10 best sci-fi manga that you can't afford to miss

The creative world of Japanese sci-fi manga has produced some of the most imaginative, thought-provoking, and mind-blowing graphic novels in any medium. These epic tales explore complex philosophical themes and cyberpunk vibes through gritty plots and distinct artwork.

As a testament to the versatility of sci-fi manga, these series encompass apocalyptic futures, chaotic dystopias, deep space odysseys, and unbelievable technologies, displaying the range of stories that manga storytellers can tell.

From hidden conspiracies and unchecked scientific ambition to personal journeys amid societal crises, these classics expand our understanding of sci-fi manga. So plug in and prepare for a wild ride across creative alien landscapes that reflect our deepest hopes and fears back at us.

Akira, Ghost in the Shell, and 8 best sci-fi manga

1) Akira

Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo (Image via Kodansha)

The cyberpunk masterpiece helped elevate Japanese manga to the global stage by displaying the boundary-pushing ambition of the medium's narrative and visual potential. Many consider this revolutionary sci-fi manga the gold standard for the genre.

Set in gritty Neo-Tokyo, a sprawling city rebuilt after Tokyo's destruction in an explosion that triggered World War III, this saga chronicles the rise of psychic children, biker gang warfare, and revolutionary uprisings that threaten the authoritarian order recovering from past devastation.

Weaving social commentary around violent youth rebellion and unchecked government weapons research, Akira epitomized manga's ability to explore philosophical themes. It depicts futuristic science through detailed cityscapes that have inspired countless animators and Hollywood creators for decades.

2) Ghost in the Shell

Ghost in the Shell by Masamune Shirow (Image via Kodansha)

Exploring the convergence of humanity and technology in an age of cybernetic enhancements, Ghost in the Shell follows Public Security Section 9's investigations within a futuristic Japan facing hacker attacks and cybernetic threats. This influential sci-fi manga redefined the boundaries of what the medium could achieve.

It is focused on Major Motoko Kusanagi, a full-prosthetic body cyborg who questions her identity's basis. This seminal work examines digital selfhood and machine hacking during a time when computer viruses were becoming more relevant.

Blending sci-fi and crime drama genres while innovating manga's visual language, Ghost in the Shell tackles weighty themes of memory, consciousness, and determinism with nuance. Its immense influence has extended into acclaimed animated films, TV spinoffs, and live-action Hollywood adaptations.

3) 20th Century Boys

20th Century Boys by Naoki Urasawa (Image via Shogakukan)

Legendary manga author Naoki Urasawa spins a generational saga around friends in 1969, creating a fictional story about an evil organization that brings global disaster in the year 2000.

As one of the most intricate sci-fi manga narratives ever created, 20th Century Boys weaves an incredibly complex tale. As the new era nears, their imagined story appears to manifest through a sinister conspiracy in which they find themselves unexpectedly at the center.

Jumping across decades, Urasawa keeps readers guessing how much is coincidence and how much is fate in this masterfully unpredictable thriller. While delivering an expansive story that questions imagination's power to impact reality, it stays grounded in intimate character drama between strained childhood friends.

4) Neon Genesis Evangelion

Neon Genesis Evangelion by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (Image via Kadokawa Shoten)

One of anime's landmark franchises began with Yoshiyuki Sadamoto's manga adaptation of Hideaki Anno's original concept, published shortly before and alongside the anime. Through its run, this psychological sci-fi manga pushed the boundaries of the mecha genre.

Set after a global cataclysm known as the Second Impact, anxious teenage pilot Shinji Ikari is forced to synchronize with Evangelion, a giant inorganic mecha that represents humanity's last hope against alien "Angels."

While featuring sci-fi spectacle, Sadamoto further develops themes of parent-child separation anxiety and strained intimacy through Shinji's complex relationships. Evangelion remains influential for its psychological exploration of personal trauma and isolation, all framed within an inventive sci-fi premise with spiritual undertones.

5) Blame!

Blame! by Tsutomu Nihei (Image via Kodansha)

Tsutomu Nihei's sci-fi masterpiece presents a far-future world where humans wander endlessly inside a sprawling, unending industrial megastructure known as the "Megastructure," constantly threatened by cybernetic Safeguard entities.

It follows the stoic wanderer Killy as he attempts to find humans possessing "net terminal genes" that may help restore order to the Megastructure. The series is ultra-violent and relentlessly grim, featuring Nihei's signature brand of "biomechanical" monstrosities.

With terrifying vistas of endlessly stacked industrial sprawl in intricate detail, Blame! is considered one of manga's great visual spectacles. This iconic sci-fi manga series offers a warped yet compelling take on dystopian themes, such as artificial intelligence turning on humanity and machines spiraling out of control.

6) Planetes

Planetes by Makoto Yukimura (Image via Kodansha)

For a change of pace from dystopian cyberpunk futures, Makoto Yukimura offers a more grounded, emotional story set in our near future. What makes this sci-fi manga unique is its focus on the mundane aspects of space exploration.

Planetes chronicles the daily lives and friendships of the Technora Corporation's Debris Section space cleanup crew. It provides a uniquely prosaic vision of common workers traveling among orbital space stations.

While featuring elements like space tourism, Planetes remains intimately focused on its blue-collar characters, their relationships, dreams, and struggles. The lived-in, nostalgic futurism and everyday drama amid global tensions make Yukimura's more optimistic take on real-world sci-fi uniquely cohesive.

7) Gantz

Gantz by Hiroya Oku (Image via Shueisha)

A young man named Kei Kurono dies suddenly in a train accident but awakes in an empty room with another recently dead friend and an ominous black orb that compels them into dangerous alien-hunting missions. Among contemporary sci-fi manga series, few are as brutally honest about human nature.

Hiroya Oku's long-running action-horror series Gantz features some of the most intense violence and morally disturbing images seen in mainstream manga. It is wrapped in a lurid package of conspiracies, brutal missions, and bizarre sci-fi action sequences.

Gleefully risqué while incorporating deeper themes on social pressure, the moral compromises of violence, and the line between video game fantasy and lives literally on the line, Gantz straddles the line between seedy and philosophical with bloodily entertaining results.

8) All You Need Is Kill

All You Need Is Kill by Ryosuke Takeuchi and Takeshi Obata (Image via Shueisha)

The hit Tom Cruise movie Edge of Tomorrow was inspired by the Japanese light novel All You Need Is Kill, which later became a two-volume manga by writer Ryosuke Takeuchi and artist Takeshi Obata. In the landscape of military sci-fi manga, this series stands out for its unique time-loop premise.

The story introduces Keiji Kiriya, a soldier in a futuristic war against invading aliens called Mimics. Stuck in a desperate battle loop where each death sends his consciousness back to start the fight, Keiji improves his combat skills with each iteration while desperately seeking a way out.

All You Need Is Kill sets a rapid-fire sci-fi pace from the very first page, throwing the reader right into unrelenting mechanized combat with nightmarish creatures. The high-concept hook and Obata's characteristic angular artwork make this short, thrilling manga an easy recommendation for sci-fi aficionados.

9) Knights of Sidonia

Knights of Sidonia by Tsutomu Nihei (Image via Kodansha)

Another survival story set amid an interstellar conflict with grotesque shapeshifting aliens, Tsutomu Nihei focuses on Nagate Tanikaze, a young scout cadet among a colony population fleeing through space after Earth's destruction.

This haunting sci-fi manga depicts a future where humans have adapted to biotechnology but lead bleak, minimalist lives subservient to traditions. With Nihei's signature blend of sci-fi body horror, mech battles, and themes of space colonization, Knights of Sidonia stands apart.

The manga's grim fidelity to bureaucratic and social consequences creates one of the most thoroughly realized worlds, pulling few punches.

10) Dr. Stone

Dr. Stone by Riichiro Inagaki and Boichi (Image via Shueisha)

One of the newer hits among ongoing series, Dr. Stone presents an outlandish disaster scenario where humans across the world are mysteriously petrified into stone by a strange light. This innovative sci-fi manga breathes fresh life into the post-apocalyptic genre.

Centuries later, super-genius teen scientist Senku Ishigami miraculously regains mobility and sets out to rebuild civilization using nothing but his scientific know-how. Blending science fiction, humor, and survival adventure, Dr. Stone takes a boundlessly creative spin on the post-apocalypse.

Its smart, whimsically educational spirit celebrates scientific progress over action as Senku and his allies advance step-by-step from stone tools to iron to batteries through ingenious experiments. As both an exhilarating adventure and a love letter to science, Dr. Stone provides nonstop excitement and unpredictable storytelling.

Conclusion

Sci-fi manga offers some of the most expansive and imaginative worlds in science fiction, alongside relatable human drama. From techno-dystopias to space action to high-concept narratives that express humanity's deepest fears and strangest dreams, the series featured here showcase the diversity of stories the medium can tell.

Whether one wants eye-popping visual spectacle, complex philosophical exploration, or pulse-pounding excitement, one will lose oneself in compellingly different realities.