The recent passing of Kentaro Miura is a hard blow to all those who love epic and dark storytelling. His manga epic Berserk pushed the boundaries of dark storytelling. For years fans have followed the journey of "The Struggler" Guts and his epic quest for revenge against Griffith. This journey went to some very dark places, with some storylines being incredibly brutal and heartbreaking.
Yet the story was never depressing, Guts himself eventually found a way to smile even after all he had been through. Many fans began to see a way for him to achieve some happiness in life, but Mr. Miura left this epic unfinished. Luckily, his influence is felt in numerous manga and anime series to this very day.
Updated on June 18, 2022 by Ritwik Mitra: Berserk is one of the best and most influential manga ever made. Kentaro Miura put his heart and soul into his work, crafting some of the most detailed and engrossing manga panels that readers have the privilege of witnessing for themselves. The tale of the warring duo, Guts and Griffith, is absolutely fascinating and still holds up even after being devised way back in the day. Here are some of the many anime that have been inspired by Berserk's imposing presence.
10 Black Clover
Black Clover is a series that seemed like a run-of-the-mill shonen manga, before coming into its own with some truly engrossing story arcs. Given the main character's use of a giant sword, it's easy to see where the Berserk influence comes from.
Of course, this is a positive point for a series like Black Clover to be compared to Berserk in and of itself. The series is reaching some great heights indeed, and fans can wait to see what else is in store for Asta and his friends.
9 Goblin Slayer
Goblin Slayer's bleak dark fantasy setting and impactful action sequences are pretty reminiscent of Berserk and its use of both elements. That being said, Goblin Slayer is still way off from reaching Berserk's quality.
The first episode became popular mainly for its shock value alone, and the show has been pretty stagnant since. Only time will tell before Goblin Slayer can reach its true potential.
8 Castlevania
Castlevania's anime adaptation was something that no fan could've expected. However, not only have these adaptations been faithful to the series, but their quality is so good that some people are genuinely surprised.
Any fan of dark gothic settings and great action should check Castlevania out. The anime is inspired by Berserk in many ways, and the fact that the trailer for the final season had a direct reference to Miura's masterpiece speaks volumes.
7 Blue Exorcist
Another great dark fantasy series that fans of the genre should check out is Blue Exorcist. The setting and story are pretty great and have shades of Berserk, which is always a good thing.
The mangaka of Blue Exorcist, Kazue Kato, has spoken about his love for the series and how it molded him into a mangaka as well. The lasting impact of Berserk has inspired many people to get into this industry with massive success.
6 Fullmetal Alchemist
Fullmetal Alchemist is one of the greatest shonen anime ever made. The tale of Edward and Elric as they go through numerous ordeals to get Edward's limbs and Al's body back is a pretty engrossing watch indeed.
This amazing story was penned fifteen years after the release of Berserk, with Fullmetal Alchemist certainly drawing from this influential dark fantasy manga in many ways. These subtle references coupled with the high quality of Fullmetal Alchemist's storytelling prove why this anime is in a class of its own.
5 Claymore
A manga that is legendary in dark fantasy circles is Claymore. The story follows a group of female warriors that hunt down and eradicate monsters known as Yoma. The mission is complicated by the fact that these warriors, known as Claymores, are half Yoma themselves. This premise sets the stage for deep explorations into the nature of humanity, revenge, despair, hope, and love.
These explorations are also showcased in Berserk, to great effect. Every storyline in the Claymore manga series feels like it could have spun out of Berserk. To its credit, the show manages to stand on its own and explore areas that even Berserk did not tread. While the anime is fairly short and has a different ending, it does the manga justice.
4 Re: Zero
The popular Re: Zero series owes a decent amount to Berserk. While the general tone and its characters may seem vastly different, they do share some small similarities. The largest similarity is with the concept of fate and causality. This concept is complex and immutable in Berserk, Guts entire battle is essentially centered around it.
Subaru is also in a battle against fate, his constant resurrections have consequences that he can't even begin to fathom. While it does make its spin on the concept of fate, no one can doubt that Berserk played a large part in this crucial aspect of the show's mythology.
3 Hellsing Ultimate
Alucard and the Royal Order of Protestant Knights are in a war against the Nazi Vampire group known as Millennium. This war is brutal and bloody, causalities are innumerable on both sides. Alucard, the original vampire takes much joy in all the death and destruction that surrounds him. This dark world has the same tone and feel to it as Berserk.
There are few truly good people, the monsters are the stuff of nightmares, and our protagonist racks up gigantic body counts. Nothing is held back in terms of gore, blood is spilled fast and freely. Surprisingly, the biggest similarity is that a growing feeling of hope can be felt throughout the entire series. As with Berserk, no matter how dark things got hope remained. It is a massive accomplishment for any series this dark to create an air of hope.
2 Attack On Titan
Attack On Titan is one of the few anime out there that can give Berserk a run for its money in terms of brutality. Each season has one or two moments of pure brutality that at times it can be hard to watch. Berserk had been doing the same thing in manga form for over 20 years. One could argue that Berserk elevated brutality to an art form. Attack on Titan has taken this art form and reworked it for this generation of anime fans.
For the most part, it did it successfully. The dark and at times depressing world of Attack on Titan is also one where hope seems nonexistent yet it somehow remains alive. Both series have a unique ability to simultaneously present humanity at its worst and its best. Many beautiful moments have arisen from this ability. A few of these moments are as simple as seeing characters find a way to smile even though they witnessed atrocities.
1 Gungrave
The biggest conflict in Berserk all boils down to friendship. Guts was brutally betrayed by his friend and fellow warrior Griffith. This betrayal has motivated Guts to push on no matter what kinds of monsters or demons he may face. The mere thought of Griffith can push Guts beyond his limits and allow him to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. At times this can make Guts seem like a monster himself.
Now imagine this battle being shifted to a world full of guns, gangsters, and corruption. Gungrave tells the tale of Brandon and his quest for revenge against his former best friend Harry. Things become complicated when it is revealed that Harry killed Brandon, with the latter now an undead gunslinger. While not reaching the level of brutality of Berserk, it comes close.