Kentaro Miura

The creator of berserk and the countless inspiration that it brough.

Kentaro Miura in his office
1996 - Kentaro Miura c. age 29-30 in his office. (1966–2021)

Kentaro Miura's life

1966

Miura was born

Miura was born on July 11, 1966, in Chiba, Chiba Prefecture, Japan.

He created his first manga

Entitled Miuranger, which was published for his classmates in a school publication; the series ended up spanning 40 volumes.

1976
1977

Miura created his second manga

Ken e no Michi (剣への道, "The Way to the Sword"), in which he used India ink for the first time.

Miura briefly worked as an assistant to George Morikawa

The creator of Hajime no Ippo. Morikawa quickly acknowledged Miura's high artistic level and dismissed him, saying there was nothing he could teach that Miura did not already know.

1984
1985

Miura goes to the art college of Nihon University

He submitted a short project, Futatabi (再び, "Once More"), for examination and was granted admission. The project later earned him the 34th Newcomer Manga Award from Weekly Shōnen Magazine.

Miura published a prototype of Berserk

The 48-page prototype placed second in ComiComi's seventh Manga School competition.

1988
1989

Berserk became serialized

Berserk began in Hakusensha's Monthly Animal House.

Miura collaborated with Buronson on the manga Japan

Which was also published in Young Animal, renamed from Monthly Animal House.

1992
1997

Miura supervised the production of the anime adaptation of Berserk

Which consisted of 25 episodes and was aired on NTV.

Miura received the Award for Excellence

The award was given to him at the sixth Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prizes for Berserk.

2002
1997

Berserk began to have frequent and often extended hiatuses

Alternating between monthly and irregular serialization.

Miura released the short standalone manga Giganto Maxia

Published in English-speaking territories by Dark Horse in 2016.

2013
2018

Berserk was collected into 40 tankōbon volumes in Japan

And by May 2021, it had over 50 million copies in circulation worldwide, including digital versions.

Dies at the age of 54

His death was publicly announced on May 20, 2021. A private ceremony was held by his family, and various manga artists and fans offered their condolences.

2021

Berserk Legacy

Established as one of the best-selling manga of all time, Miura's series Berserk impacted the manga medium and beyond. It is difficult to overstate the tremendous impact his work has had on the world of games, manga, film, anime, and even literature. The image of Guts and his massive sword is attributed to inspiring characters like Cloud Strife of Final Fantasy VII and Dante from the Devil May Cry series, with the overall aesthetic of Berserk inspiring the monsters and world of the Dark Souls series.

Guts resting on a tree stump while the sunset sets
“Battle not with monsters, lest ye become a monster, and if you gaze into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche