Top Samurai Manga Recommendations

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

Vagabond

Also known as Vagabond.

Status: Hiatus
Genres: Action , Adventure , Drama

At seventeen years of age, Miyamoto Musashi--still known by his childhood name, Shinmen Takezo--was a wild young brute just setting out along the way of the sword.

In the aftermath of the epic Battle of Sekigahara, Takezo finds himself a fugitive survivor on the losing side of the war. Takezo's vicious nature has made him an outcast even in his own village, and he is hunted down like an animal. At this crucial crossroads in Takezo's life, an eccentric monk and a childhood friend are the only ones who can help him find his way.



Tags: Swordplay , Seinen , Samurai , Historical , Philosophy , Travel , Coming of Age , Male Protagonist , Martial Arts , Tragedy , Survival , Cultivation , Biographical , Gore , Rural , Heterosexual , War , Outdoor Activities , Ghost , Agriculture , Classic Literature , Fugitive , Language Barrier , Nudity , Afterlife ,

Jigokuraku

Also known as Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku.

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

Gabimaru the Hollow is one of the most vicious assassins ever to come out of the ninja village of Iwagakure. He’s ruthlessly efficient, but a betrayal results in him being handed a death sentence. He has only one hope—in order to earn his freedom, he must travel to a long-hidden island and recover an elixir that will make the shogun immortal. Failure is not an option. On this island, heaven and hell are just a hair’s breadth away.



Tags: Survival , Samurai , Philosophy , Ninja , Ensemble Cast , Anti-Hero , Mythology , Gore , Tragedy , Historical , Gods , Primarily Adult Cast , Male Protagonist , Eco-Horror , Swordplay , Battle Royale , Body Horror , Gender Bending , Shounen , Nudity , Arranged Marriage , Heterosexual , Super Power , Travel , Amnesia , LGBTQ+ Themes , Crime , Yandere

Shuumatsu no Valkyrie

Also known as Record of Ragnarok.

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

The story begins when the gods call a convention to decide whether to let humanity live or die, and settle on destroying humanity. But a lone valkyrie puts forward a suggestion to let the gods and humanity fight one last battle, as a last hope for humanity's continued survival. 13 gods will fight against 13 human champions in one-on-one battles to decide whether humanity lives or dies.

Tags: Gods , Mythology , Death Game , Survival , Historical , Super Power , Seinen , Primarily Adult Cast , Female Protagonist , Cultivation , Gore , Wrestling , Samurai , Assassins , Cheerleading

Gintama

Also known as Gin Tama.

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

The samurai didn't stand a chance. First, the aliens invaded Japan. Next, they took all the jobs. And then they confiscated everyone's swords. So what does a hotheaded former samurai like Sakata "Gin" Gintoki do to make ends meet? Take any odd job that comes his way, even if it means losing his dignity.



Included Bonus Chapters:
Volume 1: Dandelion (One-shot).
Volume 2: Shirokuro (One-shot).
Volume 24: 13 (One-shot).
Volume 38: Bankara-san Ga Tooru (One-shot).
Volume 41: Special Lesson.

Tags: Samurai , Found Family , Parody , Meta , Swordplay , Male Protagonist , Aliens , Philosophy , Shounen , Episodic , Tragedy , Space , Historical , Anachronism , Ensemble Cast , Time Skip , Police , War , Dystopian , Robots , Ninja , Ghost , LGBTQ+ Themes , Homeless , Assassins , Crossdressing , Fugitive , Idol , Shrine Maiden , Body Swapping , Gender Bending , Judo , Drawing , Gangs , Female Harem , Dissociative Identities , Afterlife , Amnesia , Cult , Military , Reincarnation , Nekomimi , Conspiracy , Politics

Mugen no Juunin

Also known as Blade of the Immortal.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Supernatural

Hiroaki Samura's Blade of the Immortal will keep you on edge! Manji, a ronin warrior of feudal Japan, has been cursed with immortality. To rid himself of this curse and end his life of misery, he must slay one thousand evil men! His quest begins when a young girl seeks his help in taking revenge on her parents' killers . . . and his quest won't end until the blood of a thousand has spilled!



Notes:
- The magazine release contains 219 chapters, which includes a prologue.
- The tankoubon release re-arranges the manga into 207 total chapters across 30 volumes.
- The Dark Horse release re-arranges the manga into 208 total chapters across 31 volumes.

Tags: Tragedy , Martial Arts , Swordplay , Revenge , Samurai , Primarily Adult Cast , Anti-Hero , Historical , Seinen , Gore , Demons , Philosophy , Urban Fantasy , Prison , Fugitive , Torture

Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan

Also known as Rurouni Kenshin.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Romance

One hundred and forty years ago in Kyoto, with the coming of the American "Black Ships," there arose a warrior who, felling men with his bloodstained blade, gained the name Hitokiri, manslayer! His killer blade helped close the turbulent Bakumatsu era and slashed open the progressive age known as Meiji. Then he vanished, and with the flow of years, became legend.



Included one-shots:
Volume 1: Rurōni -Meiji Kenkaku Romantan- (second one-shot for the series, which Watsuki calls a "side-story")
Volume 3: Rurōni -Meiji Kenkaku Romantan- (first one-shot for the series, which Watsuki calls the "pilot")
Volume 6: Sengoku no Mikazuki (Nobuhiro Watsuki's debut one-shot)
Volume 28: Meteor Strike

Tags: Swordplay , Historical , Samurai , Shounen , Heterosexual , Male Protagonist , Martial Arts , Ninja , Assassins , Tragedy , Gore , Military , Urban Fantasy , Love Triangle , Cultivation

Bibliomania

Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Drama , Fantasy , Horror , Psychological , Supernatural

Alice had woken up in Room 431 of a mysterious manor. "You must not leave this room," warned the Serpent, but she paid it no heed and her body began to rot... Will she be able to escape the cursed manor?

Note: Nominated for the 2019 Japan Media Arts Festival Awards in the Manga category.

Tags: Post-Apocalyptic , Philosophy , Female Protagonist , Tragedy , Body Horror , Cosmic Horror , Anti-Hero , War , Seinen , Demons , Urban Fantasy , Religion , Samurai , Bullying , Curses

Spirit Circle

Also known as Spirit Circle.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy , Romance , Sci-Fi , Supernatural

Fuuta Okeya’s dad said second-year middle school students are unstoppable, and he’s inclined to agree. Fuuta’s determined to make the most out of his ordinary student life, but everything changes when the mysterious Kouko Ishigami transfers into his class. Not just because Fuuta thinks she’s pretty and likes her – but because she thinks Fuuta is her rival from a past life!



Note: Includes one extra chapter.

Tags: Reincarnation , Philosophy , Revenge , Seinen , Alternate Universe , Urban Fantasy , Male Protagonist , Gods , Tsundere , Heterosexual , Artificial Intelligence , School , Terrorism , Politics , Samurai , Gender Bending , Nudity , Archery

Kozure Ookami

Also known as Lone Wolf and Cub.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama

An epic samurai adventure of staggering proportions—over 7000 pages—Lone Wolf and Cub (Kozure Okami in Japan) is acknowledged worldwide for the brilliant writing of series creator Kazuo Koike and the groundbreaking cinematic visuals of the late Goseki Kojima, creating unforgettable imagery of stark beauty, kinetic fury, and visceral thematic power that influenced a generation of visual storytellers both in Japan and in the West.



Tags: Revenge , Samurai , Historical , Swordplay , Assassins , Episodic , Male Protagonist , Tragedy , Seinen , Gore , Ninja , Politics , Nudity , Yakuza , Primarily Male Cast ,

Love Hina

Also known as Love Hina.

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Ecchi , Romance

When Keitaro Urashima fails his entrance exams to get into Tokyo University for the second time, he's officially an unemployed and uneducated slacker. To make things worse, his parents have kicked him out of his house. Fortunately, his grandmother owns the fabulous Hinata Lodge and has agreed to take Keitaro in as caretaker. What he doesn't know is that the lodge is actually a girls' dorm and he's the only guy around! Most guys would kill to live with five sexy ladies, but if Keitaro's not careful, this job will kill him.



Tags: Tsundere , Female Harem , Ensemble Cast , Male Protagonist , Shounen , College , Primarily Adult Cast , Time Skip , Primarily Female Cast , Nudity , Samurai , Coming of Age

Drifters

Also known as Drifters.

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

First he pitted the Catholic church against vampires, Nazis and Great Britain, bathing London in a flood of blood. But Hellsing creator, Kohta Hirano still had something crazy up his sleeve when he created his new series, Drifters.

Imagine a world of magic, full of elves and hobbits and dragons and orcs. Inside this world of magic and wonder there is a great war being waged, using warriors from human history as chess pieces in a bloody, endless battle. Hirano’s new concept gathers famous warriors throughout history and puts them on both sides of good and evil, and then turned them loose in a bloody melee of madness.



Note: Nominated for the 4th and 5th Manga Taishou Awards.

Tags: War , Seinen , Historical , Isekai , Samurai , Elf , Anti-Hero , Magic , Swordplay , Satire , Guns , Archery , Dragons , Anachronism , Demons

Shigurui

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Horror

The story begins in 1629 Shizuoka during Tokugawa Tadanaga's rule. The daimyo staged a tournament where the participants fought with real steel Japanese swords rather than bokken, against his vassals' strong objection. The story revolves around the first match between the one-armed swordsman Fujiki Gennosuke and the blind samurai Irako Seigen and deals with the circumstances that led the two to participate in Tokugawa's tournament.



Tags: Tragedy , Swordplay , Samurai , Gore , Nudity , Disability , Heterosexual , Seinen , Male Protagonist , Historical , Primarily Adult Cast , Martial Arts , Philosophy , Cannibalism

Saikyou Densetsu Kurosawa

Also known as The Legend of the Strongest, Kurosawa!.

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

Kurosawa is sick and tired of his boring, ordinary life growing old as the less popular site foreman in Anahira Construction. The turning point comes when his 44th birthday comes along, and no one remembers or celebrates with him. Realizing he lived a life without drive or purpose, Kurosawa tries to go past his comfort zone to turn his life around. Will his newfound shenanigans help him or hurt him when he gets caught up in fights with delinquents?



Tags: Male Protagonist , Seinen , Philosophy , Delinquents , Work , Bullying , Primarily Male Cast , Tragedy , Primarily Adult Cast , Homeless , Satire , Nudity , Samurai , Urban , Age Gap

Totsuide kita Yome Aisouwarai Bakari Shiteru

Also known as My New Wife’s Fake Smile.

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Romance

A samurai is worried about the fact that his wife always seems to wear a forced smile whenever she’s with him. He’s worried she’s unhappy in their match, but little does he know she’s just desperately trying to keep her wild passion for him in check for propriety’s sake.



Notes:
- Includes 26 extra chapters.
- Initially self-published on Twitter and later serialized on Nico Nico Seiga.

Tags: Samurai , Historical , Marriage , Shounen , Swordplay , Yandere , Nudity

Teito Seihai Kitan: Fate/type Redline

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

Remake of the Imperial Grail War from the Koha-Ace manga. The protagonist is Akagi Kanata, who gets transported 75 years to the past to participate in a Holy Grail War in the midst of World War 2.

Tags: Battle Royale , Magic , Time Manipulation , Isekai , Time Skip , Swordplay , Historical , Urban , Urban Fantasy , Female Protagonist , Spearplay , Tragedy , Military , Samurai , War , Politics , Dragons , Gore , Seinen , Guns

Sengoku Youko

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Romance

The world is divided into two factions: humans and monsters called katawara. Despite being a katawara, Tama loves humans and vows to protect them from evil, even if it means fighting her own kind. Her stepbrother Jinka, however, hates humans, despite mostly being one. The siblings are joined by a cowardly swordsman named Shinsuke, who wants to learn how to become strong.

The people they meet, places they see, and creatures they battle will be legendary!



Tags: Demons , Shounen , Cultivation , Gods , Samurai , Kemonomimi , Time Manipulation , Dragons , Revenge , Youkai , Ensemble Cast , Amnesia , Historical , Meta , Anti-Hero , Astronomy , Time Skip , Shapeshifting , Male Protagonist

Nige Jouzu no Wakagimi

Also known as The Elusive Samurai.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Adventure

Set in feudal Japan in between the Kamakura and Muromachi periods, our hero Houjou Tokiyuki is a boy on the run that history all but forgot! When the Kamakura shogunate is overthrown by Ashikaga Takauji, Tokiyuki's family and standing are viciously taken away from him, and he must flee to the far reaches of the land to survive and seek out his revenge!



Tags: Samurai , Shounen , Historical , Surreal Comedy , War , Ninja , Archery , Fugitive , Urban Fantasy , Male Protagonist , Swordplay , Anachronism , Gore , Suicide , Primarily Male Cast , Found Family , Primarily Child Cast , Tragedy , Religion , Ghost , Time Skip , Body Horror , Gods , Female Harem , Spearplay , Disability , Polyamorous , Biographical , Tomboy , Scat , Demons , Heterosexual , Ensemble Cast , Cannibalism

Vagabond: Saigo no Manga-ten

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Psychological

Telling the later life of Vagabond's Musashi Miyamoto, it was depicted through 140 hand-drawn drawings with ink and brush. It was released at the Ueno Royal Museum in Tokyo in May 2008, and since then it has been displayed at three other venues, Kumamoto City Museum, Suntory Museum in Osaka, and Sendai Mediatheque, with new paintings and productions.

Note: The comic was compiled in two books: "Inoueno: Mikazuki-hen" (いのうえの 三日月篇) and "Inoueno: Mangetsu-hen" (いのうえの 満月篇).

Tags: Philosophy , Samurai , Seinen , Male Protagonist , Historical , Swordplay , Time Skip , Afterlife , Tragedy

Wo Jia Laopo Lai Zi Yiqian Nian Qian

Also known as My Wife Is from a thousand Years ago.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Comedy , Fantasy , Romance , Slice of Life

Jiang He, a girl from the Tang Dynasty, jumped a thousand years into the future and appeared in front of Xu Qing. The love that spanned a thousand years brought them together as if by fate. Everything she knew had become ancient history. Relatives, friends, and enemies have all been left 1,200 years in the past. The boy will do anything to help this girl start a new life. Pain, confusion, cheers, and laughter will be made anew in the modern world.



Tags: Heterosexual , Time Manipulation , Urban , Full Color , Marriage , Male Protagonist , Feet , Chibi , Tsundere , Samurai , Isekai , Female Protagonist , Food , Nekomimi , Time Skip , Family Life