Manga can be called the founding stone for Anime as most of the popular anime are based on Japanese Comic books. Manga is an art form that has been around for centuries it has an unmatched blend of storytelling and emotions. In the early stages, Manga had a limited fan base restricted to only Japan, but over the year the manga community grew in size with people all over the world pledging support as manga fans.
As a manga fan myself I decided to compile this list of the best manga of all time as a means to pay homage to the entire manga community. This list will help beginners to select manga comics to read.
Before taking a look at the best manga titles you should check out this guide on how to read manga panels correctly for the most authentic experience of the art form.
Origins of Manga
Chojugiga, a manga based on frolicking animals is said to be the first manga in history. It was written and drawn during to Heian Period (794-1185) of Japan. Soon after the country founded another form of entertainment known as the traditional Japanese Ukiyo-e (pictures of everyday life) during the 19th century.
By the 20th century, Manga was a booming art form and thus paved the way for the introduction of Japanese weekly manga magazines.
Currently, access to all entertaining Japanese content including manga novels and comics has become easier. People from all around the world have begun reading Manga as all novels are released with translated into many languages. Access to online manga readers and ebooks has also contributed to the growth of the manga community.
Contents
27 best manga of all time
1. Rave Master
Rave Master (Rave) is mainly popular because its first 35 chapters are written by Hiro Mashima, one of the most legendary manga creators better know for his illustrious work for Fairy Tail.
Rave Master is a fantasy adventure manga that revolves around the journey of Haru Glory and his quest for all finding all five-piece of Rave (A sacred stone). Shonen Magazine serialized Rave Master for six years starting from 1999 until 2005.
Writer: Hiro Mashima
Year of Publishing: 1999-2005
2. Oyasumi Punpun
Oyasumi Punpun (おやすみプンプン) has only 13 volumes to the entire series in which Punpun, a chick shaped character leads the avant-garde story on the reality of life.
First serialized back in 2007 by Weekly Shonen Sunday, Oyasumi Punpun falls under the slice-of-life and drama manga category. The Manga was also serialized by Big Comic Spirits in 2008, although it is not so popular among manga fans outside Japan.
Writer: Inio Asano
Date of Publishing: 2007-2013
3. Fist of the North Star
Fist of the North Star (北斗の拳) has a reputation for being the best action manga of the ’80s in Japan. Weekly Shonen Jump published this manga for 5 years in a row back from 1983 until 1988.
The manga narrates the action-filled tales of Kenshiro who is the successor of the ancient martial art of assassination, Hokuto Shinken. Kenshiro seeks out on a mission to eliminate surviving villains in the deserted world post the nuclear war in the 1990s.
Writer: Buronson / Illustrator: Tetsuo Hara
Date of publishing: 1983-1988
4. Tokyo Ghoul
Tokyo Ghoul (東京喰種トーキョーグール) is one of the most talked-about manga of the 2000s. Weekly Young Jump initially serialized this dark fantasy manga back in 2011 until 2014 followed by its sequel title Tokyo Ghoul: re (東京喰種トーキョーグール:re) that aired until 2018.
Tokyo Ghoul is a story of creatures known as Ghouls who look just like human beings thus managing to blend in among humans. These Ghouls may seem innocent at first that is until they get hungry and begin hunting humans for food.
Writer: Sui Ishida
Date of publishing: 2011-2018
5. Uzumaki
Uzumaki (うずまき) belongs to the elusive club of manga in which the main character is a female. Uzumaki is a horror manga that narrates the story of Kirie Goshima and her boyfriend Shuichi Saito who are stuck in Kurouzo-Cho, a fictional cursed town where supernatural incidents are a daily thing.
Uzumaki was the first publisher back in 1998-1999 and became an instant hit among audiences from Japan as well as all over the world. Given its popularity, Junji Ito continues the series into three volumes of manga.
Writer: Junji Ito
Date of publishing: 1998-1999
6. Yu Yu Hakusho
Yu Yu Hakusho (幽☆遊☆白書) is a comparatively short thriller manga filled with action. The manga begins with the death of Yusuke Urameshi who dies in a mysterious car accident and is later revived. Upon revival, he then becomes an underworld detective along with other popular characters Goki, Heie, and Kurama. Together they solve some of the most difficult supernatural investigations.
Yu Yu Hakusho has a very limited number of manga chapters but each chapter has a great storyline and amazing graphics which made it one of the most popular adventure manga of the early 1990s era in Weekly Shonen Jump comic books.
Writer: Yoshihiro Togashi
Date of publishing: 1990-1994
7. Berserk
Berserk (ベルセルク) was the first manga to be published on Young Animal. Similar to One Piece and Dragon Ball this is an ongoing manga since 1989 that has its own video game and anime adaptation.
Berserk falls under the dark fantasy manga category. Guts, the main character is a lone warrior in the fictional medieval age of Europe who has to use his large sword to battle various enemies and fight for survival.
Writer: Kentaro Miura
Date of publishing: 1989
8. One-Punch Man
Serialized on the free online manga magazine, Tonari no Young Jump, One-Punch Man (ワンパンマン) is a superhero and comedy manga with a massive global fan base since 2012. One-Punch Man is one of the most popular superhero-themed manga of which Saitama, the lead character is often nominated as the strongest manga character of all time.
One-Punch Man is yet another popular manga that got its own anime adaptation. The first season was released in 2015 and season 2 was released in 2019.
Written: ONE / Illustrator: Yusuke Murata
Date of publishing: 2012
9. Slam Dunk
The 1990s is known as the golden era for manhua serialized by Weekly Shonen Jump. Slam Dunk (スラムダンク) went on to become one of the most popular manga of that era.
Just as the name suggests, Slam Dunk is a basketball-themed sports manga. The storyline is based on Hanamichi Sakuragi, a high school kid who has never played basketball but goes on to join the school club’s basketball team consisting of unique teammates like Takenori Akagi and his arch-rival Kaede Rukawa. The story of an underdog achieving success makes Slam Dunk one of the best manga of all time.
Writer: Takehiko Inoue
Date of publishing: 1990-1996
10. Bleach
Bleach (ブリーチ) has often been a center of debate among manga fans ever since it was serialized by on Weekly Shonen Jump in 2001. At one corner you have die-hard Bleach supported and at the other corner fans argue that Bleach is not a worthwhile manga. But with 74 volumes one thing is for certain that Bleach is of the most popular action and adventure manga of all time. Tite Kubo centers the manga on Ichigo Kurosaki, a Samurai Ichigo Kurosaki who has to battle monstrous Hollows as a Soul Reaper.
Bleach has been adapted into a hit anime series in 2004 and continued with another season in 2012.
Writer: Tite Kubo
Date of publishing: 2001-2016
11. Case Closed
If you do not know the name Case Closed (名探偵コナン), you may recollect this mystery manga by the name Detective Conan. First published in 1994, A majority of manga forums and manga fans have also given this 100 volume long manga the title of Modern Japanese Sherlock Holmes.
Case Closed portrays the journey of a high school detective Shinichi Kudo who is transformed into a kid by poison, he eventually accepts his new identity and uses it to solve a string of cases while also attempting to expose the Black Organization.
Writer: Gosho Aoyama
Date of publishing: 1994
12. Vagabond
Vagabond (バガボンド) was first published on Weekly Morning in 1998 and continued being published until 2015 when its writer, Takehiko Inoue decided to stop writing. Manga fans all around the world cannot wait to read the end of Vagabond. The incomplete end to this historical manga is what makes it one of the best manga of all time.
Vagabond is based on the life of Musashi Miyamoto, one of Japan’s most decorated Samurai (who lived in 1584-1645). The manga is really well written with breathtaking graphics that show the struggles of Musashi as a poor teenager who harnesses the sword skills to become a Samurai.
Writer: Takehiko Inoue
Date of publishing: 1998
13. My Hero Academia
There are not many superhero-themed mangas that can dethrone My Hero Academia (僕のヒーローアカデミア) from the top spot. This is one of the most popular manga to be released in Weekly Shonen Jump, the latest season 5 My Hero academia is currently an ongoing series.
My Hero Academia manga has its own anime adaptation with both sectors attracting a huge global cult following.
The storyline of My Hero Academia is magical-themed where a young boy called Izuku Midoriya does not possess any special ability but he aims to become a powerful hero to take on the mighty Villains.
Writer: Kohei Horikoshi
Date of publishing: 2014
14. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (風の谷のナウシカ) may be renowned as the first Ghibli anime movie, however, the movie is based on its manga version. This manga is highly rated among ghibli fans mainly for its vivid drawings.
And, you can read the sequel story with all of the seven volumes. The manga focuses on Nausicaä’s, (princess of the Valley of the Wind) ambitions to find a peaceful solution for human beings and nature to co-exist.
Writer: Hayao Miyazaki
Date of publishing: 1982-1994
15. Death Note
Whenever there is a discussion about the most popular manga of all time the name Death Note (デスノート) is certainly shortlisted by the guild. This mystery and horror manga has a total of 12 volumes that were published during 2003 by Weekly Shonen Jump.
Death Note is a story based in a world where if you find a Death Note you are doomed for death. The manga is focused on two main characters L and the protagonist Light Yagami who play cunning and strategic mind games in order to survive.
Writer: Tsugumi Ohba / Illustrator: Takeshi Obata
Date of publishing: 2003-2006
16. Rurouni Kenshin
Famously known as Samurai X or Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story, Rurouni Kenshin (るろうに剣心 -明治剣客浪漫譚-), this manga was serialized on Weekly Shonen Jump for half a decade during the golden era of manga 1994.
The story narrates the journey of Kenshin Himura, a Japanese Samurai of the Meiji period (1868-1912).
The latest series of this hit manga is ongoing since 2017 titled Rurouni Kenshin: The Hokkaido Arc (るろうに剣心 -明治剣客浪漫譚・北海道編-).
Writer: Nobuhiro Watsuki
Date of publishing: 1994-1999
17. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
The first season of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure (ジョジョの奇妙な冒険) was published on Weekly Shonen Jump in 1987 by the name Phantom Blood. The ongoing chapters of this action and adventure manga is serialized on ultra bonds.
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is popular as a manga that does not have one main character. The entire story is based on the mysterious adventures of the Joestar family who all play a central role in the series
Writer: Hirohiko Araki
Date of publishing: 1987
18. Fullmetal Alchemist
Even before its official release Fullmetal Alchemist (鋼の錬金術師) had managed to create a lot of buzz in the manga community. Monthly Shonen Gangan did a spectacular job in building up the hype by releasing teaser posters and goodies. So when Fullmetal Alchemist was finally published fans all around the world could relate to it.
Fullmetal Alchemist is a top-rated manga in several categories including dark-fantasy, adventure, science fiction, and action. The writers of the manga soon authorized an anime adaption to cater to an even larger audience.
Full Metal is a story of the Elric alchemist brothers named Alphonse and Edwar, who possess the ability to use alchemy to create anything but they have to part ways with something of equal value in return.
Writer: Hiromu Arakawa
Date of publishing: 2001-2010
19. Akira
Akira (アキラ) is written by none other than the illustrious manga creator Katsuhiro Otomo which gives it a free pass into the list of best manga of all time.
Weekly Young Magazine went on to publish 120 Akira chapters under the near-future and sci-fi manga category during the early 1980s. Akira also got its anime movie adaptation to its name which some fans may argue that did not do justice to the original masterpiece.
Akira is set in the futuristic year of 2019 in the fictional, catastrophic city Neo-Tokyo in 2019 that has been left deserted due to a catastrophic explosion that took place 37 years ago.
Tetsuo Shima and Shotaro Kaneda are the two main characters who along with Akira get entangled in some nerve-wracking government conspiracies.
The manga was one of the most talked-about topics in 2020 because it rightfully predicted the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games within the manga that was written way back in 1982 thus cementing Katsuhiro Otomo’s legacy as one of the best manga writers of all time.
Writer: Katsuhiro Otomo
Date of publishing: 1982-1990
20. Hunter x Hunter
Written by Yoshihiro Togashi, one of the most famed manga creators, Hunter x Hunter (ハンター×ハンター) was globally introduced by The Weekly Shonen Jump.
A young boy named, Gon Freecss plays the lead character in Hunter x Hunter who commits his life to find his father Ging Freecss who parted ways with him when he was just a child.
Gon’s journey is filled with action and adventure and he also encounters some legendary characters like Leorio and Kurapika along the way
Yoshihiro Togashi has kept manga fans on their toes for this one but one thing is for sure until Gon finds his father, Hunter x Hunter is building its legacy as one of the greatest manga in history.
Writer: Yoshihiro Togashi
Date of publishing: 1998
21. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (鬼滅の刃) is one of the very recent manga which is serialized between 2016-2020. The manga of the 21st is published by none other than Weekly Shonen Jump as a dark fantasy-themed manga.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba has a sinister plot set during the Taisho period (1912-1926) in fictional Japan. Tanjiro Kamado plays the role of a protagonist who takes an oath to avenge his family that was attacked by demons. The heroic tales of Tanjiro who becomes a legendary demon slayer and his commitment towards his friendship bonds give a real-world emotional touch to the manga.
Writer: Koyoharu Gotoge
Date of publishing: 2016-2020
22. Attack on Titan
Known as one of the hottest manga of the 2000’s Attack on Titan (進撃の巨人) is well on its way to becoming one of the leading manga of all time.
Attack on Titan is published in Bessatsu Shonen Magazine as a dark-fantasy manga and thanks to its popularity it has its own anime series which is in the fourth season now. The manga and anime have such a massive cult following which also paved the way for the Attack on Titan live-action movie.
Attack on Titan is based on a fictional world where titans are planning genocide on the human race. Only the Survey Corps stand in the way of the Titans, the heroics and decision-making of Mikasa Ackerman and Eren Yeager bring a unique flair to this manga series.
Writer: Hajime Isayama
Date of publishing: 2009
23. Dragon Ball
Quoting Thanos from the mega-blockbuster, Avengers End Game, “I and inevitable,” is a befitting way to describe the impact of Dragon Ball (ドラゴンボール) in the anime and manga community. The legendary character of Goku was first brought to life by Weekly Shonen Jump back in 1984 and since then the journeys of Goku have played a major role in bringing the whole manga industry and the Japanese comic book magazine brand into the limelight.
The first season of Dragon Ball starts with the main character Son Goku’s quest for finding all seven Dragon Balls and summoning Dark Shenron who grants a wish to the summoner. Dragon Ball will go down in history as the best martial-arts genre of manga due to its incredible one-on-one combats.
Dragon Ball is continued with the superhit manga Dragon Ball Z that introduces us to a grown-up Goku and many more exciting characters like Gohan and Vegeta Sama. The latest season from the franchise is Dragon Ball Super (ドラゴンボール超) that is one of the few mangas to get its own standalone movie set to release worldwide.
Writer: Akira Toriyama
Date of publishing: 1984-1995
24. Naruto
Naruto (ナルト) has millions of global fans which makes it one of the most famous and popular manga worldwide the Ninja-themed manga.
Weekly Shonen Jump made Naruto in Anime back in 1999 and it instantly became a favorite among manga and shonen lovers. Since then Naruto has had 72 manga volumes comprising 700 chapters. Roughly 300million Naruto manga copies have been sold since its initial release.
When you combine ninja and underdog you already get a recipe for a global blockbuster. But the writers of Naruto took the manga to a whole other level. Most of us have grown up learning about the fictional world of Shinobi (Ninja) through Naruto. Reading about the journey of a young hopeless Ninja who just never gives up despite suffering repeated setbacks and eventually becoming a legend is a manga that will be forever cherished. Naruto features some of the most extraordinary ninja fighting scenes where characters use rare combat tactics like the chakra energy.
Naruto may have ended but it paved the way for Boruto, a manga that narrates the journey of Naruto’s son named Boruto. Following in the footsteps of the legendary manga is no easy task but so far Boruto has been warmly welcomed by fans worldwide.
Writer: Masashi Kishimoto
Date of publishing: 1999-2014
25. One Piece
The spot for the number one manga of all time undoubtedly belongs to One Piece (ワンピース). Launched in the early 90s One Piece would not get global recognition until it was made into an anime by Weekly Shonen Jump in 1997.
Since then Eiichiro Oda has published 100 volumes of which a staggering 480 million copies are sold worldwide. The manga has such a massive audience that it continues to be translated into foreign languages. Currently, one-piece translated copies are being produced in nearly 42 countries and regions.
One Piece is a manga filled with emotions. Originally the manga is centered around the journey of Monkey D. Luffy who sets out to become the king of pirates and find the ultimate treasure “One Piece.”
Oda is regarded as a legend among the manga and anime community and rightfully so. His eye for intricate details to give each character in One Piece a unique backstory and then to relate it with the ongoing story is just absolutely unmatched by any other manga.
One Piece is the perfect fantasy world that has so many unique characters, emotions, and storylines. 100 chapters done and still, there’s no stopping Mr. Oda’s wild imagination which certainly cements One Piece’s legacy as the best manga of all time.
Writer: Eiichiro Oda
Date of publishing: 1997
26. Battle Angel Alita (Gunnm)
Gunnm, which is also known as Battle Angel Alita in English, is a Japanese cyberpunk manga series that was created by Yukito Kishiro and originally published from 1990-1995
The second part of the mangas’ nine volumes was adapted in 1993 into an anime series that was under the title Battle Angel.
It was made for North American release by ADV Films, the UK and Australian release of the series was made by the company Manga Entertainment.
Later on, James Cameron adapted the manga into a live-action film, Alita: Battle Angel and it went on to gross over $600 Million Dollars at the Box Office and was released in Feb 2019!
Writer: Yukito Kishiro
Published in: 1990
27. Ghost in the Shell
Ghost in the Shell is set in the mid-21st-century and it tells the story of the fictional counter-cyberterrorist organization who goes by the name of Public Security Section 9 that is led by protagonist Major Motoko Kusanagi.
The manga was quite successful and carried in three different volumes. It’s sequel was, Ghost in the Shell 2: Man-Machine Interface which followed the story of Motoko after merging with the Puppeteer.
The last volume of the series was cleverly titled, Ghost in the Shell 1.5: Human-Error Processor and it contained four separate cases.
The manga contained many different themes, including sociological issues, the ultimate consequences of technological advances and what it would mean for the humans, as a society.
The series was also transformed into a live-action film, starring Scarlett Johanson in 2017.
Writer: Masamune Shirow
Published in: 1989
Final thoughts
I compiled this list from a completely neutral perspective. under each manga, I have provided a brief description as well for better analysis. Feel free to comment below in support of your favorite manga. There are tons of new manga series lined up in 2023. It will be exciting to see if they managed to break through in the illustrious list of the best manga of all time. Last but not the least, do you think there is any better manga than One Piece? If so, please provide a justification as well.
Also Read: Ranking the best anime of all time
