Highest-Selling Manga Of All Time

While the field of Japanese manga has a rich history that can be traced back centuries, the manga style most commonly seen today developed about 70 years ago. Since then, thousands of different manga have been created, spanning a variety of genres and themes. Regardless of when they began, how long they’ve run, and how many volumes have been published, some works have soared to the top of the charts.

The list of best-selling manga of all time is a solid mix of both old, established favorites and brand-new modern classics. It’s tough to quantify the cultural impact of any given manga, but the raw sales numbers are a pretty good indicator of a manga’s overall success.

Updated on February 7th, 2024 by Louis Kemner: This list of the best-selling manga of all time has been expanded to include five more popular titles and to reflect CBR’s current publication standards.

20

Touch Is About Baseball and a Compelling Love Triangle

More About Touch:

• Volumes sold: 100 million
• MyAnimeList score: 8.34
• Anime Planet score: 4.06

Touch ranks among the best-selling manga because it combines a compelling sports narrative with an emotionally gripping love triangle. This combo proved to be a winning formula for the 1980s baseball manga, which eventually inspired a highly rated anime adaptation.

Touch features the brothers Tatsuya and Kazuya Uesugi, who are both close to their female neighbor Minami. The Uesugi brothers are both passionate about baseball, but when Kazuya gets injured and Tatsuya must play in his place, that might strain their relationship with Minami. Either brother might “steal” her from the other, and their relationship with Minami is closely tied to their performance in the game.

19

Kingdom Takes Place in Ancient War-Torn China

More About Kingdom:

• Volumes sold: 100 million
• MyAnimeList score: 9.0
• Anime Planet score: 4.39

Kingdom is a best-selling seinen manga series that launched in 2006, and it’s still going strong today with 60 volumes and counting. In fact, this manga is outselling many series that are decades older than it is, showing what a strong following it has as an excellent historical manga series.

Kingdom‘s story focuses on protagonist Li Xin in ancient China’s Warring States period. Li is an orphan who’s determined to join the Qin army and make it big as a warrior and leader. The rest of Kingdom follows Li’s incredible rise to power and prominence as a great battlefield commander. Fans of Vinland Saga are bound to enjoy this well-drawn seinen historical manga about war and one young man’s rise to power.

18

The Kindaichi Case Files Stars a High School Detective Named Hajime Kindaichi

More About The Kindaichi Case Files:

• Volumes sold: 100 million
• MyAnimeList score: 8.11
• Anime Planet score: 4.11/5

Anyone who enjoys Detective Conan is sure to enjoy the mystery manga series The Kindaichi Case Files. It began serialization in 1992 and is still running today. It’s a bit shorter than Conan with 90 volumes, but that’s still plenty of material for any devoted fan to enjoy.

The Kindaichi Case Files follows the high school detective Hajime Kindaichi, grandson of the skilled detective Kosuke Kindaichi. Hajime’s cases are usually “whodunnit” cases involving slightly supernatural murders, which also have “locked room” elements, where a murder was seemingly committed without anyone ever entering the victim’s room.

17

Hajime No Ippo Is the Ultimate Boxing Manga

More About Hajime No Ippo:

• Volumes sold: 100 million
• MyAnimeList score: 8.73
• Anime Planet score: 4.35/5

Hajime no Ippo is one of several sports manga that ranks among the most sold manga of all time, and it’s also one of the longest. This series was launched in 1989 and is still serializing today, with an astonishing 138 volumes and counting to its name.

Protagonist Ippo Makunouchi is a total dandere who’s often too busy helping his mother at work to even try making any friends. One day, Ippo was beaten up at the hands of his usual bullies, and a retired boxer helped inspire Ippo to take up boxing and learn to fight for himself. From there, Ippo began a serious career as a scrappy underdog who will push himself to the limits to fight and win.

16

Fist Of The North Star Combines Mad Max With Brutal Martial Arts

More About Fist Of The North Star:

• Volumes sold: 100 million
• MyAnimeList score: 8.11
• Anime Planet score: 4.08/5

Fist of the North Star is one of the most iconic and most popular manga of all time, and it has aged impressively well, too. With 27 published volumes, this series has gone on to influence numerous other anime/manga, including Vinland Saga and Berserk. The narrative follows Kenshiro, a martial artist with remarkable technique and power, as he journeys through his desolate landscape.

Kenshiro soon becomes a hero of the post-apocalypse, earning both dear friends and bitter enemies along the way in a Max Max-inspired hellscape of leather-wearing thugs and war-torn ruins. Currently, this manga is being released in the West in deluxe hardback editions, with the first 10 volumes covering the first major phase of Fist‘s story. On a side note, the creators also made a martial arts series called Fist of the Blue Sky.

15

Astro Boy Is an Early Classic From Osamu Tezuka

More About Astro Boy:

• Volumes sold: 100 million
• MyAnimeList score: 7.4
• Anime Planet score: 3.57/5

Famed author Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy began in 1952, long before the manga medium had become a household name. It ran for 16 years, although producing only 112 chapters compiled into 23 volumes. Despite this relatively low number, Astro Boy has sold over 100 million copies.

This manga series chronicles the adventures of its titular protagonist, who bears a striking resemblance to Carlo Collodi’s Pinocchio. There have been three television shows based on this highly popular manga, the first of which is considered to be an anime benchmark. Astro Boy may not appear much in modern pop-cultural discourse, but there’s no doubting its influence.

14

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Is an Anthology Following the Joestar Heroes

More About JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure:

• Volumes sold: 120 million
• MyAnimeList score: 7.29
• Anime Planet score: 3.86/5

Author Hirohiko Araki‘s JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is arguably one of the most surreal manga still in production. Initially published in 1987, the series has managed to retain its popularity for over 35 years, a remarkable feat by any standard. Although most fans discovered this unique story through its anime adaptation, the manga deserves just as much attention.

Each part of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure stars a new character, inevitably nicknamed JoJo, as the protagonist. This manga series currently has 131 volumes published, with at least 120 million copies sold. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure may not be for everyone, but those who enjoy hyperbolic melodrama should definitely check it out. Fans in the West should note, however, that there is not yet an official English release for parts 7 and 8 of this series, Steel Ball Run and JoJolion, respectively, nor is there an anime for them. Instead, English-speaking fans can check out the hardback deluxe editions of this manga for parts 1-6.

13

Bleach Is About Swords, Spirits, and Adventure In the Afterlife

More About Bleach:

• Volumes sold: 130 million
• MyAnimeList score: 7.86
• Anime Planet score: 4.07/5

Author Tite Kubo‘s Bleach has gone through multiple upheavals, the most recent being the anime’s temporary cancelation in March 2012. Thankfully, the anime adaptation of the final was greenlit in 2020, with the first of 52 episodes being released in October 2022. Now the Thousand-Year Blood War anime arc is well underway, but the original manga is still the definitive Bleach experience thanks to the complete story, Tite Kubo’s incredible illustrations, and the lack of filler.

Fans still don’t know what the title refers to, but that hasn’t stopped the manga from selling 130 million copies. Bleach has 686 chapters divided into 74 volumes, making it one of the most extensive series ever illustrated. The story follows protagonist Ichigo Kurosaki, an ordinary human who discovers limitless power as a substitute Soul Reaper over the course of his character arc.

12

Oishinbo Is a Great Manga For Cuisine Enthusiasts

More About Oishinbo:

• Volumes sold: 135 million
• MyAnimeList score: 7.33
• Anime Planet score: 3.71/5

Most popular manga revolve around shonen, shojo, josei, and seinen concepts, but Oishinbo is a major exception. Penned by Akira Hanasaki and Tetsu Kariya, this cooking manga series chronicles Shiro Yamaoka and Yuko Kurita’s adventures in the field of high cuisine.

Oishinbo ran from 1983 to 2008 and later from 2009 to 2014, accumulating 111 volumes in the process. Unfortunately, it went on a seemingly permanent hiatus after this point. This manga series has sold at least 135 million copies since its release and even obtained an anime adaptation with 136 episodes.

11

Attack On Titan Is a Famously Dark Gaslamp Fantasy About Killer Giants

More About Attack On Titan:

• Volumes sold: 140 million
• MyAnimeList score: 8.55
• Anime Planet score: 4.38/5

Hajime Isayama’s Attack on Titan is a gruesome epic on political conflict and class hierarchy, showcasing real-world problems through the macabre lens of cannibalism. Vicious entities known as Titans are scattered across Paradis, where the story takes place.

As such, the island’s human inhabitants have no choice but to live with this threat looming over their heads at all times. While the narrative seems to focus heavily on these Titans, the true crux of the story relies on the relationships between people. Attack on Titan has been collected into 34 volumes, selling 110 million copies over its 12-year run.

10

Crayon Shin-Chan Is a Wacky Comedy Starring a Young Boy

More About Crayon Shin-Chan:

• Volumes sold: 148 million
• MyAnimeList score: 7.95
• Anime Planet score: 3.88/5

The popular comedy manga Crayon Shin-Chan and its successor, New Crayon Shin-Chan, are both slice-of-life manga series starring a 5-year-old boy named Shinnosuke Nohara, or Shin-Chan for short. This long-running manga is also one of the best selling manga of all time, competing well with more serious, action-oriented series like Demon Slayer, Attack on Titan, and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. It’s not easy for an irreverent comedy like Crayon Shin-Chan to do such a thing.

Crayon Shin-Chan‘s various storylines often depict young Shin-Chan getting into trouble as a good-natured prankster and troublemaker, with stories featuring the value of friendship and family, clever wordplay, references to Japanese culture, and even sexual innuendo. Unfortunately, some of the humor may be lost when translated to English, but Western fans may still enjoy the wacky antics that Crayon Shin-Chan has to offer.

9

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Is a Heartfelt Fantasy Adventure

More About Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba:

• Volumes sold: 150 million
• MyAnimeList score: 8.2
• Anime Planet score: 4.38/5

Koyoharu Gotouge’s Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba is simultaneously one of the newest and shortest best-selling manga. Gotouge only published 23 volumes during the manga’s 4-year run but has sold over 150 million copies since it began in 2016.

Demon Slayer has since been adapted into an anime series and a movie, which is also currently the highest-grossing Japanese movie ever made. The fantasy-adventure story follows protagonist Tanjiro Kamado, who trains to become a Demon Slayer after a mysterious assailant massacres his entire family and transforms his sister into a demon.

8

KochiKame: Tokyo Beat Cops Follows a Goofy Cop With Money-Making Schemes

More About KochiKame: Tokyo Beat Cops:

• Volumes sold: 156.5 miillion
• MyAnimeList score: 6.48
• Anime Planet score: 3.5/5

KochiKame: Tokyo Beat Cops, a comedic manga created by Osamu Akimoto, has sold over 156.5 million copies since its inception in 1976. Akimoto published 201 volumes during its 40-year run, and the original manga has gone on to inspire several stage adaptations, three animated films, two live-action films, a live-action TV show, and an anime series.

A lot of this manga’s appeal comes from comedic gags and humor based on pairing average characters with bizarre counterparts. KochiKame: Tokyo Beat Cops revolves around Kankicki Ryotsu and his adventures around a police station in downtown Tokyo. Ryotsu constantly comes up with new schemes to make quick money, which then consistently fails for various reasons.

7

Slam Dunk Helped Popularize Basketball in Japan

More About Slam Dunk:

• Volumes sold: 170 million
• MyAnimeList score: 9.09
• Anime Planet score: 4.42/5

One of the best-known sports manga, Slam Dunk was even commended by the Japan Basketball Association for helping promote basketball among younger viewers. The original manga by author Takehiro Inoue only ran between 1990 and 1996, with a total of 31 volumes published. However, it has since sold over 170 million copies and spawned several video games, four films, an anime series, and a fund that helps Japanese basketball players follow their NBA dreams.

Slam Dunk revolves around Hanamichi Sakuragi, who joins a basketball team mostly to impress a girl. However, while he starts as a not-particularly-great member of the basketball team, Sakuragi grows to love the sport and eventually becomes an excellent player and teammate.

6

Naruto Charts the Rise of Naruto Uzumaki as the #1 Ninja Hero

More About Naruto:

• Volumes sold: 250 million
• MyAnimeList score: 8.07
• Anime Planet score: 4.17/5

Naruto is one of the most famous titles, with the original manga leading to several popular adaptations, spin-offs, and sequels in the form of anime, manga, and light novels. The original manga was first created by Masashi Kishimoto in 1999 and ran for 15 years before it concluded in 2014. Since its creation, Naruto has produced 72 volumes and sold over 250 million copies.

The story revolves around the ninja protagonist Naruto Uzumaki and takes place in two parts, split between his pre-teen and teenage years. It chronicles his life and adventures as he strives to become the Hokage of his village. Naruto is perhaps even more well-known for its anime adaptation, but the manga started it all.

5

Doraemon Is a Comedy Manga With a Mechanical Cat

More About Doraemon:

• Volumes sold: 250 million
• MyAnimeList score: 8.44
• Anime Planet score: 4.11/5

Doraemon, a children’s manga created by Fujiko F. Fujio that ran from 1969 to 1996, has been consistently popular since it was first released. Over time, it has won numerous awards, and the eponymous character is commonly regarded as one of Japan’s biggest cultural icons.

The original Doraemon manga has been adapted into two anime series, a total of 40 feature-length and short films, and several other media forms. The story follows Doraemon, a robotic cat from the future, as he travels back in time to help Nobita Nobi. Doraemon has sold a whopping 250 million copies from 45 volumes, a testament to its ageless protagonist.

4

Dragon Ball Launched the Breathtaking Adventures of Son Goku

More About Dragon Ball:

• Volumes sold: 260 million
• MyAnimeList score: 8.41
• Anime Planet score: 4.21/5

Author Akira Toriyama‘s Dragon Ball released 42 volumes between 1984 and 1995 and has sold an impressive number of volumes since it began. This popular shonen manga was originally adapted into two anime series, but even now continues to inspire new adaptations. The original manga is also credited for inspiring several other famous manga authors, including the authors of the shonen “big three.”

Dragon Ball tells the story of Son Goku in a coming-of-age fantasy adventure as he strives to become the most powerful martial artist and locate the titular Dragon Balls. However, the series’ sequels elevate the stakes even higher, placing the Saiyan in countless situations in which he must save the world (or universe) from various threats and enemies. New readers may also notice that the original Dragon Ball manga is more comedic than its iconic Dragon Ball Z successor, though both series have equally great action scenes, character designs, and worldbuilding.

3

Detective Conan Is the Finest Mystery Manga Out There

More About Detective Conan:

• Volumes sold: 270 million
• MyAnimeList score: 8.29
• Anime Planet score: 4.17/5

Detective Conan (or Case Closed in North America for copyright concerns) is a shonen manga series by Gosho Aoyama that is still currently in publication. Ever since its serialization began in 1994, Detective Conan has published 102 volumes and sold over 270 million copies.

The manga follows Shinichi Kudo (or Jimmy Kudo in Case Closed), a detective prodigy who ends up reverted into a child’s body by a criminal gang. Throughout the story, Kudo assists in other detective cases as he tries to locate the people who poisoned him.

2

Golgo 13 Is a Seinen Action Story Starring a Deadly Assassin

More About Golgo 13:

• Volumes sold: 300 million
• MyAnimeList score: 7.87
• Anime Planet score: 3.65/5

Golgo 13, created by Takao Saito, is both the oldest and longest-running manga still being published, as well as the only seinen manga featured in the top sellers. It also has the highest number of manga volumes published (207) and has sold over 300 million copies.

This action manga doesn’t really use any overarching plots and instead focuses on the various adventures of Golgo 13, AKA Duke Togo. Togo is a mysterious professional assassin who primarily uses a customized M16 rifle to conduct his business. The story follows him as he completes a wide range of missions, making numerous enemies in the process.

1

One Piece Takes Place on the High Seas

More About One Piece:

• Volumes sold: 523.2 million
• MyAnimeList score: 9.22
• Anime Planet score: 4.55/5

One Piece manga sales easily outstrip anything else in the industry, with well over 516 million copies sold, which is more than Naruto and Bleach combined, so it is easily the best selling manga of all time by an impressive margin. Author Eiichiro Oda began this series in 1997 and is still publishing new chapters, though he expects the series to finish by 2025. This sea-faring manga is also part of one of the highest-grossing media franchises, amassing over $14.5 billion between its manga, anime, video games, and related merchandise.

One Piece follows Monkey D. Luffy and his band of Straw Hat Pirates as they search for the legendary One Piece treasure while Luffy aspires to be the next King of the Pirates. Although the series is moving into its final saga, it will undoubtedly sell tens of millions of copies (if not more) by the time of its final conclusion. 107 volumes have been published as of February 2024.