Globally acclaimed mangaka Kentaro Miura, creator of long running manga/anime Berserk, has died at the age of 54. Dark Horse Comics, who publishes the American translation of Berserk, confirmed the writer/artist's passing on social media.
Miura died from acute aortic dissection on May 6, though news of his death is only now being made widely public.
"Kentaro Miura passed away on May 6, 2021 from acute aortic dissection. He was 54. Miura-sensei was a master artist and storyteller and we had the great privilege of publishing several of his finest works, including his masterpiece, Berserk," reads Dark Horse's statement on Twitter. "He will be greatly missed. Our condolences go out to his family and loved ones."
Kentaro Miura began his manga career at only age 10, creating a comic strip entitled Miuranger, which ran for 40 volumes in a student publication from Miura's school. Miura continued his manga career through his teens, eventually attending art school where he developed the concepts that would eventually become Berserk.
Miura began publishing Berserker in 1989, with the story of brutal barbarian warrior Guts and his violent adventures running up until the present day. Over the years, Berserk has been adapted to multiple anime series and films, and even video games. Miura himself was awarded the prestigious Osamu Tezuka Cultural Prize for Manga in 2002.
Berserk manga has sold over 50 million copies worldwide, with 1.2 million copies of the manga sold in North America alone.
In addition to Berserk, Miura was also known for his work on titles such as King of Wolves, Ouru Den, Gigantomakhia, and Duranki.
