The Boxer reading guide in one line: start at chapter 1 and read straight through to the series finale. The Boxer (더 복서) is finished, there's no reading-order puzzle, and the only real choice is what to do with the extras. Our review covers whether it's worth your time; this page is about the route.
Reviewing
The Boxer
Ji-Hun Jeong (JH)
The short version of the extras: ten hiatus specials sit inside the run, and an 18-part side story plus a second epilogue come after the finale. You can skip all of them on a first read and lose nothing from Yu's story.
Chart: ChapterBrief, from Naver Webtoon's episode list and the fan wiki's chapter list.
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The Boxer reading guide: the run at a glance
| Creator | JH (Jeong Ji-hun), story and art |
| Status | Completed |
| Korean run | Naver Webtoon, December 2019 to June 2022 |
| Total | 133 chapters (fan wiki and AniList numbering) |
| Main story | Ch. 1 to 114, including ten hiatus specials; Naver numbers the main chapters 1 to 104 |
| Hiatus specials | Ch. 52 to 56 and Ch. 99 to 103 |
| Side story | "Ill-Fated Relationships" (악연), Ch. 115 to 132 |
| Second epilogue | Ch. 133 |
| English | WEBTOON (episodes 1 to 7 on the website, the rest in the app); Yen Press print, 13 volumes |
The "30 bonus chapters" figure you'll see quoted comes from AniList's note on the series. On Naver's list, the extras are the ten specials, the 18 side-story parts, the second epilogue and JH's afterword, which adds up to thirty.
Chapter numbers in The Boxer reading guide below use the continuous numbering from the fan wiki, which matches the English episode titles we could check. Light spoilers from chapter titles only.
Step-by-Step
- Chapters 1 to 11: the setup. Episode 1, "The Genius", opens on Baeksan Ryu sparring at K's gym and ends with K spotting a boy who won't fight back. That boy is Yu.
- Chapters 12 to 31: Yu goes pro. "The Debut Match" is chapter 15, and the run builds to "The Lightweight Title Fight" (28) and "The Lightweight World Champion" (31).
- Chapters 32 to 51: other people's stories. Chapter 32 is called "Each Story" and chapter 33 is "Injae", so judging by the titles, the focus widens to the fighters around Yu, up to "The Finish Line" at chapter 51.
- Chapters 52 to 56: first hiatus specials. Optional. More on these below.
- Chapters 57 to 98: the long middle. "Challenge", "Prelude to War", "Siblings", "Mohawk", "Destiny", "War", "Monster" and "Onward": at 42 chapters, the biggest block of the series.
- Chapters 99 to 103: second hiatus specials. Optional again.
- Chapters 104 to 114: the final arc. "The Boy With No Name", "Darkness", "Light", then "The Boxer" (113) and "Epilogue (Series Finale)" (114). Stop here if you only want Yu's story.
- Chapters 115 to 133: the coda. The side story "Ill-Fated Relationships" in 18 parts, then "Epilogue (2)".
Screenshot: WEBTOON, The Boxer Ep. 1 "The Genius".
The Boxer reading guide: what you can skip
The hiatus specials, on a first read. The English list just calls them "Hiatus Special Episode", but the Korean titles say more: five of the ten name characters (Kasim, the Santorino brothers, the Mohawk, Aaron Tide and K), and one is about the break itself. They sit right after chapter 51 and right before the final arc, so they interrupt the two biggest pushes in the story. We'd binge past them and come back once you've finished.
The side story, until you're done. It runs after the finale, so it can't spoil anything, but it's a separate tale with its own pace. Read it when you miss the cast, not as part of the main run.
Don't skip ahead in the main story, though. Some readers do find it repetitive ("Every character gets a sad backstory," one r/manhwa reader grumbled), and if the formula starts to wear on you, take a break rather than jumping chapters: the backstories are the point.
The ending
The finale divides people, and it's mostly about Yu. One reader in an r/manhwa thread called the ending "really unsatisfactory" and felt Yu got "the most disappointing conclusion to his character out of all other great characters." Others were posting threads titled "a perfect ending" a few weeks after the Korean finale. The same unhappy reader admitted the religious symbolism lost them, so if that kind of thing isn't for you, lower your expectations for the last stretch.
Where to read The Boxer legally
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- WEBTOON (English): the series is listed as completed, but the website only shows episodes 1 to 7. The rest is in the WEBTOON app.
- Naver Webtoon (Korean): the original, including the specials, side story and afterword.
- Yen Press (English print): 13 volumes. The last one, billed as the finale, follows Injae's title match against Siha Lee and Baeksan Ryu's return to the ring.
Is it worth saving for later? An r/manhwa reader answered that one best: "Save for what lol? Bro this is manhwa, not wine." With a Crunchyroll anime announced but undated, there's no reason to wait. (If you want to know where the show stands anyway, see The Boxer anime: release date and cast.)
How we checked this: on October 19, 2026 we read Ep. 1 "The Genius" on WEBTOON's English site and mapped the run from Naver Webtoon's full episode list (all 134 entries, with dates) and the fan wiki's chapter list. We also checked AniList, the WEBTOON series page, Yen Press's volume list and r/manhwa threads. We haven't reread the later chapters for this update, so the arc notes above come from chapter titles, not plot summaries. Header image: Yen Press covers for volumes 1, 2, 12 and 13. Last reviewed: October 19, 2026.
Related Reading
- The Boxer Review: our verdict and rating, and what episode 1 shows about the art.
- The Boxer Characters: Yu, K, J, Ryu and the rest, with their debut chapters.
- Manhwa Like The Boxer: where to go once you've finished the side story.
- Best Completed Manhwa: more finished series you can read start to end.
- Viral Hit Review: a school fighting webtoon that treats fighting as a skill you learn, the opposite of Yu.
- Blue Lock Review: a Japanese sports manga about what raw talent does to a team.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to read The Boxer's hiatus specials?
No. They're ten short extras Naver ran during two breaks, and their Korean titles name side characters such as Kasim, the Santorino brothers, Aaron Tide and K. The main story reads fine without them; they're worth a look after the finale.
Should I wait for The Boxer anime?
We wouldn't. Crunchyroll announced a TV anime in October 2026 but gave no release date, and the webtoon is already finished.
