(stylized as PSYЯEN) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Toshiaki Iwashiro. It was serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from December 2007 to November 2010, with its chapters collected in 16 volumes. The series follows Ageha Yoshina, a high school student chosen to compete in the Psyren games—a deadly contest set in another world. In North America, Viz Media licensed the series for English release and serialized it in its Shonen Jump magazine. An anime television series adaptation produced by Satelight premiered in October 2026.
Plot After defeating a bully for ¥10,000, Ageha Yoshina heads home, expecting a reprimand from his sister for breaking curfew. On the way, a nearby pay phone rings, and upon answering, he hears only his own echo. Dismissing it, he hangs up but discovers a mysterious calling card inscribed with the word Psyren. Intrigued, he visits his school's Occult Club and learns that Psyren is an urban legend promising a ¥500 million reward to anyone who uncovers its truth. Later, he finds a classmate's wallet—belonging to Sakurako Amamiya—which had been hidden by other students. Inside, he spots an identical Psyren card. After returning it, Sakurako flees, whispering "Save me" before vanishing. The next day, she is reported missing.
Determined to find her, Ageha calls the number on the card and undergoes an extensive quiz via pay phone. At the end, he is asked if he wishes to enter Psyren. The following day, while fleeing two impostor police officers, his phone rings. Answering it, he is abruptly transported to Psyren—a desolate wasteland overrun by monstrous creatures called Taboo, later revealed to be former humans transformed by the organization W.I.S.E. A mysterious voice, Nemesis Q, assigns missions to participants, warning that failure to comply means being trapped in Psyren forever.
Upon their first arrival, newcomers are given strict rules: avoid the towers, never lose their cards, complete the game before the number on the card reaches zero, and never speak of Psyren to outsiders. Exposure to Psyren's polluted air alters the Drifters' brains, unlocking latent psychic abilities known as PSI at the cost of severe physical strain. PSI manifests in three forms: Enhance (physical augmentation), Blast (external energy projection), and Trance (mental manipulation).
As the game progresses, Ageha and his companions encounter a group of psychically gifted children raised by Elmore Tenjuin, the elderly woman behind the ¥500 million bounty. Each child possesses unique PSI abilities and traumatic pasts, trained by Tenjuin to oppose W.I.S.E. Ageha trains with them, honing his powers before being summoned back to Psyren.
Eventually, only Ageha, Sakurako, Hiryū Asaga, Oboro Mochizuki, and Kabuto Kirisaki remain. They receive further training from former Psyren participant Matsuri Yagumo and the Tenjuin Roots Orphanage children. Meanwhile, Miroku Amagi, a psychic from their timeline, is exposed as the leader of W.I.S.E and the architect of Japan's impending ruin. His actions reshape the Psyren timeline, ensuring the orphanage's survival in that dystopian future.
In the Psyren timeline, Mithra—a W.I.S.E psychic—reveals she has manipulated Miroku. She explains that the meteorite Promised Tear fused her with Ouroboros, a planet-consuming entity, and summons it to Earth. Before annihilation, Nemesis Q's overseer, Grigori #07, returns the group to their original timeline. Ageha and his allies intercept W.I.S.E before they secure Promised Tear. Ageha provides Miroku with a card from Grigori #07, showing him the catastrophic future. Together, they defeat Mithra, but Ageha falls into a coma.
While unconscious, Grigori #07 contacts Ageha, revealing that in the Psyren timeline, Miroku and Grana sacrificed themselves to destroy Ouroboros and Mithra. Upon awakening, Ageha reunites with Sakurako and liberates Grigori #07 from captivity.
Characters The Resistance
A brash high school student who offers problem-solving services for ¥10,000. His childhood friendship with Sakurako had faded until her mysterious disappearance draws him into Psyren, a lethal game that transports participants to a devastated future. Saved by Sakurako during his initial encounter with the world's monstrous Taboo creatures, Ageha begins rigorous training under her guidance and that of veteran drifter Matsuri Yagumo to harness his emerging PSI abilities. His journey focuses on controlling his dangerous powers while developing the strength to protect his companions, particularly Sakurako. This personal growth culminates in a heartfelt confession of his long-suppressed feelings for her during their training. Though impulsive by nature, Ageha gradually matures into a strategic fighter, balancing his increasing power with responsibility toward his allies.
Ageha's childhood friend, Sakurako is a Psyren veteran whose whispered plea for help when he returns her stolen wallet draws him into the deadly game. Known as the "Ice Queen" for her aloof demeanor, her isolation stems from being the sole survivor of multiple Psyren trips. A Trance specialist, Sakurako manipulates minds and creates potent illusions. Her trauma manifests as Abyss—a violent alternate personality harboring her repressed feelings for Ageha. His eventual confession helps her master Nova, splitting her into two synchronized fighters: her rational self and the aggressive Abyss, which she uses to defeat the powerful Shiner.
Asaga enters Psyren as a hardened fighter searching for his lost friend Tatsuo, though he later reveals a surprising connection to Ageha—they were elementary school classmates, with Asaga being the very crybaby Ageha once protected. This tough exterior hides his deeper motivations, as he adopts the "Dragon" moniker to become worthy of Tatsuo's memory. A natural PSI prodigy, his abilities evolve dramatically: first manifesting as a draconic tail, then developing wings capable of generating hurricane-force winds, and ultimately achieving a complete dragon form. Matsuri recognizes Asaga's unique potential, privately noting he is the only one capable of neutralizing Ageha or Oboro if necessary. Choosing to remain in Psyren's ruined world, Asaga becomes a key leader in the resistance against W.I.S.E, eventually reuniting with Tatsuo to defend Tenju Root. His journey reflects both his growth from vulnerable child to powerful warrior and his unwavering loyalty to those he cares about.
A present-day idol who receives a calling card from Nemesis Q and attempts to warn the public on a talk show, only to be silenced. He develops PSI powers, specializing in healing allies and later demonstrating the ability to kill Taboo by dissolving them on contact. Notably swift when using Enhance, he forms a particular attachment to Ageha, offering to "hug him any time" if injured. During training with Matsuri, Oboro completes the session effortlessly. He later resurfaces at W.I.S.E's stronghold after surviving a fatal wound by using Cure to assimilate multiple Taboo Illumina cores, gaining a new ability called "Harmonious"—allowing him to manipulate and absorb life energy. Kabuto regards him as dangerously unstable and untrustworthy, a sentiment shared by his comrades due to his erratic behavior. After the final battle in Psyren, Oboro returns unharmed—spared from disintegration when the Illumina cores were deactivated—and resumes his idol career.
A former playboy who habitually avoided conflicts to maintain his peace. Initially portrayed as greedy—indebted to his uncle for thousands of yen—he resolves to change after a pivotal conversation. During the group's second expedition to Psyren, he joins as a newcomer seeking fortune. Kabuto possesses the precognitive PSI ability "Menace", which alerts him to impending danger and enables him to evade attacks. He later develops "YoYo", an invisible avatar comparable to Nemesis Q that both deflects incoming assaults and returns them with amplified force. This ability's invisibility frequently leads others to mistake Kabuto for a telekinetic.
W.I.S.E
A mysterious figure who impersonates Inui's deceased brother, manipulating him into funding W.I.S.E, an organization bent on reshaping the world. His psychic ability, Sephirot, allows him to generate destructive trees of light, including the lethal "Gevurah"—an attack that annihilated the Elmore Wood children, as seen in a recovered videotape. Strongly implied to have caused the Uroboros meteor impact, Miroku hunts survivors, turning them into Taboo. He is the younger twin of Nemesis Q's creator and a former Grigori test subject (#06). During the Resistance's assault on Astral Nova, he summons a massive luminous tree. Though defeated by Ageha's Nova ability, Miroku reveals his true goal: the tree's final stage, "Keter", will spawn new life to replace all existence. Before this can occur, Mithra betrays him, disclosing her allegiance to Quat Nevas, a planet-devouring entity, and that Miroku's scheme has provided the energy needed to consume Earth.
Grana serves as leader of W.I.S.E's Star Commanders, distinguished by his eyepatch and notoriously absentminded nature. His advanced telekinetic PSI ability enables extraordinary feats, including reconstructing entire buildings from scattered debris within minutes. His signature technique, "Sun Fall", manipulates photons to generate a concentrated disintegration beam. As the original Grigori prototype (designated #01), Grana was genetically engineered and developed from fetal stage. He dispatches subordinates Shiner and Dholaki to capture Ageha for W.I.S.E. Historical records later identify him as responsible for the deaths of Matsuri and Kagetora in the future timeline.
The second W.I.S.E member introduced. He appears as a helmeted teenager with a distinctive finned crest. A skilled swordsman designated as Grigori experiment #05, he possesses the PSI ability "Bishamon-Mura", creating hundreds of floating swords that fragment into cutting shards. His secondary technique, "Bishamon-Tsubute", channels attacks through bladed weapons. Junas accompanies Dholaki and Miroku in declaring war across both future timelines. He infiltrates a disbanded orphanage as a janitor to recruit Caprico. During the assault on Tenju's Root, he nearly kills Ageha before Asuka intervenes using the Nova ability.
Also known as Grigori #03, is a youthful Psychicer and product of the Grigori research facility. His PSI ability "Deep Freeze" grants complete ice manipulation, enabling him to: create ice firearms that freeze targets on impact; form ice skates for mobility; and alter environments. Originally a government assassin tracking escaped subjects, Uranus joined W.I.S.E after Grana defeated him. As Star Commander No. 3 (replacing Junas' previous position), he later criticized Junas' failed assault on Tenju's Roots. Uranus was ultimately killed by Kyle and Frederica during the Resistance's Astral Nova liberation campaign.
The third W.I.S.E member introduced. He serves as head of their PSI Research Division. Despite his calm demeanor and curious nature, he possesses the lethal "Hexagonal Transfer System" PSI ability, enabling instant teleportation for combat. He develops particular interest in Ageha's capabilities. After suffering defeat, Shiner retreats to his tower, killing a Taboo witness to preserve his dignity. This incident prompts self-reflection about potential fear motivating his retreat. As Star Commander No. 4 in the revised timeline (with Uranus holding No. 3), Shiner dies during the Astral Nova liberation when Sakurako executes him using her Nova ability.