The Creator of Berserk, Kentaro Miura, has Passed Away

Mangaka died on May 6 at the age of 54 as a result of aortic dissection. Berserk, Miura's most famous creation, is a dark fantasy manga set in a violent medieval-inspired world. Influences of Miura's works can be found in many works around the world, including games such as Dark Souls, Bloodborne or Final Fantasy but also anime or manga - Demon Slayer, Castlevania or Vagabond. The Japanese artist created the first prototypes of Berserk back in late 1980s. In 1989, he published the first episodes of story of mercenary Guts, a warrior seeking revenge on his friend and former commander Griffith. Miura's death was first announced by the official Twitter profile of Berserk.

Berserk's popularity led to the creation of an anime series based on the manga in 1997. Meanwhile, 2012 saw the release of the first in a series of theatrical films that retold early plot threads from the world of Berserk. 2016 brought naother animated series set in the universe. Chapter 363 of the manga came out in January, this year.

Meanwhile, Miura initiated a new manga. Duranki is firstly a story based on the mythology of various peoples, in which the heroine experiences various adventures on the back of a dragon and with a lion-like companion by her side. Secondly, as Miura himself explained, it's an opportunity for his assistants, who not only played a more significant role in the process of creating Duranki , but also appeared in the materials as co-creators - in the form of Studio Gaga.

For now, it's unclear what the artist's death means for the continuation of Berserk, the ending of which fans have yet to learn. The next chapter was expected to be released later in the first half of this year. It's likely that Kentaro Miura's manga will remain unfinished, although there's always the possibility that the mangaka's students will take on the task of bringing their master's work to completion.