Initially criticized as a “Naruto copy,” this manga series has surpassed One Piece in the August 2026 monthly sales rankings, surprising many.
While Kingdom secured the top spot in Oricon’s monthly manga ranking for August 2026, the real shocker came from Black Clover. Often dubbed a “Naruto copy,” the series unexpectedly outsold One Piece by nearly 36,000 copies.
Black Clover, created by Yuki Tabata, claimed the fifth spot with 104,187 copies sold, while Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece Volume 115 slipped to eighth place with 68,312 copies. Meanwhile, Kingdom Volume 80 swept to first place with 365,379 copies sold.
Black Clover Outsells One Piece in the Top 10 Best-Selling Manga
Oricon’s monthly manga ranking for August 2026, covering sales from August 3 to August 30, crowned Kingdom Volume 80 as the bestseller with 365,379 copies sold.
One Piece landed three spots below Black Clover. Oda’s Volume 115 recorded 68,312 copies in August, securing the eighth position, although its total sales have crossed 1.088 million copies. This indicates that Black Clover, a series that recently concluded after 11 years, outsold the latest One Piece volume by almost 36,000 copies in the same monthly ranking.
This outcome is especially significant from a numerical standpoint. Despite One Piece being among the top-selling manga series globally in cumulative sales, it wasn’t the highest-selling manga from Shueisha in this particular monthly ranking.
Why Do Fans Still Consider Black Clover a Naruto Copy?
The ongoing debate about Black Clover being a “Naruto copy” has been persistent since the manga’s inception. Online discussions analyzing the parallels between the two series have been rife since 2015.
The resemblance between two orphan boys who grow up as rivals, aspiring to the pinnacle of their worlds—Wizard King instead of Hokage—is a comparison that continues to fuel the debate.
The presence of Liebe, an anti-magic devil in Asta’s grimoire, has drawn comparisons to Naruto’s Kurama. However, Yuki Tabata clarified that Liebe was inspired by Zangetsu from Bleach.
Throughout the years, accusations of similarities persisted. A particular story arc featured a character awakening an eye-based ability that some fans felt bore a striking resemblance to the Sharingan.
