Ranking of Kings
Ranking of Kings is a Japanese web manga series written and illustrated by. It has been serialized on Echoes' user-submitted Manga Hack website since May 2017 and has been collected in 20 volumes by Enterbrain. The story follows the adventures of a little prince named Bojji, who was born deaf and tiny in size, and his friend Kage, a survivor of a wiped-out assassin clan, who understands Bojji's words despite him being unable to speak.
An anime television series adaptation produced by Wit Studio aired from October 2021 to March 2022 on Fuji TV's Noitamina programming block. The spin-off series Ranking of Kings: The Treasure Chest of Courage aired from April to June 2023.
An anime film adaptation has been announced.
Synopsis
Setting
The title of the series refers to a same-named system by which a committee, acting in absentia for a race of powerful magical beings known as 'Gods', ranks the power and prosperity of the mortal world's many kings. The king that is bequeathed the number one ranking is entitled to a boon from the 'Divine Treasure Vault', a fabled stronghold brimming with untold riches and holy artifacts. While not all kings seek this power in earnest, the existence of the ranking and the ambitions of those who strive to sit atop it form the driving force of the narrative.Plot
The story is about a little prince named Bojji who is deaf but above all naive, despite many criticisms from his people about his ascension to the throne, he does his best and dreams of becoming the greatest of kings. One day, he meets Kage, a survivor of a wiped-out assassin clan, who understands his words despite Bojji being unable to speak due to his disability. The story follows the pair as they navigate the world and all of its adventures and darkness.The inciting incident of the series' first arc is the death of Bojji's father, King Bosse, a legendary giant warrior who, in his prime, was widely renowned as the strongest man in the world. While Bojji's right to succession is affirmed by Bosse on his deathbed, there are those among the royal court that believe that Bojji's physical shortcomings make him unfit to rule and that his arrogant younger half-brother, Prince Daida, is more suited for ascension. Chief among these dissenters is Bosse's widow and Daida's mother, Queen Hiling, who calls for a vote to circumvent Bosse's will and forgo Bojji's right to succession. The vote is passed and Daida is placed upon the throne.
Having been denied his birthright, Bojji requests he be allowed to undertake a journey so that he may gain experience and grow stronger. Hiling, who once had great affection for Bojji and regarded him as her own son, begrudgingly acquiesces. Unbeknownst to both of them, Daida, under the influence of an enigmatic figure, has set in motion a sinister plot to consolidate his power and achieve the position of number one in the Ranking of Kings.
Characters
;Bojji;Kage
;Daida
;Hiling
;Domas
;Bebin
;Apeas
;Dorshe
;Hokuro
;Bosse
;Shiina
;Miranjo/Magic Mirror
;Desha
;Ōken
;Despa
; Devil
Media
Manga
Ranking of Kings is written and illustrated by. It has been serialized online via Echoes' user-submitted Manga Hack website since May 20, 2017, and has been collected in 20 volumes by Enterbrain as of October 10, 2025. In April 2023, it was announced that the manga would enter an hiatus. Publication resumed in December 2024.The series is published in English digitally by BookLive on BookWalker. In November 2023 BookLive released apologies from themselves and their translator, Dragon Digital Japan, for the use of "translations plagiarized from pirated copies in the English version of Ranking of Kings volumes 1 through 7".
Anime
The anime television series adaptation was produced by Wit Studio and aired from October 15, 2021, to March 25, 2022, on Fuji TV's Noitamina block. The series was directed by Yōsuke Hatta, with Taku Kishimoto supervising the series' scripts, Atsuko Nozaki designing the characters, and MAYUKO composing the series' music. For cour 1, King Gnu performed the opening theme "Boy", while Yama performed the ending theme "Oz". For the second cour, Vaundy performed the opening theme "Hadaka no Yūsha", while Milet performed the ending theme "Flare". Funimation streamed the series outside of Asia. Medialink licensed the series in Southeast Asia and streamed it on iQIYI and Netflix. The Tokyo Federation for the Deaf supervises the sign language depicted in the show. Funimation announced an English dub version of the show.In August 2022, a spin-off series, titled Ranking of Kings: The Treasure Chest of Courage, was announced. The cast and staff from the anime series returned for the series. It aired from April 14 to June 16, 2023, on Fuji TV's Noitamina block. People 1 performed the opening theme "Gold", while Aimer performed the ending theme "Atemonaku". Crunchyroll streamed the series.
Episodes
Main series (2021–22)
''The Treasure Chest of Courage'' (2023)
Film
An anime film adaptation was announced on June 22, 2023.Reception
Manga
By December 2021, the manga had over 1.5 million copies in circulation.Ranking of Kings ranked sixth place on the Tsutaya Comic Awards 2019. It ranked fifth on Manga Shimbun Taishō 2019. The 2020 edition of Takarajimasha's Kono Manga ga Sugoi!, which surveys professionals in the manga and publishing industry, named Ranking of Kings the seventh best manga series for male readers. The characters Bojji and Kage were nominated in the Best lead male actor and Best supporting male actor respectively, in the Magademy Award 2022. Ranking of Kings was nominated in the Youth Selections category at the 50th Angoulême International Comics Festival in 2023.