Berserk author Kentaro Miura has passed away, according to an official statement by Young Animal. Miura was 54 years old.

According to the statement, Miura passed away on May 6th, from an Acute aortic dissection. The statement then proceeded to pass on their condolences to Miura’s family.

In Japanese culture it’s common for deaths to be announced some time later when it involves public figures, to give the family time to grieve in private.

A Truly Iconic Series

Berserk is undoubtedly one of the most iconic manga of all time, introducing the concept of Western Medieval Gothic Fantasy to many Japanese readers. One such work based off of Berserk is the Dark Souls series, which fans have drawn many parallels to against Miura’s work.

The manga had also received two anime adaptations, one in the 90s and one in 2016. Berserk 2016 is currently available to stream on Netflix, although it is the less-regarded of the two adaptations.

Berserk had gained some notoriety in the anime fandom community, due to its tendency to go on long hiatuses. Unfortunately with Miura having passed away, it’s safe to assume that the story of Guts will not be finished.

It’s unknown if news of Miura having passed away will have an effect on Dai Berserk Ten, an independent Berserk exhibition that was indefinitely delayed earlier this year. The organizers have not commented on Miura’s passing.