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Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior Books in Order

8 Books
2016 – 2024 Published
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How to Read the Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior Books

Step into the pixelated world of Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior, where a young villager named Runt dreams of escaping his farming future to become a warrior in a Minecraft-inspired universe. Written by Erik Gunnar Taylor under the pen name Cube Kid and illustrated by Saboten, this series is a massive hit with young gamers and reluctant readers alike.

For the best experience, you should read the main novel series in publication order, as it follows a continuous storyline showing Runt's growth, training, and epic battles against Herobrine.

The Core Novel Series in Reading Order

The main series consists of illustrated middle-grade novels. If you see databases listing these books with different numbering, it is usually because they have mistakenly included the graphic novel adaptations or spin-offs in the sequence. The official main novel reading order is:

  1. Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior (2016) - Runt enters the warrior training program.
  2. From Seeds to Swords (2016) - Warrior training intensifies under Steve.
  3. Crafting Alliances (2017) - Runt makes new friends and faces school rivalries.
  4. Path of the Diamond (2017) - Runt must choose his path while new threats loom.
  5. Quest Mode (2018) - Also published under the title Ultimate Warrior / Quest Mode. Runt embarks on his first major quest beyond Villagetown.
  6. Forging Destiny (2019) - Runt and his allies train to face the ultimate evil.
  7. Shadow Over Aetheria (2024) - Runt and his friends travel to the capital to attend the Greater Aetheria Academy.
  8. Hour of Enchantment (2025) - Runt joins the Adventurers' Guild and attempts to enchant a legendary sword to stop armored monsters.

The Spin-Off: Tales of an 8-Bit Kitten

Set in the same universe, this companion series follows Eeebs, a brave kitten who gets lost in the Nether. As the books progress, Eeebs' story converges with Runt's team. You can read these as a standalone duology, or insert them chronologically to see how the character paths cross:

  • Lost in the Nether (Tales of an 8-Bit Kitten Book 1)
  • A Call to Arms (Tales of an 8-Bit Kitten Book 2)

The Fan-Recommended Chronological Order

If you want to experience the events of both series exactly as they happen in parallel, fans recommend the following interweaved order:

  1. Read Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior Book 4: Path of the Diamond up to the wither skeleton encounter.
  2. Read Tales of an 8-Bit Kitten Book 1: Lost in the Nether until Eeebs reaches the lava village.
  3. Finish Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior Book 4.
  4. Read Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior Book 5: Quest Mode until Breeze arrives at Owl's Reach.
  5. Read Tales of an 8-Bit Kitten Book 2: A Call to Arms until the theater scene.
  6. Finish Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior Book 5.
  7. Read Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior Book 6: Forging Destiny until Runt's team returns to Villagetown.
  8. Finish Tales of an 8-Bit Kitten Book 2.
  9. Finish Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior Book 6.

The Graphic Novel Adaptations: A Noob's Diary

If you have a younger reader (ages 7 to 9) or someone who prefers visual comic-strip layouts over prose, the graphic novel adaptations are a fantastic option. Adapted by Pirate Sourcil with illustration work by Jez and Odone, these books retell Runt's adventures with bright panels and comic layouts:

  1. A Noob's Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior (2023)
  2. A Noob's Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior: Into the Nether
  3. A Noob's Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior: The Eye of Ender
  4. A Noob's Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior: Welcome to the End
  5. A Noob's Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior: The Epic Feast

What to Know Before You Start

Before achieving mainstream success with Andrews McMeel Publishing, Cube Kid originally self-published Runt's adventures online in 2015 under the title Diary of a Minecraft Villager (also known as the Wimpy Villager series). When the series was professionally published, it was heavily revised, expanded, and rebranded as Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior with professional English translation and art by Saboten.

There is also a holiday-themed story called Wimpy Villager 16.5 (a non-canon Christmas special) that takes place after a major battle. While it features fun class list updates and inside jokes for hardcore fans, it is considered non-canon and was never physically printed or officially integrated into the mainstream 8-Bit Warrior novel lineup.

Frequently Asked

QCan you read Tales of an 8-Bit Kitten without reading the main series?

Yes. Tales of an 8-Bit Kitten tells its own story about Eeebs the kitten, but reading it alongside the main series adds depth since the characters' paths cross in later books.

QWhat is the difference between Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior and A Noob's Diary?

The original Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior books are illustrated prose novels. A Noob's Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior is a graphic novel adaptation of that same story, rewritten in a comic-strip format for younger or visual-heavy readers.

QIs the Holiday Special (Wimpy Villager 16.5) canon?

No, the holiday special is considered non-canon. It was a digital release containing holiday-themed jokes and extra lore for the original self-published version and has not been printed as part of the official series.

QWho writes the Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior series?

The series is written by Cube Kid, which is the pen name of Erik Gunnar Taylor, an Alaska-based gamer who began writing Minecraft fan fiction before becoming a published author.

QWhy is Shadow Over Aetheria sometimes called Book 8?

Some online databases count the graphic novel A Noob's Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior (released in 2023) as the seventh book in the main list. However, Shadow Over Aetheria is officially the seventh novel in the core prose sequence, with Hour of Enchantment being the eighth.