How to watch the anime "Berserk"? How not to get confused with the titles (chronology / plot)?

"Berserk" (Берсерк) is a cult manga series created by Kentaro Miura, first published in 1989. It has become one of the most well-known and influential dark fantasy themes in the world. The manga is noted for its complex plot, rich with deep philosophical reflections, dramatic events, and epic battles.

The story revolves around Guts, a wandering warrior who struggles against his tragic fate in a world filled with violence, demonic forces, and betrayal. His journey is a quest for justice, loyalty, and self-realization in a hostile world.

Despite the manga remaining unfinished due to the tragic death of Kentaro Miura in 2021, his students and studio plan to complete the work using the author's existing notes. Of course, the manga will be a level above in character development, plot, setting, etc. For example, Reddit users can be quite toxic at the mere mention of the anime adaptation. But that's the internet for you.

The anime adaptation of "Berserk" has several versions over the years, which can be confusing. Personally, I just finished watching the 1997 Berserk. Seeing that there are multiple titles for Berserk, I decided to figure out what to watch next. By the way, speaking of dark fantasy - I have already written about how to watch "Made in Abyss". Made in Abyss often ranks in the TOP-10 of this genre, sitting alongside Berserk.

The titles can be watched all in chronological order (by release date). But this option is for fans who want to see all versions of the adaptation. In general, you can choose any adaptation of the Golden Age Arc and supplement it with the 2016-2017 series (events after the Golden Age Arc). Here, the titles contain the name of the arc "Golden Age" - this is the version where the title is most often translated. I intentionally use both variations of the names Age / Era. Story Arc "Golden Age":

Also the story arc "Golden Age":

Story arc after the events of "Golden Age"

Updated version of the "Golden Age" trilogy

The first adaptation of "Berserk" is a 25-episode series from 1997. It covers the "Golden Age Arc," which serves as an introduction to the world of "Berserk." This adaptation is a classic and is noted for its atmosphere, but has outdated animation. In my personal opinion - the animation is simple yet atmospheric.

The film trilogy also adapts the "Golden Age" arc. It features more modern graphics but simplifies the plot somewhat. Thus, this trilogy can be seen as an alternative to the 1997 version or as a supplement (it contains additional scenes). For some reason, Reddit users really dislike the updated animation in these films. But they don't like anything that isn't the canonical manga. Personally, I found the graphics quite decent (I started watching the first film). If you don't like watching the same thing in different versions one after another:

This adaptation covers the events after the "Golden Age" arc. Unfortunately, the animation received much criticism for its excessive use of 3D graphics. However, these titles continue the story and help learn more about Guts' adventures.

This is an updated version of the "Golden Age" trilogy. It features improved graphics, added scenes, and an updated soundtrack. The title was created with previous criticism in mind and aims to be a modern introduction to the world of "Berserk" for new viewers.

This version is also considered a good option for those who want to revisit the "Golden Age" arc in a higher quality without resorting to older adaptations.

The "Berserk" manga is the most complete source of the story. If the anime does not cover all aspects or seems unclear, the manga will always be the ideal choice for supplementing or even as the primary introduction to Guts' world. It seems that Berserk was released in Ukrainian, but it is impossible to find it in stores. The search results show sets from volumes 1 to 41. However, I found no information about the publisher or any other information about the release. So, searching for the manga is quite a quest, keep that in mind. As you can see, in anime releases, it is very easy to get confused. Because there are re-releases, theater versions, and all that. Every time I encounter something like this, I try to write similar posts. I hope it helps someone to sort out the issue.