It is the question that haunts every person who has ever picked up a volume of Kentaro Miura’s masterpiece. You finish the Golden Age arc, your soul is effectively crushed, and then you start wondering: is the Berserk manga finished? The short answer? No. But the long answer is a lot more emotional, complicated, and honestly, a bit of a miracle in the world of publishing.
When Kentaro Miura passed away in May 2021, the collective heart of the manga community stopped. He was only 54. For decades, Miura had been the sole architect of a world so dark, so detailed, and so profoundly human that it felt impossible for anyone else to touch it. For a while, we all just assumed Berserk died with him. We accepted that Guts might be forever stuck on that boat or trapped in the melancholy of Elfhelm.
But then something unexpected happened. Studio Gaga, Miura’s team of assistants, and his lifelong friend Kouji Mori decided to pick up the pen.
The current state of Berserk’s serialization
Right now, Berserk is ongoing. It is not finished.
Kouji Mori is the only person on the planet who knows how Miura intended to end the story. They were best friends since high school. Miura had essentially storyboarded the entire finale in conversations with Mori over the years. Because of this, the "Mori-supervised" era of Berserk began in Young Animal magazine.
It’s different now. You can feel it in the lines. Studio Gaga is incredibly talented—they were trained by the master himself—but Miura’s "god-hand" had a specific, almost transcendental weight to it. The current chapters are faster-paced. There is less "filler," if you can even call Miura’s world-building that. Mori has been very vocal about the fact that he isn't going to "flesh out" or invent new subplots. He is strictly sticking to the plot points Miura told him.
Basically, we’re getting the "Director’s Cut" of the ending. No fluff. Just the backbone of the story that needs to be told so Guts and Griffith can reach their final confrontation.
Why the "Finished" rumor keeps popping up
Google searches for "is the Berserk manga finished" spike every time there is a long hiatus. And with Berserk, hiatuses are the norm, not the exception.
Fans often mistake the end of an arc for the end of the series. When the Fantasia Arc "ended" with Chapter 364—the last chapter Miura worked on—it felt like a natural, albeit devastating, stopping point. It featured a specific, haunting image of the Moonlight Boy that felt like a goodbye. If the series had stopped there, it would have been one of the greatest "what ifs" in literary history.
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But the story moved into a new phase. We are currently in the thick of the Eastern Exile Arc.
Who is actually making Berserk now?
You’ve got to understand the hierarchy here to trust the quality. It’s not some corporate takeover by a publisher trying to squeeze money out of a dead man’s legacy.
- Studio Gaga: These are the assistants who worked under Miura for years. They do the actual drawing.
- Kouji Mori: The supervisor. He wrote Holyland, which is a fantastic manga in its own right. He’s the narrative anchor.
Mori famously said that he wouldn't do this if he didn't think he could do it right. He’s doing it as a favor to his late friend. That’s why the updates are sporadic. They aren't rushing. They are trying to match a level of detail that is frankly superhuman.
Have you seen the art in the Eclipse? Or the battle with Ganishka? Replicating that is a nightmare.
The timeline of the final chapters
If you’re looking for a finish date, you’re going to be disappointed.
There is no "End Date."
Manga production, especially for a series with this much baggage, is volatile. We might get three chapters in four months, and then nothing for half a year. That’s just the Berserk lifestyle. You learn to live with the silence.
Common misconceptions about Berserk's ending
Some people think the anime finished the story. Not even close.
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The 1997 anime is a masterpiece, but it covers maybe 20% of the total lore. The 2016 CGI series... well, we don't talk about that in polite company. It’s a mess. If you want the actual story, the manga is the only way to go.
Another big misconception is that the story is being "ghostwritten" by someone who doesn't know the ending. Again, Mori is the key. He’s the "guardian of the ending." If Mori says Griffith is going to do something, it’s because Miura told him Griffith would do it back in 1995 over drinks.
What’s actually happening in the story right now?
Slight spoilers ahead if you aren't caught up to Chapter 370.
The story is at a massive turning point. Elfhelm, the one "safe" place in the world, has fallen. Casca is once again in a precarious position. Guts is at his lowest point—even lower than after the Eclipse, arguably—because he’s starting to realize that his sword might not be enough to change destiny.
The theme of the manga has shifted from "struggle" to "consequence."
How much more is left?
Mori has hinted that they aren't going to drag this out for another twenty years. We are in the final stages.
If I had to guess, based on the pacing of the recent chapters, we are looking at maybe 30 to 50 more chapters. At the current rate of release, that could be five years. It could be ten.
The weight of the ink is heavy.
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Every time a new chapter drops, the internet explodes because Berserk isn't just a comic. It’s a cultural touchstone. It influenced Dark Souls, Elden Ring, and basically every "dark fantasy" property created in the last three decades. People care if it finishes because they need to see if Guts can ever find peace.
Is it worth reading if it's not done?
Yes. A thousand times, yes.
Even if the manga were to stop tomorrow, the journey through the Golden Age, Conviction, and Millennium Falcon arcs is unparalleled. The art progression alone is a masterclass. Miura started with a somewhat standard 80s style and ended up drawing pages that look like they belong in the Louvre.
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What you should do next
If you are trying to stay updated on whether Berserk is finished or when the next chapter is coming, you need to follow the right channels.
- Check Young Animal’s official Twitter (X) account. They are the Japanese publishers. They announce chapter dates about two weeks in advance.
- Avoid the "leak" sites. They often mistranslate dialogue, and in a manga as nuanced as Berserk, one wrong word can change the entire meaning of a scene between Guts and Griffith.
- Support the official release. Volume 42 is the first volume released post-Miura that contains the Mori-supervised chapters. Buying these volumes sends a signal to the publishers that the fans still care and want the ending to be finished properly.
- Read Kouji Mori’s one-shot manga about Miura. It’s a heart-wrenching look at their friendship and explains exactly why he decided to continue Berserk. It gives you the context you need to trust the new chapters.
The road to the end of Berserk is long and paved with hiatuses. It is a story about a man fighting against a preordained fate, and in a way, the manga itself is doing the same thing. It’s fighting to exist despite the loss of its creator. It isn't finished yet, but for the first time in years, the path to the end is actually visible.
Be patient. The Berserker Armor doesn't come off easily.