Berserk Watch Order: The Complete Guide for 2026
Berserk has one of the strangest adaptation histories in anime. Three separate attempts — 1997, 2016, and 2022 — each cover different ground, none of them finish the story, and the 2016 version is infamous for its CGI. Then there's the manga, which is simply one of the greatest works in the medium's history. Here's exactly how to approach it.
The Short Answer
If you want the best possible Berserk experience: watch the 1997 anime, then read the manga from the beginning. Everything else is supplementary.
Berserk Watch Order: Chronological
1. Berserk (1997 TV Series) — Start Here
The 1997 series covers the Golden Age arc — the story of Guts, Griffith, and the Band of the Hawk. It's dark, character-driven, and ends on one of anime's most shocking finales. The animation is dated but the writing holds up completely. This is the adaptation that made Berserk's reputation in the West.
Episodes: 25 | Where to watch: Crunchyroll, Funimation
2. Berserk: The Golden Age Arc — Film Trilogy (2012–2013)
Three theatrical films that retell the same Golden Age story as the 1997 series with improved animation and a faster pace. They cover the same events but add some scenes and cut others. Watch these or the 1997 series — not both, unless you want to compare. Most fans prefer the TV series for its slower, more atmospheric build.
Films: The Egg of the King · The Battle for Doldrey · The Advent
3. Berserk (2016–2017 TV Series)
This is the controversial one. The 2016 series picks up after the Golden Age and covers the Black Swordsman, Conviction, and Millennium Falcon arcs. The CGI animation is rough — notoriously so — but the story it adapts is crucial if you want to continue Guts's journey without reading. Watch it knowing what it is: an imperfect adaptation of genuinely excellent source material.
Episodes: Season 1 (12 ep) + Season 2 (24 ep)
4. The Manga — Read This
Kentaro Miura's manga is the real Berserk. It covers everything the anime adaptations don't — and it does so with artwork that is genuinely staggering in its detail and ambition. After Miura's passing in 2021, the series continued under his longtime collaborator Kouji Mori using Miura's notes and storyboards. The manga is ongoing.
If you want to pick up the manga after the 1997 anime, start from the beginning — the manga's Golden Age arc has material and nuance the anime doesn't include. If you've watched the 2016/2017 series, you can start from where it leaves off (roughly Chapter 306).
What's the Current Status of Berserk?
As of 2026, Kouji Mori and the Miura Studio team are continuing the manga. Chapters release in Young Animal magazine. A new anime adaptation covering the post-2016 arcs has been long-discussed but not officially confirmed — any announcements will be major news in the community.
Recommended Order: TL;DR
- Berserk 1997 (anime) — or Golden Age film trilogy
- Berserk 2016–2017 (anime) — optional but useful for non-manga readers
- Berserk manga — from Chapter 1 for the full experience
Want to Own a Piece of the Dark Fantasy Classic?
Whether you're a first-time viewer or a longtime fan of the manga, our Berserk collection has apparel, accessories, and collectibles built for fans who know what the Eclipse actually means. Guts-approved.
Also worth exploring: our Classic Anime Collection for other dark and mature titles, and if you want something tonally adjacent — our Claymore and Vinland Saga collections are for fans of serious, brutal storytelling.