Published Mar 14, 2026, 10:00 PM EDT
Branson is a Senior Writer for ScreenRant. Anime has been a major part of his life since he was able to raise his hands in the air for a Spirit Bomb. As a journalist, Branson focuses heavily on listicles and op-eds detailing the industry's greatest shonen series.
There's no dark fantasy franchise quite like Berserk. It's often (correctly) referred to as one of the greatest manga series in general, and even after just a few chapters, it's easy to see why.
Sentenced to Be a Hero is an exceptional new series showcasing amazing animation, a brutal story line, and characters that don't know the meaning of the word quit. It's not Berserk, but it isn't trying to be. It's a great replacement for Berserk fans, however, as Sentenced to Be a Hero incorporates a lot of the same elements that made Kentaro Miura's masterpiece so unbelievable.
Berserk Is the Pinnacle of Dark Fantasy Anime
Berserk is such a great dark fantasy series that it exists in a league of its own. There isn't a real comparison because no other series has been quite as excellent as it. Kentaro Miura, creator of Berserk, made something that transcends the genre and the medium of manga as a whole.
Unfortunately, Berserk hasn't gotten the anime adaptation that it deserves. There's a solid 90s series and a trilogy of some of the best anime movies of all time, but the 2016 series didn't do the franchise justice.
Kentaro Miura passed away nearly five years ago, leaving the future of Berserk up in the air. While we may never truly get another series like Berserk, there are a few series looking to shine light on one of the darkest genres in anime, and Sentenced to Be a Hero is great example.
Sentenced to Be a Hero Is Up Next
Sentenced to Be a Hero has no business being as good as it is. A lot of series take way too long to become interesting, and Sentenced to Be a Hero is great within the first 10 minutes. The series stars Xylo Forbartz as the titular Hero, a role reserved for those who have committed egregious crimes.
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Heroes are sentenced to fight on the front lines, sacrifice their lives for the kingdom, and get revived to do it all again. It's a brutal narrative that the series makes the most out of, and Xylo Forbartz will do anything to break this cycle and find out the truth behind his sentencing.
The series couples a dark narrative with equally dark action. It's rare for a franchise to be so willing to lean into brutality, as more series do their best to off-screen deaths or let villains survive to live another day. Sentenced to Be a Hero isn't that kind of series, and that's one of the many reasons why fans of Berserk will love it.
Will There Ever Be Another Dark Fantasy Like Berserk?
There may never be another dark fantasy series quite like Berserk, but that doesn't mean that there aren't suitable series to watch instead. Re:Zero is one of the darkest anime series of all time, and it's also one of the best. It's a staple of the isekai genre that gets better and better the longer it runs, and we can't wait for the upcoming fourth season.
Dorohedoro mixes darkness with absurdity better than anyone, and it's also coming back sooner rather than later. Goblin Slayer has one of the most unnerving premier episodes around, and Clevatess showed off one of the best, grittiest art directions in years.
While Berserk may forever hold the title of the best dark fantasy anime ever made, series like Sentenced to Be a Hero show that Miura's masterpiece doesn't hold a monopoly on the genre, and that's great for everyone.
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Created by Kentaro Miura, Kouji Mori
First Film Berserk: The Golden Age Arc 1: The Egg of the King
Latest Film Berserk: The Golden Age Arc 3: The Advent
First TV Show Berserk
Latest TV Show Berserk
First Episode Air Date October 7, 1997
Berserk is a dark fantasy manga series by Kentaro Miura, first published in 1989. Set in a medieval Europe-inspired world, it follows Guts, a lone mercenary, and his struggle against demonic forces after his betrayal by Griffith, leader of the Band of the Hawk. The franchise has expanded into multiple anime series, films, video games, and merchandise.
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founded May 14, 2006
notable shows In/Spectre, Tower of God, Blade Runner: Black Lotus, Shenmue the Animation
Crunchyroll is a North American-based streaming service owned by Sony that focuses largely on Japanese anime but also covers several East Asian drama series. The service is available in several countries and has a small catalog of self-created and published series, with most of its content licensed with partners overseas.
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Sentenced to Be a Hero
Release Date January 3, 2026
Network Tokyo MX
Cast
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Yoko Hikasa
Neely (voice)
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Mayu Iizuka
Teoritta (voice)
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English (US) ·