Top Orphan Manga Recommendations

Kimetsu no Yaiba

Also known as Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.

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

The setting is Taisho era Japan. Tanjirou is a kindhearted young boy who lived peacefully with his family as a coal seller. Their normal life changes completely when his family is slaughtered by demons. The only other survivor, Tanjirou's younger sister Nezuko, has become a ferocious demon. In order to return Nezuko to normal and get revenge on the demon that killed their family, the two of them depart on a journey. From a young talent, an adventure tale of blood and swords begins!



Notes:
- Includes two extra chapters.
- Nominated to the 24th and 25th Annual Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize.

Tags: Demons , Shounen , Swordplay , Tragedy , Male Protagonist , Revenge , Gore , Historical , Afterlife , Body Horror , Rural , Orphan , Time Skip , Coming of Age , Shapeshifting , Travel , Reincarnation , Oiran , Trains , Guns , Crossdressing , Age Regression , Disability , Bisexual , Polyamorous , Youkai , Animals , Religion , Food

SPY×FAMILY

Also known as SPY x FAMILY.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Comedy , Slice of Life , Supernatural

The master spy codenamed <Twilight> has spent his days on undercover missions, all for the dream of a better world. But one day, he receives a particularly difficult new order from command. For his mission, he must form a temporary family and start a new life?! A Spy/Action/Comedy about a one-of-a-kind family!



Notes:
- Includes 2 "Extra Missions" and 11 “Short Missions”.
- Nominated for the 24th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2020.
- Nominated for the 13th and 14th Manga Taisho Award in 2020 and 2021.
- Nominated for the 44th Kodansha Manga Award in the Shounen Category in 2020.

Tags: Family Life , Espionage , Found Family , War , Assassins , Surreal Comedy , Work , Female Protagonist , Male Protagonist , Adoption , Fake Relationship , School , Aliens , Politics , Orphan , Shounen , Heterosexual , Marriage , Super Power , Slapstick , Guns , Ensemble Cast , Episodic , Parody , Parenthood , Foreign , Terrorism , Hikikomori , Satire , Iyashikei , Urban , Historical , Anachronism , Tsundere , Urban Fantasy

MONSTER

Also known as Monster.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Mystery , Psychological , Thriller

Everyone faces uncertainty at some point in their lives. Even a brilliant surgeon like Kenzo Tenma is no exception. But there’s no way he could have known that his decision to stop chasing professional success and instead concentrate on his oath to save peoples’ lives would result in the birth of an abomination. The questions of good and evil now take on a terrifyingly real dimension.

Years later, in Germany during the tumultuous post-reunification period, middle-aged childless couples are being killed one after another. The serial killer’s identity is known. The reasons why he kills are not. Dr. Tenma sets out on a journey to find the killer’s twin sister, who may hold some clues to solving the enigma of the “Monster.”



Tags: Seinen , Conspiracy , Philosophy , Crime , Tragedy , Amnesia , Twins , Noir , Fugitive , Foreign , Historical , Memory Manipulation , Male Protagonist , Ensemble Cast , Primarily Adult Cast , Detective , Police , Medicine , Time Skip , Crossdressing , Suicide , Orphan , Adoption , Torture , Assassins , Achronological Order , Episodic , Gore

Fire Punch

Also known as Fire Punch.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Mystery , Psychological , Supernatural , Thriller

Orphaned siblings Agni and Luna, like the Ice Witch who cursed their world, are two of the “blessed,” humans who hold special abilities. However, not all who are blessed are friendly, and after another of their kind attacks Agni and decimates the orphans' village, Agni fights to survive, vowing revenge.



Tags: Post-Apocalyptic , Tragedy , Suicide , Dystopian , Revenge , Philosophy , Cult , Anti-Hero , Super Power , Survival , Religion , Body Horror , Torture , Meta , Gore , Male Protagonist , Cosmic Horror , Filmmaking , Acting , Snowscape , Time Skip , Coming of Age , Cannibalism , Incest , Transgender , Slavery , LGBTQ+ Themes , Gods , Surreal Comedy , Urban Fantasy , Memory Manipulation , Denpa , Politics , Amputation , Shounen , Heterosexual , Orphan , Psychosexual

NARUTO

Also known as Naruto.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Supernatural

Before Naruto's birth, a great demon fox had attacked the Hidden Leaf Village. A man known as the 4th Hokage sealed the demon inside the newly born Naruto, causing him to unknowingly grow up detested by his fellow villagers. Despite his lack of talent in many areas of ninjutsu, Naruto strives for only one goal: to gain the title of Hokage, the strongest ninja in his village. Desiring the respect he never received, Naruto works towards his dream with fellow friends Sasuke and Sakura and mentor Kakashi as they go through many trials and battles that come with being a ninja.

Tags: Shounen , Ninja , Revenge , Coming of Age , Found Family , Super Power , Male Protagonist , Martial Arts , War , Tragedy , Orphan , Kaiju , Time Skip , Necromancy , Cultivation , Philosophy , Magic , Henshin , Anachronism , Animals , Heterosexual , Travel , Love Triangle , Demons , Espionage , Aliens

CLAYMORE

Also known as Claymore.

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

A village is gripped by fear and paranoia when a Yoma claims six lives. The Claymore who is sent to slay the creature isn't what the villagers expect at all. In fact, she seems more monster than human.



Note: Includes four extra chapters.

Tags: Demons , Primarily Female Cast , Super Power , Female Protagonist , Monster Girl , Gore , Swordplay , Revenge , Dystopian , Youkai , Shapeshifting , Tragedy , Body Horror , Ensemble Cast , Orphan , Conspiracy , Time Skip , Adoption , Twins , Nudity , Shounen , Anti-Hero , Espionage , Medieval , Cannibalism , Amnesia , Gods , Fugitive , Tomboy , Nun

Supyeongseon

Also known as The Horizon.

Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Drama , Psychological

A world where everything has been lost. A boy and a girl alone together. A spark of hope kindled between them. All they can do is move forward. But against broken adults and devastating despair, how long will they be able to keep going...?



Tags: Survival , Post-Apocalyptic , Philosophy , War , Tragedy , Religion , Coming of Age , Primarily Child Cast , Crime , Travel , Achromatic , Time Skip , Male Protagonist , Rehabilitation , Orphan , Guns , Gore , Suicide , Cannibalism , Language Barrier , Outdoor Activities

Akatsuki no Yona

Also known as Yona of the Dawn.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Adventure , Drama , Fantasy , Romance

A red-haired princess loses her family and her kingdom—now she must rise and fight for her throne!

Princess Yona lives an ideal life as the only princess of her kingdom. Doted on by her father, the king, and protected by her faithful guard Hak, she cherishes the time spent with the man she loves, Su-won. But everything changes on her 16th birthday when tragedy strikes her family!

Yona reels from the shock of witnessing a loved one's murder and having to fight for her life. With Hak's help, she flees the palace and struggles to survive while evading her enemy's forces. But where will this displaced princess go when all the paths before her are uncertain?



Tags: Found Family , Female Protagonist , Travel , Shoujo , Historical , Dragons , Politics , Fugitive , Gods , Mythology , Kingdom Management , Reincarnation , Royal Affairs , War , Tragedy , Coming of Age , Heterosexual , Foreign , Primarily Male Cast , Super Power , Archery , Survival , Male Harem , Animals , Medicine , Orphan , Pirates , Kuudere , Drugs

BORUTO: NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS

Also known as Boruto: Naruto Next Generations.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Supernatural

The ninja adventures continue with Naruto’s son, Boruto!

Naruto was a young shinobi with an incorrigible knack for mischief. He achieved his dream to become the greatest ninja in his village, and now his face sits atop the Hokage monument. But this is not his story... A new generation of ninja are ready to take the stage, led by Naruto's own son, Boruto!

Years have passed since Naruto and Sasuke teamed up to defeat Kaguya, the progenitor of chakra and the greatest threat the ninja world has ever faced. Times are now peaceful and the new generation of shinobi has not experienced the same hardships as its parents. Perhaps that is why Boruto would rather play video games than train. However, one passion does burn deep in this ninja boy’s heart, and that is the desire to defeat his father!



Note: Includes the one-shot "Naruto: The Path Lit by the Full Moon".

Tags: Shounen , Ninja , Gods , Super Power , Male Protagonist , Aliens , Primarily Child Cast , Cyborg , Fugitive , Memory Manipulation , Martial Arts , Anti-Hero , Cultivation , Espionage , Orphan

Bungou Stray Dogs

Also known as Bungo Stray Dogs.

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

Having been kicked out of the orphanage, a despairing young man by the name of Atsushi Nakajima rescues a strange man from a suicide attempt--Osamu Dazai. Turns out that Dazai is part of an armed-detective agency staffed by individuals whose supernatural powers take on a literary bent!



Tags: Urban Fantasy , Detective , Super Power , Mafia , Crime , Fugitive , Male Protagonist , Classic Literature , Tragedy , Primarily Male Cast , Seinen , Work , Ensemble Cast , Primarily Adult Cast , Philosophy , Found Family , Criminal Organization , Anti-Hero , Terrorism , Orphan , Conspiracy , Assassins , Gods , Cute Boys Doing Cute Things , Vampire , Suicide , Guns , Monster Boy , Gore , Swordplay , Police , Torture , Circus , Sadism , Time Manipulation , Tsundere , Shapeshifting , Animals

Totsukuni no Shoujo

Also known as The Girl From the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Fantasy , Mystery

In a world split between the Inside and the Outside, those living in both realms are told never to cross over to the other side, lest they be cursed. A young girl named Shiva lives on the other side, in a vacant village with a demonic guardian known only as “Teacher.” Although the two are forbidden to touch, they seem to share a bond that transcends their disparate appearances. But when Shiva leaves Teacher’s care to seek out her grandmother, the secret behind her mysterious living arrangement comes to light.



Tags: Fairy Tale , Rural , Anthropomorphism , Male Protagonist , Female Protagonist , Demons , Amnesia , Family Life , Pandemic , Philosophy , Adoption , Found Family , Body Horror , Curses , Teacher , Cosmic Horror , Gods , Tragedy , Orphan , Foreign , Religion , Travel , Lost Civilization , Survival , Politics , Eco-Horror , Medicine , Centaur , Shounen

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 two extra chapters.

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

Ao no Exorcist

Also known as Blue Exorcist.

Status: Hiatus
Genres: Action , Supernatural

Raised by Father Fujimoto, a famous exorcist, Rin Okumura never knew his real father. One day a fateful argument with Father Fujimoto forces Rin to face a terrible truth—the blood of the demon lord Satan runs in Rin's veins! Rin swears to defeat Satan, but doing that means entering the mysterious True Cross Academy and becoming an exorcist himself. Can Rin fight demons and keep his infernal bloodline a secret? It won't be easy, especially when drawing his father's sword releases the demonic power within him!



Note: Includes three extra chapters.

Tags: Demons , Male Protagonist , Shounen , Conspiracy , Urban Fantasy , Twins , Swordplay , Primarily Teen Cast , Primarily Male Cast , Exorcism , School , Tragedy , Religion , Youkai , Clone , Anthropomorphism , Gore , Body Horror , Chimera , Espionage , Curses , Magic , Orphan , Ensemble Cast , Mythology , Guns , Kemonomimi , Time Manipulation , Heterosexual , Kaiju , Memory Manipulation , Suicide , Zombie , Nudity

Kuroshitsuji

Also known as Black Butler.

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

In Victorian era Europe, a young boy loses everything he once held near and dear to a vicious plot. In his moment of death, he strikes a deal with a demon: his soul, in exchange for revenge. Ciel Phantomhive is now the head of the Phantomhive corporation, handling all business affairs as well as the underground work for the Queen of England. His new partner is a demon butler, Sebastian Michaelis, whose prowess as a butler is only surpassed by his strength as a demon.

The story follows the two along with their other servants, as they work to unravel the plot behind Ciel's parents' murder, and the horrendous tragedies that befell Ciel in the month directly after.

Tags: Demons , Revenge , Tragedy , Crime , Historical , Butler , Anti-Hero , Orphan , Male Protagonist , Twins , Royal Affairs , Foreign , Cult , Detective , Shounen , Magic , Found Family , Circus , Mythology , Maids , Assassins , Steampunk , LGBTQ+ Themes , Travel , Medicine , Urban Fantasy , Zombie , Anachronism , Fugitive , Crossdressing , Boarding School , Estranged Family , Musical Theater , Transgender , School , Torture , Witch , Swordplay , Disability , Idol

Fruits Basket

Also known as Fruits Basket.

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Psychological , Romance , Supernatural

After a family tragedy turns her life upside down, plucky high schooler Tohru Honda takes matters into her own hands and moves out...into a tent! Unfortunately for her, she pitches her new home on private land belonging to the mysterious Sohma clan, and it isn't long before the owners discover her secret. But, as Tohru quickly finds out when the family offers to take her in, the Sohmas have a secret of their own--when touched by the opposite sex, they turn into the animals of the Chinese Zodiac!



Note: Volume 9 includes the bonus chapter "Rain Shelter of Terror".

Tags: Shoujo , Mythology , Animals , Ensemble Cast , Tragedy , Shapeshifting , Philosophy , Rehabilitation , Heterosexual , Reincarnation , Found Family , Female Protagonist , Urban Fantasy , Primarily Male Cast , School , Family Life , Primarily Teen Cast , Coming of Age , Age Gap , Tsundere , Estranged Family , Youkai , Curses , Love Triangle , Memory Manipulation , Disability , Orphan , Unrequited Love , Incest , Crossdressing , Henshin , Delinquents , Cohabitation , Monster Boy , Iyashikei , Revenge , Dissociative Identities , Teacher , Marriage , Transgender

BANANA FISH

Also known as Banana Fish.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Drama , Psychological , Thriller

Nature made Ash Lynx beautiful; nurture made him a cold ruthless killer. A runaway brought up as the adopted heir and sex toy of "Papa" Dino Golzine, Ash, now at the rebellious age of seventeen, forsakes the kingdom held out by the devil who raised him. But the hideous secret that drove Ash's older brother mad in Vietnam has suddenly fallen into Papa's insatiably ambitious hands--and it's exactly the wrong time for Eiji Okamura, a pure-hearted young photographer from Japan, to make Ash Lynx's acquaintance...



Tags: Mafia , Tragedy , Gangs , Conspiracy , Drugs , Noir , Primarily Male Cast , Crime , Revenge , Criminal Organization , Ensemble Cast , Anti-Hero , Fugitive , Coming of Age , Shoujo , Delinquents , Urban , Foreign , Male Protagonist , Politics , Guns , Primarily Adult Cast , Adoption , Orphan , Tanned Skin , Assassins , LGBTQ+ Themes , Boys' Love , Police , Cars , Bisexual , Photography , Classic Literature , Heterosexual , Time Skip , Prison

Shinai naru Boku e Satsui wo Komete

Also known as My Dearest Self With Malice Aforethought.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Horror , Mystery , Psychological , Slice of Life , Thriller

Eiji the college-age virgin dreams of someday having a girlfriend...until he wakes up one day with his "girlfriend" in his bed with him! Not only that, his buddy tells him he got in a fight...and that three days have passed that Eiji doesn't remember? What dark secrets are being hidden...by Eiji himself?



Note: Includes 1 epilogue chapter.

Tags: Dissociative Identities , Revenge , Crime , Seinen , Amnesia , Police , Denpa , Fugitive , Yandere , Detective , Torture , Male Protagonist , Anti-Hero , Prostitution , Suicide , Gore , Gangs , Nudity , Adoption , College , Time Skip , Orphan , Tragedy , Body Horror , Guns , LGBTQ+ Themes

Ashita no Joe

Also known as Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Slice of Life , Sports

Joe Yabuki is a troubled young man who runs away from an orphanage. Wandering through the Tokyo slums, he meets former boxing trainer Danpei. Joe is later arrested and goes to a temporary jail where he fights Nishi, his future best friend, ​and leader of a group of hooligans. He and Nishi then go to a juvenile prison miles away from Tokyo. There Joe meets Rikiishi, a former boxing prodigy, and a rivalry develops between them. They face each other in a match in which Rikiishi dominates Joe until the latter hits him with a cross-counter, resulting in both being knocked out. This inspires the other prison inmates to take up boxing. Joe and Rikiishi vow to fight again.



Tags: Tragedy , Boxing , Coming of Age , Male Protagonist , Rehabilitation , Orphan , Anti-Hero , Urban , Class Struggle , Athletics , Shounen , Primarily Male Cast , Delinquents , Prison , Foreign , Yakuza , War

Tengoku Daimakyou

Also known as Heavenly Delusion.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Adventure , Drama , Mystery

Within the safety of the walls, youths are raised in a nursery-style setting by robots. While life there may appear stale on the surface, the children are full of potential and curiosity. In many ways it is like a slice of heaven. The outside world is a hell-scape. It is almost entirely void of anything mechanical and is now inhabited by bizarre, yet powerful super-natural beings.

Maru, with the aid of Kiruko, is out there crisscrossing what was once Tokyo for heaven. But after searching for so long, maybe heaven is more of an untenable dream than a potential reality.



Winner of 'Kono Manga ga Sugoi!' 2019 Award in Male Readers category.

Tags: Post-Apocalyptic , Tragedy , Seinen , Male Protagonist , Survival , Dystopian , Achronological Order , Female Protagonist , Body Swapping , Travel , Gender Bending , Conspiracy , Super Power , Heterosexual , Artificial Intelligence , Bisexual , Nudity , Amnesia , Transgender , Orphan , Yuri , Guns , Demons , Gore

Taiyou no Ie

Also known as House of the Sun.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Romance , Slice of Life

As a child, Mao spent all her time at Hiro’s house across the street. Going to his house always made her feel cheerful. A few years later, Mao’s father gets remarried and Mao finds herself with nowhere to call home. Hiro ends up letting her stay with him in the house he’s been occupying alone since the death of his parents. A love story unfolds, between two childhood friends of different ages.



Note: Includes 20 extra chapters.

Tags: Female Protagonist , Family Life , Coming of Age , Love Triangle , Shoujo , Age Gap , Tsundere , Tragedy , Heterosexual , Iyashikei , Cohabitation , School , Adoption , Orphan , Estranged Family , Primarily Teen Cast