Berserk (1990)

Berserk is a dark fantasy manga series written and illustrated by Kentaro Miura, serialized in Hakusensha's Young Animal magazine beginning in the early 1990s. The story centers on Guts, a lone mercenary carrying a massive iron sword, who bears a demonic brand that draws supernatural predators to him every night. His quest for vengeance against Griffith, his former commander who sacrificed their mercenary band in exchange for godlike demonic power, drives him through a brutal medieval world of monsters, corruption, and dark sorcery. The series is defined by its unsparing depiction of violence and suffering alongside moments of loyalty, perseverance, and hard-won connection. Miura's extraordinarily detailed artwork, with its dense battle compositions and nuanced character expression, shaped the visual language of dark fantasy across manga, games, and film. Titles from Dark Souls to Final Fantasy have cited the series as a direct influence. After Miura passed away in May 2021, Berserk continued under the direction of his longtime friend Kouji Mori and Studio Gaga, the team of assistants who worked alongside Miura, with serialization resuming in 2022.