The essential episodes of Berserk

Watch these 15 in order and you've got Berserk — each pick states its reason.

1. 01

   S01E01 · Pilot · October 7, 1997 · 25m

   The Black Swordsman8.5

   A girl is being assaulted in a bar when Guts walks in. He kills all the assailants but one and orders him to tell his master, the Baron, that the Black Swordsman is coming. Guts later finds and kills the Baron, and removes a demonic relic called a Behelit from around his neck. Soon after, Guts remembers the events in his past of when he fought the knight Bazuso.

2. 02

   S01E02 · Top rated · October 14, 1997 · 25m

   Band of the Hawk9.2

   In a flashback, Guts remembers when as a mercenary he killed the knight Bazuso. Later he encounters the group who would change his destiny: the Band of the Hawk. Corkus attempts to rob Guts and Griffith sends Casca to help him, but Guts defeats her. Guts then challenges Griffith, who grievously wounds him. Griffith orders Casca to lie with Guts during his convalescence. When Guts recovers days later, Griffith asks the swordsman to join his group but again he challenges Griffith to a sword fight.

3. 03

   S01E03 · Top rated · October 21, 1997 · 25m

   Baptism of Fire9.4

   Griffith defeats Guts, and makes him a member of the Band of the Hawk – an alliance between the philosopher and the berserker. The Hawks go on a midnight raid and Griffith chooses Guts for the most important position of rear guard; Guts succeeds and the band hails him as a hero.

4. 04

   S01E05 · Top rated · November 4, 1997 · 25m

   Sword and the Wind8.8

   Guts is now a commander in Griffith's army. Guts is taking risks in battle, and although he succeeds, Casca takes him to task for it. Eventually, Griffith is knighted as a viscount in the Midland court to the nobles' dismay. Guts saves the Hawks in battle, to Casca's chagrin.

5. 05

   S01E10 · Top rated · December 9, 1997 · 25m

   Nobleman8.8

   Guts assassinates Julius, but is emotionally scarred when forced to kill Julius' son Adonis to conceal the deed. Later, he hears Griffith tell Charlotte that he would consider a true friend to be his equal, someone with his own dreams and who follows his own path. Guts realises that although he is close to Griffith, he is not his friend.

6. 06

   S01E12 · Top rated · December 23, 1997 · 25m

   Two People9.3

   Guts tends to Casca but she still resents him. She tells her story of how Griffith helped her save herself from being raped, and give her a choice in life so she followed him. She watched him pragmatically go with a pederast lord to earn money to create his army and fulfill his dream. When Guts came, she knew that she would not be Griffith's chosen friend.

7. 07

   S01E13 · Top rated · January 6, 1998 · 25m

   Suicidal Act9.0

   Adon Coborlwitz and his Blue Whale Knights find Guts and Casca. Though completely outnumbered, Guts tells Casca to run and stays to fight. Some men go after Casca, catching her and holding her down in order to rape her. Guts continues fighting.

8. 08

   S01E14 · Season 1 peak · January 13, 1998 · 25m

   Campfire of Dreams9.8

   Casca defeats her attackers, and she and Guts end up back at the camp. Guts and Casca share a tender moment, where Guts explains that everyone in the camp has a dream but all he has is his sword, causing Casca to think he's leaving.

9. 09

   S01E17 · Top rated · February 3, 1998 · 25m

   Moment of Glory9.0

   The Hawks' reclaiming of Doldrey marks the end of the Hundred-Year War between Midland and Chuder. The King holds a ball for the mercenaries in their honor. The Queen, Charlotte's stepmother and Julius's secret lover, hatches a scheme with Foss to poison Griffith during the banquet. However, before the event, Foss receives a disturbing letter. During the toast, Griffith falls to the floor.

10. 10

    S01E18 · Top rated · February 10, 1998 · 25m

    Tombstone of Flames9.0

    The Queen and the conspirators believe they succeeded in poisoning Griffith and that he is dead. However, while they are celebrating, their room is locked and the tower is engulfed in flames. Griffith is still alive and watches them burn, having forced Foss to aid him by kidnapping his daughter. Griffith has again used Guts to remove his competition. Guts decides to leave and tells a pleading Casca that he does not want to be caught up in Griffith's dream anymore.

11. 11

    S01E19 · Top rated · February 17, 1998 · 25m

    Parting9.5

    As Guts leaves, he is challenged by Griffith and manages to defeat him and earn his freedom. However, Guts' departure affects Griffith psychologically and he spends a night of passion with Charlotte in a lapse of judgement. When Griffith leaves the next morning, he is apprehended and arrested by the guards.

12. 12

    S01E21 · Top rated · March 3, 1998 · 25m

    Confession9.5

    Guts helps the Hawks drive off the mercenaries. Casca has a plan to rescue Griffith from the Tower of Rebirth where he is being held. Casca blames Guts for Griffith's problems, but realizes it is not his fault. They make love and Guts asks her to go away with him after the rescue.

13. 13

    S01E22 · Top rated · March 10, 1998 · 25m

    The Infiltration9.5

    Casca and Guts go into the dungeon under the Tower of Rebirth to rescue Griffith, finding him mute, crippled and horribly disfigured from a year of seemingly endless torture. Meanwhile, the members of the Hawk are slaughtered at their camp by monsters led by a green fairy.

14. 14

    S01E24 · Top rated · March 24, 1998 · 25m

    Eclipse9.3

    The four archdemons of the God Hand awake and inform Griffith that he has been chosen to be their final member. For his baptism, Griffith must offer his friends as a sacrifice to the God Hand's Apostles. Griffith is shown visions of his past to convince him that the lives of his men are trivial in regard to the fulfillment of his dream. Guts climbs a mountain of flesh to try and stop Griffith from becoming a demon, but Griffith accepts the God Hand's offer. The entire Band of Hawk are branded as sacrificial offerings for the unborn child of darkness, Griffith.

15. 15

    S01E25 · Series finale · March 31, 1998 · 25m

    Perpetual Time8.8

    The Apostles assume their true forms and commence the Eclipse feasting by devouring those branded as offerings. Griffith is reborn as the fifth God Hand, Femto, and rapes Casca in front of Guts. Guts is forced to cut off his left forearm to stop his former friend while his right eye is gouged out. A post-credits scene shows Guts in the physical world with his wounds healed as he leaves Godo's house to exact his revenge on Griffith and the Apostles ending the series on a cliffhanger.