After Souls, Sekiro or Bloodborn, this time Hidetaka Miyazaki offers us an open world of dark fantasy that will push the player to explore while keeping this very special touch that raises his games to the rank of “cult”.
Inspiration from childhood
Whether it’s “books in which you are the hero”, Magi or a multitude of fantasy works, Miyazaki was able to find his inspiration in the universe that surrounded him from childhood. From his own words, we also know that if the scenario of the souls trilogy seems so enigmatic to us, it comes above all from the English books he read in his youth. Not being able to understand everything in view of a rather weak English, he had to imagine the story with the bits of information that he managed to collect in his reading.
However, if an influence has not escaped the fans, it is that of the cult work of Kentaro Miura, Berserk. Whether in the environment, the characters or in the general aesthetic, its medieval fantasy universe is omnipresent at From Software. The manga was published in 1989, exactly during Miyazaki’s 15th birthday, the age when we go from shonen to seinen, a type of manga presenting a darker, complex and violent world, the key word in Berserk.
Berserk, a global phenomenon
If Berserk is a cult manga, it’s not for nothing. With 40 volumes at Glénat in France and a total circulation of 50 million copies in 2021, it is one of the most famous seinen. However, we must warn you that the universe of Berserk is not to be placed in everyone’s hands, it tackles violent subjects in a raw and direct way, enough to destabilize more than one (special mention in volume 13, which will forever be etched in the hearts of fans).
Berserk takes place in a universe of dark fantasy where we follow the life of Guts, an abandoned child of all forcing himself to become a warrior to survive in a ruthless world. The atmosphere of this one is dark but also marked with hope with the meetings of the secondary characters during the quest of our hero. To this, we can add that the violence in Berserk is not there for nothing, it is not “gore for gore”, it serves a purpose and an understanding of who Guts really is.
As far as heroic fantasy goes, this manga is filled with mythological references right down to the very term “berserker”, a bloody animal warrior who goes into a sacred fury. As you read, you will find allusions to different cultures and legends.
In addition to having created a script that does not spare its readers, the strength of Kentaro Miura was also found in his unique drawing line which inspired countless mangakas, but also screenwriters and artists around the world. . We no longer count the number of his boards that have become legendary and essential.
It is therefore no surprise that a fan of heroic fantasy such as Miyakazi is passionate about Berserk and that he can transcribe it to us in his games. More particularly in Dark Souls and Elden Ring because both take place in a universe of dark fantasy comparable to that of the manga.
Miyakazi’s nods to Berserk
As said before, the manga and the games taking place in similar universes, it is sometimes quite hard to know if certain allusions that we can spot are really so, or if it is just a coincidence.
However, if you are a souls fan and you have not yet read Berserk or if, conversely, you are a manga reader but you have not yet gone on the adventure of From Software games, here is a small selection of 8 more or less recognized references that could make you change your mind.
(Warning, this section may spoil you!)
- The Serpent Men and the Leader of the Raiders
We find the snake lord (or the leader of the looters) from the beginning of Berserk, it is even the first apostle that Guts will have to fight. He and his band will end up massacred by this one. Given the character design, it’s hard not to relate to the serpent men of Dark Souls, bringing back painful memories of Sen’s Fortress for players.
- The Red Eye Orb and the Beherit
Featured in all Souls, the Red Eye Orb enables online play for players wanting to invade other people’s worlds at will. Its design strongly resembles the beherit, an essential element of the plot of Berserk.
- Sulyvhan’s Beast and Guts’ Dark Beast
We discover the first beast of Sulyvhan during the bridge to go to Irithyll of the boreal valley, they are former knights transformed into monsters by the Pontiff and his black eyes. How not to see in these beasts the berserker armor of Guts?
Malenia appears from the first trailer of Elden Ring, with a Valkyrie signet appearance, it is especially her winged helmet that reminds us of the helmet of the famous Farnese lady from Berserk. Apart from the statuette on the top of the helmet, we notice that the two are very similar, a pleasure to find this reference for the fans.
- The Prisoner Class and Griffith
As soon as the different classes of Elden Ring were announced, a wind of happiness blew among the readers of Berserk when the design of the prisoner class was unveiled. The prisoner’s helmet strongly resembles that of Griffith (one of the manga’s main characters) during his imprisonment before the eclipse. Just like for Griffith, there is a great mystery hanging over this class, it is said that before being imprisoned he was part of the nobility and studied witchcraft.
Blaidd is a very mysterious NPC that we can meet during our Elden Ring adventure. Appearing only at night with a very specific action, it is with its chara-design that we discover the nod to Guts, the hero of Berserk. His huge sword and his wolf armor easily remind us of the berserker armor, but we can also add his cold and taciturn temperament which echoes the protagonist of the manga.
- Eclipse-like areas
If you ask a reader of Berserk which volume has the most impact on his reading, there is a chance in two that he will answer you on 13, the volume of the eclipse. It was a big slap for all the fans and surely for Miyazaki because he decided to make reference to it in his own games. We will then find exactly the same eclipse during the final battle of Dark Souls 3 against Lord of Cinder, but also the same atmosphere in a nightmarish area of Caelid of Elden Ring. This one is filled with a crimson red atmosphere, a terrifying OST and evil mobs creating unease to the player who discovers it for the first time.
- Direct tributes to Kentaro Miura
The death of Kentaro Miura on May 20, 2021 has left countless fans grieving over his disappearance, which must also have been the case for the From Software team, Elden Ring players were able to spot steles scattered in several areas of the game representing the famous sword of Guts. We can also directly find this one to equip it in the Caelid area, enough to make our character look like Guts directly. Be careful though, just like for the manga, this sword requires superhuman strength!
Finally, this selection that we have presented to you is only a tiny part of the Berserk references that we can come across during the various Miyazaki games. We can only advise you to go and discover others for yourself, just as Miyazaki encourages players to explore. We also thank the From Software studio for making us travel to each of its opuses.