Officially, The Elusive Samurai's Weekly Shonen Jump run is over. With chapter 238 in Issue #12 2026 this week, Yusei Matsui's historical manga came to an end after five years of breathtaking artwork, witty humor, and truly moving storytelling. And truthfully? Seeing it end is bittersweet.In January 2021, the series was made available for purchase. Since then, Hojo Tokiyuki's transformation from a fearsome eight-year-old to a skilled young warrior has won over a devoted fan base to The Elusive Samurai. The manga follows Tokiyuki after the violent usurper Ashikaga Takauji massacres his family in 1333. His sole true talent? Escaping and hiding as if it were no problem. But Tokiyuki learns how to make his evasive abilities into a real weapon with the aid of the enigmatic priest Suwa Yorishige.The Elusive Samurai was unique because it struck a mix between comedy and sadness. Although Matsui never avoided the grim realities of war and treachery, he also knew when to use humorous antics and ridiculous situations to defuse the stress. With samurai in place of students, it's the same enthusiasm he brought to Assassination Classroom.An organic conclusion rather than a cancellationThe thing is this. Unlike many recent Shonen Jump series, The Elusive Samurai was not cancelled. Matsui was always aware of the direction this story was heading. Fans who were familiar with Japanese history recognized that Tokiyuki's story had a clear conclusion because the manga is based on actual historical events. Matsui revealed in October 2025 that the series would conclude in 2026, allowing readers some months to get ready for the farewell.The Elusive Samurai had more than 3 million copies in print by the time chapter 238 was released. Not bad for a series that never quite reached the same level of popularity as Jujutsu Kaisen or One Piece. Even if you're not at the top of the sales rankings every week, you can still gain recognition for your excellent storytelling by winning the 69th Shogakukan Manga Award in 2024.When CloverWorks' anime adaptation of the manga debuted in July 2024, it instantly gave viewers what they had been waiting for. There are still around 200 chapters of content that need to be adapted, as the first 30 chapters were basically covered in 12 episodes. The Elusive Samurai won't be going away from television anytime soon, as a second season has already been set for July 2026.What transpires in The Elusive Samurai's conclusion (spoilers ahead)Volume 23 of the manga (Image Credit: Shueisha)You may wish to skip this section if you haven't read the conclusion yet. Major spoilers are coming up.Tokuyuki's ending stays true to history. In return for his own life, he makes a deal to defend his soldiers and allies. However, The Elusive Samurai gives us one final example of Tokiyuki's distinctive technique even at the execution site. Refusing to give his foes the satisfaction of killing him, he runs around till he passes away from a heart attack. Although terrible, it makes sense for a character whose entire focus was escaping death.In what appears to be an epilogue, Tokiyuki meets up with his buddies in the afterlife in the last chapter. It appears that Matsui fulfilled his promise of a longer conclusion than readers anticipated. Reddit users have been posting their thoughts, with some applauding the series' "natural end" and others crying over seeing these characters for the final time.What's next for Matsui and the franchise?Assassination Classroom and Neuro: Supernatural Detective (Image Credit: Shueisha)Yusei Matsui's longest series to date comes to a conclusion with this. Both Assassination Classroom and Neuro: Supernatural Detective were surpassed in chapter count by The Elusive Samurai, which has 238 chapters. The man deserves a vacation after working on three successful Shonen Jump series.However, The Elusive Samurai's tale is far from over. CloverWorks has a lot of stuff to work with because there are still four possible anime seasons in the works. Expectations are high for the upcoming season because the first season demonstrated that the studio could handle Matsui's distinct style of combining comedy and drama.ConclusionFans may either wait for the anime to catch up or go back and read the full manga for the time being. In any event, The Elusive Samurai is remembered as one of the most notable historical manga of the 2020s. It demonstrated that you could write a story with a well-known conclusion and yet have readers interested for five years in a row.