Summary
Reading manga is always a fun way to sit back, relax, and enjoy some well-deserved down-time. Whether it entails a sweet romantic comedy, a dark mystery, or an intense sports rivalry, there is certainly amanga for any mooda person may find themselves in. And that’s especially true if that reader is interested in witnessing an old-fashioned beat down.
Having been around for decades at this point, the genre of battle manga has had ample time to develop an amazingly influential catalog of gripping stories. Many of these have gone on to influence the way that the genre would develop over the years, while some have reached even further into other mediums and even across cultures. Here is a rundown of some of themost influential battle shōnen manga.
Classics likeAstro BoyandDevilmanare huge influences on shonen in general, but they are not included here since they largely predate the “battle shonen” term. Still, they are two of the most important manga ever, so they warrant an honorable mention. While to a lesser extent, the same can be said forFist of the North Star.
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Status
Complete
Following the exploits of the Bronze Saints, the original manga saw some of the most epic battles to be inked in the pages of Shōnen Jump. From gods and goddesses to ancient warriors with power-imbuing armor sets allbattling for supremacy,theSaint Seiyamanga wasn’t afraid to put their heroes and villains, through the ringer.
The manga is responsible for popularizing the ancient warrior trope that has been seen in many shōnen manga since. Even legends like Tite Kubo, the creator ofBleach, have sitedSaint Seiyaas an influence, giving him the idea for his 13 Captains ofthe Soul Society.
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Ongoing
My Hero Academia’spopularity seemed to come quickly, but it wasn’t without warrant. After all, the manga is a masterclass in how to include tons of interesting and colorful characters, while never taking the focus off its main cast. It also does a great job of subverting expectations in a way that isn’t dissatisfying to its many fans, like when the manga shocked fans by turning Deku into a dark antihero for a stint.
The manga is responsible for a huge amount of new-age anime fans, which is impressive at a time when it seems like every popular piece of media is being put to the sword for one reason or another. Alas, with its countless inspirational heroes and rousing speeches,MHAconfidently standsabove it all.
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A premise that starts with tragedy, Yusuke Urameshi is hit by a car and killed while attempting to save a little boy from the same fate. As his death was deemed unexpected by the powers that be, he gets a second chance at life, which he capitalizes on, procuring an admirable profession, as the protector of the spirit realm,in the process.
Yusuke and his comrades go on to face many formidable foes, as well as participate in a number of combat tournaments. In particular, the Dark Tournament is rather famous in the anime and manga world, featuring wildly iconic face-offs between the likes of Kuwabara and Risho, or Yusuke and Toguro. In fact,YuYu Hakusho’stournaments are so well done, that it is often credited with popularizing them in manga, even more so than the World Martial Arts Tournament inDragon Ball.
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TheNarutomanga very quickly saw a rise to the top of the popularity charts, both in Japan and abroad. In fact, it’s one of the properties that can be credited with helping to popularize manga and anime in the west. That’s thanks in no small part to its easy-to-understand power systems, and the story’s steady ramp up into maturity. Yet, through it all, the manga never lost sight ofwhat it was always about—friendship.
As cheesy as it sounds, huge crises were either averted, reversed, or helped along by the titular character’s constant need to understand what makes an opponent tick on a core level, somehow thwarting their evil plans and earning their respect. This is seen in moments like when Naruto essentially talks Pain into bringing the entirety of the Leaf Village back to life after his iconic Almighty Push.
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Yoshihiro Togashi seems to work himself to the bone whenever he returns to pen a new set of chapters for this long-running Shōnen Jump manga. As such,Hunter X Hunteris constantly on hiatus due to the mangaka’s poor health, leaving fans in a constant state of panic over whether the manga will ever see an end.
They stick with it though, as it’s frankly one of the most original works to grace the magazine’s pages. For example, the entirety of the Hunter Exams are full of instances ofabsolutely unconventional “battles"that either end abruptly or have strange win conditions, like the 5th phase, which tasks contestants to win a battle without killing their opponent. Aspects like this have shown that battle manga doesn’t have to be a straight forward slug-fest to keep readers thoroughly entertained.
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On the surface, theDragon Ballseries is as straightforward as it gets. In a world where aliens and androids are the norm, the Z fighters are caught in a never-ending battle with those of them that want to do it harm. Throughout this, the protagonists are constantly gaining comrades to help them along.
To combat each new threat, main character, Goku, gets stronger and stronger, seemingly havingno real upper limit. Likewise, the same thing can be said about the franchises' popularity. With every iteration of the show, it seems more more fans pop out of the woodwork. If you ask any of them why they find joy in a manga that amounts to a downright slug fest, their answer would probably amount to something like: It’s just cool.
