Tower of God Reading Guide: Where to Start in 2026

The Tower of God reading guide question almost everyone asks isn't about reading order. It's about how to find Season 2 on WEBTOON without accidentally starting over.

TL;DR: Tower of God reading guide: 652 entries across three seasons on WEBTOON, all listed on the website as of October 24, 2026. Where to start, the Season 2 Episode 0 trap, and what's on hiatus.

All three seasons sit in one WEBTOON list, and the episode numbers restart with each season. Season 1 ends at Ep. 78, the list's #79, and the next entry is Season 2 Ep. 0 (#80), not "Episode 79". Readers who miss that either search for an Episode 79 that the season numbering skips or assume the series stopped at episode 78. Neither is right. What follows is the guide that explains the platform structure, the anime entry points, and what's actually readable right now.

Tower of God reading guide: key takeaways

This Tower of God reading guide covers three platform decisions most readers get wrong.

• All 652 entries are listed on the WEBTOON website (webtoons.com, checked October 24, 2026); WEBTOON's help center says Originals like this one are free to read in the app, though not every WEBTOON episode is free
• After Season 1 Ep. 78, keep going in the same list: the next entry is Season 2 Episode 0, not an "Episode 79"
• The series is on hiatus since February 2025. Season 3's 235 episodes are fully published and readable
• After the 2024 anime (two cours, 26 episodes), your starting point is Season 2 Episode 0
• The Urek Mazino spinoff (May 2025) is a prequel; read it after the main series, not before

Tower of God Reading Guide: Overview

Tower of God launched on Naver Webtoon in South Korea on June 30, 2010. The creator, SIU (a pen name for Lee Jong-hui, standing for "Slave In Utero"), has been writing and drawing the series since then across three seasons, with extended health breaks along the way.

The story follows Bam, a boy who has lived his entire life in darkness at the base of an enormous Tower. When Rachel, the only person he has known, enters the Tower to climb toward what she describes as stars at the top, Bam tears open the Tower's floor and follows her. From there, the series unfolds as a test-and-tournament structure: each floor of the Tower requires passing tests, and the politics of who administers those tests, who benefits, and what the Tower actually is drive the larger story.

The official English release is on WEBTOON, at webtoons.com and in the app. WEBTOON's help center says its Originals are free to read in the app, and Tower of God is a WEBTOON Original; that line covers Originals in general, not a guarantee for every episode. On October 24, 2026 the website listed all 652 entries across the three seasons, with no "only on the app" notice, and the episodes we opened (Season 1 Ep. 0, Season 2 Ep. 319, Season 3 Ep. 234) loaded in a browser without an account.

Time investment: at a moderate reading pace, Season 1 alone (79 episodes) takes 3-5 hours. The full series is a commitment of dozens of hours, depending on how quickly the format moves for you.

Step-by-Step

1. Choose WEBTOON as your platform: Read on webtoons.com or in the WEBTOON app. When we checked on October 24, 2026, episodes opened in a browser without logging in. Skip fan translation and scan sites; unofficial versions have been inconsistent with character names and faction terminology that carries structural weight later.

2. Start Season 1 at the top of the list and use it as your sample: Its 79 episodes (Ep. 0, entry #1, through Ep. 78, entry #79) are self-contained and test whether the format works for you. If you already watched the 2020 anime (Telecom Animation Film, 13 episodes, Crunchyroll), you know this material and can skip straight to Season 2.

3. After Season 1 Ep. 78, continue to Season 2 Episode 0, not Episode 1: Season 2 sits in the same Tower of God list as Season 1, and the Next Episode button at the end of Season 1 Ep. 78 opens Season 2 Ep. 0. If you jump in from the list instead, look for "[Season 2] Ep. 0" (#80). Episode 0 is canon and sets up the transition into Season 2's story structure.

4. Give Season 2's opening 20-30 episodes before judging it: The two-year time skip and the expanded cast make the start deliberately disorienting. If you watched the 2024 anime (The Answer Studio, two cours: "Return of the Prince" and "Workshop Battle"), your entry point in the manhwa is still Season 2 Episode 0.

5. Read Season 3 (Episodes 1-235) knowing it's a real stopping point: The series concluded Season 3 on February 23, 2025 and entered hiatus. Nothing is left on a mid-arc cliffhanger, so it's a safe place to pause while waiting on Season 4 news.

6. Save the Urek Mazino spinoff for last: It's a prequel that launched on Naver Webtoon in May 2025. Reading it before the main series means prequel content for a story you haven't seen yet; read it after Season 3 instead.

Season-by-Season Breakdown

Step 1: Season 1, Episodes 0-78

Start here. On WEBTOON, go to the Tower of God page and begin at the first entry, Season 1 Ep. 0 (#1). Season 1 runs 79 episodes, Ep. 0 to Ep. 78, and covers Bam's entry into the Tower through the Crown Game and the early test arcs. This is also everything the 2020 anime adaptation covers; if you watched Telecom Animation Film's 13-episode run on Crunchyroll, you already know Season 1.

Reading Season 1 fresh is the right entry point. The spinoff (Urek Mazino) is labeled a prequel but it only works as one if you already know who Urek Mazino is and why the Tower's power structure matters. Skip it for now.

Tower of God Season 1 on WEBTOON: 79 episodes

New to manhwa and wondering if Tower of God is worth 652+ episodes before committing?

Best Manhwa to Read in 2026 →

Step 2: Season 2, start at Episode 0

This is where most readers get lost, because the episode numbers restart. Season 1 ends at Ep. 78, which the list counts as #79. The next entry in the same list is "[Season 2] Ep. 0" (#80), so a search for "Episode 79" won't find the next chapter.

The correct move: keep reading in the Tower of God list (or press Next Episode at the end of Season 1 Ep. 78) and start Season 2 at Episode 0. Not Episode 1. Episode 0. It exists, it's canon, and skipping it skips the transition into Season 2's story structure.

Season 2 is where the series stops introducing itself and starts being itself. The tournament arcs from Season 1 give way to factional conflicts (factions whose motivations don't resolve cleanly into hero/villain) and revelations about the Tower that make some of the early assumptions look deliberately planted. This section runs from Episode 0 to Episode 337 on WEBTOON, and it's the reason readers hundreds of chapters in still don't consider themselves close to done.

The 2024 anime returned with two cours: "Return of the Prince" (13 episodes, July-September 2024) and "Workshop Battle" (13 episodes, October-December 2024), both produced by The Answer Studio. These adapt the early arcs of Season 2. If you've watched them, your starting point in the manhwa is still Season 2 Episode 0; the anime's coverage doesn't map cleanly to episode numbers, and Episode 0 is a safe re-entry that won't have you re-reading more than a small amount of ground already covered.

One note for returning readers: some fans say the 2020 anime skipped material from the middle of Season 1. If that gap bothers you, re-read Season 1 from the start before continuing into Season 2.

Step 3: Season 3, Episodes 1-235

Season 3 concluded on February 23, 2025, at Episode 235. All 235 episodes are available on WEBTOON right now. The series entered hiatus after this conclusion; SIU has not announced a return date, and the hiatus has now stretched past a year and a half. A spinoff, Tower of God: Urek Mazino, has continued releasing during the wait if you want more of the world in the meantime.

Is Tower of God on hiatus? What each official page shows

Yes. As of our October 21, 2026 check, every official page still points to a break, and none of them posts a return date:

Screenshot: English WEBTOON Tower of God series page, October 8, 2026.

Don't read the English page's "UP EVERY MONDAY" label as a schedule. It names the old weekly slot, and no dated episode has followed it since February 2025. The counters don't match either: WEBTOON's #652 and Naver's 653 are each platform's own index, not a sign that a new episode is out. AniList's RELEASING is a catalog label, not a release date.

Screenshot: Naver Webtoon 신의 탑 series page, October 8, 2026.

What would count as a real return: a new dated episode on WEBTOON or Naver, or an official notice with a date. A fan prediction or an unchanged weekly label doesn't.

This hiatus is not the first. SIU paused the series in June 2020 because of his health, and paused again in July 2022, when his note at the end of Season 3, Episode 133 again cited his health. The current break has no stated reason, and no Season 4 date has been posted.

Correction (October 21, 2026): An earlier version said the 2022 break was a "creative reset." SIU's note at the end of Season 3, Episode 133 tied that break to his health, as with the 2020 break. It also put Season 2 at "400+" episodes; WEBTOON lists Season 2 as Episode 0 to Episode 337.

Starting Tower of God today means reaching a real stopping point at Season 3's end. It's not a finale that closes every thread; SIU clearly has more story planned. But it's not a mid-arc cut either. You won't end on a cliffhanger that makes the hiatus feel like punishment.

Step 4: Urek Mazino spinoff (optional)

Tower of God: Urek Mazino launched on Naver Webtoon in May 2025. It's a prequel covering Urek Mazino's climb through the Tower before the events of the main series. If you've followed the main story, you'll know why Urek Mazino is worth a dedicated spinoff. If you haven't, the character will carry no weight.

Read this after Season 3. It is a separate series, not a continuation, and starting here before the main story would mean prequel content for a story you haven't seen.

Looking for other long-running manhwa worth the time investment?

Best Isekai Manhwa Ranked for 2026 →

Tips

Finding Season 2 on WEBTOON

Season 2 is not a separate series on WEBTOON. It sits in the same Tower of God list as Seasons 1 and 3, and every entry is tagged with its season: "[Season 1] Ep. 78" is #79, "[Season 2] Ep. 0" is #80. The list shows the newest entries first, so Season 2 Ep. 0 is near the end of it (page 64 when we checked on October 24, 2026).

Reading in order is simpler: the Next Episode button at the end of Season 1 Ep. 78 opens Season 2 Ep. 0 directly.

What the anime covers

The 2020 anime (Telecom Animation Film, 13 episodes, Crunchyroll) covers all of Season 1. If you've seen it, skip ahead to Season 2 Episode 0.

Tower of God Season 2 anime (The Answer Studio, Jul-Dec 2024): 26 episodes across two cours on Crunchyroll

The 2024 anime returned under a different studio (The Answer Studio instead of Telecom) with two cours: "Return of the Prince" and "Workshop Battle," July through December 2024. These adapt the early arcs of Season 2. After watching them, your entry point in the manhwa is still Season 2 Episode 0. Some overlap is unavoidable; don't try to find the exact chapter where the anime stopped.

No Season 3 anime has been announced. All 235 episodes of Season 3 are currently reading-only. The Tower of God reading guide situation is similar to Solo Leveling in this respect: anime covers the early material, manhwa is where you continue. For how that works in the Solo Leveling case, see our Solo Leveling reading order guide. For the full list of manhwa with confirmed and released anime adaptations (including which seasons each anime covers and where to continue in the manhwa), see Manhwa with Anime Adaptations in 2026 →.

Platform options

The official English platform is WEBTOON (webtoons.com and the WEBTOON app). There is no official English print edition in a traditional publishing format; the Korean physical volumes exist (Young Com, 20 volumes), and a WEBTOON Unscrolled edition exists for English readers, but standard bookstore availability is limited.

Season 1 vs Season 2 vs Season 3: What Changes and When

Season 1 is the most contained arc in Tower of God. Seventy-eight episodes. One goal (follow Rachel), one setting (a single segment of the Tower), one central cast. The structure is test-based: each floor requires passing an examination, administered by Headon and then by Lero-Ro and other Rankers. The stakes feel personal and the scale stays manageable. If you finish Season 1 and feel like you understand the series, you're right about Season 1 specifically. Season 2 is a different animal.

Season 2 runs from Episode 0 to Episode 337 and opens with a two-year time skip. The protagonist changes. Bam is still in the story, but he's spent that gap training under a different faction, and he re-enters the Tower under a different name. The cast expands dramatically: families, factions, and political structures that were background detail in Season 1 become the foreground. You'll encounter dozens of named characters across competing groups before the season settles into its main conflicts. The tone shifts from personal quest to factional warfare, and the series' mythology (what the Tower is, who built it, who benefits from its existence) starts answering questions that Season 1 mostly implied.

This is where many readers feel lost. The Season 2 opening is deliberately disorienting. The two-year skip means you're meeting people who already have relationships and histories you weren't shown. The series expects you to piece things together. Give it 20-30 episodes before deciding whether the expanded scope works for you.

Season 3 runs 235 episodes and is the most recent completed arc. The political conflicts from Season 2 converge, and several long-running threads resolve. The pacing is faster than Season 2's mid-section. Season 3 concludes on February 23, 2025, and the story reaches a meaningful stopping point, not a finale but not a mid-arc cut.

The practical takeaway: Season 1 is the sample. If 79 episodes don't hold your attention, the series isn't for you. If they do, expect Season 2 to expand everything and take longer to find its footing. Season 3 rewards readers who made it through Season 2's sprawl.

Who Tower of God Is Actually For

Solo Leveling is the standard recommendation for readers who like Tower of God's ambition but find the early pacing too slow.

Tower of God rewards a specific kind of reader. Getting the match right saves you dozens of hours.

The series works best if you want dense world-building that accumulates slowly, ensemble casts where secondary characters have arcs that pay off hundreds of chapters after introduction, and political intrigue where factions don't map cleanly to heroes and villains. The mystery of what the Tower actually is, who built it, and what it costs to climb it drives the larger story across all three seasons. If that kind of layered structure interests you, the 652 entries justify themselves.

Tower of God is harder to recommend if you want a clear power-progression curve with a single protagonist at the center. Solo Leveling gives you that: one character, measurable power increases, a clear arc. Tower of God disperses its attention. Bam is the protagonist, but Season 2 runs chapters from other characters' perspectives, and the cast grows large enough that even major figures disappear for long stretches. The series trusts you to remember who everyone is.

The Season 1 threshold is real. The first two-thirds of Season 1 introduce the setting and the premise; the last third starts paying off what was established. If you're not engaged by episode 78, the series' later expansions won't change that. If you finish Season 1 and want more of the same, Season 2 delivers a larger version of what Season 1 built. The architecture is intentional; the density is a feature.

Common mistakes

Starting at the wrong Season 2 episode is by far the most frequent error readers bring up when following this Tower of God reading guide. The episode numbers restart at Season 2, so readers who finish Season 1 Ep. 78 and search for "Episode 79" end up on a scan site instead of the next official entry. The fix is simple: stay in the WEBTOON list and open Season 2 Ep. 0 (#80).

Assuming the series is dead or incomplete. Tower of God is on hiatus, not abandoned. The full Season 3 is published and readable. SIU has taken breaks before and returned; whether that happens again is unknown, but the story to this point is complete and available.

Reading from unofficial scan sites. Every official English episode is listed on WEBTOON's website, so there's no reason to go elsewhere, and unofficial translations have been inconsistent with character names, faction terminology, and some dialogue that carries structural weight later in the story. Readers who start on scans and switch to WEBTOON mid-series sometimes find terminology doesn't match what they remember.

Starting with the Urek Mazino spinoff. It's a prequel that makes far more sense once you know the main series. The character's significance, his relationships with other Tower regulars, and the reasons his story matters as a prequel all require knowing the main series. Read it last.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long has Tower of God been running? The series launched on Naver Webtoon on June 30, 2010. As of 2026, it has been running for 16 years across three seasons, with multiple hiatuses factored in.

Is there a physical edition in English? A WEBTOON Unscrolled edition exists. There is no Yen Press or Ize Press print edition confirmed for the full series. If you want physical copies, the Korean Young Com volumes (20 books) are the primary physical release.

Does WEBTOON require an account to read Tower of God? No. When we checked on October 24, 2026, the episodes we opened (Season 1 Ep. 0, Season 2 Ep. 319 and Season 3 Ep. 234) loaded in a browser without logging in. An account enables bookmarking and subscription tracking.

Can I read the Korean original instead? Yes. The original Korean version on Naver Webtoon updates before the English WEBTOON release. If you read Korean, you have access to the source first.

Does Tower of God Season 3 have an actual ending? Season 3 concluded February 23, 2025. It resolves some major arcs from Season 2. It does not close every thread; the series clearly has more story SIU intends to tell. Whether that story gets told depends on the hiatus resolving.

What happened during the Tower of God hiatuses? SIU paused the series for his health in June 2020, and his note at the end of Season 3, Episode 133 in July 2022 again cited his health. The post-Season 3 hiatus, ongoing since February 2025, still has no stated reason from SIU publicly.

Is Tower of God appropriate for younger readers? The series contains violence, character deaths, and morally complex scenarios. It's comparable to mainstream shonen or seinen, not extreme, but not sanitized. Most readers would consider it appropriate for ages 13 and up.

For a full review of whether the story holds up across all three seasons (including where each season changes in tone and what the mythology arc delivers), see the Tower of God review →.

Finished Tower of God and looking for what to read next? The manhwa like Tower of God guide covers nine picks sorted by which aspect of ToG drew you in: faction politics, tower structure, or ensemble mystery.

Related Reading

Tower of God ran on WEBTOON continuously from 2010 through 2025 across three seasons before the 2025 hiatus.

• Tower of God review →
• Tower of God Characters: Bam, Khun, Rak, and Every Ranker

References

• Tower of God on WEBTOON
• Tower of God on Wikipedia
• List of Tower of God episodes on Wikipedia
• Tower of God on Naver Webtoon (신의 탑)
• Tower of God on AniList
• Anime Corner: Tower of God webtoon goes on new hiatus due to author's health (July 2022)
• Epic Dope: Tower of God webtoon on indefinite hiatus due to SIU's health (2020)
• Tower of God Season 2 anime on Anime News Network
• Tower of God: Urek Mazino spinoff on Anime News Network
• r/TowerofGod community