Berserk

Berserk

剣風伝奇ベルセルク
1997 -1998 OLM Nippon TV 25 episodes Completed
Action Dark Fantasy Drama Horror
Details & Synopsis
Born from a hanging corpse and raised on the battlefield, Guts is a wandering mercenary who wields a sword larger than a grown man. His life of aimless violence changes when he meets Griffith, the charismatic and fiercely ambitious leader of the Band of the Hawk. What starts as a gritty medieval war story slowly descends into one of the most harrowing and legendary dark fantasies in fiction.

The 1997 adaptation of Kentaro Miura's masterpiece captures the Golden Age arc with a raw, hand-drawn aesthetic that modern CGI reboots have never been able to replicate. The soundtrack by Susumu Hirasawa, featuring the iconic, jarringly upbeat opening "Tell Me Why" and the sweeping battle anthem "Forces", is etched into anime history. 25 episodes. It culminates in the Eclipse, a finale so traumatizing it changed the medium forever. Read the manga afterward.
Alt Title 剣風伝奇ベルセルク
Studio OLM
Network Nippon TV
Aired 1997 - 1998
Episodes 25
Genre Action, Dark Fantasy, Drama, Horror
Status Completed
Search Go to ep Filters
Arc List (2)
Black Swordsman Arc (1) Golden Age Arc (24)
Black Swordsman Arc 1 eps 1 canon 📷 1
001 The Black Swordsman Aired Oct 8, 1997 canon 📷 52 ►
A flash-forward to a broken future. Guts, missing an eye and an arm, hunts an Apostle in a tavern. The original broadcast immediately establishes a tone of bleak, unflinching dark fantasy. There are no heroes here, only survivors. The heavy ink and shadow of the 1997 animation set a standard that modern CGI has never touched.
Lore · 2 Debut: Guts vs. Bazuso (The Bear Killer)
+1
Debut: Guts vs. The Snake Baron (Apostle Teaser) Guts Master Combat Ledger
View all 52 screencaps from this episode →
Golden Age Arc 24 eps 24 canon 📷 24
002 Band of the Hawk Aired Oct 15, 1997 canon 📷 85 ►
The timeline snaps back to the Golden Age. A young, feral Guts fighting as a mercenary catches the eye of Griffith, the beautiful and lethal leader of the Band of the Hawk. The duel on the grassy hill is a masterclass in 90s combat choreography-weighty, visceral, and historically significant.
Lore · 2 Debut: Guts vs. Griffith (First Duel)
+1
Guts vs. Bazuso (The Bear Killer) Guts Master Combat Ledger
View all 85 screencaps from this episode →
003 Baptism of Fire Aired Oct 22, 1997 canon 📷 122 ►
Forced into the Band of the Hawk, Guts experiences his first true military campaign under Griffith’s command. The episode captures the grime of medieval warfare and the quiet, unsettling realization that Griffith’s charisma is as dangerous as his sword.
View all 122 screencaps from this episode →
004 Hand of God Aired Oct 29, 1997 canon 📷 160 ►
A glimpse into the supernatural. Griffith reveals the Crimson Behelit, the "Egg of the King." The raw, hand-drawn cels capture the eerie, off-putting nature of an artifact that will eventually doom them all. The atmospheric dread of the series begins to build.
View all 160 screencaps from this episode →
005 A Wind of Swords Aired Nov 5, 1997 canon 📷 114 ►
Three years pass. Guts is now the feared Raiders Captain of the Hawks. The tactical brilliance of Griffith and the overwhelming physical dominance of Guts turn the tide of the Hundred-Year War. A brilliant showcase of the camaraderie that makes the eventual tragedy so devastating.
Lore Debut: Guts & Griffith vs. Nosferatu Zodd
View all 114 screencaps from this episode →
006 Zodd the Immortal Aired Nov 12, 1997 canon 📷 120 ►
The reality of the world shatters. Guts and Griffith encounter Nosferatu Zodd inside a dark keep. This is the moment the gritty historical fiction bleeds into absolute monster horror. The sheer scale and terror of Zodd, rendered in the original 90s grain, remains a high-water mark for the medium.
View all 120 screencaps from this episode →
007 The Sword's Owner Aired Nov 19, 1997 canon 📷 119 ►
Recovering from the massacre of Zodd, Guts and Griffith share a quiet philosophical moment. Griffith outlines his absolute, terrifying definition of a "true friend"-a philosophy that will eventually burn the world to the ground.
View all 119 screencaps from this episode →
008 Conspiracy Aired Nov 26, 1997 canon 📷 119 ►
The battlefield shifts to the political courts. As the Hawks gain favor in Midland, the aristocracy plots their demise. The series proves it is just as lethal in the quiet, shadowed halls of the nobility as it is in the mud of the trenches.
Lore Debut: Guts vs. Lord Julius (Silent Assassination)
View all 119 screencaps from this episode →
009 Assassination Aired Dec 3, 1997 canon 📷 117 ►
Griffith tasks Guts with a wetwork operation to eliminate a political rival. A dark, haunting episode that forces Guts to confront the moral cost of Griffith’s dream. The tragic collateral damage of the assassination attempt leaves a permanent scar on the swordsman’s soul.
View all 117 screencaps from this episode →
010 Nobleman Aired Dec 10, 1997 canon 📷 118 ►
The political maneuvering reaches a climax. Griffith orchestrates a masterclass in ruthless survival, turning an assassination attempt against him into the complete eradication of his enemies. The mask of the "White Hawk" slips, revealing the cold ambition underneath.
View all 118 screencaps from this episode →
011 The Battle Aired Dec 17, 1997 canon 📷 132 ►
The Midland campaign against the Chuder Empire intensifies. Guts and Casca are separated from the main force, leading to a desperate survival scenario in the wilderness. The dynamic between the two warriors begins to shift from resentment to mutual reliance.
View all 132 screencaps from this episode →
012 Together Aired Dec 24, 1997 canon 📷 141 ►
Trapped and surrounded by Chuder forces, Casca’s fever breaks her defenses, forcing Guts to stand alone against a hundred men. A legendary, grueling display of endurance. The hand-drawn animation captures the sheer physical exhaustion of a man who refuses to die.
View all 141 screencaps from this episode →
013 Prepared for Death Aired Jan 7, 1998 canon 📷 140 ►
The aftermath of the hundred-man slaughter. The Hawks arrive to find a battlefield painted in blood and a Guts who has fully embraced his role as the vanguard of death. The bond between Guts and Casca deepens amidst the carnage.
Lore Debut: Casca & Guts vs. General Adon Coborlwitz
View all 140 screencaps from this episode →
014 Bonfire of Dreams Aired Jan 14, 1998 canon 📷 143 ►
One of the most important episodes in anime history. Around the campfire, the Hawks share their simple dreams, while Guts realizes he is the only one without a purpose of his own. A quiet, masterful piece of character writing before the final campaigns.
Lore Debut: Guts vs. 100 Tudor Knights (The 100-Man Slayer)
View all 143 screencaps from this episode →
015 The Decisive Battle Aired Jan 21, 1998 canon 📷 137 ►
The siege of the impregnable Fortress of Doldrey begins. Griffith stakes the entire future of the Band of the Hawk on a brilliant, suicidal tactical maneuver. The scale of the 90s animation is pushed to its absolute limits.
View all 137 screencaps from this episode →
016 The Conqueror Aired Jan 28, 1998 canon 📷 110 ►
Doldrey falls. The Band of the Hawk achieves the impossible, ending the Hundred-Year War. Guts defeats the legendary General Boscogn in a duel that shakes the very earth. The peak of the Golden Age, scored by Susumu Hirasawa’s triumphant anthems.
Lore Debut: Guts vs. General Boscogn (Siege of Doldrey)
View all 110 screencaps from this episode →
017 Moment of Glory Aired Feb 4, 1998 canon 📷 125 ►
The Hawks are elevated to the highest ranks of the Midland military. It is the absolute zenith of their success. But amidst the celebrations, Guts makes the quiet, devastating decision that he must leave Griffith to find his own dream.
View all 125 screencaps from this episode →
018 Tombstone of Flames Aired Feb 11, 1998 canon 📷 136 ►
The final political purge. Griffith eliminates the Queen and the remaining conspirators in a locked-room inferno. A chilling sequence that proves the White Hawk’s ambition has absolutely no moral boundaries.
View all 136 screencaps from this episode →
019 Parting Aired Feb 18, 1998 canon 📷 136 ►
The duel in the snow. Guts announces his departure, and a desperate Griffith attempts to take his life rather than let him go. The clash ends in a single strike. Griffith’s psychological collapse begins the moment Guts’ sword breaks his blade.
Lore Debut: Guts vs. Griffith (Snowy Hill Rematch)
View all 136 screencaps from this episode →
020 Sparks Aired Feb 25, 1998 canon 📷 135 ►
The immediate fallout of the duel. A shattered Griffith commits a desperate, catastrophic act of treason with the Princess. The King's wrath is absolute. The Band of the Hawk is branded as traitors, and their golden era burns to ash overnight.
View all 135 screencaps from this episode →
021 Confession Aired Mar 4, 1998 canon 📷 145 ►
A year later, the remnants of the Hawks are hunted like animals. Guts returns from his wanderings to find his family broken. The reunion between Guts and Casca is raw, desperate, and beautiful, culminating in a historic moment of intimacy.
Lore Debut: Guts vs. Silat & Bakiraka Assassins
View all 145 screencaps from this episode →
022 Infiltration Aired Mar 11, 1998 canon 📷 137 ►
The rescue mission begins. Guts, Casca, and a small team infiltrate the deepest, darkest dungeons of the Tower of Rebirth. The atmospheric dread of the descent into the earth is perfectly captured by the original broadcast masters.
Lore Guts vs. Silat & Bakiraka Assassins
View all 137 screencaps from this episode →
023 Eve of the Feast Aired Mar 18, 1998 canon 📷 143 ►
Griffith is found. He is no longer the White Hawk; a year of unimaginable torture has left him a broken, mute, and mutilated shell. The despair of the rescue team is absolute. The eclipse begins to cast its shadow.
View all 143 screencaps from this episode →
024 The Great Eclipse Aired Mar 25, 1998 canon 📷 147 ►
The sun goes black. The Crimson Behelit activates, tearing open the fabric of reality and dragging the Band of the Hawk into the Abyss. The God Hand descends. A masterclass in pure, unadulterated cosmic horror that changed the medium forever.
Lore Debut: Guts vs. The Eclipse Apostles
View all 147 screencaps from this episode →
025 Time of Eternity Aired Apr 1, 1998 canon 📷 134 ►
The most traumatizing finale in television history. Griffith makes his choice. The Band of the Hawk is offered as a sacrifice to the demonic horde. The raw, violent despair of this episode is etched into the soul of every viewer who survived it. Read the manga.
Lore Guts vs. The Eclipse Apostles
View all 134 screencaps from this episode →
ⓘ Legend
canon Episode adapts events from the source manga.
mixed Adapts source material but adds anime-original scenes.
good-filler Anime-original episode generally well-received by fans.
filler Anime-original episode not based on the source manga.
📷 Number of user-uploaded screencaps available for this episode.
GU

Guts

The Raider Captain / Struggling Mercenary

The ultimate struggle personified. Long before he was the scarred "Black Swordsman," Guts was a quiet, fiercely independent mercenary swinging a sword too large to be called a sword. Joining the Band of the Hawk gives him his first taste of camaraderie, family, and purpose. He is a raw, physical force on the battlefield, but his true complexity lies in his quiet, vulnerable search for a dream of his own to stand equal to his charismatic leader.
+11 LORE
Guts vs. The Snake Baron (Apostle Teaser) Guts Master Combat Ledger Guts vs. Bazuso (The Bear Killer) Guts Master Combat Ledger Guts vs. Griffith (First Duel) Guts Master Combat Ledger Guts vs. Lord Julius (Silent Assassination) Guts Master Combat Ledger Guts & Griffith vs. Nosferatu Zodd Guts Master Combat Ledger Casca & Guts vs. General Adon Coborlwitz Guts Master Combat Ledger Guts vs. 100 Tudor Knights (The 100-Man Slayer) Guts Master Combat Ledger Guts vs. General Boscogn (Siege of Doldrey) Guts Master Combat Ledger Guts vs. Griffith (Snowy Hill Rematch) Guts Master Combat Ledger Guts vs. Silat & Bakiraka Assassins Guts Master Combat Ledger Guts vs. The Eclipse Apostles Guts Master Combat Ledger
GR

Griffith

Leader of the Band of the Hawk

The beautiful, charismatic, and terrifyingly ambitious leader of the Band of the Hawk. Griffith possesses a divine, almost angelic presence that draws people to his side, willing to die for his dream of obtaining his own kingdom. He treats the brutal realities of war like a game of chess, showing a chillingly cold, calculated pragmatism beneath his elegant exterior. He is one of the most complex, tragic, and fiercely debated figures in all of anime history.
+4 LORE
Griffith & The White Hawk Dream Band of the Hawk & War Guts vs. Griffith (First Duel) Guts Master Combat Ledger Guts & Griffith vs. Nosferatu Zodd Guts Master Combat Ledger Guts vs. Griffith (Snowy Hill Rematch) Guts Master Combat Ledger
CA

Casca

Unit Commander

The fierce, fiercely loyal, and highly capable second-in-command of the Band of the Hawk. Casca fought tooth and nail to earn her place as a legendary commander in a brutal, male-dominated medieval world. Her intense devotion to Griffith, who saved her life as a child, is challenged and complicated by Guts's arrival, sparking a beautifully slow-burning, intensely raw emotional transformation that anchors the tragic heart of the Golden Age.
+3 LORE
Casca & The Rearguard Vanguard Band of the Hawk & War Casca & Guts vs. General Adon Coborlwitz Guts Master Combat Ledger Guts vs. The Eclipse Apostles Guts Master Combat Ledger
JU

Judeau

Scout / The Emotional Heart

The observant, empathetic scout who serves as the quiet social glue of the Band of the Hawk. Expertly skilled with throwing knives, Judeau is highly capable on the battlefield but truly shines as a companion. He is incredibly emotionally intelligent, often understanding the true feelings of Guts, Casca, and Griffith long before they do themselves. He is the loyal, selfless friend we all wish we had in the harsh, uncaring landscape of Midland.
LORE
NZ

Nosferatu Zodd

Legendary Apostle / The Immortal

The legendary warrior who has haunted the battlefields of Midland for over three centuries. Zodd represents the terrifying pivot point where the grounded, political medieval warfare of Berserk is suddenly, violently shattered by the supernatural. Seeking only a worthy opponent to challenge his colossal, beast-like strength, his fateful first encounter with Guts and Griffith in a dark castle ruin leaves an indelible, dread-filled mark on the series' scale of power.
LORE
PI

Pippin

Heavy Shock Trooper

The gentle giant of the Band of the Hawk. Formerly a miner, Pippin rarely speaks, letting his massive frame and colossal mace do all the talking necessary on the front lines. He possesses a quiet, grounded strength and a protective instinct, often seen physically carrying his smaller companions out of danger. His silent, heroic final stand to protect his comrades is a deeply honorable and heartbreaking testament to the brotherhood of the Hawk.
LORE
CO

Corkus

Raider / Cynical Realist

The loud-mouthed, cynical realist who absolutely loved to hate Guts. Corkus was a former bandit leader who joined Griffith because he wanted a shortcut to high society, representing the pragmatic, self-serving side of mercenary life. While his constant whining and jealousy of Guts made him easy to dislike, his fierce loyalty to the Band of the Hawk was undeniable, making his tragic, illusion-induced end hit surprisingly hard.
LORE
RI

Rickert

The Youngest Hawk

The youngest member of the Band of the Hawk and a prodigy when it comes to camp logistics and engineering. Rickert looks up to Guts and Judeau like older brothers, bringing a rare, innocent youthfulness to the grim realities of medieval warfare. Due to a fateful twist of timing and an encounter with the Skull Knight, he is spared the ultimate horror of the Eclipse, leaving him as one of the last living keepers of the Hawk's legacy.
LORE
PC

Princess Charlotte

Princess of Midland

The naive, sheltered Princess of Midland who falls completely under Griffith's spell. To Charlotte, Griffith is a fairy-tale knight, and she quickly becomes both his emotional escape and his ultimate stepping stone to the throne. Her innocence is a tragic catalyst; their secret liaison triggers her father the King's maddened wrath, setting off the catastrophic chain of events that dooms the entire Band of the Hawk.
AC

Adon Coborlwitz

Blue Whale Knights Commander

The boastful, incredibly cowardly commander of the Chuder Empire's Blue Whale Ultra Knights. Adon is the ultimate comedic relief in a series that gets relentlessly dark. Constantly shouting about "secret techniques passed down the Coborlwitz family line for generations" while sprinting in the opposite direction of actual danger, his dramatic over-acting and ridiculous tactical failures during his clashes with Casca are legendary.
+2 LORE
Casca & Guts vs. General Adon Coborlwitz Guts Master Combat Ledger General Adon Coborlwitz & Blue Whale Knights Midland Court Politics
VO

Void

SPOILER!

Leader of the God Hand

The terrifying, brain-exposed leader and spokesperson of the God Hand. Void is the cosmic architect who presides over the Eclipse, using his massive, stitching-covered hands to brand the sacrifices with the Brand of Sacrifice. Speaking in chilling, philosophical monologues about causality and destiny, he represents the absolute point of no return where the historical medieval drama of Berserk plunges headfirst into nightmare.
LORE
← All lore

Fansub & Scanlation History

A Real VHS-Era Group, Confirmed by Physical Tape Collectors

Ground Zero Covered the Run in Stages

Ground Zero, a real VHS-era fansub group, covered Berserk episodes 1-4, 9-10, and 13-16, confirmed via a physical fansub VHS collector/trader documentation source. Real, contemporaneous coverage sitting alongside the already-documented Hawks/SkullKnight.net manga side of this page.
[GroundZero]

Darbura's Fansubs, Already Credited on Dragon Ball, Also Covered Berserk in Full

Confirmed via an Archived dbcollection.com Page, Late 2000-Mid 2001

Darbura's Fansubs, already documented on this site for its Dragon Ball Z and GT mail-order VHS catalog, also carried the complete 25-episode Berserk series start to finish, confirmed via an archived page from the same dbcollection.com site, dated between September 2000 and August 2001. A distinct, more complete alternative to Ground Zero's partial coverage of episodes 1-4, 9-10, and 13-16, already documented elsewhere on this page.

Before Hawks, There Was SkullKnight.net

Founded Circa 2000-2001

Before Hawks existed, SkullKnight.net was already one of the only ways English-speaking fans could read Berserk at all. It wasn't a dedicated scanlation outfit, more a fan community that happened to be the earliest real resource going, and it's still running as a Berserk fan hub today, confirmed enough in its own right that Kentaro Miura personally gave the site an interview.
[SkullKnight]

Hawks Kept Going After Dark Horse Licensed It, on Purpose

Formed 2001 · A Deliberate Exception to Their Own No-Licensed-Titles Rule

Hawks (full name Band of the Hawk, taken directly from the manga's own mercenary group) formed in 2001 with a stated policy of avoiding already-licensed titles. Berserk was the deliberate exception: the group kept scanlating it even after Dark Horse's 2003 US license, releasing two parallel versions of their scans, a smaller JPG set and a larger, higher-quality PNG set. Readers were still directly comparing Hawks' translation against the official Dark Horse release years later, finding real differences in specific scenes and lines.
[Hawks]

Dark Horse Finally Licenses It, October 2003

First English Volume, Co-Published With Digital Manga Publishing

Dark Horse Comics published the first official English Berserk volume on October 22, 2003, initially co-published with Digital Manga Publishing. It became one of Dark Horse's longest-running manga licenses, continuing across Kentaro Miura's entire run and beyond his 2021 death.

What AniDB Actually Documents

Greg Finished It First, the Same Month It Aired

August 2002 · 2.87 from 19 Votes

Greg holds the earliest documented complete Berserk (1997) release, finishing all 25 episodes in August 2002, the very month the original run ended. Fast, but not well-liked: 2.87 from 19 votes is the lowest rating any release of this show has on record. [UNCONFIRMED]: AniDB's group records don't reach back before 2002, so whether an earlier VHS or tape-trading scene existed for this show isn't established here.
[Greg]

AnimeXPlosion Is the One Most People Watched

Complete, September 2010 · 6.60 from 55 Votes
AnimeXPlosion completed a DVD-sourced release in September 2010 that pulled in 55 votes, by far the most of any Berserk (1997) fan release on record. Not the top-rated version, but clearly the one with the most reach.
[AXP]

G_P Is the Quality Benchmark

Complete, February 2012 · 9.14 from 19 Votes
G_P's Blu-ray-sourced release, completed February 2012, carries the highest rating of any Berserk (1997) fan release on record: 9.14 from 19 votes. Fewer votes than AnimeXPlosion, but the clear quality standout.
[G_P]

A Licensing Window That Closed Fast

Media Blasters Licensed It Almost Immediately, No Long Fansub Runway

VHS/DVD From May 28, 2002

Media Blasters licensed the 1997 anime and began releasing it on VHS and DVD on May 28, 2002, closing off any long pre-license fansub window most other shows on this site had. [UNCONFIRMED]: no underground tape-trading or early digital fansub scene for this specific show turned up in the sources checked here, and the tight timing between the show's end and its US license may be exactly why. Around 2002, the Sci-Fi Channel reportedly considered airing the series, but Media Blasters warned the violence would require cuts too extensive to make it workable.