Berserk Should Have Ended After The Golden Age Arc

Daksh Chaudhary
6 hours ago
3 min read

Berserk’s Golden Age Arc is one of the greatest stories ever told in manga. Guts’ rise from a traumatized mercenary to a broken hero, Griffith’s descent into monstrosity, and the Eclipse’s soul-crushing betrayal was a flawless tragedy. But after that? The series becomes a messy, bloated journey that loses focus. And here’s the hard truth: Berserk should’ve ended with the Golden Age Arc.

This isn’t disrespect to Kentaro Miura, the legendary creator. But even geniuses stumble. The Golden Age was a complete story - Guts’ loss, Griffith’s fall, Casca’s trauma. Everything after feels like fan fiction trying to out-shock the original.

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The Golden Age Arc Was A Perfect Story

The Golden Age Arc shows us Guts' early life, how he joins the Band of the Hawk, and his bond with Griffith and Casca. We see Guts grow from a lone mercenary into someone who finds purpose, love, and real friendship. The Golden Age Arc is what we call perfect writing.

The story builds up to one of the most shocking and heartbreaking events in all of manga history - the Eclipse. Griffith’s betrayal, the fall of the Band of the Hawk, and Guts losing everything he loved; this was the climax that stuck with readers forever. The emotional weight of this arc could have been the perfect end to Guts’ story.

Everything After The Golden Age Felt Different

After the Golden Age Arc, the story takes a darker, more supernatural turn. While that isn’t necessarily bad, it shifts the tone. The brutal medieval realism starts to mix with more fantasy and a monster-heavy journey. Some readers felt that the emotional connection faded a bit.

The focus moves from Guts’ relationships and inner battles to endless fights with apostles and demons. Yes, it’s still Berserk, and it still has its moments. But the Berserk's wildness, the one that made us cry and rage during the Eclipse, started to feel less present as the story went on.

Guts’ Revenge Journey Became Repetitive

One of the main reasons Berserk continued was to show Guts’ path of revenge. After what Griffith did, it made sense, but revenge stories can be tricky. After a while, Guts' struggle started to feel repetitive, and he was always fighting new enemies, always angry, always running.

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Of course, Miura added depth, like Guts protecting Casca or trying not to lose himself. But those emotional beats didn’t always hit as hard as the Golden Age Arc. Some fans believe that stretching Guts’ pain over so many volumes may have diluted the impact of his original trauma.

Miura’s Death Left The Story Unfinished

Another painful truth is that Miura passed away before completing Berserk. Fans never got to see the final battle between Guts and Griffith or how things would truly end. The new chapters handled by his team are respectful and heartfelt, but they naturally don’t carry the same magic.

If Berserk had ended after the Golden Age Arc, it would’ve been complete. Heartbreaking, yes. But complete. It would be remembered like a Greek tragedy - a story of dreams, betrayal, and human weakness. Ending there would have left the rest to our imagination and a realization that not all stories get a happy ending.

Final Verdict: The Golden Age Arc Was The Soul Of Berserk

In the end, Berserk is still legendary, and the Golden Age Arc is the soul of the story. It gave us characters to care about, moments we’ll never forget, and a story that's bold and powerful. Everything after that, while still interesting, often struggled to match that same level.

That’s why some fans like us feel Berserk could have ended after the Golden Age Arc. It would have been a bold, unforgettable finish. A story that went out at its peak, like a beautiful tragedy written in blood and fate.