10 Years Later, Berserk Desperately Needs a New Anime Before It’s Too Late

Berserk is a unique series in the modern anime and manga fandom. It’s grown immense in popularity since its rockier debut in 1989, to become a powerful, introspective dark fantasy about its central characters beating the odds in a crumbling world and confronting those bringing it to ruin. Yet, Berserk has gone 10 years without word of more anime.

The manga has remained excellent even after the shocking passing of its creator, Kentaro Miura, thanks in large part to his trusted friend and colleague, Kouji Mori, using Miura’s vision to guide the story. Yet, while the franchise continues to garner popular fixation, fans continue to crave more adaptations. It’s increasingly clear that Berserk deserves another anime.

Berserk Has Had Several Anime Adaptations with Varied Reception

OLM’s 1997 Berserk was a bright start to the risky manga’s anime adaptation: it rarely strayed from the source material, and remained characteristically dark, philosophical, and horrifying when it needed to be. Coupled with the avant-garde genius composer Susumu Hirasawa’s soundtrack, the anime is downright iconic.

However, even the ’97 Berserk had some key omissions. Wyald, an early apostle contracted by Midland’s king, brings a spectacular fight in the manga, but the sheer amount of shock value his crimes bring makes it obvious why it never got adapted. Among other omissions and streamlining, it largely focused on the Golden Age Arc, and wasn’t the only one.

Studio 4°C later adapted the Golden Age Arc across three animated films, and while it featured some truly excellent animation and character designs, it was an even tighter condensation of the plot. It didn’t shy away from the darker elements of Berserk’s story, executing a horrific, relentless slaughter in the Eclipse scene.

However, the odd one out of Berserk’s three anime adaptations is easily that of Liden Films’ 2016 series animated by GEMBA and Millepensee. To its credit, it’s the only Berserk anime project not to focus on the Golden Age, but on the other hand, it had a disastrous reception to its animation, and sped criminally quickly through two excellent arcs.

All things considered, Berserk has had significantly more effort put into adapting its manga, because it’s an important series. It’s the most mercilessly dark of the Seinen Big Three, with parts of its Black Swordsman Arc adapted, alongside the Golden Age, Conviction, and Millennium Falcon Arcs. However, even then, it feels incomplete.

Berserk’s Manga Has More Material to Adapt

While there is certainly a case to be made for a more fleshed-out adaptation of all arcs, particularly the Conviction and Millennium Falcon, the Black Swordsman Arc is still largely untouched while Fantasia remains elusive. The latter certainly faces the issue that its manga component is unfinished, although there’s plenty of material to adapt. The former, though, is another story.

Featuring Guts at his most depraved, the Black Swordsman Arc is the weakest narrative link, yet also the greatest opportunity to depict unhinged violence. Fighting apostles like the Snake Lord, fans would get to see his brutality completely unchecked. Plus, knowing what the Count did to Pippin in the Eclipse, seeing him get his just desserts would be phenomenal.

But it’s also an opportunity to inject nuance into this portion of the story. It’s two lost years for Guts as he leaves behind Casca, Rickert, Erika, and Godot, as he seeks vengeance for what he lost in the Eclipse. The problem is, however, when somebody attempts to adapt this without Hakusensha, Berserk’s publisher, giving their approval.

Fans Tried to Make a New Berserk Anime

Studio Eclypse, a prominent group of fan animators, put it up to a fan vote in September 2023 to decide their next project, with Berserk: The Black Swordsman receiving the vast majority of votes. They soon released an enticing trailer teasing the eerie ambiance characteristic of a Berserk anime, combined with the tiniest glimpse of a brutally violent Guts.

It was a dream-come-true for fans, as such a vision is the only way to portray the Black Swordsman Arc. It’s not as loaded with commentary or personal growth as other arcs; it’s largely only at the end, with glimpses of Griffith as Femto, and the daughter of the Count Guts just killed, that indicate his embers of humanity.

But as many may know, Eclypse did this without Hakusensha’s approval, being forced to stop the project. This, alongside the halting of projects like Berserk’s animated manga, leave fans with few outlets to enjoy Berserk content outside of reading the massive amounts of content not adapted. It’s a shame, too, as several capable studios would be worthy candidates.

Multiple Anime Studios Could Handle Berserk

It wouldn’t be a discussion on Berserk anime without speculation on studios that should adapt it next. While the predictable choice, propelled by current trends, continues to be MAPPA, it arguably has too much on its plate, but would do a wonderful job. It’s even taken recent steps to bring about positive change to its troubled workplace history.

Other worthwhile candidates one should consider include Wit Studio, Madhouse, Ufotable, Production I.G, Pierrot, and more. If Clevatess provided any form of blueprint for executing merciless dark fantasy, Lay-duce is an excellent candidate. While it’s not widely-released yet, Screen Rant can confirm Studio Kai has done an incredible job on the first two episodes of Sentenced to Be a Hero.

Anime is in a different place than it was 10 years ago. Back in December 2015, Berserk’s last new anime was announced, but the common viewership was still geared toward shonen anime. International standards have broadly relaxed, unless China’s regulations wind up interfering. Berserk deserves another anime, if at least to iron out other adaptations’ shortcomings.

Created by

Kentaro Miura, Kouji Mori

First Film

Berserk: The Golden Age Arc 1: The Egg of the King

Latest Film

Berserk: The Golden Age Arc 3: The Advent

First Episode Air Date

October 7, 1997