Want the Berserk books in order? Kentaro Miura’s dark fantasy epic has been running since 1989, and with multiple editions, a continuation after the creator’s passing, and several anime adaptations, it is easy to get lost. This 2026 guide lays out every volume, the Deluxe editions, and exactly where new readers should start.
How Many Berserk Books Are There?
The short answer: the Japanese tankobon release currently stands at 43 volumes, as documented on the series’ official publishing records (Hakusensha) and Wikipedia. In English, Dark Horse Comics has published up to volume 41, with volume 42 officially confirmed and volume 43 expected to follow the Japanese schedule.
Volumes 1 through 41 are the work of creator Kentaro Miura. After Miura’s death in May 2021, the series resumed under his assistants at Studio Gaga, supervised by his lifelong friend Kouji Mori, working from story outlines Miura had shared. Volumes 42 and onward are the continuation — same world, same characters, new hands.
Berserk Books in Order: The Story Arcs
Berserk is best read in publication order, since the story is one continuous narrative with flashbacks. The volumes group into these arcs:
- Black Swordsman arc (Volumes 1–2, roughly): Introduces Guts, the lone mercenary hunting demonic Apostles with his oversized Dragonslayer sword. The story opens mid-journey, then flashes back to Guts’ origins.
- Golden Age arc (Volumes 3–14): The famous flashback covering Guts’ time in the Band of the Hawk under Griffith. This is widely considered one of the greatest fantasy stories ever drawn — and the part most anime adaptations focus on.
- Conviction arc (Volumes 14–21, roughly): Guts travels a world falling into religious terror and demonic infestation, escorting the fragile Casca while the reborn Griffith gathers power.
- Falcon of the Millennium Empire arc (Volumes 22–35, roughly): Full-scale war between human kingdoms and the supernatural, with Griffith’s demon army reshaping the world order.
- Hawks of Light arc (Volumes 35–41): Miura’s final arc, ending with the fateful clash he had been building toward for three decades.
- Fantasía / continuation (Volumes 42–43 and beyond): Studio Gaga and Kouji Mori carry the story forward from Miura’s notes.
The Berserk Deluxe Editions: A Collector’s Shortcut
Dark Horse’s oversized Berserk Deluxe Editions collect three standard volumes each in a premium hardcover — a popular way to binge the series without tracking down 41+ individual books. Deluxe 1 covers volumes 1–3, Deluxe 2 covers 4–6, and so on through Deluxe 14 (volumes 40–41, plus a bonus collection of Miura’s prototype material).
If you want the whole run in the fewest physical books, the Deluxe line is the answer. If you want to read the continuation (volumes 42–43) in English as soon as possible, the standard individual volumes will be the first to appear.
Where to Start Reading Berserk
Start at Volume 1. It may look strange to open with Guts as a hardened adult, but the early chapters set the tone, and the Golden Age flashback lands much harder if you already know where the story ends up.
Skip the temptation to watch the anime first. The 1997 series covers the Golden Age, the three Golden Age Arc films retell it, and the 2016–17 series jumps ahead — but the manga is the only complete version of the story. Read first, adapt later.
Is Berserk Finished?
Not yet. Serialized in Hakusensha’s Young Animal magazine since 1992 (after a 1989 debut in Monthly Animal House), the manga continues under Studio Gaga and Kouji Mori. Releases arrive in small batches rather than on a fixed schedule, so check back for the latest volume count.
Berserk Books in Order: FAQ
Do I need to read the Berserk prototype? No — Miura’s early short story “Berserk: The Prototype” is a curiosity for collectors, not required reading.
Are the anime adaptations skippable? Mostly. The 1997 anime and the Golden Age Arc films cover volumes 3–14 well, but both condense heavily and end before the story’s midpoint. The 2016–17 series adapts later arcs with divisive CG. Read the manga; treat the anime as a bonus.
Standard volumes or Deluxe editions? Buy the Deluxe editions if you can — three volumes per hardcover, oversized art, and (for the early volumes) bonus prototype chapters. Only switch to standard volumes if you want the continuation (Vol. 42+) in English at the earliest possible date.
How long does it take to read all of Berserk? Plan on 60–80 hours for the full 41+ volumes. Most readers finish in a few months of evening reading — and then immediately want to start over.
A warning before you commit: Berserk is relentlessly grim — graphic violence, sexual violence, and body horror are constant. It is a masterpiece, but it is strictly for mature readers.
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