What is this genre all about?
We present you the list of Samurai manga you should read right now.
Try our anime quiz: Anime Characters Guessing Quiz/Game
Top 20 Samurai manga you should read right now. [2024 List]
- 20. Vagabond
- 19. MookHyang - Dark Lady
- 18. Jigoku Raku
- 17. Nige Jouzu no Wakagimi
- 16. Isekai Samurai
- 15. Totsuide kita Yome Aisouwarai bakari shiteru
- 14. Tenkaichi: Nihon Saikyou Bugeisha Ketteisen
- 13. Kurogane no Valhallian
- 12. Gintama
- 11. Deadpool: Samurai
- 10. Angolmois: Genkou Kassenki
- 9. Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan
- 8. Drifters
- 7. Gantz:E
- 6. Taiyou to Tsuki no Hagane
- 5. Mugen no Juunin
- 4. Hana no Keiji: Kumo no Kanata ni
- 3. Oooku
- 2. Seirei Gensouki
- 1. Saraiya Goyou
20. Vagabond
In 16th century Japan, Shinmen Takezou is a wild, rough young man, in both his appearance and his actions. His aggressive nature has won him the collective reproach and fear of his village, leading him and his best friend, Matahachi Honiden, to run away in search of something grander than provincial life. The pair enlist in the Toyotomi army, yearning for glory—but when the Toyotomi suffer a crushing defeat at the hands of the Tokugawa Clan at the Battle of Sekigahara, the friends barely make it out alive.
After the two are separated, Shinmen returns home on a self-appointed mission to notify the Hon'iden family of Matahachi's survival. He instead finds himself a wanted criminal, framed for his friend's supposed murder based on his history of violence. Upon being captured, he is strung up on a tree and left to die. An itinerant monk, the distinguished Takuan Soho, takes pity on the "devil child," secretly freeing Shinmen and christening him with a new name to avoid pursuit by the authorities: Musashi Miyamoto.
Vagabond is the fictitious retelling of the life of one of Japan's most renowned swordsmen, the "Sword Saint" Musashi Miyamoto—his rise from a swordsman with no desire other than to become "Invincible Under the Heavens" to an enlightened warrior who slowly learns of the importance of close friends, self-reflection, and life itself.
Vagabond has finished publishing and it has 327 Chapters. It is also Known as: バガボンド, Vagabond
19. MookHyang - Dark Lady
As the master of the School of Unholy Arts and as the undefeated Unmasked Demon, MookHyang unfortunately falls to a strange fantasy world by the magic of his enemies (School of Blood Arts). In the new world of elf, sorcerer, knight, and dragon, MookHyang’s adventure of finding a way back to his old world (Murim) unfolds.
Mookhyang: Dark Lady is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: Muk-Hyang: Dark Lady, Mukhyang Dakeureidi
18. Jigoku Raku
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.
Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku has finished publishing and it has 127 Chapters. It is also Known as: 地獄楽, Jigokuraku, Paradition, Heavenhell, Jigoku Raku (KAKU Yuuji)
17. Nige Jouzu no Wakagimi
Yusei Matsui, creator of Assassination Classroom and Neuro: Supernatural Detective, is back! Set in feudal Japan in between the Kamakura and Muromachi periods, our hero Hojo Takatoki is a boy on the run that history all but forgot! When the Kamakura shogunate is overthrown by Ashikaga Takauji, Takatoki's family and standing are visciously taken away from him, and he must flee to the far reaches of the land to survive and seek out his revenge!
The Elusive Samurai is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: 逃げ上手の若君, Héroe fugitivo, Nige Jōzu no Wakagimi, Nigejouzu no Wakagimi, Nigejozu no Wakagimi, The Young Lord Who Is Skilled at Escaping
16. Isekai Samurai
The time is the Warring States period. The strongest samurai in history wanders the land, in search of a good place to die — until suddenly she is transported to another world!?
An invincible samurai cuts her way through another world!!! An isekai samurai fantasy spun by Keigo Saito, in his brilliant, overwhelming style!
Samurai in Another World is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: 異世界サムライ, Isekai Samurai
15. Totsuide kita Yome Aisouwarai bakari shiteru
A Samurai is worried about the fact that his wife always seems to wear a forced smile whenever she's with him.
My New Wife is Forcing Herself to Smile is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: 嫁いできた嫁が愛想笑いばかりしてる, Totsuide kita Yome Aisouwarai bakari shiteru
14. Tenkaichi: Nihon Saikyou Bugeisha Ketteisen
Battle tournament manga set in the Sengoku Era.
The year is 1600. Ten years have passed since Oda Nobunaga unified Japan. When Nobunaga realized that he was dying, he announced that he would hand over the country to the one who produced the strongest warriors. The warlords, whose dreams of unifying the country had been dashed, set up their own strongest warriors and set their sights on becoming the ruler of Japan
Tenkaichi: Battle to Decide Japan's Strongest Martial Artist is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: テンカイチ 日本最強武芸者決定戦, テンカイチ -日本最強武芸者決定戦-, 天下第一日本最强武士选拔赛
13. Kurogane no Valhallian
When he woke up, Souma Tetsujirou, a samurai from Kamakura who had survived the Mongolian invasion, had found himself in an unfamiliar place.
He was told by Hirst, the girl who brought him there, that they are in Valhalla, a place where the souls of dead warriors congregate. In order for him to be revived, Tetsujirou now has no choice but to fight against the "dead warriors" from different eras in this mythical place of carnage that he's been thrown into.
This is the start of a samurai drama where one has to fight and strike down their enemies, even if it kills them!!
- MU
Valhallian the Black Iron has finished publishing and it has 55 Chapters. It is also Known as: 黒鉄のヴァルハリアン, Kurogane no Valhallian
12. Gintama
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 one-shots:
Volume 1: Dandelion
Volume 2: Shirokuro
Volume 24: 13
Volume 38: Bankara-san ga Tooru
Volume 41: Special Lesson.
Gin Tama has finished publishing and it has 709 Chapters. It is also Known as: 銀魂, Dandelion, Shiro Kuro, Black and White, Shirokuro, 13, Thirteen, Bankara-san ga Tooru, Here Comes Mr. Uncivilised, Silver Soul
11. Deadpool: Samurai
Marvel raids Shounen Jump+?! The irresponsible hero Deadpool, an extreme outlier even among American comic heroes, is finally serialized! A super collaboration manga that involves both the Avengers and Shounen Jump characters!
Includes 2 bonus chapters.
Deadpool: Samurai has finished publishing and it has 17 Chapters. It is also Known as: デッドプール: SAMURAI, Deadpool: Samurai
10. Angolmois: Genkou Kassenki
Nanahiko Takagi's manga about a samurai defending Japan against Mongol invaders.
Angolmois: Genkou Kassenki has finished publishing and it has 40 Chapters. It is also Known as: アンゴルモア 元寇合戦記, Angolmois: Genkou Kassenki
9. Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan
The story of Rurouni Kenshin takes place during the early Meiji period in Japan. It tells the story of a peaceful wanderer named Himura Kenshin, formerly known as the assassin Hitokiri Battōsai. After participating during the Bakumatsu war, Kenshin wanders the countryside of Japan offering protection and aid to those in need as atonement for the murders he once committed as an assassin. When arriving in Tokyo, he meets a young woman named Kamiya Kaoru, who was in the middle of a fight with a murderer who claims to be the Hitokiri Battōsai from her swordmanship school. Kenshin decides to help her and defeats the fake Battōsai. After discovering that Kenshin is the real Battōsai, she offers him a place stay at her dojo as she notes Kenshin is a gentle person instead. Kenshin accepts and begins to establish lifelong relationships with many people, including ex-enemies, while dealing with his fair share of enemies, new and old. (Wikipedia)
Also includes the one-shot: Crescent Moon Over A Country At War (Vol.6)
Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story has finished publishing and it has 259 Chapters. It is also Known as: るろうに剣心 -明治剣客浪漫譚-, Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan
8. Drifters
Shimazu Toyohisa, whilst involved at the Battle of Sekigahara, manages to mortally wound Ii Naomasa, but is critically wounded in the process. As he walks from the field broken and bleeding, Toyohisa finds himself transported to a corridor of doors, where a bespectacled man at a desk waits for him. This man, Murasaki, sends Toyohisa into the nearest door where he wakes up in another world. There, Toyohisa meets other great warriors like him who have been transported as well, to be part of a group known as "Drifters".
is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: ドリフターズ, Drifters
7. Gantz:E
A peasant named Hanbei asks a girl named O-haru for her hand in marriage, but O-haru confesses that she is already thinking of another man named Masakichi from a neighboring village. When Hanbei seeks out Masakichi, he finds that Masakichi possesses a sword and the skills to use it, despite being a peasant.
Gantz:E is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: GANTZ:E, Gantz:Edo
6. Taiyou to Tsuki no Hagane
Kounosuke Ryuudo is a samurai who is stuck in perpetual poverty. Looking for a job is fruitless, as he cannot wield a blade. Quite literally, in fact. One day, after being accosted by some criminals and wishing to only reach the sweet embrace of death, he receives a marriage proposal from a mysterious woman...
Source: MU
The Steel of Sun and Moon is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: 太陽と月の鋼, Taiyou to Tsuki no Hagane
5. Mugen no Juunin
Manji is an immortal swordsman, who has been cursed with eternal life. He has grown tired of living with all the death he has created. He has no skills other then those of killing, thus he forms a plan to regain his mortality: he shall kill one hundred evil men for each good one he has killed. The old witch who afflicted Manji with immortality agrees to Manji's proposition and Manji is set on his path to kill one thousand evil men. On his journey he meets a young girl, Rin, who has her own vengeance to seek against the sword school whose members slaughtered Rin's family. Rin and Manji journey together, each hoping to find some kind of peace. In their way are many varied enemies. Rin and Manji are almost constantly under attack and must learn to live their lives, avoiding being consumed by revenge.
Note: Originally published with 219 chapters, which were then recollected into 207 chapters in the tankoubons.
Blade of the Immortal has finished publishing and it has 207 Chapters. It is also Known as: 無限の住人, Mugen no Juunin, Inhabitant of Infinity
4. Hana no Keiji: Kumo no Kanata ni
During the closing years of the civil war period and uneasy reign of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, when men high and low scramble to follow conventional propriety so that they don't attract undue notice (or death) to themselves, there is one very bizarre individual who is known for his legendarily outlandish and wild personality, physical appearance and behavior. This series traces the dramatic adventures of Keiji Maeda from personal conflicts with his adopted Maeda family, brave combat exploits, travels to the capital, and relationships with famous existing figures such as Iyeyasu Tokugawa, Rikyuu the tea master, and Hideyoshi himself, to experiences with the foreign and Japanese Christian faithful.
Keiji has finished publishing and it has 108 Chapters. It is also Known as: 花の慶次 ―雲のかなたに―, Flowers of Keiji, Keiji's Flowers
3. Oooku
In an alternative timeline of feudal Japan, a strange disease that only affects men caused a massive reduction of male population, thus females have to pick up men's jobs, changing the social structure. Now, after 80 years of the initial outbreak and current man:woman ratio of 1:4, Japan has become completely matriarchal, with women holding important political positions and men being their consort. Only the most powerful woman -- head of Tokugawa shogunate -- can keep a harem of handsome yet unproductive men, known as "Oooku."
Ōoku: The Inner Chambers has finished publishing and it has 79 Chapters. It is also Known as: 大奥, Oooku
2. Seirei Gensouki
Meet Rio: a callous orphaned boy living in the slums. At only 7-years-old, he realizes he’s actually the reincarnation of Haruto Amakawa, a Japanese university student with a tragic past. While still reeling from this shocking epiphany, Rio also comes to learn that he possesses extremely potent magical abilities and uses his new powers to solve the kidnapping case of a little girl. His good deed is acknowledged, and he’s rewarded by being enrolled into… a prestigious academy for noble children...?
Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: 精霊幻想記, Seigenso
1. Saraiya Goyou
Masterless samurai Akitsu Masanosuke is a skilled and loyal swordsman, but his naïve, diffident nature has time and again caused him to be let go by the lords who have employed him. Hungry and desperate, he becomes a bodyguard for Yaichi, the charismatic leader of a gang called“Five Leaves.”Although disturbed by the gang’s sinister activities, Masa begins to suspect that Yaichi’s motivations are not what they seem. And despite his misgivings, the deeper he’s drawn into the world of the Five Leaves, the more he finds himself fascinated by these devious, mysterious outlaws.
House of Five Leaves has finished publishing and it has 57 Chapters. It is also Known as: さらい屋五葉, Saraiya Goyou
