RIP Kentaro Miura: Mourn the ‘Berserk’ creator by reading his best work

Kentaro Miura, a Japanese manga artist best known for his work on the long-running dark fantastical manga Berserk, has passed away at the age of fifty-four. His passing was announced by U.S. publisher Dark Horse Comics, who explained that Miura had struggled with acute aortic dissection and passed on May 6th, and remembered him as a “master artist and storyteller”. 

Dark Horse Comics wrote that “He will be greatly missed. Our condolences go out to his family and loved ones”. Since the upsetting news of the passing of Kentaro Miura, many folks have been celebrating his life by remembering his iconic work and manga art. Let’s take a look at just how big of an impact Miura left on the manga world here. 

Kentaro Miura’s legacy 

The legacy of Kentaro Miura can best be shown through his work on Berserk, which he both wrote and drew. The manga first published in 1989 and is still running to this day. This dark and gritty manga ran to forty volumes and sold more than thirty-five million copies worldwide, according to Japanese publisher Hakusensha. The manga was so well-loved it was even adapted to an anime TV show, films, and even video games. 

So what was Berserk about? The story of this manga is inspired by medieval Europe, and follows the life of mercenary Guts who is a warrior who carries around a humongous sword for a weapon along with an iron hand. The manga also follows the story of Griffith, who Guts is seeking revenge against, who is the leader of the mercenary Band of the Hawk. There’s endless battles, magic, and gritty violence in the series. 

Chris Warner, the editor for Berserk at Dark Horse, detailed the series as “a harrowing dark fantasy of monumental depth, complexity and audacity”, and added that the “astonishing visual tapestry is like nothing else in graphic fiction … While the horror and violence are at times disturbing and unquestionably adult, Miura still manages to produce genuine emotion and plenty of humour”.

Influence of Kentaro Miura 

The art and style in Berserk was so iconic that Kentaro Miura inspired plenty of other popular works of fiction and video games that we all enjoy and love today. For instance, video games such as Final Fantasy, Bloodborne, and Dark Souls have drawn heavy inspiration from the manga art, as well as anime or manga such as Castlevania, Demon Slayer, and more. 

The most famous example of how Kentaro Miura inspired a new generation of visual artists can perhaps be seen through the “Dark Souls” series by From Software. “Dark Souls” borrows tons of monster designs from Berserk and incorporates it into its own dark, atmospheric worlds. 

Last night and this morning following the announcement of Kentaro Miura’s passing, thousands of Final Fantasy XIV players gathered online to pay a tribute towards the acclaimed artist. Dark Horse Comics wrote: “Miura-sensei was a master artist and storyteller and we had the great privilege of publishing several of his finest works, including his masterpiece, Berserk. He will be greatly missed”.

Kentaro Miura first began creating art as early as the age of ten, drawing manga for his classmates. His passion for creating visual worlds and fantastical characters landed him a job as the assistant of George Morikawa when he was eighteen, who was the creator of the boxing manga Hajime No Ippo. 

After Berserk emerged into popularity, an anime based on the series was created in 1997. From then on, it also turned into a film series in 2012, and the movies covered earlier story arcs from the manga. Numerous video games based on Berserk were also created. Kentaro Miura left an impactful legacy in the art and manga world that will forever be remembered.