The 'Berserk' Manga Continues Forth Following the Author's Death — How the Story Is Progressing

When it comes to long-running manga stories that span multiple decades, we can't help but wonder if we'll ever be lucky enough to see the end of these tales. Will we ever see Monkey D. Luffy discover the One Piece treasure in One Piece? Will Conan Edogawa ever return to normal in Case Closed? These are questions that haunt every fan of a long manga, but fans of Berserk were faced with that very nightmare back in 2021.

Having first debuted back in 1989, Berserk is a dark fantasy epic that follows Guts, a mutilated swordsman who seeks revenge against Griffith, a former mercenary and ally of Guts who became a demi-god after sacrificing their compatriots in a horrific demonic ritual.

Over its long history, the series has received critical acclaim for its heavy emotional themes and its impeccably detailed art. But has the Berserk manga ended since tragedy struck the series?

Berserk was originally illustrated by Kentaro Miura. His artistic style within the series was known for its impeccable scale, with Miura often adding impossibly minuscule details to some of the more elaborate set pieces in the manga to add a true sense of depth to his work.

It was no wonder Berserk became one of the best-selling manga of all time, and Miura's art earned him the Award for Excellence at the sixth Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prizes ceremony in 2002.

Unfortunately, Miura wouldn't live to see his crowning achievement completed. On May 6, 2021, Kentaro Miura suddenly passed away from acute aortic dissection. He was 54 at the time. His death was mourned by several Japanese entertainment industry legends, as well as artists and fans from around the world.

The last Berserk chapter he worked on, Chapter 364, was published a few months later on Sept. 10. The manga was subsequently placed on hiatus as the manga's editorial staff contemplated how to proceed with the series.

During that time, Berserk could have easily been posthumously and forcibly ended, even though the series had yet to reach a proper conclusion. On June 7, 2022, however, it was announced that the Berserk manga would continue. The announcement was made by series publisher Hakusensha as well as Miura's childhood friend and fellow manga artist Kouji Mori.

Reportedly, the manga's continuation is being developed using notes, designs, and memorandums that were relayed from Miura to Mori over the former's career.

Having obtained close knowledge of the series' progression and eventual conclusion, Mori plans to remain completely faithful to what Miura had previously told him about the manga.

"I will only write the [chapters] that Miura spoke to me about," Mori revealed in a statement, translated from Japanese I will not flesh it out. I will not write the episodes that I don't remember clearly. I will only write the lines and stories that Miura described to me."

After a brief return to tie up loose ends from the previous arc, the series returned in earnest on April 28, 2023 with new monthly installments.

As of this writing, the series is still ongoing.