Berserk’s Influence on Pop Culture
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Author Kentaro Muira on the left
(I recommend listening to this OST as you read this article)
By Adrian Aguirre
Published November 7, 2021
On May 6, 2021, world-famous Japanese manga author and artist Kentaro Miura passed away at the age of fifty-four. His death left a great impact on not only just the anime community but on pop culture as a whole. However, many people may be wondering: just how influential was Berserk?
Author Kentaro Muira drew much inspiration from another manga series called Fist of the North Star. Berserk initially started in 1989 as part of a monthly magazine called Animal House. The publishing was then taken over in 1992 by another monthly publisher called Young Animal which has continued to publish every chapter since then. In 1997 the Golden Age Arc was adapted into an anime that spanned twenty-four episodes.
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"There's no paradise for you to escape to." - Guts
One thing that makes Berserk’s story so interesting is its dark narrative. From the very beginning of the manga, it differentiates itself from other stories with its heavy atmosphere depicted in the opening of The Black Swordsman Arc. The series is set in the dark and depressing middle age, devoid of any serenity or hope. The dreary theme of this manga is presented not only with the day-to-day battles but with the presentation of human brutality, the scars characters carry with them, and in the masterful world-building that Kentaro Miura has constructed. This is evident not only in the opening arc but also in the main theme of the struggle against the Forces of Causality, the Tower of Conviction Arc where the theme of blind faith is presented, and the Lost Children Chapters where the theme of abandonment is presented as well.
The dark tone and art style have been a key in the influence of many other manga series as well as video games. Some works that have been much influenced/inspired by Berserk are Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Chainsaw Man, Bandai Namco’s Dark Souls series, Capcom’s Devil May Cry, Attack On Titan, Final Fantasy, and lastly Goblin Slayer.
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Above: Berserk-inspired Dark Souls boss)
Right: Cloud Strife’s Buster sword drew much of its inspiration from Guts’ Dragonslayer sword. (Credit: warriorartist on DeviantArt)
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Left: Denji’s Chainsaw Man form was inspired by the Berserker armor
Along with inspiring many popular works, Berserk has personally inspired me. When I started reading Berserk I was at a very low spot in life. I had very little self-esteem and was very unmotivated to make a change in my life due to the tremendous amount of sorrow I was dealing with. Once I began reading Muira’s manga, however, I became inspired by Guts’ struggle throughout the story. Despite the incessant battles, the restless nights, the traumatic loss, and the piercing betrayal he faced, he kept pressing forward at full steam. Despite everything, he never gave up, and he persevered through his hardships to see the next day. Because of this, I became motivated to make a change in my life and to finally put effort into being a better me. This is one of the reasons why I hold Berserk so dear to my heart.
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Along with inspiring many popular works, Berserk has personally inspired me. When I started reading Berserk I was at a very low spot in life. I had very little self-esteem and was very unmotivated to make a change in my life due to the tremendous amount of sorrow I was dealing with. Once I began reading Muira’s manga, however, I became inspired by Guts’ struggle throughout the story. Despite the incessant battles, the restless nights, the traumatic loss, and the piercing betrayal he faced, he kept pressing forward at full steam. Despite everything, he never gave up, and he persevered through his hardships to see the next day. Because of this, I became motivated to make a change in my life and to finally put effort into being a better me. This is one of the reasons why I hold Berserk so dear to my heart.
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