Yoshihiro Togashi’s name tends to spark two reactions among fans: admiration for his storytelling and frustration with Hunter x Hunter’s breaks, yet his bank account looks very stable despite the irregular schedule.
Entertainment and pop culture wealth rankings consistently place him in the upper tier of manga creators, with several outlets estimating his net worth around thirty million, while others stretch that figure toward the mid thirty million range.
Those estimates are not official financial disclosures, but they line up with the scale of his catalogue. Hunter x Hunter has over eighty-four million copies in circulation worldwide as of mid 2022, and that number continues to move upward as new print runs and digital editions roll out.
Before that, Yu Yu Hakusho moved around seventy-eight million copies according to rich list breakdowns, giving Togashi two long-running, heavily merchandised shonen hits under the same career.
Hunter x Hunter began serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1998 and, despite long gaps, remains a pillar name for Shueisha’s catalog.
Each new chapter batch that returns from hiatus quickly climbs sales charts when compiled into tankobon volumes, as seen with Volume 38, which ranked among the top ten best-selling manga volumes of 2024 in Japan according to Oricon-based reports shared by fans.
That kind of rapid sell-through helps explain why a series that rarely publishes for full years at a time still supports a multi-million dollar net worth for its creator.
Royalty structures for manga vary, but industry commentary and comparative pieces on wealthy mangaka suggest a broad pattern where hit authors earn significant shares from volume sales and licensing, even when new output slows.
Togashi benefits from decades of backlist sales across both Hunter x Hunter and Yu Yu Hakusho, and that backlist becomes particularly valuable when fresh marketing pushes or anniversary campaigns bring old arcs back into the spotlight.
Double Anime Runs, Global Streaming, And The Franchise Money Machine
Hunter x Hunter’s earning power does not stop at printed pages, and this is where Togashi’s royalties get interesting. The series received a sixty-two-episode anime adaptation from Nippon Animation that aired from 1999 to 2001, followed by OVAs that continued the story.
A decade later, Madhouse launched a full reboot in 2011 that ran for 148 episodes and adapted much more of the manga, gaining near-universal critical praise and a long tail on services like Toonami and streaming platforms.
Having two major television versions broadens the audience and gives licensors more flexibility when selling the brand, which can mean more licensing-related revenue tied to Togashi’s creations, even if the exact contractual breakdown is not public.
The 2011 series in particular is frequently cited as one of the best shonen anime runs of its era, which helps keep Hunter x Hunter trending on recommendation lists and social media years after its finale.
Streaming and international distribution amplify this effect. Hunter x Hunter has been licensed in North America and other regions for both manga and anime, and the 2011 series aired on Adult Swim’s Toonami block from 2016 to 2019 while also appearing on major streaming platforms.
That exposure feeds right back into book sales and merchandise, since new viewers often move to the manga when they reach the end of the anime, especially with arcs that have not been animated yet.
Merchandise and media franchise rankings hint at the broader money trail.
While Hunter x Hunter does not sit at the very top of global franchise revenue lists alongside giants like Pokémon or Dragon Ball, it appears regularly in discussions of strong mid to upper-tier shonen properties, supported by figures, apparel, games, and collaborations.
Each of those product lines depends on Togashi’s characters and concepts, helping to sustain his income even during years with no new chapters.
Hiatuses often become a talking point themselves, which paradoxically keeps the brand in circulation.
Hunter x Hunter (Credit: Netflix)
News around health updates, return announcements, and volume launches tends to trend across fan communities, and Volume 38’s performance in 2024 showed that pent-up demand can translate into major first-week sales when the series finally resurfaces.
For a creator with an already sizable net worth, that pattern allows royalties to spike periodically while the backlist continues its slower but steady march.
Royalties, Health Struggles And What The Earnings Future Looks Like
From a financial perspective, that health narrative has shaped the series release pattern, but has not destroyed its commercial value, because the existing body of work is considered dense, re-readable, and tonally distinct from many peers.
Recent circulation comparisons underline that Hunter x Hunter still sits in heavyweight company.
Popverse coverage on Jujutsu Kaisen’s hundred million copy milestone notes that Gege Akutami’s series has surpassed Hunter x Hunter’s circulation, yet still frames Togashi’s manga as one of the big modern shonen titles that newer hits measure themselves against.
Separate reporting on Kinnikuman passing eighty-five million copies points out that Hunter x Hunter held a similar scale of circulation, reinforcing how valuable Togashi’s series remains even as newer names overtake it numerically.
Net worth rankings, such as those compiled by DualShockers and various anime finance blogs, typically place Togashi around seventh or so among the richest manga authors, with estimated wealth between thirty and thirty-five million dollars tied to roughly 78 million Yu Yu Hakusho copies and 84 million Hunter x Hunter copies.
Short format content and social posts that list “top richest mangaka” also repeat a thirty million ballpark estimate for him, suggesting a broad consensus at that level, even if the exact number cannot be verified.
The 2020s have shown that Hunter x Hunter can still move serious units whenever it comes back. Volume 38’s strong debut and its top ten standing in Japan’s 2024 volume charts highlight how the hunger for new material remains high despite long pauses.
Announcements about the manga’s return in late 2024 drew immediate attention across social platforms, indicating that any future collected volumes are likely to perform strongly and feed another round of royalty inflows.
For Togashi, that combination of enduring fan loyalty, a massive backlist, two successful anime adaptations, and ongoing merchandise potential provides a cushion that most creators dealing with serious health issues rarely enjoy.
The current thirty to thirty-five million net worth estimates may already reflect peak earnings from the most active years, but every new volume, streaming deal, or licensing push around Hunter x Hunter keeps the meter from standing still, turning even a famously hiatus-heavy series into a long-term royalty engine.
Yuki Kaji tested mics early, pulling minor voices in Hellsing Ultimate OVAs as young Luke Valentine and Ouran High School Host Club’s Ritsu Kasanoda before landing bigger bites. Guilty Crown, in 2011, gave Shu Ouma, a teen tangled in world-saving chaos with emotional cracks that hinted at Kaji’s knack for layered pain.
Then Attack on Titan dropped Eren Yeager in 2013, the vengeful scout whose yells evolved from wide-eyed fury to calculated titan rage across four seasons, OVAs like No Regrets, and films such as Chronicle and Final chapters.
That arc snagged Seiyu Awards best lead nods in 2014 and Crunchyroll’s voice actor prize yearly through 2023, turning him into a household echo for otaku worldwide.
Shoto Todoroki followed in My Hero Academia from 2016, voicing the scarred heir with frosty control and inner fire through seasons five and films like World Heroes’ Mission.
Kenma Kozume’s quiet gamer edge in Haikyuu!! Setter plays, Issei Hyodo’s lecherous dragon host in High School DxD light novel spinoffs, and Alibaba Saluja’s princely grit in Magi all piled on, reaching 200-plus credits by late 2025.
Rookies snag 15,000-20,000 yen per episode, barely $100-140, scraping 60,000 yen monthly totals that demand cafe gigs or delivery for survival. Kaji hit A-rank fast post-Eren, commanding 45,000-60,000 yen slots for protagonists, netting $300-400 each.
Eren’s 90-plus episodes, spread over a decade with reruns, built a base easily topping $500,000 in direct fees before residuals kicked in.
Agencies like VIMS claim half upfront, and Japan’s 45% tax brackets whittle more, but streaming platforms like Netflix and Crunchyroll funnel ongoing cuts from global views. Pokémon’s Clemont across the XY series, over 140 episodes, and one-offs like Demon Slayer’s Sabito mask added steady drips.
Franchise Power Turns Voices to Vaults
Long hauls multiply the modest rates. My Hero Academia’s endless seasons and box office smashes, Heroes Rising alone grossing 3.5 billion yen, trigger repeat booth calls and backend bumps for Todoroki.
Haikyuu!!’s volleyball epics, capped by 2024-25 movies The Dumpster Battle and Versus Little Giant, spotlight Kenma’s strategies in packed theaters.
World Trigger’s border agent Osamu Mikumo fights aliens across runs since 2014, while Seven Deadly Sins’ Meliodas wields sin power through Netflix specials.
No Game No Life’s Sora crushes games, and The Promised Neverland’s Norman schemes are sharp. Each series, 12-24 slots yearly, stacks as Tetris blocks into six figures annually.
Games crank extra gears. Final Fantasy XIII trilogy’s Hope Estheim grows from kid to leader across Lightning Returns, with HD remasters reviving royalties. Ys X: Nordics Adol swings swords fresh in 2023 ports, Fire Emblem Fates’ Takumi notches arrows in Awakening echoes, and Granblue Fantasy’s Vane breathes dragon fire.
Eren Yeager (Credit: Netflix)
Under Night In-Birth fighters and Danganronpa’s Shuichi Saihara keep mobile and console sales humming.
Narration gigs shine too. Radio show Yuki Kaji’s Monologue aired weekly since 2014, blending chats with readings that pull sponsor yen. TV spots like Ame Talk! and variety panels, plus live-action in Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger as Gaon and Piple AI drama, diversify pulls.
The 2025 Soyogi Fractal manga crowdfund raked $170,000 via Pixiv, complete with animated promo clips starring his avatar.
Lists slot Kaji as one of the top five earners, $1-2 million yearly from anime cores, outstripping averages where mid-tiers hover at $200,000.
Melodies and Mobs Mint Millions
Music shifts low episode yields to high-note hauls. Kaji fronted G.Addict in Goulart Knights label, belting tracks tied to anime like High School DxD game themes that charted the Oricon top 50s. Solo ventures ramped up with YouTube covers and singles post-2015, plus Diabolik Lovers CDs where his Subaru voice crooned dark ballads.
Albums like those under Aniplex sell 5,000-10,000 units in the first week, royalties stacking $50,000 per modest hit amid streams on Spotify Japan. Ties to Attack on Titan OSTs, with Eren yelling in Linked Horizon tracks, boost indirect shares.
Live circuits explode it. Though Kaji skips solo arenas like peers, Eren hype packed him into Animax fests and Haikyuu!! Events drawing 20,000 fans.
Guest spots at Anisong World Matsuri and Tokyo events mirror Miyano’s paths, with guarantees of 5-10 million yen per show plus merch 20% cuts. Blue Box anime’s 2024-25 run as Kazuma Matsuoka fuels fresh lives, alongside Go!! Go!! Loser Ranger!! villain turns.
Personal life grounds the grind. Married Ayana Taketatsu, fellow seiyuu behind Kirari in Love Live! since 2019, with a son born in 2022; they dodge spotlights but share award stages. Rookie prize at the 2009 Seiyu Awards sparked climbs, now 40 with voice honed raw.
2022 tallies hit $4.5 million net, lists climbing to $6 million by 2025 probes, edging past Mamoru Miyano’s $2 million peers thanks to Eren’s eternal replay value.
Loaded Lineup Locks Long Haul
Fresh drops prime the pump. Mao anime from Rumiko Takahashi bows in 2026 with Kaji leading, a shojo hit potential like Inuyasha. Kaya-chan wa Shoukutoku o Te ni Ireta’s Namu and Love of the Divine Tree’s prism tale adds variety. Haikyuu!! Finales and My Hero Academia vigilantes film seal residuals into 2030.
Global surges aid; Attack on Titan’s finale topped 2023 charts worldwide, reruns spiking on Prime Video. Creator hustles like Soyogi’s fan-direct bucks hint at indie paths. Gundam Silver Phantom mecha whispers nod to future suits.
Grunts face feast-or-famine, but Kaji’s blueprint proves persistence pays. Roars resonate, riches roar louder.
