What is this genre all about? A dystopia (from Ancient Greek: δυσ-, "bad, ill", and Ancient Greek: τόπος, "place, landscape"; alternatively cacotopia, or anti-utopia) is, in literature, an often futuristic society that has degraded into a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian. Dystopian literature has underlying cautionary tones, warning society that if we continue to live how we do, this will be the consequence. A dystopia, thus, is regarded as a sort of negative utopia and is often characterized by an authoritarian or totalitarian form of government. Dystopias usually feature different kinds of repressive social control systems, a lack or total absence of individual freedoms and expressions and constant states of warfare or violence. Dystopias often explore the concept of humans abusing technology and how humans individually and collectively cope with technology that has evolved too quickly such as the car, the flamethrower or the microwave. A dystopian society is also often characterized by widespread poverty and brutal political controls such as a large military-like police.
We present you the list of Dystopia manga you should read right now.
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Top 19 Dystopia manga you should read right now. [2025 List]
- 19. Berserk
- 18. Claymore
- 17. Fire Punch
- 16. WITCHRIV
- 15. Kowloon Generic Romance
- 14. Gonron Egg
- 13. Gunnm: Last Order
- 12. Innocent
- 11. Hokuto no Ken
- 10. Mujina in to The Deep
- 9. Eden: It's an Endless World!
- 8. Alma
- 7. Gunnm
- 6. Imawa no Michi no Alice
- 5. Chijou 100-kai ~Dasshutsu Kakuritsu 0.0001%~
- 4. Shimoneta to Iu Gainen ga Sonzai shinai Taikutsu na Sekai: Manmaru-hen
- 3. Wild Strawberry
- 2. Punk Gun
- 1. NOiSE
19. Berserk
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).
Berserk is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: ベルセルク, Berserk: The Prototype
18. Claymore
In a world constantly haunted by demonic predators known as "Youma", the everyday life of humans is full of fear and suspicion, as these monsters easily blend into human society to hunt their hapless prey. However, in this world, there is also a mysterious organization, employing half-human, half-Youma warriors to effectively track down and kill the demons. Called "silver eyed witches" or "Claymores" after the huge Claymore swords they carry, these female warriors are eyed with suspicion and distrust by most because of their inhuman powers.
But there are many currents flowing in the shadows, from the mysterious machinations of the Claymore "Organization" and the twisted ambitions of the powerful "Abyssal Ones" to the hopes and desires of each Claymore warrior. This story follows the fate of Clare, one of the Claymore operatives as she sails deeper and deeper down the currents of conspiracies and revenge.
Note: 4 Extra chapters are included in the chapter count on this page.
Claymore has finished publishing and it has 159 Chapters. It is also Known as: CLAYMORE [クレイモア], Claymore
17. Fire Punch
In the not-too-distant past, the Ice Witch blanketed the world in snow, starvation and madness, leading the inhabitants to seek their salvation in fire. With that, an unusual destiny unfolds for two young orphans, Agni and Luna, blessed with the ability to regenerate. But will this ability prove to be more of a curse than a blessing?
Fire Punch has finished publishing and it has 83 Chapters. It is also Known as: ファイアパンチ, Fire Punch
16. WITCHRIV
A girl named Nona lives in plain sight among humans, hiding her true identity as a mage as she spends her days in peace with her best friend Lovi. But one day, Nona uses magic to fix Lovi's glasses and subsequently catches the attention of the Bureau of Magic Surveillance. A simple good deed becomes the trigger that sets Nona's destiny in motion...
WITCHRIV is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: WITCHRIV
15. Kowloon Generic Romance
Welcome to Kowloon Walled City: a dystopian townscape where the people are brimming with nostalgia, and where the past, present, and future converge. Amid the hidden emotions and extraordinary daily lives of the men and women working in its confines, a tale of romance begins to unfold for real estate agent Reiko Kujirai—one that feels as familiar as Kowloon itself…
Note:
- Nominated for the 14th Manga Taisho Award in 2021.
- Nominated for the 6th Tsugimanga Award in the Print Manga Category in 2020.
Kowloon Generic Romance is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: 九龍ジェネリックロマンス, Kyuuryuu Generic Romance, Kūron Generic Romance
14. Gonron Egg
Human society has collapsed. The survivors are now slaves to powerful creatures known as Drakarchs. But when a young slave named Gonron meets a Drakarch egg named Oma, these two who share a cruel fate will need to work together. Retrieve the lost peace and dignity. Young man, the time to rebel is now!
Gonron Egg is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: ゴンロン・エッグ, Gonron Egg
13. Gunnm: Last Order
The sequel to the Battle Angel Alita/Gunnm manga, ignoring the original ending.
When Doc Ido, a talented cyber-physician, finds Gally's head in a junk heap, she has lost all memory of her past life. But when he reconstructs her, she discovers her body still instinctively remembers the Panzer Kunst, the most powerful cyborg fighting technique ever known. In the postapocalyptic world of the Scrapyard, as the secrets of Gally's past unfold, each day is a struggle for survival.
Battle Angel Alita: Last Order has finished publishing and it has 124 Chapters. It is also Known as: 銃夢 Last Order, Gunnm: Last Order
12. Innocent
In the 18th century, seeking "freedom and equality", the event that became the starting point of modern French society, the French Revolution, began. There was one more protagonist that lived within the darkness, Henry Charles Sanson. He was the fourth generation family head of the Sanson Family, and executioner of Paris.
This is the historie of him nobly facing the harsh fate...
has finished publishing and it has 99 Chapters. It is also Known as: イノサン, Innocent
11. Hokuto no Ken
The year is 199X. The Earth has been devastated by nuclear war. The seas have dried up and the land is cracked and desolate. Most living things on the planet have become extinct apart from the human race. In this new age violence rules as civilization is lost and the strong rule the weak in a world where food and water are the only thing wth value. At this time a mysterious man named Kenshiro appears with his deadly martial art, the 2000 year old Hokuto Shinken. With his deadly style eliminating the evil is he the saviour of the new era?
Fist of the North Star has finished publishing and it has 245 Chapters. It is also Known as: 北斗の拳, Fist of the North Star
10. Mujina in to The Deep
A young assassin girl armed with a katana is hunting down her targets in a busy metropolitan city named Tsukumo.
Mujina in to The Deep is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: MUJINA IN TO THE DEEP, Mujina in to The Deep
9. Eden: It's an Endless World!
In the panic surrounding a worldwide pandemic which kills 15 percent of the population and cripples many more, a secret organization, the Propater, topples the UN and seizes control of much of the world. A boy and a girl, raised in an abandoned virology research center, immune to the virus, are attacked by the Propater and escape. 20 years later the boy is the most powerful drug lord in South America. He aids his son from behind the scenes as he evades and eventually with the help of mercenaries from Nomad (some of them former Propater operatives) fights the Propater. As the plot develops focus shifts away from the main character and develops many sub-plots dedicated to terrorism, Human-improvement, the struggle of the developing countries and the power battles between the drug cartels and Propater.
Based strongly on Gnostic mythology, all major characters are named after gnostic deities, and have analogous roles.
Warnings: Eden contains a lot of very graphic violence and some sex scenes.
Eden: It's an Endless World! has finished publishing and it has 127 Chapters. It is also Known as: EDEN ～It's an Endless World!～, Eden: It's an Endless World!
8. Alma
Ray and Trice grew up together in this post apocalyptic world. She was his only friend. But then one day... An unwelcome guest arrives and proclaims "Glory to Humans"...
Note: Chapter count includes chapter 0
Alma has finished publishing and it has 32 Chapters. It is also Known as: アルマ, Aruma, Alma (Shinji Mito)
7. Gunnm
In a dump in the lawless settlement of Scrapyard, far beneath the mysterious space city of Zalem, disgraced cyber-doctor Daisuke Ido makes a strange find: the detached head of a cyborg woman who has lost all her memories. He names her Gally and equips her with a powerful new body, the Berserker. While Gally remembers no details of her former life, a moment of desperation reawakens in her nerves the legendary school of martial arts known as Panzer Kunst. In a place where there is no justice but what people make for themselves, Gally decides to become a hunter-killer, tracking down and taking out those who prey on the weak. But can she hold onto her humanity as she begins to revel in her own bloodlust?
Battle Angel Alita has finished publishing and it has 53 Chapters. It is also Known as: 銃夢 GUNNM, Ganmu, Tsutsu Yume
6. Imawa no Michi no Alice
The manga follows "another Alice," a female high school student who curses her everyday life. When by chance she loses her way on the "Borderroad," she is forced to participate in deadly survival games with other female high school students.
Alice on Border Road has finished publishing and it has 31 Chapters. It is also Known as: 今際の路のアリス, Imawa no Michi no Alice
5. Chijou 100-kai ~Dasshutsu Kakuritsu 0.0001%~
21st Century, Japan. In Tokyo, there's a state-owned gambling tower. 20 men and women gather in the 100 story tower with 1 goal: escape. You get 10 billion yen if you do. If you don’t...
100 Floor Tower ~0.0001% Escape Probability~ is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: 地上100階〜脱出確率0.0001%〜, Chijou Hyakkai, Chijou 100-kai, One Hundred Storey Tower, 地上100階, 지상 100층
4. Shimoneta to Iu Gainen ga Sonzai shinai Taikutsu na Sekai: Manmaru-hen
16 years after the "Law for Public Order and Morals in Healthy Child-Raising" banned coarse language in the country, Tanukichi Okuma enrolls in the country's leading elite public morals school and is soon invited into the Anti-Societal Organization (SOX) by its founder, Ayame Kajou. As a member blackmailed into joining by Ayame, Tanukichi ends up taking part in obscene acts of terrorism against the talented student council president Anna (for whom Tanukichi has a crush on).
Shimoneta to Iu Gainen ga Sonzai shinai Taikutsu na Sekai: Manmaru-hen has finished publishing and it has 23 Chapters. It is also Known as: 下ネタという概念が存在しない退屈な世界 マン●篇, A Boring World Where the Concept of Dirty Jokes Does Not Exist, ShimoSeka, A Boring World Where the Concept of "Dirty Jokes" Does Not Exist
3. Wild Strawberry
Plants have evolved. They can now feed on humans and become terrible monsters known as Jinka. Kingo and Kayano do their best to survive in a Tokyo overrun by plants, but when Kayano becomes a Jinka, Kingo will do anything he can to get her back!
Wild Strawberry has finished publishing and it has 50 Chapters. It is also Known as: ワイルドストロベリー, Wild Strawberry
2. Punk Gun
On the outskirts of the crime-infested Dead City, a young boy named Aiboba and his band of orphans become involved in a dangerous incident.
Punk Gun is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: パンクガン, Punk Gun
1. NOiSE
The Bible has its Genesis.
The Matrix has The Second Renaissance.
BLAME! has NOiSE.
Through the eyes of police force member Susono Musubi, this one-volume prequel gives readers a glimpse of the world before the Netsphere went haywire. Witness the events that threw the technologically advanced society into chaos: the cancerous growth of the Megastructure, the birth of the parasitic lifeforms called Silicon Creatures, and the development of the ruthless killing machines known as the Safeguards.
Also included in the compilation is Tsutomu Nihei's debut work BLAME which served as the prototype of the acclaimed 10-volume series, BLAME!.
NOiSE has finished publishing and it has 8 Chapters. It is also Known as: NOiSE
