9 Best-Selling Shonen Manga of All Time

Anime and manga have come a long way over the years, reaching a global audience and becoming major pop culture mainstays. Throughout the years, plenty of manga have come and gone. Plenty of series have been successful throughout their runs, but there are only a select bunch that have managed to break records and stand above their predecessors and contemporaries.

Among all the demographics, Shonen manga have to be the most popular. With wide appeal across all demographics and age groups, some of the most popular manga we've seen have been Shonen titles. So it shouldn't be surprising to see that some of the best-selling manga of all time are shonen series. Here's a breakdown of the best-selling shonen manga out there.

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By Ali Tahir

Bleach -130 Million

There was a point in time when Bleach was an absolute juggernaut. Similar to Naruto and One Piece, the other series that rounded out Shonen Jump's 'Big 3', Bleach was a big part of many anime fans' childhoods, standing as one of the most iconic series of its era. But the series started to lose steam towards the end of its run.

With the incredible success of the Thousand-Year Blood War anime, Bleach is experiencing a renaissance that many didn't see coming. Even with the lull in popularity, Bleach was so big in its time that it managed to become one of the most successful WSJ series ever.

Attack on Titan - 140 Million

It shouldn't be any surprise to see Attack on Tian here. Hajime Isayama struck gold with the series, creating a worldwide sensation that even the most popular modern follow-ups haven't managed to replicate. The world Isayama crafted won over millions of anime and manga fans, making Attack on Titan one of the most successful series ever.

The manga and its highly popular anime adaptation made the series what it is today. Outside of that, Attack on Titan has benefited from some great spin-offs, novels, and even a live-action movie and mini-series. As much as fans would like the series to return, it doesn't look like Isayama has any intention of making a sequel - at least for now.

Jujutsu Kaisen - 150 Million

When the Jujutsu Kaisen manga ended in 2024, many wondered how it would affect Weekly Shonen Jump in the long haul. While One Piece continued to dominate, the magazine had already said goodbye to My Hero Academia that same year. JJK fans didn't have to go too long without the series, however, as a spin-off sequel titled Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo was released a year following the conclusion of the original manga.

With Modulo and season 3 of the anime going strong, Jujutsu Kaisen is back in the spotlight. But it's not like the series ever really left it to begin with. The fact that the manga has amassed around 150 million in sales while being less than a decade old is impressive to say the least. The reception to the ending might've been cold, but we might not ever see a series accomplish what JJK has done ever again.

Slam Dunk - 185 Million

Most manga you'll see in a best-selling list are either still around in some capacity or recently ended. So it says a lot that Takehiko Inoue's iconic basketball manga, Slam Dunk, is as high as it is on the list. The series ran from 1990 to 1996, and while it still has its fans, its incredible numbers here show just how big it was in its heyday.

Slam Dunk had a popular anime adaptation air from 1993 to 1996, but modern anime fans might be familiar with the series thanks to the success of 2022's The First Slam Dunk. The film is an incredible retelling of the original story, focusing on the series' final game.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - 220 Million

No other anime may have benefited as greatly from its anime adaptation as Demon Slayer has. While the manga was already incredibly popular in its own right prior to ufotable's adaptation, the amazing animation, voice work, and soundtrack of the anime propelled the series to worldwide recognition and success.

Demon Slayer is going to turn 10 this year. That makes the success of the manga all the more impressive. Heavyweights like Dragon Ball and One Piece have been around for decades, and it looks like Demon Slayer is on its way to catching up to them soon enough - even if some fans did feel like the manga could've gone on for longer than it did.

Naruto - 250 Million

As one of Shonen's 'Big 3', it's not surprising to see Naruto this high up. The series ran for a quarter-century, with popular anime adaptations, games, movies, and various other spin-offs making it the iconic series it is today.

The Naruto manga ended back in 2014, but it didn't take long for fans to get a sequel with Boruto. Fan reaction to it has been mixed, but the franchise is still going strong. Fans of the original series still have something to look forward to, with some special episodes set to release this year.

Dragon Ball - 260 Million

Dragon Ball has been around for decades, and in that time has become one of, if not the most, recognized anime and manga out there. Without Dragon Ball, a lot of the manga on this list wouldn't be what they are, with Akira Toriyama inspiring countless aspiring mangaka over the years, including some of the biggest names in the industry.

Dragon Ball ran for a little over a decade, but the series has remained a pop culture mainstay long after the manga's final chapter. With the overwhelming success of the anime, a myriad of games, movies, spin-offs, and a sequel series, Dragon Ball has been and will continue to be a staple of the anime and manga industry.

Detective Conan - 270 Million

Whether you call it Detective Conan or Case Closed, you most likely recognize Shinichi (Jimmy?) Kudo, the iconic crime-solving protagonist of the series. Though it often isn't brought up in the same conversations as popular battle shonen like Dragon Ball, Naruto , and the rest, Detective Conan is one of the most successful shonen series of all time.

With over 100 volumes, the manga is still going strong over three decades after its debut. It's one of the best-selling ongoing manga, second only to One Piece. We don't exactly know when the series will end, but it'll be a sad day for manga fans when Gosho Aoyama decides it's time to call it.

One Piece - 516 Million

Unsurprisingly, Eiichiro Oda's One Piece stands as not only the best-selling shonen manga of all time, but the best-selling manga in general. The series has been going strong for nearly three decades, and while Oda has said that One Piece is in its final saga, it doesn't look like things are slowing down.

Luffy's adventures have captivated fans all over the world, and while other series might have seen their popularity decline as they went on, One Piece has continued to grow in popularity over the years. With the manga still going strong, the anime moving to a seasonal format, and a highly-anticipated adaptation from Wit on the way, you can expect One Piece's sales to keep going up.