The Original Yu-Gi-Oh! Manga Reaches 44 Million Sales After 30 Years
Amidst its 30th anniversary, Yu-Gi-Oh nears the 50 million sales milstone, cementing the lasting popularity of this iconic manga and card game franchise.
On May 8, 2026, it was announced that the original Yu-Gi-Oh! manga has sold a total of 44 million copies.
Previously, the manga had reached 40 million copies sold by 2022.
The previous update was when the author, Kazuki Takahashi, passed away while helping to rescue three people during a rip current in Nago, Okinawa, on July 6, 2022.
Along with this sales update, there will be an exhibition in honor of the late Kazuki Takahashi, “Yu-Gi-Oh! Art Works”, held in Tokyo for Winter 2027, with updates coming this August.
About Yu-Gi-Oh!
Yu-Gi-Oh! was written and illustrated by Kazuki Takahashi for Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump from September 17, 1996 to March 8, 2004 for a 7-year run and reaching 38 volumes.
The manga would spawn multiple spinoffs, anime and film adaptations, video games, and one of the largest card game franchises of all time, having sold 25.2 billion cards by 2011 and grossing $5.42 billion as a franchise overall, making it one of the highest-grossing franchises of all time alongside fellow manga franchises in Japan, Dragon Ball, One Piece and more.
Yu-Gi-Oh! follows Yugi Mutou, a timid high schooler who solves the mysterious Millennium Puzzle and is possessed by the spirit of a Pharaoh and leads to Yugi and his friends engaging in Shadow Games, a magical card game to challenge various antagonists.
Source: Twitter
Yu-Gi-Oh! by Kazuki Takahashi has reached 44.000.000 copies in circulation for the whole series.https://t.co/Nc8ZfMGZrW pic.twitter.com/g6kaEdzz7E
— Shonen Jump News (@WSJ_manga) May 8, 2026
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