Berserk watch order
Guts, a mercenary with a huge sword, joins Griffith's Band of the Hawk and rises with them through a long war, until Griffith's ambition ends it all in the Eclipse. Kentaro Miura's dark fantasy manga has been adapted three times, and no anime gets past the start of its later arcs.
First time? Watch Berserk (1997), the best-loved telling of the Golden Age, then read the manga. To stay with anime, watch the Memorial Edition (or the three Golden Age Arc films) and then Berserk (2016) and Berserk 2.
Story order
The only anime line that goes past the Eclipse: the Golden Age films (or the Memorial Edition in their place), then Berserk (2016) and Berserk 2. The 1997 series retells the same Golden Age on its own and doesn't lead into anything.
- Berserk: The Golden Age Arc I – The Egg of the King
The first of Studio 4°C's three films retelling the Golden Age: Guts meets Griffith and joins the Hawks. A compressed version of the story that mixes 2D with CG.
- Berserk: The Golden Age Arc II – The Battle for Doldrey
The Hawks' greatest victory and Guts's decision to leave the band.
- Berserk: The Golden Age Arc III – The Advent
Also titled Descent: Griffith's rescue and the Eclipse, shown in full, ending as Guts sets out as the Black Swordsman. Very graphic. Berserk (2016) follows on from it.
- Berserk (2016)
Picks up years after the Eclipse with Guts hunting apostles, compresses the Black Swordsman and Lost Children material into the first episode, then adapts the Conviction arc. Mostly CG, which many viewers dislike. Episode 12.5 is a recap.
- Berserk 2
Episodes 13–24: the first half of the Hawk of the Millennium Empire arc, ending as Guts's group heads for the port city of Vritannis. Episode 21.5 is a recap. The last Berserk anime so far.
Release order
Everything in the order it came out. The 1997 series, the films and the Memorial Edition all cover the Golden Age, so you only need one of them.
- Berserk (1997)
OLM's adaptation of the Golden Age (manga volumes 1–13): a short Black Swordsman opening, then the whole story of the Band of the Hawk. It leaves out Puck and other characters and stops abruptly during the Eclipse. Its own continuity; nothing follows it.
- Berserk: The Golden Age Arc I – The Egg of the King
The first of Studio 4°C's three films retelling the Golden Age: Guts meets Griffith and joins the Hawks. A compressed version of the story that mixes 2D with CG.
- Berserk: The Golden Age Arc II – The Battle for Doldrey
The Hawks' greatest victory and Guts's decision to leave the band.
- Berserk: The Golden Age Arc III – The Advent
Also titled Descent: Griffith's rescue and the Eclipse, shown in full, ending as Guts sets out as the Black Swordsman. Very graphic. Berserk (2016) follows on from it.
- Berserk (2016)
Picks up years after the Eclipse with Guts hunting apostles, compresses the Black Swordsman and Lost Children material into the first episode, then adapts the Conviction arc. Mostly CG, which many viewers dislike. Episode 12.5 is a recap.
- Berserk 2
Episodes 13–24: the first half of the Hawk of the Millennium Empire arc, ending as Guts's group heads for the port city of Vritannis. Episode 21.5 is a recap. The last Berserk anime so far.
- Berserk: The Golden Age Arc – Memorial Edition
The three films re-edited into a 13-episode TV series, with hundreds of reworked shots, restored scenes and new music. The better way to watch the film version; watch this or the films, not both.
Explained
Which version of the Golden Age should I watch?
The 1997 series is the one most fans recommend: slower, character-focused and famous for its music, though it cuts characters like Puck and has an abrupt ending. The films are faster and more graphic but compress a lot and lean on CG. If you want the film version, the Memorial Edition is the one to pick: same story, reworked animation and restored scenes.
Why does the 1997 series end so suddenly?
It stops in the middle of the Eclipse, with only a short scene of Guts setting out afterwards, and never shows how he escapes. Nothing was made to continue it. The usual advice is to read the manga next; the 1997 series barely touches the opening Black Swordsman chapters, so many people start the manga from the beginning.
Is the 2016 series worth it?
It's the only anime that continues past the Golden Age, following on from the films. But it squeezes the Black Swordsman and Lost Children material into a single episode, jumps into the Conviction arc, and its mostly-CG look is widely criticized. Many fans read the manga for this part instead.
Is there more coming?
No new Berserk anime has been officially announced as of October 2026. Kentaro Miura died in 2021, and the manga has continued since 2022, drawn by his assistants at Studio Gaga under the supervision of his friend Kouji Mori. A fan-made Black Swordsman anime by Studio Eclypse was disavowed by the publisher in 2024 and is not official.