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Manga and anime have absolutely swept the world in the last few decades. The 21st century turned a rather niche artistic medium coming out of a country more known for video games and consumer electronics into one of the biggest media empires in the world, with manga even outselling American comic books in the USA recently. Still, the list of the best-selling manga and anime franchises of all time might be surprising to some. For clarification, this is a list of the best-selling titles that have both manga and anime under their belt.
10. Attack On Titan
Hajime Isayama’s heartbreaking story of horror, genocide, and war has become a modern manga and anime classic. With the end of Attack On Titan finally coming this year, many fans are already prepared to mark it as one of the greatest of all time, and its sales reflect that, with more than 110 million copies sold across its relatively short 34 volumes in total.
9. Bleach
The iconic evil spirit-slashing series created by Tite Kubo has sold more than 130 million copies of its manga and spawned nearly 400 episodes for its ongoing anime. Its intense story, richly developed characters, and epic battles have garnered a massive global following, and its success includes multiple films, both animated and live-action, to increase the size of the franchise further.
8. Naruto
Masashi Kishimoto’s creation kicked off the new millennium with a phenomenon of a ninja story with Naruto. The protagonist’s journey from an underdog to a formidable ninja resonated deeply around the world and led to the manga selling more than 250 million copies to date. On top of that, it spawned an anime empire that has seen multiple iterations follow generations of Naruto characters through Kishimoto’s world.
7. Sailor Moon
Sailor Moon was one of the biggest names in anime or manga back in the ’90s. The original manga ran for six years and remains one of the best-selling to this day, with more than 46 million copies sold. The original anime series ran from 1992 til 1997 and became so iconic that much of the imagery and iconic moments are still utilized to this day in pop culture.
6. Yu-Gi-Oh
The original Yu-Gi-Oh manga and anime that took the world by storm were frankly brief, with the manga ending in 2004 after 38 volumes and the original anime running for a little less than 30 episodes back in 1998. Still, its impact was massive, and the success of that original season continues to spawn new shows to this day. Aside from Pokemon, this is the primary other series from the wild “Card game/Monster collecting” era that managed to prove its longevity.
5. Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
Hirohiko Araki’s Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure certainly lives up to its title, and its strange nature has made the cult fanbase surrounding it one of the most potent in the manga and anime community. With more than 130 volumes published to date, it’s the longest-running manga series on this list and in the top 10 longest of all time. It’s a story that’s almost impossible to briefly describe with its multiple sections connected through odd family threads.
4. One Piece
Eiichiro Oda’s Pirate epic has one of the most dedicated fanbases out there for any manga or anime. It is one of the longest-running manga of all time, with more than 100 volumes published to date and more than half a billion sales, making it the highest-selling manga of all time, as well. The more-than-1,000 episodes in the One Piece anime, along with the recent successful first season of the live-action Netflix adaptation only continue to increase the fame of Oda’s sea-sailing adventure story.
3. Demon Slayer
Demon Slayer is the newest title on this list, with the manga only beginning publication in 2016, but its success was immediate and absolutely astonishing in its scope. Not only has the manga broken records, already being in the top-10 best-selling of all time with only 23 volumes out for the full story, but the anime has only grown the profile of Koyoharu Gotouge’s action-packed tale. The first film, Demon Slayer: Mugen Train became the highest-grossing anime film of all time in 2020, with a worldwide gross of more than half a billion dollars.
2. Dragon Ball
For many around the world, Dragon Ball Z was an introduction to the world of anime and manga. The story was one of the first massive international hits to come out of Japan, and it continues to be almost as big of a phenomenon today as it was during its explosion in the early ’90s. The Dragon Ball series now encompasses multiple iterations within both the manga and the anime that continue the legacy for new generations.
1. Pokemon
It’s well-known at this point that Pokemon is currently the most profitable franchise in the world, easily blowing away anything else on this list with the amount of money it’s made off its vast anime series. The manga is a slightly different story and wouldn’t even land Pokemon at the 10th spot in this list if this was for manga alone. Still, with more than 28 million sales, it certainly contributes to the anime’s already dominating position.
