Berserk: Season 1
1997 · 25 episodes · ★ 7.3
What Season 1 of Berserk
Guts is a lone mercenary who thinks only about surviving. His path crosses with the Band of the Hawk, a mercenary group led by Griffith, an ambitious and charismatic leader who dreams of ruling a kingdom. Griffith defeats him and recruits him into his ranks, and Guts ends up being swept along by that same ambition. The Hawks grow in number and power, and Guts rises to become commander. Griffith grows close to Princess Charlotte, daughter of the king of Midland, and the group's situation changes. Based on the manga by Kentaro Miura, the series alternates battles with flashbacks to Guts's childhood.
Season 1 Episodes
1x01 The Black Swordsman
A blacksmith is forging an enormous sword while a dark man with only one eye and one arm stands back and watches.
Directing: Kazuya Tsurumaki · Writer: Atsuhiro Tomioka · Cast: Tomoe Hanba, Ikuya Sawaki, Shouto Kashii, Masahito Kawanago
1x02 Band of the Hawk
There is a great battle taking place at a fort. The attackers are doing well, except one thing stands in their way - a grey knight and he states that none shall pass him.
Directing: Masakazu Amiya · Writing: Shikichi Ohashi · Starring: Akiko Yajima, Ikuya Sawaki, Kazuhiro Nakata, Kazuhiro Nakata
1x03 First Battle
Guts and Griffith begin their sword fight.
Directing: Kazuhisa Ono · Writer: Makoto Itakura · Cast: Akira Ishida, Akiko Yajima, Masuo Amada, Masaaki Tsukada
1x04 The Hand of God
Guts reminisces about his childhood.
Directing: Yasuhiro Geshi · Writing: Shouji Yonemura · Starring: Akira Ishida, Akiko Yajima, Masuo Amada, Norio Wakamoto
1x05 A Wind of Swords
Guts is now a commander of Griffith's army, taking many risks in battle, Casca takes him to task for it. Griffith is knighted in the Midland court much to the nobles' dismay.
Directing: Mihiro Yamaguchi · Writing: Shinzo Fujita · Starring: Ryuji Mizuno, Shōji Ōki, Kiyomitsu Mizuuchi, Kenji Nomura
1x06 Zodd the Immortal
In another raid, Guts and Griffith come across a demon known as Nosferatu Zodd.
Directing: Yasuhiro Matsumura · Writing: Atsuhiro Tomioka · Starring: Ryuji Mizuno, Kenji Utsumi, Hiroyuki Yokoo, Yasuyuki Kase
1x07 The Sword`s Owner
Princess Charlotte of Midland strikes up a friendship with Griffith.
Writing: Shikichi Ohashi · Starring: Ryuji Mizuno, Eiji Maruyama, Yuji Fujishiro, Masayuki Nakata
1x08 Conspiracy
Griffith and Guts continue their success in battle and Griffith is made a Count.
Directing: Koji Yoshikawa · Cast: Ryuji Mizuno, Tessyo Genda, Ikuya Sawaki, Masayuki Nakata
1x09 Assassination
Griffith saves Charlotte when her horse bolts during a fox hunt. Yurius, the king's younger brother, attempts to have him assassinated.
Directing: Yukina Hiiro · Writing: Shouji Yonemura · Starring: Masaaki Tsukada, Masahito Kawanago, Ryuji Mizuno, Tamio Ohki
1x10 Nobleman
Guts, sent by Griffith, assassinates Yurius and his son Adonis. Griffith gets closer to Charlotte. The Hawks depart for yet another mission.
Directing: Yukio Okazaki · Writing: Shinzo Fujita · Starring: Ryuji Mizuno, Mahito Tsujimura, Yuri Shiratori, Fumio Matsuoka
1x11 The Battle
On a stormy battlefield, Casca, Griffith's second in command, is wounded while fighting the leader of an enemy army. Guts runs to her rescue but when she passes out at the edge of a cliff, he cannot catch her in time and they both fall into the river below.
Directing: Yasuhiro Matsumura · Writer: Atsuhiro Tomioka · Cast: Kazuhiro Nakata, Toshiko Sawada
1x12 Together
Casca is still unconscious, so Guts shelters them in a cave while the rain pours down. She comes to and tells Guts about her past and about Griffith's.
Writer: Shikichi Ohashi
1x13 Prepared for Death
Guts and Casca try to fight their way back to the Hawks while the enemy army they were fighting from before try to stop them.
Directing: Mihiro Yamaguchi · Cast: Toshiko Sawada, Shouto Kashii
1x14 Bonfire of Dreams
Casca finds Judeau's division of Hawks and leads them back to where Guts was fighting alone. Although injured, he defeated all the enemy soldiers by himself. They return to the Hawks' camp and Casca tends to Guts' wounds.
Directing: Koji Yoshikawa · Cast: Shouto Kashii
1x15 The Decisive Battle
The King of Midland and his various generals confer about Doldrey Castle, long since captured by the Chudan Empire. Griffith plans an attack and the King agrees despite the protests of his other officers. Only one other general supports Griffith's actions. The Hawks attack Doldrey.
Directing: Yukio Okazaki · Writer: Shinzo Fujita · Cast: Toshiko Sawada
1x16 The Conqueror
With the help of Nosferatu Zodd, Guts defeats the defender of Doldrey Castle.
Directing: Yukina Hiiro · Writer: Atsuhiro Tomioka · Cast: Shouto Kashii
1x17 Moment of Glory
With the victory at Doldrey, Griffith is promoted to White Phoenix General, an aristocratic title. The Queen of Midland and other court conspirators try to poison Griffith.
Writing: Shikichi Ohashi · Starring: Masahito Kawanago, Toshiko Sawada
1x18 Tombstone of Flames
Griffith has his revenge by having the Queen's castle burned down.
Starring: Toshiko Sawada
1x19 Separation
Griffith will not let Guts simply leave. He says that Guts belongs to him.
Directing: Mihiro Yamaguchi · Writing: Shouji Yonemura · Starring: Kenji Nomura
1x20 Sparks
Guts arrives at the home of Godo the swordsmith and stays there for a while while Godo crafts a new sword for him. Guts practices more on his sword techniques with the help of Godo's little daughter Erika.
Directing: Koji Yoshikawa · Writer: Shinzo Fujita · Cast: Shouto Kashii
1x21 Confession
Guts returns in time to save the remaining Hawks from annihilation.
Directing: Yukio Okazaki · Writer: Shinzo Fujita · Cast: Masahito Kawanago, Shouto Kashii
1x22 Infiltration
With Guts help, Casca and the Hawks hope to rescue Griffith.
Directing: Yukina Hiiro · Cast: Shouto Kashii
1x23 Eve of the Feast
Breaking away from the King's pursuing armies, the few Hawks left contemplate their future. Guts comforts Casca, who is despondent over Griffith's condition. Griffith begins to dream.
Directing: Koji Fukasawa · Writing: Shouji Yonemura · Starring: Masahito Kawanago, Shouto Kashii
1x24 The Great Eclipse
Seduced by the promises of demons and his dreams from his childhood, Griffith agrees to fulfill his destiny and become one of the God Hand demons.
Directing: Masakazu Amiya · Writing: Shikichi Ohashi
1x25 Time of Eternity Season Finale
Griffith's men are sacrificed to the demon's appetites. Guts fights on, at first to save Griffith, then to save himself from the result of Griffith's ambition.
Directing: Naohito Takahashi · Writer: Shinzo Fujita · Cast: Shouto Kashii
Season 1 Cast
Nobutoshi CannaGuts (voice)25 episodes
Yuko MiyamuraCasca (voice)25 episodes
Tomohiro NishimuraCorkus (voice)25 episodes
Unsho IshizukaNarrator (voice)25 episodes
Shouto KashiiEnemy Soldier A (voice)9 episodes
Masahito KawanagoSoldier (voice)9 episodes
Ryuji MizunoJulius (voice)6 episodes
Eiji SekiguchiBand Member A (voice)6 episodes
Toshiko SawadaQueen (voice)5 episodes
Ikuya SawakiBoscogn (voice)4 episodes
Hideto EbiharaSoldier (voice)4 episodes
Kazuhiro NakataMoustache Baron (voice)3 episodes
Masaaki TsukadaMinister A (voice)3 episodes
Masayuki NakataGuard A (voice)3 episodes
Hiroyuki YokooRaider A (voice)3 episodes
Mahito TsujimuraFoss (voice)3 episodes
Yuri ShiratoriCharlotte (voice)3 episodesWhere to Watch Season 1 of Berserk
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Berserk Season 1 have?
Berserk Season 1 has 25 episodes.
When Did Berserk Season 1 Premiere?
Aired October 8, 1997.
Where to Watch Berserk Season 1?
By subscription on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads, and Animebox Channel Amazon Channel (the offer may vary by country).
What is the best episode of Season 1?
According to the audience rating on TMDB, episode 1x10, "Nobleman," has a 8.0.