Berserk is one of the most well-loved dark fantasy manga, and the original manga knew great popularity in its own time - in fact, many started with the latter. But where to go from there? For those who don't want to read the entire series, what is the best chapter to start reading the Berserk manga after watching the anime?
Where to Start in Berserk Manga After Watching the Anime?
If you have just watched the original 1997 Berserk anime and want to take the story from there, you can skip the Golden era arc (Volumes 3-14, Chapters 1 - 94).
However, you should still ideally read the Black Swordsman arc, the first two volumes, although, ideally, you shouldn't skip any Berserk content.
The Golden Era arc is a flashback part that sets the scene for everything that follows. As long as you know most of what happens, you can theoretically get away with skipping that if you can't wait to move to the main plot.
The second season of the Berserk anime, which came out in 2017, adapts until chapter 249, so you could theoretically start reading from 250. This, however, is not recommended.
In comedy anime or those with a generally simple plot and a very faithful anime adaptation, it might not necessarily be a bad idea to pick the manga where the anime adaptation left off.
In the case of Berserk, fans mostly agree that skipping any chapter or volume is not a great idea, even if you have watched the entire anime. Not only would this be very confusing - as Berserk is a huge and complex work - but some of the enjoyment would also be lost.
Of course, nothing stops you from skipping chapters you think are not necessary, but if you have time and want to really delve into the violent but intriguing work of the fantasy manga, we recommend reading all the chapters that have come out so far.