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Madoka Magica has been one of the most popular modern magical girl franchises in the past fifteen years. The anime has captivated audiences for over a decade for its compelling characters, dark story, and messages of hope and resilience. It’s only natural that the series would have several manga spin-offs expanding the franchise’s world. But many fans would still be suprised to realize just how different these entries are from each other.
Each spin-off manga in the series will take two approaches to its stories. Some entries will focus on a completely new cast of magical girls and how their lives are shaped by their new responsibilities to slay witches. Other entries will still feature familiar characters like Sayaka and Homura, but radically alter the story from the original anime or build on it in new ways. No matter which spin-off a fan of the series reads, though, they’re sure to be in for a treat.
11 Puella Magi Kazumi Magica Tells a Charming, Yet Confusing Story
Outside of Its Striking Art Style, the Manga's Actual Story Leaves Much to be Desired
Puella Magi Kazumi Magica: The Innocent Malice tells a wholly new story in the Madoka Magica universe with all-new characters. This new story is focused on Kazumi, a magical girl with amnesia who sets out on a journey to recover her lost memories. Accompanied by her friends Kaoru Maki and Umika Misaki, Kazumi’s quest leads her into getting into many bizarre scenarios. Unfortunately, none of this boded well for the story’s pacing.
Kazumi Magica‘s weirder moments tend to distract readers from Kazumi’s journey rather than complement it. One of the first scenes in the manga is Kazumi waking up to realize that she’s been kidnapped and is being used as a bargaining chip in exchange for a bomb. If that wasn’t bizarre enough, Kazumi gets into a fight with one of the police officers who tried to rescue her later in the manga, now transformed into a monstrous praying mantis. While Kazumi Magica‘s art style is visually impressive and distinct from the other Madoka spin-offs, its convoluted story leaves a lot to be desired.
10 Puella Magi Suzune Magica Tells the Bloody Tale of a Magical Girl Assassin
The Spin-Off Manga's Dark Tone Gives Its New Characters a Bleak Chance of Survival
Puella Magi Suzume Magica has its main lead becoming an assassin who hunts magical girls and witches alike. Unlike most of the other spin-off protagonists, Suzune Amano is openly hostile towards other magical girls. She has no problem with eliminating her peers if it means she can achieve her goals, being unusually polite before killing her targets. This more stoic main character makes it so the manga’s other new cast members must band together to survive Suzune’s relentless attempts at murdering them.
Suzune’s actions against the magical girls living in Hohzuki City are brutal, but make sense as readers uncover more about her backstory. After learning the truth about magical girls and witches from Kyubey, Suzune decides to kill her fellow magical girls so that they never become witches. And after being forced to defeat her mentor’s witch form, Suzune is determined to spare as many girls as possible from becoming monsters. It makes the assassin feel far more sympathetic as the struggle between Suzune and the other Hohzuki City magical girls comes to a head.
9 Puella Magi Homura Tamura is a Hilarious, Lighthearted Parody of the Anime
Homura's Antics in This Comedy Manga Are Downright Fun
Puella Magi Homura Tamura is a four-panel comedy manga that sees Homura take a starring role. But rather than deal with the existential dread of hopping through different timelines, this manga is far more concerned with the Magical Quintent getting into lighthearted shenanigans with each other. As Homura travels to new timelines, she encounters different versions of Madoka, Sayaka, Kyoko, and other familiar faces from the original series. More often than not, these encounters lead to hilarious outcomes for fans of the original anime and manga.
Homura Tamura‘s collection of skits and gags is delightfully absurd. Kyoko will invade a chocolate factory in one chapter, while Homura has to call tech support to repair her shield in another. The manga also takes time to depict the sillier aspects of Homura’s personality in chapters where she adopts a dog or where she travels to another timeline to avoid having to ride a bike to defeat witches. It’s these laugh-out-loud skits that make Homura Tamura so fun to read.
8 Puella Magi Oriko Magica Offers Unique Twists on the Main Story
The Manga's Main Characters Alter the Trajectory of Homura's Time Hopping Adventures
Puella Magi Oriko Magica is a spin-off that features a nice blend of old and new characters. The story this time centers around a magical girl named Oriko Mikuni with the unique ability to peer into the future. After seeing the destruction that the witch Kriemhild Gretchen would cause to Mitakihara City, she swears to do everything in her power to stop the calamity. Teaming up with fellow magical girl, Kirika Kure, Oriko’s journey sees her interact with other characters from the main Madoka timeline.
While Oriko tries to unravel the mysteries behind her strange visions, the other new characters often deal with their own struggles. Kyoko reluctantly mentors the 11-year-old Yuma Chitose, acting as an older sister figure to the girl. Mami Tomoe investigates a mysterious figure who’s hunting magical girls, only for Kirika to be revealed as the culprit. Not many spin-offs explore new and old characters interacting so frequently, and Oriko Magica handles them expertly.
7 Magia Record's Manga Spinoff Is a Great Introduction to Its Story for Non-Gacha Players
The Manga Does a Good Job At Condensing the Story of the Games Into Its Chapters
The manga based on the mobile game Magia Record does a good job of explaining the basics of its sprawling story to people who haven’t played the game. Just like in the game, the Amnesia-ridden magical girl Iroha Tamaki journeys to Kamihama City in hopes of searching for her missing sister. The journey leads her to meet several new allies and encounter the cult-like Wings of Magius organization. The story is largely the same, but certain things have been changed to make it flow more smoothly in this version.
These small tweaks to the story reveal more information about the rumors plaguing Kamihama City and the game’s original characters.The Radio Wave Girl rumor is depicted as an AI in the manga, hinting at its true nature. The manga also gives more time for Iroha and her allies to interact with Tsukuyo Amane, an antagonist affiliated with the Wings of Magius. While the anime is a fine way to experience the story of Magia Record, Madoka Magica fans can also read the manga to get caught up to speed on its events.
6 The Manga Adaptation of Madoka Magica: Rebellion Still Tells a Heartwrenching Story
The Manga Further Explores Homura's Descent Into Despair
The manga adaptation of Madoka Magica‘s third movie, Rebellion, is still full of the high-stakes drama and action that fans adore. In the manga’s three total volumes, the story largely remains the same compared to its animated counterpart. However, there have been a few small tweaks that only improve the storyline of the movie. It’s thanks to these changes that this adaptation can shine just as brightly as the original.
The manga’s new scenes with Homura better depict how strange the world she finds herself in truly is. As Homura regains her memories, the people around her have missing faces, looking much more creepy compared to the movie. New scenes are also added that depict Mami’s reaction to Homura changing her hairstyle and asking to meet up at her apartment. The illustrations and art by Hanokage are lovely to read through, capturing every scene from the movie perfectly.
5 Magia Record Puella Magi Madoka Magica Another Story Reexamines The Game's Story From a New Perspective
The Manga Spends Time Looking At Magia Record's Events From Mami Tomoe's Perspective
Magia Record Puella Magi Madoka Magica Another Story is yet another spin-off of the popular mobile game, but isn’t just a straight adaptation like the anime. Instead, the manga follows the perspective of Mami Tomoe as she tries to uncover the strange rumors and witches sprouting in Kamihama City. This adaptation of a specific route from the game helps set the manga apart from other spin-offs and provides a unique glimpse at Magia Record’s world from a new perspective.
Mami’s investigations into Kamihama lead her to meet several of their magical girls. She assists Rena Minami in taking down a witch and bumps into Kaede Akino as she tries to regroup with her friends. Mami is also on much better terms with Kyoko in this timeline, and the friendship between the two is heartwarming to see. Despite having only two volumes, Magia Record Puella Magi Madoka Magica Another Story is worth checking out.
4 Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Homura's Revenge Makes One Change That Drastically Alters the Story of the Anime
Madoka, Remembering Her Experiences From Past Timelines, Makes Her More Capable Than in the Anime
Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Homura’s Revenge adds a small change to the original anime’s story that alters its trajectory altogether. In this story, both Madoka and Kyubey are aware of the outcomes of all the previous timelines before the start of the main series. This causes Madoka to work together with Homura to prevent any of the events from the canon story from occurring. Homura’s Revenge shines when it draws upon these meta elements, often recontextualizing important events in new ways.
A major part of the early chapters is Homura and Madoka trying to find a way to prevent Mami’s early death in episode three of the anime. However, Madoka’s actions actually end up causing Mami to die anyway. Conversely, this leads to Kyoko and Sayaka forming an unlikely partnership to try to defeat Homura, who they blame for their friend’s death. These twists on the original anime’s story make Homura’s Revenge a fascinating read for any Madoka Magica fan.
3 Puella Magi Tart☆Magica: The Legend of "Jeanne d'Arc" Offers a New Look Into the Madoka Magica Universe
Joan of Arc's Magical Exploits Feel Far More Unique Than Any of the Other Madoka Spinoffs
Puella Magi Tart Magica: The Legend of «Jeanne d’Arc» takes a radically different approach to expanding the world of Madoka Magica. Rather than tell alternate versions of the same story, Tart Magica follows the adventures of Joan of Arc as she becomes a magical girl to defend France against English invaders. The story feels much closer to something out of the Fate series than Madoka Magica, mixing its historical inspirations with staples of Madoka Magica’s world.
This results in Tart Magica feeling fresh as Joan of Arc and her allies engage in magical warfare. The title is full of tragedy, with Joan of Arc becoming a magical girl after witnessing her sister Catherine die right before her eyes. Antagonists like Isabeau de Bavière are also portrayed as cloaked schemers who manipulate the events of Tart’s journey until it’s too late for her to do anything about it. Tart Magica‘s bold exploration into 15th Century France is one that’s just as riveting as it is brutal.
2 The Wraith Arc Dives Deep Into the Aftermath of Madoka Magica's Ending
The New Reality Created After the Anime Forces Homura to Grapple With Her Unresolved Feelings
Set directly after the events of the anime, Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Wraith Arc takes place in the new reality created by Madoka at the end of the show. While the new world’s Goddess is still mostly absent, Homura is still carrying on her wishes. She destroys Wraiths with help from Kyoko, Mami, and Sayaka, but this simpler timeline doesn’t last long. Instead, the presence of a dangerous new Wraith brings Homura’s world crashing down around her.
The threat of the Wraiths soon becomes too great for Homura and the other members of the Holy Quintet to ignore. Cracks begin to form in Kyoko and Sayaka’s relationship as they continue getting on each other’s nerves. A Wraith also steals some of Homura’s magic, resulting in the former time-stopping magical girl desperately trying to get it back. These developments weave together to create a truly compelling follow-up to the events of the original anime.
