15 most influential manga artists of all time

Manga artists have revolutionized comic books and graphic novels with their distinct Japanese style of visual storytelling. With their creative artistry and innovative narratives, the most influential manga artists have inspired generations of fans and fellow artists worldwide.

Behind every great manga lies an artistic visionary who breathes life into these imaginary worlds through their drawings and visual storytelling. Through anime adaptations and international fandom, manga continues to flourish as the vanguard of sequential art, celebrated for its diverse visual innovation.

Here are 15 manga artists who have stood out from the rest, leaving an indelible mark on the industry over decades with their groundbreaking art and enduring influence.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the writer's opinion and is not ranked in any particular order.

15 influential manga artists who shaped the industry

1) Osamu Tezuka

Often hailed as “the Godfather of manga,” Osamu Tezuka (1928-1989) is known for pioneering what later became recognized as the modern manga style. Tezuka created iconic series like Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion, and Black Jack that established many of the common manga genres and visual conventions.

His distinctive cartoony yet dramatically expressive style and dynamic cinematic pacing are credited for inspiring countless manga artists to this day. Tezuka's impact on manga artists and the industry as a whole cannot be overstated.

With around 700 works totaling over 150,000 pages, Tezuka transformed manga into a popular art form and commercial industry globally. His lifelong prolific output, experimental daring, and visual creativity secure Tezuka's reputation as one of the most legendary manga artists of all time.

2) Akira Toriyama

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Responsible for crafting one of the most popular manga and anime franchises in history, Akira Toriyama brought his unique comedic style and imaginative worlds to life through the action-adventure series Dragon Ball.

Debuting in 1984 in Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine, Dragon Ball's wacky humor built around Chinese folklore and pop culture parodies won a massive fan following. His simple yet dynamic line art effectively conveyed combat, masterfully communicating energy, acceleration, and impact through economical drawings.

Combined with his talent for creating memorable characters, Toriyama made Dragon Ball into the prototypically influential shōnen series for decades to come, inspiring future manga artists in the genre.

3) Hajime Isayama

Hajime Isayama (Image via Anime NYC 2022)

Hajime Isayama catapulted to global critical and commercial success with his gripping dystopian manga, Attack on Titan. Serialized in Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine since 2009, Attack on Titan presents a post-apocalyptic world where humanity hides behind walls from man-eating Titans outside.

When the gigantic Colossus Titan breaches the outer wall, teenager Eren Yeager joins the military’s Scout Regiment, battling the mysterious Titan threat. Isayama’s sparse brush-like texturing and boldly outlined character designs create a gritty graphic look.

As one of the top contemporary manga creators, with over 100 million copies sold worldwide, Hajime Isayama exemplifies the new wave of manga artists who are pushing the medium into suspenseful new territory.

4) Tite Kubo

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Best known for his hit supernatural action series Bleach, mangaka Tite Kubo captivated the global audience with his stunning visual storytelling and stylish original character concepts. First published in 2001, Bleach follows Ichigo Kurosaki, a teenager who becomes a Soul Reaper, guiding departed souls and battling evil spirits.

Kubo’s expressively dynamic paneling captures the furious speed and impact of Ichigo’s battles as he utilizes his oversized mystical sword to destroy supernatural foes, setting a new standard for manga artists in the action genre.

Matching the spectacle, Kubo’s gifted character design created an iconic look for each spirit entity and the brave teenager turned Soul Reaper hero protecting town and friends. By creatively fusing paranormal fantasy elements with emotional teenage drama, Tite Kubo’s visually slick and dramatically intense manga storytelling expanded global interest in supernatural adventure comics.

5) Koyoharu Gotouge

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Mysterious mangaka Koyoharu Gotouge quickly rose to fame with the massive success of the dark fantasy series Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.

Serialized starting in 2016, Demon Slayer follows the kind-hearted teenager Tanjiro Kamado on his quest to save his sister Nezuko from demonic transformation. He soon joins the elite Demon Slayer Corps, which is dedicated to preserving humanity through epic battles.

Gotouge’s stunning panels unleash dynamic, otherworldly spectacles, pitting courageous fighters wielding mystical Nichirin swords against grotesque feral demons. Balancing high-stakes combat drama with occasional lighthearted comedic moments, Gotouge ingeniously uses pared-down widescreen layouts that focus action on character expressions.

6) Eiichiro Oda

Energetic creativity infuses every panel of the bestselling manga series One Piece by mangaka Eiichiro Oda. Following the endless pirate adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and his wacky Straw Hat crew, One Piece revels in imaginative world-building and dynamic visual gags.

As both the writer and artist, Oda packs his panels with hilarious slapstick action, massive battles, and enormous monsters rendered in his distinctively bold outlines. Over the past 25 years, protagonists have grown more complex, navigating ever-escalating seas full of creative maritime societies and cultures.

With over 500 million manga copies sold to date globally, Eiichiro Oda stands among the bestselling comics creators, bringing boundless creative energy and visual humor to his work.

7) Hiromu Arakawa

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Blending fantasy quests with philosophy and politics, Hiromu Arakawa’s Fullmetal Alchemist has won widespread acclaim for its original world-building. Set in a fictional European country where alchemy enables magical transmutations, Fullmetal Alchemist centers on brothers attempting forbidden resurrection rites that set them on a journey to restore their bodies.

Arakawa deftly juggles humor and tragedy, crafting memorable characters and rich allegorical tales that wrestle with morality, violence, and regimes. Her highly stylized, detailed illustrations set a dark yet wondrous tone, matching the dramatic scope of the narrative.

Often ranked among the all-time best manga, Fullmetal Alchemist has garnered several awards and sold over 70 million copies globally. Hiromu Arakawa exemplifies masterful Japanese comics art, setting a high bar for manga artists aiming to create complex narratives.

8) Kentaro Miura

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Epic dark medieval fantasy reached new heights in visual storytelling with Kentaro Miura's Berserk. Debuting in 1989 within the pages of the manga anthology Monthly Animal House, Berserk's narrative follows the lone mercenary Guts, who is scarred by tragedy and embarks on a bleak, vengeful quest against demonic gods manipulating humanity's fate.

Combining swords and monsters fantasy with philosophical ruminations on cruelty and suffering, Miura's brutal saga redefined Seinen manga, targeting adult men and influencing a generation of manga artists.

Miura's uniquely expressive drafting stands out through his heavy inks and stylized lines, which convey emotion amid meticulously hatched textures. His art is both savage and ornate, immersing readers in nightmarish worlds where nobler instincts clash fiercely against ruthless evil forces.

9) Gege Akutami

Emerging in recent years, mangaka Gege Akutami gained acclaim for the dark fantasy shonen series Jujutsu Kaisen. Serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump since 2018, Jujutsu Kaisen immerses readers in a battle between demonic Curses and the elite Jujutsu Sorcerers trained to combat these spirits unleashing chaos.

Pairing paranormal battles with wider ethical themes of dismantling destructive systems and abusing power, Akutami’s provocative manga hooked older teen readers through imaginative world-building. Visually slick, Akutami experiments with panel layouts, angles, and stylized effects to maximize combat spectacle.

Within five years and with over 70 million copies circulated, Gege Akutami promises to rank among the vanguard of young mangaka, pushing the medium’s creative boundaries.

10) Masashi Kishimoto

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The widely popular manga series Naruto brought Masashi Kishimoto global recognition for his vivid ninja world-building. First serialized in 1999 in Weekly Shōnen Jump, Naruto follows an adolescent ninja growing into his role as his village’s heroic defender against rising threats.

Blending mythic beasts and clan lore with real human drama, Kishimoto deeply investigates themes of destiny, violence, empathy, and leadership, resonating with readers and aspiring manga artists.

Over 15 years spanning 72 volumes, Naruto evolves from a plucky youth to a responsible leader, developing a memorable cast and extensive lore that integrates Japanese spirituality into popular anime aesthetics. Enormously beloved among shōnen fans, Kishimoto’s mix of adventure, friendship, and ninja mythology in both manga and animation cements his enduring legacy.

11) Naoki Urasawa

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Japanese suspense manga pioneer Naoki Urasawa attracts critical and popular acclaim worldwide for his cinematic visual storytelling. Debuting in 1986, he first gained attention for his unique paranormal series, Pineapple Army.

His most iconic psychological thriller manga, Monster, follows Japanese neurosurgeon Dr. Kenzo Tenma as he unravels a sinister conspiracy across Germany while hunting an escaped homicidal man he once saved.

Lauded internationally with adaptations, Naoki Urasawa’s ability to build gripping tension through patient plotting and psychologically astute characters cements his reputation as one of the most influential manga artists.

12) Hirohiko Araki

Since the 1980s, manga artist Hirohiko Araki has showcased prolific creativity through influential series like JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure and Rohan at the Louvre, displaying imagination that rivals even animation.

Fusing action, horror, comedy, and fashion into flamboyant drama, Araki pioneered evolving manga art styles from muscular, manly comic renderings to more elfish, androgynous illustrations.

Beyond genre fusion and stylistic innovation, Araki excels in ingenious paneling and cinematic angles, dramatizing his boundless, weird premises with thriller tension. Ongoing for over 30 years, Araki’s avant-garde vision expands the artistic boundaries of manga, showcasing risky creative brilliance.

13) Fujiko Fujio

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One of the legendary manga artist duo, Fujiko Fujio, consisting of Motoo Abiko and Hiroshi Fujimoto, holds an enduring place as a pioneers of children’s manga, starting in the 1950s. Their signature series, Doraemon, proved pioneering for its fusion of comedic cartoons with long-form serialized narratives spanning decades.

Based on the adventures of the time-traveling robotic cat Doraemon, who aids the clumsy boy Nobita through gadgets to solve daily troubles, the series's humor and relatable characters capture the hearts of generations of young readers.

As one of Japan’s biggest entertainment icons with over 100 million copies sold, Doraemon launched an entire subgenre, shaping storytelling aesthetics in kids’ manga, animation, and beyond through its lighthearted slice-of-life formula.

14) Takehiko Inoue

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One of the premier contemporary manga artists, Takehiko Inoue, conveys astonishing athletic spectacle through series like the basketball masterpiece Slam Dunk and the samurai epic Vagabond.

His remarkably kinetic paneling captures compressed time across single pages, highlighting pivotal emotional moments within matches' chaotic action. Alongside visual dynamism, Inoue adeptly develops large casts over sprawling sports sagas where inner determination and courage shine brighter than victories.

Celebrated for pushing manga dexterity in communicating figures’ beautiful movements, Takehiko Inoue’s works resonate profoundly by combining psychological depth with adrenaline excitement.

15) Junji Ito

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As one of Japan’s leading horror manga artists, Junji Ito terrifies readers through his disturbing obsessions with body contortions, grotesque mutations, and inexplicable spiraling madness.

Debuting in the late 80s through iconic freakish tales like Tomie and Uzumaki, Ito fuses unnervingly surreal premises centered around amplifying reader fears about physical transformation, helpless submission, and losing reason.

An avant-garde virtuoso twisting horror manga toward Grand Guignol theater, Junji Ito’s seminal works sear nightmarish images into one’s mind through boundary-pushing gore and terrifying questions, solidifying his status among top manga artists.

Conclusion

These manga artists leveraged visual art to unlock unique emotional resonance and drama within comic books as a medium. Their stylistic innovations and creative ambition laid the foundations for manga’s distinctive identity.

Collectively influencing millions over decades, these 15 influential manga artists sculpted global appreciation for the limitless creative possibilities manga offers through its union of visuals with imaginative storytelling craft across every genre.

Their legacy continues to galvanize artistic talent within Japan and worldwide to scale new narrative heights, expanding manga’s popularity for future generations.