Shueisha Celebrates 100 Years in the Manga Industry

On January 1, 2026, Shueisha released a Special 100 Year Anniversary message, with a translation from user “The Will of Marco”.

It reads as follows:

100 YEARS?
WE’RE STILL YOUNGSTERS

Thanks to all of you, Shueisha is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

But there are still so many things we want to do.

The kind of excitement that makes your heart feel like it’s bursting.
The kind of thrill that could turn the world upside down.
There must be something “interesting” out there that no one knows of yet.

We want to expand the possibilities of entertainment more and more.
From here on out, we ask for your continued support for Shueisha as we continue to grow and thrive.

– SHUEISHA –

The largest publishing company in Japan, Shueisha was founded on August 8, 1926 and is responsible for shonen magazines Weekly Shōnen Jump, Jump SQ, and V Jump, and seinen magazines Weekly Young Jump, Grand Jump and Ultra Jump, and the online magazine Shōnen Jump+.

Shueisha, alongside Shogakukan, own Viz Media, which is responsible for publishing the English versions of both companies’ manga to North America.

Featured in this special message are characters in series published by Weekly Shonen Jump, whose age are over 100 years old.

However, we at Anime Explained, would like to make some notes to expand on whether or not they technically qualified.

ONE PIECE

Dorry and Brogy 

Race: Giants

Ages: 160

While the two Captains of the Giant Warrior Pirates have seen literal 100 years of life, having spent 100 years stuck on their duel on Little Garden, it should be noted that Giants age differently from humans, as one giant year equals three human years.

This means that 100 years is just 33 Giant years for them and therefore both Giants are the equivalent of 53 year old men, which happens to be the same age that the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger died at.

Dr. Kureha

Race: Human

Age: 141 years old

The definitive standard bearer for One Piece in terms of centenarians, Kureha claims to be 141 years old and one proof of this is that she was old enough to know of Gol D. Roger’s rookie days over 50 years ago, such that she was able to know the correct spelling of his name.

Other qualifiers include the Five Elders, who are confirmed immortals as old as more than 200 years of age via Jaygarcia Saturn and their master, Imu, who has existed as far back as 800 years ago during the Void Century, alongside the robot Emet and the Naitamie-Norida elephant Zunesha.

DEATH NOTE

Ryuk

Age: Unknown

Race: Shinigami

Having dropped Sidoh’s Death Note into the Human World out of curiosity, Ryuk is the Shinigami who has accompanied Light Yagami throughout his journey to wipe out crime and become “God of the New World” and is also responsible for writing Light’s name down on the Death Note as part of the agreement to bear the Death Note.

While we do not know Ryuk’s age, all Shinigami maintain near-infinite lifespans by killing humans before their natural time has come in order to add those extra years to their lives.

HUNTER X HUNTER

Isaac Netero

Race: Human

Age: 110-120 years of age

The 12th Chairman of the Hunter Association, Isaac Netero is a peerless master of Nen, such that he had gained the vitality to reach 110 to 120 years of life but it is unknown how old he is exactly.

One qualified candidate is Maha Zoldyck, who barely appears in the story and was said to have fought Isaac Netero back in the day, and given that Netero attained full mastery of Nen at the age of 50, Maha might be much older.

DEMON SLAYER

Muzan Kibutsuji

Race: Demon (progenitor, formerly Human)

Age: over 1,000 years old

The main villain of Demon Slayer, the Demon King Muzan has existed for 1,000 years since the Heian Era, staying in the shadows or connecting with influetial humans to survive, hide from the Demon Slayers and grow his power.

The second eldest Demon known in the series is Kokushibo, formerly Michikatsu Tsugikuni, the twin brother of Yoriichi Tsugikuni, the first Sun Breath and Breathing Style user.

Many of the Upper and Lower Moons are also over 100 years old, with the exception of Zenitsu Agatsuma’s former fellow apprentice Kaigaku, who was only recently converted to a Demon and Upper Moon Six at around 17-18 years old as he is Zenitsu’s senior.

JUJUTSU KAISEN

Ryomen Sukuna

Speaking of the Heian Era, the King of Curses, Ryomen Sukuna, existed exactly 1,000 years ago.

However, it is unknown if he actually lived life to be exactly 1,000 years old, outside of being split in 20 Cursed Objects.

Although not technically dead as he was not killed, Sukuna was immobile for the full 1,000 years since he chose to become Cursed Objects sometime later in the Heian Era after learning of the method from Kenjaku.

Only two are reliable contenders: Kenjaku, the mastermind antagonist of the series who has possessed many bodies for more than 1,000 years, possibly 2,000 due to meeting the 2,000 year old Reincarnated Sorcerer (possibly Indian) Dhruv Lakdawalla, who conquered Japan during its first documented war, the Civil War of Wa, and Tengen, the founder of Jujutsu, who helped introduce Buddhism to Japan during the Nara Era (710 to 794), the era before Heian, making her over 1,300 years old.

DRAGON QUEST: THE ADVENTURES OF DAI

Vearn

Race: Demon or Darkling (Dark King)

Age: Unknown (possibly thousands of years old)

The main antagonist of the series, Vearn is one of the two supreme rulers of the Underworld alongside his arch-rival Velzar and had sought to become a god, first by splitting his body: one half, frozen with The Secret Spell of Frozen Time that he had to cast every solar eclipse, thus remained young forever; the other half, which he inhabited, would be subjected to aging but cultivate magical powers

MY HERO ACADEMIA

All For One

Race: Human

Age: 121 years old

The main villain of My Hero Academia, All for One, real name Zen Shigaraki, was one of the earliest Quirk users, potentially the second since his mother, who possessed Spearlike Bones.

Due to knowing of his Meta nature, All for One killed the person who was popularly recognized as the first Quirk user, the Glowing Baby, due to how they stole his spotlight.

The other candidate is his right-hand man and co-conspirator, Dr. Kyudai Garaku, who is 120 years old and is used as a marker for All for One’s age.

My Hero Academia is said to take place over 150 to 200 years after the modern era due to a combination of more advanced technology and the existence of Quirks being a postmodern phenomenon, meaning All for One could have been a Gen Z.

BLEACH

Yamamoto Shigekuni Genryuusai

Race: Soul (Soul Reaper)

Age: over 2,200 years old (looked middle age by this time)

The former Head Captain of the Gotei 13 of Soul Society, Yamamoto was the oldest known Soul Reaper up to that point yet maintains his standing as the unbeatable, strongest Shinigami for over 1,000 years since the first Quincy War and the official creation of the Gotei 13.

Of an interesting note, majority of important Soul Reapers in Bleach are over 100 years old but Yamamoto would fit that relative definition due to the slow aging of Soul Reapers, how middle-aged Soul Reapers like Retsu Unohana, Shunsui Kyoraku and Jushiro Ukitake and seniors like Ginrei Kuchiki and Chojiro Sasakibe were there while Yamamoto was himself middle-aged, on top of very few normal Soul Reapers reaching beyond even 1,000 years old, therefore making a case that the man who is over 2,200 years old could be a centenarian by Soul Society Standards.

Of note, Retsu Unohana and the other original Gotei 13 members are over 1,000 years old.

Shunsui Kyoraku, Jushiro Ukitake, Ginrei Kuchiki, and Shutara Senjumaru have been alive for at least 200 years, with all of them being able to meet Yamamato in his middle-aged form, especially Senjumaru, who was the inventor of the shikakusho garbs all Soul Reapers wear, including Yamamoto while he trained Chojiro 2,200 years ago.

Rukia herself made a claim she was 150 years old but this is disputed due to Byakuya, her adopted brother, being only a teenager 110 years old but this could also be countered by Nanao’s existence as she was also the same age as Byakuya by this point but had seen Shunsui as both a Soul Reaper Academy student and as a Captain, with a long period of time having passed since then.

Other Soul Reapers potentially older than Yamamoto are Ichibei Hyosube, who is a million years old alongside the Soul King Adnyeus and Oetsu Nimaiya, the inventor of the Zanpakuto, a weapon already familiar to an over 2,200 year old Yamamoto, all of whom are residents of the Soul King Palace dimension.

Although not quite human, the Quincy King, Yhwach is over 1,200 years old while his subordinates, Jugram Haschwalth and Bazz-B, have been alive for over 1,000 years, as well as Pernida Parnkgjas, the separated Left Arm of the Soul King who is exactly 1,000 years old due to being used by Ichibei to seal Yhwach’s Almighty, and Mimihagi, the Right Arm of the Soul King

JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURES

Dio Brando

Race: Vampire (formerly Human)

Age: 121 years old

Although choosing to sleep for over a century, Dio was still alive and conscious throughout that duration, having woken up in 1984 and spending the next 5 years active and about, meaning Dio technically “lived” for 26 or 27 years while maintaining his youthful 20 year old looks thanks to his vampyrism.

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is no stranger to ancient, strange beings as the inventors of the Stone Mask that made Dio a vampire, the Pillar Men, are thousands of years old, with Kars, their leader, being over 102,000 years old.

ICHI THE WITCH

Uroro

Race: Majik

Age: 1,000 years old

The Majik familiar of the main protagonist Ichi, King Uroro was a feared Majik, known as the Ultra Amplification Majik, who had the power to amplify any magical effect to maximum potential and was responsible for much destruction.

D.GRAY-MAN

The Earl of Millennium

Race: Noah

Age: Over 7,000 years old

The main antagonist of the series, the Earl is the head of the Noah Family, the creator of Akumas and was the first Noah, as well as the only one consistently active with the same self across 7,000 years.

KOCHIRA KATSUSHIKA-KU KAMEARI KŌEN MAE HASHUTSUJO (KOCHIKAME)

Geparuto Giboshi

Race: Human

Age: 100

She is Ryo-san’s grand-aunt (the younger sister of Kanbei, Ryotsu’s grandfather) and Matoi’s grandmother, as well as the hostess of Chō Kanda Sushi.

In spite of her age, she is remarkably healthy.

HELL TEACHER NUBE

Kyōsuke Tamamo

Race: Yokai (Fox Demon)

Age: 412 years old by the end of the series

Originally a villain, Tamamo is a fox demon disguised as a human who originally went after Hiroshi Tatemo’s skull before deciding to ally with the protagonist Nube, having learned that love is a greater power and desires to gain it.

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