Berserk: Anime or Manga — Which Should You Experience First?
Every new Berserk fan eventually asks the same question. Here's the honest answer rather than the diplomatic one.
The Manga Is the Real Berserk
Kentaro Miura's manga is one of the greatest achievements in the medium. The artwork alone — the crosshatching, the scale of the Eclipse, the expressions on Guts's face — is something no anime adaptation has come close to replicating. If you're going to engage with Berserk seriously, you will eventually read the manga. The only question is when.
What Each Anime Adaptation Actually Does
1997 TV Series
Covers the Golden Age arc. Dark, atmospheric, well-written. The finale is one of anime's most shocking moments and it hits hard specifically because the series earns it over 25 episodes. The animation is late-90s TV quality — limited by modern standards — but the voice acting (both sub and dub) is excellent. This adaptation created Berserk's Western fanbase.
What it does well: character development, pacing, the Griffith-Guts dynamic, the Eclipse
What it misses: the Black Swordsman arc that opens the manga, the post-Eclipse story, basically everything after
Golden Age Arc Films (2012–2013)
The same Golden Age story in three theatrical films. Better animation, faster pace, some added scenes. Most fans prefer the 1997 series for atmosphere; the films are useful if you've already seen the series and want a different cut, or if TV-quality animation is a hard no for you.
2016–2017 TV Series
This is where Berserk's adaptation history gets complicated. The 2016 series picks up after the Golden Age and adapts the Black Swordsman, Conviction, and Millennium Falcon arcs — significant portions of the manga that no previous anime had touched. The story it adapts is genuinely great. The CGI animation is widely considered among the worst in recent anime history for a major title.
Watch it knowing this upfront and it's tolerable. The story is strong enough to carry through the visual roughness. But many fans recommend reading those arcs in the manga instead.
So: Which First?
If you want the smoothest experience: Watch the 1997 series first. It's the best-produced adaptation and a genuine anime classic. Then read the manga from Chapter 1 — the manga version of the Golden Age has material and depth the anime doesn't include, so starting from the beginning rather than picking up where the anime left off is worth it.
If you hate older animation: Skip the 1997 series, watch the Golden Age films, then read the manga.
If you just want to read: Start the manga. It opens with the Black Swordsman arc (which the 1997 anime skips), which sets up Guts's character before the flashback to the Golden Age. This is actually the intended reading order.
The 2016 anime: Optional. If you're not reading the manga and want to continue the story past the Golden Age, it covers significant ground. If you are reading the manga, those arcs are better in print.
Where the Story Stands Now
Kentaro Miura passed away in May 2021 at chapter 364. His close friend and collaborator Kouji Mori — whom Miura had shared the full story with verbally — is continuing the manga with the help of the Miura Studio team. The series is ongoing.
A new anime adaptation covering the post-Golden Age arcs with proper production values remains one of the most requested projects in the community.
Ready to Own a Piece of It?
Our Berserk collection has merch built for people who understand the weight of the Brand of Sacrifice. Also see our Berserk watch order guide and best Berserk gifts for more.