9][10]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c 超天才ながらビビりな悪祓士を描くバトルコメディ「悪祓士のキヨシくん」. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. June 24, 2024. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
- ^ a b 悪祓士のキヨシくん 6 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved September 17, 2025.
- ^ a b De Souza, Merlyn (November 5, 2024). "One Piece's Creator Recommends New Shonen Jump Manga, and His Praise Is Sky High". Screen Rant. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
- ^ 悪祓士のキヨシくん 1 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
- ^ 悪祓士のキヨシくん 2 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
- ^ 悪祓士のキヨシくん 3 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
- ^ 悪祓士のキヨシくん 4 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
- ^ 悪祓士のキヨシくん 5 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
- ^ "Next Manga Award 2025 Reveals 100 Nominees: Full List Including War of the Adults". Japan Anime News. Oricon. June 19, 2025. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
- ^ コミックス部門 結果発表 - 次にくるマンガ大賞 2025. Tsugimanga (in Japanese). Retrieved September 18, 2025.
Further reading
[edit]- Dennison, Kara (June 24, 2024). "Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi Is Already Bringing the Shonen Jump Spirit". Otaku USA.
External links
[edit]- Official website (in Japanese)
- Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi at Anime News Network's encyclopedia