Berserk is a chart-topping name in the anime community. It is a legendary anime that was inspired by the works of Kentaro Miura. This awesome story first reached people in 1989 in the form of Manga and received huge support from everyone. In the year 1997, we got the first episode of Berserk anime and the rest is history.
The story is set in a post-medieval period. It is about a young strongman named Guts who joins a group of mercenaries called ‘The Band of Hawk’ which is led by Griffith.
It is an action-packed series that caters to people who like dark plotlines filled with gore and disaster.
Berserk Anime and Movies Arcs
There is a huge time gap between the release of various installments of the series. Also, the arcs are divided into different seasons and movies which confuse the audience about the proper chronological order of the show in which it should be watched.
In the table shown below, you’ll get a pretty clear idea about the correct order of seasons and the movies based on the progression of the arcs corresponding to the manga.
| # | Arc | Episodes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black Swordsman Arc | 1-25 (1997) |
| 2 | Golden Age Arc | Covered In 3-part Movies |
| 3 | Conviction Arc | 1-12(2016) |
| 4 | Falcon of the Millennium Empire Arc | 13-24(2016) |
Berserk Manga Arcs
If you ask any fan of the Berserk series, they’ll tell you that manga is the best way to consume the story of Berserk. The manga came into production in the early 90s and is running to this date.
It has a total of five major arcs that are compiled together in 41 Volumes with over 300+ chapters.
The table below elaborately presents each Berserk Arc along with the number of chapters a particular arc stretches across.
| # | Arc | Chapters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black Swordsman Arc | 0A-0H |
| 2 | Golden Age Arc | 0I-0P, 001- 094 |
| 3 | Conviction Arc | 095-176 |
| 4 | Falcon of the Millennium Empire Arc | 177-307 |
| 5 | Fantasia Arc | 308-364 |
Berserk Arcs Explained in Order
Black Swordsman Arc
The Black Swordsman Arc kick starts the story of the protagonist, Guts, aka the Black Swordsman. The arc deals with the edgy phase of Guts where the viewers get accustomed to the personality of the character and know about his strength and weakness as he goes on from one adventure to another.
Golden Age Arc
The Golden Age Arc is one of the most inflectional Berserk Arc. It shows each and every facet of Guts’ life. From his childhood traumas to his early age and from then on to his youth, this arc tries to create an emotional connection between Guts and views. In this arc, Guts joins the Band of Haws and forms friendships with Griffith and Casca. It is also the same arc in which the infamous ‘Eclipse’ occurs.
Conviction Arc
The Events of ‘Eclipse’ turn the life of Guts upside down. He loses everything that was dear to him. It sends him back to the Black Swordsman’s era where he just drifted aimlessly, fighting opponents and not caring for tomorrow. New enemies arrive and some fresh companionships form. And along the way Guts realize what’s truly important to him.
Millennium Falcon Arc
Guts go back to Casca who not doing very well because of her trauma. On the other hand, Griffith has been reborn as a dark entity who is hunting for Guts and Casca with evil spirits. Guts find it incredibly hard to take care of Casa and fight demons at the same time. So he forms a party with other adventurers and the action ensues.
Fantasia Arc
In the Fantasia Arc, the lines between the realm of man and spirits have been erased which causes a flurry of bad spirits to enter the human realm and cause mayhem. In between all of these crazy happenings, Guts and his party are on a mission to bring back Casca’s sanity and on this journey, they are facing various unknown and deadly challenges.
