Manga's visual power comes from what it doesn't show. A single speed line, a screentone shadow across half a face, an ink-heavy silhouette against white negative space — these are the techniques that make a panel land harder than any photograph could. AI image generators have finally reached a point where you can reproduce that precision, but only if you speak the right language. Generic prompts produce generic anime. The 40 prompts below are tuned specifically for black-and-white manga panel output across Midjourney v7 and Stable Diffusion with anime LoRAs.
Table of Contents
What Makes Manga Panels Work in AI
Three technical elements separate a convincing manga panel from anime-style art that just happens to be black and white:
1. Screentone Patterns
Real manga uses dot-pattern overlays (screentones) for shading instead of gradients. In AI, the keywords screentone shading, halftone dots, and Ben-Day dot pattern trigger this correctly. Without them, AI defaults to smooth gradient shading that looks digital, not hand-inked.
2. High-Contrast Ink Weight
Manga inking varies line weight deliberately — thick borders, thin detail lines, and pure-black fills for shadow. Prompt with high contrast black and white ink, variable line weight, and deep shadow fills. Adding a reference style like Kentaro Miura style or Naoki Urasawa line work gives the model a clear target.
3. Panel Composition Language
Manga uses specific framing conventions: extreme close-ups cut off at the chin, mid-shots that bleed to the panel edge, and wide shots that use negative space aggressively. Specify camera framing explicitly — extreme close-up cropped at jawline, full bleed panel composition, Dutch angle, worm's-eye view.
For Stable Diffusion, pair these prompts with a manga-specific LoRA such as Manga Line Art LoRA or inksketcher for best results. In Midjourney, use --style raw to suppress the default aesthetic smoothing.
Action & Fight Scene Prompts
1. Impact Clash
manga panel, two fighters clashing fists mid-air, explosive impact lines radiating outward, cracked ground beneath feet, screentone shading on arms and chest, high contrast black and white ink, variable line weight, speed lines background, Berserk-inspired composition --style raw --ar 2:3 --v 7
Negative prompt: color, photorealistic, 3D render, soft gradients, watercolor
2. Sword Slash
manga panel, samurai mid-swing, katana blade catching light as white streak, motion blur on arm and sleeve, debris particles mid-air, dense black ink shadows on face, Vagabond-style linework, high contrast, full-bleed panel composition --style raw --ar 16:9 --v 7
Negative prompt: color, painterly, blurry face, soft lines
3. Aerial Kick
manga panel, fighter launching aerial spinning kick, perspective from below (worm's-eye view), foot filling foreground, speed lines sweeping up the page, motion smear on kicking leg, opponent shown small in background bracing for impact, screentone halftone on clothing, stark black and white --style raw --ar 2:3 --v 7
Negative prompt: color, realistic skin, 3D lighting, gradient shading
4. Energy Charge
manga panel, warrior surrounded by crackling energy aura, electricity lines radiating outward, hair standing on end, intense expression with clenched teeth, screentone background pattern, deep shadow fills on figure, high contrast ink work, Dragon Ball Z composition, speed lines --style raw --ar 2:3 --v 7
Negative prompt: color, soft glow, photorealistic, airbrushed shading
5. Dodge Roll
manga panel, character rolling sideways to evade attack, multiple ghost motion frames showing movement path, explosion behind them, coat or cape streaming mid-motion, dust and debris cloud, Chainsaw Man action composition, tight screentone shading, black and white ink --style raw --ar 16:9 --v 7
Negative prompt: color, still pose, photorealistic, blurry
6. Power Stance
manga panel, wide establishing shot, lone warrior standing in battle-ready stance against army of enemies stretching to horizon, tiny enemies in background, hero large in foreground, dramatic negative space in sky, heavy black ink fills on shadows, cinematic manga composition --style raw --ar 16:9 --v 7
Negative prompt: color, soft focus, 3D render, realistic textures
7. Breakthrough Punch
manga panel, fist breaking through a wall toward viewer, rubble and debris exploding outward in all directions, perspective foreshortening with fist huge in foreground, intense determined eyes visible through dust, action lines, screentone halftone dots, pure black and white --style raw --ar 2:3 --v 7
Negative prompt: color, realistic, 3D, smooth gradients
8. Finishing Move
manga panel, victorious fighter standing over defeated opponent, dramatic downward angle from above, victor in sharp focus with crossed arms, defeated character collapsed in foreground out of focus, post-battle debris, smoke wisps, high contrast ink, negative space used boldly in background --style raw --ar 2:3 --v 7
Negative prompt: color, painterly, realistic, soft lighting
Dramatic Close-Up Prompts
9. Determined Eyes
manga panel, extreme close-up of eyes only, cropped at bridge of nose and eyebrows, intense focused gaze, thick ink eyelashes, screentone shading under brow, pupil with strong highlight catchlight, sweat droplet on temple, high contrast black and white, Naoki Urasawa line style --style raw --ar 16:9 --v 7
Negative prompt: color, soft, full face, smiling, cute anime style
10. Smirk in Shadow
manga panel, half of face in dramatic cast shadow, only one eye and corner of mouth visible in light, confident smirk, deep black ink fills, variable line weight, screentone diagonal shadow pattern across dark half, antagonist character, Vinland Saga composition --style raw --ar 2:3 --v 7
Negative prompt: color, even lighting, photorealistic, soft shadows
11. Tears and Resolve
manga panel, close-up face, character crying while maintaining fierce determined expression, tears catching light as white streaks, gritted teeth visible, jaw set, halftone screentone shading across cheeks, heavy ink on hair, black and white manga style --style raw --ar 2:3 --v 7
Negative prompt: color, cute, soft, Shoujo flower effects, 3D render
12. Villain Grin
manga panel, extreme close-up of villain's face from low angle, wide manic grin with sharp teeth, eyes narrowed with unsettling calm, heavy shadow fills on forehead and cheekbones, screentone background, mouth taking up bottom third of panel, high contrast ink, Death Note composition --style raw --ar 2:3 --v 7
Negative prompt: color, friendly expression, soft shading, cute style
13. Disbelief Reaction
manga panel, close-up face in shock, wide eyes, mouth slightly open, speed lines radiating from face outward to panel edges (reaction lines), screentone halftone shading, one bead of sweat, black and white ink, classic shonen reaction shot, Toriyama-style simplicity --style raw --ar 2:3 --v 7
Negative prompt: color, realistic, gradients, 3D render
14. Silent Fury
manga panel, close-up of clenched jaw and neck muscles, extreme tension, veins visible on neck, deep shadow under jaw, teeth clenched, only lower face visible (cropped at eyes), trembling rage implied by tight linework, screentone shading, Hajime no Ippo style intensity --style raw --ar 16:9 --v 7
Negative prompt: color, full face, smiling, soft, painterly
15. Cold Calculation
manga panel, close-up profile shot, character looking sideways, glass or monocle reflecting scene, half-smile, thin lips, sharp geometric face features, screentone shading on cheekbones, minimal ink lines conveying precision, light from one side only, intelligence in the gaze, Fullmetal Alchemist aesthetic --style raw --ar 2:3 --v 7
Negative prompt: color, cute, round face, warm lighting
16. Whisper in Darkness
manga panel, two characters in extreme close-up, one leaning to whisper in other's ear, faces nearly touching, one expression unreadable, other showing tension, deep shadow fills between faces, screentone texture on background, intimate and threatening composition, high contrast ink --style raw --ar 16:9 --v 7
Negative prompt: color, happy expressions, soft romantic tone, 3D
Screentone & Texture Effect Prompts
17. Classic Dot Screentone
manga panel, medium shot male character standing in rain, classic circular dot-pattern screentone covering entire background and shadows on clothing, rain lines as thin diagonal streaks, deep black ink outlines, authentic 1980s manga print quality, Akira aesthetic --style raw --ar 2:3 --v 7
Negative prompt: color, smooth digital shading, gradient, airbrushed, photorealistic
18. Diagonal Line Screentone
manga panel, female character seated under lamplight, diagonal parallel-line screentone pattern covering shadow regions, sharp cast shadow from lamp on wall behind, high-gloss hair highlights drawn as white shapes within black, clean line art, Shojo manga shadow style --style raw --ar 2:3 --v 7
Negative prompt: color, photorealistic, soft gradient, blurry
19. Gradient Tone Background
manga panel, lone silhouette standing at cliff edge, gradient screentone fade from dense dots at bottom to sparse at top, figure in pure solid black against light sky, horizon line, seagulls as small V-shapes, negative space used boldly, classic manga silhouette composition --style raw --ar 16:9 --v 7
Negative prompt: color, realistic, detailed background, 3D
20. Floral Screentone
manga panel, Shoujo-style close-up, character surrounded by flower-pattern screentone overlay, petals floating as decorative screentone print rather than realistic petals, soft ink lines, delicate variable line weight, ribbon in hair, Sailor Moon composition, black and white --style raw --ar 2:3 --v 7
Negative prompt: color, photorealistic flowers, Western illustration style, 3D render
21. Heavy Black Shadow Fill
manga panel, night scene, alleyway, figure in silhouette with only edge-lit highlights showing form, massive areas of solid black ink fill, narrow white strip of sky visible above buildings, reflection of light on wet ground as white streak, high contrast noir manga, Sanctuary-style urbanity --style raw --ar 2:3 --v 7
Negative prompt: color, grey gradients, soft shadows, photorealistic
22. Cross-Hatching Detail
manga panel, detailed establishing shot of stone fortress wall, cross-hatching technique for texture on rocks, hand-drawn ink quality, irregular lines showing age and wear, figures tiny against massive wall for scale, European-influenced manga art style, Vinland Saga architecture quality --style raw --ar 16:9 --v 7
Negative prompt: color, smooth, digital rendering, 3D, photorealistic
23. Speed Line Focus Burst
manga panel, single object in focus at center, speed lines radiating outward from center to all four panel corners, object in sharp ink detail, everything beyond speed lines implied by the converging lines, classic manga emphasis technique, dramatic reveal moment --style raw --ar 2:3 --v 7
Negative prompt: color, flat, no speed lines, photorealistic, CGI
24. Moire Overlap Effect
manga panel, two-layer screentone overlap creating geometric moire interference pattern in background, character in foreground in clean solid ink, atmospheric depth created by competing pattern frequencies, experimental manga composition, avant-garde black and white print --style raw --ar 2:3 --v 7
Negative prompt: color, simple, photorealistic, 3D
Character Emotion Prompts
25. Crushing Sadness
manga panel, seated character hunched over with hands on knees, head bowed so face hidden by hair, weight of grief shown through body posture alone, screentone rain pattern falling all around, minimal speech bubbles, pure negative space above character, Nana manga emotional style --style raw --ar 2:3 --v 7
Negative prompt: color, smiling, upright posture, happy background
26. Stunned Silence
manga panel, character standing perfectly still, eyes blank and wide, small chibi-style drop sweat marks, background gone to pure white negative space, face caught mid-expression, motion completely frozen, deadpan comedic manga timing, Great Teacher Onizuka visual gag style --style raw --ar 2:3 --v 7
Negative prompt: color, busy background, action, realistic proportions
27. Realization Flash
manga panel, character's face shown three times in sequence within one panel frame: confused left, processing center, shocked right, speed lines connecting each face, comic-style motion sequence, black and white manga panel layout, internal monologue implied by panel structure --style raw --ar 16:9 --v 7
Negative prompt: color, single expression, photorealistic
28. Quiet Confidence
manga panel, character leaning against wall with arms loosely crossed, slight upward smirk, eyes half-closed, relaxed body language radiating total confidence, diagonal shadow from overhead source, screentone on wall behind, cool protagonist energy, Trigun casual cool aesthetic --style raw --ar 2:3 --v 7
Negative prompt: color, tense posture, intense expression, busy background
29. Heartbreak
manga panel, character standing alone as second character walks away in background, first character's hand reaching out slightly then stopping, back turned to viewer showing shoulders tense, distance between them emphasized by empty panel space, screentone rain or falling petals as visual metaphor, black and white --style raw --ar 16:9 --v 7
Negative prompt: color, happy ending, facing viewer, photorealistic
30. Breakthrough Laugh
manga panel, character throwing head back in genuine laughter, mouth wide open, eyes creased shut, hand on stomach, speed lines radiating joy outward from figure, scattered screentone sparkle effects, warm positive energy despite black and white palette, slice-of-life manga comedy style --style raw --ar 2:3 --v 7
Negative prompt: color, subdued, serious, photorealistic
31. Cold Rejection
manga panel, character turning away with arms crossed, seen from behind, diagonal shadow cutting across their back, other character's hand visible in frame reaching toward them but not touching, heavy black ink fills on both figures, empty white space between them, romantic drama manga style --style raw --ar 16:9 --v 7
Negative prompt: color, facing each other, physical contact, happy
32. Fear Revealed
manga panel, character's face showing genuine terror for the first time, pupils shrunk to tiny points, sweat drops large and dramatic, mouth open but no sound, something unseen off-panel causing the reaction, black and white horror manga composition, Junji Ito-influenced dread atmosphere --style raw --ar 2:3 --v 7
Negative prompt: color, cute fear, soft lines, photorealistic
Landscape & Environment Panel Prompts
33. Ruined City
manga panel, wide establishing shot, bombed-out city ruins at dawn, crumbled buildings receding to horizon, single figure silhouetted against distant light source, foreground rubble detailed with cross-hatching, middle-ground simplified with screentone, background in light grey tone, Akira post-apocalyptic composition --style raw --ar 16:9 --v 7
Negative prompt: color, intact buildings, daytime clear sky, people crowds
34. Ancient Forest
manga panel, tall ancient trees stretching to top of frame, roots in detailed cross-hatch texture on foreground ground, shafts of light rendered as white vertical streaks through dark canopy, tiny figure at base of largest tree for scale, atmospheric depth through screentone fade, Princess Mononoke-influenced landscape --style raw --ar 2:3 --v 7
Negative prompt: color, photorealistic, CGI, modern
35. Stormy Sea
manga panel, wide ocean shot, massive cresting waves in heavy ink brushwork, foamy wave tops as white against dark water, rain as diagonal parallel lines across entire composition, small ship barely visible in wave trough, black and white nautical drama, One Piece stormy sea style --style raw --ar 16:9 --v 7
Negative prompt: color, calm water, photorealistic ocean, soft
36. Underground Cave
manga panel, vast underground cavern, stalactites and stalagmites as dark silhouettes framing a glowing central space, tiny explorers with lanterns casting small pools of light shown as white circles, deep black fills on cave ceiling, screentone on cave walls, sense of immense scale, Nausicaa underground world aesthetic --style raw --ar 16:9 --v 7
Negative prompt: color, small cave, bright lighting, realistic
37. Neon City Night
manga panel, street-level city night scene, skyscrapers receding to horizon with windows as small white squares against black, foreground street lamps as white burst halos, wet pavement reflections as white horizontal streaks, few silhouetted pedestrians, cyberpunk manga atmosphere, Ghost in the Shell urban composition --style raw --ar 16:9 --v 7
Negative prompt: color, daytime, rural, photorealistic
38. Mountain Summit
manga panel, lone climber at summit, seen from behind, arms spread wide, dramatic cloudy sky rendered in swirling screentone patterns, mountain peaks below shrouded in cloud, figure small but central, triumphant manga composition, clean silhouette against light sky, inspirational shonen moment --style raw --ar 2:3 --v 7
Negative prompt: color, realistic sky, photorealistic, 3D
39. School Rooftop
manga panel, high school rooftop scene, chain-link fence in foreground (detailed ink), city sprawl visible below and beyond, cherry blossom petals drifting as screentone flower shapes, two characters leaning on railing (one panel each side), classic Japanese school drama composition, slice-of-life manga atmosphere --style raw --ar 16:9 --v 7
Negative prompt: color, interior, winter, photorealistic
40. Empty Shrine
manga panel, traditional torii gate in foreground, stone steps leading up through overgrown trees to small shrine at top, fog as light screentone wash over background, stone lanterns as simplified geometric shapes, no people, atmosphere of lonely beauty, Mushishi environmental composition, black and white ink --style raw --ar 2:3 --v 7
Negative prompt: color, crowds, modern elements, photorealistic
5 Tips for Better Manga AI Results
1. Specify the Reference Manga
Vague style requests produce vague results. Naming a specific manga artist or series gives the model a concrete visual target. "Berserk-style inking" tells the model to use dense cross-hatching with heavy blacks. "Toriyama composition" signals clean lines with bold figure-ground separation. Use what you actually want to replicate.
2. Lock Aspect Ratio to Panel Type
Manga panels aren't square. For vertical action panels use --ar 2:3. For wide establishing shots use --ar 16:9 or --ar 2:1. For close-ups and reaction shots, --ar 3:4 matches the classic manga close-up frame. Wrong aspect ratio forces the model to fill space awkwardly.
3. Use --style raw in Midjourney
Midjourney's default aesthetic mode adds texture and painterly quality that fights against manga's clean line art. Adding --style raw disables that and lets your prompt's style keywords dominate. It's not optional for manga — it's required.
4. Lean on Negative Prompts Hard
For Stable Diffusion, the negative prompt does as much work as the positive. Standard manga negatives: color, photorealistic, 3D render, CGI, soft gradients, airbrushed, smooth shading, western comic style, watercolor, painting. In Midjourney, add --no color, gradients, 3D.
5. For Stable Diffusion, Use a Manga LoRA
The right LoRA transforms the output. Manga Line Art LoRA (available on CivitAI) specializes in ink-on-white with correct screentone simulation. Pair it at weight 0.6–0.8 with a base anime checkpoint like AnythingV5 or CounterfeitV3. Weight above 0.9 tends to flatten the composition.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Midjourney actually produce authentic-looking screentones?
Yes, with the right keywords. Midjourney v6 and v7 respond well to "screentone halftone dot pattern", "Ben-Day dots", and "manga print texture". The output isn't always pixel-perfect — you may need to adjust in post — but it's close enough for reference work and stylized illustration. Stable Diffusion with a dedicated manga LoRA produces more consistent screentone simulation.
Do these prompts work for colored manga (like Blade of the Immortal color editions)?
The prompts above are tuned for classic black-and-white manga. If you want a colored manga look, remove the "black and white ink" and "screentone" keywords and replace with "flat cel shading, limited color palette, manga coloring style, thick ink outlines". The composition language (panel framing, speed lines, camera angles) works equally well in either case.
What Stable Diffusion model gives the best manga results?
For pure manga line art, MeinaMix or CounterfeitV3 base checkpoints paired with a manga LoRA perform well. If you want more realistic anatomy with manga inking style, Anything v5 or Dreamshaper are more flexible. Always use the VAE recommended for the checkpoint — missing the VAE wash out the blacks completely.
How do I get proper panel borders and gutters?
Standard AI image generation won't produce panel layouts automatically. Prompt for the content of a single panel and composite them in Photoshop, Clip Studio, or Canva. Some Stable Diffusion ControlNet workflows can place content within a pre-drawn panel grid using an inpainting approach, but this requires intermediate-level SD knowledge.
Can I use AI manga panels commercially?
Midjourney's paid plans (Basic and above) allow commercial use subject to their terms of service. Stable Diffusion outputs are generally unrestricted if the base checkpoint and LoRA are licensed for commercial use — check each model's CivitAI license page. Style references in prompts (naming a manga artist) don't create copyright in the output, but avoid generating direct scene replicas of specific copyrighted panels.
Keep Going With Anime AI Art
These manga panel prompts focus on black-and-white composition. For full-color anime illustration prompts covering Shonen, Shoujo, Cyberpunk, Ghibli style and Mecha, check the companion guide: 50 Anime AI Prompts for Midjourney & Stable Diffusion. It covers 50 tested prompts with style tokens and negative prompts organized by anime genre.
