Berserk Manga author Kentaro Miura dead at 54

Kentaro Miura, the creator of the dark fantasy Manga Berserk, passed away on May 6 at the age of 54. The cause of death is said to be acute aortic dissection.

The writer’s death was kept a secret until the Berserk Project account released a statement regarding his death. His family has not said anything and is taking time to mourn his loss.

The statement reads as “[Report of the death of Professor Kentaro Miura] Dr. Kentaro Miura, the author of “Berserk,” passed away on May 6, 2021 due to acute aortic dissection. We would like to express our utmost respect and gratitude to Dr. Miura’s painting work and pray for his soul. May 20, 2021 Hakusensha Co., Ltd. Young Animal Editorial Department.”

Fans around the world are also mourning the author’s tragic death. They have paid tribute to Miura online and are celebrating his life.

Berserk is Miura’s most successful work.

Miura released Berserk in 1989 and has been his most successful work. It is a dark fantasy manga set in a brutal medieval-inspired universe.

Furthermore, many other mangas and video games are highly inspired by Berserk. The story is based on the characters: Guts, a mercenary, and Griffith, a leader of a band called “Band of the Hawk.”

The manga is published by Hakusensha and belongs to Dark Fantasy, Epic and Sword and Sorcery genre. With over 40 million copies, it is easily one of the best sellers of all time.

It has also been made into a television series and has a total of 24 episodes. It was originally run from 1 July 2016 to 23 June 2017.

Moreover, serialization was still going on, and with Miura’s death, it will definitely remain unfinished. For his work, he has also won Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize.

Miura made his first Manga at the age of 10

Kentaro Miura was born in 1966 in Chiba Province of Japan. At the age of 10, in 1976, he made his first manga and named it “Miuranger.”

It was then published in his school magazine that gave Miura confidence to draw and create more mangas. In 1977, Miura made his second manga entitled Ken e no Michi, meaning The Way to the Sword.

While in high school, Miura got enrolled in the school’s art club and published his art in school booklets. Moreover, he attended the art college of Nihon University in 1985.

The same year Miura was nominated as the Best New Author in the Weekly Sohen Magazine.

In 1988, while Miura was still in college, he created a prototype of Berserk in Hakusensha’s Gekkan ComiComi. Moreover, the full serialization of Berserk also began in Hakusensha’s Monthly Animal House in 1989.

This ultimately became his most successful work.

Miura’s Other Mangas

Although Berserk gave him fame and fortune, Kentaro Miura has created several other Mangas. However, they could not create the impact Berserk has created.

His other works include Futatabi (1985), Berserk Prototype (1988), King of Wolves (1989), Ourou Den (1990), Japan (1992), Gigantomakhia (2013-2014), and Duranki (2020-2021).

Miura had been working on Manga even on days leading up to his death.

Kentaro Miura was inspired by other Mangas

Miura created a great and famous Manga. However, he was inspired by several other Mangas as well.

He listed Manga like Fist of the North Star (1983), Violence Jack (1973), Guin Saga (1979), and movies like Disney Movies, Hellraiser series, and Paul Verhoeven movies as his inspiration.

Irreplaceable Loss

Manga fans worldwide have mourned Kentaro’s death as an “irreplacable” loss to the Manga community. They regard his notable contributions in the Manga field as priceless and that no one can take his spot.

They have also termed the news of his death as “unexpected, tragic and heart-breaking.”

Although Miura is gone, Berserk and his other works will always keep him alive. Thank you, Miura; rest in peace.