A Changing of the Guard: How Jujutsu Kaisen Toppled One Piece’s Reign

For over a decade, Eiichiro Oda’s epic saga, One Piece, has been the undisputed king of manga sales, a consistent powerhouse that has set the benchmark for commercial success in the industry. Its reign, however, has finally been challenged and, in a significant turn of events, officially surpassed. According to the latest sales data from Oricon for the year 2024, Gege Akutami’s dark fantasy masterpiece, Jujutsu Kaisen, has officially claimed the title of the best-selling manga, a testament to its explosive growth and the changing tides of the shonen genre. This shift marks a pivotal moment, signaling that a new generation of manga is not just challenging the old guard but is now ready to take its place at the top.

While One Piece has continued to sell millions of copies, its sales figures for 2024, approximately 5.25 million, were outpaced by Jujutsu Kaisen’s staggering 7.61 million. This victory for Jujutsu Kaisen is particularly notable because it occurred during the series’ finale, a period that typically sees a surge in sales as fans rush to complete their collections. The immense popularity of its anime adaptation by Studio MAPPA, which has been hailed as one of the best animated series of recent years, has undoubtedly been a massive catalyst for this success. The anime’s gripping, fluidly choreographed fight scenes and its mature, no-holds-barred narrative have captivated a global audience, driving a massive surge in manga purchases.

The Rise of a New-Gen Powerhouse

The success of Jujutsu Kaisen is not an isolated event but rather a reflection of a broader trend in the manga market. The “new-gen” titles, which include hits like Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End and The Apothecary Diaries, are characterized by a willingness to explore darker, more complex themes and to subvert traditional shonen tropes. These series, often buoyed by critically acclaimed anime adaptations, are resonating with a new demographic of readers who are drawn to their sophisticated storytelling and compelling character arcs. Frieren, with its melancholic and introspective journey, and The Apothecary Diaries, with its clever historical mystery, both ranked in the top five best-selling manga of 2024, proving that sales success is no longer limited to high-octane battle narratives. The market is diversifying, and these new titles are at the forefront of this evolution.

A Nuanced Look at the Numbers

While Jujutsu Kaisen’s victory in 2024 is definitive, it’s important to understand the context of the numbers. One Piece’s long-standing dominance is built on decades of consistent sales and an unmatched global cumulative total of over 500 million copies. Jujutsu Kaisen’s triumph is specific to a single year’s sales, a direct result of its series finale and the immense hype surrounding its anime. In this sense, One Piece remains an enduring icon, a symbol of longevity and sustained quality. However, the fact that a new series could, even for a single year, eclipse a titan like One Piece is a clear sign of a significant shift in the market. It shows that new readers are prioritizing fresh, completed or soon-to-be-completed stories, and are willing to invest heavily in a series’ final arc. The competition is fierce, and the playing field is more dynamic than ever.

What This Means for the Future

This changing of the guard marks a new and exciting phase for the manga and anime industries. It proves that a strong, well-executed anime adaptation can have an immediate and powerful impact on source material sales. It also highlights the growing demand for diverse storytelling within the shonen demographic. As series like My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen conclude, the stage is set for a new wave of contenders to rise, and the competition for the top spot will only become more intense. The success of Jujutsu Kaisen has paved the way for other promising titles, showing that a new generation is not only ready but is actively seeking out and embracing the next great story.