Guts is a lone swordsman who saves a tormented elf named Puck and a red-haired youth. Raised by his adoptive father and mentor Gambino, the young Guts was forced to kill Gambino when the man attempted to murder him in misplaced blame for his wife's death for saving his life when born from his hanged mother. A few years later, an older Guts attracts the attention of a mercenary group, The Band of the Hawk, when he kills the knight Bazuso during a siege. Corkus attempts to rob Guts before he is saved by the Hawks' female captain Casca, who is in turned saved by their leader Griffith as he grievously wounds Guts. When Guts recovers, he is forced into joining the Band of the Hawk when Griffith defeats him in a duel and later learns of the Beherit pendant Griffith possesses. Three years pass and the Band of the Hawk grow in power and numbers as they are employed by the Kingdom of Midland for its Hundred Year War against the Tudor Empire, and Griffith rises in the kingdom's hierarchy after a successful battle. During a siege, Guts and Griffith encounter the Apostle Nosferatu Zodd, a fearsome immortal warrior who nearly kills them before noticing Griffith's Beherit. Zodd takes his leave while warning Guts that Griffith will be his doom once the latter dream crumbles while still considering him a friend.
