One major point of contention with manga has always been the quality of their endings, and that’s been especially true in recent years. Some of the biggest manga like Attack on Titan, My Hero Academia, and Jujutsu Kaisen have 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 Ended On A Graduation Ceremony Only It Could Manage

Manga By Yusei Matsui; Serialized In Weekly Shōnen Jump 2012-2016

In the final act of Yusei Matsui’s Assassination 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, and years later, they’re all living much better lives than anyone ever thought they could.

Even with all the quirky comedy and sci-fi drama, Assassination Classroom was always a touching coming-of-age story at heart, and sure enough, Assassination Classroom managed to end in a way that perfectly brought everyone’s growth to an end, even if it was somewhat bittersweet. Assassination Classroom isn’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.

Goodnight Punpun Gave Its Protagonist The Ending He Deserved

Manga By Inio Asano; Published 2007-2013

Discussion of suicide ahead

At the end of Inio Asano’s Goodnight 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 Punpun ends 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 Perfectly Put An End To Light’s Story

Manga By Tsugumi Ohba & Takeshi Obata; Serialized In Weekly Shōnen Jump 2003-2006

As Light was finally exposed as Kira in Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata’s Death 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.

While Death 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 Gave Everyone Their Happy Endings

Manga By Ryoko Kui; Serialized In Harta 2014-2023

Following the defeat of the Winged Lion, there was only one thing left for Ryoko Kui’s Delicious 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 him.

Not only did Delicious in Dungeon handle the Winged Lion and the issue of Falin’s revival in clever ways that perfectly played into the themes of the story, but Delicious 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 Dungeon always excelled at its tight character writing, and its ending brought that to its peak.

Dragon Ball Ended The Only Way A Story Like It Could

Manga By Akira Toriyama; Serialized In Weekly Shonen Jump 1984-1995

The final story of Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball saw 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 Ball ended 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 of Goku always looking for a new adventure to go on. Dragon Ball has 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’s Ending Proved That It’s The Peak Of Sports Manga

Manga By Takehiko Inoue; Serialized In Weekly Shōnen Jump 1990-1996

In Takehiko Inoue’s Slam 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 Dunk more than succeeded at giving as emotionally satisfying an ending to its story as possible. The ending helped cement Slam Dunk as one of the greatest sports manga of all time, and thanks to the recent release of The First Slam Dunk, there are even more ways to experience such a phenomenal finale.

Naruto’s Ending Was As Emotionally Cathartic As One Could Have Hoped For

Manga By Masashi Kishimoto; Serialized In Weekly Shōnen Jump 1999-2014

In the grand finale of Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto, 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 for Naruto to 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 with Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, but even that doesn’t detract from how great a note Naruto ended on.

Umineko Perfectly Concluded Its Mystery & Fantasy Stories

Manga By Ryukishi07; Published By Gangan 2007-2015

At the end of Ryukishi07’s Umineko 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 ing 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, the Umineko manga’s ending ends up being even more emotionally satisfying than the visual novel’s. The Umineko manga is essentially the definitive version of the story, and the high quality of its finale perfectly sells that idea.

Zatch Bell!’s Finale Cemented It As A Phenomenal Shōnen Manga

Manga By Makoto Raiku; Serialized In Weekly Shōnen Sunday 2001-2007

With Clear Note finally defeated at the end of Makoto Raiku’s Zatch 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 greatest shonen stories 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 any shōnen manga, and that still holds, even with how underrated the series has become.

Fullmetal Alchemist’s Finale Is Still The Best Of Any Manga

Manga By Hiromu Arakawa; Serialized In Monthly Shōnen Gangan 2001-2010

After a long and arduous battle against Father in Hiromu Arakawa’s Fullmetal 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, and a 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 the best manga that ended its story perfectly.