Fleeing a traumatic childhood, lone mercenary Guts drifts from battle to battle, striking down powerful enemies with his unwieldy sword. After one skirmish, Guts clashes with the mystifying Griffith and his small army known as the Band of the Hawk. The victorious Griffith drafts Guts into his ranks, granting the swordsman a kinship unlike anything he has ever known.

Alongside the skilled warrior Casca, Guts helps Griffith guide the band to fame and glory. But as he gains military prestige, Griffith becomes the target of assassination attempts and political schemes. He uses Guts to further his ambitious rise to power, taking advantage of the swordsman's lack of aspiration.

Even as he grows closer to Casca, Guts' absence of direction robs him of any sense of belonging. Fostering opposing desires, Guts and Casca fight for Griffith's dream—although fractures forming among the trio threaten to disrupt their world.