How to read Berserk in English: where to start

What Berserk is about

Berserk is a dark fantasy by Kentarou Miura and Studio Gaga. It began in Japan in 1989. Its world is full of castles and mercenary armies. It is full of monsters too.

The lead is Guts. He travels alone and hunts demons. His sword is as tall as a man. His artificial left arm hides a small cannon. His prey is the Apostles. These are demons that can wear a human face.

A brand on his neck draws ghosts and demons to him every night. So he hardly sleeps. A tiny elf called Puck tags along with him. Guts would rather have no company at all. The first chapters drop you into the middle of his story. They keep quiet about why he carries so much rage.

The genre list reads Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Horror and Psychological. The themes are Tragedy, Revenge, Demons and Gore. Take that last one seriously. Berserk is written for adult readers. It shows extreme gore, torture and sexual violence. If you like grim worlds, revenge stories and meticulous ink work it has a lot to give you.

How far the series is

Berserk is not finished. It is still releasing in Japan. As of October 2026 Japan has 43 volumes. English has 42. That leaves the English edition just one volume behind.

Dark Horse publishes Berserk in English. With 42 volumes already out you have a long run ahead before the gap with Japan matters.

Where to start

Start with Volume 1. Our listing for this guide names one way in for English readers.

• Single volumes: Vol. 1 from Dark Horse. It came out in 2003.

No omnibus or other edition appears in our data for this guide. So the single volumes are the route here. Buy Volume 1 and read up in order. We have no list price for it. Check your local shop or online store.

Do not worry if the opening leaves questions open. Holding back Guts's past is part of how the story begins. Stick with it and read in order.

What comes next in English

Japan already has volume 43. That is the next one English readers are waiting for. As of October 2026 no English date is announced yet.

Mangainfo checks its sources for new dates every morning. When Dark Horse sets a date it will show up on our series page.

Quick answers

How many volumes does Berserk have? There are 43 volumes in Japan so far. The series is still running.

Is Berserk finished? No. It is still running in Japan.

How many volumes are out in English? English is at volume 42. Japan is at 43. Dark Horse publishes the English edition.

When is the next English volume? No date is announced yet. We check for new dates every morning.

Where do I begin? Volume 1 from Dark Horse.

Every volume on one page

Want the full list of English volumes with their dates? The Berserk series page has every one of them. Bookmark it. That is where the next English date will appear first.