Japan Officially Confirms The Best Manga Of 2025

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Now that 2025 has ended, we have a clearer picture of manga sales for the entire year. Last year, 2024, was dominated by Jujutsu Kaisen, which saw a huge surge in popularity as it neared its conclusion. However, with the series now finished, One Piece has reclaimed its title as Japan’s best-selling manga.

Everyone knows One Piece is the best-selling manga ever, but sales have dipped a bit recently. Now, thanks to the popular Elbaf story arc, it’s making a comeback. With many other major manga series finished, One Piece doesn’t have much competition. It’s expected to stay on top of the sales charts for the next few years, regaining the momentum it lost to Demon Slayer back in 2019, until a new hit series emerges.

One Piece Retakes Its Throne in 2025 As Japan’s Number 1 Manga

Image by Toei Animation

  • The Popularity Of The Elbaf Arc Keeps Skyrocketing
  • Oda Hopes For A Bigger 2026

2025 was a great year for One Piece, and sales figures confirm its success with fans.

In 2025, One Piece was Japan’s best-selling manga, selling approximately 4.2 million copies. This is a huge success for the series, particularly considering its performance in recent years. The Elbaf arc, which covered three volumes, drove a lot of these sales, along with continued interest in earlier arcs like Egghead.

Although One Piece was the top-selling manga, Jujutsu Kaisen came in a very close second. In 2024, Jujutsu Kaisen was the best-selling series, and it continued to perform exceptionally well in 2025. Remarkably, even without any new releases that year, Jujutsu Kaisen sold a total of 3.9 million copies, demonstrating just how popular the series has become.

It’s remarkable how well this manga continues to perform even after finishing its run, and it’s expected to remain popular, though perhaps to a lesser degree, into 2026. Plus, its follow-up series, Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo, is also doing very well.

In 2025, several manga series performed exceptionally well. Dandadan saw a huge boost in popularity with its new anime adaptation, while Blue Lock continued to be a best-seller, even though its anime adaptation received negative reviews. In fact, Blue Lock was the top-selling manga of 2023. Rounding out the top 7 were Kingdom, Blue Box, and Sakamoto Days, each exceeding 2 million copies sold this year.

One Piece Lost Its Streak in 2019 When Demon Slayer Blew Up

Many fans were surprised to learn that One Piece is once again the best-selling manga series in Japan this year. It hadn’t held that title since 2019. Before then, it was unusual for any manga other than One Piece to top the charts. However, Demon Slayer took the lead in 2019 and has been popular ever since.

Over time, other manga series, including Demon Slayer, Blue Lock, and Jujutsu Kaisen, began to outsell One Piece. Fans noticed a dip in One Piece’s sales and a small decline in its overall popularity.

It’s understandable that a series as long as One Piece can sometimes feel tiring, but it remains hugely popular – recent sales records from 2025 clearly demonstrate that. Even when it wasn’t the top-selling manga, One Piece consistently ranked among the very best.

One Piece Will Be Dominant For The Next Few Years Again

  • With the current state of manga, One Piece doesn’t have much competition
  • New Jump series must come to rival One Piece

2025 hasn’t been a standout year for manga so far. Popular series like Jujutsu Kaisen and My Hero Academia concluded in 2024, and we’re already seeing other long-running titles, such as Sakamoto Days, finish up as well.

Weekly Shonen Jump and similar magazines are currently facing a bit of a slump. For the time being, popular and consistent series like One Piece and Kingdom will continue to lead the way. While One Piece is likely to remain Japan’s best-selling manga until a new hit emerges – which is fantastic for its fans – this situation also suggests we’ll see a breakout series arrive soon.

Eiichiro Oda’s popular manga, One Piece, follows Monkey D. Luffy and his crew, the Straw Hat Pirates, as they search for the legendary treasure, the One Piece. The story is currently in its final arc. A new chapter, number 1170, will be released in this week’s Weekly Shonen Jump. It will be available on January 4, 2026, at 12:00 AM Japan Standard Time (11:00 AM Eastern Time / 8:00 AM Pacific Time). Fans can read the chapter for free on Manga Plus and the Shonen Jump app, which helps support the creator.

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2026-01-05 01:35