Best Manga With A Battle Royale Theme
Although many people cherish watching anime, they often forget that most anime serve as adaptations of the original source material. While there are some instances where the anime is better than the manga, those instances are few and far between. With the amount of manga released on a daily basis, it could be hard to cut through all those books to find the “Best of” for any chosen topic.
Well, we’re here to help celebrate and shine a spotlight on some of the latest, greatest, and unforgettable manga through the years. For our ongoing series of articles depicting the best manga, our attention this time turns to those with a battle royale theme. From gritty worlds to thrilling mind games, there’s a good choice to whet your appetite.
Of course, if we’ve missed any of your favorites, feel free to comment below and we’ll get them added on!
Gantz — Hiroya Oku
Imagine waking up and learning your part of a death game. This is the instance Gantz’s protagonist Kei gets roped into. He’ll be competing with numerous monsters that will test his endurance, decision-making, and will to survive. As he completes countless tasks, Kei develops a killer complex that will drastically changes the way he approaches murder.
This manga lacks lighthearted content. Hiroya Oku chooses to analyze his cast’s psyche and places them in depressing scenarios to help readers develop empathy for them. The artwork is barbaric and nightmarish. The monsters Kei fights look horrifying and will send chills down anyone’s spine. Kei isn’t the only character who receives adequate development in this tale.
Oku presents readers with other characters with compelling personalities. Nonetheless, if you’re looking for a mature and dark battle royale manga with a fun cast, check out Gantz.
Battle Royale — Koushun Takami
Battle Royale boasts wonderful storytelling, disturbing imagery, and interesting characters. Some characters don’t receive as much attention as others, but the roles they serve should suffice. This story follows Shuuya. He’s a student who participates in a game called The Program with other classmates.
Shuuya and his classmates are quarantined on an island with metal explosive collars attached to their necks. They must murder everybody and become the last person remaining to claim freedom. Despite the game host’s demands, Shuuya vows to escape the island without murdering anyone. Readers will adore Koushun Takami’s handling of humanity in this work.
He portrays most of the cast as cold-hearted savages and some as scared individuals. Some characters initiate plans that will make your blood boil. Battle Royale doesn’t hold back on the violence, either. Expect to see many horrid deaths in this series that will make you think twice about reading this one at night.
Doubt — Yoshiki Tonogai
Bokurano: Ours — Mohiro Kitoh
Bokurano: Ours examines fifteen children who meet Kokopelli, a video game developer. Kokopelli wants the children to test out his video game and many of them are on board with helping him out. Things don’t turn out well for our cast as they’re teleported to this game’s world. Kokopelli tells the kids that one of them has to pilot the robot to defeat the alien.
The robot asks for the pilot’s life’s energy, so the children must defeat the alien menace or perish. Mohiro Kito knows how to delve into his characters’ minds and depicts the cast undergoing severe psychological trauma as they attempt to survive in this unfamiliar environment. Many of the characters are fleshed out, allowing fans to grow attached to them.
Many will enjoy digging into their backgrounds and seeing how their personalities clash throughout the narrative. The manga contains fabulous artistry from the aliens to the robots. For those looking for a soul-crushing manga to check out, give this a shot.
Btooom! — Junya Inoue
Many battle-royale enthusiasts will find themselves at home with Btooom! It’ll make readers ponder how they’d react to being tossed into Fortnite and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds’ environments in real life. It follows Ryouta, a boy who wakes up on an abandoned island and doesn’t recall how he ended up there.
He learns he’s been selected to participate in a bloody bout with others. This bout delivers the same structure as Ryouta’s favorite online battle-royale game, Btooom! He must defeat this game’s remaining players and retrieve their crystals if he wants to return home. However, Ryouta doesn’t want to hurt anyone and meets someone who shares a similar stance as himself.
With their assistance, Ryouta plans to escape the island and seek vengeance upon the host who brought him here. Expect a lot of twisted and shady practices to unfold during your reading. You’ll get to see how far some are willing to go to claim victory and each scenario feels as thrilling as the last. With its brutal imagery and crazy instances, you’re in for a good time with this manga.
Alice In Borderland — Haro Aso
Alice In Borderland is a thrilling and incredible tale with a survival game element. Haro Aso presents some intriguing takes on death games in the manga. Categories and difficulty levels can vary among each activity. The games themselves become more nerve-wracking and devastating as our characters advance. For those unaware, the tale follows Arisu.
He’s a boy who spends time with his buddies Karube and Segwa. One day, fireworks light the sky, causing Arisu and his friends to fall unconscious. They wake in a barren landscape and venture through it until they find a festival venue. This will be where the first death game is set under the moniker the Borderland. Arisu and his friends must survive the deadly situation they’ve found themselves in.
With its fast-paced action segments, thought-provoking themes, complex characters, and how it explores social issues regarding power and control, Alice In Borderland is a fantastic manga to read for its horror and battle royale aspects.
Liar Game — Shinobu Kaitani
Liar Game is enjoyable psychological series with a game-based setting. It revolves around Nao, who unexpectedly joins the Liar Game tournament. The winner will receive a vast sum of cash if they can successfully deceive and betray other players. Otherwise, a life of debt awaits them. After meeting a well-known swindler named Shinichi, Nao must forge an escape route for himself and his friend.
Liar Game is an intense and suspenseful manga full of twists and turns. The game rules are complex but are explained clearly, and readers can follow along with each character’s strategy. Each contestant has their unique method and approach, which keeps the story unpredictable and exciting. Moreover, the psychological warfare in the manga is well-executed and the tension is constant.
The artwork’s not stylish, but it will enhance the manga’s psychological tension. The character designs are clean and striking, the setting is detailed, and the panels are well-structured. The use of shadows and stark contrast adds to the manga’s dark atmosphere, making things appear visually gripping. Give this a shot if you’re craving a tale with fun psychological battles.
Record of Ragnarok — Takumi Fukui & Shinya Umemura
Record of Ragnarok is a thrilling battle royale manga that pits humans against gods in a fight for the destiny of humanity. The manga’s premise is unique and engaging, as historical and mythological figures represent each side. The combat scenes are well-crafted, with each fighter’s moves clearly explained and visually impressive.
The manga’s illustrations are high quality of the characters’ appearances and their surroundings. The series also features elements of strategy and individual tactics that keep the fights engaging and unpredictable. This combination of strong storytelling and attention to detail makes Record of Ragnarok an excellent battle royale manga.
The characters have distinct personalities and backstories which are well-developed and contribute to the narrative. Furthermore, each fighter’s skills and fighting style are unique, resulting in imaginative battles that showcase each character’s strengths and weaknesses. The fighter’s motivations are also varied, ranging from those fighting for redemption, revenge, and glory. With its well-choreographed fights, attention to detail, and epic stakes, this is a great manga to read if you’re a battle royale enthusiast.
Deadman Wonderland — Kazuma Kondou & Jinsei Kataoka
Deadman Wonderland may not have gotten the treatment it deserved with its anime adaptation, but the manga delivers a story that’s worth revisiting if you felt disappointed by the anime. It spends more time fleshing out the protagonists and progresses the story in a direction that would’ve been great to see animated.
The story follows Ganta, a boy who sees his class get murdered by a supernatural figure called the Red Man. Unfortunately, Ganta gets tried in court for the crime and is sentenced to Deadman Wonderland. In this prison-like amusement park, he must combat multiple prisoners with strange personalities and abilities.
With the help of his mysterious childhood friend, Shiro, Ganta vows to bring the person who got him locked up here to justice. The manga has incredible artwork from its epic battles to its wicked facial expressions. Although missing out on the animation and voice acting found in the anime, the Deadman Wonderland manga’s worth revisiting for its remaining content.
Suicide Island — Kouji Mori
Suicide Island is a great battle royale with compelling mystery and drama elements. The story follows a group of inmates who get sent to a deserted island for a chance to earn their freedom. However, the catch is that only one person can survive and obtain this reward. The characters in this tale receive intriguing backstories and fabulous development.
The twists and turns of the plot keep the reader on their toes and create a sense of unpredictability, making for a thrilling reading experience. The manga’s setting is fun and has the inmates navigate their way through the unknown terrain while also having to fight each other. The inmates must overcome numerous challenges like hunting for food, water, and ways to avoid conflict.
The way this manga explores human nature is satisfying. The extreme circumstances of the battle royale bring out the best and worst in the characters, showing the depths of human desperation, determination, and morality. Overall, Suicide Island’s entertaining storyline, setting, and thought-provoking exploration of human nature make it a manga worth checking out.
So, there we have it, our picks for the best battle royale-themed manga through the years!
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!