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One major point of contention withmangahas always beenthe quality of their endings, and that’s been especially true in recent years. Some of the biggest manga likeAttack on Titan,My Hero Academia, andJujutsu Kaisenhave all been ending recently, and for one reason or another, their endings have been highly criticized by fans and critics, with some people even feeling their endings ruin their entire stories.
The discourse surrounding good and bad manga endings has gotten incredibly heavy in recent years, but some manga are typically exempt from it. Thanks to factors like how well the author handles the story’s pacing from start to finish and the effectiveness with which everyone’s character arcs are handled,plenty of manga managed to end their stories in ways that can be seen as virtually flawless. A few manga, in particular, have done that to a degree that they’re often regarded as having the best endings in all of manga, and each one is plenty worth highlighting.
Assassination Classroom
Cast
Assassination Classroom follows the story of a mysterious and powerful creature, known as Koro-sensei, who becomes the homeroom teacher for a class of misfit students tasked with assassinating him to prevent Earth’s destruction.
In the final act of Yusei Matsui’sAssassination Classroom, with no way to protect Korosensei from the government’s orbital laser, Class E, not feeling right about letting someone else kill Korosensei, tearfully decided to kill Korosensei once and for all. As much as it hurt to lose Korosensei, they could move on thanks to the lessons Korosensei imparted to them, andyears later, they’re all living much better livesthan anyone ever thought they could.
Even with all the quirky comedy and sci-fi drama,Assassination Classroomwas always a touching coming-of-age story at heart, and sure enough,Assassination Classroommanaged to end in a way that perfectly brought everyone’s growth to an end, even if it was somewhat bittersweet.Assassination Classroomisn’t the longest manga, but its comparatively short length likely played a big part in why the pacing and writing were so tight from start to finish.
Manga By Inio Asano; Published 2007-2013
Discussion of suicide ahead
At the end ofInio Asano’sGoodnight Punpun, with Aiko having killed herself, Punpun, having lost his last anchor to life, finally worked up the nerve to end his life. Punpun’s suicide attempt failed, however, and after his problems with the law were cleared up, he returned to Tokyo and started a new life with Sachi and her daughter, with his life better than ever on a surface level.
If someone was sympathetic towards Punpun, then it’s good to see him finally turn his life around, but if someone grew to hate him, then there’s catharsis in him being stuck in a situation where he can’t kill himself, despite being all he wants to do. Whatever the case,Goodnight Punpunends with Punpun getting everything he deserves, whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing, and it’s the perfect ending for such a thought-provoking series.
Death Note
Death Note follows high school student Light Yagami, who discovers a mysterious notebook granting the power to kill anyone by writing their name in it. As Light uses the notebook to enact his own sense of justice, he attracts the attention of the enigmatic detective known as L, leading to a complex game of cat and mouse. This Japanese anime series explores themes of morality, power, and the consequences of absolute authority.
As Light was finally exposed as Kira in Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata’sDeath Note, he was repeatedly broken down physically and mentally until he found himself begging Ryuk to kill Near and the other police officers for him. Ryuk, however, chose to kill Light, as there was nothing left for Light to do to entertain him, and with Light’s death, the world slowly went back to how it was before Light became Kira.
WhileDeath Note’s anime had Light die with some degree of dignity, the manga made him look as pathetic and undignified as possible, and because of that,Death Note’s manga still does the best job of highlighting that Light was never a hero. It still leads to the series ending on a bittersweet note, but it works far better than other versions of the story, and the manga is all the better for it.
Delicious in Dungeon
Based on the manga series, Delicious in Dungeon is a comedic fantasy series with a cooking emphasis. The series follows the exploits of a guild leader named Laios as he heads into a massive dungeon that contains a sunken kingdom, lured by the promise of untold treasure if he can slay the magician that caused it all.
Following the defeat of the Winged Lion, there was only one thing left for Ryoko Kui’sDelicious in Dungeon: Falin’s revival. With everyone on the island united, Laios had them all share a massive meal of Falin’s flesh that lasted days until she was finally revived once and for all, and Laios could now rule the golden kingdom in peace with all his friends and family there to support him.
Not only didDelicious in Dungeonhandle the Winged Lion and the issue of Falin’s revival in clever ways that perfectly played into the themes of the story, butDelicious in Dungeon’s ending managed to close out everyone’s arcs in a completely satisfying manner, with even the joke of Laios being cursed to be a living monster repellant playing into that.Delicious in Dungeonalways excelled at its tight character writing, and its ending brought that to its peak.
Manga By Akira Toriyama; Serialized In Weekly Shonen Jump 1984-1995
Dragon Ball
From the creative mind of Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball is a mega multimedia franchise that spans back to the 1980s. Dragon Ball expanded quickly, starting as a serialized manga for Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan. It made its way overseas via manga and an anime adaptation that is enjoyed worldwide. Dragon Ball was the initial starting animated series that followed the adventures of the young Son Goku as he sought after the Dragon Balls. These mystical orbs would grant the wish of any who gathered them together. Then, the series would branch off into the immensely popular Dragon Ball Z, which followed Goku as an adult and featured high-intensity battles and Goku’s never-ending search to be the strongest. The series has also enjoyed several popular video game adaptations and continues to release several new animated series and theatrical films up to the recent popular Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.
The final story of Akira Toriyama’sDragon Ballsaw Goku and his friends enter the World Martial Arts Tournament ten years after the Majin Buu saga, with Goku fighting Uub, the reincarnation of Kid Buu. While Uub was no match for Goku, Goku was still impressed by his power, and he immediately dropped everything to run off with Uub and make him his apprentice.
While most manga try to end on a dramatic and definitive note,Dragon Ballended with Goku just going on another adventure with the knowledge that he’ll be back someday, and in that regard,Dragon Ball’s ending works specifically because of how much it plays into the theme ofGoku always looking for a new adventure to go on.Dragon Ballhas only been getting more and more stories over the past decade, and because of that, the manga ending like that somehow works even better.
Slam Dunk
Slam Dunk is a Japanese anime series based on the manga by Takehiko Inoue. The show follows Hanamichi Sakuragi, a delinquent high school student who joins the basketball team to impress a girl. Over time, Hanamichi discovers a genuine love for the sport and works with his teammates to improve their skills and aim for the national championship. The series is widely praised for its character development and realistic depiction of basketball.
In Takehiko Inoue’sSlam Dunk, as Shohoku slowly closed the gap with Sannoh, Sakuragi suffered a back injury that could put an end to his basketball career, but his love for the game helped him push through the pain and keep playing. With everyone united, Shohoku just barely eked out a win against Sannoh, and while they ultimately didn’t win nationals, they were all richer from the experience, nonetheless.
Between the completion of Sakuragi’s arc and every incredible character moment from him and the other players on the team,Slam Dunkmore than succeeded at giving as emotionally satisfying an ending to its story as possible. The ending helped cementSlam Dunkas one of the greatest sports manga of all time, and thanks to the recent release ofThe First Slam Dunk, there are even more ways to experience such a phenomenal finale.
Manga By Masashi Kishimoto; Serialized In Weekly Shōnen Jump 1999-2014
Naruto
Naruto is a franchise spawned from the manga series penned by Masashi Kishimoto that began in 1999. Generating several tv series, games, movies, and more, Naruto follows the exploits of a young outcast ninja harboring the spirit of a demon fox who seeks to become the Hokage, the leader of his ninja village, to break the stigma against him. Upon the conclusion of the initial series, Naruto expanded into Boruto, following many series protagonists' children and returning faces.
In the grand finale of Masashi Kishimoto’sNaruto, just as it seemed like everything was over,Naruto and Sasuke had one more fight to determine the fate of the world. At the end of it all, though, Naruto finally helped Sasuke have a change of heart and restored their friendship, and with that mission finally accomplished, Naruto could finally achieve his dream of becoming Hokage.
While it took a long time forNarutoto reach its ending, thanks to Naruto and Sasuke’s incredible final battle, the emotional reconciliation to follow it, and the satisfying conclusion to Naruto’s arc of seeking love and acceptance from his peers,Naruto’s finale more than succeeded at giving its hero and overarching story a satisfyingly emotional conclusion. The series, for better or worse, has been continued withBoruto: Naruto Next Generations, but even that doesn’t detract from how great a noteNarutoended on.
3Umineko Perfectly Concluded Its Mystery & Fantasy Stories
Manga By Ryukishi07; Published By Gangan 2007-2015
At the end of Ryukishi07’sUmineko When They Cry, Ange finally accepted the death of her family, and years later, she was confronted by Tohya Hachijo, the writing partner of Featherine and, in a surprise twist, her brother Battler who survived the Rokkenjima Incident and became unable to fully associate with his past self. From there, Ange helped Tohya become at peace with himself and let go of his past as Battler, something represented by Battler’s spirit joining his family in the Golden Land.
Umineko’s finale does a great job of concluding the mystery and fantasy stories of the narrative, and with how much work the manga put into properly answering its mysteries,theUminekomanga’s ending ends up being even more emotionally satisfying than the visual novel’s. TheUminekomanga is essentially the definitive version of the story, and the high quality of its finale perfectly sells that idea.
Zatch Bell!
Zatch Bell! is an anime series that follows Kiyo Takamine, a high school student, who becomes the caretaker of Zatch Bell, an amnesiac but powerful Mamodo. Partnered by a spellbook that endows Zatch with special abilities, Kiyo must compete against other Mamodos vying to become the Mamodo King. The series intricately blends themes of friendship, responsibility, and battle-driven strategy within a fantastical narrative framework.
With Clear Note finally defeated at the end of Makoto Raiku’sZatch Bell!, the battle to decide the king came down to just Zatch and Brago. After a quick, but nonetheless intense battle, Zatch won and was declared king, and as painful as it was for him and Kiyomaro to part ways, the growth they went through still left them with the maturity needed to face their respective futures, cementing this as one of the greatestshonenstories of the 2000s.
The back-to-back intensity of the fights with Clear Note and Brago was one thing, but more than that, the series never stopped emphasizing Zatch and Kiyomaro’s friendship as the core of the story, all of which perfectly sold the bittersweet nature of their separation.Zatch Bell!’s finale is one of the best at bringing an emotional catharsis to its story of anyshōnenmanga, and that still holds, even with how underrated the series has become.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood follows brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric who use alchemy in a quest to restore their bodies after a failed transmutation. The series explores themes of sacrifice, the consequences of ambition, and the quest for truth in a richly developed world.
After a long and arduous battle against Father in Hiromu Arakawa’sFullmetal Alchemist, Edward not only defeated Father and saved Amestris, but he finally got Alphonse’s body back at the cost of his alchemy. Years later, Edward and Alphonse go on separate journeys to try and find a way to overcome equivalent exchange, anda montage of photos showed everyone living good lives even further in the future, with Edward and Winry even being married and having children.
Not only was Father’s defeat brimming with emotional catharsis, but the conclusion to everyone’s character arcs perfectly built off everything that happened before the finale, especially Edward and Alphonse’s. Just like the series, as a whole,Fullmetal Alchemist’s finale had a perfect blending of action and emotional writing, and because of that, it’s easy to see it as thebest manga that ended its story perfectly.
