It's a sad day for dark fantasy, as word of Berserk creator Kentaro Miura's passing at age 54 has been made public. For those who don't know, Berserk is one of the most successful manga properties of all time, and has been in publication since 1989.
Its influence on popular culture — especially video games — has been significant. The likes of Dark Souls and Dragon's Dogma simply wouldn't exist as we know them without Berserk, and the same can be said for countless other dark fantasy creations across all kinds of media.
Berserk's intensely dark fiction has been a rich source of inspiration for over three decades. Its depiction of one man's endless, violent struggle against nightmarish monsters has provided a creative cornerstone for games like Dark Souls, which draw heavily from both its visual style and grim sensibilities. Berserk also helped popularise the concept of fictional characters wielding ridiculously large swords — something that we've seen in video games a lot over the years.
Of course, Berserk itself was adapted into video game form more than a few times — the most recent example being Berserk and the Band of the Hawk for the PlayStation 4. It wasn't perfect, but the hack and slasher did a solid job of capturing the source material's trademark, blood-soaked action.
Miura has left behind a colossal legacy. He'll be remembered as an outstanding storyteller and absurdly talented artist, and his influence will no doubt be felt throughout video games and beyond for years to come.
[source twitter.com]
Comments 26
Oh wow that’s a real shame. Never really liked Berserk but a lot of my friends do and its influences can be seen across many different creative industries.
One of the greats. This is such a gut punch. RIP Kentaro Miura.
54 is pretty young these days. That sucks.
I'm not a big fantasy person in general, but I've always appreciated the emotional rawness and grounded characterizations in Berserk. And the original anime's ending is still one of the more shocking things I've seen in the medium.
It sucks that Berserk will never be finished. Unlike A Song of Ice and Fire, Miura was actively supporting his creation semi-regularly.
rest in peace. all the strength to his family and friends.
Rest in peace.
@Kidfried Oh dear...
May he Rest In Peace
This is sad; I was just talking about Berserk with my friends. I will have to watch the series again as a remembrance.
May he rest in peace. ):
RIP, I still read berserk manga to this day, today is a sad day.
So sad. He was a legend among legends. This is heartbreaking news. He truly did leave behind a colossal legacy.
Rest in peace, Miura-san.
@Ralizah I think I heard it will still continue, based on notes he wrote for future events.
@Orpheus79V Interesting. I wonder how that'll go.
Miura's style is VERY distinctive.
Wow, this is really sad. I absolutely love Berserk!
Sword of Berserk on Dreamcast is by far the best video game adaption of the franchise. It had great voice acting, solid gameplay, and a really cool original story.
I need to pick up the rest of the manga one of these days. Tough to have around the house with a 6-year-old - definitely don't want her opening up one out of curiosity.
@GamingFan4Lyf If you have a chance to try the PS2 game, it's very fun too. Kindof overwhelming at times but combat is enjoyable.
I am weirdly devastated by this news. I am generally unmoved by death, especially of more or less known people, but this made me realize how much I am projecting myself into his work.
Time for a Berserk reread, and to accept that sometimes, neither life nor art is "to be continued..."
Such a big shame. Was really enjoying the berserk manga (and it still needs a good modern anime adaptation). Rest in peace, Kentaro.
Real shame. Recently got into the manga with the excellent deluxe hardcovers Dark Horse reissued and it's absolutely amazing. He left his mark behind and will be remembered well
Damn this really felt like a gut punch. I hope his legacy is kept in tact with quality outputs if his work is continued.
So young :/ Berserk was one of the first manga I read, setting an almost impossibly high bar for all of the rest. Rest In Peace.
@Feena When people get to the age 40's and 50's they start to have health problems.
Sad day indeed. 54 is too young for someone to die. Thanks for all the memories Miura.
I actually just picked up Volume 1 of the deluxe edition last month. Haven’t been able to get very far into it because of my schedule. I’ve seen the original anime, the golden arc, and some of the new anime though. Great series. I always name my fighting type in Pokémon Guts 👍
Is it possible that the Berserk manga might continue under a ghostwriter much like the Mitch Rapp spy thriller books?
@LaytonPuzzle27 Highly doubt that any artist (regardless of talent) will try to fit in Miura's shoes.
@Ralizah for a while now, he has been working with assistants due to his health and have been teaching them so hopefully not much of a difference.
His meticulousness is crazy, the passion he had for drawing is something.
Rest in Peace Kentaro Miura, I'm pretty sure the gaming, anime, and manga communities will miss you.
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