Best Seinen manga

Berserk leads the Seinen ranking with 1457 ELO points over 364 duels, ahead of Death Note and Cowboy Bebop.

Death Note holds second place at 1431 ELO, but a 122 ELO point gap separates it from third-ranked Cowboy Bebop, marking the widest margin in the upper reaches of the ranking. Berserk's dominance at the summit appears secure, winning 75% of its duels and establishing clear daylight between itself and the rest of the field. Monster and Great Teacher Onizuka round out the top five, both crossing the 1280 ELO threshold and demonstrating the variety of storytelling approaches that resonate with voters. At the opposite end, Elfen Lied sits at rank 25 with 925 ELO and a 31% win rate, suggesting the controversial series divides voters more than it convinces them. The substantial gap between the ranking's top and bottom reveals how decisively the community distinguishes landmark titles from those that failed to leave a lasting impression, whether due to uneven execution or narrower appeal.

This ranking draws from 14865 duels submitted by 177 players across 25 contenders, updated on 10 October 2026. The seinen category encompasses psychological thrillers, visceral action, and character-driven narratives aimed at adult audiences. Whether Berserk maintains its lead or challengers narrow the distance depends entirely on continued voting. Cast your duels to influence the hierarchy and position your favorites within this competitive field.

Updated on October 10, 2026

How this ranking is computed

Every duel won lifts a contender and every loss drops them, by an amount that depends on the opponent's strength: beating the leader is worth more than beating the last. It is an ELO, the same principle as in chess. Duels are not drawn at random — an adaptive entropy sort puts the least predictable match-ups first, which settles the ranking far faster than a full round robin. A worldwide ranking is only published past 30 completed plays. Known limit: a contender who has faced few opponents keeps an approximate score, and the bottom of the table moves more than the podium.

How our rankings are made →