Tolkienists.org

In this paper, I argue that Lord of the Rings has a major impact on Kentaro Miura’s Berserk — I analyze the similarities between Tolkien’s text and Miura’s Berserk panels. I dissect how the themes of good and evil are similar and the ways in which Miura borrowed from Lord of the Rings, in order to create his own original creatures. Importantly, I look at the hero’s journey throughout Lord of the Rings, and how these themes are reflected throughout Berserk. Kentaro Miura’s interviews, where he discusses his inspiration for Berserk, will be taken into account. Miura recently passed away, and left a legacy as deep and intense as Tolkien did. My work, marries the two greats together, and analyzes how they are similar, the ways Tolkien influenced Miura, and what other sources the two authors took inspiration from.