Comics in Japan have a storied history that exceeds a century. Locally referred to as manga, the medium is full of iconic names and works that are influential in fiction and literature. With that in mind, there are a select group of manga creators that have impacted the medium tremendously due to their skills and works. Their imagination, execution, and writing reshaped the manga landscape. They have works that are bone fide classics.

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Across the endless talent pool that manga possesses, there are transcendental entries that force their creators in talks about who is the best among the best. Manga that are so powerful that they influence genres, trends, and conventions. There are creators whose prolific nature make them cornerstones for specific demographics. A pantheon of creators who are irreplaceable for manga.

10 Yoshihiro Togashi Perfects & Pushes The Shonen Demographic

Yoshihiro Togashi, creator of Hunter x Hunter and YuYu Hakusho

Yoshihiro Togashi is responsible for two of the greatest shonen manga of the '90s: YuYu Hakusho and Hunter x Hunter. The latter is still running, generating immense fervor and respect despite the year-long hiatuses it routinely goes through. While there are many other great names in shonen, each with their own legendary flagship work, Togashi is still reinventing himself and pushing the adventure genre forward.

The amount of growth that he has demonstrated through the first few arcs of YuYu Hakusho to the last and from Hunter x Hunter is extraordinary. He can play to the strengths of shonen action perfectly, but he can also revolutionize the formula as seen in the Yorknew City and Chimera Ant arcs.

9 Kazuo Koike Brings Stoic Edge To Action Manga

Kazou Koike, the creator behind Lone Wolf & Cub, Samurai Executioner, and Golgo 13

While Kazou Koike's penchant for violence and gore is his most immediate quality, it is his ability to blend those with composure and maturity that elevates his works. Lone Wolf & Cub is the quintessential samurai manga, as well as his crowning achievement. It is methodical, brutal, but deathly serious. It is rich with all the best qualities of samurai media.

Many of the standalone chapters are incredibly affecting and powerful. With many manga stories under his belt, it is not surprising that some of them are flops. His body of work is a mixed bag, but the best of his works rise to the top. Along with Lone Wolf & Cub, he wrote Samurai Executioner, Lady Snowblood, and Golgo 13. Works that would even influence film directors like Quentin Tarantino.

8 Inio Asano Taps Into The Darkness Of Modern Living

Asano Inio, the manga creator behind Goodnight Punpun, Solanin, and Nijigahara Holograph

It is easy to paint Inio Asano's works as overly pessimistic and cynical, but that would be a gross simplification of his manga. The darkness his works exude are never forced. They are grounded in societal ennui and anxieties. Asano blends those elements with quirky sensibilities and a knack for exaggeration. The aesthetics and style of his manga matters just as much as its themes and content.

From the posing in Solanin to the abstract bird-like design of Punpun Onodera, there is always a degree of strangeness that allows the viewers emotional distance. With this formula, Asano is able to craft some of the greatest manga of the last few decades.

7 Kentaro Miura's Impact & Reputation Is Evergreen

Kentaro Miura, the creator behind Berserk

Kentaro Miura's contribution to the manga world cannot be understated. While he only has one long-running series to his name, that manga is Berserk. It is the pinnacle of high fantasy within the medium. It contains some of the greatest characters in both manga and anime. The art is breathtaking, debatably the best artwork the medium has ever seen.

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While his tragic passing means that fans will not be able to see how Berserk would have ended under his complete vision, the legacy he left will go on to define generations of artists and comic creators across the world.

6 Moto Hagio Is The Mother Of The Shojo Manga

Moto Hagio, the mangaka behind Otherworld Barbara, The Poe Clan, and Marginal

The birth of the modern shojo manga is due to the first wave of female manga creators who prioritized writing stories and characters that actually spoke to them. At the head of this movement was Moto Hagio. She published her debut at 20-years-old and has been making shojo manga ever since. The Poe Clan, They Were 11, and The Heart of Thomas showcase Hagio's versatility while maintaining her wit and focus on sexuality.

She plays around with different genres while making stories that allow her to explore speculative concepts, challenge sexuality, and engage in social politics. Her works serve as the foundation for most modern shojo manga.

5 Katsuhiro Otomo Changed Sci-Fi Manga

Katsuhiro Otomo, creator of Akira

Prior to 1982, the landscape for sci-fi manga was pretty established. Space operas and mecha dominated the genre. However, Katsuhiro Otomo would change everything with his masterwork: Akira. Its cyberpunk edge brought a whole new dynamic to dystopian settings in manga.

His visionary image of a chaotic metropolitan center defined generations of sci-fi world building. While the art and visuals set a tone for the aesthetics of sci-fi to come, the story also drove the genre to become more intense. The action is visceral. He made one of the greatest works in manga, and its effect is still felt to this day.

4 Takehiko Inoue Fuses Attitude & Breathtaking Beauty

Takehiko Inoue, mangaka behind Vagabond, Slam Dunk, and REAL

Takehiko Inoue's art is as intense as it is serene. Initially, Slam Dunk's art was not incredibly polished and detailed, but Inoue blossomed into one of the medium's greatest artists. The latter half of the manga has some of the most stunning depictions of basketball in manga. It is powerful, but carries itself with finesse. All of this does not even take his finest work into account.

Vagabond is a behemoth of a manga. Almost every panel looks like a painting. The delicacy of each sword stroke is made agonizingly clear. The characters embody charm and bravado, while the action cuts with its precise clarity. The pages in Inoue's manga are timeless.

3 Riyoko Ikeda Is The Queen Of Historical Dramas

Riyoko Ikeda, the creator behind Rose of Versailles and Onii-e sama

No other work has impacted the landscape of shojo, romances, and historical manga and anime like Riyoko Ikeda's Rose of Versailles. The clear adoration for the time period coupled with a precise understanding of how much artistic liberty she could insert into it led to one of the greatest dramas in the medium. Oscar is a phenomenal lead character, shattering the gender role expectations of the time. The work ushered in a feeling of artistic freedom and expression within the shojo demographic.

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Additionally, she created Dear Brother, Claudine, and other historical dramas. She demonstrates masterful control over tension, conflict, and glamour. Ikeda is talented even among great talents. It is not surprising that her stories are still immensely popular.

2 Osamu Tezuka Is The Father Of The Medium

Osamu Tezuka, the father of manga

Osamu Tezuka's entry into the manga world was an earthshaking event. As a young artist, his imagination and vision solidified the medium's identity. His works were immensely popular for the time. Astro Boy is still one of the best-selling manga titles of all time. His contemporaries followed his lead.

The style of the era was dictated by his early works. When the medium started moving away from the kid-friendly storytelling of manga like Kimba the White Lion, Tezuka evolved with the times. He wrote more complex and mature works like Adolf and Buddha. He was a force throughout his whole career, and he is now regarded as the father of manga.

1 Naoki Urusawa Is The Greatest Storyteller Manga Has Ever Seen

Naoki Urusawa, the creator behind Monster and 20th Century Boy

Naoki Urusawa started off as a talented character writer. Manga like Yawara! showed that he was capable of creating charming characters with good dynamics. However, it was his turn to maze-like storytelling that launched him to the top of the pantheon. His manga 20th Century Boys and Monster are the best examples of how thrilling and exciting his stories can become.

The characters are fleshed out and compelling, while the stories engage the readers relentlessly. With these feats alone, he would be in contention for one of the best manga creators of all time, but he also reinvents Tezuka's Astro Boy into Pluto. It is more introspective, plot-oriented, and suspenseful. He proves that he is peerless when it comes to storytelling in manga.

NEXT: 13 Influential Manga Creators Who Shaped The Industry