Highlights
- Jujutsu Kaisen has officially outsold Attack on Titan by crossing the million copies milestone.
- Ending Attack on Titan's reign, Jujutsu Kaisen is now the world's most in-demand animated TV show.
- With Season 3 arriving in 2026, JJK has captured the Gen Z audience to surpass the legacy of Attack on Titan.
In a historic shifting of the guard for the anime industry, Gege Akutami’s dark fantasy hit Jujutsu Kaisen has officially claimed the top spot from Hajime Isayama’s long-reigning titan saga, Attack on Titan. The changing of the rankings was confirmed recently at Jump Festa 2026, marking Jujutsu Kaisen as the definitive shonen series of the modern era after it surpassed Attack on Titan in both all-time manga sales and global television demand.
The most staggering figure to come out of the announcement is that Jujutsu Kaisen has now crossed 150 million copies in circulation. This milestone is particularly impressive because the series reached these numbers with just 30 volumes, a feat that speaks to its explosive growth. In contrast, Attack on Titan, despite its immense global legacy and status as a cultural benchmark, remains below the 150 million mark. While Isayama’s series is widely considered a masterpiece for its deep political narrative and lore, Akutami’s fast-paced, high-stakes sorcery action has proven to be more accessible to a wider audience, allowing it to take the lead in raw sales figures.
World's Most In-Demand Animated TV Show
Beyond the bookshelves, Jujutsu Kaisen has also secured the title of the world’s most popular animated television show. Data from Guinness World Records and Parrot Analytics revealed that the show now boasts a global demand rating 71.2 times greater than that of the average television show. This surge allowed it to end Attack on Titan’s hold on the record, which it had maintained since 2020, and even surpass the veteran powerhouse One Piece.
The demand for the series reached historic highs during the broadcast of the "Hidden Inventory" and "Shibuya Incident" arcs, peaking on Dec 29, 2023, with a demand rating 128 times that of the average show.
A massive influx of younger viewers appears to be the primary engine driving this success. Breakdowns of the audience data indicate that Gen Z viewers, specifically those aged 13 to 22, make up a staggering 71.3% of Jujutsu Kaisen’s total audience. This demographic has been instrumental in driving record-breaking engagement on social media and streaming platforms.
By comparison, Attack on Titan holds a Gen Z viewership of 64.4%, while One Piece sits at 56.7%. The modern sensibilities of Jujutsu Kaisen, combined with high-octane battles like those involving the curse King Sukuna, seem to resonate more deeply with this younger generation than the slower-burning political intrigue of its predecessor.
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Attack on Titan’s Foundational Legacy
However, the rise of Jujutsu Kaisen does not diminish the foundational impact of Attack on Titan. Fans know Isayama's work as the series that propelled anime into the global mainstream over the last decade. The story of Eren Yeager, a boy who vowed revenge after his mother was consumed by human-eating titans that breached the walls protecting humanity, redefined what anime could be.
Looking to the future, the Jujutsu Kaisen franchise shows no signs of slowing down. Season 3 is slated for release in early January 2026, and rumors of a "Gojo vs. Sukuna" film project are on the horizon. While Attack on Titan has concluded its run, its influence remains the bedrock upon which the current anime boom is built, even as Jujutsu Kaisen rises to become the new face of the medium.
