The 13 Best Manga Like Vagabond
- 1231 VOTESPhoto: Kentaro Miura
Berserk's protagonist, Guts, may have been loosely based on the actual historical figure who inspired Vagabond's protagonist. Like Musashi, Guts emerged from obscurity to become one of the most legendary swordsmen of his time. Also like Musashi, Guts must endure severe trauma and betrayal - whether it's his stepfather abusing him as a child or his best friend betraying him for ultimate power in his adulthood. Both series also boast complex plots, intense fight scenes, and intricate artwork.
The major difference between the two series is that Vagabond takes place in a realistic version of feudal Japan, while Berserk is set in a fantasy version of feudal Europe.
- 2163 VOTESPhoto: Makoto Yukimura
Both Vinland Saga and Vagabond are sprawling action-packed tales that are so historically accurate that they could probably be taught in a college-level history class. Also, both series feature some of the most blood-soaked scenes in manga history.
Rather than taking place in feudal Japan, Vinland Saga follows Thorfinn, the son of a Viking warrior. Thorfinn is honing his skills as a mercenary, not for any immediate reward, but to become strong enough to exact his revenge on a man who inflicted serious harm to his family. His life changes dramatically when the leader of his mercenary band, Askeladd, comes up with an ingenious - and potentially lethal - plan that will decide the fate of Europe.
- 371 VOTESPhoto: Hiroaki Samura
Blade of the Immortal tells the story of Manji, an immortal assassin who has no skills outside of taking people's lives. In an attempt to achieve some personal peace, he decides that every time he ends a good man's life, he'll do the same to 100 sinners. During his mission, he picks up a little girl named Rin who wants to get revenge against a school of swordsmen who annihilated her family. Though Blade of the Immortal tells a more fantastical story than Vagabond does, both offer a gritty, violent view of Japan during its samurai era.
- 4106 VOTESPhoto: Yasuhisa Hara
Kingdom follows a similar plot trajectory with Vagabond, but a different setting. During China's warring states period, two young boys, Xin Li and Piao, strive to rise above their lowly status as orphaned slaves and become great generals. The boys are separated when Piao is given the opportunity to work in the royal palace of Qin - but they swear they'll both become great generals somehow. An attack on the palace leaves Piao without his life and spurs Xin Li on to achieve his goals. To accomplish this, he must work together with the surviving son of Qin. Will he be able to achieve his lofty goals, or will he fail? You'll have to read Kingdom to find out.
- 541 VOTESPhoto: Shinichi Sakamoto
At first glance, The Climber appears to have nothing in common with Vagabond. The Climber is about a rock climber who strives to be the best at his chosen sport, a far cry from Vagabond's samurai story. However, the two series are deceptively similar. Both feature protagonists who are isolated from society but are nevertheless driven by an inner fire that pushes them toward increasing levels of success. Both series offer significant insight into the inner workings of their characters' minds and develop them realistically.
- 619 VOTESPhoto: Kazuo Koike, Goseki Kojima
Like Musashi Miyamoto, Ittou Ogami was a samurai who was framed for heinous crimes and had to change his identity and life trajectory as a result. After the Yagyuu Clan frames him for treason and destroys every member of his family except his young son, Ogami has little to live for. To survive, he becomes an assassin and quickly develops a name for himself. But Ogami isn't interested in renown - what he seeks is revenge against the Yagyuu clan. If these themes intrigue you, this 1970s classic is one of the best ways to encounter them - you will not regret reading Lone Wolf & Cub.
- 729 VOTES
If you're a Vagabond aficionado, you might be looking for another violent seinen series set in the samurai era. If so, Shigurui is right up your alley. Set in 1629 Shizuoka, daimyo Tokugawa Tadanaga has organized a tournament in which participants use real steel swords. Two disabled men, a one-armed swordsman named Fujiki Gennosuke and a blind samurai Irako Seigen are drawn to the battle. The series focuses both on their clash with one another, as well as the individual life circumstances that led them to participate in such a risky event.
- 848 VOTESPhoto: Norihiro Yagi
During the middle ages, the world is wracked with terror because powerful beasts called Yoma are constantly attacking people. The only ones who can stop them are half-human, half-Yoma warriors who are dispatched to destroy their own kind. Despite their sacrifices, these warriors face severe discrimination from humans and are forced to lead lonely and desolate lives.
Though Claymore utilizes a fantasy setting where Vagabond is more realistic, both series follow the journeys of warriors who have been unfairly vilified by the world around them, but who still strive toward personal greatness, whatever that means for them. Both series also get seriously dark, so if you prefer your manga disturbing, Claymore is a good choice.
- 938 VOTESPhoto: Akio Tanaka, Izou Hashimoto
Sixteen-year-old Ryu Narushima appears to have a wonderful future stretching out ahead of him - he has no trouble getting into his college of choice and seems poised to take on the world. But Ryu's mental state isn't in line with his brilliant future - in fact, he attacks his parents seemingly out of nowhere.
Here's where it gets similar to Vagabond. Both series feature protagonists who are viewed as monsters by the outside world, but readers get to know who they are and what motivates them on a deeper level. Both series blur the lines between good and evil, making readers guess who is truly evil, and who is truly good. If you're ready to do another deep dive into a complex and dangerous person's psyche, try Shamo.
- 1025 VOTESPhoto: Yousuke Nakamaru
Vagabond approaches its samurai narrative with a serious and adult tone. If you're looking for something that's similar in its content but that has a shonen manga vibe, try Gamaran. When the ruler of the Unabara state needs a successor, he asks his 31 sons to scour the country for the most talented fighters, and pit them against each other in a martial arts tournament. Gama Kurogane is the son of a powerful swordsman whose skills are legendary - but because he's been missing for years, Gama takes his spot in the tournament. Will he be able to rise to ultimate power, or will he be soundly defeated?
- 1144 VOTESPhoto: Nobuhiro Watsuki
If you're an anime and manga fan, chances are high that you've at least heard of Rurouni Kenshin, even if you haven't read the manga or seen the anime. But if you're a Vagabond fan who has passed up Rurouni Kenshin, now is the time to give it a chance. Like Vagabond, Rurouni Kenshin centers around a legendary swordsman in feudal Japan who isn't fully understood by the people around him. Kenshin Himura was once a brutal mercenary, but he has renounced his previous behavior and is dedicated to a life of peace. Unfortunately, he's still forced to fight to protect the people he cares about.
If you're looking for a manga with similar themes to Vagabond, but with a lighter feel, check out Rurouni Kenshin.
- 1212 VOTESPhoto: Osamu Tezuka
Osamu Tezuka's Dororo is a manga that's always been one of the classics but has just started getting some well-deserved attention because of its recent anime adaptation. It's worth reading for its own sake, but especially so if you're a Vagabond fan. Dororo follows the titular young boy as he accompanies a man named Hyakkimaru whose father traded his body parts away to a demon and is on a quest to get them back. Their mission bears some tonal and thematic similarities to Musashi's swordsmanship goals in Vagabond, as do their treks from town to town.
- 1328 VOTESPhoto: Yuki Urushibara
You may be a fan of Vagabond not for its action sequences or its main characters' focus on becoming a great swordsman, but for its meditative nature and its focus on exploring a richly detailed world. If so, you might enjoy Mushi-shi, an equally well-done manga about a man named Ginko who roams the countryside searching for people having problems with mushi, elemental life forms that can do everything from trapping a person in a neverending forest to granting them psychic powers. He solves those problems as best as he can and moves on. Ginko might not be as ambitious as the fictional Musashi, but he's every bit as contemplative and intelligent.
