The 14 Best-Selling Manga In History

Highlights

• Best-selling manga series are determined not just by popularity but by quality, with impressive sales numbers reflecting their appeal.
• Top manga series with high sales, such as My Hero Academia and Kingdom, have proven to be must-read choices for manga fans worldwide.
• The manga industry’s growth in accessibility has led to increased sales for various series, showcasing the diverse and expanding appeal of manga.

The manga industry is growing at an astounding pace. Every year, hundreds of different manga series come out, and avid readers are able to enjoy the various genres that are put out. Despite the high number of manga though, not all of them manage to solidify themselves as being must-read.

Due to this reason, readers find themselves going back to some of the older series that have the numbers to back up their quality. While some might prefer reading lesser-known manga, most readers tend to go for the best-selling manga series. To many, their impressive sales demonstrate their quality, making the best-selling manga of all time an easy choice for manga fans.

Updated May 11th, 2024, by Suzail Ahmad: The manga industry has undergone many noticable changes over the years. The main one has been the increase in accessibility. Fans can readily buy manga from different sources without any problems. Due to this reason, the overall sales of various manga series has increased in the last decade or so.

The sales that they generate are not only an indication of their popularity, but it also shows that the title is of high quality. Sometimes the numbers are boosted by the release of the anime adaptation of a particular title. With so many top manga being released every year, the competition to become the best-selling manga is very stiff.

15 My Hero Academia (100 million sold)

My Hero Academia’s popularity took off when the series debuted the first season of the anime. Viewers found many resemblances with the other great shonen, which is why it proved to be a big success. As the word began to spread, more and more people began to pick up manga copies to find out what happened next.

My Hero Academia follows the story of Midoriya Izuku, a boy who dreams of becoming the number one hero. The story has many relatable characters, which boosted the overall popularity of the series. So far, My Hero Academia has released 40 volumes and sold over 100 million copies, which is extremely impressive. Since the story is still ongoing, the number will continue to increase.

14 Kingdom (100 million sold)

For years, Kingdom was the only manga title that constantly competed with One Piece in terms of sales. Yasuhisa Hara’s ingenuity made the manga extremely popular among manga enthusiasts. Kingdom started serializing on January 26, 2006, and it has constantly been on the best-selling lists.

The manga focuses on ancient China, allowing fans to relive the war-torn era. Kingdom has released 70 volumes so far, and there will definitely be more releases before the story comes to a close.

13 Hajime no Ippo (100 million sold)

Hajime no Ippo is considered one of the greatest sports manga of all time. It can be easily recommended to another person because of how good it is. The manga has good humor and great action, which is a great combination.

George Morikawa began working on the manga in October 1989. The manga is serialized in Kodansha’s Weekly Shōnen Magazine. Hajime no Ippo has over 100 volumes to its name, which shows the dedication of George Morikawa and the appreciation of the audience. The manga has received several anime adaptations, and all of them have been showered with positive reviews.

12 Fist of the North Star (100 million sold)

First of the North Star has always been popular in Japan, but it took a while for western audiences to become familiar with the title. The popularity of the series increased by several folds when one of the clips from the anime went viral. The more it circulated, the more curious fans were about the series.

Fist of the North Star is set in a post-apocalyptic world where humankind is fighting for food. Amidst all the turmoil, a man named Kenshiro uses his strength to help the weak and needy. This particular manga has released just 27 volumes but sold 100 copies.

11 Attack on Titan (140 million sold)

Hajime Isayama’s Attack on Titan has one of the largest fanbases in the world. The manga is very popular, especially in the West, because of its intriguing yet grim story. Attack on Titan‘s anime adaptation has also played a key role in its success.

Hajime Isyama started working on the manga in September 2009. The manga continued to be serialized until April 2021. The manga’s ending may be controversial, but that hasn’t stopped the series from selling over 100 million copies.

10 Demon Slayer (150 million sold)

When the first season of Demon Slayer was released, it took the entire world by storm. Produced by Ufotable, the anime has very high-quality animation. So far, every season of Demon Slayer has had excellent pacing, which makes it very interesting to watch.

The success of the anime resulted in an increase in manga sales. After the first season, fans started buying all the volumes of the manga. Presently, the manga has sold 150 million copies, and with another season on the way, this number will only increase further.

9 KochiKame: Tokyo Beat Cops (156.5 million sold)

KochiKame: Tokyo Beat Cops is a comedy manga series that has been written by Osamu Akimoto. The manga started being serialized in 1976, and it came to an end in 2016. KochiKame has over 1,000 chapters, and they have been compiled into 201 volumes.

Considering the number of volumes, it is not surprising that the series has sold over 150 million units. The manga follows the adventures of a cop named Kankichi Ryotsu, who runs into new problems and uses the most outrageous methods to solve them.

8 Slam Dunk (170 million sold)

For many people, Slam Dunk is the quintessential sports manga. It has been written by Takehiko Inoue, who also created Vagabond and Real. When it came out, the manga inspired many readers to pick up basketball, resulting in an increase in the popularity of the sport in Japan.

The manga had just 31 volumes, but it has amassed 170 million in sales. With a Slam Dunk movie on the way, the manga will almost certainly see further growth in its sales.

7 Black Jack (176 million sold)

Black Jack might not be as well-known as some of the best-selling manga, but it is every bit as successful with over 170 million copies sold. The manga has been written by the legendary Osamu Tezuka.

The manga follows a kind doctor named Black Jack who tries to help needy people. Whenever he sees a person in trouble, he tries to make their lives better, but he rarely gets any recognition for his deeds.

6 Naruto (250 million sold)

Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto is one of Shonen Jump’s “Big Three.” The manga is extremely popular, especially in the West, and many readers believe it to be among the best manga of all time. It has over 250 million copies in circulation.

The story focuses on a young boy named Naruto who wants to become the Hokage, the position of the highest authority in the village. In order to achieve his goal, Naruto has to overcome many obstacles.

5 Doraemon (250 million sold)

Doraemon is a manga series made specifically for kids. Written by Fujiko F. Fujio, it has over 1,000 chapters, which have been compiled into 45 volumes. Despite being catered toward a very specific demographic, Doraemon has sold over 300 million copies, mainly due to its funny yet interesting story.

At the center of the manga’s story is a robotic cat, named Doraemon, who travels into the past to help a lazy kid named Nobita. The manga has received countless anime and movie adaptations, which have helped boost its popularity even further.

4 Dragon Ball (260 million sold)

When Dragon Ball came out, it revolutionized the shonen genre. Akira Toriyama introduced many new concepts in Dragon Ball, which made it stand out from the other manga of its time. Even now, Toriyama’s ideas continue to inspire other mangaka.

Given the uniqueness of the series, it is no surprise that Dragon Ball has sold over 250 million copies despite having only 42 volumes. The manga dives into the world of Son Goku, a kid who explores the world while making many allies and foes.

3 Detective Conan (270 million sold)

Detective Conan also known as Case Closed, is a mystery manga series. It is the work of Gosho Aoyama, and it has been a part of Shogakukan’s Weekly Shonen Sunday magazine since 1994. So far, the manga has 102 volumes and has sold over 250 million copies.

Detective Conan covers the adventures of Shinichi Kudo, who is a high school detective. Over time, Shinichi’s reputation begins to grow, which causes a criminal organization to make him their target. They try to murder Shinichi with a drug, but instead of killing him, it turns him into a kid.

2 Golgo 13 (300 million sold)

Golgo 13 is the oldest of the best-selling manga. It started serializing in 1968 in Shogakukan’s Big Comic. Since then, the manga has been consistently releasing new chapters, and they have been compiled into over 200 volumes. Given the fact that it has managed to stay relevant for so long, it isn’t surprising to see that it has 300 million copies in circulation.

The series follows the adventures of an elite assassin named Golgo 13, who is hired by various groups to complete some of the riskiest missions. Due to his immense skill, Golgo 13 always manages to come out on top.​​​​​

1 One Piece (523.2 million sold)

Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece is the best-selling manga of all time by some margin. The manga is still ongoing, yet has already accumulated sales of over 500 million. In the last decade, the popularity of One Piece in the West has increased a lot too.

Oda has stated that he wants to wrap up the series within the next two or three years, so the numbers will see a major growth between now and then. With this in mind, it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see One Piece end up with over 700 million copies sold.