Black Butler Celebrates 20 Years With New G Fantasy Cover and Anniversary PV

Black Butler by Yana Toboso officially reached its 20th serialization anniversary on September 18, 2026. The milestone is being marked directly through Monthly G Fantasy's October 2026 issue, which features Sebastian Michaelis and Ciel Phantomhive in a newly drawn anniversary cover with a Halloween-inspired atmosphere.

The celebration extends well beyond the magazine itself. Square Enix has opened a dedicated 20th-anniversary website, released a retrospective video covering the franchise across multiple media, scheduled Volume 36 for September 26, and confirmed a major anniversary exhibition whose dates and venue have yet to be announced.

Quick Summary

• Title: Black Butler
• Japanese title: 黒執事
• Creator: Yana Toboso / 枢やな
• Publisher: Square Enix
• Magazine: Monthly G Fantasy
• Serialization began: September 2006
• Milestone: 20th Anniversary
• Anniversary date: September 18, 2026
• Manga status: ongoing
• Anniversary magazine: Monthly G Fantasy October 2026 Issue
• Issue date: September 18, 2026
• Cover: newly drawn illustration by Yana Toboso
• Primary cover characters: Sebastian Michaelis and Ciel Phantomhive
• Cover mood: Halloween and anniversary
• Dominant visual palette: black, blue and red
• Magazine bonus: Black Butler 20th Anniversary special sticker
• Magazine feature: retrospective on Black Butler's 20-year history
• Celebratory comments: included in the anniversary issue
• Listed print price: ¥690
• Listed digital price: ¥689
• 20th-anniversary website: now live
• Yana Toboso message: available on the anniversary site
• 20th Anniversary PV: released
• PV length: approximately 4 minutes 30 seconds
• PV focus: manga and the franchise's various adaptations
• Highlighted medium: manga
• Highlighted medium: anime
• Highlighted medium: stage / musical
• Highlighted medium: film
• Next manga volume: Volume 36
• Volume 36 release: September 26, 2026
• Volume 36 price: ¥770 including tax
• Volume 36 ISBN: 9784301007807
• Volume 36 arc: Blue Revenge Arc - South / Brighton Chapter
• New setting: resort hotel
• Volume 36 leads: Sebastian and Ciel
• 20th Anniversary Exhibition: officially announced
• Exhibition dates: unannounced
• Exhibition venue: unannounced
• Black Butler Black Label: preparing anniversary merchandise
• Digital campaign: Volumes 1–35 available to read free on September 18 at participating stores
• Follow-up sale: runs through October 15, 2026

Anniversary Cover and 20th Anniversary PV

G Fantasy Returns to a Halloween-Flavored Black Butler Cover

Monthly G Fantasy's October 2026 issue places Black Butler at the center of an issue specifically designed to commemorate two decades of serialization.

Yana Toboso's new cover brings Sebastian Michaelis and Ciel Phantomhive together in a dark composition accented by vivid reds. Its atmosphere fits both the Halloween season and the gothic identity that has long defined Black Butler.

Toboso also described it through her staff account as her first Halloween-like G Fantasy cover in roughly a decade, this time with an added celebratory atmosphere for the 20th anniversary.

The magazine goes beyond simply putting Black Butler on its cover. Square Enix officially describes it as the series' 20th Anniversary commemorative issue, complete with a special sticker and a retrospective feature tracing its history.

Twenty Years Since Serialization Began in 2006

Square Enix's anniversary site frames the series' history as a journey from September 2006 to 2026.

In her commemorative message, Yana Toboso compares 20 years with the time it takes an infant to reach adulthood. She reflects on the length of the road traveled with Sebastian and Ciel while thanking the editorial staff and readers who allowed the manga to continue.

Toboso also indicates that the place the two characters are heading toward still lies “a little farther ahead,” making clear that the anniversary is not being presented as the conclusion of the manga.

Black Butler began as a manga before expanding through anime, theatrical productions, musicals, film, merchandise and other projects.

The Anniversary PV Looks Back Across Multiple Media

Square Enix released the Black Butler 20th Anniversary PV on the anniversary itself.

The roughly four-and-a-half-minute video is more than a simple montage of manga panels. Its central idea is the history of Black Butler as a work that has moved between different forms of expression over two decades.

Anime, stage productions, film and manga history are all incorporated into the retrospective.

Because the PV was specifically produced for the 2026 anniversary and serves as one of the centerpiece materials on the official commemorative site, its footage is used for the article's visual grid.

Volume 36 Arrives on September 26

Eight days after the anniversary, Black Butler will receive Volume 36 on September 26, 2026.

Square Enix lists the book at ¥770 including tax, in B6 format, with ISBN 9784301007807.

The volume moves the Blue Revenge Arc - South (Brighton) Chapter into full motion. Sebastian and Ciel investigate a newly opened resort hotel, only for their mission to take an unexpected turn when a mysterious man named Modri calls Sebastian a “demon.”

Square Enix hints that Modri shares a deeper connection with Sebastian, making the resort more than just another investigation site.

A 20th Anniversary Exhibition Is Also Confirmed

One of the largest projects still being held for a later announcement is the Black Butler 20th Anniversary Exhibition.

Square Enix says the exhibition will look back on the work's history while also exploring Yana Toboso's creative process and the world of Black Butler from multiple perspectives.

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The official anniversary site presents it as a major retrospective intended to differ from previous original-art exhibitions.

However, dates, venue, ticket details, pricing and exhibition merchandise remain unannounced.

Volumes 1–35 Open for Free for One Day

September 18 also includes a substantial digital-reading campaign.

Square Enix announced that Volumes 1 through 35 can be read free for one day on September 18, 2026 through participating major ebook stores. The free-access campaign uses limited viewing, meaning access ends after the campaign period.

A broader sale continues through October 15, 2026. Volumes 1–10 are priced at ¥91 before tax, Volumes 11–13 receive a 50% discount, and Volumes 14–30 are discounted by 20%.

Availability and exact implementation can differ by store.

Why This Matters

1) The anniversary is being celebrated through the magazine where Black Butler began

G Fantasy is not merely another promotional platform. It has been Black Butler's serialization home since 2006, making the anniversary cover directly tied to the manga's history.

2) The new cover also returns to its Halloween aesthetic

Halloween imagery naturally fits Black Butler's gothic visual identity, and Toboso herself highlighted how long it had been since she created this kind of G Fantasy cover.

3) The celebration looks at the entire franchise rather than only the manga

The anniversary PV documents how Black Butler expanded from manga into anime, stage productions, film and other forms over two decades.

4) The 20th anniversary is not the end of the story

Toboso's message and the upcoming Volume 36 both show that Sebastian and Ciel's journey continues beyond this milestone.

Manga and 20th Anniversary Information

For now, the additional important information currently known includes:

• Black Butler is written and illustrated by Yana Toboso
• Toboso's Japanese name is 枢やな
• the Japanese manga title is 黒執事
• the official international title is Black Butler
• serialization runs in Square Enix's Monthly G Fantasy
• the official anniversary falls on September 18, 2026
• the commemorative site uses the range 2006–2026
• Monthly G Fantasy October 2026 also launched on September 18
• the issue is officially designated a 20th Anniversary commemorative issue
• the cover uses a newly drawn Yana Toboso illustration
• Sebastian Michaelis and Ciel Phantomhive are the central cover characters
• Toboso described it as a Halloween-like G Fantasy cover
• the anniversary issue includes a special sticker
• it also contains a retrospective Black Butler feature
• celebratory comments are listed in the digital issue description
• the print issue is listed at ¥690
• the digital issue is listed at ¥689
• the digital edition may differ from the print edition
• physical bonuses are not necessarily included digitally
• the anniversary website carries a dedicated message from Yana Toboso
• Toboso indicates that Sebastian and Ciel's journey continues
• the official anniversary PV launched September 18
• the PV looks back at both the manga and its media adaptations
• Volume 36 launches September 26, 2026
• Volume 36 costs ¥770 including tax
• the physical format is B6
• its ISBN is 9784301007807
• Volume 36 covers the South / Brighton Chapter of the Blue Revenge Arc
• the new main setting is a resort hotel
• Modri is introduced as a figure connected to Sebastian
• an anniversary exhibition has been officially confirmed
• exhibition dates and venue remain unannounced
• Black Butler Black Label is also preparing anniversary merchandise
• Black Label itself has passed its 10th anniversary
• the next Memorial Arcade POP UP STORE stops are planned for Kanagawa, Fukuoka and Hyogo from November 2026
• Volumes 1–35 are included in a limited free-reading campaign on September 18
• the follow-up discount campaign continues through October 15
• details can vary by ebook store
• official anniversary information is available through the Black Butler 20th Anniversary Official Website
• the PV is available through the Black Butler 20th Anniversary PV
• magazine information is available through the Monthly G Fantasy Official Website
• official updates are available through Monthly G Fantasy Official X
• Volume 36 information is available through Square Enix Volume 36

Closing

Black Butler marks two decades of serialization by putting Sebastian and Ciel back on the cover of Monthly G Fantasy, the magazine that has housed the manga since 2006. The commemorative issue, retrospective PV and digital campaign make September 18, 2026 the central date of its 20th-anniversary celebrations.

The celebration is far from finished. Volume 36 follows on September 26, Black Label is preparing new products, and a major exhibition is still holding its date and venue for a later announcement.