Vagabond is considered to be one of the best manga of all time. The manga has been written by Takehiko Inoue. He has also written other famous manga, namely Slam Dunk and REAL. Vagabond is a historical manga that follows a samurai named Miyamoto Musashi.

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The manga gives a fictionalized account of Musashi's life as he travels throughout Japan to become stronger. Musashi grows both as a fighter and as a human on his journey. The manga follows his development closely and takes the readers to a completely different period. Unfortunately, Vagabond is on an extended hiatus, and it won't be coming back soon. So, here are some other manga that fans can read that will offer a similar experience.

Updated on June 16th, 2024, by Suzail Ahmad: Vagabond has been on an indefinite hiatus for years, and one would assume that it would cause its popularity to diminish, but it has been the complete opposite. Vagabond is still treated as a masterpiece that everyone should read at least once. Vagabond is one of the few manga titles that are extremely well-balanced. The story is phenomenal, and the characters are just as good.

The story provides the readers with valuable life lessons that they can implement in their daily lives. Unfortunately, the manga's return is not in sight, so naturally fans miss reading it. However, there are other titles out there that can fill the void created by the absence of Vagabond.

19 Monster

MyAnimeList Rating: 9.16

Monster is a phenomenal manga written by the great Naoki Urasawa, who has created other famous titles such as 20th Century Boys and Pluto. Monster started serializing in 1994, and it concluded in 2001. The manga received a great deal of acclaim from the readers, which is reflected in its high rating on MyAnimeList. With a rating of 9.16, only four other titles are in a higher place than Monster.

Monster manga does not have any swordsmen, but it has a fantastic story that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. The characters in the story are unique, and they have a certain level of depth to them, making it easy to appreciate them. The manga also has an anime adaptation, and viewers shouldn't miss out on it.

18 REAL

MyAnimeList Rating: 8.94

REAL is another manga written by Takehiko Inoue, who started writing it in 1999. Unlike Vagabond, REAL is not on hiatus and occasionally releases new chapters. The story focuses on various characters, with each one dealing with different blockades. In order to get better, they have to overcome their physiological limitations.

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In this sense, REAL and Vagabond are rather similar as they help readers understand new perspectives, which in turn allows them to improve their own lives. REAL does not have violence or fighting, but it offers invaluable life lessons to the readers, which more than makes up for it.

17 Tokyo Ghoul

MyAnimeList Rating: 8.53

Sui Ishida's Tokyo Ghoul is an outstanding Seinen manga that takes readers on an adventure through a world infested with man-eating creatures known as ghouls. Initially, one feels hatred towards these creatures as they are responsible for the deaths of many people, but Kaneki's transformation into something similar lulls people into a rather profound debate.

Kaneki becomes something more than a human, but he feels stuck between the two worlds. This constant dilemma puts strain on his mind, and to find the answers, he embarks on a journey on which he meets all kinds of people. While it does have elements of fantasy, Tokyo Ghoul ensures that a person looks at the philosophical side of things.

16 Innocent

MyAnimeList Rating: 8.19

Innocent has been written by Shin-ichi Sakamoto. It is based on Masakatsu Adachi's book, "The Executioner Sanson." Innocent was serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Young Jump from January 2013 to April 2015. It covers the story of the Sansons, a family of renowned executioners.

It is set in 18th-century France, where tensions are at an all-time high. At the center of the series are siblings Charles-Henri Sanson and Marie-Joseph Sanson. As the head of the Sanson family, Charles has to make many important decisions that affect the future of his family. Even with the odds stacked against him, Charles maintains his calm and faces his fate fearlessly.

15 Green Blood

MyAnimeList Rating: 7.58

Green Blood was part of Weekly Young Magazine's lineup from 2011 to 2013. Masasumi Kakizaki worked hard on the series, which was pivotal to its success. Green Blood is a seinen manga with a lot of action, which is something Vagabond fans will enjoy a lot.

Green Blood is based in America, where poverty is at an all-time high due to the Industrial Revolution. With crimes taking place all over the country, it is almost impossible for people to live a normal life. The story follows Brad Burns and his younger brother, Luke. Brad becomes an assassin who is renowned for his skill with weapons. Luke, on the other hand, is honest and knows the reason for people's suffering is tied to the mob.

14 Shinobi no Kuni

MyAnimeList Rating: 7.62

Ryō Wada wrote Shinobi no Kuni as a novel series, and it was published in Shinchosha. The novel was turned into a manga series at a later date. Mutsumi Banno did the illustrations for Shinobi no Kuni. The manga started publishing in 2009 and ended in 2011.

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Like Vagabond, the manga blends history and fiction. It highlights the events that took place in the region of Iga, a place made famous by the ninjas living there. Despite being a shonen series, it does not shy away from delving into gore and violence. However, it does try to balance it out with humor from time to time. Due to this reason, some people may prefer Shinobi no Kuni over the other recommendations.

13 Kokou no Hito

MyAnimeList Rating: 8.78

Kokou no Hito is vastly different from Vagabond in terms of the setting, but it shares many themes. Both protagonists become mature with time and often engage in deep conversations internally. They retrospect in hopes of becoming better people and rising above the rest.

Kokuo no Hito is loosely based on the life of Buntarō Katō, a great mountain climber. The manga helps fans learn the story of an excellent athlete, and how he dealt with the biggest problems in his life. It adds more details to make the story interesting, and enjoyable. It also has great illustrations to make sure that fans don't take their eyes off the pages, even for a second. Every Vagabond fan should definitely pick up Kokou no Hito at some point.

12 Kingdom

MyAnimeList Rating: 9.01

Kingdom is a very popular manga series that has been written by Yasuhisa Hara. While the Vagabond manga takes place in ancient Japan, Kingdom is based in China. The manga follows the story of Xin and Piao, who dream of becoming great generals.

Unfortunately, Piao is taken by the royal soldiers to act as a double for Ying Zheng. After finding out Piao's actual fate, Xin gets furious. However, Xin decides to continue pursuing his goal for the sake of his friend, so he helps Ying survive.

11 Shamo

MyAnimeList Rating: 7.58

Shamo is a very dark manga series that is focused on the life of Ryo Narushima. Born a genius, Ryo had no trouble trying to fit in with the elites of society. Everything seemed to be going well until one day, Ryo snapped and ended up killing both of his parents.

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He abandoned his ordinary life to pursue a career as a martial artist. On his journey to gain power, Ryo starts losing parts of his humanity, and he ends up becoming nothing short of a monster. In a way, Musashi and Ryo are alike as both of them become ruthless killing machines.

10 Dororo

MyAnimeList Rating: 7.28

Dororo started serializing in 1967, and the story was wrapped up in 1969. The series was created by Osamu Tezuka, and it follows Hyakkimaru and Dororo. The two of them meet each other in odd circumstances, and they end up going on a journey that births an epic story.

Both Hyakkimaru and Musashi are feared swordsmen, and they make a name for themselves with their swordsmanship. Also, Dororo is set in ancient Japan, so it gives the readers an idea of how things were in the past.

9 Claymore

MyAnimeList Rating: 8.29

Claymore is an epic action series that explores the relationship between Claymores and humans. The Claymores were created by a mysterious organization to get rid of Yoma, which are shape-shifting creatures that consume humans.

​​​​​The manga follows a claymore named Clare and Raiki, a human who decides to travel with her along after being banished from his home. Just like the Vagabond manga, Claymore is filled with grueling duels that ensure that the fans stay on the edge of their seats.

8 Berserk

MyAnimeList Rating: 9.47

Written by the late Kentarou Miura, Berserk is an all-time classic. Berserk is currently the highest-ranked manga on MyAnimeList, which shows how highly the manga is rated. The manga follows the story of Guts, who is a wandering mercenary.

After going through numerous trials and tribulations, Guts finally finds a place to call home, but he loses it all because of a person, whom he used to call a friend. Both Vagabond and Berserk take the reader through historical times. While the Vagabond manga is set in medieval Japan, Berserk is set in a medieval fantasy world.

7 Vinland Saga

MyAnimeList Rating: 9.07

Vinland Saga has been written by Makoto Yukimura, and it is published by Kodansha. The manga received an anime adaptation in 2019, and it became extremely popular. The manga follows a young boy named, Thorfinn, who seeks revenge for the death of his parent.

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After the death of his parent's killer, Thorfinn suffers from a major breakdown, which causes him to change his ways. Both Musashi and Thorfinn go on a journey to find their inner self. Also, both manga are historical, so they offer a great insight into two different eras.

6 Blade of the Immortal

MyAnimeList Rating: 8.42

Blade of the Immortal is a seinen manga that was created by Hiroaki Samura. It features a cursed samurai named Manji, who has to slaughter a thousand wicked men, in order to lose his immortality. With almost no weakness, Manji's goal of redemption seems easy, but he has to fight his inner demons as well.

This constant struggle going inside him offers a similar experience to that of the Vagabond manga. Blade of the Immortal takes the readers through the samurai era in Japan, which is similar to the setting of Vagabond.

5 Rurouni Kenshin

MyAnimeList Rating: 8.54

Rurouni Kenshin is one of the most popular manga series. The manga has been written by Nobuhiro Watsuki, and it has sold over 70 million copies. Rurouni Kenshin focuses on the life of Himura Kenshin, a former assassin. After years of killing people, Kenshin grew tired of the bloodshed and became a wandering samurai.

He eventually meets a girl who is struggling with her father's dojo, and when she offers him a place to stay, Kenshin accepts and starts to form bonds with other people. Both Rurouni Kenshin and Vagabond manga share a few themes; however, the former has lighter themes as well.

4 Mushishi

MyAnimeList Rating: 8.71

Mushishi is a seinen manga that started serializing in 1998 and ended in 2008. The manga is famous because of its incredible artwork and themes. It follows a young man named Ginko, who helps people deal with "Mushi". The mushi resemble supernatural creatures, as they have powers that can affect the lives of other beings.

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Mushi have different abilities, and without proper knowledge, they can cause serious harm to people. Ginko's journey takes him to many mushi-infested places, and he uses his experience to solve the problems. Mushishi and Vagabond manga are highly detailed, and the artwork is simply astounding. Also, both protagonists are on the move all the time.

3 Gamaran

MyAnimeList Rating: 7.69

Gamaran is a manga about Gama Kurogane, who dreams of becoming the greatest swordsman in the land. At the behest of one of the princes, Gama ends up participating in the Grand Tournament of Unabara. The tournament is filled with fighters from all over the land.

With all the different styles on the show, Gama uses his talent to surpass everyone else and achieve his dream. Gamaran takes many elements from Vagabond and adds a shonen twist to it.

2 Lone Wolf and Cub

MyAnimeList Rating: 8.64

Lone Wolf and Cub started its serialization in 1970, and it reached its conclusion in 1976. It is a seinen manga, and it follows the life of Ogami Itto. Itto held a position of power, but the people around him became jealous of his success, so they tried to ruin his whole life.

His enemies slaughter his entire family, except for his son, and then they frame him for their heinous crimes. Ogami runs away with his son and becomes an assassin. In a very short time, he gains a lot of fame, and everyone becomes wary of him. But, Ogami only cares about avenging the deaths of his wife and the rest of his family.

1 Shigurui

MyAnimeList Rating: 8.07

Shigurui is a seinen manga, just like Vagabond. Both of them have extremely violent themes. Shigurui is set in the year 1629 when feudal lords held a lot of power. In a certain place, a feudal lord decides to have a competition where the participants are allowed to use real swords instead of wooden swords.

The story follows Fujiki Gennosuke and Irako Seigen. Both of them are top-notch swordsmen, but they suffer from different handicaps- Genosuke only has one arm, and Seigen is blind. The manga offers a great reading experience, and it follows the journey of these two unique samurai.

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