How many volumes of Fullmetal Alchemist are there?

The short answer is 27. Hiromu Arakawa's manga ran to 108 numbered chapters plus extra side chapters, and Square Enix collected them into 27 tankobon volumes in Japan between 2002 and 2010. Viz Media's English edition keeps exactly the same count and the same chapter breaks, so a complete standard set is 27 books in either language.

The count changes when the format changes. The Japanese kanzenban, or complete edition, repaginated the story into 18 larger volumes in 2011 and 2012, and Viz's hardcover Fullmetal Edition follows it volume for volume, so a complete deluxe set is 18 books. The Vizbig omnibuses pack three tankobon into each volume and complete the story in 9 books. None of these editions adds or removes story; they simply slice the same chapters differently.

Around the main count sits a ring of official side books. Six light novels by Makoto Inoue expand the world, a selection of anime guidebooks and character books cover the two television series, and several art books collect Arakawa's color work. These are often shelved with the manga and inflate secondhand lot listings, so a listing advertising 30 or more Fullmetal Alchemist books almost always includes novels or guides in the total.

Chapter counts cause the other common confusion. The manga is often described as 108 chapters, but tankobon add gaiden side stories, omake gag comics and, in later printings, short bonus episodes. The Fullmetal Edition also restores color pages and includes the prototype one shot material in its final volume, which is why deluxe owners sometimes count one extra chapter's worth of material.

For buying purposes, match the number to the format before paying: 27 means standard singles, 18 means the hardcover complete edition, 9 means Vizbig. A set described only by a total weight or a photograph deserves a volume by volume check, because partial runs of all three formats circulate constantly in the secondhand market.