Erica is Godot's adopted daughter. Having lived with him in his mountain cabin until his death, she departed alongside Rickert after the Great Roar of the Astral World.
Appearance[]
Erica has light-brown hair that she wears in a bun and dark green eyes. She wears a very simple white dress.[2] She also sports a red shoulder coat over the top with two little pom-poms in the middle. Over her hair, she wears a traditional bun cover to protect her bun from coming undone.[2]
Personality[]
Erica is a bright, curious girl, who takes a liking to Guts despite his rough personality.[2] After the course of the Eclipse, she helps take care of Casca, showing a rather mature side, despite her young age.[3] Erica shows a thoughtful side, empathising with the struggles of a locked Casca and a troubled Rickert. Though never a hesitant one to speak her mind when it comes to seek justice,[4] she does not do it out of a perceived grudge with the other person she is speaking to: even after having been put by Daiba under a trance to help him with menial chores, she is quick to offer a supporting device to the elder man so as to help him with his joint aches.[5]
Background[]
Early in her life, Erica became an orphan in a war. On a whim, the grizzled blacksmith named Godot adopted her as his own daughter when he saw her crying. The two lived together in Godot's hut from that day on.[6]
Story[]
Golden Age Arc[]
At one point, Erica and Godot met Guts. She helped him train by dropping logs over him. Much to her consternation, the training broke the sword he was using. At Godo's hut, Erica bandaged him and expressed her interest in her father's job, claiming she'd become a blacksmith.[2] After the horrific events of the Eclipse, Skull Knight takes both Guts and Casca -as well as Rickert- to the ore cave near Godot's hut. She nurses Guts back to health while he's unconscious, while quickly making friends with the now child-like Casca. Erica becomes very protective of Casca, shielding her from Guts in his confusion.[3] One month later, Erica shows Godo's armory to Rickert. As she begins disclosing Godo's story, the blacksmith himself catches her by surprises and continues her narration. That night, Guts and Casca eat a dinner cooked by Erica.[7] When Guts uses the Dragon Slayer to kill the apostle who had been tracking down the "leftovers", Erica was frightened at Guts. After the event, she bid farewell to Guts, who sets out on a mission to try to exterminate the apostles.[8]
Conviction Arc[]
During that period, Erica watches over Casca while Rickert serves as a blacksmith's apprentice under her father. Seeing Casca's despair and lack of hunger after having been kept secured in the ore cave, Erica takes Casca to pick fruit with her one day. Casca wanders off and is lost. Erica blames herself for this, and both her and Rickert search endlessly to no avail. Many months later, while collecting firewood, Erica discovers Puck, who she mistakes for a goblin. She gleefully grabs it and runs to Rickert to show it, only to discover that Guts has returned. Erica thus brings Guts back to Godot's hut, while Rickert explains what occurred with Casca. When Guts asks Rickert why isn't he searching for Casca, Erica burst into tears, making him note he was the one who abandoned Casca in the first place and Rickert having to return to the hut.[4] After a talk with Godot, Erica leads Guts to a hill in which a number of swords are placed as graves. As Rickert explains, he forged them as practice as well as mourning his fallen comrades the way they used to do it in the field. That night, Erica takes Puck alongside her so as to cuddle him to their sleep, much to the elf's displeasure.[9] As the girl sleeps, Rickert tells Guts that Erica hadn't laughed ever since Casca went missing, a situation that was changed only after that day's events. Shortly afterward, Godot approaches Rickert and entrusts Erica to him, discussing how he first met her. After having his gear outfitted and his sword re-forged, Guts bids farewell to Rickert and Godot as Erica watches from the blacksmith's bedroom window.[6]
Millennium Falcon Arc[]
As Erica clears some snow over Godot's tombstone, Casca surprises her. When the Black Swordsman notices the tombstone, Erica explains that Godot died soon after he left. When Guts offered Erica his condolences, the girl told him that Godot had been happy to see him before he died, adding that he didn't want Guts to see his face once he was gone. Turning to Casca, she comments on how she was to blame for how the woman got lost. Asking to Guts whether he'll leave her again, she expresses her wish for all of them to live together, making plans to refurbish the place and hoping for Casca not to run away as long as Guts tends to her. With Guts' half-hearted answer, Erica feels happy. As Guts muses on Griffith's incarnation and how it means he's in the same ground Guts is, the cheerful kid tells Guts that a guest is at the sword cemetery along Rickert. As Erica describes the guest, Guts concludes that the guest is none other than Griffith himself.[10]
While Guts clashes swords with Zodd, who was protecting the God Hand member, Casca feels a pain in her Brand of Sacrifice, which makes Erica ask her what was wrong.[11] When Casca runs off, so does Erica, following her to the Hill of Swords, where the swordsman and the apostle were fighting. There, she is scared at Zodd and fears for Casca when flying rocks were about to fall over the branded woman.[12] After the fight, Erica muses on how they have lost the ore cave in which Guts and Casca could have lived in. Her thoughts are stopped when Rickert announces he's leaving with Guts after learning the truth of what happened during the Eclipse. Erica bursts into tears and runs away, asking if everyone is leaving.[13] Later on, the girl and Rickert bid Guts, Casca and Puck goodbye, with Erica asking Guts to take care of Casca.[14]
Fantasia Arc[]
Erica and Rickert worked as blacksmiths at a mine on the border until trolls appeared in the mountains. Despite moving to a nearby town for safety, they had to flee when it was attacked by an ogre. The populace decided to leave when every children in town had a dream about a shining falcon flying toward the capital. As Erica states, it was "as if the falcon was guiding her".[15] During the exodus, they are seen riding a wagon and defending it from trolls. Erica provides Rickert with arrows, which he then shoots using a modified crossbow. When their pace is slowed down by the front wagons, Erica then empties a box of miniature bombs over the creatures. It is then that a group of warriors waving the Band of the Falcon flag come to the caravan rescue as the duo gaze in amazement.[16] When Irvine dispatches the cockatrice that had suddenly attacked the warriors, Erica asks Rickert whether the monster man is on "their" side. Right then, Irvine exchanges looks with them, with Erica expressing how scary is was to Rickert, who is lost in thoughts concerning Griffith and what could have happened. These thoughts segue into he now has to protect Erica and are cut short by a harpy attack. Once they're dispatched, the wagon caravan makes its way to Falconia.[17] After reaching the city, Erica asks Rickert whether he lived in a place like that one. After reaching a lodge led by Luca and her girls, Erica notices a bearded old man with an affinity for animals. Luca tells the kid that "a monster" is kept along the animals, and invites her to a communal bath for females. After their small talk, Luca ensures her that "her brother" and Erica herself will sleep at ease as no monsters can get into the city.[15]
The day after, Erica tries to sneak into the barn alongside some children. They are surprised by the old caretaker and run away, but the girl notices the old man's walking issues and asks him how is he. Assuming the girl wanted to take advantage of his lack of movement, he charms her into helping him. Despite having her work hard, Erica takes pride in it, claiming it's because she's a blacksmith's daughter. When she's done, she rummages in the wagon she rode along Rickert and brings a supportive device to Daiba. According to her, the contraption was invented by Rickert to help Godot. As she discusses Godot's works with the Kushan wizard and Luca -who had been observing them-, she mentions "a sword bigger than a person" and insists that somebody could wield it, which makes the two interlocutors ponder on it.[5]
Although Rickert tells her to stay out of fighting during his battle with Rakshas Erica hands Rickert a rocket launcher-type weapon, giving them enough time to escape. This section requires expansion.
Gallery[]
Notes[]
- According to the Berserk Official Guidebook, as of the Fantasia Arc, Erica is 11 years old, 139 cm (4'7"), and 43 kg (95 lbs). (NOTE: The Berserk Official Guidebook is highly questionable in its veracity.)
References[]
- ^ a b c Shikaisha., Nakajima, R., Shimizu, Y., Mochizuki, M., Okada, M., Suzuki, M. (2016). "Berserk Official Guide Book". Tokyo: Young Animal Comics.
- ^ a b c d Berserk :: Volume 10, "Sparks from a Sword Tip"
- ^ a b Berserk :: Volume 13, "Awakening to a Nightmare"
- ^ a b Berserk :: Volume 17, "Cracks in the Blade"
- ^ a b Berserk :: Volume 38, "Pandemonium"
- ^ a b Berserk :: Volume 17, "To the Holy Ground (1)"
- ^ Berserk :: Volume 14, "Armament"
- ^ Berserk :: Volume 14, "One Who Hunts Dragons"
- ^ Berserk :: Volume 17, "Feeble Flame"
- ^ Berserk :: Volume 22, "Ruptured World"
- ^ Berserk :: Volume 22, "Reunion on the Hill of Swords"
- ^ Berserk :: Volume 22, "Unchanged"
- ^ Berserk :: Volume 22, "Prologue to the War Chronicle"
- ^ Berserk :: Volume 22, "Onslaught of the Kushans"
- ^ a b Berserk :: Volume 38, "Capital City of Humanity"
- ^ Berserk :: Volume 37, "Covered Wagon"
- ^ Berserk :: Volume 37, "Paradise"