Despite Berserk's immense popularity as both a manga and anime, many believe that "The Black Swordsman" storyline has not had a proper adaptation. Enter Berserk: The Black Swordsman, a fan-made anime project by Studio Eclypse that looks to deliver a proper 2D adaptation of the story.
Berserk: The Black Swordsman was first announced back in October 2023 by Studio Eclypse with the release of a brief teaser.
"Collaborating with amazing artists like Mark Reymer, we aim to create a proper 2D adaptation of the stories that have been neglected of this medium, starting from the beginning," the fan studio said. "This is a fan-made project with the utmost respect to the late Kentaro Miura, Studio Gaga and Hakusensha."
It's been a few months since that trailer was released and this weekend, we finally got a proper look at the upcoming project. The first main trailer for Berserk: The Black Swordsman was shared on social, and to positive reception to boot. The action-packed trailer predominantly features Guts, the lone swordsman, although we do get glimpses of Griffith, Casca, and Puck.
Alongside the trailer, Studio Eclypse confirmed that Episode 1 of the anime will be released in 2025.
The Black Swordsman is the first storyline in the Berserk manga by the late Kentarou Miura. The 1997 anime adaptation condensed the story arc for its first episode, so it didn't really get the attention it deserved. Similarly, the CG-animated Berserk series, which covered the manga's Conviction arc in the first season, also just briefly touched on The Black Swordsman storyline.
There have been numerous adaptations of the Berserk manga of the years, with the most recent being Berserk: The Golden Age Arc – Memorial Edition. This was a remastered version of Berserk: The Golden Age Arc — based on the manga series of the same name by Kentaro Miura — with new scenes and edited for television broadcast that aired from October to December 2022. Studio Eclypse has already stated that it has no plans to adapt the Golden Age arc. Berserk: The Golden Age Arc - Memorial Edition can currently be streamed on Crunchyroll.
Berserk originated as a Japanese manga series. Set in a medieval Europe-inspired dark fantasy world, the story follows Guts, a lone swordsman on a journey to exact revenge on Griffith, the leader of the mercenaries who betrayed him and sacrificed his comrades to become a powerful demonic being. One of the best-selling manga series of all time, it has been praised for its dark setting, storytelling, and characters.