Most Iconic Manga Covers

Summary

• Vagabond’s cover showcases incredible detail, setting the tone for the seinen genre
• Tokyo Ghoul’s eerie cover gives a glimpse of Kaneki’s new form and Ishida’s talent
• Attack on Titan demands attention with its iconic cover, teasing mystery and action

There has been no shortage of incredible manga covers that have been revealed over the last few decades. The front page of a volume of chapters is an opportunity for the author to showcase their own unique style and personal flair by giving a glimpse into some of the characters involved within the story. Of course, a good manga cover also needs to entice people to actually read the contents inside, and there’s a few ways this can be pulled off.

Whether it’s a more minimalistic and stylized cover, or one that is simply packed full of detail and energy, there’s been several eyecatching covers that have gone down as iconic for their own unique reasons. Therefore, it’s time to reflect on some of the most well-known and recognizable covers to understand what has made them so beloved in the eyes of many manga fans.

9

Vagabond – Volume 1

An Incredibly Detailed Illustration Of The Legendary Musashi Miyamoto

Vagabond was the gateway to the seinen genre for many people. Alongside tending to incorporate more serious themes into their work, seinen artists will also usually try to use a more grounded and realistic art style, something Takehino Inoue makes very clear with the first cover of his now legendary series.

The cover features a young Musashi whose entire face, from his hair down to his eyes and mouth, has been sculpted with an incredible level of detail. The use of colors on this page almost makes it look like a painting, which is a testament to just how great of an artist Inoue is to kick the series off with such a fascinating piece of artwork.

8

Tokyo Ghoul – Volume 7

Sui Ishida Puts His Artistic Talents On Full Display With This Eerie And Iconic Cover Featuring Kaneki

This creepy and unnerving full portrait of Kaneki, which features on the front of Tokyo Ghoul volume 7, has become an iconic image among the fanbase, and many anime fans in general. While the image itself is full of detail, which helps Kaneki look as menacing as possible, this was also refrecning his new horrifying form which was revealed within this set of chapters.

This is part of the reason why the cover became so admired, as it gave a small sneak peek at Kaneki’s new form, while also giving author, Sui Ishida, the chance to highlight his hypnotic artistic style, which he had gradually been refining since he first started publishing Tokyo Ghoul.

7

Bleach – Volume 24

One Of The Most Stylish Covers In Bleach Was Referenced By Another Popular Manga Artist

The particular pose that Grimmjow is striking on this Bleach cover, with his hand reaching out to the reader as if he’s about to pull them into the page, actually originated from Tite Kubo’s earlier work, Zombie Powder. This cover does such an incredible job at personifying the brash and hot-headed character of Grimmjow in such a unique way, and in classic Tite Kubo fashion, there’s no background to be seen, putting more emphasis on the character himself.

This cover would become so iconic that Gege Akutami, the author of Jujutsu Kaisen, even referenced it on the cover of Volume 14 of his respective series. While Bleach has plenty of jawdropping covers that incorporate a more minimalistic style, this is one that immediately pops into many people’s minds for how effortlessly cool and stylish it is.

6

One Piece – Volume 1

A Simple But Sweet Beginning To An Epic Adventure

It’s hard to believe that a story with such a simple first cover would go on to become so big and grand in its world and characters. However, that’s arguably what has made this illustration so recognizable, since in hindsight, it’s pretty emotional seeing Luffy, Zoro, and Nami filled with excitement as they begin their epic adventure to the Grand Line.

The way that the camera focuses on the initial trio sharing a few laughs as they set sail almost makes it seem like the reader is there with them as a member of the crew. This cover would later be revamped for Volume 41 with the future Straw Hat members being added to celebrate the end of the timeskip.

5

My Hero Academia – Volume 1

A Cover So Recognizable That Even Non-Anime And Manga fans Can Recognize It

When the My Hero Academia anime first appeared on screens, the manga had already reached its tenth volume. With the explosive success of the adaptation though, My Hero would become a household name pretty much overnight, and with a whole new audience jumping onto the manga, the first cover would quickly become synonymous with the series as a whole.

Author Kohei Horikoshi shows off his captivating character designs here, ensuring the cover looks as fun and joyful as possible to set the correct tone for the series. Seeing the giant smile on All Might’s face and Deku’s sense of wonder makes it hard not to want to jump into the volume to learn more about these quirky characters.

4

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood Volume 1

So Much Can Be Deduced About the Style And Tone Of JoJo’s From This Single Cover Page

Even to this very day, Hirohiko Araki has an artistic style that can’t really be compared. The ultra-realistic yet flamboyant designs of his characters, alongside JoJo’s outlandish and fun story, helped to shoot the series into stardom. Even though this cover was originally released in 1987 with part 1, which is often seen as the least exciting part of the series, it has gone on to stand the test of time as an iconic piece of imagery.

In fact, there have been multiple reiterations of Dio and Jonathan’s back-to-back pose, including in the anime which used their revamped models as stand-ins. Despite being an incredibly early example of Araki’s artistry, this cover still does an excellent job at showcasing the absurd nature of JoJo’s, and the lovable characters who fill its world.

3

Attack On Titan – Volume 1

A Volume Cover That Demands The Reader’s Attention From The Moment They Lay Eyes On It

Attack on Titan starts off with a bang, to put it lightly. The invasion of the Titans that takes place in the very first episode and first few chapters is a sequence that had many people hooked upon first viewing it, but before even that, manga readers were able to get a dazzling sneak peek at the crazy action that awaited them with this iconic cover.

Seeing Eren launching himself head-first into what looked like a giant human with their skin torn off is a haunting visual that just screams creativity. It’s an illustration that also instantly creates an aura of mystery, begging the reader to continue on with the story to understand what these creatures are, and who this courageous young soldier is.

2

Naruto – Volume 72

A Heartfelt Farewell To The Story Of Naruto

Naruto may have faced his fair share of trials and tribulations across his journey, but he never lost sight of his primary goal; becoming the Hokage of the Leaf Village. Though he may have started out as a reckless and naive punk, fans were able to watch him grow and mature, especially after meeting his father and learning of the true responsibilities that lay on the shoulders of a Hokage.

By the end of the story, everyone could agree that Naruto had earned the right to be given the prestigious title, with this final volume cover acting as a heartfelt sendoff to Masashi Kishimoto’s legendary story. Being able to look over at a peaceful Konoha must be an emotional moment for Naruto, and it’s certainly just as tear-jerking for the readers too.

1

Berserk – Volume 1

A Piece Of Iconography That Has Become Iconic Within The Anime And Manga Fanbase

Berserk’s very first cover has become so well-known that even those who aren’t interested in anime or manga will be able to recognize it. Though it’s very minimalistic, the incredibly detailed depiction of Guts, who is looking badass as ever with his cape and arm crossbow, provides readers with a glimpse at the outstanding artwork that they can expect to see from the legendary Kentaro Miura.

The industrial style of the title, along with Guts’ cape which oozes darkness at the top of this page, lend this cover a unique quality that subtly feeds into the dark and grimy aesthetic of the story. Berserk would go on to have plenty of amazing covers, including 28 and 12, which are particular standouts for many people, but the first still stands as, by far, the most recognizable.