It’s rare for something to come back after more than a decade and be just as popular as ever, but the anime Berserk is one of those rare anomalies that stand the test of time. It’s violent but accessible, humorous when necessary and inventive in the way it handles a narrative. Because there are some very large gaps between releases, it can be hard to figure out just how to watch the show in the right order. Not to worry, we’re here to help.
The history of Berserk goes all the way back to 1989 as a dark fantasy manga series published by Dark Horse Comics stateside. It’s set in a sort of medieval time period where swords and horses and barbaric people wrest for control of their lives and their futures. The main character is named Guts. He is one of the most memorable anime characters of all time.
Guts is a skilled swordsman with a troubling origin story and sometimes experiences some runs of bad luck. Whether or not you’ve seen the anime or read the manga will influence your opinion just how “bad” things go for him, and whether or not it’s an understatement. He’s part of a group of mercenaries called The Band of the Hawk and much of the series involves a lifetime antagonism between Guts and Griffith, who at one point were as close as brothers.
Much of the manga describes Griffith ends up almost dying but at the last second he activates a demon artifact and becomes a God, and how it’s up to Guts to hunt him down in his new form along with his fellow God demons.
Think of Berserk as the Citizen Kane of anime; it set the table for almost every dark fantasy series that came after it. Guts and his huge sword are iconic pop culture images that have been copied and revered for a long time. Writer and editor Kazushi Shimada claims that now classic anime like Fullmetal Alchemist and Attack on Titan owe their origins to Berserk.
The big sword aesthetic can be seen in properties like Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy VII and all over the Dark Souls series. Basically, this is a series that is just a beautiful under-the-radar gem that new generations continue to discover and enjoy.
1. Berserk TV series from 1997
The show that started it all, well, on TV that is. This 25 episode series ran from Oct. of 1997 through April of 1998, and it centered around Guts and how he ended up joining the Band of the Hawk. Honestly, the animation is not the best and utilized a lot of still frame shots, which can be frustrating during some of the more intense battle scenes. It does a good job, however, of building the relationship between Griffith, the leader of the Band of the Hawk, and Guts.
The series ends when Griffith turns into a God demon named Femto and poor Guts loses an arm and an eye. This sets up the next part of the series, where Guts is determined to get his revenge on Femto.
2. Berserk: The Golden Age Arc Film Trilogy from 2012 and 2013
There was quite the hiatus between Berserk from 1997 and The Golden Age Arc; 15 years to be exact. This classic part of the series is a set of three movies that lay out a good chunk of the Japanese manga. Each of the movies were released theatrically in Japan and eventually made their way to television. Some people, like Richard Eisenbeis, think the third movie in the trilogy is the best, if not the most violent.
“[Where] the previous two films fell short, Berserk: Golden Age Arc III: Descent reigns supreme and delivers an experience surpassing even the original manga in both emotional turmoil and eye-wrenching ultra-violence.” High praise indeed.
This trio of movies basically retells the story of the 1997 series but with better animation and a bigger budget.
The Egg of the King
The Egg of the King picks up at the point where Guts joins The Band of The Hawk following a duel and subsequent defeat to Griffith, the leader of the group. It shows the mercenaires partnership (through coin) with the Kingdom of Midland and chronicles the rise of Griffith, as well as his obvious ambitions to be king. Gus and Griffith are friends and Gus hears Griffith say that his friends have to have dreams of their own. This makes him question his place in the world and what kind of future he wants to have.
The Battle for Doldrey
In the second installment of The Golden Arc, Guts and his sort of love interest Casca are separated from the rest of their Band of Hawk compatriots. Alone, they encounter Adon, a Tudor commander, along with a large contingent of his men. Guts heroically slaughters most of the men while allowing Casca to escape. The Band eventually joins the siege on the Fortress of Doldrey and Casca gets the best of Adon. Guts decides to leave the Hawk after defeating Griffith in a duel, and Griffith is so distraught he sleeps with the king’s daughter. This gets him captured and the Band of the Hawk are labeled as criminals.
The Advent
This incredibly violent and poignant chapter is probably the most popular period of Berserk. After some soul searching, Guts comes back to get his old friend out of prison. When they finally do catch up with Griffith he is greatly diminished. He’s mutilated and weak and at one point tries to take his own life but instead activates the demon egg relic and kills some of his allies to become Femto.
In the climactic battle scene we get to see Guts cut off his own arm to try and defeat his old friend. From there, the black swordsman is born.
3. Berserk TV series from 2016 and 2017
This is the continuation of the black swordsman storyline. Guts and his elf friend Puck are determined to get revenge on Griffith and are forced to hack their way through an evil world scourged by chaos and confusion. Casca is a shell of her former self after going insane due to her past trauma, and she needs to be cared for full time. Fortunately, some of her past friends step up for that duty.
Published: Dec 1, 2023 01:21 pm