“If you’re looking for some fantastic fantasy manga recommendations, make sure to read the entire article.”
While people love to watch anime on a comfortable bed with no sunlight ruining their experience, a few prefer to read manga, perhaps owing to the very little time they get in their lives. In particular, if you’re into the fantasy genre, it is very hard to enjoy the anime series without appreciating the world we’re introduced to.
That’s where manga come in once again, and fantasy manga, in general, are great to read if perpetually bored or obsessed with escaping reality. To help you with that, we’ve compiled a list of the best fantasy manga that you can read right now.
13. No Game No Life
There is at least one fantasy world from all the games you’ve played in your life that you want to escape, and No Game No Life takes on a very similar concept. The story revolves around Sora and Shiro, two siblings who are feared opponents in the gaming community, who, after accepting a special invitation from God, are transported to a fantasy world.
In this world, everything is decided by games, whether conflicts or corporate laws. How will Sora and Shiro navigate in this world? If you have a soft spot for siblings’ affection and are fascinated by intelligent main characters, No Game No Life is your manga to go.
12. Mashle: Magic and Muscles
What if Harry Potter was a muscle-bound meathead? Well, you get Mash, who in this manga has godlike fitness and physique but is unable to use magic. And it just so happens that one’s social status is determined by one’s skill.
After learning that his existence is only acknowledged in this magic realm by becoming a Divine Visionary, Mash enrolls in a magic academy to test his limits. Mashle is more of a fantasy comedy manga that utilizes situations and action scenes to generate the reader’s interest, and it does a terrific job in that regard.
11. The Seven Deadly Sins
The Seven Deadly Sins is already quite popular, with its anime being one of the most popular ones in the mainstream anime medium. However, that didn’t last long when the studio messed up in the third season. So, reading manga over anime is highly recommended, and it is absolutely worth reading, given its amazing world-building and the perfect embodiment of fantasy elements.
The kingdom of Lioness has been overthrown by the Holy Knights, who were supposed to guard it from outside threats, and Princess Elizabeth is the only hope to save the kingdom. With crumbled armor and a little hope, she embarks on a journey to find the Seven Deadly Sins, who are scattered across the world over the years.
10. Black Clover
Black Clover is a generic Shonen manga with an MC who is considered weak due to his zero affinity with magic, but he makes it up for his strength and hard work. We follow his journey as he aims to become the Wizard King who rules the world.
However, the journey is anything but easy, as he has a mountain to climb while he’s stuck at the bottom. Although Black Clover starts as a Naruto copy, as many people refer to it, it varies hugely and gets better over time.
9. Goblin Slayer
Goblin Slayer is a dark fantasy manga that gets darker with time and doesn’t pull any punches with violence. Furthermore, the author spends time developing the characters through backstories and actually showcasing the world of Goblin Slayer, which would take your experience a notch if you love dark fantasy stories.
Related: Top 10 Isekai Manga with Overpowered MC You Must Read!
The story follows a young priestess who forms her own party in order to clear out the goblin nests that have been infesting the poor villages, but when her whole party gets killed, she is saved by an armored man who slays goblins as if he’s born to do it. Who is this man? And will she accompany him on his journey to get rid of this world off of the goblins?
8. Magi: Labyrinth of Magic
Magi is one of the few fantasy stories that stick to its intentions and deliver precisely on its promises. In a way, it makes you question human morals while still being ridiculously entertaining, except you need to give it a little time to set the stage.
In a world where anyone can get rich by clearing out the mysterious dungeons that appeared out of nowhere, Alibaba, a young rogue, decides to become the wealthiest man in the world. Joining him are a young boy named Aladdin, with a flute and mysterious ability, and Morgiana, a slave who can’t escape her past.
7. Fairy Tail
What could be more fantasy-er than wizards, guilds, and fire-spitting dragons? Fairy Tail is an absolute must-read for anyone who loves fantasy stories, especially the ones that start slow and build the story as they move on from one arc to another. While the anime is already impressive, many believe it didn’t entirely live up to the full potential of manga.
The story takes place in a world where guilds take up missions to solve the world’s problems and save it from dark magic maniacs from time to time. Of all the guilds, Lucy, a young mage with the power to summon stellar spirits, chose to join the Fairy Tail guild, notorious for housing the most insane wizards. What follows is a series of adventures where she joins Natsu Dragneel, Erza, Gray, and Happy as they navigate through countless hurdles.
6. Claymore
Claymore is very similar to Berserk, the godfather of dark fantasy stories in a way, although it differs by quite a lot if you consider the story similarities. However, Claymore is one hell of a story you don’t want to miss if you like a manga with a strong female lead and spectacular artwork that makes you want to read more.
In a world where monsters named Yoma constantly attack humans and take on their appearance and memories, and The Organization is the only thing that can stop them. This mysterious organization deals with Yoma with the help of female fighters known as Claymores, who care little for people’s lives and more about slaying Yoma. We follow the story of Claire, a lower-ranked claymore who seeks to avenge her master one day.
5. The Ancient Magus’ Bride
The Ancient Magus’ Bride is the perfect fantasy romance manga, whether you want to read a beautiful love story of a mage and a slave or just want to enjoy the world’s aesthetics. The story follows Chise Hatori, a child nobody wanted, and after being passed from one guardian to another, she is bought by a mysterious person in a slave auction.
However, this mysterious person is a mage who declares she will be his apprentice and bride. You don’t have many epic battles in this manga like other fantasy stories, but you get something more with a touch of Western magic.
4. Dorohedoro
Dorohedoro is another epic dark fantasy manga that combines Naoki Urasawa’s phenomenal storytelling with amazingly written characters, and you don’t often get to see it in fantasy stories except for a few. That said, Dorohedoro is a fun and action-packed manga with a very bizzare-looking artstyle but absolutely worth reading all the way to the end.
The story takes place in the city of Hole, where ruthless magic users experiment on innocent people, which affects them in various ways, and getting killed is the least worse. In Kaiman’s case, he has a lizard head and a human body, and he’s on a mission to search for the sorcerer who turned his life to hell with the help of his reliable companion, Nikaido.
3. The Promised Neverland
The Promised Neverland is not what you would expect in the list of fantasy manga due to its seemingly horror thriller premise. However, as you read it, you will realize why it does, and with the creators ruining the anime to end it sooner, it is far better to read the manga rather than going through the headache of trying to make sense of the final few episodes.
The story follows Emma, Ray, and Norman, who live in an orphanage that was thought to be a beautiful place, but when they learn the true story behind the gates surrounding the orphanage, they begin to question their entire existence. What could it be, and how will these young children deal with it?
2. Yona of the Dawn
Yona of the Dawn is the prime example of why you shouldn’t judge a story too soon because the initial few chapters are hard to get into, but once you get into the actual story, the character development, the story progression, and the fantasy elements it brings make it just so much more awesome. If you haven’t read it, we highly recommend you do it.
Princess Yona has lived a peaceful and happy life, with no problems coming her way, and Hak, an ever-charming bodyguard, is always by her side. However, when the kingdom is overthrown by betrayal, she is forced to flee for her life.
Determined, Yona will do anything to reclaim the throne and avenge her father, but it takes more than anything she has worked so far, and searching for the four Dragon Warriors may be a good start.
1. Berserk
You probably already thought Berserk was going to take the top spot in the fantasy manga list, and you absolutely should. The godfather of all fantasy manga that can get as dark and epic as possible with a badass main character, worthy and thought-provoking villain, and a story that only gets deeper as we move further. If you haven’t read this manga yet, we urge you to read it, even if it means pausing every manga on your list.
The story is about Guts, born from her mother’s corpse, and how he lives in a world that doesn’t pass without seeing a war or two in a day. After joining a band of mercenaries named the Band of the Hawk, Gut leads the soldiers through countless victories, but when the darkness begins to sweep through nations, swallowing the humans as a whole, can he, a normal soldier, fight against it?
