Few manga have reshaped an entire genre like Berserk . Since its debut, Kentaro Miura’s saga of swords, demons, and destiny has left a permanent mark on Japanese pop culture. You see its shadow in Attack on Titan , which mirrors its atmosphere of doomed battles against monstrous foes, and in Goblin Slayer , which echoes its harsh approach to dark fantasy violence .

When Miura began Berserk , Japanese fantasy leaned heavily on game-influenced settings. Dragon Quest and Record of Lodoss War set the tone, filled with familiar tropes and heroic quests. Miura revealed in an interview with Shōnen Jump Plus that he wanted something different.

“I was more inspired by Conan the Barbarian and the Elric stories,” he said. Even Lord of the Rings was barely known in Japan at

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