8 Books/Manga Like JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is an action-adventure manga written by Hirohiko Araki. This manga contains memorable characters, intense fights, and several emotional segments. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure was serialized in Shueisha’s shonen manga magazine Weekly Shonen Jump from 1987 to 2004. However, the manga transferred to the monthly seinen manga magazine Ultra Jump in 2005. This story spans 8 completed parts. A ninth entry titled JoJolands will release in 2023 and fans can’t wait to dive into Araki’s newest work.
If you’re in the mood for more action-adventure manga that offers a similar vibe, fear not! We’ve gathered together 8 books/manga to check out when you’ve caught up with JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. Of course, if you feel we’ve missed any of your favorites, do comment below and let us know!
Fist of the North Star – Buroson
Similarities – Manliness & Martial Arts
Fist of the North Star is one of those works that paved the way for multiple series today. It contains masculine characters getting involved in gruesome exchanges with equally strong adversaries. Its protagonist Kenshiro has a similar build to JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’s first protagonist Jonathan Joestar.
The manga’s art style is equally pleasing to view. The character designs look astonishing and its environments look sharp enough to grasp your attention. Kenshiro’s fights are nothing to overlook either. These fights contain enough gore to keep you invested from beginning to end. With its fun antagonists and adventurous atmosphere, Fist of the North Star is a worthwhile read.
On that note, we follow Kenshiro, whose on a hunt to find his rival, Shin. Shin kidnapped his fiancee Yuri. Along the way, Kenshiro encounters numerous thugs and brutes who enjoy torturing people smaller than them. To fight them, Kenshiro must use his deadly fighting style called Hokuto Shinken. Each victory leads to new challenges. However, Kenshiro’s determined to make Shin pay.
Berserk – Kentarou Miura
Similarities – Mood & Action
Berserk is another mature-heavy work with cruelties that overshadows what you’d find in JoJo’s Bizare Adventure. From sensual horse-like monsters to nightmarish demons, Berserk’s protagonist Guts encounters many mind-numbing obstacles that’ll leave a dreadful image in your mind.
In it, we follow Guts as he joins the Band of Hawks syndicate led by the well-acclaimed warrior Griffith. In time, Guts becomes a more formidable ally to Griffith’s cause. He helps him achieve multiple victories and earns Griffith’s respect. However, after a life-changing circumstance occurs between the two, Guts embarks on a path brimming with vengeance and trauma.
Berserk’s atmosphere can get slightly wholesome at times. However, it’s very rare. Kentarou Miura aims to make readers experience similar degrees of pain as Guts endures. It’s the series’s chilling tension and dark atmosphere that makes it a compelling work to read for many fans. If you’re looking for a series with rich themes and a gloomy ambiance, check out Berserk.
Hellsing – Kohta Hirano
Similarities – Gore & Supernatural
Kohta Hirano’s Hellsing manga is a gory thrill ride from beginning to end. It follows a vampire named Alucard, who works for the well-acclaimed Hellsing Organization. During one of his missions, he recruits a dying police officer named Seras Victoria. He turns Seras into a vampire and she becomes his partner. Together, they must defeat every person who dares stand in the organization’s way.
This manga delivers an incredibly dark story with epic battles. While its artwork pales in comparison to the anime, it offers enough charm to keep readers’ interest. Alucard feels like a mix between Dio and Jonathan. He can be as humble as the latter and as cruel as the former. He holds many supernatural abilities and uses those to defeat many powerful foes like himself.
Seras has some incredible powers too. However, she plays more of a comic relief role in the story. Nonetheless, Seras isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty when the time calls for it. If you’re looking for a fabulous vampire manga with epic duels and entertaining characters, give the Hellsing manga a shot.
Kinnikuman – Yudetamago
Similarities – Action & Comedy
Kinnikuman is an action comedy with some stellar chaarcters. Many may refer to it as Ultimate Muscle in the west though. Regardless, this manga starts off comedic but gradually becomes more serious and action-oriented near its later parts. The story has a lot to be desired, though. There are some plot elements that’ll make you puzzled.
It has many plot holes that are never resolved. Furthermore, its over-the-top nature may put some people off. It’s a series you’ll grow to love or hold a strong vendetta against. However, if you’re someone who can overlook plot holes and ridiculous works, you’ll get some entertainment from this work.
This manga revolves around a clumsy superhero and wrestler named Kinnikuman. He’s the prince of an alien planet and is a formidable fighter. With his sidekick Meat-Kun and others, he ventures out to be the best Choujin (superhero) on the planet. Unbeknownst to Kinnikuman, he’ll need to fight many enemies to earn that title.
Parasyte – Hitoshi Iwaki
Similarities – Action & Horror
Parasyte: The Maxim is a well-written sci-fi action series with a wonderful take on human nature. It follows Shinichi Izumi and his hand-infested parasite partner Migi. They must band together to stop Migi’s alien species from taking control of the Earth. Despite having a serious plotline, Parasyte offers small comedic moments to relieve readers from his intense situations.
The manga contains some brutal and bloody fights like JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. Like the manga’s several protagonists, Hitoshi Iwaki does a fine job of showcasing Shinichi’s growth as a human being and fighter. Migi receives similar development time as fans will find themselves bewildered by how much his character will grow on them by the series’s conclusion.
If you’re looking for a series with a great mix of sci-fi, action, and horror elements, then give Parasyte a read.
Kaiji – Noboyuki Fukumoto
Similarities – Characters
Kaiji is a lot like JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’s secondary protagonist Joseph Joestar. He’s a cunning individual who always finds a way out of a tight situation. This manga has more of a monetary and gambling focus compared to JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure though. However, if you enjoyed the ways Joseph toyed with his opponents’ heads, you’ll love seeing Kaiji’s protagonist’s various antics.
Our story follows Kaiji Itou. He’s an apathetic and cunning individual with a lot of debt. This is all thanks to an idiotic mistake on his lazy co-workers part. To clear the debt, Kaiji must attend a gambling event on a cruise ship. The winner will receive their debt cleared while the loser will become an indebted slave.
With his intelligent strategies and careful planning, Kaiji must secure victory or endure a life of servitude. This series contains a lot of different games to keep things fresh. You’ll adore seeing some characters react horrendously or comically after a victory or a loss. Readers looking for an entertaining manga with several twists should give this one a shot.
Dragon Ball – Akira Toriyama
Similarities – Action & Adventure
Dragon Ball is a cult classic to many anime and manga fans. This series contains entertaining characters, charming adventures, and excellent fights that’ll keep you hooked. While it becomes more action-centric when Goku reaches his adult years, it maintains a sense of goofiness and adventure. Like JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Goku will meet many strong foes that are more powerful than the next.
From earthly martial artists to aliens who adore conquering worlds, he’ll have plenty of fights to endure that’ll make him stronger and more mature. The series’s side characters receive great development along the way too. The fights can last for long periods of time though as Toriyama loves to draw them out to make things feel more intense.
Furthermore, Dragon Ball isn’t afraid to include some sensual and wacky jokes. Some may not have aged well as others, but they’re certain to get a chuckle out of most readers. If you haven’t read Dragon Ball yet, do yourself a favor, and read it.
Shaman King – Hiroyuki Takei
Similarities – Power System, Action, Supernatural
Shaman King is an underrated gem from Shonen Jump. Despite receiving a remake in 2021, some don’t believe it received the attention it deserves. That said, this manga contains some entertaining fights, a complex power system, and satisfying supernatural elements. Their Guardian Ghost and Soul Integration power system is similar to JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’s well-beloved Stands.
The former allows the Shaman’s partner to assist them in battle. The latter has the shaman willingly allow themselves to be a vessel for the spirit to possess. The battles you can expect the characters to participate in are solo in nature. This helps Shaman King stand apart from other shonen works that have our characters fighting as a team against a worthy adversary.
With its distinct art style and complex yet humorous plot, Shaman King is a must-read manga for JoJo fans. For those unaware, this manga takes place in a world filled with ghosts, spirits, and god communicators called Shamans. Every so often, Shamans from across the world battle for the title of Shaman King in the esteemed Shaman Fight tournament.
The new Shaman King will call upon the Great Spirit who will help the ruler shape the world as they see fit. At the center of it all is Manta Oyamada, a mundane student who traverses a local cemetery. He meets You Asakura, a Shaman-in-training, who uses his powers to save Manta from thugs. They become friends, and with help from his 600-year-old samurai friend Amidamaru, sets out to become the next Shaman King.
So there we have it, our 8 books/manga to read after you’re caught up with JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!