20 Best Zombie Manga of All Time (Ranked)
For me, it is always a delight to watch humans escape or at least try to escape vicious brain-eating zombies. And I know I’m not alone because zombie manga has become one of the most popular genres in the last ten years. So, of course, there are lots of fantastic zombie manga out there.
Because zombie manga are so popular, it’s always better to use a guide so that you don’t just go watch anything out there. However, they may all be good, but some are better than others. So, which zombie manga I think are the best and should make it into this list is a fascinating subject? Let’s find out!
20. ‘Zombie Land Saga‘
Although the plot of the Zombie Land Saga is simple, we can sneak it into the list. The series tells the story of a young girl called Sakura Minamoto. Sakura has always nursed dreams of becoming an idol, but reality hits her like a truck. Literally. a car accident killed her abruptly in 2008. Later on, after ten years, a man named Kotaro Tatsumi resurrects Sakura and other girls from various eras, and they come back as zombies. He aims to save the Saga prefecture by forming an all zombie idol group.
19. ‘Cradle of Monsters‘
What can be more toe-curling than a group of children trapped in a capsized ship at the bottom of the ocean? Not only that, the children have to battle for their survival against an isolated zombie outbreak. At first, their ship capsizes, and while everyone is trying to get the hell out, a strange man appears holding an ax. However, their teacher tries to fight off the brain-thirsty stranger and protect them, but to no avail. The ax-wielding crazy man bites the teacher and infects him. At that moment, they realize that the stranger is not just a regular crazy psychopath; he is also a zombie. But there is little they can do.
18. ‘The Empire of Corpses‘
Set in an 18th-century alternate universe in England, scientist Victor Frankenstein comes up with a way of reawakening a corpse. Additionally, the reawakened corpse would have thoughts and feelings. Although his creation is destroyed, another method is used. He now replaces the missing soul with an artificial one using a technology known as Necroware. Well, guess what? It worked, and by the 19th century, corpses were around like they were normal. They even have jobs and have become the central part of the workforce.
17. ‘Tokyo Zombie‘
What are two regular factory workers to do about a flesh-eating zombie uprising in Tokyo? We find out in Tokyo Zombie, a horror-comedy Manga about two blue-collar guys in a zombie apocalypse. When Fujio and Mitsuo accidentally kill their boss, they bury him in an artificial garbage mountain known as Mount Fuji. Unfortunately, the tons of rotting garbage have been contaminated with Industrial waste that naturally and inevitably turns the corpses buried there into zombies. Oopsie!
16. ‘Is this a Zombie‘
Once upon a time, Auyumu Aikawa was a regular high school kid. Well, that didn’t last long before a serial killer murdered him. He was, however, resurrected by Eucliwood Hellscythe, a necromancer.Afterward, Auyumu decides to make the best of his undead life. However, that is until he encounters a magical garment girl called Haruna and mistakenly takes her powers. So now, he is kind of a cross-dresser and a supernatural zombie.
15. ‘Reiko The Zombie Shop‘
Reiko is introduced as a schoolgirl and a zombie shop. A professional necromancer who reawakens the dead for a substantial fee and thus obtains information from them. As such, she can work as a detective and solve murder cases. She wakes the victim up temporarily and asks them who killed them. Easy! The manga follows a succession of unconnected episodes, with each scene being a separate incident from the previous.
14. ‘High School of the Dead‘
High School of the Dead is a Japanese manga series also known as Apocalyptic Academy. The manga is set in present-day Japan. However, it begins as the world is struck by a catastrophic pandemic, which turns the human population into zombies. Further, the events center on a group of high school kids and the school nurse trying to survive the worldwide pandemic popularly referred to as the outbreak.
13. ‘Hour of the Zombie‘
‘Hour of the zombie’ is another excellent zombie manga I love. The storyline is simple enough but is quality enough to make it on our list. The manga is set at a high school where all the students suddenly become zombies. However, Akira, a high school kid, must overcome the vicious killers while staying true to his ideals.
12. ‘Biohazard‘
Also known as ‘Resident Evil,’ yes, that ‘Resident Evil.’ As much as we love zombies, we can’t deny that they’re not lovely creatures to have around. Nevertheless, ‘Biohazard,’ a manga created to promote the sequel to the series, turned out to be very successful. Anyway, the manga focuses on a school in Singapore where a student has become infected with the T virus and turned into a zombie. Yikes!
11. ‘Magical Girl Apocalypse‘
There’s always the chance that someone or several people will die in a zombie apocalypse. That is what zombie mangas are about. Well, in the magical girl apocalypse, we are not disappointed. Kii Kogami does not like his boring, everyday life, however, one day, things get interesting for him but not in a good way. It begins when he looks out the window and sees that a little girl has caused his teacher’s head to explode in class. Shocked, Kii rushes to the bathroom to calm his nerves. When he returns, almost all his classmates have been or are being murdered by the same girl. But, lucky for Kii, his life just became a lot less tedious.
10. ‘Eschaton Games‘
A little boy learns that he has cancer, which isn’t bad enough; there is a zombie apocalypse. His entire family is killed, and he is infected; however, there is a silver lining in that dark cloud. Because soon afterward, a miracle occurs. You’ll have to watch ‘Eschaton Games’ to find out what happens next.
9. ‘Dead Days‘
Pretty grim title, huh? It is an apocalyptic story. The story of ‘Dead Days’ begins about four days after a zombie virus has broken out. In dead days, we see humanity brought to its knees and reverted to its primitive beginning. It is a thrilling tale about the survivors of a zombie apocalypse.
8. ‘Mortals of the Doom‘
I’ve always wondered what I’d do if I knew how the next ten years of my life were going to play out. It’ll be cool to know, right? That’s what happened to Zuo Tiachen. Strangely, Zuo is the last surviving human in a zombie-infested town. Just moments away from dying, he feels his soul returned to his body just before that horrible day ten years ago when the zombies invaded. Afterward, he struggles to make the most of his gift, protect those closest to him, and reunite with his lover.
7. ‘Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress‘
We’re gradually getting to the top of our list; ‘Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress‘ has an intricate plot with many twists and turns. But it is compelling enough to make it to our top 20 list. The manga is set sometime during the Industrial Revolution when a mysterious virus suddenly appears. However, this virus transforms infected humans into corpses and spreads rapidly. More importantly, the corpses, also known as Kanabe, are aggressive undead creatures. These Kanabe can only be killed when the glowing golden heart in their chests is pierced. But, of course, it also doesn’t help that a layer of iron protects the heart.
6. ‘Sankarea Undying Love‘
Everyone wants to fall in love; I know I do. But so does Chiroyo Firiya. His case is slightly different because he wants to fall in love with a zombie. It is known that Chiroyo is a high school student interested in zombies. However, it’s always been his dream to have a zombie girlfriend. Whoever said dreams do come true was right because Chiroyo got his girlfriend. Thus, Rea Sanka, a young girl who drank the potion he created to resurrect his cat, turns into one.
5. ‘Biomega‘
The future is an intriguing thing, and so are movies set in the future. ‘Biomega’ is set in the future; the plot follows Ziochi Kanoe and his partner Al. There is an infection fast spreading from Mars. Although the infection turns humans into deformed zombie-like beings known as drones, some humans can resist and transmute the virus. And it is Ziochi and Al’s job to find them and bring them to TOA Heavy industries.
4. ‘Fort of Apocalypse‘
For Yoshiaki Maeda, things cannot get any worse. He has just been framed and convicted of murder. However, upon his arrival in prison, he is placed in cell four alongside four cellmates, serving various sentences for different crimes.Yoshiaki believes life sucks, and with good reason; however, his misfortunes are still unraveling. He discovers that the prison is in a vicious power struggle, much to his dismay. But the worst is yet to happen. Unfortunately, the inmates and employees are entirely oblivious to the fact that a violent zombie apocalypse has overcome the outside world.
3. ‘School Live‘
‘School-Live’ is one of my personal favorites and a favorite among manga fans. Additionally, its simple plot is endearing. However, you cannot boast of being a mega manga fan until you have read ‘School Live’. For Yuki Takeya, life is perfect. She is a high school girl who loves her school and her school living club. But, after a while, a zombie outbreak overtakes the school and infects many Students and teachers.
2. ‘I am a Hero‘
Talk about self-aggrandizement. Welcome to the world of Hideo Suzuki, whose life is far from satisfactory; his job as a manga assistant is demanding. However, he has to put up with low pay. He is left with unfulfilled dreams, strange hallucinations, and unsatisfying relationships. Hideo is 35 years old, but he suffers from low self-esteem and feels he is playing a supporting role in this own life. So sad. Well, he doesn’t have time to be dissatisfied with his life because it’s about to get even worse. The entire world is soon plagued with a disease known as ZQN. It turns infected humans into maniacs who behave like zombies, and their first instinct is to devour any human they see.
1. ‘Housekeeper‘
The manga series that tops our list is ‘Housekeeper.’ Talk about loyalty and humanity, well you’re going to have to see for yourself. Nevertheless, the series takes place soon when Artificial Intelligence becomes popular among humans. Bad idea? Yes! A virus outbreak soon occurs, turning over 70% of humanity into zombie-like creatures known as Creatures. Oh well. And what does the AI do? They break away from their infected masters, as they’re not programmed to recognize them as human, talk about betrayal.
Have manga to add to the list? Let us know in the comments below!