Top Military Manga Recommendations

Shingeki no Kyojin

Also known as Attack on Titan.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Fantasy , Mystery

In this post-apocalyptic sci-fi story, humanity has been devastated by the bizarre, giant humanoids known as the Titans. Little is known about where they came from or why they are bent on consuming mankind. Seemingly unintelligent, they have roamed the world for years, killing everyone they see. For the past century, what's left of man has hidden in a giant, three-walled city. People believe their 50-meter-high walls will protect them from the Titans, but the sudden appearance of an immense Titan is about to change everything.



Note: Includes 2 extra chapters.

Tags: Dystopian , Anti-Hero , War , Tragedy , Military , Conspiracy , Survival , Philosophy , Kaiju , Shapeshifting , Memory Manipulation , Politics , Revenge , Henshin , Male Protagonist , Monster Boy , Terrorism , Post-Apocalyptic , Super Power , Gore , Time Manipulation , Body Horror , Ensemble Cast , Cosmic Horror , Time Skip , Cannibalism , Coming of Age , Slavery , Swordplay , Torture , Alternate Universe , Shounen , Espionage , Mythology , Tsundere , Amnesia , Kuudere , Class Struggle , Disability , Historical , Baseball , Dissociative Identities , Drugs , Achronological Order , Heterosexual , Reincarnation , LGBTQ+ Themes , Suicide , Primarily Adult Cast , Religion , Acrobatics , Cult , Transgender

Berserk

Also known as Berserk.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Adventure , Drama , Fantasy , Horror , Psychological

His name is Guts, the Black Swordsman, a feared warrior spoken of only in whispers. Bearer of a gigantic sword, an iron hand, and the scars of countless battles and tortures, his flesh is also indelibly marked with The Brand, an unholy symbol that draws the forces of darkness to him and dooms him as their sacrifice. But Guts won't take his fate lying down; he'll cut a crimson swath of carnage through the ranks of the damned—and anyone else foolish enough to oppose him! Accompanied by Puck the Elf, more an annoyance than a companion, Guts relentlessly follows a dark, bloodstained path that leads only to death...or vengeance.



Notes:
- Volumes 1-5 contain the 16 prequel chapters 0A - 0P.
- Chapter 83 was omitted from Volume 13 due to the author’s request.
- Volume 14 includes “Berserk: The Prototype”.
- Due to the author's passing, starting from Chapter 365, the manga is illustrated by Studio Gaga (Miura's assistants) and supervised by Kouji Mori (a close friend of Miura's).

Tags: Tragedy , Seinen , Revenge , Male Protagonist , Demons , Cosmic Horror , Gore , Philosophy , Found Family , Anti-Hero , Swordplay , Rehabilitation , Magic , War , Travel , Foreign , Body Horror , Mythology , Survival , Gods , Religion , Primarily Adult Cast , Nudity , Military , Politics , Fairy , Disability , Witch , Coming of Age , Amnesia , Sadism , Torture , Ensemble Cast , Elf , Dystopian , Heterosexual , Time Skip , Achronological Order , Age Regression , Kaiju , Tomboy , Group Sex , Cult , Pregnant , Prostitution , Skeleton , Adoption , Slavery , Super Power , Cannibalism , Incest , Dungeon , Kingdom Management , Vore , Dragons , Ships , Masturbation , Mermaid , Fellatio , LGBTQ+ Themes , Monster Girl , Monster Boy

ONE PIECE

Also known as One Piece.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy , Fantasy

As a child, Monkey D. Luffy was inspired to become a pirate by listening to the tales of the buccaneer "Red-Haired" Shanks. But his life changed when Luffy accidentally ate the Gum-Gum Devil Fruit and gained the power to stretch like rubber...at the cost of never being able to swim again! Years later, still vowing to become the king of the pirates, Luffy sets out on his adventure...one guy alone in a rowboat, in search of the legendary "One Piece," said to be the greatest treasure in the world...



Tags: Pirates , Travel , Found Family , Shounen , Ensemble Cast , Super Power , Tragedy , Male Protagonist , Ships , Fugitive , Conspiracy , Crime , Military , Politics , War , Terrorism , Slapstick , Post-Apocalyptic , Time Skip , Primarily Adult Cast , Cultivation , Prison , Lost Civilization , Anachronism , Dystopian , Gods , Slavery , Swordplay , Environmental , Large Breasts , Gangs , Mythology , Animals , Espionage , Religion , Anti-Hero , Cyborg , Adoption , Assassins , Skeleton , Samurai , Drugs , Meta , Kemonomimi , Anthropomorphism , Medicine , Henshin , Battle Royale , Robots , Food , Guns , Revenge , Desert , Dragons , Mermaid , Amnesia , Oiran , Monster Girl , Time Manipulation , Angels , Memory Manipulation , Trains , Centaur , Ninja , Zombie , Female Protagonist , LGBTQ+ Themes , Dinosaurs , Gender Bending , Aliens , Transgender , Clone , Body Swapping

Kaijuu 8-gou

Also known as Kaiju No.8.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Sci-Fi

A man working a job far removed from his childhood dreams gets wrapped up in an unexpected situation…! Becoming a monster, he aims once again to fulfill his lifelong dream…!



Note:
- Nominated for the 14th Manga Taisho Award in 2021.
- Winner of the 7th Next Manga Award in the Web Manga Category in 2021.

Tags: Kaiju , Shounen , Shapeshifting , Military , Henshin , Primarily Adult Cast , Urban Fantasy , Super Power , Male Protagonist , Tokusatsu , Monster Boy , Guns , Gore , Conspiracy , Revenge , War , Body Horror , Heterosexual , Tragedy , Survival , Primarily Male Cast , Kuudere

Hagane no Renkinjutsushi

Also known as Fullmetal Alchemist.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy , Drama , Fantasy

Alchemy tore the Elric brothers’ bodies apart. Can their bond make them whole again?
In this world, alchemists are those who study and perform the art of alchemical transmutation—the science of manipulating and transforming matter. They are bounded by the Law of Equivalent Exchange: in order to gain something, one must sacrifice something of equal value.
In an alchemical ritual gone wrong, Edward Elric lost his arm and his leg, and his brother Alphonse became nothing but a soul in a suit of armor. Equipped with mechanical “auto-mail” limbs, Edward becomes a state alchemist, seeking the one thing that can restore his and his brother’s bodies...the legendary Philosopher’s Stone.



Note: Includes 8 extra chapters.

Tags: Alchemy , Conspiracy , Politics , Military , Philosophy , War , Tragedy , Shounen , Male Protagonist , Disability , Travel , Steampunk , Ensemble Cast , Super Power , Magic , Body Horror , Lost Civilization , Chimera , Primarily Adult Cast , Primarily Male Cast , Guns , Gore , Historical , Tsundere , Cars , Heterosexual , Kuudere , Trains , Tomboy

Kingdom

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Drama

Millions of years have passed since the times of legends, when the worlds of man and gods were still the same. In these times it was the desires of man that moved the world. It is the period of the 500 year war: the Era of Warring States. Kingdom is the story of a young boy who grew into a great general and all the trials and bloodshed that led him there.

Tags: Military , Historical , War , Politics , Royal Affairs , Male Protagonist , Ancient China , Seinen , Swordplay , Coming of Age , Tragedy , Foreign , Heterosexual , Gore , Primarily Male Cast , Fugitive , Conspiracy , Body Horror , Assassins , Spearplay , Time Skip , Torture , Archery , Ensemble Cast , Crossdressing , Magic

Enen no Shouboutai

Also known as Fire Force.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Sci-Fi , Supernatural

Terror has paralyzed the clockwork metropolis of Tokyo! Possessed by demons, people have begun to burst into flame, leading to the establishment of a special firefighting team: the Fire Force, ready to roll on a moment's notice to fight spontaneous combustion anywhere it might break out. The team is about to get a very unique addition: Shinra, a boy who possesses the unique power to run at the speed of a rocket, leaving behind the famous "devil's footprints" (and destroying his shoes in the process). Can the Fire Force discover the source of this strange phenomenon and put a stop to it? Or will the city burn to ashes first?



Note: Includes the prologue and two epilogue chapters.

Tags: Cosmic Horror , Super Power , Shounen , Religion , Gods , Post-Apocalyptic , Conspiracy , Tragedy , Firefighters , Meta , Cult , Demons , Alternate Universe , Urban Fantasy , Military , Dragons , Male Protagonist , Primarily Adult Cast , Primarily Male Cast , Nun , Swordplay , Female Harem , Crossover

Ajin

Also known as Ajin: Demi-Human.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Horror , Mystery , Psychological , Supernatural

High school student Kei Nagai is struck dead in a grisly traffic accident, but immediately revives to learn that he may not be like every other human. Instead, he may be a mysterious almost immortal being granted not only the powers of rejuvination but the abilities to see super-natural beings. Scared, he runs away, and is aided in his escape from society by his friend. Unfortunately for Kei, the manhunt is on and he will soon be caught within a conflict between mankind and others like him as they prepare to fight a new war based on terror.



Notes:
Includes 13 extra chapters.

- Nominated for the 7th annual Manga Taishou Award.
- Nominated for the Readers Award in the 18th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize.
- Nominated for the 38th Annual Kodansha Manga Awards in the Seinen category.
- Nominated for the 40th Kodansha Manga Awards in 2016 in the General category.

Tags: Urban Fantasy , Fugitive , Seinen , Super Power , Terrorism , Crime , Suicide , Gore , Male Protagonist , Conspiracy , Guns , Anti-Hero , Torture , Military , Body Horror , Philosophy , Urban , Police , Revenge , Shapeshifting , Ghost , Bullying , Tragedy , Delinquents , Drugs , Cars , Satire

Dragon Ball

Also known as Dragon Ball.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy , Sci-Fi

Dragon Ball follows the adventures of Son Goku from his childhood through adulthood as he trains in martial arts and explores the world in search of the seven mystical orbs known as the Dragon Balls, which can summon a wish-granting dragon when gathered. Along his journey, Goku makes several friends and battles a wide variety of villains, many of whom also seek the Dragon Balls for their own desires. Along the way becoming the strongest warrior in the universe.

Part II of Dragon Ball is also known as "Dragon Ball Z" in North America.

Note: Chapter count includes 519 regular chapters and 1 extra. (Volume 33's "Trunks: The Story").

Tags: Martial Arts , Shounen , Travel , Super Power , Male Protagonist , Cultivation , Aliens , Full Color , Time Skip , Henshin , Coming of Age , Cyborg , Afterlife , Anachronism , Tragedy , Magic , Gods , Shapeshifting , Nudity , Military , Adoption , Robots , Rural , Dragons , Dissociative Identities

Iphagyongbyeong

Also known as Teenage Mercenary.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Drama

At the age of eight, I-Jin Yu lost his parents in a plane crash and became stranded in a foreign land, forced to become a child mercenary in order to stay alive. He returns home ten years later to be reunited with his family in Korea, where food and shelter are plenty and everything seems peaceful. But I-Jin will soon learn that life as a teenager is a whole other feat of survival. With only one year of high school left, I-Jin must master new tactics to maneuver his way around the schoolhouse battleground. Can he survive a year of high school? Or rather, will the school be able to survive him?



Tags: Kuudere , Full Color , Male Protagonist , Family Life , Military , School , Guns , Martial Arts , Bullying , Assassins , Tragedy , Anti-Hero , Yakuza , Heterosexual , War , Terrorism , Mafia

Golden Kamuy

Also known as Golden Kamuy.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy , Drama

In the early twentieth century, Russo-Japanese War veteran Saichi “Immortal” Sugimoto scratches out a meager existence during the postwar gold rush in the wilderness of Hokkaido. When he stumbles across a map to a fortune in hidden Ainu gold, he sets off on a treacherous quest to find it. But Sugimoto is not the only interested party, and everyone who knows about the gold will kill to possess it! Faced with the harsh conditions of the northern wilderness, ruthless criminals and rogue Japanese soldiers, Sugimoto will need all his skills and luck—and the help of an Ainu girl named Asirpa—to survive.



Note: Won the 9th Manga Taisho Award in 2016 and the 22nd Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2018. Nominated for the 20th and 21st Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize and the 40th Kodansha Manga Awards in 2016.

Tags: Conspiracy , Historical , Military , Outdoor , Seinen , Educational , Politics , Ensemble Cast , Surreal Comedy , Food , Travel , Found Family , Primarily Adult Cast , Gore , Primarily Male Cast , Survival , Guns , LGBTQ+ Themes , Cute Boys Doing Cute Things , Language Barrier , Crime , Slapstick , Revenge , Anti-Hero , Trains , Male Harem , Snowscape , Male Protagonist , Nudity , Prison , Swordplay , Disability , Suicide , Archery , Tanned Skin , Boys' Love , Twins , Transgender , Cannibalism , Yakuza , Time Skip , Crossdressing , Zoophilia , Dissociative Identities , Heterosexual , Gender Bending

Akame ga Kill!

Also known as Akame ga KILL!.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Drama , Fantasy , Horror

Teenage country bumpkin Tatsumi dreams of earning enough money for his impoverished village by working in the Capital--but his short-lived plans go awry when he's robbed by a buxom beauty upon arrival! Penniless, Tatsumi is taken in by the lovely Miss Aria, but just when his Capital dreams seem in reach yet again, Miss Aria's mansion is besieged by Night Raid--a team of ruthless assassins who targets high-ranking members of the upper class! As Tatsumi is quick to learn, appearances can be deceiving in the Capital, and this team of assassins just might be...the good guys?!



Note: Volumes 5 and 8 each contain a bonus chapter.

Tags: Assassins , Shounen , Tragedy , Anti-Hero , Gore , War , Swordplay , Male Protagonist , Super Power , Female Protagonist , Ensemble Cast , Love Triangle , Heterosexual , Yandere , Tsundere , Henshin , Kuudere , Nekomimi , Guns , Crime , Time Manipulation , Military , Conspiracy , Transgender , Dragons , Youkai , Female Harem , Alchemy

AKIRA

Also known as Akira.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Horror , Psychological , Sci-Fi

Welcome to Neo-Tokyo, built on the ashes of a Tokyo annihilated by a blast of unknown origin that triggered World War III. The lives of two streetwise teenage friends, Tetsuo and Kaneda, change forever when paranormal abilities begin to waken in Tetsuo, making him a target for a shadowy agency that will stop at nothing to prevent another catastrophe like the one that leveled Tokyo. At the core of the agency's motivation is a raw, all-consuming fear of an unthinkable, monstrous power known only as Akira.



Tags: Dystopian , Cyberpunk , Military , Post-Apocalyptic , Seinen , Tragedy , Super Power , Male Protagonist , Gore , Survival , Delinquents , Philosophy , Body Horror , Drugs , Anti-Hero , War , Cult , Gangs , Motorcycles , Coming of Age , Afterlife , Terrorism , Basketball , Nudity , Reincarnation , Bullying

All You Need Is Kill

Also known as All You Need Is Kill.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Mecha , Psychological , Romance , Sci-Fi

When the alien Mimics invade, Keiji Kiriya is just one of many recruits shoved into a suit of battle armor called a Jacket and sent out to kill. Keiji dies on the battlefield, only to be reborn each morning to fight and die again and again. On his 158th iteration, he gets a message from a mysterious ally--the female soldier known as the Full Metal Bitch. Is she the key to Keiji's escape or his final death?



Tags: Military , Seinen , Time Manipulation , Aliens , Tragedy , Survival , War , Primarily Adult Cast , Male Protagonist , Guns , Time Loop , Alternate Universe , Heterosexual , Revenge , Gore

Owari no Seraph

Also known as Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Drama , Mystery , Supernatural

After trumpets of the apocalypse proclaim the fall of humanity, vampires arise from the shadows to rule the earth. Yuichiro wants just one thing—to get revenge by killing each and every vampire.

Yuichiro’s dream is near-impossible, given that vampires are seven times stronger than humans, and the only way to kill them is by mastering Cursed Gear, advanced demon-possessed weaponry. Not to mention that humanity’s most elite Vampire Extermination Unit, the Moon Demon Company, wants nothing to do with Yuichiro unless he can prove he’s willing to work in a team—which is the last thing he wants!



Note: Includes 2 extra chapters.

Tags: Vampire , Post-Apocalyptic , Shounen , War , Angels , Urban Fantasy , Male Protagonist , Military , LGBTQ+ Themes , Found Family , Reincarnation , Cosmic Horror , Demons , Revenge , Conspiracy , Primarily Teen Cast , Boys' Love , Lost Civilization , Primarily Male Cast , Pandemic , Orphan , School

Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou

Also known as Girls' Last Tour.

Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Sci-Fi , Slice of Life

Civilization is dead, but Chito and Yuuri are still alive. So they hop aboard their beloved Kettenkrad motorbike and aimlessly wander the ruins of the world they once knew. Day after hopeless day, they look for their next meal and fuel for their ride. But as long as the two are together, even an existence as bleak as theirs has a ray or two of sunshine in it, whether they're sucking down their fill of soup or hunting for machine parts to tinker with. For two girls in a world full of nothing, the experiences and feelings the two share give them something to live for…



Note: Winner of the Best Comic Award at the Seiun Awards in 2019.

Tags: Post-Apocalyptic , Philosophy , Female Protagonist , Tragedy , Lost Civilization , Survival , Iyashikei , Primarily Female Cast , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Seinen , Episodic , Travel , Snowscape , Urban , War , Artificial Intelligence , Tanks , Denpa , Cosmic Horror , Military , Chibi , Aliens

Dubeon Saneun Ranker

Also known as Second Life Ranker.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Adventure , Fantasy

Yeonwoo’s brother disappeared years ago, and he’s devastated to learn of his death. As he copes with his loss, he’s given a pocket watch and learns there’s more to his brother’s death: he was betrayed while competing in the Tower of the Sun God. Now it’s Yeonwoo’s turn to use the knowledge his brother left behind. Can Yeonwoo (call sign: Cain) navigate that world and gain enough power and experience to reach the top of the tower, defeating his brother’s enemies and all those who stand in his way?



Tags: Alternate Universe , Revenge , Full Color , Male Protagonist , Twins , Gods , Dungeon , Survival , Mythology , Anti-Hero , Dragons , Goblin , Military

Dead Dead Demon's Dededededestruction

Also known as Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction.

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Sci-Fi , Slice of Life

The Japan Self-Defense Forces are still looking for a way to combat the alien threat, but so far conventional weapons have had no effect. Maybe it’s time to try something unconventional.

Meanwhile, Kadode Koyama and her best friend avidly track the aliens’ movements on social media and less enthusiastically study for college entrance exams. When the end of the world looms overhead, you learn to take things one step at a time.



Notes:
- Winner of the 66th Shogakukan Manga Award in the general category.
- Includes 1 extra chapter.

Tags: Seinen , Aliens , Female Protagonist , Alternate Universe , Politics , Primarily Female Cast , Military , Time Manipulation , Bisexual , Coming of Age , Denpa , Dystopian , Language Barrier , Philosophy , Tragedy , School , Otaku Culture , Suicide , Anti-Hero , Post-Apocalyptic , Gore , Satire , Cosmic Horror , Yuri , Love Triangle

JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken: Sentou Chouryuu

Also known as JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 2: Battle Tendency.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Supernatural

The beginning of the Battle Tendency Arc! The Joestar family is called upon to do battle against evil again! This time, it’s Joseph Joestar, the grandson of Jonathan Joestar! And his enemies are more powerful and diabolical than ever! Behold! The terror of the Pillar Men!



Tags: Super Power , Shounen , Male Protagonist , Foreign , Cultivation , Vampire , Tragedy , Gore , Travel , Urban Fantasy , Body Horror , Military , Bisexual , Cyborg

The Boxer

Also known as The Boxer.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Sports

You’ve got the raw talent. Or you’re the underdog. But do you have the heart? Do you have what it takes? Let’s see what you’re made of. The real fight starts now!



Note: The chapter count includes 10 extra chapters, an 18-chapter side story and 2 epilogues.

Tags: Boxing , Philosophy , Male Protagonist , Martial Arts , Athletics , Full Color , Primarily Male Cast , Tragedy , Bullying , Time Skip , Religion , Military , School , Meta , Ensemble Cast