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We present you the list of Samurai manga you should read right now.
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Top 20 Samurai manga you should read right now. [2026 List]
- 20. Vagabond
- 19. Jigoku Raku
- 18. MookHyang - Dark Lady
- 17. Nige Jouzu no Wakagimi
- 16. Gintama
- 15. Mugen no Juunin
- 14. Isekai Samurai
- 13. Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan
- 12. Tenkaichi: Nihon Saikyou Bugeisha Ketteisen
- 11. Gantz:E
- 10. Taiyou to Tsuki no Hagane
- 9. Sidooh
- 8. Blade & Bastard
- 7. Deadpool: Samurai
- 6. Drifters
- 5. Red
- 4. Count Over
- 3. Oooku
- 2. Ikusagami
- 1. Argate Online
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. 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)
18. 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
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 has finished publishing and it has 238 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. 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
15. 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
14. 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
13. 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
12. 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
11. 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
10. 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
Steel of the Celestial Shadows is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: 太陽と月の鋼, The Steel of Sun and Moon
9. Sidooh
During the political upheavals and social strife at the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate in Japan (1855), two parent-less brothers Yukimura Shoutarou and Yukimura Gentarou struggles to survive in these turbulent times. With their only possession being their deceased father's sword and clinging onto the wisdom of their mother's final words, the brothers seek to embark on the Path of the Warrior: Sidooh.
Sidooh has finished publishing and it has 266 Chapters. It is also Known as: SIDOOH―士道―, Sidooh
8. Blade & Bastard
Deep in the unexplored reaches of the dungeon, a corpse is discovered—one that shouldn’t exist. After Iarumas is resurrected, his memories of life before death are gone, and he spends his days delving into the dungeon to retrieve the bodies of dead adventurers. Can they be revived as well? Or will God reduce them to piles of ash on the altar? Either way, Iarumas collects his finder’s fee. And though his skills earn him some grudging respect, he’s also scorned for this cold, utilitarian attitude. The living keep their distance—Iarumas consorts primarily with the dead. That is, until he meets Garbage, a feral young swordswoman who’s the sole survivor of a massacred party. With Garbage by his side, Iarumas ventures deeper, scouring the dungeon for clues to his past, avoiding monsters, traps, and the inevitability of a permanent ashen demise.
Blade & Bastard is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: ブレイド&バスタード, Blade & Bastard
7. Deadpool: Samurai
Marvel raids Shonen Jump + ?! The irresponsible hero "Deadpool," an extreme outlier even amongst American comic heroes, is finally serialized !!!! A super collaboration manga that involves both the Avengers and Shonen Jump characters!
Anyway, Deadpool lands in Tokyo with a bang! What could possibly go wrong when Iron Man invites Deadpool join the Avengers' new Samurai Squad? After all, Deadpool is just in it for the money…and the trip to Japan. This is fine, right?
Note: Includes 2 extra 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
6. 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
5. Red
Set in nineteenth-century America, Red is the last living survivor of a Native American tribe that was slaughtered by white men. On a long journey in search of revenge, he travels with Iero Ito, a samurai who ran away to America after being defeated in the Seinan civil war, and Ann, a mysterious prostitute. The bonds of friendship between the three are touching. Although it is all fiction, the story seems very real as it is based on actual battles between US troops, Apaches and other tribes. This is a Western written by a Japanese manga artist.
Red has finished publishing and it has 151 Chapters. It is also Known as: RED, Red
4. Count Over
A mysterious mastermind single-handedly releases 206 of the most dangerous prisoners around the states. When the prisoners rampage New York City, the police helplessly watch as a young boy with a katana appears. His mechanical arm has a countdown from 206; what is his purpose?
Count Over has finished publishing and it has 1 Chapters. It is also Known as: COUNT OVER, Count Over
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. Ikusagami
In a rapidly changing world, a sinister game of life-or-death brutally culls Japan's fading warrior class. Who is rounding up the few who still cling to their swords and is forcing them to fight? And who will be the last samurai standing?
It is the 11th year of the Meiji era in Japan, and more than a decade since the samurai were stripped of their privileges, with swords outlawed on public streets. A mysterious poster appears in all corners of the land, luring those skilled in martial arts to Kyoto with the promise of riches beyond common imagination. As warriors deprived of purpose flock to the appointed place at the appointed time, what awaits them is no ordinary task, but an all-out war—against each other!
Last Samurai Standing is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: イクサガミ, Ikusagami
1. Argate Online
Izu Takashi was just playing the online game -Argate Online- like usual, but he suddenly noticed something strange, his level is now....!! Also he can not log out and the pain reduced funtion does not work.....
Argate Online is currently publishing and has Chapters. It is also Known as: アルゲートオンライン, Argate Online