Berserk
Set in a dark medieval fantasy world, Berserk follows Guts, a lone swordsman branded as a sacrifice, as he battles apostles and the God Hand in pursuit of revenge against his former comrade Griffith and seeks to restore his companion Casca's shattered mind. Created by Kentaro Miura.
- Genre:
- ダーク・ファンタジー / アクション / 青年漫画
- Medium:
- Manga / Anime
Berserk — Timeline20 events
Birth of Guts
Guts was born beneath the corpse of his hanged mother on a battlefield. A mercenary woman named Sys took him in and raised him as her own, but she soon died of plague, leaving Guts in the care of the mercenary captain Gambino.
— Depicted in flashbacks during the Golden Age Arc. No in-world calendar; relative timeline only.
Guts as a Child Soldier Under Gambino and Gambino's Death
Guts began sword training at six and fought his first battle at nine. After Gambino lost his leg in combat, he grew violently abusive toward Guts. Around age eleven, attacked by Gambino in a drunken rage, Guts defended himself and killed him, then fled the mercenary band.
— Flashbacks within the Golden Age Arc (vols. 3–5).
Guts Encounters the Band of the Hawk and Is Defeated by Griffith
Around age fifteen or sixteen, Guts was recruited by the Band of the Hawk after being spotted as a skilled fighter. He was defeated in single combat by the band's leader Griffith and, as the terms of his loss, was compelled to join the band.
— Vol. 3, early Golden Age Arc.
Capture of Doldrey and End of the Hundred-Year War
Tasked by the King of Midland with retaking the allegedly impregnable fortress of Doldrey, the Band of the Hawk defeated a thirty-thousand-strong Tudor force with only five thousand cavalry, ending the Hundred-Year War. Griffith was celebrated as a hero and elevated to noble status.
— Vols. 5–6, mid Golden Age Arc.
Guts Loses a Duel to Griffith and Departs the Band
Shortly after the war's end, Guts challenged Griffith to a duel to earn his freedom. Guts lost and departed the band to pursue his own ambitions. Griffith, shaken by Guts' departure, made a reckless decision that would change everything.
— Vol. 6, mid Golden Age Arc.
Griffith Imprisoned and the Band of the Hawk Scattered
In the wake of Guts' departure, Griffith slept with Princess Charlotte. The furious King of Midland had him imprisoned in the Tower of Rebirth, where he was subjected to prolonged torture. The Band of the Hawk was declared enemies of the state and scattered.
— Vols. 6–7, late Golden Age Arc.
Guts and the Band of the Hawk Rescue Griffith
One year later, Guts reunited with Casca and surviving band members and, with Princess Charlotte's help, broke Griffith out of the Tower of Rebirth. Griffith had been gravely mutilated by prolonged torture and was left unable to speak or hold a sword.
— Vols. 7–8, late Golden Age Arc.
The Eclipse — Griffith's Sacrifice and the God Hand's Descent
Griffith inadvertently activated his beherit, transporting the entire Band of the Hawk to a dimensional interstice. To be reborn as the fifth God Hand member Femto, Griffith sacrificed his comrades to the apostles, who slaughtered the band. Guts and Casca survived but were branded. Guts lost his left arm and right eye, and Casca's mind was shattered.
— Vols. 12–13, climax of the Golden Age Arc. The central turning point of the entire series.
Guts the Black Swordsman Confronts the Snake Lord
Around two years after the Eclipse, Guts traveled as a lone black swordsman hunting apostles. At the village of Koka he confronted and defeated the Snake Lord, an apostle who ruled the region. After the battle, the elf Puck began accompanying him.
— Vols. 1–2, Black Swordsman Arc (in-story approximately two years after the Eclipse).
Battle with the Count and Guts' Second Encounter with the God Hand
Guts entered a city ruled by an apostle known as the Count and mortally wounded him. The dying Count activated his beherit, summoning the God Hand. Guts confronted them consciously for the first time but was driven back by the agony of his brand.
— Vols. 2–3, late Black Swordsman Arc.
Rosine's Village and the Lost Children Incident
Guts tracked down Rosine, an apostle who had transformed the children of a village into pseudo-elves to fulfill her fantasy. After confronting and defeating Rosine, Guts had his first meaningful exchange with the enigmatic Skull Knight.
— Vols. 14–15, Conviction Arc 'Lost Children Chapter.'
Pursuit by the Holy Iron Chain Knights and Casca's Capture
The Holy Iron Chain Knights pursued Guts and Casca as heretics. Casca was captured and taken to Albion, a tower city filled with plague refugees and penitents. Key characters Farnese and Serpico were introduced as the knights' leaders.
— Vols. 15–16, Conviction Arc 'Binding Chain Chapter.'
Mozgus' Judgment and Griffith's Physical Resurrection
At Albion, the fanatical inquisitor Mozgus condemned heretics en masse. Guts infiltrated the tower to rescue Casca. An apostle called the Egg of the Perfect World performed the Incarnation Ceremony, and Griffith was reborn in a physical human body two years after the Eclipse.
— Vols. 19–21, climax of the Conviction Arc 'Birth Ceremony Chapter.'
Formation of Guts' New Party and Schierke's Joining
After Griffith's resurrection, Guts traveled with a new party: Farnese, Serpico, Isidro, and Puck. The young witch Schierke, apprentice to the witch Flora, joined the group. Schierke would become vital in protecting Guts' mind from the corruption of the Berserker Armor.
— Vols. 22–24, early chapters of the Millennium Falcon Arc 'Holy Demon War Chronicle.'
Guts Dons the Berserker Armor and Battles Grunbeld
Overwhelmed by the apostle Grunbeld, Guts donned the Berserker Armor from Flora's workshop. The armor suppresses pain and amplifies power beyond human limits, transforming Guts into an overwhelming force, but at the cost of risking his mind to the Beast of Darkness lurking within.
— Vols. 24–26, mid Millennium Falcon Arc.
Griffith Reforms the Band of the Hawk and Battles the Kushan Army
Griffith organized a new Band of the Hawk, mixing humans and apostles, and positioned himself as Midland's savior against the invading Kushan army led by Emperor Ganishka. Learning of Griffith's return, Guts pressed northward, rage building.
— Vols. 26–32, late Millennium Falcon Arc 'Holy Demon War Chronicle.'
Ganishka's Second Reincarnation, the Great Wave, and the Birth of Falconia
Emperor Ganishka, driven to desperation by Griffith, used a man-made beherit to reincarnate a second time, becoming a colossal spiritual entity. When Griffith destroyed Ganishka, the Great Wave occurred — the physical and astral worlds merged, flooding the world with monsters. Griffith founded Falconia as the last stronghold of humanity.
— Vols. 33–34, late Millennium Falcon Arc 'Falconia Chapter.'
Battle with the Sea God and the Voyage to Elfhelm
Following the Great Wave, Guts and his party sailed for Elfhelm. En route, they encountered the Sea God, an ancient creature sealed within an island that had been released into the changed world. Guts entered and defeated it alone from within. The merrow Isma joined the party.
— Vols. 35–36, early Fantasia Arc 'Elf Island Chapter.'
Elf Queen Danan Restores Casca's Mind
Reaching Elfhelm on the island of Skellig, Guts' party succeeded in having Elf Queen Danan restore Casca's shattered mind. However, with her memories of the Eclipse restored, Casca was overwhelmed by visions of Griffith and reacted with extreme distress.
— Vols. 37–38, mid Fantasia Arc 'Elf Island Chapter.' The milestone reached in the story close to the time of Kentaro Miura's death in May 2021.
Establishment of Falconia and Griffith's Transcendent Dominion
Falconia operated as the sole sanctuary against the monsters unleashed by the Great Wave, and faith in Griffith reached near-religious intensity. Former Band of the Hawk survivor Rickert, upon learning the truth of Griffith's nature, rejected him and fled eastward. Griffith's dominion over the world continued to expand.
— Vols. 36–41 (including continuation by Studio Gaga under Kouji Mori's supervision). Fantasia Arc 'Eastern Way Chapter.' After Miura's death, Studio Gaga continued the series under Kouji Mori.
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