If you’re an anime fan, it’s hard not to know Berserk. It’s one of the darkest and most popular seinen manga. Being famous for its beautiful art, people also talk about its iconic plotlines. The series is filled with impactful stories, so here are all Berserk arcs in order.
Every Berserk Arc in Order
Berserk has five major story arcs, in an order that can confuse some readers. Upon reading the first few chapters you might find Guts to already have his Dragon Slayer sword in Chapter 1. The order of story arcs in Berserk as they have been released is as follows:
| Berserk Story Arc | Chapters |
|---|---|
| Black Swordsman Arc | 0-1 to 0-8 |
| Golden Age Arc | 0-9 to 94 |
| Conviction Arc | 95 to 176 |
| Millennium Falcon Arc | 177-307 |
| Fantasia Arc | 308-Ongoing |
Along with that, we have the chronological order of the story arcs in Berserk:
- Golden Age Arc
- Black Swordsman Arc
- Conviction Arc
- Millennium Falcon Arc
- Fantasia Arc
- Eastern Exile Arc (TBD whether it’s a separate arc or a chapter within Fantasia)
You can watch most of them in the anime, however, the 2016 adaptation isn’t well-regarded, and fans are still begging for a remake. While the first arc is important, the second one is the most popular and was animated into TV series and movies. Read on if you want to know all about them and the rest of the manga.
Black Swordsman Arc
The first Berserk story is set between the Golden Age Arc and the Conviction Arc. We see Guts, a violent and mysterious swordsman searching for the whereabouts of the “God Hand” and the apostles. Guts also makes an ally, an elf named Puck, after unintentionally freeing him (honestly the only thing that makes this arc “lighter”).
This arc gives us a glimpse into the dark times Guts had to go through in the Golden Age and what his objective for the later parts of the narrative is.
Golden Age Arc
Considered the best arc in the manga, it dives into Guts’ past and shows his time with the Band of the Falcon. Seeing how he changes after being around them and his relationship with Casta and Griffith is great. The latter is one of the most interesting elements of the story.
It’s mainly now you gotta take a step back and decide if you want to keep going. Saying the story is amazing doesn’t start to describe how incredible it is, but it gets much darker and more brutal. It has so many trigger warnings we wouldn’t even be able to list them all here.
Related: 12 Best Manga To Read if You Like Berserk
Conviction Arc
It’s divided into three chapters: Lost Children (which was cut from the 2016 animation), Binding Chain, and Birth Ceremony. The arc features Guts’ fight against the apostle Rosine, who abducts and controls the children of a certain village. He also needs to fight the Holy Iron Chain Knights, an army that believes Guts is responsible for many horrible things happening in the kingdom.
Millennium Falcon Arc
It’s the longest arc in the series, with 131 chapters. Besides focusing on Griffith’s incarnation, it also marks the first time the Berserker Armor and the witch Schierke appear. The arc is divided into the Holy Evil War Chapter and the Falconia Chapter; starting now, the only way to get the whole story is by reading the manga, as the anime doesn’t adapt it in full.
Fantasia Arc
The current arc follows Guts and the rest of the Black Swordsman party journeying to Elfhelm to find the Elf King, who might be capable of restoring Casta’s mind. While that happens, we are also shown Rickert, one of the few survivors of the Band of the Falcon, doubting Griffith and forming his party.
The grim-dark atmosphere disappears during some parts, mainly while Guts is traveling with his party, which shows the development of the characters and feels like a good change of pace.
Eastern Exile Chapter (Possibly Part of Fantasia Arc)
The latest story arc portion of Fantasia in Berserk starts with Chapter 374’s conclusion, where Guts is in a broken, vulnerable state and Casca is taken captive to Griffith’s domain. The Kushan Empire has encircled Guts and his team on the Seahorse, and we can’t wait to see what comes next!
- This article was updated on November 8th, 2023
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