A wave of excitement is sweeping through Berserk fans: a new animated adaptation inspired by Kentaro Miura’s cult manga is in preparation. The fan animator collective Band of the Wolf announced on X that it wants to “bring Berserk panels to animation,” with production scheduled to launch in 2026. The team is already recruiting people with a range of skills (animation, compositing, music) and is even looking for a voice actor to portray Guts, indicating that the project aims for a genuine production rather than a simple clip.

 

 

The announcement comes shortly after the cancellation of the Berserk: The Black Swordsman project led by Studio Eclypse. While Eclypse was criticized for monetizing an unlicensed work through Patreon, Band of the Wolf has not detailed a funding model, suggesting that it may be a non-profit initiative. Notably, Studio Eclypse has publicly expressed its support, presenting Band of the Wolf as a kind of “super group” bringing together former Eclypse members and animators from other well-known fan channels.

As a reminder, Eclypse made a major impact in 2024 with an English-dubbed trailer that went viral, focusing on the Black Swordsman arc, which was absent from the 1997 anime and the film trilogy. But in September 2024, publisher Hakusensha and Studio Gaga stated that the production was unauthorized and that the promotional videos were being distributed without permission, leading to the content first being put on hold and then removed. The situation has reignited a recurring debate: despite several attempts, many believe that Berserk has never received a fully satisfactory animated adaptation, from the 1997 series’ cliffhanger ending to the criticism directed at the 2016 series, particularly for its CGI.