The Best Manga About Underdogs Rising to Power

Summary

• Naruto went from village outcast to the Seventh Hokage, proving his leadership and heroism.
• Sinbad endured loss and slavery to become king of Sindria, leading trading agreements and forming an alliance.
• Rimuru Tempest, a lowly slime, rose to be the King of Monsters with magical talent and loyal followers.

Everybody loves a good underdog story. After all, this type of story is not only full of twists and thrills, but when done right, it can be a source of inspiration for the audience. Needless to say, the anime world has dozens of such stories.

Given its popularity, it’s no surprise that the internet is flooded with lists featuring zero-to-hero stories. So this one opts for something different. This list will focus on stories about people who obtain great physical prowess and manage to rise to a position of power in their respective universes. Since this list focuses on manga, Manhwa like Solo Leveling won’t be included, even though it would be a perfect fit.

This list contains some spoilers!

7

Naruto

From a Troublemaker to a Hokage

• Japanese Title: Naruto
• MyAnimeList Score: 8.07
• First Published: Sep 21, 1999

Naruto spends the majority of his childhood being bullied and ostracized by the people of his village because he has the nine-tailed beast sealed inside him. Add to that the fact that he is a mischievous boy who likes to pull pranks and make a mess out of everything, it doesn’t take a long time for him to become the Konoha’s little troublemaker.

As the story progresses, the boy who couldn’t do something basic like the Shadow Clone Jutsu in the first episode becomes a hero and a truly bonafide leader by the end of the series. Against all odds, this troublemaker becomes the Seventh Hokage of Konoha.

6

Magi: The Adventures of Sinbad

From a Slave to a King

• Japanese Title: Magi: Sinbad no Bouken
• MyAnimeList Score: 8.10
• First Published: May 8, 2013

Sinbad was the only child of a fisherman father and a sickly mother. They lived in a tiny coastal town under the oppressive Kingdom of Partevia. By the time he was a teenager, he had lost his father to war and his mother to her sickness. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Sinbad was even sold into slavery at some point in his life. But rather than succumb to depression, Sinbad uses those hardships and tragedies as fuel to be better.

Sinbad became a trader at a young age and single-handedly forged trading agreements with countries that had never traded with the outside world before. When the dungeons appeared, Sinbad conquered seven of them and used the magic and the treasure to turn his business into the biggest trading company in the world. By the end of the series, he has founded the most prosperous and technologically advanced country the world has ever seen, the Kingdom of Sindria. He also becomes the head of the Seven Seas Alliance.

5

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime

From Lowly Monster to King of Monsters

• Japanese Title: Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken
• MyAnimeList Score: 8.37
• First Published: Mar 26, 2015

Rimuru Tempest was transported into the new, exciting, and dangerous fantasy world as a slime, the weakest creature in the food chain. Forget fighting, he couldn’t even see what was in front of him before he learned how to use magic.

Fortunately for Rimuru, he turns out to be extremely talented in magic. As the story progresses, this lowly slime successfully develops all sorts of magic, creates a human-like body, evolves into a demon lord, and gathers countless loyal followers. Nowadays, Rimuru Tempest is known as the proud King of a nation of monsters called the Jura-Tempest Federation.

4

Tokyo Ghoul

From Normal Boy to One-Eyed King

• Japanese Title: Tokyo Ghoul
• MyAnimeList Score: 8.53
• First Published: Sep 8, 2011

Ken Kaneki is nothing more than a regular college student when he is attacked by a man-eating monster known as a Ghoul. As fate would have it, rather than losing his life like countless other victims of ghouls, Kaneki turns into a hybrid of man and ghoul. Humanity feared him, the ghouls rejected him. He becomes a creature with nowhere to belong.

From torture to amnesia, Kaneki goes through so many painful experiences throughout the story. But he soon realizes that his strange hybrid condition puts him in the unique position of being the only person who knows what it feels like to be both a human and a ghoul. By the end of the series, Ken Kaneki becomes the unofficial leader of the ghouls and the bridge between humanity and the ghouls.

3

Attack on Titan

From Dreamer to Dissident Leader

• Japanese Title: Shingeki no Kyojin
• MyAnimeList Score: 8.55
• First Published: Sep 9, 2009

Growing up, Eren Yeager and his best friends, Armin and Mikasa, dream of seeing the world outside the giant walls. They want to see the mountains, the animals, the oceans, and many other things that they’ve read about in books. Unfortunately, the walls come crashing down and change their lives forever.

Eren spends the majority of his teenage years as part of the Survey Corps. But then he fully unlocked the Attack Titan’s time-bending power and gradually transformed into a radical revolutionary leader. He wreaks havoc on one of the enemy’s biggest cities, forms a militia group that usurps the kingdom, and unleashes the rumbling that massacres over 80% of humanity. Some would say Eren is a revolutionary leader who freed his people, but most would say he is a heartless terrorist. One thing is for sure, he becomes the most powerful and influential figure by the end of the series.

2

Kingdom

From Poor Boy to Great General

• Japanese Title: Kingdom
• MyAnimeList Score: 9.01
• First Published: Jan 26, 2006

Shin is an orphan boy who was raised as a slave in a small countryside in the proud nation of Qin. Life was hard, and the future was bleak, but he could endure it thanks to his sworn brother, Hyou. Despite their tragic life, the boys dream of becoming great generals one day. Shin never took that dream seriously, but when Hyou was killed, he finally decided to escape and make their dream come true.

As it turns out, Shin is a gifted soldier. Not only is he a great fighter, but he also has the mind of a strategist. He knows when to use brute force and when to deploy deceptions. He knows how to properly utilize his soldiers in order to hit the enemy where it hurts. With such generational talent, Shin slowly but surely climbs the military ladder until he becomes one of the best generals for the Qin army.

1

One Piece

From Young Rebel to Emperor of the Sea

• Japanese Title: One Piece
• MyAnimeList Score: 9.22
• First Published: Jul 22, 1997

Luffy sets sail from his small hometown in a tiny boat barely big enough for two people. He begins his voyage with nothing but the dream of becoming the Pirate King. Most people in his village chalk it up as a foolish dream of a naive young man, but not Luffy. The only thing he sees is the great adventures that await him on his journey to becoming the next Pirate King.

Fast-forward years later, Luffy is now the captain of the infamous Straw Hat pirates. He is surrounded by loyal, powerful, and skillful comrades who share the same dream as him. He explored the mythical Sky Island and became the savior of the magical Fish-Man Island. He beats up dangerous pirates and defeats corrupt Marine Admirals. Now, Luffy has earned the title of one of the Four Emperors of the Sea. He is one step away from claiming the long-vacant throne of the Pirate King.