Psychological stories can come in many different forms. When it comes to the human psyche, it really is a question of what drives everyone's anxiety and the answer is about as varied as it is shown in fiction. Throughout a majority of manga, psychology can seep its way in through a variety of genres, from fantasy to sports.
But it is this relatable factor that makes many fans want to read and understand these types of manga. As such, many people have their personal favorites psychological manga in which they often have read things that affect them or that they can relate to personally, whether its the plight of the characters or otherwise.
10 One Outs (8.60)
An incredibly unique baseball manga, One Outs stars Toua Tokuchi, who is a master at playing mind games. Utilizing a simplistic baseball game called One Outs, where it's a battle between the pitcher and the batter, he is able to beat the star batter Hiromichi Kojima of the Lycaons.
What's fascinating about this manga is its stakes - as a result of Tokuchi's wage not being enough, he decides to bet something lifechanging - Five million yen for every out he gets and less 50 million yen for every run he gives up.
9 Pluto (8.62)
One of the many books created by the illustrious Naoki Urasawa is an adaptation of Osamu Tezuka's most famous work, Astro Boy.
Using his more realistic style to convey a new approach to a classic, Naoki Urasawa puts his mystery themes into full force as Pluto delves into a string of murders related to both robots and humankind. If fans are into a psychological approach to an absolute classic theme, you can't quite beat this one.
8 Watashitachi No Shiawase Na Jikan (8.69)
One of the darkest slice of life manga's on this list, this story follows the daughter of a once-famous pianist named Juri Mutou, who meets a convict named Yuu.
Yuu is a murderer who was charged with killing three people and has since been attempting suicide, like Juri. After a chance meeting between the two, thanks to Juri's aunt Monica who is a member of the clergy, their lives are changed forever.
7 Beastars (8.70)
An absolutely unique manga that is based on a world of anthropomorphic animals, Beastars stars Legosi, a grey wolf that's incredibly reserved. Due to the nature of his birth, he is constantly questioning his place within society.
As the world is split between carnivores and herbivores, carnivores get a bad rap. This isn't something similar in tone to Zootopia, instead, Beastars is incredibly dark and bleak, with no punches held back. This is definitely a great psychological manga for readers.
6 Real (8.73)
A great basketball work created by the masterful Takehiko Inoue, the story of Real is different from his previous work, Slam Dunk. The story is about Tomomi Nomiya, the former basketball team captain of his high school. After a devastating accident that ruined a girl's life, he repents by trying to help her.
After meeting Kiyoharu Togawa, who lost the use of his right leg, and the new captain Hisanobu Takahashi, who was paralyzed from the waist down, Real is a story not just about basketball but about healing, too.
5 Death Note (8.73)
If fans had a book that gave them the ability to kill anyone in the world, would they use it for benevolent or evil purposes? That is the question that Death Note poses as its central theme.
Starring Light Yagami, an incredibly smart high schooler with a strong sense of justice, he is gifted the Death Note. After putting in a criminal's name and discovering its power, he begins to become a serial killer of criminals and is known only as Kira. This is a tragic tale of a hero falling from grace and becoming worse than he was before.
4 20th Century Boys (8.96)
The other masterpiece that Naoki Urasawa is known for, 20th Century Boys takes place during the end of the century. Following Kenji Endo, an ordinary manager at a convenience store, he gets muddled into a conspiracy when his friend mysteriously commits suicide.
Learning of a cult that is much more dangerous than it seems and a mystery that connects him with all of his friends from his childhood, together they all have to solve it to save the world.
3 Oyasumi Punpun (9.02)
Oyasumi Punpun is the story about Punpun Onodera. Although his life was initially happy, his worldview began to change when he saw his father assault his mother.
An incredibly dark coming of age story that plays on the slice of life motif, readers will get to see some of the darkest and most uncomfortable aspects of humanity in this manga, which delves deeply into psychology. These are easily some of the best-written stories ever released, but it is definitely not for the faint of heart.
2 Monster (9.07)
Monster is considered by many people to be Naoki Urasawa's magnum opus and the work that put his name on the map. It poses a question that is not easy to digest - if readers had the choice between saving the life of a high ranked member of society and a child, who would you pick?
What's more, what if your choice ends up turning that character into a complete and utter monster? This is just one of the many questions that makes Monster so special and this is some of the best mystery manga writing that fans crave more of.
1 Berserk (9.33)
Finally, the manga that is considered the best psychological manga according to Myanimelist, Berserk's reputation precedes itself. Not only is it an incredibly fantastic dark fantasy, but the story content is incredibly messed up and the concepts of good and evil are blurred.
The story follows Guts, who is also known as The Black Swordsman. After being marked for death, he is constantly hunted down by demons, each one dying in his wake. Despite his gruff appearance, he eventually rallies a band of allies in order to fight for a better tomorrow.