Kingdom (manga)
A fictionalized Warring States epic of ambition and unification.
Kingdom is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yasuhisa Hara, serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Young Jump since January 2006. The series is a fictionalized account of the Warring States period, following war orphan Xin as he strives to become the greatest general under the heavens. By January 2026, the manga had over 120 million copies in circulation, making it one of the best-selling manga series of all time.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Epic
- Historical
- Military
Facts from the source article.
Synopsis
Several characters are based on historical figures, though some names differ due to Japanese kanji borrowing. The story begins with war orphans Xin and Piao, who dream of becoming great generals. Piao is taken to the palace as a body double for King Ying Zheng and later dies in a power struggle. Xin meets Ying Zheng, who resembles Piao, and helps him reclaim the throne from his half-brother Cheng Jiao. Xin then enlists as a Qin soldier, eventually becoming a commander. He pursues his goal of becoming the greatest general in the world while aiding Ying Zheng's dream of unifying China.
Characters
Li Xin, also called Shin in the Japanese version, is an orphan who grew up with his friend Piao. Impulsive but inspiring, Xin helps King Ying Zheng after Piao's death and enlists in the Qin army. General Wang Qi appoints him leader of a 100-man Fei Xin Unit, and he later commands a 1,000-man unit. Ying Zheng is the 31st king of Qin, aiming to unify China despite internal rivals like minister Lu Buwei and the Queen Dowager. Xin declares himself Ying Zheng's sword for unification. Li Piao is Xin's childhood friend and a fictional character who dies as Ying Zheng's body double. He Liao Diao, a young girl from a mountain tribe who dresses as a male, helps Xin and later becomes strategist for the Fei Xin Unit; she may have romantic feelings for Xin, but he sees her as a sister. Qiang Lei is also mentioned.
Media
Written and illustrated by Yasuhisa Hara, Kingdom has been serialized in Weekly Young Jump since January 26, 2006. Shueisha has released 80 tankōbon volumes as of August 19, 2026. Hara stated in 2015 he planned up to 100 volumes. Four prototype one-shot chapters were published from 2003 to 2004 and later collected in a two-volume Kingdom Omnibus in June 2012. Viz Media licensed the series for English publication in North America in February 2025, with the first volume released on November 11, 2025. The anime was licensed for English release by Funimation, later moved to Crunchyroll.
Reception
By April 2017, the Kingdom manga had over 30 million copies in circulation, growing to over 120 million by January 2026. It was the fifth best-selling manga of 2015 with over 8.5 million copies sold, and ranked third in 2016 and 2017. In 2020 it was the second best-selling series with over 8.2 million copies. The manga won the Grand Prize of the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2013. It also won the first Tsutaya Comic Awards' All-Time Best Section in 2017. On TV Asahi's Manga Sōsenkyo 2021 poll, it ranked thirteenth. In Media Factory's Da Vinci magazine 'Book of the Year' list, it topped the list in 2019 and ranked in various positions in other years.
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