Top Torture 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 , Amnesia , Tsundere , Kuudere , Class Struggle , Disability , Historical , Baseball , Dissociative Identities , Drugs , Achronological Order , Heterosexual , Reincarnation , Transgender , LGBTQ+ Themes , Suicide , Primarily Adult Cast , Religion , Acrobatics , Cult , Medieval

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 , Travel , Swordplay , Rehabilitation , Magic , War , Mythology , Survival , Foreign , Body Horror , Gods , Religion , Primarily Adult Cast , Nudity , Politics , Fairy , Military , Disability , Dystopian , Witch , Coming of Age , Sadism , Torture , Amnesia , Time Skip , Ensemble Cast , Elf , Heterosexual , Kaiju , Achronological Order , Tomboy , Age Regression , Skeleton , Cult , Adoption , Dungeon , Slavery , Dragons , Super Power , Kingdom Management , Group Sex , Prostitution , Cannibalism , Pregnant , Incest , Curses , Medieval , Ships , Monster Girl , Vore , Monster Boy , LGBTQ+ Themes , Mermaid , Masturbation , Fellatio

Tokyo Ghoul

Also known as Tokyo Ghoul.

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

Shy Ken Kaneki is thrilled to go on a date with the beautiful Rize. But it turns out that she’s only interested in his body—eating it, that is. When a morally questionable rescue transforms him into the first half-human half-Ghoul hybrid, Ken is drawn into the dark and violent world of Ghouls, which exists alongside our own.



Note: Includes 1 extra chapter.

Tags: Tragedy , Cannibalism , Urban Fantasy , Gore , Male Protagonist , Dystopian , Survival , Seinen , Philosophy , Coming of Age , Shapeshifting , Body Horror , Torture , Police , Cosmic Horror , Kuudere , Cute Boys Doing Cute Things , Primarily Adult Cast , Heterosexual , Twins , Chimera , Mythology , Demons

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

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

Kingdom

Also known as 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 , Ancient China , Royal Affairs , Politics , Male Protagonist , Seinen , Coming of Age , Swordplay , Tragedy , Foreign , Heterosexual , Gore , Primarily Male Cast , Fugitive , Conspiracy , Body Horror , Assassins , Spearplay , Time Skip , Archery , Ensemble Cast , Torture , Crossdressing , Nudity , Magic

Noragami

Also known as Noragami: Stray God.

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

Yato is a homeless god. He doesn’t even have a shrine, not to mention worshippers! So to achieve his ambitious goals, he’s set up a service to help those in need (for a small fee), hoping he’ll eventually raise enough money to build himself the lavish temple of his dreams. Of course, he can’t afford to be picky, so Yato accepts all kinds of jobs, from finding lost kittens to helping a student overcome bullies at school.



Tags: Gods , Reincarnation , Male Protagonist , Youkai , Mythology , Tragedy , Ghost , Exorcism , Female Protagonist , Urban Fantasy , Shounen , Swordplay , Heterosexual , Afterlife , Religion , Revenge , Body Horror , Nekomimi , Torture

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

Deadman Wonderland

Also known as Deadman Wonderland.

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

The inmates of this insane penitentiary fight for survival every day to provide entertainment for the masses, and terrifying secrets lurk in the shadows. Ganta is determined to survive Deadman Wonderland and clear his name, but the price may be his soul…



Note: Volume 12 contains 6 short side stories, which counts as 1 whole chapter.

Tags: Death Game , Body Horror , Prison , Super Power , Gore , Dissociative Identities , Tragedy , Torture , Male Protagonist , Dystopian , Shounen , Philosophy , Suicide

Kagurabachi

Also known as Kagurabachi.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Drama

Young Chihiro spends his days training under his famous swordsmith father. One day he hopes to become a great sword-maker himself. The goofy father and the serious son--they thought these days would last forever. But suddenly, tragedy strikes. A dark day soaked in blood. Chihiro and his blade now live only for revenge.



Note:
- Winner of the Tsugimanga 2024 Award in the Print Manga Category.
- Nominee of the 70th Shogakukan Award.
- Nominee of the 4th Magademy Commitment Award.

Tags: Swordplay , Urban Fantasy , Revenge , Shounen , Male Protagonist , Magic , Yakuza , Gore , Mafia , Gangs , Anti-Hero , Tragedy , Time Skip , Torture

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 , Male Protagonist , Classic Literature , Fugitive , Seinen , Primarily Male Cast , Gods , Tragedy , Work , Ensemble Cast , Primarily Adult Cast , Orphan , Anti-Hero , Philosophy , Terrorism , Conspiracy , Gore , Assassins , Suicide , Vampire , Monster Boy , Police , Guns , Swordplay , Torture , Circus , Sadism , Time Manipulation , Tsundere , Shapeshifting , Found Family , Criminal Organization , Animals

Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e

Also known as Classroom of the Elite.

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

Students of the prestigious Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School are given remarkable freedom—if they can win, barter, or save enough points to work their way up the ranks! Ayanokoji Kiyotaka has landed at the bottom in the scorned Class D, where he meets Horikita Suzune, who’s determined to rise up the ladder to Class A. Can they beat the system in a school where cutthroat competition is the name of the game?



Includes Volumes: 4.5, 7.5, 11.5
Included Chapters: 14 Prologues, 13 Epilogues, 1 Extra

Tags: School , Primarily Teen Cast , Male Protagonist , Anti-Hero , Battle Royale , Ensemble Cast , Politics , Revenge , Fugitive , Survival , Heterosexual , Denpa , Coming of Age , Boarding School , Classic Literature , Conspiracy , School Club , Bullying , Disability , Athletics , Torture , Delinquents , Martial Arts , Rehabilitation , Tragedy , Love Triangle , Female Harem , Kuudere , Tsundere , Suicide , Board Game , Yandere , Teacher

Happiness

Also known as Happiness.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Horror , Supernatural

Nothing interesting is happening in Makoto Ozaki’s first year of high school. His life is a series of quiet humiliations: low-grade bullies, unreliable friends, and the constant frustration of his adolescent lust. But one night, a pale, thin girl knocks him to the ground in an alley and offers him a choice. Now everything is different. Daylight is searingly bright. Food tastes awful. And worse than anything is the terrible, consuming thirst. The tiny shames of his old life have been replaced by two towering horrors: the truth of what will slake his awful craving and high school itself.



Tags: Vampire , Tragedy , Primarily Teen Cast , Gore , Cult , Time Skip , Heterosexual , Male Protagonist , Torture , Cannibalism , Urban Fantasy , Body Horror , Urban , Shounen , Delinquents , School , Nudity , Bullying , Religion

Kuroshitsuji

Also known as Black Butler.

Status: Hiatus
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 , Male Protagonist , Orphan , Twins , Royal Affairs , Foreign , Cult , Detective , Shounen , Steampunk , Magic , Found Family , Circus , Mythology , Maids , Assassins , LGBTQ+ Themes , Travel , Medicine , Zombie , Fugitive , Anachronism , Transgender , Crossdressing , Boarding School , Estranged Family , Musical Theater , School , Torture , Swordplay , Witch , Disability , Idol , Urban Fantasy

Nano Machine

Also known as Nano Machine.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Adventure , Fantasy , Sci-Fi

Nanotechnology meets martial arts at the Mashin Academy. Yeo-Un’s mother may not be one of the High Priest’s six official wives, but his father’s blood still qualifies him for a chance at the position of Minor Priest. Will a mysterious nanomachine injection from a future descendent help Yeo-un in this fierce competition against his powerful half-siblings?



Tags: Martial Arts , Anti-Hero , Cult , Swordplay , Full Color , Politics , Revenge , Gore , Cultivation , Artificial Intelligence , Male Protagonist , Wuxia , Time Skip , Torture , Cyborg , Medicine , Crossdressing , Female Harem , Heterosexual , Boxing ,

Bukgeom Jeongi

Also known as The Legend of the Northern Blade.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Fantasy

For decades, the brave warriors of the Northern Heavenly Sect fought to keep the world safe from the evil Silent Night. But when the fourth generation leader is accused of colluding with the enemy, he is forced to disband the sect and commit suicide to protect his son, Moo-Won. With no family and allies left, Moo-Won leads a dreary life under close surveillance... until a surprise attack from the Silent Night gives him a chance to escape to the mountains. There, the young warrior trains to master the fighting techniques of his predecessors, before the mysterious disappearance of a loved one brings him back to the mainland. Follow Moo-Won as he embarks on a journey to avenge his father’s death and take down the villains who threaten to plunge the world into darkness!



Tags: Martial Arts , Revenge , Male Protagonist , Swordplay , Tragedy , Full Color , Anti-Hero , Wuxia , Time Skip , Politics , War , Found Family , Conspiracy , Heterosexual , Cult , Torture , Travel

Innocent

Also known as Innocent.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Psychological

In the 18th century, seeking "freedom and equality," the event that gave birth to modern French society, the French Revolution, began. There was one protagonist that lived within the darkness, Charles-Henri Sanson. He was the fourth-generation head of the Sanson family, and the executioner of Paris. This is the story of a man nobly facing his harsh fate...



Notes:
- Nominated for the 18th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize "Reader Award" in 2014
- Nominated for the 8th Manga Taishou Award in 2015.

Tags: Historical , Seinen , Coming of Age , Foreign , Tragedy , Politics , Gore , Male Protagonist , Work , Female Protagonist , Nudity , Bisexual , Time Skip , Primarily Adult Cast , Ensemble Cast , Philosophy , Swordplay , LGBTQ+ Themes , Crossdressing , Torture

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

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 , Transgender

White Blood

Also known as Unholy Blood.

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

All pure-blooded vampire Ha-Yan Park wanted to do was live a normal life. But the rise of half-bloods ten years ago transformed the world into a dangerous and frightening place—robbing her of her one true wish. Determined to return Korea to how it used to be, Ha-Yan teams up with local police captain Eun-Tae Hwang to wipe out the bloodthirsty killers in a tale of hot-blooded romance and revenge.



Note: The chapter count includes a prologue and 2 extra chapters.

Tags: Vampire , Female Protagonist , Revenge , Crime , Full Color , Tragedy , Amnesia , Super Power , Urban Fantasy , Primarily Adult Cast , Detective , Heterosexual , Conspiracy , Terrorism , Adoption , Age Gap , Gore , Bullying , Motorcycles , Torture , College , Time Skip