Berserk Watch Order: Every Anime, Movie, and Where the Manga Takes Over

Berserk has a reputation as one of the most confusing franchises to start, and it is half deserved. The story order is straightforward, but the same opening arc got animated three separate times. The clean path: pick one version of the Golden Age arc, watch Berserk (2016), then Berserk (2017), and move to the manga for everything after. That is the whole Berserk watch order once you cut the noise.

The three Golden Age adaptations are where people trip. The classic 1997 series, the 2012 to 2013 film trilogy, and the 2022 Memorial Edition all tell the same story of Guts, Griffith, and the Band of the Hawk, just with different animation and completeness. The CGI-heavy 2016 series then continues from the films, not the 1997 anime, the single most common mix-up in the fandom.

Below we lay out every adaptation at a glance, then the one real choice of which Golden Age to watch. One heads-up before you dive in, Berserk is bleak and extremely graphic, so treat it as mature viewing. Work out how to watch Berserk in order and one of the greatest dark fantasy stories ever drawn is yours.

The recommended Berserk watch order

The whole Berserk watch order at a glance, animated releases only. Five of the seven cover the same Golden Age arc, so you are choosing between those rather than watching all five.

For the fullest experience, we would watch Berserk (1997) first for its atmosphere, then the Memorial Edition (or the original films) for the complete Eclipse, then Berserk (2016) and (2017) for the story past that point. If watching the Golden Age twice sounds like a slog, take the short path: start with the Memorial Edition or the films, then go straight into 2016 and 2017. Both routes land in the same spot, facing the same truth. No anime has ever finished Berserk, so the manga is where the story continues.

Watch the 1997 classic, or start with the films?

The 1997 series is the version most longtime fans hold closest. It captures the doomed friendship at the heart of the Golden Age better than any other adaptation, though it sits in a separate continuity and its Eclipse is cut short. The film trilogy and the Memorial Edition tell that same arc with a fuller, far more graphic Eclipse, and they are the official lead-in the 2016 series follows.

For the definitive mood, start with 1997, then let the Memorial Edition fill in the complete Eclipse before continuing. For one clean line with no repeated story, skip 1997 and begin with the Memorial Edition, which is easier to find than the increasingly rare films and adds a few new scenes. Neither choice is wrong. It only changes how much of the Golden Age you watch, not what order to watch Berserk in after the Eclipse.

Continuing past the Eclipse: 2016, 2017, and the manga

Once the Golden Age ends, the only anime continuation is the 2016 and 2017 series, and it comes with an asterisk. The switch to CGI was divisive, and it is fair to say the animation has not aged gracefully, with stiff movement that pulls you out of some big moments. What the two seasons get right is the story: they follow Guts as the Black Swordsman through the Conviction and Millennium Empire arcs faithfully, and for plenty of fans the material carries the rough visuals. If you can meet it halfway, it is worth watching to see those arcs animated at all.

No anime has adapted the whole of Berserk, and none is coming. To continue past where 2017 stops, you read the manga, which is where the series has always been strongest. Kentaro Miura passed away in 2021, and the manga now continues under Kouji Mori and Studio Gaga. Treat the anime as your on-ramp and read the manga for the rest.

Where to watch Berserk

Streaming is scattered, fittingly. The 1997 series, the 2016 and 2017 seasons, and the Memorial Edition tend to move between Crunchyroll and other platforms depending on your region, and the older film trilogy can be tricky to find at all now that the Memorial Edition has largely replaced it. Check what is live where you are before you plan your run, since availability shifts often for this franchise.

Face the Eclipse in the right order

For a franchise this tangled, the Berserk watch order comes down to a simple decision and a straight line after it: choose your Golden Age (the 1997 classic, the films, or the Memorial Edition), then watch Berserk (2016) and Berserk (2017), then pick up the manga for everything the anime never reached. That is how to watch Berserk in order without drowning in duplicate arcs or missing the true continuation. Steel yourself, because it is a brutal ride, but it is also one of the most powerful stories the medium has ever produced.

If you want more guides that carve a clean path through franchises this daunting, march with us over at Kaminari, where our anime newsletters keep the news, reviews, and honest takes coming.

FAQ

What is the Berserk watch order?

The core Berserk watch order is one Golden Age adaptation, then Berserk (2016), then Berserk (2017), then the manga. For the fullest run, watch the 1997 series and the Golden Age Memorial Edition before 2016. For a shorter one, pick just the Memorial Edition or the films, then continue into 2016 and 2017.

Do I need to watch the 1997 Berserk anime?

Not strictly. The 1997 series and the Golden Age films cover the same arc, so you can watch either one. The 1997 version has the best atmosphere, while the Memorial Edition and films show a more complete Eclipse and lead directly into the 2016 series. Watch 1997 if you want the classic, or skip it if you would rather not repeat the Golden Age.

Is Berserk 2016 a sequel to the 1997 anime?

No, and this is the most common mix-up. Berserk (2016) is a sequel to the 2012 to 2013 Golden Age film trilogy, not to the 1997 TV series, even though the films and the 1997 anime tell the same underlying story. In practice, any Golden Age version leads into 2016 well enough.

Where does the manga pick up after the anime?

The manga is the only complete version of Berserk and goes far beyond where the anime stops. The 2017 season ends partway through the later arcs, and the manga carries on well past that point. After Kentaro Miura's passing in 2021, it has continued under Kouji Mori and Studio Gaga.

Where can I watch Berserk?

The 1997 series, the 2016 and 2017 seasons, and the Memorial Edition move between Crunchyroll and other platforms depending on your region, while the original film trilogy is harder to find since the Memorial Edition replaced it. Check what is streaming near you before you start.