Berserk Is Gruesome, But It’s Also The Most Beautiful Story Ever Told

A humanoid serpent is torn apart, with its organs and blood drenching the page. His killer, not yet satisfied, repeatedly shoots arrows at him, showing a smile more monstrous than the creature. That’s how we come to know Guts, the protagonist of Berserk. It’s easy to tell from the first chapter the cruel world he’s in corrupts everyone into being as brutal.

Written and drawn by the late Kentarou Miura, Berserk is an ongoing seinen manga that started serialization in 1989 and follows a swordsman who sets out on a revenge quest. The first arc takes place chronologically in the middle point of the story. This way, Miura can set up many vital concepts and mysteries while also stirring reader curiosity about how Guts became who he is. But the best is yet to come.

Berserk Volume 1 cover by Kentarou Miura.

Miura starts with The Golden Age, taking us a step back and presenting how things came to be. And there couldn’t have been a better name for one of the manga’s most powerful segments. The world finally appears bright in comparison to the unkind and somber setting readers are introduced to in the beginning. The Band of the Hawk, a mercenary group, is presented, functioning as Guts’ new comrades and family. And their great beacon of light is Griffith.

If you’ve ever heard of Berserk or seinen manga in general, the name Griffith might ring a bell. He’s the band’s leader and the protagonist’s first real friend. He’s an inspiration for everyone in his group and incredibly smart, but also genuinely like a child at times. Before giving a breathtaking speech, he might force you to a water fight or even eagerly show pornographic drawings like it’s the funniest thing ever (as he does with Guts).

Even so, if you ask manga readers, it’ll be easy to understand how bottomless their ire is towards him. That’s why, accompanied by laughter and confidence, there are assassination plots and a seeming lack of empathy. A determination that serves his comrades but is ultimately reserved for his dream of building a country. And there isn’t anything he wouldn’t sacrifice to reach it — as he does, more often than not. This duality is a perfect fit for Berserk’s world and why Griffith is one of the most complex characters in any medium.

Still, in such a dark fantasy, many people aren’t inspiring others or conquering kingdoms like Griffith. Most (who aren’t dying horrible deaths) are persevering, trying to live their daily lives as best as they can and reach their own objectives, no matter how mundane they are. And that makes Guts the ideal protagonist for this story. In a setting that can throw anything at him, from assassins to demons and evil gods, he’ll always stand up to these challenges. Like another character says to him on a fateful day: “Struggle, challenge, and rise up to struggle again.”

Berserk art by Kentarou Miura.

A large boat slowly nears its final destiny, and a warrior rests on it while watching the quiet crescent moon. His body, riddled with scars and bandages, is not only a testament to his last battles but to what he must protect by any means. That’s how we find Guts later in the story, such a different person from the violent swordsman in the beginning. It’s a single panel that carries incredible beauty in its simplicity. Guts’ expression alone, still looking at the horizon despite his countless injuries, encapsulates all his struggles, desires, and journey splendidly. It’s also a rare quiet moment, allowing us to calmly relish in its small details.

Miura’s characters are so complex that they can be the protagonists of their own stories, making the world feel even more alive. We often stop following Guts and turn our attention to characters like Griffith, the mysterious Skull Knight, or Rickert, another Band of the Hawk member. None of these sides feel inferior, as they all seem cogs in a giant machine already set in motion.

That also happens because many appear under different circumstances depending on their objective. Sometimes, they are villains, but after a while, they become allies. Characters with minimal roles unexpectedly take center stage, and vice-versa.

There’s a beautiful line after Guts starts traveling with a new party that sums it up: “God bestows upon us fate. The fate called encounters.” Miura understands how complex human connections are, so he gives the same complexity to his characters and their relationships. It also captures the series message, as even if you lose important friends, it doesn’t mean you won’t make meaningful bonds again.

Berserk art by Kentarou Miura.

Miura’s art also adds to that complexity. Take Griffith, for example. His ethereal beauty — composed of his slender body and round innocent face with softer features — is unlike his devilish actions. He could easily be seen as the true hero of the story, which is exactly the author’s intention. So, to heighten the contrast, he’s often put in beautiful scenarios or with dazzling light. Thanks to that, one panel can speak more than any dialogue, like with Guts in the boat.

Another incredible detail about his art is the constant evolution. With comic books, artists constantly change, and we hardly see their development throughout a single book. But manga is the perfect platform to give us this experience. And what an experience it is! Miura’s drawings become denser, with a detailed and polished linework that makes the most surreal images feel real. And the art pops out even more with the impactful contrast between black and white. So, even if it’s a gruesome image, you force yourself to inspect every inch.

Berserk panels by Kentarou Miura.

Besides his experience, Miura had another skill helping him with that: strategy. Berserk’s action is so well-thought-out that you can find unique movements and page layouts tailored to many characters. Guts’ attacks have a tiny hesitation before his enormous sword fills the page with blood and gore. His strikes are usually featured in longer panels or double-page spreads, emphasizing his strength and imposing demeanor. Meanwhile, Isidro, a child who starts following Guts later on, is swift and chaotic as he mixes a variety of weapons with his small size. In his case, Miura uses dynamic composition, guiding the reader through the kid’s turbulent movements with elements like speech bubbles and character positions. Similar to Isidro’s case, these visual strategies often speak a lot about the character’s personality, as well.

A prevalent feeling for fans is wanting to see or watch a favorite series again as if it were the first time. Berserk is so full of details, be it in art or storytelling, that you’ll always find something new in every readthrough. Not to mention, it’s hard to get tired of seeing Guts persevering after so many bad things. The story wants you to accept the world’s bleakness but still embrace the good things that come to you.

Dark Horse Comics has published Berserk in 42 volumes (so far) or 14 Deluxe editions and can be found in all good comic book shops, online retailers, eBay, or Amazon/Kindle.