‘Berserk’ is a classic manga written and illustrated by the legendary author Kentaro Miura. It was first published in the 80s and has, in the long run, pleased multiple manga enthusiasts and critics.
Berserk is known for its’ dark and gritty themes, with a mixture of complex characters and honorable, immaculate art.
The series has paved the way for many other mangakas, serving as inspiration, and continues to thrive to the top of the manga medium. Including anime and manga, Berserk influence can be seen even in video games like Dark Souls!
Berserk takes place in medieval Europe and follows the story of a swordsman named Guts and the leader of the mercenary group “Band of The Hawk,” Griffith. Guts is an orphan who has gone through multiple past traumas, and as he grew up, he found out the importance of comradeship and how important it is to have some comrades on your journey.
The series follows the aspect of both horror and dark fantasy and is also considered one of the greatest manga of all time.
If you have just caught up with Berserk and can not seem to have enough of its’ gritty themes and complex storyline, you are at the right place! In this list, we will discuss manga that are like Berserk and even can be considered its worthy successors. These manga will deliver the same themes and epic battles! But, it will not be limited to the Dark Fantasy genre.
5: Claymore
Claymore is a manga that resembles Berserk as they intertwine in the same genre, i.e., Dark Fantasy, and have similar settings and complex characters. The start of the series might be very slow-paced, but it wastes no time with the build-up of arcs.
First released in 2001, Claymore is written and illustrated by Norihiro Yagi and has broken multiple tropes for a shonen manga. The series is set in the medieval era, similar to Berserk, where humans are plagued by Yoma, shape shifters that eat humans.
To counter these terrifying creatures, a group of humans created a band with human-yoma hybrids that hunted down Yoma for a living. These hybrids are called “Claymores,” alluding to the swords they use, and all of these human saviors are females.
While the manga has multiple Claymores, it focuses on one Claymore significantly, named Claire. She’s the lowest-ranked Claymore, and her goal is pure revenge against an awakened being known as Priscilla.
If you are looking for a revengeful story and epic battle sequences like Berserk, this is the manga you should try.
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4: Vinland Saga
Vinland Saga definitely needs no introduction, considering how famous its anime adaptation is. The series was first published in 2004, written and drawn by Makoto Yukimura, and is no stranger to accolades.
The series is set in the era of Vikings instead of the Medieval era (like Berserk) and dramatizes the history of Thorfinn Karlsefni, who is on the journey to find the peaceful land of Vinland for his people. Before his journey, he was a boy on a cold-blooded journey to avenge his father.
However, as Thorfinn grows, he discovers that life is not just about taking revenge and that everything can be settled down even with peace, with no reason for causing unnecessary bloodshed.
The series does not hold back from sending its main character to hell and then providing a way out to develop its character.
Overall, Vinland Saga can be considered the worthy successor of Berserk, as both of the characters in the series have suffered a lot and still manage themselves no matter how bad and impossible things might get.
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3: Dorohedoro
Dorohedoro is a manga that will surpass your expectations if you love the Dark Fantasy genre. Similar to Berserk, the series is set in a twisted world where no one is normal and has twisted minds.
The story of Dorohedoro is set in a fictitious city called “The Hole,” where sorcerers are using normal humans as guinea pigs to commit atrocious experiments.
Dorohedoro has a long publication of 18 years, from 2000 to 2018. The series is drawn and written by Q Hayashida and has one of the most intriguing storylines and art styles in manga history.
The story follows a woman named Nikaidou who finds a man with a reptile head who calls himself Caiman.
Caiman has a severe case of Amnesia as he does not remember the sorcerer who transformed his head into a reptile’s. Nikaidou and Caiman are on the hunt to find out the sorcerer who cursed Caiman.
This hunt eventually develops into an extensive agenda of sorcerers and the mystery of associations of devils, sorcerers, and humans themselves. Dorohedoro is a must-read for every fan of Berserk, and it has one of the most solid storylines ever.
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2: Blade of The Immortal
A series that does not get the recognition it deserves. Blade of The Immortal is a manga set in the warring states of the Tokugawa-shogunate era. It delivers a unique blend of the Supernatural genre with the adventures of a Samurai.
Written and drawn by Hiroaki Samura, Blade of The Immortal is a genre-defining manga series. The series follows a Samurai named Manji, infamous for his title “Hundred Man Killer,” for the number of people he killed at the start of the series, and “Mister Twelve Blades,” for the number of weapons he carries.
Manji is easily identified by the facial scars and the Manji logo that he wears every day. Although Manji is a samurai, he has been granted immortality by the means of Kessen-chu, which practically makes him unable to die.
Blade of The Immortal has some impeccable action sequences and an immaculate amount of gore, similar to Berserk: a top-notch adventure and supernatural manga.
1: Kingdom
Like Vinland Saga, Kingdom is all about war, but the setting and environment differ. The series is set in the period of the Warring States of China and dramatizes the events of the wars that took part in China really long ago.
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The series is written and drawn by Yasuhisa Hara and has sold over 99 million copies, making it one of the best-selling manga series ever. The series follows a boy named Xin Li, who was born in the warring era of the Kingdom of Qin and works in a poor village.
Xin and his best friend Piao have a dream of becoming the greatest generals of the heavens. But, Piao is taken to the palace for unknown reasons, and Xin never sees him again until Piao comes back severely damaged. It turns out that Piao serves as a double since he looks like the King of Qin, Ying Zheng.
Piao dies, and temporarily, this makes Xin furious. Still, later, he seizes this moment to start his life as a soldier of Ying to follow the collective dream of becoming the greatest general of the heavens. Kingdom is known for its immaculate art and having one of the most impeccable fighting sequences.
Indeed, it is one of the best manga similar to Berserk with its art and action.
These are some of the manga like Berserk that can truly be considered its successor. Do let us know in the comment section if we have missed any. You might like: Gigantomachia: The Forgotten Manga by Berserk’s Kentaro Miura.
