Berserk is a manga that explores various dark themes and its connotations are often engraved in a traumatic tone. While we explore the top 5 manga to read if you liked Berserk, it is important to understand that these manga are generally based on the preconception that their thematic concerns echo the same tones as their counterparts, and not necessarily their narrative or storyline.
Moreover, it is important to understand that Berserk investigates and explains the idea of loss and pain in the most devastating yet beautiful manner, and the manga included in this article somehow reiterates the same.Â
Top 5 manga to read if you liked Berserk (ranked)Â
5. Blade of the Immortal
- Blade of the Immortal is a very violent and action-packed fiction manga that imitates Berserk in a lot of ways. It follows the story of a samurai but somehow strays away from the portrayal of realism as such.
- The story is highly driven by action and the series is set on a portrayal of violence very similar to Berserk manga.Â
The reason that Blade of the Immortal made it to the list of the top 5 manga to read if you liked Berserk is because of its similar portrayal of the loneliness of the protagonist. It is highly violent, yet the protagonists are drowned in their sense of isolation and abandonment, wherein the trope of alienation and identity play a major role.Â
4. Claymore
- Claymore is different yet similar to Berserk in a lot of ways.
- While Claymore and Berserk explore different art styles, their themes and concerns are blended in metaphors and imageries which are highly similar.
- Moreover, the violence and the portrayal of central characters in this manga are extremely similar to Berserk.Â
The manga is a dark fantasy series and it features the titular character Clare and her armed comrades in their fight against shapeshifting demons who try to take over their land. Claymore is extremely digressive yet engaging in nature. Fans of Berserk must try this series at least to understand the various similarities of storytelling in this kind of genre.Â
3. Attack on Titan
- Attack on Titan explores loss, revenge, and bloodshed in the most graphic and gruesome manner possible.
- It is the story of AoT and Berserk that resemble each other, while the protagonists are not very much alike otherwise.
- While Eren turns into an antagonist in the series, Guts develops himself as a protagonist centered around the ideals of growth and forgiveness.Â
AoT and Berserk manga are also interconnected as they explore the themes of willpower and determination in very parallel terms. While the application of these themes is contrasting in both stories, it is basically the commonality of their usage that unites both of them.Â
2. Vinland Saga
Vinland Saga is a historical fiction that takes a lot of inspiration and adaptation from Viking history. It is set in medieval Europe, much like Berserk, but doesn’t necessarily explore dark themes as such. While the theme of loss and death is recurrent and the idea of revenge is omnipresent, it holds a significant resemblance to Berserk and the story of Guts.Â
Vinland Saga also holds a great deal of violence and vengeance, which is later transformed into personal growth and redemption. This is something that reflects the idea of Berserk and the story of Guts, which gives us a story that imitates the classic in the most realistic sense possible.Â
1. Vagabond
- Vagabond manga revolves around the life of Miyamoto Musashi who is a legendary ronin and was known for his swordsmanship.
- Vagabond is similar to Berserk and holds great resemblance in the sense that it explores the theme of personal growth.
- It explores the obstacles faced by the protagonist and the various hurdles which pose a threat to his being, and at the same time pushes them off to the corner to give center stage to the trope of growth and development.Â
Miyamoto is also a character protagonist who holds a great resemblance to Guts from Berserk. While the series itself is not rooted in darkness and the exploration of dark themes, it delves greatly into the personal and the interpersonal to make changes to the being as a whole, which is the most integral trope of Berserk as a whole.Â
Conclusion
The top 5 manga to read if you liked Berserk is a list that explores the various stories that imitate or echo the themes of the classic manga. These stories are wrapped in a lot of dark elements, yet they do not fail to reiterate the importance of human life.
Moreover, the philosophical questions that these shows raise are much more conceptually driven than a lot of over-the-top philosophies that we witness in storytelling these days. For more anime updates, subscribe to our newsletter at Spiel Anime!