How to Watch All the Berserk Anime Adaptations in the Correct Order

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A complete guide to the Berserk franchise

Co-authored by Chris Hill and Glenn Carreau

Last Updated: April 6, 2026 Fact Checked

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Release Order

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Chronological Order

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All Series & Movies

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Berserk 1997 vs. 2016

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Can you skip anything?

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Where to Watch

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Video

Berserk may not have the virality of modern series like My Hero Academia or Attack on Titan, but diehard anime fans still recognize it as a stellar—if very gritty and dark—adult anime franchise. So, if you’re ready to get acquainted with the brutal and fantastical universe of Berserk, we’ve got you covered. In this article, we’ll explain how to watch the series in release and chronological order. We’ll also introduce you to the different Berserk shows and movies out there—so let’s get started!

The Best Watch Order for Berserk

Berserk (1997)
Berserk: The Golden Age Arc I - The Egg of the King (2012)
Berserk: The Golden Age Arc II - The Battle for Doldrey (2012)
Berserk: The Golden Age Arc III - The Advent (2013)
Berserk (2016)
Berserk, season 2 (2017)
Berserk: The Golden Age Arc - Memorial Edition (2022)

Section 1 of 6:

How to Watch Berserk in Release Order

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Generally, fans of Berserk agree that the best way for newcomers to watch is in release order—which makes the watchlist pretty straightforward! Anime Expert Chris Hill suggests starting with the original 1997 anime series and go forward from there.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Chris Hill
Anime Expert

Expert Interview} Since some Berserk shows and movies take place in different continuities, it’s easiest to just start from the beginning. So, here’s how to watch Berserk in release order:^{[2]
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- Berserk (1997)
- Berserk: The Golden Age Arc I - The Egg of the King (2012)
- Berserk: The Golden Age Arc II - The Battle for Doldrey (2012)
- Berserk: The Golden Age Arc III - The Advent (2013)
- Berserk (2016)
- Berserk, season 2 (2017)
- Berserk: The Golden Age Arc - Memorial Edition (2022)

Section 2 of 6:

How to Watch Berserk in Chronological Order

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As mentioned above, there are technically two different continuities for the Berserk series: one established in the original anime, and one that starts with the Golden Age Arc movies. That’s why watching the series in chronological order is a little tricky—so, in this watchlist, we’ve organized the two different continuities chronologically. Here’s the proper watch order:
- Original Berserk series
  - Berserk (1997)
- Rebooted Berserk series
  - Berserk: The Golden Age Arc I - The Egg of the King (2012)
  - Berserk: The Golden Age Arc II - The Battle for Doldrey (2012)
  - Berserk: The Golden Age Arc III - The Advent (2013)
  - Berserk (2016 series)
- Berserk: The Golden Age Arc - Memorial Edition actually includes all original Golden Age Arc movies, so you could watch that in place of the three.

Section 3 of 6:

All Berserk Series & Movies, Explained

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1
Berserk (1997)Berserk (1997) is a 25-episode dark fantasy series that follows Guts, a mercenary who gets involved with a mercenary group called the Band of the Hawk and their leader, Griffith, as well as Casca, a unit commander. The series was met with acclaim, with reviewers and fans alike praising its story, characters, setting, and soundtrack.^{[3]
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- Berserk (1997) is actually an adaptation of the Berserk manga’s Golden Age arc, just like the movies.
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Berserk: The Golden Age Arc I - The Egg of the King (2012)The Egg of the King is the first in a trilogy of Berserk movies that retell the manga’s Golden Age arc. This particular movie is all about Guts, his admission to the Band of the Hawk, and their leader, Griffith’s, ambitious rise to power within the Midland kingdom.
- The Egg of the King is 1 hour and 16 minutes long.
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Berserk: The Golden Age Arc II - The Battle for Doldrey (2012)The Battle for Doldrey is the second of three Berserk movies, continuing the tale of the Golden Age arc. In this movie, Guts begins to question his role in the Band of the Hawk, realizing he wants to follow his own dream and become Griffith’s equal (rather than continuing to work for him). However, his decision to leave has unforeseen consequences.
- The Battle for Doldrey is 1 hour and 35 minutes long.
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Berserk: The Golden Age Arc III - The Advent (2013)The Advent picks up a year after Guts leaves the Band of the Hawk, but he rejoins in order to rescue the imprisoned Griffith. However, Griffith’s pain and suffering have already taken a toll, and end up triggering a devastating event called “The Eclipse.” In the ensuing horror, Guts’ fate is forever changed.^{[4]
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- The Advent is 1 hour and 50 minutes long.
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Berserk (2016 series)Berserk (2016) is a sequel to the Golden Age Arc movies, with the story following Guts a few years after the events in The Advent. Guts is now “the Black Swordsman,” on a quest for revenge against his former friend, Griffith. It adapts the Conviction arc from the Berserker manga, as well as the first half of the Hawk of the Millennium Empire arc. ^{[5]
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- The series itself is two seasons long, running for a total of 24 episodes (12 in each season).
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Berserk: The Golden Age Arc - Memorial Edition (2022)Berserk’s Memorial Edition series isn’t exactly new content; rather, it’s the Golden Age movies remastered, edited, and adapted into episodes for TV. So, where the movies were a trilogy, the Memorial Edition is a 13-episode series that (once again) tells the story of the Golden Age Arc.

Section 4 of 6:

Should you watch Berserk (1997) or Berserk (2016)?

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You can watch both, since they cover different material from the manga. Berserk (1997) is a standalone series. Meanwhile, Berserk (2016) is a continuation of the Golden Age Arc movies—not a remake. So, the two series are definitely not the same. Furthermore, the more recent Berserk movies and show are a retelling of the story in Berserk (1997), so there are some differences (even though they’re based on the same source material).^{[6]
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Berserk (2016) is easier to find online. Going by availability alone, you might want to choose Berserk (2016) over Berserk (1997)—but you’ll need to watch the Golden Age Arc movies or Memorial Edition to get the full story. On the other hand, even though it’s older, fans of the franchise still very much consider Berserk (1997) a stellar show that’s worth watching.
- Berserk (2016) was generally well-received, but its animation and production quality are considered subpar compared to other entries in the series.

Section 5 of 6:

Can you skip any Berserk movies or series?

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There isn’t any particular Berserk content considered “skippable.” Basically, if you want to skip something, you totally can—it’s your choice. The original series is its own (critically acclaimed) story, with the movies and subsequent Berserk series being a retelling and continuation of that story. So, technically, you could skip either Berserk (1997) or the Golden Age Arc movies and 2016 show.
- Since it’s generally easier to find the Golden Age Arc and 2016 series online, it’s understandable if you choose to skip the 1997 series.

Section 6 of 6:

Where to Watch Berserk

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Berserk is available on Crunchyroll, Amazon, and YouTube. You may need to do some digging for the oldBerserk (1997) series, as it isn’t available on any major streaming services in the U.S. You might find episodes on YouTube; otherwise, you can get the Blu-ray or DVD from Amazon. Meanwhile, you can watch the Golden Age Arc - Memorial Edition and the 2016 Berserk series on Crunchyroll (with a subscription).
- It’s also hard to find the original Golden Age Arc movies now that the Memorial Edition is available. However, some countries (not the U.S.) can get them on Netflix.
- You can also buy Blu-ray or DVD copies of the Golden Age Arc and Berserk (2016).