Top 15 Best Shounen Manga of All Time

Updated:

02 Jul 2020

If you've been looking for a good excuse to pull an all-nighter, this list of shounen manga will give you one.

Although the target audience of shounen manga is young boys, shounen manga is really for everyone. After all, who doesn't love adventure? Who doesn't love characters giving it their all to chase their dreams? Who doesn't love stories about friendships strong enough to overcome the highest of hurdles? This list has manga that will keep you up all night if you choose to check them out.

15. A Silent Voice

Shoya Ishida must learn that it isn't the past that defines people but how they learn from it.

In elementary school, Shoya Ishida and his classmates bullied Shoko Nishimiya, a deaf student, until the adults finally stepped in. Ishida’s classmates then turned on him and bullied him just like they had done to Nishimiya. Years later, Ishida and Nishimiya reunite, and Ishida is inspired to help Nishimiya reconnect with some of her old classmates with hope of redeeming himself for his past actions. Throughout the manga, the students learn to overcome past differences as well as forgive themselves and each other.

You'll like A Silent Voice if...

You like stories about friendship
You like stories about redemption
You like stories with character development

14. Magi: Labyrinth of Magic

Aladdin and Alibaba embark on a journey filled with magical creatures, places, and stories.

In a different world, there are places known as “dungeons” that are magical labyrinths ruled by Djinns and are said to hold incredible treasures. Aladdin is a young magician ready to explore the world, and at the start of his travels he meets Alibaba Saluja who is transporting goods for a local merchant. However trouble befalls them, and Aladdin and Alibaba find themselves preparing to conquer the nearest dungeon in order to set things right. Little do they know their entry into the dungeon is but the start of an adventure that will shape the very fate of their world.

You’ll like Magi: Labyrinth of Magic if…

You like adventure
You like magic
You like fantasy worlds

13. Pandora Hearts

As he tries to escape The Abyss, Oz learns that not everything is as it seems.

The Abyss, a place only spoken of in stories to scare children, is a realm that’s home to monstrous creatures known as “Chains.” Oz Vessalius, heir to the Vessalius family, did not believe in the existence of the Abyss, like most, until his coming-of-age-ceremony where he is condemned to the Abyss for a crime he is falsely accused of. In an attempt to escape, Oz forms a contract with a Chain named Alice, who can take on human form. With his sights set on returning home, Oz delves into a world of mystery, tragedy, and despair.

You’ll like Pandora Hearts if …

You like the supernatural
You like tragic backstories
You like complex manga

12. Rorouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan

Kenshin Himura wanders to escape his past, but when he stops to clears his name, it just might catch up to him.

Kenshin Himura is a wandering samurai who years ago, fought in a war to bring about peace. Himura was once known as Hitokiri Battousai, and was feared as the most ruthless killer of all the revolutionaries. His past actions cause him to be haunted by guilt, and so he has vowed never to kill again in order to repent. One day, Kenshin meets Kaoru Kamiya whose dojo might be closed because of a man claiming to be the infamous Battousai who is murdering in its name. Kenshin puts a pause on his wanderings to team up with Kaoru in order to clear their names, but staying put is not easy for someone on the run from their past.

You’ll like Ruroni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan if…

You like historical dramas
You like samurai stories
You like romance

11. Bakuman

Fueled by his feelings for his crush, Moritaka Mashiro has his sights set on getting a manga serialized.

Moritaka Mashiro has a talent for art, but he’s not interested in doing anything too special with it. However, after seeing one of his drawings, his classmate, the aspiring writer Akito Takagi, insists that they collaborate on a manga. Mashiro is hesitant until he hears that his crush, Miho Azuki, wants to become a voice actress, which gives him the drive to create a manga that can be adapted into an anime she can star in. Azuki totally down, and they agree to get married once they’ve both reached their goals. However, getting their manga serialized isn’t as easy as Mashiro and Takagi hoped.

You’ll like Bakuman if…

You like learning about manga
You like comedy and drama
You like watching people make their dreams come true

10. Attack on Titan

Eren's thirst for revenge against the titans knows no bounds.

In a world where giant, humanoid creatures called titans roam, humanity has sealed itself behind walls in a futile attempt to protect the remaining survivors. Eren Yeager, Mikasa Ackerman, and Armin Arlert are children who dream of the world beyond the walls, but the trio is in for a harsh awakening to the cruel realities of the world when a wall is shattered and titans turn their world upside down. On that day, Eren makes a vow to do whatever it takes to wipe out every last titan.

You’ll like Attack on Titan if…

You like gore and death
You like intense action
You like post apocalyptic worlds

9. Hunter x Hunter

Gon plans to follow in his father's footsteps to find out just what's so special about being a hunter.

Gon Freecss is determined to become a Hunter so he can search for his father who abandoned him. To do this, Gon must first pass the Hunter Exam, an exam so difficult only one in a hundred thousand can make it. During the exam, Gon meets many new friends such as Kurapika, Leorio, and Killua who have goals of their own that they too hope the Hunter Exam will help them achieve. However, the world of hunters isn’t easy to get into, and even harder to survive in.

You’ll like Hunter x Hunter if…

You like diverse character casts
You like emotional arcs
You like super powers

8. Bleach

Now that he's a Soul Reaper, Ichigo's life is about to be anything but normal.

Ichigo Kurosaki is a highschool student with the power to see the spirits of the dead. However, even with that ability, he led a normal life up until he discovered a girl named Rukia Kuchiki in his room. Rukia introduces herself as a Soul Reaper, and out of the blue the two are attacked by an evil spirit, a Hollow, and while trying to protect Ichigo, Rukia is injured. To defeat the spirit, Rukia transfers her powers to Ichigo, turning him into a Soul Reaper like herself. With his new abilities, it is up to Ichigo to protect spirits and eliminate Hollows, but there is much more to dealing with the spirit world than he could have ever imagined.

You’ll like Bleach if…

You like supernatural
You like action packed battles
You like dynamic characters

7. Naruto

It won't be easy for Naruto to go from being the village outcast to becoming his village's best ninja.

Naruto Uzumaki is certain that he will become the Hokage, a title reserved for the best ninja of Leaf Village, but the rest of his village isn’t. He’s been shunned since birth because of the terrible demon sealed within him, and there aren’t many with confidence in him. Naruto is eventually assigned to Team 7, where he must work together with Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno under the guidance of their teacher, Kakashi Hatake. If he wants to become the ultimate ninja and receive recognition from his village, Naruto will have to learn how to work with others and discover who he really is.

6. Death Note

Light Yagami takes on the world with the power of death at his side.

Light Yagami is a prodigious high school student who just so happened to find a Death Note dropped by Ryuk, a god of death. Inside the notebook is a list of rules on how to use it and what it does, which is kill those whose names are written in it. At first, Light was skeptical, but when it’s proven to work, Light realizes that the Death Note can be used to change the world. He adopts the alias “Kira” and decides that he will levy justice and execute criminals with the Death Note. This doesn’t sit well with everyone, and so brought in is the genius detective L. The superior intelligence of Light and L are put to the test as genius battles genius.

5. Ashita no Joe

The world of professional boxing may be more vicious than Joe was prepared for.

Joe Yabuki is an orphan wandering around, and one day he finds himself in jail for fraud. In jail he fights Nishi Kanichi, which causes him to be sent to a juvenile detention center far from Tokyo. Nishi and Joe try to escape but are stopped by Tōru Rikiishi, a boxing prodigy, and a rivalry forms between Joe and Rikiishi. They fight, accomplish nothing, but vow to face each other again as professional boxers in the future. As he enters the world of professional boxing, Joe must steel himself for the violent road that lies ahead.

4. Slam Dunk

The world of competative basketball isn't for the faint of heart, as Hanamichi Sakuragi is about to find out.

Hanamichi Sakuragi is a delinquent, the leader of a gang, and tragically unpopular with girls. He’s also tall, boisterous, and supernaturally strong. When the girl of his dreams, Haruko Akagi, asks him if he’s into basketball, he replies yes almost immediately despite his true feelings, which are exactly the opposite. Hanamichi shows off his immense strength with an attempt at a slam dunk, and a very impressed Haruko reports this to the school’s basketball captain. As he enters the world of competition, Hanamichi realizes basketball is not the game for losers that he thought it was.

3. Fullmetal Alchemist

As adults, Edward and Alphonese seek to fix a childhood mistake that ruined their lives.

Siblings Edward and Alphonse Elric have broken one of the greatest taboos in alchemy resulting in unspeakable loss for the two of them. The two are now on the hunt for the Philosopher’s Stone, with the hopes that it’ll give them enough power to regain what they have lost. Soon into their journey they learn that there are dark secrets surrounding the mystery of the Philosopher’s Stone, which are related to a massive plot that threatens the safety of their country.

2. One Piece

Luffy is determind to become the Pirate King no matter how long or hard the journey may be.

Just before his execution, “Pirate King” Gol. D Roger confirms the existence of One Piece, a great treasure hidden in the ocean and ready to be claimed by whoever is worthy. Years later, Monkey D. Luffy is ready to start his journey to become the new Pirate King and find One Piece. All he has is his boat, a straw hat, and a strangely stretchy body, but that won’t stop him from racking up a crew and becoming the greatest of the high seas.

1. Dragon Ball

Goku's quest for the dragon balls is the start of an adventure that will change the world.

Son Goku is on the hunt for seven mystical orbs, the Dragon Balls, which are said to be able to summon a dragon with the power to grant wishes. In his journey to find these orbs, Goku trains his martial arts skills and explores the world, meeting many friends and enemies along the way. After all, he isn’t the only one who wants the wish-granting powers of the dragon. Every step of his journey brings Goku closer and closer to becoming the strongest being in the universe.

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Megan Lee

Megan is a cave dweller always on the hunt for tasty morsels whether they be morsels of food or information. Her years of lurking have honed her skills as an experienced binge wat

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