This page provides a list of light novels which have sold over 10 million copies.
A light novel (ライトノベル, raito noberu) is a style of Japanese young adult fiction primarily targeting high school and middle school students. [1] The term "light novel" is a wasei-eigo, or a Japanese term formed from words in the English language. [2] or, in English, LN. The average length of a light novel is about 50,000 words.
Name | Author | Publisher | No. of collected volumes |
Date serialized | Approximate sales |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime | Fuse | Micro Magazine | 22 | 2013–2015 (web novel) 2014–present (light novel) |
40 million [3] (includes physical and digital sales as well as related books and manga adaptations) |
Guin Saga | Kaoru Kurimoto, Yu Godai | Hayakawa Publishing | 149 | 1979–2024 | 33 million [4] |
A Certain Magical Index | Kazuma Kamachi | ASCII Media Works | 51 | 2004–2010 (first story) 2011–2019 (second story: New testament) 2020–present (third story: Genesis testament) |
31 million [5] (including spin-offs and manga adaptations) |
The Apothecary Diaries | Natsu Hyūga | Shufunotomo | 13 | 2011–present | 31 million [6] (includes manga adaptations) |
Sword Art Online | Reki Kawahara | ASCII Media Works | 27 | 2002–2008 (web novel) 2009–present (light novel) |
30 million [7] (including spin-offs) |
Haruhi Suzumiya | Nagaru Tanigawa | Kadokawa Shoten | 12 | 2003–present | 20 million [8] (includes manga adaptation) |
The Irregular at Magic High School | Tsutomu Satō | ASCII Media Works | 32 | 2008–2011 (web novel) 2011–2020 (light novel) 2020–present (sequel light novel) 2021–present (spin-off light novel) |
20 million [9] (including manga adaptations) |
Slayers | Hajime Kanzaka | Fujimi Shobo | 17 | 1998–present | 20 million [10](including spin-offs and manga adaptations) |
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? | Fujino Ōmori | SB Creative | 19 | 2013–present | 17 million [11] (including spin-offs and manga adaptations) |
Kagerou Project | Shizen no Teki-P | Enterbrain | 8 | 2012–2017 | 15 million [12] (includes manga adaptation) |
Sorcerous Stabber Orphen | Yoshinobu Akita | Fujimi Shobo | 20 | 1994–2003 | 14 million [13] (including spin-offs and manga adaptations) |
Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World | Tappei Nagatsuki | Media Factory | 36 | 2012–present (web novel) 2014–present (light novel) 2015–present (spin-off light novel) |
13 million [14] (includes physical and digital sales as well as related books and manga adaptations) |
Mushoku Tensei | Rifujin na Magonote | Media Factory | 26 | 2012–2015 (web novel) 2013–2016 (spin-off web novel) 2014–2022 (light novel) 2023–present (spin-off light novel) |
13 million [15] (includes physical and digital sales as well as related books and manga adaptations) |
The Twelve Kingdoms | Fuyumi Ono | Kodansha | 9 | 1992–present | 12 million [16] |
Overlord | Kugane Maruyama | Enterbrain | 16 | 2012–present | 12 million [17] (including spin-offs and manga adaptations) |
Full Metal Panic! | Shoji Gatoh | Fujimi Shobo | 23 | 1998–2011 | 11 million [18] (including manga adaptations) |
The Rising of the Shield Hero | Aneko Yusagi | Media Factory | 22 | 2013–present | 11 million [19] (including manga adaptation) |
Name | Author | Publisher | No. of collected volumes |
Date serialized | Approximate sales |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected | Wataru Watari | Shogakukan | 14 | 2011–2021 | 10 million [20] |
Record of Lodoss War | Ryo Mizuno | Kadokawa Shoten | 7 | 1988–1993 | 10 million [21] |
KonoSuba | Natsume Akatsuki | Kadokawa Shoten | 17 | 2012–2013 (web novel) 2013–2020 (light novel) |
10 million [22] |
Ascendance of a Bookworm | Miya Kazuki | TO Books | 33 | 2013-2017 (web novel) 2015–2023 (light novel) |
10 million [23] |
Aria the Scarlet Ammo | Chūgaku Akamatsu | Media Factory | 35 | 2008–present | 9 million [24] |
Shakugan no Shana | Yashichiro Takahashi | ASCII Media Works | 28 | 2002–2012 | 8.6 million [25] |
Kino's Journey | Keiichi Sigsawa | ASCII Media Works | 22 | 2000–present | 8.2 million [26] |
Baka and Test | Kenji Inoue | Enterbrain | 18 | 2007–2015 | 7.3 million [27] |
Classroom of the Elite | Shōgo Kinugasa | Media Factory | 19 | 2015–present | 7.1 million [28] |
Biblia Koshodō no Jiken Techō | En Minami | Kadokawa | 7 | 2011–2017 | 7 million [29] |
Goblin Slayer | Kumo Kagyu | SB Creative | 15 | 2016–present | 7 million [30] |
Haganai | Yomi Hirasaka | Media Factory | 11 | 2009–2015 | 7 million [31] |
The Familiar of Zero | Noboru Yamaguchi | Media Factory | 22 | 2004–2017 | 6.8 million [32] |
Kyo Kara Maoh! | Tomo Takabayashi | Kadokawa Shoten | 22 | 2000–present (on hiatus) | 6.5 million [33] |
The Saga of Tanya the Evil | Carlo Zen | Enterbrain | 12 | 2010–2012 (web novel) 2013–present (light novel) |
6.5 million [34] |
The Story of Saiunkoku | Sai Yukino | Kadokawa Shoten | 22 | 2003–2011 | 6.5 million [35] |
The Strongest Sage with the Weakest Crest | Shinkoshoto | SB Creative | 18 | 2017–present | 6.5 million [36] (including manga adaptation) |
Date A Live | Kōshi Tachibana | Fujimi Shobo | 22 | 2011–2020 | 6 million [37] |
Gate | Takumi Yanai | AlphaPolis | 10 | 2006–2009 (web novel) 2010–2015 (light novel) |
6 million [38] |
Student Council's Discretion | Aoi Sekina | Fujimi Shobo | 10 | 2008–2012 | 6 million [39] |
No Game No Life | Yū Kamiya | Media Factory | 10 | 2012–present | 5.8 million [40] |
Durarara!! | Ryohgo Narita | ASCII Media Works | 13 | 2004–2014 | 5.6 million [41] |
Shōnen Onmyōji | Mitsuru Yūki | Kadokawa Shoten | 47 | 2001–present | 5.5 million [42] |
Oreimo | Tsukasa Fushimi | ASCII Media Works | 16 | 2008–2021 | 5.2 million [43] |
Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest | Ryo Shirakome | Overlap | 13 | 2013–2015 (web novel) 2015–present (web novel sequel) 2013–2022 (light novel) |
5 million [44] |
My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! | Satoru Yamaguchi | Ichijinsha | 10 | 2015–present | 5 million [45] |
Spice and Wolf | Isuna Hasekura | ASCII Media Works | 22 | 2006–present | 5 million [46] |
The Eminence in Shadow | Daisuke Aizawa | Enterbrain | 5 | 2018–present (web novel) 2018–present (light novel) |
5 million [47] |
Toradora! | Yuyuko Takemiya | ASCII Media Works | 10 | 2006–2009 | 5 million [48] |