Blade of the Immortal

Hiroaki Samura’s epic samurai saga, Blade of the Immortal, ran for 31 issues from 1997 to 2015 under Dark Horse, chronicling the cursed wanderings of Manji, a ronin granted immortality who must slay a thousand evil men to lift his curse. Known for its stark, expressive black-and-white art and visceral action, the series is a landmark of mature, historical manga translated for Western audiences, with Samura handling both writing and art alongside frequent collaborator Tomoko Saito and translator Philip Simon. Its unflinching exploration of violence, redemption, and the weight of centuries makes it a defining work of the late-’90s manga boom.