Where to Watch the Berserk (1997) Anime?

Berserk is a dark fantasy manga by Kentarō Miura. The manga was adapted into an animated series of 25 episodes between October 1997 and March 1998. A trilogy of animated films was produced between 2012 and 2013. A new animated adaptation was released between July 2016 and June 2017. Although Miura’s premature death put plans for the series’ continuation on hold, the manga has since resumed under the supervision of Miura’s longtime friend Kouji Mori and the artists at Studio Gaga. Chapter 384 arrived on June 12, 2026, following a nine month wait since the previous chapter. The future of a new anime adaptation continuing the story past 1997 remains uncertain. In this article, we are going to tell you where you can watch the original 1997 Berserk anime series online.

The 1997 version of ‘Berserk’ can now be streamed legally, just not everywhere. Netflix confirmed the original anime series would arrive on the platform on December 1st, with all twenty five episodes made available. The United States, United Kingdom, and Canada are still excluded from that rollout, so fans in those countries are better served by the official Blu-ray release detailed further down this guide.

Berserk is definitely not an obscure title, but the original anime is quite old and it is understandable that people still want to see it, but also that it is not available easily. Although it only has one season and just 25 episodes, it has become an absolute cult classic among the otaku communities around the world. In this article, we are going to give you the ultimate guide for watching the anime series online.

Where to watch Berserk (1997)?

As of 2026, the 1997 iteration of ‘Berserk’ is streaming on Netflix in dozens of countries, though American, British, and Canadian subscribers still cannot find it in their Netflix library. JustWatch data confirms the series is available in France and more than thirty other countries through Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. The show has also been remastered for physical media, with a new Blu-ray edition released in 2024. There are, certainly, illegal sites where you can find the anime, but we don’t endorse piracy here at Fiction Horizon.

We know that the subbed episodes are available on YouTube, but we are not certain about the legality of these videos so we cannot link them here. There might be some lesser-known local streaming platforms where you can find the show, but these platforms are not available in the West so you won’t be able to watch them.

For viewers outside Netflix’s supported regions, the anime is still not available for streaming, which makes the Blu-ray set the most dependable legal option for now.

Is Berserk (1997) available on Netflix?

Netflix had secured the rights to the Berserk franchise along with other classic anime like ‘Parasyte’ and ‘Monster,’ and the full 1997 series launched on the platform on December 1, 2022.

The launch skipped several major English speaking markets, though. Well after the December 1st release date, the 1997 series still was not available on the service in key markets like the US, UK, and Canada, and that remains true today even as the show continues streaming in France, Portugal, and dozens of other countries. So if your Netflix account is registered in one of the supported regions, you can watch the 1997 ‘Berserk’ right now, but American, British, and Canadian subscribers are still without an official Netflix option.

Is Berserk (1997) available on Crunchyroll?

Surprisingly, the 1997 iteration of the Berserk anime is not available for streaming on Crunchyroll, the biggest anime distributor for the Western market. Crunchyroll usually has all of the episodes of an anime series, but the 1997 iteration of the Berserk anime seems to be an exception, as you cannot stream it on the platform.

If you want to watch some other great anime titles, Crunchyroll is your best option if you ask us, but, sadly, the 1997 iteration of the Berserk anime is not on the site.

Is Berserk (1997) available on Disney+?

Disney+ does not offer any Berserk content, regardless of the iteration, which is, as you probably know by now, not surprising as Disney+ is generally very conservative when original content created by other studios is concerned, and anime is not just that, it is also direct competition for Disney, who takes pride in its original animated content. On top of that, this kind of content is definitely not compatible with Disney.

However, if you prefer Western animation and maybe some other anime series (although the offer is quite limited), Disney+ offers quite a few of them.

One of these animated series is ‘The Simpsons,’ which has only grown. All 36 seasons, the Simpsons Movie, and more than 10 shorts featuring the Simpsons family are now available in the Simpsons Collection on Disney Plus, alongside a steady drip of Disney Plus exclusive episodes. Some other similar shows, both animated and live action, that might attract your attention include ‘Gravity Falls,’ ‘The Mighty Ducks,’ and the ‘Star Wars’ series, including the very popular ‘The Mandalorian.’

Is Berserk (1997) available on Hulu?

The 1997 iteration of the Berserk anime is not available for streaming on Hulu, neither the subbed, nor the dubbed version of the show. Hulu is not one of the major players in the world of streaming, but nonetheless, it has a solid anime library, which is why it’s a bummer that the 1997 iteration of the Berserk anime is not in it.

Hulu is a streaming service that primarily offers live-action shows and movies, but, as we have said, there’s also a lot of anime, although the 1997 iteration of the Berserk anime is, unfortunately, not among the anime in Hulu’s library. Another big issue is that Hulu is not available around the world so there are certain restrictions if you don’t live in the United States.

As you can see, Hulu is not a good place to look for the 1997 iteration of the Berserk anime, as it doesn’t have it in its library, but it wouldn’t be your best pick even if it had it, since the location restrictions on Hulu are large and if you’re a non-US fan, you’d have a lot of trouble with Hulu.

Is Berserk (1997) available on HBO Max?

The 1997 iteration of the Berserk anime cannot be streamed on HBO Max either. Namely, the streaming service simply doesn’t have the show among its titles, so if you’re a subscriber and have been looking to see the show, we don’t have any good news for you.

But, if you actually do have a free trial or an ongoing subscription to HBO Max, you can also watch other great anime shows, some of which are true classics that need to be watched regardless of whether you’re a fan or not.

Luckily, HBO Max has a truly great anime library so fans will definitely find something for themselves if they want to explore other shows aside from the 1997 iteration of the Berserk anime. Some other great anime on HBO Max include Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Death Note, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Re:ZERO.

Is Berserk (1997) available on Amazon Prime?

The 1997 iteration of the Berserk anime still isn’t available for streaming on Amazon Prime. This is relatively strange as Amazon Prime has a solid slate of anime on its service, but it seems that the 1997 iteration of the Berserk anime isn’t on it at this moment. This, sadly, also includes Amazon’s non-Prime pay-per-view library, which means that you cannot rent or buy the individual episodes of the 1997 iteration of the Berserk anime either.

Now, as we have said above, what surprised us the most is the fact that Amazon doesn’t even offer the anime episodes for purchase, as it does with a lot of other shows via its pay-per-view model (for example, One Piece or Black Clover). Such series cannot be streamed, but you can buy each episode individually and then own them, so you can watch them anytime you want.

One advantage of the rent or buy option on Amazon is the lack of restriction, either in time or location. Anywhere in the world, you can buy any available season or episode of a show, which is a good thing since some streaming services don’t offer their full slate for all countries. Once rented, you have only a limited amount of time to watch each episode for the same price, whereas with a purchased copy, you have unlimited time.

But, sadly, none of this applies to the 1997 iteration of the Berserk anime, whether you’re an Amazon Prime member or not.

How to watch Berserk (1997) legally in the US right now

With every major streaming service still holding out on the original series in North America, the most reliable legal option for American fans is physical media. Discotek Media released Berserk, The Complete 1997 TV Series, on Blu-ray on March 26, 2024.

The Blu-ray features HD scans and improved subtitles, presented in Japanese with English subtitles alongside the original NYAV Post English dub, and it also carries over outtakes and extras from earlier home video releases. The set sold out quickly across the country after launch, with fans left joining a waitlist once stock ran out at the Crunchyroll Store.

For anyone open to it, the Netflix regions that do carry ‘Berserk’ can technically be reached through an account registered in one of those countries. We’d stress that working around regional restrictions sits in a legal gray area, so it isn’t something we can officially recommend, but it does explain why some fans report success watching the show through Netflix despite the US blackout.