Kentaro Miura, The Creator Of 'Berserk,' Dies Aged 54

Kentaro Miura, a Japanese mangaka known for his work on the long-running manga Berserk, has passed away at the age of 54. Miura died on May 6th as a result of acute aortic dissection, the editorial department of Young Animal Comics announced.

In the statement, issued on Thursday, the publisher wrote that "the news of Miura's sudden passing has blanketed the Young Animal editorial in deep sadness."

[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.

A native of Chiba City, Miura created his first manga at the age of 10. Miura is best known for his long-running critically acclaimed dark fantasy series Berserk that he started in 1989. The manga centers on the stories of swordsman Guts and mercenary band leader Griffith, with the series exploring themes of free will, destiny and resilience.

As of 2021, Miura released over 40 volumes of manga. In a 2012 interview, Miura estimated that the series was "60 percent done."

While Berserk, which was adapted in the 1997 and 2016 anime series, is Miura's best-recognized and most acclaimed work, he worked on a variety of other projects over the years. On social media, heartfelt tributes for Miura have been pouring in.

In the MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV, Dark Knights players held an in-game memorial for the mangaka.

gathering of dark knights in memory of Kentaro Miura…a lot of my favourite games and series would not exist without his inspiration and amazing work on Berserk; rest in peace // #FFXIV pic.twitter.com/fup72eOWlL

— Koyorin 🍎 (@koyoriin) May 20, 2021

As Berserk's serialization was still ongoing, the manga, which at the time of Miura's death was in its fifth story arc, will likely remain unfinished.