Wednesday evening an official statement confirmed the death of Berserk mangaka Kentaro Miura. Miura had been working on Berserk since the 1980s, with the manga growing to be a hugely influential piece of art due to the quality its art and the manga's epic fantasy story. There's perhaps no better example of Berserk's influence than the games of From Software. From Software fans have taken the loss to heart, spending the day posting tributes on Elden Ring's subreddit and across social media.
The official Elden Ring subreddit is where many From Software fans are currently congregating, excited about the developer's next game. Today, however, it's dedicated to Miura and Berserk. Top posts in the subreddit include messages of thanks to Miura, pictures of his art, and Berserk references from From Software's games. One user posted a photo of their From Software games standing next to their Berserk collected editions.
It's easy to understand why. From Software's library of RPGs is quite diverse, with Demon's Souls, Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice each standing out. Yet despite their differences, each is inspired by Berserk. There is Bloodborne's Celestrian Children, inspired by Guts' demon child, as well as its messengers. Dark Souls' greatsword weapon, wheel skeletons, as well as its Darksign are all Berserk references, and Sekiro himself seems directly inspired by Berserk's Guts.
RIP Kentaro Miura. Yours and Guts struggle will never be forgotten. Without Berserk, there would hardly be Dark Souls and everything that followed. from Eldenring
The shelf in my condo where I keep the most valuable (to me) things that I own. R.I.P. K.M. ... You got your kingdom. from Eldenring
With those references in mind, it's no surprise that fans of From Software's games are feeling the loss of Miura as heavily as fans of Berserk. Whether it's the dark, malevolent environments filled with rich detail, the brutal, bloody violence of combat; or the cynical, mature storytelling that leaves players questioning humanity; Berserk and From Software's games are kindred spirits.
From Software itself is likely feeling a similar amount of pain from the loss of this influence. However, there are few if any examples of From Software talking about Berserk's influences on its work directly. That said, there was one rumor saying at From Software and Miuru would be collaborating on a project.
For the time being, From Software remains focused on the continued development of Elden Ring. It wouldn't be surprising if no statement was made by the company or its director, Hidetaka Miyazaki. Its fans will make up for that, however, as Elden Ring will likely do when it's eventually released.
Elden Ring is currently in development.