Villainess fans, get ready for another sharp-tongued anti-heroine ready to burn it all down. Seven Seas Entertainment dropped a fresh license announcement on January 14, 2026, bringing The Wicked Princess and Her Twelve Eyes: The Legendary Villainess and Her Elite Assassins to English readers in manga form. Written by Daken, with art by Mugi Sawai and saino, this dark fantasy follows a betrayed noblewoman who loops back in time not to redeem herself, but to assemble a squad of deadly loyal killers and dismantle her enemies piece by piece.
Lady Serena's original timeline ends badly: framed by the crown prince for a crime she insists was just a "little misunderstanding," poisoned, and executed. Waking up in the past, she quickly pinpoints the real issue which is not her schemes, but her lack of reliable muscle. So she does what any pragmatic villainess would: rounds up desperate orphans, subjects them to brutal training, and molds them into the kingdom's most feared elite assassins. Fanatically devoted and lethally efficient, her "Twelve Eyes" become the perfect tools for crushing the prince, the court, and anyone else who crossed her. It's cutthroat palace intrigue meets squad-building action, with zero interest in redemption arcs just pure, satisfying vengeance.
The series draws from Daken's growing reputation for twisty, character-driven fantasies. They're also behind Who Killed the Hero? (a mystery-fantasy that topped rankings and won Google Play's Best Fantasy Manga in 2025) and When the Monster Meat I Ate Led Me to the Throne. Artist Mugi Sawai handles the manga adaptation, while saino (who illustrated the original light novel) brings that signature style likely full of elegant yet menacing designs for Serena and her shadowy crew.
This manga version follows hot on the heels of the light novel's English debut (November 2025 via Seven Seas' Airship imprint) and its audiobook launch (January 15th, 2026, narrated by Aspen Vincent). The manga adaptation keeps the core premise but amps up the visuals for those high-stakes training montages, assassination plots, and inevitable confrontations.
Seven Seas is positioning this manga as a must-read for otome isekai and villainess enthusiasts who crave morally gray protagonists. The announcement came alongside other licenses like Working as a Goddess!, Yoichi & Tsugumo (BL), Sleeping Dead, and Even the Student Council Has Its Holes! (Ghost Ship), showing that they're doubling down on diverse fantasy and mature titles.
With the light novel already earning praise for its humor-laced power fantasy (think competent underlings clashing with an amoral boss), the manga promises to deliver dynamic panels of Serena's schemes unfolding. If you're into series like The Condemned Villainess Goes Back in Time or The Eminence in Shadow, this one's got that same unapologetic edge. Pre-order alerts are going live which means you should mark your calendars for December 2026, when Serena's second chance officially hits shelves. The manga appears to be priced at $13.99 for the physical and ebook version of the manga, however always double check the price!
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