Subtle references and similarities to Kentaro Miura's manga "Berserk" can be found hidden in the game. The earliest example that can be discovered is the blacksmith Rickert, the name of a character in Berserk who was also a blacksmith.

Beatrice the Witch, who can be summoned twice as a Phantom for boss fights, bears a striking resemblance to the Berserk character Schierke.

The main character of Berserk, Guts, can also be seen referenced in a few different ways. A much more subtle reference is Black Iron Tarkus, a character summoned as a Phantom and seen later as a corpse in Anor Londo. His black armor and greatsword are said to be absurdly heavy and only able to be donned by him due to his incredible strength. Guts, while his armor is somewhat differently designed, is known for wielding weapons of absurd weight, and was also known for wearing black armor. What's more, the design of the Dark Souls Greatsword resembles the design of one of Guts' earliest swords.

The second reference is contained within the Dark Souls DLC in the form of Artorias, the Abysswalker. Some similarities include the design of Artorias' armor and Guts' Berserker Armor, their swords' abilities to damage demons and ghosts, their symbolism and references to wolves, their mangled left arms and their losses of sanity (though for varying reasons). In addition to that, many of Artorias' poses both for the DLC promotions and for in-game cutscenes greatly resemble official artwork of Guts from Berserk.