The Best Manga of 2025 Has Been Officially Crowned (It's a Must-Read)

Although it's becoming easier for fans to follow their favorite manga week by week thanks to apps like Manga Plus or K Manga that offer simulcast releases, physical sales remain the best way to measure a series' success. But while 2025 was a year of surprises for anime franchises, one manga in particular achieved massive success last year.

The manga industry is highly unpredictable, as its landscape can change completely in a matter of weeks thanks to the influence of new anime seasons. However, modern manga pillars like One Piece, Jujutsu Kaisen, and My Hero Academia continue to be the backbone that supports the industry, as evidenced by the top 10 best-selling manga in Japan in 2025.

One Piece Finally Ends the Supremacy of Jujutsu Kaisen

According to Oricon's physical sales figures for last year, shared on X by @Josu_ke, One Piece has finally reclaimed its crown as the best-selling manga of 2025. This marks One Piece's return to the top after seven years in which Jujutsu Kaisen was undoubtedly the most successful manga.

Despite losing out to the meteoric rise of Blue Lock in 2023, Jujutsu Kaisen has reached the podium of the manga charts three times in the last five years. Yet, One Piece took off last year, achieving a remarkable 4,211,363 copies sold, nearly 300,000 more than Jujutsu Kaisen. These sales figures demonstrated that One Piece's dominance in the industry remains strong.

One Piece Proves Why It Deserves To Be Considered One of the Greatest Manga Series of All Time

One Piece began publication in 1997, and in its more than 28 years, it has claimed the title of best-selling manga 18 times. One Piece's manga even remained undefeated between 2007 and 2018, when it lost to Demon Slayer. Even so, One Piece has once again climbed to the top, surpassing popular new-generation manga such as Jujutsu Kaisen and Blue Lock.

This is clear proof that Eiichiro Oda's work continues to resonate with fans even after almost three decades. Furthermore, 2026 could be the year of One Piece. Not only will the second season of its live-action adaptation premiere and the anime return in a seasonal format with improved animation, but the manga has also confirmed that it's in its final stretch.

One Piece's story will end with its next arc. This could significantly boost sales of One Piece's volumes, as fans who were hesitant to give the series a chance because they didn't see the end approaching might start reading the manga.

Although it hasn't reached the top spot every year, One Piece is currently the best-selling manga of all time with over 500 million copies sold, a record that nearly doubles Dragon Ball's figures and shows the universal appeal of the story of Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hats.

Dandadan and Blue Lock Are Some of the Biggest Hit Mangas of 2025

The top 5 best-selling manga of 2025 are rounded out by Dandadan, Blue Lock, and Kingdom. Dandadan's rise is remarkable. The series climbed from the 18th position in 2024 to the top three thanks to the positive reception of Dandadan's anime adaptation, which is awaiting a new season in 2027.

Kingdom's sales were also boosted by the premiere of its sixth season in October 2025, reaching 5th place after holding onto 7th in 2024. However, Blue Lock is the series that continues to achieve incredible figures. Despite its controversial second season and no animated projects in 2025, Blue Lock secured fourth place, one spot higher than in 2024.

Given that Blue Lock became the best-selling manga of 2023, it's clear that its preeminence wasn't fleeting. These numbers indicate that, besides One Piece, Dandadan and Blue Lock may lead the future of the manga industry in the coming years.

This is good news for manga fans due to the recent conclusion of popular series like Jujutsu Kaisen and My Hero Academia. Still, both mangas continue to reach the top 10 despite having finished their serialization in 2024 thanks to the global renown of their anime adaptations.

Jujutsu Kaisen Is Still One Piece's Biggest Competition in 2026

Although some fans might claim that the reason One Piece was the best-selling anime of 2025 is because Jujutsu Kaisen ended in 2024, 2026 could prove which series currently dominates manga's landscape. This is due to Jujutsu Kaisen's sequel manga. Jujutsu Kaisen: Modulo, by Gege Akutami and Yuji Iwasaki, recently released its first volume on January 5, 2026.

Instead of failing to reach the heights of its predecessor, the sequel was extremely well-received. According to user @Go_Jover, Jujutsu Kaisen: Modulo reached the top of the Shoseki ranking on its first day of release. Jujutsu Kaisen: Modulo was also the new most-read manga of 2025.

While Jujutsu Kaisen's sequel will soon end, the anime is returning with a third season in winter 2026. This might be enough confirmation that Jujutsu Kaisen is thriving and could still compete with One Piece for the title of best manga in 2026. Nevertheless, One Piece keeps surprising fans with its twists and foreshadowing and could continue to grow in the future.