Worldbuilding for Manga: How to Create a World in 9 Steps

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The Foundation of Manga Worldbuilding

You have an amazing story idea, but getting readers invested requires effective worldbuilding. It is the secret ingredient that authors use to immerse audiences in a fictional story.

You could easily fall down a rabbit hole exploring every detail of fictional cultures, mythologies, and histories. Instead, you can use nine key worldbuilding steps to lay a strong foundation for your next manga, comic, or webtoon.

Step 1: Create Maps and Geography

First, establish the physical space and the main idea of your world. Even a simple sketch helps visualize your world and shows how mountains, rivers, and oceans influence borders and travel.

For example, the world of One Piece is divided into four seas connected by the Grand Line. This structure isolates and connects regions, creating distinct environments and challenges for pirates.

Next, determine the various climates of your world map. Define what areas are lush, tropical, deserts, cold, or tundras.

This will influence everything from architecture to agriculture and even the types of creatures that inhabit them.

Now that you have a map, split it into distinct countries and regions. Natural borders like mountains, rivers, oceans, or even magical barriers can establish political boundaries and cultural development.

Avatar the Last Airbender beautifully showcases countries and regions through the Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and Air Nomads. Each nation is linked to its own distinct environment and elemental bending style.

Step 2: Give Your World a History

History is the foundation that your current world is built upon. It is what you will reference frequently when writing your stories.

Identify the major conflicts that have shaped your world. These can be the driving forces behind relationships between peoples and nations.

In Attack on Titan, the entire world is shaped by the historical conflict between Eldians and Marleians. This deep-seated animosity defines the characters' motivations and the political landscape.

Next, determine what major wars were fought in your world and who won. Wars leave scars on societies, changing borders, power structures, and people's beliefs.

Finally, decide how these conflicts and wars were resolved. The way conflicts end dictates the peace or lack thereof that follows in your present day.

Step 3: Create the Technology

Think about the technological level of your setting, ranging from simple tools to complex machines or magical devices. Depending on what era your world exists in, this could be extremely important or not important at all.

The series Dr. Stone shows how ancient science can rebuild civilization, while Steins Gate explores advanced time travel technology.

Naruto takes a different approach by blending traditional ninja tools with advanced seals.

Determine what normal technology is for the average person and what represents cutting-edge advancement. Think about how ancient tools, modern equivalents, and futuristic or magical tech impact daily life.

Step 4: Design Your Power Systems

Start with the core concept of the access and source method. The access is how characters use their powers, such as through objects, weapons, or their own bodies.

The source is what fuels the powers, like internal energy, external energy, or sacrifices. Once you have chosen your access and source, you can define the rest of the mechanics.

Give the system a name, define the scaling, and establish the rules and limitations. Finally, give your protagonist an edge, simplify the system, add advanced techniques, and test the logic.

Step 5: Populate Your World

With geography, history, and power systems in place, it is time to create the inhabitants of your world. Using the world map you established earlier will come in handy here.

Consider the distinct cultures within your world and define their core beliefs, organization, and priorities. In Naruto, the hidden villages are distinct cultures with unique ninjutsu, political structures, and rivalries.

Next, define the unique traditions, social etiquettes, and linguistic differences of each culture. These smaller details add realism and cultural distinction to your world.

The series Gintama is a great example of this. It blends Edo period customs and samurai etiquette with alien traditions and modern sci-fi elements.

Step 6: Establish the Politics

Politics dictates power structures and societal organization. This step focuses on how your societies are governed and who holds authority.

Explore different forms of government like empires, monarchies, or democracies. Determine what form of government best suits your world's history and culture, and decide how power is maintained.

Step 7: Create the Flora and Fauna

Flora and fauna are the plants and animals that inhabit your world. This step focuses on creating a unique natural ecosystem that complements your setting.

Consider what common plants and animals exist in each region based on climate and geography. Think about how inhabitants interact with local wildlife through hunting, farming, domestication, or avoidance.

You should also decide if your flora and fauna are influenced by the world's magic, technology, or history. This could include magically mutated beasts or genetically engineered crops.

Step 8: Create Religions and Belief Systems

Religions and belief systems are the frameworks people use to understand existence. These systems influence a culture's morality, customs, and history.

Your story does not necessarily need gods and goddesses, and many manga do not include them at all. However, if your story does, determine who or what people worship.

Identify the creation story of this world according to its dominant belief systems. Establish the core tenets, moral codes, and rituals associated with these beliefs, and consider how they influence daily life.

Step 9: Create a Timeline of Key Historical Events

Bringing all these historical elements together into a timeline is crucial for visualizing the sequence of events. It helps you understand how the past directly impacts the present state of your world.

A timeline will also make it much easier to plot out flashbacks, reveals, and plot twists when you write your story. Draw a horizontal line to visualize what happened and in what order.

The left side represents the oldest point of the world, and the right side represents the present day. Map out major historical events chronologically, placing key conflicts, technological advancements, and power shifts on the line.