Anime and manga have always been popular in Japan, but they did not start becoming popular elsewhere until the 1980s, and over the last fifteen years, anime has truly exploded in popularity. Shonen Jump is a manga magazine that has been around since 1968, and it has given us some of the most iconic series in existence - series like Dragon BallYu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Bleach

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In 1997, One Piece made its official Shonen Jump debut, and Eiichiro Oda's story about Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat crew is still going strong 23 years later, in fact, it is the most popular Manga and Anime series in the world. One Piece has held the top spot for over a decade because it hits all the right notes, and this article will explain why it is the best Shonen Jump series, but it will also provide readers with other series that might be more appealing.

10 Why It's The Best: The World

One Piece's world is composed of four seas and hundreds of islands, each with its own unique climate, people, and customs, and each region seemingly has its own set of rulers. The world is filled with pirates with established pasts, allies, and enemies, and there are now five pirate emperors who reign supreme in the New World.

The pirates are just one faction though, as there is a World Government that is both secretive and deadly, but there is also a revolutionary army that is trying to tear the whole thing down. There is also an undersea kingdom of fish people, a nation of samurai, and a nation of bipedal animals, as well as an entire criminal underground. Believe it or not, the story actually benefits from having so many factions active all at once.

9 Better Alternative: Doctor Stone

Luffy is a great protagonist, but he can be extremely dimwitted, to the point that you cannot believe someone can be that dumb. Dr. Stone has been around for three years, and although Senkū Ishigami is not a fighter by any means, he is one of the smartest protagonists in Shonen Jump's history.

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In Dr. Stone, every single human on Earth was petrified for 3,000 years and after becoming free, Senkū made it his mission to save the human race through science, which is a welcomed change from the standard Shonen formula.

8 Why It's The Best: The Powers

Every Shonen Jump series has characters with unique abilities, but out of all the series to ever come out, One Piece has the most diverse spectrum of abilities. In One Piece people gain abilities by eating Devil Fruits and these fruits can turn people into animals and dinosaurs, but they can also give people the ability to manipulate elements and things like string and bubbles.

Some people are even able to manipulate souls, while others have bodies made of rubber and rice cakes. If fruit powers weren't enough, there is also Haki, which allows certain people to predict enemy attacks, but it also allows people to create a protective layer of skin. It also allows a select few to knock out weak-willed individuals without touching them.

7 Better Alternative: Naruto

Naruto and Sasuke collide at Final Valley in Naruto.

For over a decade Naruto and One Piece battled for supremacy of the Shonen Jump throne, but at the end of the day, both series tell a great story by using great characters who receive a great deal of development along the way.

Luffy wants to become King of the Pirates; Naruto wants to become Hokage, Luffy has friends he would die for and who would do the same for him, same goes for Naruto. Luffy losses people he loves - so does Naruto, and both series feature battles and emotional high notes that are truly spectacular.

6 Why It's The Best: The Power Scaling

In order for a series to be good, there needs to be some form of power scaling that makes sense, because if there isn't any, characters will just go around destroying each other with ease, which is not entertaining at all.

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One Piece is the epitome of proper power scaling, and the best example of this is Zoro and Luffy, the strongest members of the Straw Hats who are now two of the strongest fighters in the series, but they are both still trying to catch up to Shanks and Mihawk, both of whom were introduced at the very beginning of the series.

5 Better Alternative: Death Note

When you think of Shonen Jump you think of series that revolve around young lighthearted protagonists, but that is not what we get from Death Note, which is aimed towards a more mature audience.

What makes Death Note so compelling is the fact that the main character acquires the ability to kill anyone he wants without them even knowing it. When you have that kind of power, it'll definitely go to your head, and the series masterfully explores how someone with good intentions can become the world's most feared villain/savior.

4 Why It's The Best: The Characters

By the time One Piece endsthe series will have introduced over 1,000 characters, which sounds absurd, but Oda knows what he is doing, and so far every character that has been introduced has had a role to play in the series.

The Straw Hats are all kindhearted individuals, but they are all unique in their own way, whether it be Zoro's short temper and affinity for getting lost, Sanji's love of food and women, or Brooke's love of music mixed with his perverted nature. Even lesser characters have quirky traits that make them relatable and likable, and best of all, none of them are filler characters who get shoved down our throats.

3 Better Alternative: My Hero Academia

My Hero Academia focuses on young Izuku Midoriya, a boy who is trying to become the world's best hero while using the power that was given to him by his role model and personal hero, and the series actually takes quite a bit from One Piece.

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The series features a lot of interesting and unique abilities just like One Piece, and Midoriya surrounds himself with great friends who are equally as determined to achieve their goals, just like Luffy and his friends. My Hero Academia may have a completely different setting and plot, but it possesses the same heart that made One Piece a series that is now beloved by millions. 

2 Why It's The Best: The Emotion

You know a series is good when it causes you to tear up, and One Piece excels at this better than any other series, in fact, it does it better than most live-action TV shows. Every single member of the Straw Hat crew has had a troubled past, whether it be Zoro losing his best friend, Sanji growing up with an abusive family, Nami seeing her mother die, or Robin watching her entire nation get obliterated as a child.

To this day, the sight of Luffy losing his brother Ace is gut-wrenching, and the sound of his agonizing wails will stay with you for a long time. Even the villains sometimes have emotional backstories that make us feel for them.

1 Better Alternative: Demon Slayer

If you're looking for a series that is filled with emotion and great characters, look no further than Demon Slayera story that centers around a teenage boy who becomes a demon slayer in order to avenge his family, but he is also trying to save his younger sister who was turned into a demon by the same monster.

The series will definitely make you cry and if it doesn't happen because of Tanjiro and Nezuko's relationship, it will be because of the villains. Demon Slayer does something that very few series have done well - it makes you feel and sympathize with the villains, including the main antagonist who ruined so many lives.

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