8 Books/Manga Like Naruto
Naruto is an action-adventure and fantasy manga written by Masashi Kishimoto. This manga contains some valuable life lessons, well-rounded characters, and a charming narrative. Naruto was serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine between 1999n to 2014. The series spawned over 72 volumes for people to purchase that covered Naruto’s childhood and teenage years. A sequel series was made following Naruto’s son, Boruto Uzumaki, that’s been serialized in Shueisha’s monthly magazine, V Jump since July 2019.
If you’re in the mood for more action-adventure and fantasy manga that offers a similar vibe, fear not! We’ve gathered together 8 books/manga to check out when you’ve completed Naruto. Of course, if you feel we’ve missed any of your favorites, do comment below and let us know!
My Hero Academia – Kohei Horikoshi
Similarities – Story & Action
My Hero Academia continues to be one of Shonen Jump’s modern juggernaut titles. This manga contains dramatic storytelling, fun characters, and epic fights. It feels like a love letter to western superheroes while staying true to its shonen roots. With its heavy themes and emotional segments, My Hero Academia is a great manga to check out after Naruto.
Our story follows a powerless boy named Izuku Midoriya. He lives in a world full of superheroes and villains with unique abilities and colorful personalities. Despite his rocky upbringing, Izuku aspires to become an excellent hero like his role model, All Might. After he performs a heroic act to save a friend in front of All Might, he grants him his powers.
We then follow Izuku’s daily antics in U.A. Highschool, where his road to heroism begins. Like Naruto, My Hero Academia contains an assortment of training arcs and tournaments. The rival between Izuku and Bakugou is identical to the one Naruto has with Sasuke. My Hero Academia’s villains demonstrate horrid acts, making them feel fearsome.
Readers looking for another fun underdog narrative should give My Hero Academia a shot.
One Piece – Eichiro Oda
Similarities – Battle Shonen
One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach are considered by fans as Shonen Jump’s Big Three. With its phenomenal world-building, likable cast, and engrossing narrative, One Piece is a fun pirate-themed anime that’ll have you feeling a slew of emotions the whole way through. Our story follows Monkey D. Luffy on his quest to become his world’s, Pirate King.
Luffy wants to travel to the Grand Line to find One Piece, the treasure hidden away by his world’s former Pirate King, Gol D. Roger. Luffy’s journey won’t be an easy one. He’ll need to overcome a variety of different foes from towering giants to well-skilled martial artists if he hopes to become a dominant figurehead.
One Piece offers a wonderful power system akin to Naruto’s jutsus and chakra. With the show’s Devil Fruits, Haki, and other supernatural powers, there’s much to look forward to with its fights. One Piece also tackles some mature-themed scenarios that can hit close to home with specific readers. Check out One Piece if you’re looking for a stellar adventure series to read.
O-Parts Hunter – Seishi Kishimoto
Similarities – Characters & Adventure
Many don’t know that Kishimoto isn’t the only one in his family whose written a manga. His brother, Seishi, has created an invigorating world with similar themes to Naruto. It also contains some fun action scenes, incredible characters, and a decent storyline. The storyline doesn’t balance action and information drops well.
As you read, you may get the feeling that everything feels jammed together. This may make the manga overwhelming for some folks. The characters don’t receive much time to shine in the manga too. If you can look past those minor issues, you’re in for a stellar time with O-Parts Hunter.
This manga is set in a futuristic world where humans fight for old-fashioned relics called O-Parts. Only specific individuals can harness their power. Those that can are considered O-Parts Tacticians (O.P.T.s) in this universe. At the center of this tale is Jio, a boy who values money over everything. He has a sleeping demon inside him and eventually meets a girl named Ruby. They venture out to discover more O-Parts. This a futuristic tale you don’t want to miss.
Hunter X Hunter – Yoshihiro Togashi
Similarities – Adventure & Violence
Hunter X Hunter contains phenomenal bouts, well-written characters, and fascinating story arcs. Like Naruto, its protagonist Gon Freecss is a young boy who embarks on a quest to become a formidable person. He’ll need to overcome many obstacles from raging beasts and tactical fighters if he hopes to achieve his goal.
Gon doesn’t venture off alone. He’ll be joined by many visually distinct individuals who have goals different from his. Some of his friends like Kurapika follow a similar revenge-seeking storyline as characters like Sasuke. The events Gon and his friends take part in evoke a similar sense of competition and brutality as the spectacles you’d encounter in Naruto.
Readers searching for another compelling manga with noticeable parallels should give Hunter X Hunter a shot after Naruto.
D.Gray-Man – Katsura Hoshino
Similarities – Action & Story Structure
D.Gray-man is a dark shonen manga with an intriguing group of characters. It contains a mature storyline, and gloomy world, and features an assortment of supernatural-themed abilities for its cast. Our story follows Allen Walker, a boy who went through three years of training under the eyes of a general named General Cross.
Cross sends Allen Walker to the Black Order. This organization aims to defeat the manga’s mysterious main antagonist. This being has inserted the souls of the dead inside his “Akuma” weapons. When he arrives, Allen becomes an exorcist and attains an anti-Akuma weapon arm and an eye that lets him, peer, into the souls inside the villain’s weapon.
With aid from his allies, Allen plans to foil the main antagonist’s world-ending plot. This series fabulously develops and monitors its characters’ progress from beginning to end. This series evokes similar feelings of companionship, effort, and determination. Check out D.Gray-Man if you’re looking for a darker shonen manga to read with similar themes as Naruto.
Nabari no Ou – Yuhki Kamatani
Similarities – Ninjas, Action, Story Structure
Nabari no Ou feels inspired by Naruto in many ways. The manga features ninjas following a protagonist with a demon inside him and has slight action segments that’ll get you amped up. The fights aren’t as grand as what you’d find in Naruto, but they carry enough weight to keep you invested.
Nabari no Ou follows a mundane-life-seeking boy named Miharu Rokujou. Later, he learns that he’s harboring a sacred ninja art, the “Shinra Banshou.” With this power inside him, Miharu discovers he’s likely to become the king of a hidden area called Nabari. His life won’t be an easy one from this point forward, though.
Miharu must overcome various enemies who are after his power. Accompanied by his sensei and others, Miharu must learn how to channel his hidden abilities if he aims to survive. This manga can feel slow-paced at first, but it gradually develops a steadier pace over time. This manga feels more character-driven as it spends time showcasing our characters’ growth from their missions. If you’re looking for another manga with touching character arcs and fun activities, check out Nabari no Ou.
Flame of Recca – Noboyuki Anzai
Similarities – Themes, Action, Characters
Flame of Recca is one of those hidden martial arts gems with slight degrees of uniqueness to help it stand out. It centers around Recca Hanabishi, a troublemaker who likes getting into fights. He adores ninjas as much as he cherishes fighting. His life takes a dramatic turn when he meets a girl named Yanagi Sakoshita.
Their fateful encounter leads Recca to undergo an endless chain of events that’ll help him discover his ninja ancestry and fire-like abilities. Recca feels like a mix between Naruto and Sasuke. He has Naruto’s delinquent behavior but the fire-themed abilities displayed by Sasuke. The fights in this manga can get intense and thrilling.
Like Naruto, Recca has the same motivational attitude toward his goals. He values his friends and doesn’t like backing down from a challenge that’s presented in front of him. He learns as he fights, allowing him to grow into a splendid warrior by his series’s conclusion. The manga has a nice art style for its time. If you’re looking for another ninja action with a motivational protagonist, check out Flame of Recca.
Dragon Ball – Akira Toriyama
Similarities – Action, Comedy, Adventure
Dragon Ball inspired much manga from the past and present. It features an aloof yet skilled martial artist named Goku who travels with his friends to find the mythical Dragon Balls. These are wish-granting orbs that can complete many mind-numbing things from granting people large sums of cash to resurrecting folks from the dead.
Goku and his friends will encounter many foes that range in power. While Dragon Ball Z and Super have their good qualities, many enjoy the action, adventure, and slice-of-life aspects of the original. Like Naruto, Goku’s a wonderful fighter with a wholesome heart. He’s not the brightest tool in the shed, but he knows how to dish out a satisfying beating.
The show’s comedy leans from sensual humor to wacky slapstick and jokes. Some jokes may feel dated to some because of the standards people established today. If you’re looking for a manga that will fill you with excitement and laughter, give Akira Toriyama’s beloved work a read.
So there we have it, our 8 books/manga to read after you finished Naruto.
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!