If you love reading manga, you must also be extremely curious to know whether your favorite manga artists are part of the richest mangaka list or not. In this article, we take a look at some of the richest manga authors of all time, so let’s see if your favorite authors made it to the list!
When it comes down to the anime we are watching today or our favorite anime show of all time, we owe it to the manga authors behind them for being able to deliver not only an incredible story but also a creative and expansive world that we can get easily lost and invested in.
Manga serves as a significant half of the anime industry as it serves as the source material that our favorite anime is adapted from while also containing additional tidbits of information that would otherwise get cut out due to time constraints.
In the spirit of bringing attention to the manga artists that made our favorite manga, I am here with a list of the richest manga artists of all time, some of the notable manga series they’ve created, and any other pieces you should consider checking out.
The Richest Mangaka Of All Time (2022)
13. George Morikawa (Hajime no Ippo)
Net Worth: Approximately $1-3 million
The first mangaka we have on our list is George Morikawa. He is well-known as the genius mangaka behind the Hajime no Ippo series, which has been up and running for over 20 years. Hajime no Ippo is Morikawa’s most notable work and has achieved the legendary status of sports manga to read and sports anime to watch despite its old age.
His signature manga is not only considered legendary among niche sports anime fans, but it also won him an award in 1991 called the Kodansha Manga Award.
Although Hajime no Ippo serves as George Morikawa’s bestselling manga series, having sold over 100 million volumes so far, he has other works available such as “I’ll be Seeing You! (2012)” and “Signal Blue (1986)”. Besides being a mangaka, George Morikawa is also the owner of a gym in Tokyo called the JB Sports Gym.
12. Yōichi Takahashi (Captain Tsubasa)
Net Worth: Between $1 to $5 million
Another mangaka similar to George Morikawa, in that their most well-known series falls under the sports genre of manga, is Yoichi Takahashi and his work of Captain Tsubasa. Like Hajime no Ippo, the Captain Tsubasa manga has achieved legendary status in the sports manga genre.
Yoichi Takahashi is well-known for his manga series, Captain Tsubasa, since its first volume was released in the 1980s. The manga mainly brings to the sport of soccer, with the titular character serving as the main protagonist. Besides the manga, Yoichi Takahashi has also published numerous novels and guides related to his main work Captain Tsubasa, which helps us learn more about the world and even the game itself.
His contributions as a mangaka go beyond pioneering a genre but also allows him the opportunity to receive an Honorary Citizen Award from Katasushika in 2018.
11. Keisuke Itagaki (Baki the Grappler)
Net Worth: Approximately $5 million
Stepping a bit off from sports-related manga series, we have Keisuke Itagaki up next, who is more well-known as the man behind and responsible for creating the Baki the Grappler series. The original Baki series debuted in 1991 and continues to grow strong today thanks to its dedicated following and animation, which stands out with its stylistic approach.
Baki the Grappler is one of the more well-known series that fall under the martial arts manga genre and is only going strong with the number of sequels it has received so far. Keisuke himself has had a colorful past, having served as part of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force and practiced amateur boxing. He is also the father of Paru Itagaki, well-known for her manga series, Beastars.
10. Kohei Horikoshi (My Hero Academia)
Net Worth: Between $5 to $10 million
Perhaps one of the newer and more recent mangakas that have risen to popularity is Kohei Horikoshi and his manga of My Hero Academia. Horikoshi has had several other works besides My Hero Academia with Omagadoki Dobutsuen and Barrage, but My Hero Academia remains of his bestselling works to date.
Since its anime premiere, My Hero Academia has skyrocketed in popularity and continues to grow strong even to this date. Classic anime and manga such as Dragon Ball, One Piece, and Naruto served as Horikoshi’s inspiration alongside Marvel Comics, which is greatly seen in his signature series.
Kohei Horikoshi was able to secure two awards since the writing of this article, with the Sugoi Japan Award in 2017 and the 31st Harvey Award in 2019, both with My Hero Academia nominated under the manga/best manga category.
9. Hirohiko Araki (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure)
Net Worth: Approximately $13 million
Fans of Hirohiko Araki’s signature work will find his name incredibly familiar as he served as the one responsible for introducing the zany universe of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure to the world. The manga series has been in circulation and production for over 20 years and is still going strong with no signs of ending in recent times.
The manga series that made him one of the richest mangaka of all time follows the members of the Joestar family across multiple generations. It also has a pretty popular anime adaptation that’s considered one of the best anime shows to watch. Hirohiko is well-known for his distinct drawing style, which is most prominently featured in his main manga series.
Besides drawing manga, Araki has had several other projects, such as drawing the album cover for Sayuri Ishikawa’s X-Cross- album and was even behind the official poster for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics entitled, The Sky Above the Great Wave off the Coast of Kanagawa.
8. Masashi Kishimoto (Naruto & Boruto)
Net Worth: $20 to $25 million
Every classic anime fan from the early 2000s would be familiar with the name Naruto as it has become a household name in the shounen manga genre. The man behind this popular series, Masashi Kishimoto, has influenced and impacted the anime and manga industry through his work on Naruto.
In recent times, Kishimoto was responsible for supervising the development of Boruto, the sequel to Naruto, but has since taken the lead writer role later on in the series. Naruto allowed him to reach great heights with his success as it quickly became the fourth best-selling manga across many countries.
Most of Kishimoto’s main work lies in Naruto and its successor Boruto, but he also has other mangas such as “Samurai 8: The Tale of Hachimaru” and “Karakuri.”
7. Yoshihiro Togashi (Yu Yu Hakusho & Hunter x Hunter)
Net Worth: Approximately $25 million
The next entry on the richest manga authors list goes by the name of Yoshihiro Togashi, another mangaka specializing in the shounen genre with not only one of his works but two of them, namely Yu Yu Hakusho and Hunter X Hunter, being the most popular in the genre. Togashi’s main works are iconic in the anime industry as they were adapted to anime shows and experienced their share of success.
Yu Yu Hakusho is probably the least popular of his two works. Hunter X Hunter easily surpassed it in popularity, having sold 80 million copies so far compared to the still respectable 50 million copies the former achieved.
Among Yoshihito Togashi’s manga series, Yu Yu Hakusho has already concluded its run with Hunter X Hunter still ongoing. The latter is often joked about, given the number of hiatuses the series took before it was officially announced to be back earlier this year.
6. Hajime Isayama (Attack on Titan)
Net Worth: $45 to $50 million
The story of Attack on Titan and its worldwide success pushed Hajime Isayama to massive success and popularity, making him one of the richest manga artists right now. Isayama first released his work in 2005, where he slowly gained traction until the anime release, which pushed him to greater heights in popularity.
Interestingly enough, Attack on Titan would’ve not become a reality if Isayama had given up on his dreams after getting rejected by the Weekly Shonen Jump. Today, Attack on Titan is a familiar name in the anime and manga industry for its intense story, and the anime adaptation that has taken the world by storm.
Hajime Isayama received several awards thanks to his work in Attack on Titan, including the Kodansha Manga Award in 2011 and the Harvey Award in 2014.
5. Gosho Aoyama (Detective Conan)
Net Worth: Approximately $50 million
Gosho Aoyama’s manga series, Detective Conan, known as Case Closed to some, has earned him a rightful spot among the wealthiest manga artists on the list. This series has now spanned over a thousand chapters and even reached 1000 marks in the number of anime episodes which only a few series can realistically achieve.
Detective Conan is a long-running series that has been up for over 25 years and counting and has sold more than 250 million copies worldwide. Besides his work in his beloved series, he also has several other series, such as Yaiba and Magic Kaito, the former of which appears in Detective Conan and is still running despite being on hiatus as of the writing of this article.
Aoyama won 2 awards as a mangaka, the Shogakukan Award for Yaiba and the same award once again for Detective Conan in a different year.
4. Tite Kubo (Bleach)
Net Worth: Approximately $55 million
Despite having finished its original run in 2016, Bleach remains one of the most popular shounen anime and manga series to this date. Tite Kubo is well known as the mastermind behind this series which brought him a lot of attention and eyes towards his skills as a manga artist and character designer.
Tite Kubo is well known for drawings of different fight sequences, which are best showcased in his main manga series. Additionally, he is well-known for incorporating some element of body horror into his character designs which can be seen in several characters in Bleach and his other series.
As we previously mentioned, Bleach continues to be sold and circulated in recent years, having reached 130 million copies worldwide as of the writing of this article. This allowed Tite Kubo the title of owning the 12th best-selling manga in history and other awards, such as the Shogakukan Manga Award back in 2005.
3. Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball Series)
Net Worth: $55 to $60 million
Possibly serving as the inspiration to many shounen and martial arts manga and anime, Akira Toriyama and his work of Dragon Ball is no industry stranger in the world of anime and manga. Almost everyone is familiar with his Dragon Ball manga series, as it influenced many series, making him a huge titan in the manga industry. Even people who aren’t really into the world of anime and manga know about Akira Toriyama because Dragon Ball is an unshakeable part of pop culture around the world!
Besides being a talented mangaka, having made Dragon Ball and its sequel, Dragon Ball Z, Toriyama is also a well-known character designer, having worked in popular games such as Chrono Trigger and Dragon Quests which you can clearly distinguish as his work thanks to his distinct art style.
2. Rumiko Takahashi (Ranma ½, Inuyasha & Rin-ne)
Net Worth: Approximately $70 million
With familiar manga titles and series such as Ranma ½, Inuyasha, and Rin-ne, Rumiko Takahashi makes her way into a high spot in the richest mangaka list and is possibly the only female mangaka on the list. Takahashi has had over 30 years of experience working in the industry, allowing her to leave a definite mark on the industry’s history.
Her famous works, as cited before, allowed her the experience to try out a variety of genres and even led to the inspiration of several other works, especially within the western side of things. Old anime fans will find her projects extremely memorable, especially if they were around when they first aired as fully fleshed-out animated shows.
Takahashi was awarded several things but most notably a Medal with Purple Ribbon from Japan and getting inducted into the Harvey Awards Hall of Fame back in 2021.
1. Eiichiro Oda (One Piece)
Net Worth: Approximately $200 million
It might come as no surprise to anyone that the richest mangaka that sits at the number one spot is Eiichiro Oda and his all-time famous series of One Piece. Nothing can be said of how big of an influence One Piece has had not on the past, present, and future manga and anime but on the industry as a whole.
Since its debut in 1997, the manga has made massive leaps in popularity and influence as the series is still being discussed in recent years. Even after being in circulation for over two decades, it is still among the best-selling manga series. What’s more, One Piece has sold more than 510 million copies worldwide, and that number is rising rapidly with the release of new volumes.
One Piece also allowed Oda the moniker of being one of the manga artists who was able to change the entire history of manga and the industry. With the amount of attention and sales that any One Piece content receives, be it anime, merch, or manga, it should be no surprise that Eiichiro Oda is easily one of the richest manga artists in today’s time.
Conclusion
That brings us to the end of the article featuring the wealthiest manga authors of all time! I am sure that most of your favorite manga artists found a place on this list because these manga authors and the manga series they have created are popular worldwide.
If you liked the article, make sure to share it with your friends who also love reading manga. Tell them about the richest mangaka right now, and don’t forget to share any feedback that you have about the article in the comments section below!
