Following the classical Japanese Warrior code of bushido, Samurai has always been a subject of interest in many facets of Japanese media. It comes as no surprise that for decades, samurai manga has populated the market. Undoubtedly, honing one's skill to strive for perfection allows mangaka to craft engaging characters to navigate through the tumultuous landscape of the Edo period.
As a result, the genre generally reflects a strong appreciation for history and the warrior spirit, themes that make for timeless series, which sees this list spanning all the way back into the '70s, proving the strength of the genre and its ability to appeal to many different fanbases in manga. Some of the best samurai manga have captured audience's imaginations, transporting them back to a time of loyalty, honor and martial arts.
Updated by Sage Ashford, July 30th 2023: As ever, there are constant new additions to the world of manga. Since the samurai era still makes up one of the most popular sub-genres, it's not surprising that there are plenty of great samurai manga recommendations. We've updated this list to add a few more samurai classics, new and old.
20 My New Wife Is Forcing Herself To Smile
By Kengo Matsumoto
One of the best samurai manga recently is an adorable comedy, My New Wife Is Forcing Herself To Smile. The story follows a young samurai named Soujirou who was forced into an arranged marriage. His wife, Chiyo, is seemingly the perfect wife, but it always seems like she's faking her smile. Soujirou wants nothing more than to be a good husband and actually bring his wife joy, unaware that Chiyo is already elated to be with him.
My New Wife Is Forcing Herself To Smile pivots from all the expectations of a samurai manga. The action focus is toned down, there's not much political intrigue--it's just a husband and wife pairing deeply in love but don't know one another well enough to express it openly yet. People who enjoy slow-moving romcoms will find their new favorite in this series.
19 Kurogane no Valhallian
By Toshimitsu Matsubara
Kurogane no Valhallian is a gritty isekai samurai manga for hardcore action fans. The series focuses on Tetsujirou Souma, a samurai who helped Japan repel the Mongolian Invasion. His incredible skills cause him to be summoned to Valhalla, a place featuring mighty warriors from all over the world, in multiple areas. If he means to make it back to his home, he'll have to help Hrist, the Valkyrie who summoned him there.
In a world where so many manga and anime have identical premises, Valhallian stands out with something most people have never seen before. It provides a fascinating world with a lead protagonist that's worth following. Tetsujirou is a noble, admirable character that isn't afraid to strike down anyone in between him and his goals. Regrettably it's run was cut a bit short, but it's still a solid series.
18 Sahara the Flower Samurai
By Yuusaku Shibata
Not every great samurai manga has to run for a billion chapters. Sahara the Flower Samurai runs for just four chapters, but it's a memorable book, particularly for fans of old-school protagonists. The series takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where plant life is rare and giant machines roam the desert. The lead character is Sahara, a samurai who wields a sword made of flowers, intent on restoring the world.
Sahara the Flower Samurai is a great shōnen samurai series with a protagonist that's genuinely fun to follow. While so many shōnen series rely on the Goku archetype, Sahara pulls from the classic Vash/Kenshin archetype--confident in their abilities yet ultimately peace-loving. Though it isn't the massive epic most fans would want, it's still a quality samurai manga that fans could spend a weekend reading.
17 Sengoku
By Hideki Miyashita
Seinen samurai manga are rare, but they work just as well as shonen samurai manga. Sengoku follows Gonbei Hidehisa, a retainer of the Saitou family fighting in a losing war. Though terrified, he strides out onto the battlefield and displays enough courage as a warrior to be taken in by Oda Nobunaga himself.
Sengoku is one of the longer running seinen manga, starting in 2004 and getting a number of sequels following the same protagonist for nearly twenty years. The series takes a realistic look at how samurai actually fought during the Warring States era, rather than just trying to make combat look as cool as possible. Gonbei's also a relatable protagonist, as he's just trying to figure out how to survive and get back to the woman he loves.
16 Samurai Deeper Kyo
Samurai Deeper Kyo follows a young medicine seller named Kyoshiro Mibu, who just happens to have the spirit of a terrifying warrior known as Demon Eyes Kyo inside him. Kyo wants nothing more than to be freed from Mibu's body to get back his own. Together, the two wander the country along with a young bounty hunter, Shiina Yuya, who wants to find the man responsible for murdering her brother.
Samurai Deeper Kyo was one of the best samurai anime of the 2000s, and the manga was even better. The series expands on the mythology surrounding both Kyoshirou Mibu and Demon Eyes Kyo, delving into the strange sword techniques Kyo mastered to make him such a monster. Even older fans who grew up watching the series would get a lot from checking out the manga, which ran for a much longer period of time.
15 Flowers of Keiji
By Tetsuo Hara and Keiichiro Ryu
Flowers of Keiji is a classic manga from Weekly Shonen Jump that originally launched in 1989 and ran until 1993. Set during the reign of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the series follows young Keiji Maeda. At a time when everyone else chooses to live as quietly as possible to avoid danger, Keiji chooses to live as wildly as possible. This includes using his swordsmanship skills to throw down with bandits, or protect people around him.
Wanting to live life boldly, Keiji travels the nation, running into important historical figures like Tokugawa Ieyasu and foreign visitors, learning more about the world around him. While finding this entirely translated can be a challenge, this is one of the best manga without an anime adaptation, plus the series eventually gets a vastly more successful spin-off, Gifuu Doudou, for those interested in the world.
14 Angolmois: Genkou Kassenki
By Nanahiko Takagi
Angolmois covers a period often ignored in Japanese history: the Mongol Invasion. Set near the end of the 13th century, the story is built around an exiled samurai named Jinzaburou Kuchii. After years of the Mongolians traveling across the world, conquering and building up their Empire, in 1274, they finally reached Japan, and the island of Tsushima.
Angolmois isn't terribly long, running for ten volumes and forty chapters, but a sequel manga is still ongoing. For people who love historical storylines, or those who were huge fans of one of the best games on PlayStation 4, this will be a real treat.
13 Peacemaker Kurogane
By Nanae Chrono
Interestingly, Peacemaker Kurogane is actually the sequel to a shorter manga known simply as Peace Maker. The series takes place just before the start of the Meiji Restoration Era, following a teenager named Tetsunosuke Ichimura, who sought to join the Shinsengumi for the sake of revenge against the person responsible for killing his parents.
In Peacemaker Kurogane, though, the anti-shogunate rebellion has been finished off, leaving the Shinsengumi as Kyoto's primary peacekeepers. This leaves Tetsunosuke and the rest of the Shinsengumi trying to figure out how to survive in a new world. Part of a monthly shonen magazine, Peacemaker Kurogane is actually still going, over twenty years after launch.
12 Mushibugyou
By Hiroshi Fukuda
Published first in Shonen Sunday Super, then later in Weekly Shonen Sunday, Mushibugyou is another long-running shonen series for fans to get into. In the world of Mushibugyou, humanity is threatened by massive insects known as the "Mushi."
These insects represent such a massive threat that the Shogunate has no choice but to form a group to stand against them, known as the City Patrol. The story focuses on Jinbei Tsukishima, a new member of the City Patrol whose given no choice but to protect Edo after his father loses the ability to fight. Jinbei is the weakest team member, thanks to his youth and inexperience, but he refuses to give up.
11 The Elusive Samurai
By Yusei Matsui
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This is one of Weekly Shonen Jump's new big successful manga, and a new series from the creator of Assassination Classroom. The series is set during the Imperial era of the Kenmu Restoration, placing it back in the 1300s. There, a young boy named Hojo Tokiyuki loses his family empire when the future leader of the Ashikaga Shogunate, Ashikaga Takauji, betrays the family.
Far too young to fight back, Hojo is left with no choice but to run away in the hope that he can reclaim his home and title another day. While tiny, Hojo does have one thing going for him--the ability to easily run and escape any situation, and even fight while running away.
10 Kaze Hikaru
By Taeko Watanabe
During the Bakamatsu revolution, a young girl named Sei disguises herself as a boy to become a samurai and avenge the death of her parents. It is during her training that she meets fellow samurai Okita.
Focusing largely on the history around the time period just before the start of the Meiji era, Kaze Hikaru is given an interesting backdrop to the plights of Sei. However, the series has won over fans not just for its historical approach, but also off the back of strong character development and a mix of action and romanticism. Ultimately, the series embodies many aspects that draw fans into the world of Samurai manga, and is a hidden gem more people should be reading.
9 Samurai Executioner
By Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima
One of the two series in the list published in the 70s, Samurai Executioner, is one of the series that set the groundwork for the genre. Through the ventures of Samurai Kubikiri Asa (beheader and master samurai of the shogun), the reader is thrust into the violent world of the samurai.
Samurai Executioner is without much fluff and focuses on the duties of the Samurai, the strong will and skill required to survive in a world saturated with greed and calls for vengeance. Undeniably, it is a timeless series that will be adored by fans of the genre for generations to come.
8 Oooku
By Fumi Yoshinaga
Set in an alternative Japan where the male population saw a stark decline leading to a dominant matriarchy, Oooku offers an interesting twist on both the harem and samurai genre, so much so that mangaka Fumi Yoshinaga saw loads of accolades and awards for her work. Perhaps most notable and speaking to the strength of Oooku was the special prize at The Japanese Association of Feminist Science Fiction and Fantasy's 5th annual Sense of Gender awards in 2005.
7 Shigurui
By Takayuki Yamaguchi
Shiguri offers a well-framed narrative by introducing two battered and mutilated samurai facing off in the opening. The mere appearance of the two disgust the audience in attendance by the barbaric nature of the match. However, this match marks the end of the journey for the two men, as the series goes back to showcase how they got there, and the many foes that have fallen before each.
Shiguri leads with a solid visual style reminiscent of series like Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, Grappler Baki, and Kengan Asura. As a result, there are many muscles on top of muscles and overly animated design choices that ooze machismo and celebration of the human form. Additionally, the series contains enthralling fight sequences, which helped drive the popularity of the manga.
6 House of Five Leaves
By Natsume Ono
Mangaka Natsume Ono is a diverse talent in the world of Manga, dabbling in various genres. However, she has showcased a knack for creating profound emotional work through the many series she has worked on. As a result, it was not surprising that her only foray into Samurai manga in "House of Five Leaves" allowed her strong narrative work to make Samurai Manga fans take note.
House of Five Leaves may not be as bloody or action-heavy as others in this list, but it is a series that has lots of heart off the back of sincere characters. Overall, a nice deviation from the action-heavy series and a deserved entry in the list.
5 Blade of the Immortal
By Hiroaki Samura
Following the story of an immortal samurai, Blade of the Immortal tells the story of Manji, a swordsman famous for killing '100 innocent men'. When he is finally about to meet his own death, a 100-year-old nun places 'bloodworms' in him that can heal almost any wound. To break the curse of immortality, the warrior is tasked with killing 1,000 evil men.
This stylish tale of revenge boasts some great action sequences, all perfectly famed within the period, making it a modern standout within the genre.
4 Gintama
By Hideaki Sorachi
Gintama has found success as one of the best modern comedy series, with a particular knack for wonderfully parodying other series. Undeniably, the series has charmed many fans with its mix of genres, using the Edo period and samurai genre as a backdrop to its shenanigans.
Gintama also manages to have a lot of heart, is able to build to some truly tear-jerking moments, and even has some shockingly great fights. Unlike any other series on the list, Gintama created the perfect storm of genres that lands it high on this list.
3 Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story
By Nobuhiro Watsuki
Arguably Rurouni Kenshin has seen more success outside of manga than any other entry on this list, with both a well-received anime series and a live-action film franchise helping the series' popularity. However, none of that would have been possible if not for the genre-defining manga series from its creator.
Rurouni Kenshin stands out for various reasons, but at the core of the fandom, it could be argued that Watsuki was able to create some of the most endearing and timeless characters. Even bit characters became developed, given their aspirations and desires. Ultimately, the world of Rurouni Kenshin is one of great passion for its subjects, making it one of the greatest series in the genre.
2 Lone Wolf & Cub
By Goseki Kajima and Kazuo Koike
The second series from this list which was originally published in the 70s, Lone Wolf and Cub, is likely the most impactful series in this list. The series also inspired a cinematic run, which became iconic to the samurai genre that would make its way to the Criterion Collection. Additionally, the scenario of an aged warrior having to care for a young child became a formula imitated and parodied so many times over.
For those unfamiliar, Lone Wolf and Cub follows a disgraced samurai, Ittou Ogami, who becomes a samurai for hire who is also tasked to take care of his young son. The two earn the name "Lone Wolf and Cub," and 'Wolf' becomes the most sought-after assassin.
1 Vagabond
By Takehiko Inoue
Vagabond is easily the most adored samurai seinen manga ever to be released; despite not getting an anime adaptation, many have found their way to the series they consider among the best made. Consequently, many consider it not just a must-read for fans of Samurai Manga, but for fans of the medium in general.
Based on the legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, Vagabond offers a historically accurate view of Edo Japan and injects drama and stunning art into the ideal package. Undeniably, Vagabond is a deserved title for the top spot and a must-read for manga fans.