A young swordsman named Guts cuts down an enemy champion during a siege in the kingdom of Midland and draws the eye of the Band of the Hawk, a rising mercenary company led by the silver-haired Griffith. Defeated by Griffith in single combat, Guts is forced into the band and falls in with its commander Casca as the unit climbs Midland's military ranks. The first film in Studio 4°C's Golden Age trilogy condenses the manga's opening Hawk-era volumes into a feature retelling.