Over the years I’ve read countless manga. While my favorite genres remain horror, thriller and science-fiction, I’ve always had a weak spot for marital arts manga. There something about brutal martial arts fights that I can’t help but get pumped up about.
While the plot in martial arts manga is often simpler than those in other manga, they make up for it by stunning fights. These fights are often fantastic, at times brutal, and showcase a variety of techniques that might or might not be realistic.
For this list, I focused on a variety of manga that feature martial arts in one way or another, and which I enjoyed over the years. I decided, however, not to include samurai manga since I feel those are deserving of a list of their own.
I’d also like to give a spoiler warning. While I’m trying not to give away too much about a manga’s plot, it’s sometimes unavoidable. So here are fifteen martial arts manga any fan should read.
If you’re looking for more manga recommendations, check out my list of the best horror manga, best seinen manga and best shonen manga.
Table of Contents
- Over Bleed
- Ranma 1/2
- History’s Strongest Disciple: Kenichi
- Feng Shen Ji
- Shamo
- City of Darkness
- Battle Angel Alita
- Naruto
- Dragonball
- Blood and Steel
- Crows
- Baki
- Holyland
- Fist of the North Star
- Kengan Ashura
Over Bleed
Over Bleed is a relatively know, relatively short martial arts manga I came to enjoy.
The manga’s plot is relatively simple. Nishijima Kei’s being bullied at school. When he can’t take it anymore, he and his best friend Akira, decide to commit suicide. Kei, however, survives.
A year later, he discovers a website named Over Bleed. The site centers on bloody street fights. On this site, he witnesses a fighter named Bunen who bears a striking resemblance to Akira. Desperate to meet his friend again, he begins participating in fights himself. From here on out, he fights stronger and stronger opponents, hoping to eventually meet Bunen.
Over Bleed’s art is amazing. Its fights are extremely realistic, but also dirty, aggressive and desperate. Kei uses anything to fight, and any means to win. He doesn’t shy away from biting, cheap shots or even using weapons to beat his opponents.
At twenty-five chapters, Over Bleed is relatively short, but it’s long enough to tell the story it wants to tell. What’s great is that it dedicates all of these chapters to Kei’s storyline alone. There are no side plots, no filler chapters, nothing.
The only problem with Over Bleed is the ending. It felt somewhat rushed and rather anticlimactic.
Still, Over Bleed is a great, short martial arts manga that probably not many people have heard about. If you like martial arts, and especially street fights, read Over Bleed.
Ranma 1/2
Ranma 1/2 is an older martial arts manga which is equal parts action, comedy and romance. It centers on the character of Ranma Saotome.
We meet the Tendou family. One day, father Soun informs his three daughters that one of them is to marry his best friend, Genma Saotome’s son Ranma.
Unbeknownst to them, the two of them recently traveled to China to train their martial arts. After an unexpected accident, however, the two of them have become cursed. Whenever they come in contact with cold water, their bodies change. Genma turns into a panda while Ranma turns into a girl.
Ranma gets betrothed to Akane, the youngest of the three Tenma sisters. Before long, various rivals appear and challenge him to a fight. Some out of revenge, others to win Akane’s love and break of her engagement to Ranma.
Ranma 1/2 is an episodic manga and more a collection of various stories featuring the same characters and the same setting.
It features both, explosive fights full of action, but also scenarios that are utterly hilarious, often caused by Ranma changing into a girl.
The manga’s cast is full of characters as weird as they are likeable. None of them are normal people. They are all over-the-top and defined by character traits as strange as they are hilarious.
The only problem I had with Ranma 1/2 was Akane. She’s one of the earlier examples of the so-called Tsundere trope, a trope I came to dislike immensely.
With 400 chapters, Ranma 1/2 is a long manga. Yet, there’s no real character or plot development. It might be a point of contention, but it never bothered me much.
Overall, Ranma 1/2 is a martial arts manga that’s fun and, at times, absolutely hilarious.
History’s Strongest Disciple: Kenichi
History’s Strongest Disciple: Kenichi’s as typical as a shonen martial arts manga can be. It’s a zero to hero story following Shirahama Kenichi.
Kenichi’s a weak kid who’s constantly bullied. Wanting to get stronger, he joins the karate club only for his miseries to continue and being forced to quit the club.
He’s helped by the beautiful transfer student Fuurinji Miu, who eventually invites him to Ryozanpaku, her home where the strongest martial arts masters gather. Soon enough, they take Kenichi under their wing and train him in martial arts. As Kenichi grows stronger, he soon draws the attention of various adversaries.
History’s Strongest Disciple: Kenichi’s one thing most of all, fun. Fights are often well done and gripping, characters are interesting and it doesn’t take itself too serious.
Yet, the manga has its problems. The first is the plot’s repetitive nature. Early on, Kenichi fights a delinquent group called Ragnarok. Once they are defeated, however, another, stronger faction sets their sights on him. This premise repeats itself for the manga’s entire run.
Another problem’s the tired trope of enemies becoming friends. Almost every bad guy turns out to be good and befriends Kenichi after their defeat.
Character development’s barely existent. Sure, characters grow stronger, but other than that, they don’t change much.
The most annoying part about History’s Strongest Disciple: Kenichi’s the fan service. The manga’s full of it. Every female character’s attractive, shown in overly-revealing clothes or poses, or, at times, almost completely naked.
For all its faults, however, History’s Strongest Disciple: Kenichi’s a decent martial arts manga featuring a cast of likeable characters and some great action.
Feng Shen Ji
Feng Shen Ji’s a manhua inspired by Chinese mythology and set in a land reminiscent of ancient China.
One day, a messenger delivers a divine verdict to Emperor Zi Zhou of the Shang dynasty. He’s to invade the neighboring lands on behalf of the gods. When the emperor defies them, the gods become enraged, send a rival kingdom to invade Shang and take care of the emperor personally.
The manhua’s main character is Wu Geng, the emperor’s son. After miraculously being revived after his homeland’s destruction he vows to have revenge against the gods.
Wu Geng starts out as weak, arrogant and selfish to the point of being unlikeable. After the first act, however, he’s grown into someone the reader can actually root for.
Feng Shen Ji’s high point is the fantastic art which comes in stunning full color.
As a battle manhua it features a lot of battles, and they are gorgeous to look at. Especially the gods look nothing short of amazing. Their design is both divine and villainous at the same time.
Feng Shen Ji isn’t free of its problems, however. Its world-building feels all over the place. It’s a mad mixture of divine powers, gods, and various creatures from mythology and fantasy.
The biggest problem however, is the writing. The story never strays from its premise of revenge against and freedom from the god’s oppression. There are no unexpected developments, no twists or turns.
The same can be said about the characters. Character development is surface level at best. Even worse are the many side-characters. Many of them are nothing more than arch-types.
Still, if you’re looking for a fantasy martial arts story with gorgeous art, and lots of stunning battles, give Feng Shen Ji a try.
Shamo
Shamo’s a martial arts manga that differs quite a bit from others. In this story we don’t follow a good guy, but rather a villain.
At age sixteen, high school student Ryo Narushima murders both his parents and is sent to a reformatory. There he meets Kenji Kurosawa. He’s a karateka who quickly recognizes Ryo’s talents and teaches him self-defense.
After two years, Ryo’s released because he was a minor at the time of his crime. Having experienced countless hardship in prison, he vows to gain strength and never be a victim again.
His time at the reformatory, however, has changed Ryo. He’s become a deprived and despicable character. When he’s forced to fight, he fights dirty, and he does anything to get money. This type of life, however, isn’t glamorized in Shamo. Ryo has almost no real friends, and what few acquaintances he has are trying to take advantage of him. The manga, however, begs the question what he can do about it. He’s a criminal, a murderer, and those are seldom given a second chance.
The art in Shamo’s good, but not outstanding. It comes with a gritty and realistic style, however, that lends itself perfectly to a dark story as this.
In the manga’s later half, this dark story takes a step back. The manga stops being a story about Ryo’s predicaments, and instead focuses on such concepts as Ki, or sword fighting. It makes Shamo’s second half a rather flawed experience.
Shamo’s a manga that starts out great, and its first half presents us with unique and dark martial arts manga. It’s second half, however, is nowhere near as good as what came before.
City of Darkness
City of Darkness is another manhua, but it still deserves its place on this list of martial arts manga.
One day, Chen Luo Jun, a member of the triads, is betrayed by his boss and loses everything. Not knowing what to do, he sets his sight on Kowloon Walled City, the titular City of Darkness. As the story continues, he meets new allies, fights stronger enemies and slowly makes a name for himself.
City of Darkness stands apart from other martial arts manga by its fantastic, colorful art. When City of Darkness is at its best, few other works can compare. As an action manhua, City of Darkness is full of fights, many of which are suspenseful and rendered in gorgeous detail.
While City of Darkness exceeds in presentation, it suffers from a share of other issues.
One of the biggest is the trope of friends becoming enemies. Each of City of Darkness’ arcs introduces us to a new antagonist. Once they are defeated, however, we learn of their backstory, that they’ve been good guys all along, and they join the main cast. It lessens the emotional impact of the preceding arc and feels rather cheap.
The way the story is told is another big problem. Large parts of City of Darkness’ story aren’t shown by visuals, but are explained to us by narrative voice.
The biggest issue by far, however, is the story’s pacing. At times, City of Darkness is slow and almost grinds to a halt before it goes into overdrive. Many times, we’re thrown right back into the action, into a new fight, without even knowing what’s going on.
Still, I had a blast reading City of Darkness. As an action manhua, its focus is on action and fights, and in that regard it delivers incredibly well.
Battle Angel Alita
Battle Angel Alita’s for and foremost a cyberpunk, science-fiction manga, but it also includes its fair share of martial arts, namely in the form of Panzer Kunst.
One day, the scientist Ido discovers the remains of a cyborg girl and takes it upon himself to restore her. He names her Alita and gives her a new body.
Over the course of the manga, we follow Alita as she finds her way in this new world. She battles various adversaries and develops from an innocent, childlike character into a badass.
The manga’s setting is a post-apocalyptic world, prominently the gritty town of Scrapyard. It’s a mad cluster of machines, factories and rubble, populated by criminals and cybernetic freaks.
Battle Angel Alita’s art shines most during the various battles, many of which include the aforementioned martial art Panzer Kunst. The most notable of those is the fantastic motor ball arc.
The best part about the manga, however, is Alita herself. The manga doesn’t so much focus on an overarching plot, but on Alita finding herself. Deeper themes, such as learning who you are, or the meaning of life are also discussed.
While Scrapyard and many other locations in this manga are gorgeous to look at, the character design can be rather unrefined. Many of the cyborgs and robots we encounter throughout the story have a certain cartoonish look to them.
Alita, too, can be problematic. Over long stretches of the manga she acts immature and arrogant.
Still, Battle Angel Alita’s a great cyberpunk, science-fiction manga, but also one that’s very fitting for this list of martial arts manga. If you’re a fan of not only martial arts, but also cyberpunk and science-fiction, read it.
Naruto
Anyone interested in manga has heard about Naruto. It’s one of the most popular shonen martial arts manga of all time.
Naruto Uzumaki’s a young ninja who’s shunned and ridiculed by everyone in his village. He’s cursed and a so-called tailed beast, a Jinchūriki, has been sealed away inside of him.
After a short introduction, Naruto and his two classmates Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno are assigned to team 7 under leadership of Kakashi Hatake. Naruto now has to learn to work with others and that being a ninja isn’t a game.
Naruto starts out great. While it’s a typical shonen story, it’s set in a complex world of ninjas.
Over the course of the first arcs, we’re introduced to many of Naruto’s main cast, all ninjas with their own unique techniques. This leads to one of the best shonen arcs of all time, the Chunin exam arc. It features great characters, fantastic fights and introduces us to one of Naruto’s most notorious antagonists: Orochimaru.
The problems with Naruto start in its second half. What made Naruto so interesting was the focus on ninja arts. Characters would use finesse, and hidden techniques requiring preparation and complex hand signs. In the manga’s second half, however, these are replaced by Dragonball-esque super powers. It made fights much grander, but the manga as whole less interesting.
The same is true for Naruto. He starts out as an underdog who has to work hard to get ahead. Yet in the manga’s second half he changes into a Mary Sue who constantly gets new powers and becomes overpowered.
The worst thing about Naruto, however, is its ending. After the drawn out Fourth Shinobi War arc, we’re introduced to an antagonist that comes out of nowhere and has almost no connection to the rest of the plot.
Overall, Naruto’s still a great martial arts manga, deserving of its popularity. It’s second half, however, is much less interesting than its fantastic first.
Dragonball
Nothing much needs to be said about Akira Toriyama’s masterpiece Dragonball. It’s one of the longest-running and most popular shonen martial arts manga of all time.
Dragonball tells the story of Son Goku from childhood to adulthood. We follow him as he gathers the seven Dragon Balls and fights stronger and stronger enemies.
Dragonball’s the father of modern shonen.
Yet when most people hear about it, they think of Dragonball Z, of Super Saiyans, energy blasts and impossibly strong enemies.
In its earlier arcs, Dragonball was an entirely different manga. It centered on Son Goku and Bulma going on wacky adventures in search of the seven Dragon Balls in a world full of mythology and martial arts.
Interestingly enough, these earlier parts of the manga are also much more lighthearted than later ones. Son Goku and Bulma’s adventures are full of humor and silly gags.
The greatest thing about Dragonball, however, is the art. Akira Toriyama’s a master of the craft. Characters are great and unique, the world’s nothing short of beautiful and brought to life by Akira Toriyama’s personal style.
As the father of modern shonen, Dragonball can feel too typical and rather dated. Its art and its many martial arts battles, especially during the World Martial Arts Tournament, still hold up today.
Dragonball’s a martial arts manga that I thoroughly enjoyed. While it’s not free of its faults, and later parts can be a bit lacking compared to earlier ones, it’s still one of the greatest martial arts manga of all time.
Blood and Steel
Blood and Steel is a martial arts manhua I enjoyed immensely and it’s a fantastic fit for this list.
We get to know Yan Heng, a member of the Quincheng martial arts group. One day, the Wudong group attacks and annihilates them. When Yan Heng’s about to be killed, he’s saved by Jing Lie, also known as the Wudong Hunter.
Bound by their desire for revenge against the Wudong, the two of them set out together.
Blood and Steel’s story is relatively simple and typical for manhua in the Wuxia genre. It stands out, however in terms of art.
It’s one of the most detailed and beautiful works on this entire list of martial arts manga. Characters are gorgeous to look at, fights are stunning and the world is nothing short of beautiful.
The fights in this manhua are fantastic, as is the way they are presented. Fights in other martial arts manga, tend to be drawn out, lasting multiple chapters and are often over-the-top. In Blood and Steel, however, fights are brisk and over quickly, making them both more realistic, but also more interesting.
The biggest problem with Blood and Steel, comes in terms of story progression. It’s for and foremost a revenge story, but proper conduct and morals are often held to a higher standard. Quite a few times, our protagonists let an enemy escape because fights didn’t start on equal footing.
This, however didn’t deter my enjoyment of Blood and Steel much. While its story isn’t the deepest, the arts and the fights are fantastic. If you’re a fan of martial arts manga, and want to read a work with beautiful art, check out Blood and Steel.
Crows
Crows is another fantastic martial arts manga, one focusing on delinquents.
When Harumichi Boya transfers to Suzuran, a high school full of delinquents, he sets his sights on conquering the school and becoming its number one fighter.
Of course, things don’t go as planned, and soon fights between all the gangs in the area break out.
Crows is such a great martial arts manga because of how simple it is. It’s a delinquent story about street fights and that’s exactly what you get. This doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its deeper themes or tragic moments, but, overall, it’s a rather lighthearted series.
What Crows does, however, it does well. The series is a lot of fun, the fights are fantastic and many of the characters are likeable and unique in their own right.
Crows is an older series, so its art style might be a bit off-putting to so me. It has a distinct 90s look to it. It’s by no means bad, it just takes a bit of time getting used to.
The biggest problem with Crows is realism. It seems that in the world of Crows, teachers, parents and even law enforcement are non-existent. Fights between juvenile delinquents can break out in the middle of the city, but no one cares or intervenes.
Apart from this minor complaint, Crows is immensely enjoyable. If you’re a fan of martial arts manga or manga about delinquents, I highly recommend it.
Baki
Grappler Baki and its sequels is a name that anyone interested in martial arts manga has heard about for how crazy and over-the-top it is.
The story centers on Baki Hanma, a young martial artist. He takes part in violent fights in Tokyo’s underground fighting arena, the Kourakuen, to not only prove himself, but also to grow stronger.
Yet, there’s more to Baki, for he’s the son of Yuujirou Hanma, the ‘Ogre,’ or ‘Strongest Creature on Earth.’
Over the course of the series and its many installments, Baki fights various adversaries. His reason to do so is simple: he wants to be strong enough to not only stand up to, but defeat the father he hates so much.
While Baki can get crazy and over-the-top, its depiction of martial arts is much more realistic than that in other similar manga. There are no power levels, no Ki, and no energy blasts. All we get is pure martial arts, but taken to a crazy extreme.
Baki’s a long series, but it’s all about martial arts and fights. The level of dedication taken in their depiction’s impressive. Almost every fight in Baki’s exciting, enjoyable and well-written. At the same time, however, Baki can also be quite brutal. We see bones break, flesh tear and blood spray constantly.
The greatest thing about Baki, however, are the characters. Each character in this manga has their own backstory, fighting style and reason for growing stronger. One of the most notable examples is Shibukawa, an old man and master of Aiki.
The only problem with Baki’s the art. Especially in the series earlier installments, it’s not only old-fashioned, but rather ugly to look at.
Still, Baki’s one of the longest running and most popular martial arts manga out there. Any fan should read it.
Holyland
Holyland is one of the greatest martial arts manga out there.
We’re introduced to a boy named Yuu Kamishiro. He’s being bullied by his peers and doesn’t seem to have a place in society. Eventually, he stops going to school and instead trains a single boxing punch.
Once satisfied with the results of his training, he begins wandering the streets, fights thugs and builds a reputation for himself.
The more he fights, however, the more his name spreads. Soon enough, quite a few of those out in the streets know of the ‘Thug Hunter.’
The greatest thing about Holyland are without a doubt its characters. Yuu stands out especially. He’s relatable, one can feel how lost he is, and how desperate he’s to find a place to belong. In essence, Holyland’s a coming of age story that’s told via martial arts and street fights.
Many other members of the cast, however, are as developed as Yuu. They all have their own reasons for being out in the streets. Two notable examples are Masaki Izawa and Shougo Midorikawa.
This character-driven approach to storytelling leads to another problem. While Holyland focuses heavily on character development, it spends almost no time on developing an overall plot. Holyland’s story is rather repetitive. After each fight a new enemy appears, and another fight follows.
This, however, is only a minor problem. Holyland’s a manga about characters and their development, and it’s here the series shines the most. If you enjoy martial arts manga, Holyland’s a must read.
Fist of the North Star
If you’re a fan of blood, gore and martial arts, Fist of the North Star is exactly what you’re looking for.
The story’s set in a post-apocalyptic world. What remains of civilization is ruled by the strong.
Kenshiro, a mysterious wanderer, travels the land. Using his deadly martial art, Hokuto Shinken, he fights evil wherever he goes.
At the outset, Fist of the North Star, tells a rather simple, more episodic story. The more we learn about Kenshiro and his past, however, the deeper and more ambiguous the manga becomes.
Fist of the North Star is a martial arts manga that’s all about action and fights. These fights stand out when compared to other martial arts manga for how brutal they are and how gratuitous the violence is.
Another thing to know is that Fist of the North Star is a manga typical for its time period. It’s a manly manga, and all its male characters are testosterone fueled masses of muscle who do manly things and shed manly tears.
The manga’s high point are clearly the brutal battles, but the setting’s also fantastically realized. It’s a desolate, but beautifully rendered and detailed post-apocalyptic world.
One problem with Fist of the North Star is the character of Kenshiro. He appears less a character in his own right, but more a vessel to convey a story. His actions never seem to affect him directly, but only the people around him. He’s more savior figure than fully fleshed out character.
Other characters, however, are much more alive and developed. Notable examples are Rei, Mamiya, but also the antagonist Raoh.
Overall, Fist of the North Star is a fantastic martial arts manga set in a post-apocalyptic world that comes with some of the medium’s best action.
Kengan Ashura
Kengan Ashura’s one of the greatest martial arts manga out there.
Many shonen or martial arts manga feature tournament arcs, but Kengan Ashura takes it to the next level. Apart from a short introduction, the manga’s essentially one giant, long-lasting martial arts tournament.
The manga’s plot centers on a single premise: every major business deal in Japan is decided by martial arts matches. Responsible for these matches is an organization comprising the biggest and most influential figures of the Japanese business world, the Kengan Association.
Ohma Tokita becomes a fighter for the Nogi Group to get closer to his goal of becoming the strongest martial artist.
Kengan Ashura’s first chapters center on Ohma’s matches against fighters of other companies, but soon enough, the Kengan Annihilation tournament is announced. It’s a martial arts tournament held to decide the chairman of the Kengan Association.
Kengan Ashura gives you exactly what you’re hoping for: a martial arts tournament full of brutal and over-the-top fights. The story might have its twists and turns and some characters have hidden motifs, but the overall focus remains on the tournament.
Kengan Ashura stands out for two major reasons. One is its characters, the other is the art.
Each and every character in this manga has a unique design, fighting style and even backstory.
The art, however, is clearly the best part of this manga. It’s nothing short of gorgeous and presents the many brutal fights in all their glory. These fights are absolutely fantastic, over-the-top and feature a variety of insane techniques.
If you’re a fan of martial arts manga, crazy characters and brutal fights, Kengan Ashura’s a must-read.
