Timeline

World: about -1000 years

The western continent was unified by the Emperor Gaiseric, with Midland as chief kingdom. Soon the city became place of dissoluteness, and a wise opponent of the emperor is exiled in the Tower of Rebirth, where he invoked God. Midland was destroyed and there’s no trace of Gaiseric anymore.

On the Astral Plane, every 216 years, a man, thanks to the red Behelit, becomes a member of the God Hand, during a solar eclipse. The arch-demonic family welcomed the ghastly Void.

A warrior fought the God Hand and Void, finding in the witch Flora an ally. This warrior wore the Berserker Armour, a magic artifact made by dwarves. Thanks to magic, they survived the time and they’re still fighting.

World: about -300 years

Nosferatu Zodd, a cruel warrior, became an apostle of the God Hand, and rival of the warrior who wore the Berserker Armour.

Flora guarded the dangerous armor in the palace of the spiritual, her new home after the overtaking of pagan faiths by the religion of Holy See.

The Holy See reshaped all the sanctuaries devoted to the elemental spirits on her new needs, churches and cathedrals were built. The Tower of Conviction went into Papal State’s hands becoming the Sanctuary of St. Albion.

World: about -80 years

Among all the kingdoms built after the end of Emperor Gaiseric's empire, Midland and Chuder became famous because of their military rivalry.

Tudor conquered fortress Doldrey, symbol of Midland, giving the start to the One Hundred Year War.

In the country of Kushan the tribe of Bākiraka was exiled for political reasons.

World: about -30 years

Magic was considered only superstition and creatures like elves vanished from their original places, such as Misty Valley. Flora, despite being banished, continued to help Paneria’s inhabitants,e.g. the little Morgan.

Godo the blacksmith was commissioned to forge a sword fit to slay a dragon. The King didn’t like the Dragonslayer, and the blacksmith was forced to withdraw himself on the mountains, where he still worked. In a cave, once inhabited by the elves, he found good minerals.

World: about -15 years

The Vandimion bank, owned by the wealthy Federico de Vandimion III, who was in business with the Holy See, provided money to Tudor. But neither Chuder, nor Midland were capable to change the situation between them.

Guts' age: 1 month

Shisu, Gambino's lover, picks up Guts, just born from a cadaver hanging by its neck.

The Skull Knight continues in his revenge against the God Hand and Apostles, eating their Behelits.

Guts' age: 3 years

In Wyndham, main city of Midland, the King and the Queen celebrated the birth of Charlotte, their daughter.

Shisu dies because of plague, and Gambino with reluctance trains Guts in the art of the sword.

Guts' age: 9 years

Guts was sold into prostitution for a night to fellow mercenary Donovan by Gambino. Soon after, Guts gets vengeance by killing Donovan.

Guts' age: 11 years

Forced to defend himself from Gambino, who had gone crazy, Guts plunged his sword into his foster father’s neck. Chased away by Gambino's friends, he went from battle to battle in different mercenary armies.

The three male sons of Frederic III: Giorgio, Poliziano and Magnifico struggled for the succession to their father, while Farnese, his daughter, spoiled and restless, was calmed down only by Serpico, her sevant and secret half-brother.

In the Midlands, the Royal Family was stricken by a heavy mourning: the Queen had an untimely death. The King got married to another woman who had a secret liaison with General Julius, brother of the King.

As a child of humble-birth who is destined to realize his ambitious dream of someday ruling the kingdom, Griffith sets up a gang of robbers which included a miner named Pippin, a former bandit named Corkus, a tumbler named Judeau, and the then 12 year old Casca. The Band of the Hawk was born.

Guts' age: 13 years

Recruited by Lord Gennon, a perverted squire, the Band of the Hawk began to gain fame. Griffith spends a night with Lord Gennon, sleeping with him for money.

In Midland, the King placed side by side the assassins guilds of Bākiraka to his armies: the White Dragon, the White Tiger, Arclow e Tumel.

In a county not interested in the war, the Count was chasing after heretics, but he found out that his beloved wife is involved in the cult of the evil. Betrayed and tormented, he became an Apostle and start to make unjustified massacres. Vargas, the castle doctor, escaped, stealing the Behelit from the Count.

Guts' age: 15 years

Guts defeats Bazuso, a heavily armored mercenary and the famed 30-man slayer, and attracts Griffith's attention. Provoked by Corkus, he maims and injures some members of the Band of the Hawk. Dan, one of Corkus's friends, was killed by Guts. Casca intervens but was overwhelmed by Guts' strength. Griffith defeats Guts twice, then he forces him to join the Hawks.

In a village destroyed by flames, Godo saves little Erica and adopts her as his daughter. The King of Midland founds the Black Dog Knights led by Wyald, a prisoner and Apostle of the God Hand.

Guts' age: 17 years

Rosine, tired of living with her family and obsessed by the tale of Peekaf, decides to leave her house and heads to Misty Valley, where she becomes an Apostle in exchange for her parents' lives.

The Black Dog Knights are banished for the crimes committed.

Guts' age: 18 years

The Band of the Hawk defeats the Black Sheep Iron Spears Heavy Knights of Tudor and is recruited by Midland for the One Hundred Year War.

In Vritanis the patriarch of Vandimion sends her daughter to a convent. Farnese de Vandimion becomes the commander of Holy Iron Chain Knights, the papal army, supported by Serpico and Azan. Their first mission is to repress an heretical internal movement. Serpico, pressured by Farnese and the fact that he would end up like his mother, burns his mother at the stake as a heretic. She thought that Serpico was her master and asked if her son was doing well under his service.

Guts confronts Nosferatu Zodd during the siege, whose presence cements the existence of demons and ethereal creatures to both Guts and Griffith.

Zodd foretells Guts' demise when Griffith's morale (and subsequently, his dream) is eventually crushed.

The Hawks' presence at the court is not well received by the noblemen, especially those of the Conservative wing. Minister Foss succeeds in setting Count Julius against Griffith, but a failed assassination attempt results in the death of the noble with his son and heir to the throne, Adonis, both killed by Guts.

Griffith discusses with Charlotte about the value of friendship. Guts and Casca accidentally overhear this conversation, and whilst Casca's thoughts about the speech are never explored at any length ot time, a highly introspective Guts is revealed to be deeply unsettled by the revelation.

The King of Midland carries out the final attack on Chuder, which has been weakened by internal problems. During the battle against the Blue Whale Knights, Guts and Casca manage to forge a deeper sense of mutual understanding.

An ambush by Adon Coborlwitz engages Guts against 100 of Tudor's soldiers. Guts becomes a legend on the battlefields thanks to this incident and is eventually dubbed as The Hundred Man Slayer.

The King orders the Band of the Hawk to recapture Doldrey, and only Owen and Laban were supporting Griffith and his army. They defeat the Purple Rhino Knights of Lord Boscogn and the Governor Gennon, and conquer the fort using stratagem.

Midland wins the One Hundred Year War.

Flora takes Schierke as an apprentice, accompanied by Evarella the elf.

Griffith foils another conspiracy against him, led by Minister Foss and the Queen, who is eventually killed as a result. Foss was coerced into betraying other conspirators when Griffith kidnapped his daughter.

Guts announces his departure from the Band of the Hawk seeking to follow his own dream. However, the truth behind this is that Griffith does not consider the Band of the Hawk as his friends, and that they are merely pebbles that are on his path to his dream. For him, a friend is someone who is of equal status. Burdened by it, he decides to leave. Griffith fails in his attempt to stop him, and in his subsequent depression he chooses to spend the night with Princess Charlotte. On that fateful night, one of the servants witnesses Griffith and Charlotte's activity and decides to tell it to the King. When morning came, Griffith is captured by the guards. This results in his incarceration and torture which lasts for over a year. Griffith confronts the King with his lust for his own daughter, which drives him insane.

Consumed by jealousy, the King attempts to rape Princess Charlotte but fails to do so, then falls ill.

Because of what Griffith did, the Band of the Hawk are considered as fugitives. With their titles presumably relinquished, the Hawks are forced into hiding from the King’s troops as well as other bounty hunters.

Guts meet the Skull Knight, who foretells about the Band of the Hawk and its demise during the Eclipse.

Guts' age: 19 years

Guts spends an entire year living with Godo and Erica. He confronts and defeats Silat in a tournament, from which he learns that the Hawk are now a gang of robbers in hiding. Guts saves his friends from Silat's attack and pledges his service to them in the hopes of rescuing Griffith and rebuilding their army.

Guts has sex with Casca and conceive their child.

Casca, Judeau, Pippin and Guts head towards Wyndham to save Griffith, who had been imprisoned under the Tower of Rebirth. Thanks to Charlotte's help, they enter the castle and release Griffith, whose physical anatomy and mental stability had become severely compromised due to prolonged torture.

The other division of the Band of the Hawk is attacked by Rosine, The Count, and the Guardian Insects. Only Rickert survives the ordeal when the Skull Knight intervenes, driving them away knowing the role Rickert would later fulfill following the Eclipse.

Rickert is found by a company of circus performers; he meets an elf called Puck, who had left Elfhelm, and a fortune-teller who foretells a change for all the people in the world.

Defeating the Bākiraka killers who were sent by the ill-stricken King to pursuit Guts and capture Griffith, Guts' party flees from the capital, being pursued by Wyald and his Black Dog Knights. Wyald is mortally wounded by Guts and killed by Nosferatu Zodd when he tries to harm Griffith.

After losing his last thread of sanity, Griffith attempts to commit suicide, but in doing so he activates the Behelit, causing the Eclipse. He then sacrifices the Band of the Hawk to become Femto and fulfil his dream. Void, Slan, Conrad and Ubik all welcome the Fifth God Hand, while the former Band of the Hawk are demolished and eaten by the denizens of the interstice.

The first one to get killed was Pippin, who tried to defend Casca while she stared blankly at the horror that was occurring in front of them right now. Judeau rescues Casca and leaves Pippin. He yells her that since she is now the General of the Hawks, so long as she lived the Hawks could go on. Judeau gets killed while defending Casca and never got the chance to tell her his true feelings for her. Casca tries to fight the Apostles but gets overpowered by them and stripped.

The Raiding party scrambles around. Corkus and his friends are attacked, and only Corkus managed to run away. He convinces himself that everything was a dream: the Band of the Hawk, the fame, glory, and being a knight. He sees a woman there, who was actually an Apostle and devoured him as he started to touch her. Meanwhile, Guts falls down into a river of blood. He comes across Gaston, the former deputy leader of the Raiders and the most loyal of all to Guts. He then muses himself that everything was a dream and that he followed Griffith because "he looked like a man out of legend". His head explodes and a worm-like Apostle comes out. Guts tried to killed it with Gaston's sword but it was too quick. He then sees Pippin, whom he thought was alive. When he approached him, his upper and lower body were torn apart. It turns out that he was killed by the Count, who then ate him in front of Guts.

Already furious at the deaths of all his comrades, Guts turns around and sees Casca being held by the demons, naked, bleeding all over and unconscious. He goes berserk and starts attacking the Apostles. His left arm was caught in the jaws of one of them. Femto is finally born and rapes Casca and forces Guts to watch in horror. Guts chisels off his left arm, held in the jaws of Borkoff, with a broken sword in an attempt to stop Femto, but is held down by more demons and his right eye clawed out as Casca passed out and he fell unconscious screaming. The Skull Knight breaches the interstice, saving Guts and Casca from their fate and causing a disturbance within the flow of causality. By chance, Rickert arrives there before Zodd and the Skull Knight began their duel. The Skull Knight suddenly comes out of the Eclipse, together with Guts and Casca. Rickert uses fairy dust to heal the two while Skull Knight prepares for another duel with Zodd. Zodd sees Guts and tells Skull Knight that they will have their duel some other time in order to honor Guts' amazing luck of surviving the Eclipse.

The Holy See's department for the evaluation of the miracles instructs the Holy Iron Chain Knights to look for information about the Apocalypse. Farnese reaches the red lake where the massacre of the former Hawks took place, and conclude that it must have been the work of the Hawk of Darkness.

Guts' age: 20 years

Guts wakes up in Godo's mine, attended by Rickert and Erica, and found Casca, driven crazy after the rape.

Guts runs away from the mine due to the intense grief about the loss of the Band of the Hawk. He eventually meets the Skull Knight who lets Guts borrow his sword and lets him ride on his horse when the ghosts decide to take Casca instead. Guts finds out that the Skull Knight helped him and Casca escape the Eclipse.

Casca gave birth to a deformed Child, who was Casca's and Guts' but turned demonic by Femto's wicked seed. Guts tries to kill it but Casca refused to let Guts take the child. When morning came, the Child vanished.

Guts then decides to leave Casca to Erica and Rickert to start his vengeance trip. As farewell gift, Rickert gives Guts a fake left arm with a cannon and a repeater crossbow. He clads himself in black armor and black cape. Before he could leave, an Apostle comes inside the house and attacks Guts. Godo's armory is destroyed as a result. Guts found the Dragonslayer and uses it to kill the Apostle. Godo permits Guts to use the Dragonslayer.

Guts finds and kills many Apostle, gaining the bad reputation of The Black Swordsman.

Guts kills the Snake Baron at the village of Koka and saves Puck who followed him but was considered by Guts a nuisance.

The Holy Iron Chain Knights are instructed to follow The Black Swordsman, after being considered linked to the Apocalypse.

Guts arrived in the city of the Count, and takes a Behelit from the old Vargas. After a battle with Zondark the commander of the city’s army, Guts enters the Apostle’s castle, and after a cruel battle, he mortally wounded the Count, under the eyes of the his young daughter Theresia. The Count used the Behelit and Guts finally met Femto again. The Count refused to sacrifice his daughter and was taken by the souls from Hell. Theresia swears revenge to Guts, who simply left. Puck notice's Guts crying while walking away.

Isidro runs away from home, dreaming of following the Band of the Hawk and its Raiding Team’s commander.

Guts' age: 21 years

Guts saves Jill from a gang of bandits and a spectral tree and learned that the near villages are assaulted by greedy elves.

In the village, the Holy Iron Chain Knights discovered that The Black Swordsman is somewhere near. Jill's father shows them the path that Guts took.

Guts defeated Rosine and her Guardian Insects. The Skull Knight swallowed the Rosine’s Behelit.

The spirits in the forest haunt Guts. They tell him that a beast of darkness will overcome his body. This beast is the Hellhound

The Holy Iron Chain Knights reached the Black Swordsman, and after a fight against Azan, Guts was captured.

Guts escaped with Puck's help, taking Farnese hostage. Pursued by Serpico, Guts and Farnese faced an attack by some evil spirits. The next day, Serpico rescued Farnese and duel with Guts the first time.

Near St. Albion a person on the fringes of society invoked the God Hand and, sacrificing all the ground around him, became the Egg-Shaped Apostle.

A prophetic dream was shared by all the people of the world, that a Hawk of Light is the savior of the humanity.

In Midland, the situation was really serious because of the plague. Laban receives word that the King is dying.

Casca eluded Erica and joined a group of refugees heading toward St. Albion. Mozgus, a fanatic inquisitor escorted by Farnese and her Order, was directed to the sanctuary. Luca, a prostitute in St. Albion, takes care of Casca. Since she is not aware of her true name, she calls her Ellen and hides her face from public view.

In Wyndham, the King dies, leaving an empty throne. Kushan’s troops, lead by the rebel Apostle Emperor Ganishka, he invades Midland.

Nosferatu Zodd received a visit of the Hawk of Light who defeated him and urged him to go to the place of the prophecy. Guts learned from his demonic Child the existence of that place. Worried about Casca, Guts went back to Godo’s house, finding out that she left.

Guts sees Godo weakened by age. Godo refines Guts' Armour and weapons.

Guts realizes that he once again repeated the same mistake of leaving behind something and realizing its worth in the end. The first one was leaving the Hawks. He realizes that the Hawks are his only family. The second one was leaving Casca with Erica and Rickert. If he didn't leave her and burned his body with hatred, they would have lived in the mine.

The Hellhound, the Beast of Darkness, makes its first manifestation in Godo's mine.

Guts headed toward St. Albion with Puck, to save Casca.

In a desert village, Guts and Puck met Isidro and the Kushan's vanguards, led by Silat.

Isidro decides to follow Guts and copy his swordsmanship.

At Albion, Mozgus and the Holy Iron Chain Knights hunt the heretics, who hide themselves in a cave where they glorify the Evil One with sabbaths and extreme rituals. Casca followed Nina, unleashing an inferno in the cave, calling the spirits through the Brand.

Guts meets the Skull Knight, who told him of the Incarnation Ceremony.

Guts and Serpico duel for the second time.

Casca was mistook for a witch by heretics, then captured by Mozgus. When Morgus used the Iron Maiden on Casca, a pile of blood is unleashed, in globing all in presence. Mozgus and his attendants retreated to the chapel, where the Egg-Shaped Apostle made them Apostle Spawns.

Casca was protected by the Child, but was again captured by Mozgus.

The Apostle-Behelit takes the Child, preparing himself for Femto's rebirth.

The Tower of Conviction falls, assuming the shape of a big hand. Guts defeated all of Mozgus’ entourage and saved Casca with the help of Serpico, Isidro, Jerome and Farnese.

Albion completely fell, and all the souls gathered there invoked the birth of a perfect world. The Apostle-Behelit disclosed like an egg and a new life saw the light.

Silat reaches the place of the prophecy, to witness Griffith's rebirth.

Zodd came to protect his new master from the Kushan attack, while Guts departed with Casca. Farnese decides to follow the Black Swordsman, fascinated by him. Serpico followed Farnese. Azan goes back to the Holy See.

Griffith visits Rickert and the Hill of Swords. Guts duels with Zodd. Godo's mine is demolished during the fight.

Puck offers to take Guts and Casca to Elfhelm, his home land.

Guts' age: 22 years

Griffith reforms the Band of the Hawk with Grunbeld, Locus, Nosferatu Zodd, Rakshas, Irvine and Sonia, a girl with telepathic powers.

Schierke, sent to Midland by Flora, felt that Griffith is the reincarnation of a high level spirit.

All armies of the countries loyal to Holy See were called to Vritanis, a port under control of Church. All the allies: Tudor, Wardoria, Morgal, Randel as well as Balden, gather in the city; Nirce, Pharis, Narna also send their troops. A temporary government was found to prepare a campaign for Midland's liberation.

Serpico, Farnese and Isidro join Guts and Casca.

Guts’ party met Morgan, Schierke and Flora. Guts agreed helping them deal with the Trolls in return for Flora's help.

Schierke’s magic neutralize's the trolls and the other malevolent creatures near the village. Farnese and Casca are kidnapped and taken to the Qliphoth, a dark layer of the astral world. Guts and Schierke rescued them. Slan injures and trap's Guts, only to be saved by the Skull Knight.

Griffith orders to Grunbeld and Zodd to kill Flora. Grunbeld becomes displeased, saying that killing a woman in her dying age is far from honorable. Guts uses the Berserker armor to defeat Grunbeld while breaking his own body. Flora sacrificed herself to save the group, blocking the Apostles.

In Wyndham, Laban contacted the Resistance, led by Minister Foss, and was attacked by Pishacas. They were saved by Locus.

Griffith rescues Charlotte using a diversion to keep Emperor Ganishka occupied.

Rakshas showed Silat the demonic nature of the Daka and Emperor Ganishka. Shilat was scandalized by the black magic.

Emperor Ganishka planned an attack on Vritanis to break down the armies loyal to Holy See. Daiba, the charmer, was ordered to go by ship and clear the coast.

The Skull Knight warned Guts on the negative effects of the Berserker Armour. He also revealed that the King of Elves, known as Hanafubuku in Elfhelm can cure Casca.

Casca meets a mysterious baby on the shore. The party was attacked by Kushan monsters. Guts loses his senses while under the influence of the Berserker Armour and attacked his friends, but was called back by Schierke.

Farnese went home in Vritanis to acquire a ship for the party and agrees to marry Roderick. Guts and others come to meet her. Guts and Serpico duel for a third time.

The Kushan army attacked Vritanis, destroying much of the city and the Holy See armies.

Guts and friends escaped to Roderick's ship. Guts defeated numerous monsters and Dhaiva with the help of Schierke who protected his consciousness. Emperor Ganishka appeared and attacked in his mist form, make an offer to Guts to become allies against Griffith, but Guts refused. Ganishka was defeated by Guts and Zodd.

Guts' party leave on Roderick's ship to seek Elfhelm.

Griffith defeats the overwhelming Kushan army and earned the Papal approval for his upcoming marriage with Charlotte.

Emperor Ganishka uses black magic to merge with all life forms in Wyndham to gain enough power to fight Griffith despite Daiba's protest. Laban and Foss organize an evacuation for all citizens. Ganishka finally takes the form of a mountainous monster called 'Shiva' and prepare to fight Griffith.