Although it had been theorized for long by fans who followed both franchises, Fire Force officially confirmed a connection to the creator Atsushi Ohkubo’s other work Soul Eater in the final chapters of the manga. Manga spoilers ahead. We saw the appearance of Excalibur, a legendary (annoying for many) character from the Soul Eater universe, as well as the introduction of the first witch in the penultimate chapter. We already knew Excalibur was over 800 years old, and it was confirmed that Fire Force is actually the prequel story set before the time of the Death Weapon Meister Academy.
Atsushi Ohkubo created Soul Eater first, and the manga is complete with 113 chapters compiled into 25 volumes. It was serialized in Square Enix’s Monthly Shonen Gangan Magazine from May 2004 to August 2013. It also has a 51-episode anime adaptation by Bones from 2008-2009. It’s streaming on Funimation, while Yen Press licensed the manga in English. They describe the story:
Maka is a weapon meister, determined to turn her partner, a living scythe named Soul Eater, into a powerful death scythe — the ultimate weapon of Death himself! Charged with the task of collecting and devouring the tainted souls of ninety-nine humans and one witch, Maka and her fellow meisters strive to master their weapons as they face off against the bizarre and dangerous minions of the underworld. But the meisters’ own personal quirks may prove a bigger obstacle than any sultry enchantress!
The main character from Soul Eater, Maka, also makes an appearance in the final chapter of Fire Force, and it might be a great time to check out Atsuhi Ohkubo’s other work!
You can read the chapter (in Japanese) at pocket.shonenmagazine
Fire Force ©Atsushi Ohkubo, KODANSHA
Soul Eater ©Atsushi Ohkubo, SQUARE ENIX