Berserk: Should You Experience the Anime or the Manga First?
Every new Berserk fan eventually asks the same question: manga or anime first? Three adaptations exist, and they cover different stretches of the story.
Miura's Manga Sets the Standard
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. Anyone who engages with Berserk seriously 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 and limited by modern standards, though 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 for anyone who has already seen the series and wants a different cut, or for whom TV-quality animation is a hard no.
2016–2017 TV Series
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, though many fans recommend reading those arcs in the manga instead.
Choosing a Starting Point
For 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 it's worth starting from the beginning instead of picking up where the anime left off.
For anyone who hates older animation: Skip the 1997 series, watch the Golden Age films, then read the manga.
For readers only: 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 the intended reading order.
The 2016 anime: Optional. It covers significant ground for anyone who wants to continue the story past the Golden Age without 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, with whom Miura had shared the full story 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.
Berserk Merchandise
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.