Berserk Wiki
Register
Advertisement
This page contains a Fandom Productions "featured video".
The featured video (positioned above; invisible if logged in or using an ad blocker) may contain erroneous information. Berserk Wiki and its editors had no part in its creation.

Even if you force back what was lost, it still won't be the way it was.
– Guts[41]

Guts, renowned as the "Black Swordsman", is a former mercenary and branded wanderer who travels the world in a constant internal struggle between pursuing his own ends and upholding his attachments to those dear to him.

At one time driven solely by his will to survive, Guts finds purpose in life upon joining the Band of the Falcon, greatly helping in the faction's storied successes during the Hundred-Year War as captain of the band's raiders. He eventually becomes dissatisfied with clinging to Griffith's dream[42] and departs from the band in pursuit of his own.[43] Following the horrors of the Eclipse prompted by Griffith,[44] Guts embarks on a two-year war against the God Hand and apostles, becoming increasingly embittered on his one-track quest for retribution. He in time realizes protecting his regressed lover is more important to him,[10] as well as something he cannot do alone,[45] and thus puts aside his quest for revenge while fostering camaraderie with new companions.

Personality

I'm used to fighting to survive. But what grows worse daily is the pressure not to die. Have I ever before wielded a sword so heavy?
– Guts[46]

Manga E130 Temptation

Guts is a man in constant conflict with his own inner darkness, which manifests as the ever-tempting Beast of Darkness.

Known for his air of austerity, Guts is a gruff, cynical man holding an overall bleak outlook on life. This is a consequence of enduring waves of suffering and numerous betrayals since his youth, as nearly all highlights of his life have, in time, become lows. In spite of his guarded, brooding exterior, he shows a more easygoing, compassionate side around the people he trusts, appearing markedly less unsociable and distant, though still retaining his dry candidness. Even as his inner darkness festers deep within him and its temptation becomes increasingly harder to resist, he retains his empathy and compassion, refusing to discard his humanity.

In his formative years, Guts is devoid of true purpose in life, killing as a child mercenary merely as a means to survive. As a blank slate, he often finds himself seeking validation from those he respects most, content so long as "one person [looks his] way".[42] His precariousness slowly develops into individuality upon meeting Griffith – someone whom he eventually seeks to stand beside as an equal, rather than be looked down on by. The swordsman then embarks on a journey of self-discovery, in which he comes to acknowledge his lifelong bond with and passion for the sword. Upon realizing this, he begins devoting himself to honing his craft and fighting ever stronger adversaries, having a newfound purpose in life through this.[47]

GutsNewFriends

Eventually, Guts is able to overcome his apprehension toward camaraderie, grateful for the companionship of his new group members.

After surviving the Eclipse, Guts grows vindictive, wanting nothing other than to hunt down and slaughter any apostle he encounters, and, more importantly, exact revenge on Griffith and the God Hand. He leaves behind a regressed Casca for two years to embark on his warpath against demonkind. On his two-year hunt, Guts becomes largely self-centered and anti-social, indifferent to the suffering of others and detesting those whom he deems weak.[1] His reclusive nature and hostility toward those attempting to connect with him stem from a fear of creating new emotional attachments; fear of making precious new companions akin to the comrades he lost to the Eclipse.[48] With time, due in large part to the efforts of Puck,[49] Guts ceases his solitary struggle and solicits the help of fellow travelers, slowly fostering new companionship with them.[16] Despite his initial apprehension toward displaying affection for his new comrades, he comes to appreciate the bonds he makes with them and finds himself grateful for having their individual strengths to rely on.[50][51]

Above all else, Guts is the personification of perseverance and resilience. Through all of his numerous trials and tribulations, he has never yielded to the flow of causality and continues to subsist against seemingly insurmountable odds. Indeed, Guts is an ardent detractor of the idea of destiny, believing his actions to ultimately be of his own volition and paying no heed to such a supposed certainty.[26][52]

Background

Manga E0-9 Infant Guts

An infant Guts, left to die underneath the corpse of his lynched mother.

Guts was born from the corpse of his lynched mother underneath a hanging tree, where he was left to die alone in a mire of blood and afterbirth. A mercenary group lead by a man named Gambino eventually happened upon the grisly site, presuming the infant to be dead. When the baby began wailing, to the surprise of the mercenaries, an acquaintance of Gambino's, Shisu, immediately took to the child and came to his aid. Gambino allowed the woman to keep Guts for her own personal consolation, despite the circumstances of Guts' birth being considered ominous by his cohorts. Three years later, Guts' surrogate mother contracted the plague, dying as he watched on.[12]

Under Gambino's tutelage, Guts began honing his swordsmanship at six years of age, and joined the mercenary's band three years later at nine years old, looking up to his leader as a father figure of sorts. On the night following Guts' first skirmish, a mercenary named Donovan ambushed and raped him in his tent, revealing he bought the boy for a night from Gambino. In a following skirmish, the young mercenary isolated Donovan and eliminated him, refusing to believe the man's claim from the previous night.[19]

Manga E0-11 Father Killer

Guts is forced to kill Gambino, the closest thing to a father he has ever known.

When Gambino lost his leg in battle, his relationship with Guts immediately deteriorated. From verbal to physical abuse, Guts was subjected to various forms of degradation for two years following Gambino's injury before Gambino eventually made an attempt on his life.[19] Possessed of the notion Guts was the reason for his misfortune, Gambino revealed he did indeed sell Guts out to Donovan, voicing his disgust for the boy's existence. Heavily disheartened by this revelation, Guts retaliated and killed his assailant in self-defense – the closest thing to a father he had ever known. Consequently attacked by Gambino's men and branded a father killer, he fled with aggressors on his tail, eventually running into a dead end and being shot off a cliffside. From his high fall and a bout with a pack of wolves below, he fell unconscious, eventually being discovered by and enlisted as a child soldier in another mercenary band that happened upon him.[20]

Spring Flower of Days Long Passed

Manga E330 Chitch Expended

Guts is nursed to health by a forlorn flower spirit named Chitch, though at the cost of Chitch's being.

As a result of being on the losing side of battle, Guts and his fellow mercenaries were captured and intended to work as laborers for their captors. On their way to the castle they were to help construct, Guts met a man named Martino, who aided and befriended the injured young mercenary on their trek, even seemingly helping him escape. Martino instead used Guts' escape attempt as a decoy to make his own, leaving as the guards recaptured the boy, later imprisoning Guts in a frigid cell. In his cell, the young mercenary met the forlorn spirit of a lone flower named Chitch, who nursed him back to health as he readied for a bout with his captor's son. In the process of healing Guts, Chitch expended all of her remaining petals and ceased to be; grateful for her aid, Guts decided to take Chitch's remains to a valley of other blooms like her after his escape. Following his eventual defeat of his captor's son and subsequent storming of the castle by his mercenary band – who had been notified by Martino of the castle's location and potential spoils – Guts fulfilled his resolve to lay Chitch's remains in a valley of radiant flowers.[14]

Story

Golden Age Arc

Meeting the Band of the Falcon

Manga E0-14 Griffith Claims Guts

Despite his combat prowess, Guts is defeated and claimed by Griffith, enlisted in the Band of the Falcon thereafter.

During the siege of a military garrison defended by the Band of the Falcon, Guts, now fifteen, joins the fray alongside a mercenary band and narrowly defeats an enemy leader named Bazuso, lowering the enemy's morale and allowing for the fort's capture.[20] In his travels, he is attacked by several Band of the Falcon mercenaries seeking to claim his reward and exact revenge for his earlier interference. He easily dispatches most of them until he is met by Griffith, who quickly incapacitates the swordsman and has him brought to the band's encampment.[53]

Waking several days later, Guts is given by Griffith the option to join the band. He promptly refuses, instead opting to challenge Griffith to a duel. He stipulates that the White Falcon can lay claim to him in the advent of defeating him in combat. Harboring an interest in Guts, Griffith agrees and the two engage in battle,[54] with the White Falcon ultimately defeating the swordsman and enlisting him as a member of the Band of the Falcon. During the night, Corkus and a few others attempt to kill Guts, only to be stopped by Casca. While Guts expresses his thanks, Casca shrugs him off. During a night raid with the Band, his horse is killed and he is nearly attacked by the enemy until Griffith, Judeau and Pippin come to his rescue as the rest of the Band members manage to drive off the enemy into a retreat.[55] During their celebration for their victory, as Guts sits alone he is dragged by Pippin to join the others with Rickert and Judeau welcoming his company.[56] The next day, Guts has a chat with Judeau on the nature of Griffith and the Band before he's told by a member that Griffith is calling for him. He finds Griffith showering and the two engage in a water fight. Once Guts notices Griffith's necklace, he explains it is a beherit that he was given by an old fortune teller. Griffith then tells Guts that he will one day attain his own kingdom and that Guts "belongs to him".[57]

At some unspecified point later, Guts is pulled by Griffith from a large pile of enemy corpses which he was stuck under. Griffith speaks about what his role in the world may be and what it means to be the "true elite" as he muses on how Guts is the first person he talked to about these things.[58]

Encountering Nosferatu Zodd

Manga E3 Zodd Wounded

Guts is the first man in 300 years to wound the legendary Nosferatu Zodd.

In three years time, Guts, now eighteen, is promoted to the Band of the Falcon's raiders captain[7] and, for their efforts against the Black Ram Iron Lance Knights, the band is formally recruited by Midland in its century-spanning campaign against Tudor. At a later point, amid seizing a Tudor stronghold, the Band of the Falcon finds itself at a standstill while making its final push into the fortress, with roughly fifty of Guts' soldiers being slaughtered by a single enemy burrowed within the inner citadel. Fed up with these results, Guts ventures into the citadel himself, where he meets the monstrous apostle Nosferatu Zodd and engages in battle with the demon. Initially taken aback by his opponent's overwhelming aura and daunted from parrying Zodd's bone-rattling strikes, Guts ultimately gambles his life on one swing, and with it, lands a gashing blow on the apostle. Zodd is only further excited by the injury – having after 300 years finally found a human capable of injuring him – and subsequently assumes his behemoth released form.[59]

Petrified by Zodd's transformation and completely outclassed, Guts is thrashed around and nearly crushed by the apostle, before Griffith and Band of the Falcon reinforcements intervene. When Griffith comes to Guts' aid, Zodd blocks the two's path of escape, forcing them to execute a pincer movement on the apostle, in which both of them deal substantial damage to the demon. In retaliation, Zodd tail whips Griffith into a column, though he immediately ceases his onslaught upon sighting Griffith's Crimson Beherit. The beast leaves Guts with a prophecy, warning the swordsman of an inescapable death that shall befall him should Griffith's dream ever collapse, before flying off.[60]

Precious Thing

During the Autumn Hunt in Wyndham after their return, the Band of the Falcon acts as the king of Midland's guard in place of General Julius' White Dragon Knights. In midst of the hunt, Griffith is shot by a stray arrow, but avoids injury due to his beherit taking the brunt of the blow. On a night sometime after, Griffith, having deduced Julius as the culprit behind the murder attempt, asks Guts to kill the general in retaliation. The swordsman invades Julius' manor in the dark of night and swiftly eliminates his target. When the door to general's room opens, Guts, assuming it to be a guard, pierces through in advance, killing Julius' son, Adonis.[61] With the guards alerted, a distraught Guts battles his way off the premises and escapes through the Wyndham sewers.

Manga E12 Friend

Guts is shaken by Griffith's interpretation of a "friend".

Making his way to Primrose Hall, where Griffith is set to be in attendance, Guts rendezvouses first with Casca, and together, they overhear Griffith giving his interpretation of a true friend to Princess Charlotte:

They [the Band of the Falcon members] are... excellent troops. Together, we have faced death so many times. They are my valuable comrades, devoting themselves to the dream I envision... but... to me, a friend is... someone who would never depend upon another's dream... Someone who wouldn't be compelled by anyone, but would determine and pursue his own reason to live... And should anyone trample that dream, he would oppose him body and soul... even if the threat were me myself... What I think a friend is... is one who is my 'equal'.

With the conclusion of Griffith's monologue, Guts leaves the scene, vexed by the implication that he too, ultimately, is nothing more than an asset to the realization of Griffith's dream.[62]

Hundred Man Slayer

Manga E15 Rewarming

Guts rewarming Casca while waiting out the rain.

The Band of the Falcon shortly after sets out to combat the Blue Whale Knights of Tudor. During the engagement, noticing the trouble Casca was having with an enemy commander, Guts intervenes and does battle with the spearman Adon Coborlwitz. Upon candidly defeating his opponent, the raiders captain notices a fainting Casca staggering off a cliff edge and breaks her fall, before he is shot off his horse, and subsequently the cliff, by a desperate Adon. The two mercenaries free fall into the river current below, with Guts pulling them ashore and finding them shelter from the chill rain. Believing Casca to be feverish (which he soon realizes is actually her menstruation cycle), he removes her drenched clothes and rewarms her with his body heat while waiting out the rain.[63]

When the rain finally ceases, Casca wakes and immediately attacks Guts, flustered by her womanly shortcomings as a soldier. Subduing and tiring her out, Guts asks why she became a mercenary to begin with, to which she explains the reason for her idolization of and devotion to the White Falcon as his sworn sword,[64] as well as the jarring effect Griffith's desire for Guts had on her. Their conversation is interrupted by the movements of Tudor troops near their location; realizing enemy forces will soon home in on the area, they decide to depart after sunset.

Manga E21

Guts in combat against a legion of Tudor troops.

In the midst of their escape, the two mercenaries are surrounded by a swarm of Adon's troops. Together, they mount a counter offensive, with Guts eventually killing Adon's brother, Samson. Acknowledging Casca's weakened condition, Guts decides to stay behind to buy time for her escape, telling his comrade to return to her metaphorical sword master Griffith. The raiders captain, in an arduous battle, is able to defeat all of the Tudor troops in the forest, single-handedly killing approximately 100 soldiers.[38]

After Guts is found and carried to a Band of the Falcon encampment, he reveals to Casca his admiration for her, Griffith, and the rest of the Band of the Falcon's commitment to realizing their collective dreams. Furthermore, he reveals he doesn't feel his place is with their "campfire of dreams", strongly alluding to his forthcoming departure from the band.[65]

Battle for Doldrey

With his injuries nearly completely healed, Guts assembles in front of the fortress of Doldrey alongside the rest of the band – their goal: recapturing the fortress for Midland. Griffith splits the Band of the Falcon's forces into two, one group accompanying him and Guts to lure Tudor's forces toward a river,[66] and the other an infiltration force led by Casca to retake Doldrey itself.

Manga E27 Boscogn Beheaded

Guts beheading Boscogn.

When the Band of the Falcon successfully lures the Purple Rhino Knights to the river, Guts engages in a fierce duel with General Boscogn, in which his sword breaks, having been worn from his previous 100 man slaughter. After he is put in peril with only a knife to wield, a large cleaver sword suddenly lands in front of him, which he uses to behead both Boscogn and the general's horse.[67] No sooner after Boscogn's defeat, the victory cries of Casca's unit roar on from inside a recaptured Doldrey, as Band of the Falcon flags wave in celebration. With the loss of both their general and the fortress, the remaining Tudor forces scatter in defeat.[68]

The Band of the Falcon receives a profusion of praise from Midland citizens and officials alike upon their triumphant return, and a victory ball is held in celebration. Guts attends the ball, in spite of his aversion to the aristocracy, to see the culmination of the band's achievements,[36] but also in order to help Griffith enact a scheme to do away with political adversaries of the White Falcon; he serves in tying loose ends of the ploy, killing all of Griffith's accomplices to avoid potential complications in the future.[69]

Morning Departure

One month later, having aided tremendously in the Band of the Falcon's success, Guts finally sets out to leave the band, unable to cling to Griffith's dream any longer. On the morning of his departure, Judeau, Corkus, and a frantic Casca intercept him as he leaves Wyndham, with the latter two taking him to a tavern to query his reasoning. There, Guts reveals he wants to attain a dream of his own, and stand beside Griffith as a man of equal vision.[42] After a fierce reprimand from Corkus and solemn farewell from Judeau, the latter sees him off, before the two are intercepted at the outer wall of the city by Griffith and several other band members.

Manga E35 Morning Duel

Guts battles Griffith once again for his freedom.

Griffith questions if Guts truly intends to leave the band, to which Guts confirms his intent. Rattled by this affirmation, Griffith draws his sword and demands that Guts duel for his freedom as he did three years prior. Unmoved by this antagonism, Guts draws his sword and clashes with Griffith, breaking the White Falcon's blade in a single swing and leaving his former leader kneeling in defeat.[43]

On the night of his departure, at his campfire, Guts is met by a Skull Knight, who warns of an "Eclipse" set to take place in a year's time – "A torrent of madness, a tempest of death for which the human body could never atone" – before vanishing into the night.[2]

A Year After

I've made up my mind. I'll never entrust my sword to another again. I'll never hang from someone else's dream. From now on... every battle will be my own.
– Guts resolving to find his own purpose in life[8]

In search of a purpose of his own, Guts spends his time training in the mountains and frequenting the hut of a blacksmith named Godot. Eventually, he comes to the realization that his sword is an extension of his passion for battle – more precisely, an extension of himself – thereafter resolving to improve his skills with the blade and face increasingly stronger adversaries to further hone his craft.[8]

Roughly a year following his departure, Guts, now nineteen years old, enters a combat tournament hosted by a Midland noble and offers to fight a foreigner named Silat, proposing he would provide the tourney winner with better competition, to which the man accepts. Evading the rapid strikes of his opponent, Guts is able to overpower Silat with relative ease and win the bout. The amazed tournament host offers Guts a job while alluding to the Band of the Falcon's continued activity with Casca as their new leader, much to the swordsman's surprise.[70]

Manga E47 Sleeping

Guts and Casca cement their new relationship.

On a night soon after, Guts is able to track down the band's location, intervening in an enemy raid on the band lead by Silat, defeating the foreigner once again and forcing Silat and his forces to withdraw.[5] Guts is met with open arms and notified of Griffith's capture and year-long imprisonment, the band's newfound status as enemies of Midland, Casca's terrific leadership, and the band's plan to break Griffith free. He is later taken away by Casca to a waterfall, where she expresses her anger for his decision to leave a year prior; emotionally drained from her struggles as a Falcon, she lets herself fall off a cliffside in a suicide attempt, though Guts saves and embraces her, leading to the two making love.[71]

Rescuing Griffith

Manga E54 Embrace

Overcome with emotion, Guts embraces Griffith.

Following Guts' return, a rescue team is formed to free Griffith, and in three days, they infiltrate Wyndham through the sewers. With the aid of Princess Charlotte, the group is able to make their way to the ancient Tower of Rebirth, where Griffith is said to be held.[72] After a deep descent to the lowest prison cell beneath the tower, the party members are appalled at the sight of a crippled, flayed Griffith – a shell of his former self. Overcome with emotion, Guts hugs his fallen comrade – unaware of Griffith's feeble attempt to choke him – before mercilessly killing the tower jailer responsible for the White Falcon's ravaged state.[73]

Fighting their way through a wave of alerted soldiers, the rescue team is able to reenter the sewers, thwart an ambush by Bakiraka assassins sent to kill Griffith, and escape Wyndham to a farm outside the city.[74] En route to the Midland border, the group realizes they are being pursued by the dreaded Black Dog Knights. Though their laid traps fail to deter the Dogs, the rescue team eventually rejoins another Band of the Falcon unit and combats their pursuers, at which point Guts clashes with the Black Dogs' apostle leader, Wyald. Excited by his battle with the swordsman, Wyald transforms into his monstrous released form, though after a fierce engagement, Guts is able to best and temporarily incapacitate the beast. Wyald rises again, however, grabbing a defenseless Griffith in retaliation and dealing a critical blow to the band's morale by revealing the full extent of the ravaged man's grievous injuries. The dying, desperate apostle demands that Griffith summon the "God Hand", but to his dismay observes that Griffith is no longer in possession of the Crimson Beherit, and so he resolves to kill the White Falcon. In an abrupt intervention, Zodd tears Wyald in two and then tells Griffith that his beherit will soon return to him before flying off.[75]

Eclipse

At the Midland border region, the remnant band members come to terms with the gravity of Griffith's injuries and discuss their futures. In a tender moment with Casca, Guts is urged by his lover to leave Griffith's side once again if he is to truly fit Griffith's interpretation of a "friend" as the White Falcon described at Primrose Hall.[76] Without warning, Griffith, having mustered enough strength to commandeer his resting carriage, flees from the area, with Guts and the other band members in pursuit of him. When Griffith wrecks the carriage and lands in a lake, Guts and the others rush to his location. As soon as Guts reaches him, however, the mercenaries are all whisked away to an alternate dimension by Griffith's returned Crimson Beherit.[77]

Numerous anthropomorphic beings welcome the band members to the nocturnal feast they refer to as the "Eclipse", much to Guts' shock. Four profound entities emerge from within the dimension afterward, introducing themselves as the God Hand and revealing the purpose of the Eclipse: for Griffith to offer his comrades as sacrifices in order to join their divine ranks, as has been preordained.[78] Proving to indeed be an inevitability, Griffith, having weighed his options as an invalid and reaffirmed his dream and ambition, offers his former comrades as sacrifices, therefore triggering the branding and unilateral slaughter of the band members.[44]

Manga E87 Betrayal

Guts is forced to witness the rape of his lover by the man he once called comrade.

Guts fights relentlessly against the ravenous demons, bloodlusted by the merciless feasting on his friends. Eventually, he is restrained by one of the demons biting down on his left arm, as a bared Casca is summoned by a reborn Griffith – rechristened Femto – who proceeds to rape her. Even after severing his arm and managing to free himself, the struggler is immediately pinned to the ground and forced to witness his lover's violation, all while the restraining demon slowly gouges his right eye.[79] After Femto finishes with Casca, the Skull Knight from a year ago breaches the Eclipse, proceeding to retrieve Guts and Casca, evade Femto's space-distorting attacks, and escape the temporal junction with the two unconscious sacrifices in tow.[4]

Having been brought to Godot's cave, Guts wakes four days later to the sight of a mentally regressed Casca. He immediately runs away to a moonlit valley, only to be met by specters attracted by his brand, and again by the Skull Knight, who informs him of his new life as a branded inhabitant of the Interstice. The struggler formally declares war on all of demonkind, hellbent of exacting revenge against his enemies, as the restless spirits begin to flee soon after; the Skull Knight warns that the spirits have merely found another torch in the darkness to feast on, alluding to Casca's endangerment.[26] The two move with haste toward her location, and upon arriving, witness a spectre-surrounded Casca giving birth to her and Guts' demon child – the infant having been tainted by Femto's violation of Casca – before it fades away into the Astral World at sunrise.[13]

Manga E94 Apostle Slain

The Black Swordsman slaying his first apostle with the Dragon Slayer.

After roughly a month of training back at Godot's, Guts sets his sights on combating demonkind, brandishing a new set of armor along with a cannon-equipped artificial arm in place of his severed left arm. To his delight, a wandering apostle attracted to the brand homes in on his location. When his newly-forged sword breaks on the transformed being, Guts wields Godot's long-forsaken Dragon Slayer and with it eliminates the first apostle in his hunt. Realizing the Dragon Slayer suited him better than any normal sword ever would, he retains the enormous broadsword and embarks on a war against the inhumans.[80]

Black Swordsman Arc

Manga E0-1 Guts Defeats Snake Lord

The Black Swordsman defeats the Snake Lord.

For two years, Guts continues on his warpath against demonkind, becoming renowned as the "Black Swordsman" in his hunt for apostles. He eventually makes his way to the town of Koka, killing an unidentified female apostle one night while en route. Upon arriving in the town, he immediately makes his presence known by killing several Koka thugs in a tavern, leaving but one victim alive to send word of his approach: "The Black Swordsman has come." He also unintentionally makes an invaluable ally by freeing an elf named Puck, who in return frees and heals the swordsman when he is caught and imprisoned in a Koka jail. Receiving word of the Black Swordsman's presence, the bloodthirsty Snake Lord rides through Koka in search of his aggressor, burning down everything in his path and leaving a trail of corpses in his wake. Guts eventually intercepts and does fierce battle with the Snake Lord, eventually incapacitating the apostle and interrogating him for the God Hand's whereabouts before leaving him to burn to cinders.[1]

Sometime later, during the trialing of supposed heretics in another municipality, Guts makes his presence known to a Slug Count apostle serving as ruler of the area. The alerted town guards, led by Zondark, pursue Guts, though he easily dispatches them and disfigures their commander, before escaping to a lab with the help of a diminutive man named Vargas. Inside, Vargas informs the swordsman of a secret passage into the Count's castle, and reveals the beherit which he stole from the apostle seven years prior. They are soon ambushed by a possessed Zondark, who ruins the lab in a fierce bout with Guts and forces them to flee again. Guts eventually parts ways with Vargas, but not before taking the beherit in the man's possession for himself.[81]

Manga E0-6 Guts Battles the Count

Guts in battle with the Count.

Following the later capture and execution of Vargas by the Count, Guts vows to succeed where his late accomplice could not, before using the secret passage to infiltrate the Count's castle. Storming the premises, Guts finishes off the pseudo-apostle Zondark and fights his way toward the Count's quarters, where the apostle assumes his massive slug-like released form. He is initially overpowered by the transformed Slug Count, but with Puck's intervention and the swordsman's hostage-taking of the Count's daughter, Theresia, Guts is able to deal a crippling blow to the abstracted apostle with his cannon arm. Fearing for his life, the Count manages to activate his returned beherit (dropped by Guts during their battle) and summons the God Hand.[82]

The sight of Femto immediately enrages Guts, spurring him to attack his nemesis, though his assault ends in vain after Femto casually repels him. After the Count fails to offer his daughter as sacrifice, he is dragged by lost souls into the Abyss, and so too is Guts as one branded, although the swordsman manages to free himself with a blast from his cannon arm as the temporal junction ends. Returned to the Physical World, Guts prevents a suicidal Theresia from falling to her death. He sows within her hatred directed toward himself, for his being the primary reason for the loss of her father, and thus the loss of all she has ever known; Theresia declares revenge on the swordsman, her will to die extinguished. Guts nonchalantly accepts her declaration and takes his leave; however, upon closer inspection, Puck observes that the typically-stoic swordsman is noticeably upset by the declaration.[58]

Conviction Arc

Lost Children Chapter

One night, in his travels with Puck, Guts encounters a group of bandits in a forest holding a girl named Jill captive. The hostile animation of a tree infused with evil spirits causes the captors to flee, leaving Guts to battle the entity until sunrise. Guts and Puck are lead by Jill to her village, where they learn of the mysterious "Misty Valley", as well as the ravenous attacks and child abductions by elf-like creatures said to originate from there.[83] The swordsman's brand begins to bleed soon after as the elves of the valley mount an attack on Jill's village. During Guts' fight with the elves and their apostle leader, Rosine, Puck informs him the "elves" are in fact the aforementioned abducted children.[84] After the abrupt retreat of Rosine and her elves, the residents blame Guts for the state of their village and charred corpses of children in the barn – in actuality the reverted remains of Misty Valley elves he incinerated in battle. Guts in turn uses Jill as a hostage to escape outside the village's walls, releasing her after gaining a safe distance and setting out to eliminate Rosine.[85]

Manga E115 Guts Fatally Wounds Rosine

Guts fatally wounds Rosine.

The next day, having been followed by Jill, Guts leaves the girl behind, thinking her to be a nuisance. He fails to anticipate Rosine's abduction of Jill, however, and follows the apostle to the entrance of Misty Valley. Upon arriving, he encounters the bandits from earlier, who have been converted into Rosine's pseudo-apostles and tasked with protecting the valley from intruders. After defeating the "Protectors of the Children", he ventures into Rosine's emergence grounds, incinerating the cocoons of developing elves and creating a wildfire which slowly engulfs the entire valley. An enraged Rosine assumes her true apostle form and initially overwhelms Guts with her immense speed. Using Jill as bait in the growing blaze, Guts is able to ambush the apostle and land a fatal blow on the false elf as she comes to Jill's aid. Just as he prepares to end Rosine, he is shot by Jill's father Zepek – who is accompanied by Holy Iron Chain Knights – and forced to flee.[86]

Binding Chain Chapter

Manga E119 Falcon of Darkness

The Holy Iron Chain Knights surround Guts, with the intention of detaining him as the Falcon of Darkness.

In time, the Holy Iron Chain Knights catch up to the Black Swordsman, revealing the horrors they believed to be his doing as well the prophetic warrant for his detainment by the Holy See. Heavily injured from his previous encounter, he is able to muster only enough strength to ward off most of the attacking knights, before being overwhelmed by their vice commander, Azan. Realizing he lacks the strength to combat the entire regiment, he attempts to demoralize and disrupt the knights by eliminating their inexperienced head commander, Farnese, but is incapacitated by her attendant, Serpico, and subsequently detained.[87]

Guts is taken to a Holy Iron Chain Knights encampment, where Farnese attempts to force a confession from him through interrogation, though he remains unmoved and only mocks her hollow religious devotion. Later during the night, Puck frees him from his cage and constraints, allowing the swordsman to reacquire his gear, take Farnese hostage, and escape the encampment. Naturally, he is pursued by spirits drawn by his brand, the "miraculous" nature of which he uses to further deride and shake Farnese's beliefs. When Farnese runs off and finds herself at the mercy of a possessed, lustful horse, Guts is reminded of Casca's rape during the Eclipse, and is then filled with enough pure rage to combat the possessed animals until morning. Before dawn, Guts is harassed by a possessed, bared Farnese before the spirit compelling her eventually relinquishes its hold at sunrise. Serpico soon arrives at their location and, after a brief exhibition with Guts, leaves with his charge.[88]

At a later point, while resting atop a hill, Guts' demon child appears before him, imparting to him a vision of Casca burning at the stake as well as a vague description of her potential location.[89] Indeed, upon returning to Godot's, he finds Casca has gone missing, and from Rickert learns of the city of Albion – the refugee camp Midlanders were flocking to in light of a recent plague – where he gambles his lost lover might be.[49]

Birth Ceremony Chapter

Manga E148 Reunion

Guts and Casca reunited after two years apart.

Journeying to Albion, Guts is cut off by a group Bakiraka scouts and in retaliation swiftly eliminates them, unexpectedly earning the admiration of a wandering young thief named Isidro, who follows him thereafter.[90] He is intercepted by the Skull Knight, who warns him of an impending mock-Eclipse set to return "[he] who signifies the Falcon" to the Physical World.[52] Upon arriving in the city, Guts immediately begins investigating Casca's whereabouts, and with the aid of Puck and Isidro, pinpoints a cultist den where she has been taken. Amid the chaos of battle between possessed cultists and Holy Iron Chain Knights, Guts leaves Casca in Isidro's care before engaging a goat-like pseudo-apostle, slaughtering the transformed heretic and escaping the den through a back exit.[31]

As he makes his escape across a cliff side, his path is blocked by Serpico, who, having anticipated Guts' approach, uses the precarious situation to his advantage and makes an attempt on the inhibited swordsman's life. Serpico underestimates the Black Swordsman's sheer reflexes and brawn, as Guts grabs and shatters his assailant's blade, forcing the weaponless herald to flee. Afterward rendezvousing with Isidro, he learns the young thief failed in escorting Casca, having allowed the Holy Iron Chain Knights to capture her during their escape.[91]

Having returned to Albion, Guts is able to infiltrate the Tower of Conviction and intimidate Farnese into leading him to the monastery's underground torture chamber, where Casca had been taken. With no sign of his companion in the chamber, he ascends the tower and proceeds to ambush seven pseudo-apostles: Holy See inquisitor Mozgus and his six disciples, the former of which is carrying an unconscious Casca.[92] The swordsman manages to defeat four of the pseudo-apostles after a hard-fought battle; Mozgus and his two remaining disciples are able to escape with Casca still in their keep.[93]

Manga E170 Mozgus Defeated

Guts defeating Mozgus.

After the tower's partial collapse, Guts is dismayed to witness a city-scale Brand of Sacrifice enkindled across Albion, as well as the impending burning of Casca in an ongoing witch trial afar.[94] Making up for his earlier failure, Isidro is able to rescue Casca from the stake as Guts, diving off the collapsing tower, pierces a flying Mozgus. The pseudo-apostle transforms into a bestial armored form only bearing two weak points: his mouth and an exposed area near his upper sternum. Exploiting the aforementioned areas, Guts is eventually able to fell Mozgus, but not before sustaining significant damage himself in his punishing bout with the inquisitor.[95]

A massive tidal wave of Albion's manifested pain and anguish suddenly sweeps over droves of present refugees, taking the lives of myriads in its passage. While most retreat to what is left of the monastery, Guts – along with Puck, Isidro, Farnese, Serpico and a knight named Jerome – mounts a defensive, lighting torches for himself and the others to deter the waves of malice until dawn. Before long, the monastery is completely engulfed in a swarm of tormented souls. This results in the complete collapse of the tower, as well as the realization of both the living and dead's ultimate desire: salvation, achieved through the sudden breaking of day and consequent eradication of the dark torrent.[96]

Manga E175 Pause

Guts' rage toward Griffith is halted by the thought of Casca.

The survivors are abruptly attacked by an onslaught of Kushan. Not long after, they are met with the arrivals of Zodd and the Skull Knight, the latter who directs their attention to a concentration of light in the distance. Initially enthralled like all around him, the sight of a reconstituted Griffith quickly enrages Guts, momentarily driving him to attack, before he realizes he is once again on the verge of leaving Casca behind in pursuit of revenge. Instead, he mounts a Kushan horse with Casca in tow and sets out for Godot's abode, as Zodd whisks Griffith away.[97]

Millennium Falcon Arc

Reunions

Manga E180 HoS Battle Climax

Guts battling Zodd on the Hill of Swords.

Returning to Godot's home, Guts learns of the blacksmith's death, and is asked by Erica to stay at the hut together with her and Casca. Though, he initially considers the offer, when the girl tells him of a silver-haired visitor conversing with Rickert on the Hill of Swords, he rushes to the hill in discomposure. Atop the hill, he meets Griffith, who confesses his complete apathy toward sacrificing the Band of the Falcon while standing on ground serving as tribute to the sacrificed band members.[98] This revelation incenses Guts, spurring the Black Swordsman to lunge for the White Falcon. The strike of his Dragon Slayer is blocked by an intervening Zodd and a fierce battle between him and the apostle begins.

As Godot's mine is destroyed by Zodd, Casca runs into the fray, almost crushed by the ensuing wreckage if not for Griffith saving her. Griffith's seemingly involuntary protection of Casca gives him pause, compelling him to take off with Zodd, but not before leaving Guts with a resounding declaration: "You should have known. This is the man I am. You, of all people."[99] Following Griffith's departure, Guts explains to Rickert the reason for his rancor toward their former leader, revealing the details of the Eclipse. When Rickert asks to accompany him on his journey, the swordsman refuses, stating Rickert could never truly hate Griffith. With the destruction of Godot's mine, and therefore a lack of secure shelter for Casca, Guts sets off in the winter with a new destination: Puck's homeland of Elfhelm, where Puck states Casca would be safe to stay.

Manga E189 Impulse Kiss

Guts forcing himself upon Casca.

In his journey to Elfhelm with Puck and Casca, Guts alone wards off the innumerable evil beings attracted to his and Casca's brands. One night, after momentarily falling victim to possession by such spirits and strangling Casca, their relationship completely fragments; thereafter, Casca bears only animosity toward and fear of him.[46] When she begins to linger away, he binds her hands and begins pulling her along by rope, though she one day manages to escape and wanders off into a group of lustful thieves. When Guts finds her, he arrives to the sight of the slaughtered thieves and a naked, blood-covered Casca, who attempts to strike him down in anger. Restraining Casca, he forces himself upon her in a moment of subjugation to his inner darkness, before coming to his senses, damaging their relationship even further.[34]

Later at a campfire, Puck returns to Guts, bringing with him Isidro, Farnese and Serpico. Farnese asks to accompany the swordsman in his travels, revealing her recent secularization and newfound search for truth. Uncharacteristically, Guts welcomes their fellowship, shaken by his earlier displays of malice and fearful of what he might do to Casca if left unchecked.[45]

Mansion of the Spirit Tree

Manga E199 MotST

The group arrives at the Mansion of the Spirit Tree.

In the midst of their journey, while venturing through a forest in the direction of Vritannis, the group stumbles upon an injured Enoch villager named Morgan – who, in light of recent troll attacks on his village, was looking to solicit the aid of a witch said to reside in a mansion deep within the forest.[100] They agree to escort Morgan back to Enoch, during which they themselves stumble upon the mansion Morgan spoke of, having, by way of Guts' and Casca's brands, breached a hidden Interstice barrier in which it was located. After a brief skirmish with golems guarding the grounds, they are welcomed by a young witch named Schierke, who escorts them to the Mansion of the Spirit Tree's mistress, Flora. Having anticipated their arrival, Flora offers to create talismans capable of suppressing the effect of Guts' and Casca's brands in exchange for the party assisting Schierke in resolving Enoch's troll threat.[18]

The group is able to protect Enoch from a troll invasion, due significantly in part to Schierke convening with the "Lady of the Depths" river spirit and washing the invaders out the village. When the young witch temporarily becomes mesmerized by her astral mergence with the spirit, Farnese and Casca are lost to the waves upon falling into the current; Schierke comes to her senses too late to end the flooding in time. With the clearing of the village and end to the expunging flood, Guts, Isidro and Schierke set out to locate Farnese and Casca, leading them to the trolls' den: the Astral World's region of darkness, Qliphoth.[101]

Qliphoth

Manga E220 Pierced

Guts runs the Dragon Slayer through Slan.

Deep within the depths of Qliphoth, Guts and company are able to find and locate Farnese and Casca as they are swarmed by trolls, as well free numerous Enoch women and children being held against their will. Opting to stay behind to combat the troll horde to buy his retinue time to escape, Guts, for the first time in a while, is left to his own devices, unmitigated by the need to protect others. Amid his release of ferocity on the trolls, from the intestines of those he has slain materializes Slan, a member of the God Hand. He lunges to attack her, but is only blocked and restrained by the angel, who, delighted to meet him again, envelops the swordsman inside herself before opening a gaping slash on his chest – all in an attempt to coerce his use of the beherit in his possession.[102] With the timely arrival and intervention of the Skull Knight, Guts is able to, with his malice-tempered Dragon Slayer (from the malice of the innumerable astral beings slayed with it), run through and dissolve Slan's assumed form.[103]

Slan's abrupt disappearance has adverse effects on Qliphoth, resulting in its instability and gradual collapse. The Skull Knight unveils his Sword of Beherits and with it sends the multiplying swarm of arisen trolls and ogres into the Abyss, thereafter returning Guts to Schierke and Isidro. With the subsequent shutting of Qliphoth and his reunion with the others, Guts realizes after a long interval of time devoid of camaraderie, he once again has people he can call comrades.[16]

Donning the Berserker Armor

While returning to Flora's mansion to report their successes, Guts momentarily collapses to the ground, having acquired an astral wound on his chest from the laceration Slan dealt him earlier. No sooner after Schierke reveals a sudden breach of the mansion's barrier, Guts' brand begins to bleed profusely; reaching the mansion grounds, the group witnesses the blazing spirit tree as well as a multitude of invading apostles on the premises. Guts is aided yet again by the Skull Knight, who assists him against the apostles primarily in support of Flora. The two are eventually met by Zodd and his fellow apostle Grunbeld, the latter who proclaims to be, along with the other invading "war demons", a warrior of the Band of the Falcon – a revelation which shocks Guts.[104]

Manga E226 Guts Enthralled

Spurred by the violent od of the Berserker Armor, Guts submits to his inner darkness.

Initially gleeful due to having found a presumably worthy opponent in the Black Swordsman, Grunbeld becomes dissatisfied by Guts' weakened showing of strength and decides to eliminate him. With Schierke's aid, Guts is able to narrowly withdraw into the treasure chamber beneath the spirit tree, where his companions clad his injured body in the Berserker Armor.[105] With the sedation of his pain and overwhelming capability bestowed by the armor, the resurgent Berserker is able to decisively outclass Grunbeld in battle, forcing him to transform. As the fight continues, he begins losing grasp of his ego, becoming enthralled by the immense od of the Berserker Armor coupled with his inner darkness. Only after Schierke dives into his subconscious mind – wherein she reminds the turbulent swordsman of who he is – does Guts regain hold of his ego. Flora, in a new existential form, then returns to obstruct Grunbeld, paving the way for the group's escape.[32]

Roar of the Sea

Manga E238 Like a Family

Guts and Casca with the mysterious boy.

After nearly a month, having slowly recovered from injuries sustained in his previous battles, Guts and his companions set up residence in a seaside cabin on their way to Vritannis. One night, the Skull Knight appears before the swordsman on the moonlit shore, warning of the influence and toll taken on users of the Berserker Armor, as well as informing him of Elfhelm's ruler, the Flower Storm Monarch, who potentially possesses the power to repair Casca's mind.[3] After the Skull Knight vanishes, the group is met by a mysterious boy, who appears seemingly from nowhere and displays a particular interest in Guts and Casca.[106]

While sleeping, they come under attack by crocodile familiars being manipulated remotely by sorcerers afar. Serpico is able to find and eliminate the hidden Kushan spellcasters, but following this success, the group is attacked by a giant makara. Guts engages the beast, only to be overpowered to the point of once again surrendering to the Berserker Armor. With the power of the armor, the Berserker is able to swiftly defeat the beast. Having dispatched all of his initial targets, the turbulent swordsman turns his gaze toward his companions. Before he can attack, a childlike luminous body appears in his subconscious mind, reminding him they are not his enemies and making way for Schierke to again free Guts from the armor's influence.[107]

Vritannis

Finally arriving in Vritannis, the group begins looking for a ship to sail to Skellig, but to no avail, as most of the city's ships have been commandeered in the Holy See's war effort against the Kushan. Wanting to be of use to her companions, Farnese sets out to reunite with her Vandimion family in the city, who in return offer to provide for all of the party's sailing expenditures as reward for Farnese's safe return.[108] Sending Puck and Ivalera to perform reconnaissance on the Vandimions' residence, and learning of a gentleman's courting of Farnese, Guts concludes that she is intended to be engaged, as collateral for getting them a ship. Curious of Farnese's true desire, and not wanting to lose Casca's primary caretaker, Guts endeavors to attend a wartime ball to meet with her.

Manga E256 Duel Begins

Guts once again duels Serpico, in a Vritannian colonnade chamber.

In their attempt to gain entry to the ball, the group is met with difficulty due to the heavy security on the premises. Schierke is in time contacted by Serpico via thought transference, who waits for them at the rear entrance of the ball. When they arrive to a colonnade chamber at the rear, Serpico, rather than helping them gain entry, brandishes his sword and engages Guts in a duel – leery of Guts' inability to control himself as a Berserker and believing Farnese to be safer away from the swordsman. Using the pillar-strewn chamber to capitalize on Guts' impeded movement, Serpico is initially able to hold his own against Guts. The swordsman eventually destroys all but one of the pillars within their immediate radius before subduing Serpico with the falling debris of the remaining pillar in range, thus mostly assuaging the attendant's fear by not resorting to using the Berserker Armor.[109]

Guts and the others enter the ball as tiger familiars begin mauling Vritannian nobles and Holy See officials. At Farnese and Schierke's behest, the swordsman reluctantly stays to help slay the beasts and avert further casualties. He then asks Farnese if she truly desires to return to the aristocracy, to which Farnese jokingly states she merely missed and wanted to briefly revisit her former life. Soon after, the mist cloud of an apostle appears before the partygoers, introducing itself as Emperor Ganishka of Kushan, and making a formal declaration of war against the Holy See Alliance.[110] Realizing strife will soon befall Vritannis, and having made a new ally in a ship captain named Roderick (and, inadvertently, in Farnese's brother, Magnifico), Guts and company leave the ball for the port to set sail aboard Roderick's warship.

Manga E277 Human Bullet

In an uneasy alliance, Guts and Zodd are able to defeat Emperor Ganishka.

To their dismay, the group witnesses a horde of the Kushan's pishacha army upon reaching the port. Through Schierke's summoning of a "god of woe" fire spirit,[111] Guts' controlled use of the Berserker Armor (with assistance from Schierke's luminous self), and Serpico's slyphin assistance, they are able to eliminate the pishacha horde, as well as defeat the Kushan leader controlling the beasts, Paramarisha Sen'an'i Daiba.[112] Enraged by Daiba's failure, Ganishka materializes and strikes his subordinate, as well as Guts, with lightning. After Guts is beckoned to join the apostle's cause – having impressed the emperor with his exceptional might and resilience – and defiantly rejects the invitation, the apostles of Griffith's reborn Band of the Falcon enter the fray just as the emperor readies to deal a final blow to the swordsman. Headed primarily by Zodd, the band members unleash an airborne attack on Ganishka, but to little effect, with the emperor subsequently striking them all down from the sky. A struck Zodd is sent beelining into a rafted Guts, with the swordsman thereupon resurfacing on the flying apostle's back. Atop Zodd, he forms an uneasy alliance with the apostle and is able to pierce through Ganishka's ethereal body with the Dragon Slayer, forcing the emperor's mist form to dissipate.[113]

Following Ganishka's defeat, the exhausted swordsman nearly provokes Zodd into further confrontation by inquiring of Griffith's whereabouts – therefore suggesting his animosity toward the apostle's new leader – before clarifying his disinterest in their affairs. Zodd, having decided to settle their score at a later time, leaves with the other apostle band members, as Guts and his party board Roderick's Seahorse and set sail for Elfhelm.

Fantasia Arc

Manga E316 Guts Pacified

Having again lost his ego to the Berserker Armor, Guts is pacified by a childlike luminous body.

Aboard the Seahorse on the Western Sea, Guts and his crew members bear witness to the transfiguration of the world.[114] Following the birth of Fantasia, the crew on two occasions comes under attack from Bonebeard and his crew, their second encounter in which the Seahorse acquires extensive damage from the newly undead Bonebeard Pirates and their "ghost ship". The crew docks at a remote island for repairs, though they soon come to realize all but one of the island's inhabitants, like Bonebeard and his crew, are now transformed human tentacles of the Sea God. When Guts does battle with sea slug extensions of the Sea God, Bonebeard's ship arrives and unleashes its own tentacles on the swordsman. Pushed to his breaking point during the struggle, Guts resorts to using the Berserker Armor and annihilates the tentacle swarm, his rage thereafter once again abated by the childlike luminous body from before.[115]

Manga E327 Surfacing

After felling the Sea God, Guts is brought to surface by merrows.

Guts realizes setting sail again without slaying the Sea God will only bring about further complications at sea, and so sets out to do as much himself, with Schierke's luminous self safeguarding his mind from the Berserker Armor's influence. Reaching the Sea God's den beneath the island, Guts leaps over the Sea God's tentacles and slides down into its stomach. From there, he slices an opening into the Sea God's upper stomach lining and is carried upward toward the creature's heart by its escaping intestinal gas. The growing intensity of the Sea God's heartbeat, coupled with the adverse effects of the Berserker Armor and swarm of monsters safeguarding the creature's heart, weigh heavily on Guts, eventually rendering his senses near-null. As Guts lays immobilized, the song of attacking merrows outside negates the intensity of the Sea God's heartbeat. With urging and guidance from Schierke's luminous self, Guts musters the strength to cleave his Dragon Slayer into the Sea God's heart, felling the deity.[40] A gush of the Sea God's bleeding heart engulfs him afterward, separating the swordsman from Schierke's luminous self. In the darkness of the dying Sea God's body, as Guts begins accepting his impending demise, the childlike luminous body comes to his aid yet again and guides him toward the inner lining of the Sea God's heart chamber, allowing the swordsman to pierce open a puncture for merrows to enter and carry him to the surface. For their efforts in defeating the Sea God, the merrows offer to escort the Seahorse crew to Skellig.[116]

Manga E344 Elfhelm

Guts and company finally reach Elfhelm.

Finally reaching the island of Skellig, Guts and his group encounter several defense mechanisms intended to ward off trespassers. Overcoming these obstacles, they are promptly met by Skellig sorcerers, including archmage Gedfring, who escorts them to his manor. Eager to restore Casca's mind, Guts immediately requests to meet the Flower Storm Monarch, though Gedfring advises the swordsman and his companions to first rest and unwind from their long journey. The next day, they are guided through Elfhelm by Gedfring and the archmages' attendant, Danan, to the Flower Storm Monarch's spirit tree palace, where Danan transforms into and reveals herself to be the sovereign of Elfhelm.[117]

Danan informs Guts she can likely mend Casca's regressed mind by using the "Corridor of Dreams". However, she requests only Schierke and Farnese's assistance in doing so, voicing that Casca's fear of Guts would only impede the process. To that end, Guts leaves Casca in the care of the young sorceresses while he and the rest of the party wait out the ceremony.[118] After the ceremony is complete, and Casca is restored to her former self, Guts returns to see her. The mere sight of the swordsman triggers Casca's memories of the Eclipse, causing her to scream in horror.[119] After the incident Guts decides to keep his distance from Casca in order for her to recover. Farnase, however, tells Casca of the situation and she approaches him at a distance. Casca talks with Guts, about the journey to reach this point and their companions, comparing Isidro's sword style to Judeau's. This ends up bringing back memories of his death and the Eclipse, triggering her anxiety again. A visibly saddened Guts resorts to walking off.[120]

Afterwards, Guts swings his sword by a cliff questioning what to do now. He is then met with the Skull Knight. The two converse for a bit before they are met by Gedfring, who tells the pair that meeting with the dwarf named Hanarr would gain answers regarding Guts' armor.[121] Skull Knight and Guts agree and meet with Hanarr, who shows Guts what donning the armor means by hitting it with a hammer and triggering various memories of the previous user of the armor which were dyed into it.[122] Guts questions to himself if he and Skull Knight are the same. At night, Guts thinks of how Gedfring told him that the Skull Knight sees the swordsman as a reminder of who he once was until he is then greeted by the mysterious boy.[123] The boy plops himself atop the swordsman's head and Guts decides to bring him to his companions who is then brought up to Casca. The following day, Guts trains by a waterfall where he starts to lose grip of the Dragon Slayer and notices his vision blurring, commenting to himself he still needs to rely on the armor. At the same time, the boy pops out of the armor and plays with Guts briefly. His friends begin looking for the boy, so Guts tells him to go back with them and spend time with Casca. At night, the boy walks outside, where both Guts and Casca witness him transform into Griffith.[124]

A furious Guts manages to hold off the Beast and attempts to strike Griffith[125] to no avail as the Dragon Slayer only manages to cut off a shred of hair. Griffith does not react to the swordsman's attempts and merely smiles as Zodd arrives.[126] Guts and Zodd begin to duel while Griffith draws closer to Casca. Guts manages to slip past Zodd and attempts to strike him but stops the blow as he notices Griffith carrying Casca. At the same time, the ground under him begins to shake, revealing shadowy creatures emerging.[127] The figures begin to surround Guts, who can only look up and try to reach out as Casca being taken away by Zodd and Griffith. Guts despairs that he could not do anything to stop Griffith as the island of Elfhelm begins to crumble.[128] Guts is rescued by Roderick's crew and brought aboard the Seahorse. He secludes himself in the back of the hold, broken over the events that transpired. Using her luminous body, Schierke peers into Guts' memories of all his battles with the Dragon Slayer before catching a glimpse of the Beast of Darkness breaking his chains and Guts sinks deeper and despair and collapses.[129] After the Beast of Darkness manifests and asks Guts if he wants power, further stating that he can't deny it any longer and to yield everything to it, Kushan soldiers burst through the ship and restrain everyone, including Guts. Guts does not fight back and is dragged to the front deck of the ship to the shock of Isidro and Serpico. Eventually, a soldier comes up to Guts, revealing himself to be Rickert, and explains to Roderick that the Kushans need to seize the ship.[130]

Abilities

Master Swordsman/Tactician

Manga E179 Swordplay

Guts is a master swordsman capable of contending with the legendary swordsman Nosferatu Zodd on equal footing.

Ever since he was six years of age,[12] Guts has wielded oversized swords, culminating in his incredible strength and master swordsmanship. Despite his Herculean stature, Guts is notably dexterous and agile in the heat of battle, capable of dodging and countering even the most rapid strikes. He is a combat pragmatist and versatile improviser, capitalizing on any opportunity available to surmount opposition; on several occasions, he has used children to bait and distract enemies when overwhelmed.[131][132][133] Even combatants known for their keen combat intellect, such as Silat[5] and Serpico,[109] have fallen prey to Guts' adaptive capacity and combative wit.

Peak-Human Conditioning

Guts has been a struggler of the battlefield since the raw age of nine,[12] and as such, has had nearly two decades to refine himself into the formidable warrior he is. During his days as a mercenary in the Hundred-Year War, he became famed for single-handedly slaying 100 Tudor soldiers,[38] and even garnered the respect of the legendary swordsman Nosferatu Zodd for being the first human in three centuries to wound the apostle.[59] Following the Eclipse, his strength and reflexes improve drastically even still, honed to their peak in his constant struggle against otherworldly creatures as one branded. Guts' combat prowess becomes so great as to rival the normal forms of the most formidable apostles, allowing him to contend with them on equal footing.[134] On the Hill of Swords, Guts demonstrates the ability to contend with Zodd's released form, with the match ending in a draw after Griffith orders Zodd's retreat.[135] During her first occasion watching Guts fight, Schierke noted to herself that Guts does indeed possess superhuman capabilities. She theorized that it was due to him existing in the Interstice, where the mind can influence matter to a degree.[136]

  • Superhuman conditioning: With the power of the Berserker Armor, Guts is able to ignore the physiological and subconscious safety mechanisms of his own body. In this state, his already superhuman physicality is tremendously amplified. During his fight with Grunbeld, he was able to trade blows with the apostle's enormous draconic release form and even crack his corundum skin.[137] While utilizing the armor, Guts has also demonstrated the ability to both catch and toss aside a ship's falling main mast, which Roderick noted would take dozens of men and a crane merely to lift.[138]

Indomitable Will

Manga E86 Guts Armless Wrath

Guts' remarkable pain tolerance is due in part to his force of will.

Guts possesses an indomitable will which enables him to persevere in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. His force of will is so great that he has unconcernedly mutilated his own body in pursuit of his goals,[79] and let himself be injured in order to create openings and execute counterattacks on opponents.[139] It is specifically his personal determination that pushes him forward in the face of opposition as one branded, and factors greatly into his retention of his humanity.

Death Defiance

Manga E82 Struggler

Guts has eluded death many times in his life, largely due to his relentlessness, though many instances have been mere coincidence.

He is still alive. He contested with fate... survived it.
– Flora regarding Guts[140]

Though much of his survival is predicated on his sheer determination and willpower, Guts' life has been littered with instances where his survival was largely coincidental. For an unspecified amount of time, he is left to die beneath the corpse of his hanging mother, yet he still releases a healthy cry upon randomly being discovered by Gambino and his mercenaries at a later point.[12] The Skull Knight notes that Guts "began [his] life from death", and as such possesses a flair for escaping it.[2] Such instances include, but are not limited to:

  • During one of Gambino's mercenary operations, Guts is the only survivor of a decoy charge, where his fellow mercenaries are all killed by a volley of arrows.[116]
  • After being shot off a cliff by Gambino's mercenaries, he survives the high fall, fends off an attack from a pack of wolves and is by chance taken in by another mercenary band.[20]
  • During his hostage taking of a noble's son, he reaches out for Chitch's unclasped flower, resulting in the archer behind him missing a shot aimed at the mercenary's back and instead hitting the noble's son.[14]
  • In his duel with Bazuso, his survival is heavily dependent on Bazuso's ax cracking before it can cleave his head.[20]
  • During an unspecified time between his enlistment into the Band of the Falcon and reappearance as the band's raiders captain three years later, he was involved in a battle where he was the sole survivor amongst a myriad of fallen soldiers, leading Griffith to marvel at his "luck of the devil".[58]
  • Despite Zodd's prediction of Guts' demise during the Eclipse,[60] the struggler still contends against the hordes of apostles – even after nearly all of his comrades are slaughtered – and ultimately survives the sacrificial ceremony.[4]

Brand of Sacrifice

Main article: Brand of Sacrifice

The brand Guts receives during the fifth Eclipse sets him apart from those residing solely in the Physical World; as a resident of the Interstice, Guts exists "outside the reason of the [Physical World]", giving him a "half-step" over most others in the current of causality.[52] The brand also allows Guts to sense the approach of certain astral creatures, as it starts to bleed and ache if entities such as incubi, spirits[30], apostles[1] or a God Hand member is nearby.[141] It has also reacted to Flora[18] and Daiba[142], as well as events such as the Incarnation Ceremony[143] or the advent of Shiva.[144]

Weaknesses

Beast of Darkness

Main article: Beast of Darkness

The personification of Guts' inner darkness is constantly seeking to overtake the swordsman.

Brand of Sacrifice

Main article: Brand of Sacrifice

Guts' brand attracts all manner of evil entities whom he must fend off incessantly if no intervening method is employed. Additionally, when near an immensely powerful demon, such as a member of the God Hand, Guts' brand bleeds profusely and can induce a nigh-crippling amount of pain in him.[25] Many of the brand's primary effects can be subdued via the application of a magical talisman to the spot of the brand;[145] however, the presence of a member of the God Hand is sufficient to break down such a talisman entirely.[102]

Berserker Armor

Main article: Berserker Armor

The drawbacks of the armor are at least as numerous as its advantages. The primary downside to the armor is a malicious magical od that gives the armor its power. Combined with Guts' own inner turmoil, if used in a serious battle, the od will overwhelm Guts' psyche, turning him into a feral monster with no ability to distinguish friend from foe. The only currently demonstrated way to bring him out of this state is with a powerful magical projection into his mind such as Schierke's luminous body or the Moonlight Boy's interference, which can suppress the armor's od and allow Guts to take conscious control of himself. However, even when under control, Guts is at constant risk of losing bodily functions and even his life due to the armor's suppression of his ability to feel pain.[32] Additionally, when a debilitating injury such as a broken bone is sustained, the armor extends metal spikes deep into the wearer's flesh, forcibly reconstructing the impairment while causing significant blood loss in doing so.[137] From using the Berserker Armor, Guts has developed a progressive and noticeable visual impairment.[41]

Equipment

Dragon Slayer

Main article: Dragon Slayer

Having been made with the "ultimate steel",[49] Guts uses this enormous sword to cleave through humans and demonkind with ease. In conjunction with the Berserker Armor, the cutting power of the Dragon Slayer increases significantly. During the Berserker's bout with Grunbeld, Guts is able to shatter the knight's cannon fire-deflecting shield[137] and crack the corundum skin of the apostle's released form.[146] It also has defensive uses, broad enough to act as a shield from arrows and bolts, and capable of diverting lightning into the ground as a lightning rod. Guts also uses it to mitigate blows by holding the sword level with his body and letting it absorb the brunt of impact.

  • Astral properties: The Dragon Slayer has been tempered by the malice of the innumerable inhumans slain in Guts' journey,[103] and is capable of harming both astral and physical beings.

Berserker Armor

Main article: Berserker Armor

Given to him by Flora,[147] the Berserker Armor acts as the Black Swordsman's last resort against overwhelmingly powerful enemies. The armor's primary function is to allow Guts to override the physiological mechanisms that prevent the human body from using enough force to damage itself. Functionally, this enhances his already prodigious physical capabilities to an unarguably superhuman level. While utilizing the armor, Guts becomes capable of annihilating swarms of mammoth monsters and even decisively defeating apostles in their released forms.

Cannon Arm

Manga E94 Cannon Fire

Guts' cannon arm has saved him a number of times in his journey.

Main article: Cannon Arm

The cannon in Guts' mechanical arm is one of Rickert's inventions, given to him for his hunt on demonkind.[9] It has been of invaluable use to the swordsman, having saved him from peril many times in his journey. The cannon has a highly effective blast radius, capable of tearing into even the most sizable of monsters and apostles. When unable to use his right arm, Guts instead uses his teeth to pull the cannon's ignition cord, often fooling enemies into believing he has been outdone before blasting into them. He has also used the velocity produced by the cannon's recoil to blast into one target and perform a reversing slash into another with the Dragon Slayer, effectively eliminating two enemies in a single motion.[148][93]. He has also made use of the cannon on occasion to deal lethal internal damage to an opponent already pierced by the Dragon Slayer, bypassing what would ordinarily be armor or hide too tough or thick to penetrate effectively with the cannon.[149]

Repeater Crossbow

This is another weapon Guts receives before setting out on his war against demonkind. He uses the crossbow by attaching it to his mechanical arm and filling its magazine full of bolts, releasing a volley of bolts upon turning its crank. The repeater crossbow is wielded extensively up until Guts' acquisition of the Berserker Armor, at which point its use is seemingly deferred. However, he does still make use of it against human or humanoid foes on occasion[150], so long as he is not facing a horde of them.[141]

Throwing Knives

Main article: Throwing Knife

Having been taught the basics of knife throwing by Judeau,[9] Guts has acquired remarkable accuracy and precision with them over the years. Their effectiveness is dependent upon vital points being hit, being of minimal effect against larger foes; against smaller targets, they are quite lethal. More often than not, the knives are used to target the eyes of larger targets, or when precision strikes are required.

Miniature Bombs

Main article: Miniature Bomb

These are a later addition to Guts' arsenal, fashioned for his by Rickert. These small, mine-shaped bombs are remarkably powerful for their size, but within a very contained radius, usually only killing targets if vital areas are hit. As such, they are typically used only to slow down or distract larger enemies. Against such foes, such as the makara pishacha, he uses the bombs to target their eyes in a similar manner to the way in which he uses his knives against smaller creatures.[149] Guts has given a number of these bombs to Isidro.[151]

Creation and Conception

Early concept art - Guts

Earliest known concept art of Guts by Miura (from Berserk Illustrations File).

BTP Guts

Guts' prototype design.

In Berserk: The Prototype, Guts originally wore an eyepatch over his right eye and bore noticeably longer sideburns. Personality-wise, the prototype Guts was more brash, cocky and whimsical in nature. Additionally, the crossbow he utilized didn't attach to his prosthetic arm and his Dragon Slayer also possessed a slightly different design.

In earlier designs, Guts possessed long hair and wielded a katana. According to Miura, it took him a while to conceive of Guts as the swordsman appears today, but upon coming up with the character's current overall design, Miura "felt like [he] really nailed it".[152]

Portrayal

Adult

Japanese Voice Actor(s)

English Voice Actor(s)

Child

Japanese Voice Actor(s)

English Voice Actor(s)

Notes

  • The Berserk Official Guidebook states that circa the Fantasia Arc, Guts is 24 years old, 204 cm, and 115 kg. (NOTE: The Berserk Official Guidebook is highly questionable in its veracity.)
    • The manga, however, provides ways to deduce Guts' ages throughout the Golden Age Arc, with the mercenary being 19 at its end.[70] As two years pass from then, he is 21 during the Black Swordsman and Conviction arcs.[153]
  • T he first English voice actor of Guts isn't Marc Diraison but Michael Bell from the video game "Sword of the Berserk: Guts' Rage". Despite the fact the first Berserk anime adaptation came out in 1997, the English dub came out in 2002 while Sword of the Berserk: Guts' Rage came out in Japan in 1999 then in North America in 2000.
  • Guts reacted badly to touch for much of his teenage years.[12][116] During this time, only Casca and Griffith's touch escaped his immediate ire.[55][8]
  • Guts bears no reverence or respect for a "God". On the contrary, he would like nothing more than for the entity to "leave [him] the hell alone".[95]
  • Guts still carries the Count's beherit. It has not been confirmed to be his, however; both Flora[140] and Gedfring[117] have suggested that he may merely be its means of arriving to its predestined owner.
  • Guts has proven successful in gambling and won against several opponents ten times in a row at Chō-Han Bakuchi during his time in the Band of the Falcon.[154]
  • Though Femto claims Guts' existence is beneath the God Hand's notice, Slan is particularly interested in the swordsman,[102] and has expressed wanting him to become a member of their rank.[25]
  • Despite the similarities between Guts and the real historical German figure known as Götz von Berlichingen, Kentarou Miura stated in an interview released together with Media Blasters' first anime series US release in 2002 this resemblance was only a "strange coincidence", having only heard of it when he had already started Berserk. He also added that he was not thinking of annybody at the time he created Guts. In the same interview, Miura stated that Guts was based on actor Rutger Hauer in terms of looks after having enjoying Hauer's roles in "Flesh+Blood" and "The Salute of the Jugger".[155]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Berserk :: Volume 1, "Black Swordsman"
  2. ^ a b c Berserk :: Volume 9, "Skull Knight"
  3. ^ a b c Berserk :: Volume 28, "Proclaimed Omen"
  4. ^ a b c d e Berserk :: Volume 13, "Escape"
  5. ^ a b c Berserk :: Volume 9, "Fighter"
  6. ^ Berserk :: Volume 13, "Sprint"
  7. ^ a b c d Berserk :: Volume 5, "Sword Wind"
  8. ^ a b c d Berserk :: Volume 10, "Sparks from a Sword Tip"
  9. ^ a b c Berserk :: Volume 14, "Armament"
  10. ^ a b c Berserk :: Volume 17, "Feeble Flame"
  11. ^ Berserk :: Volume 27, "Departure of Flames"
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Berserk :: Volume 3, "Golden Age (1)"
  13. ^ a b c Berserk :: Volume 14, "Demon Child"
  14. ^ a b c Berserk :: Volume 37, "Spring Flower of Days Long Passed (3)"
  15. ^ Berserk :: Volume 37, "Spring Flower of Days Long Passed (2)"
  16. ^ a b c d e Berserk :: Volume 26, "Companions"
  17. ^ Berserk :: Volume 17, "Cracks in the Blade"
  18. ^ a b c Berserk :: Volume 24, "Astral World"
  19. ^ a b c d Berserk :: Volume 4, "Golden Age (2)"
  20. ^ a b c d e f Berserk :: Volume 4, "Golden Age (3)"
  21. ^ Berserk :: Volume 7, "Ready to Die (2)"
  22. ^ Berserk :: Volume 7, "Battle to Capture Doldrey (4)"
  23. ^ Berserk :: Volume 10, "Bakiraka (1)"
  24. ^ Berserk :: Volume 11, "Demon Dog (4)"
  25. ^ a b c d Berserk :: Volume 3, "Guardian Angels of Desire (5)"
  26. ^ a b c d Berserk :: Volume 13, "Vow of Retaliation"
  27. ^ Berserk :: Volume 20, "Hell's Angels"
  28. ^ Berserk :: Volume 35, "Ghost Ship (2)"
  29. ^ Berserk :: Volume 35, "Denizens of the Sinister Sea"
  30. ^ a b Berserk :: Volume 1, "The Brand"
  31. ^ a b Berserk :: Volume 19, "Ambush"
  32. ^ a b c d Berserk :: Volume 26, "Berserker Armor (2)"
  33. ^ Berserk :: Volume 21, "Jumping Fish"
  34. ^ a b Berserk :: Volume 23, "Fangs of Ego"
  35. ^ Berserk :: Volume 28, "Roar of the Sea"
  36. ^ a b c d Berserk :: Volume 8, "Moment of Glory"
  37. ^ Berserk :: Volume 6, "Battle"
  38. ^ a b c Berserk :: Volume 7, "Returning Alive"
  39. ^ Berserk :: Volume 1, "Black Swordsman"
  40. ^ a b Berserk :: Volume 37, "Siren"
  41. ^ a b Berserk :: Volume 33, "Bubbles of Futility"
  42. ^ a b c Berserk :: Volume 8, "Snowy Evening..."
  43. ^ a b Berserk :: Volume 8, "Morning of Departure (3)"
  44. ^ a b Berserk :: Volume 12, "Parting"
  45. ^ a b Berserk :: Volume 23, "Reunion in the Wilderness"
  46. ^ a b Berserk :: Volume 23, "Winter Journey (2)"
  47. ^ Berserk :: Volume 9, "Comrades in Arms"
  48. ^ Berserk :: Volume 33, "Howl from the Darkness"
  49. ^ a b c Berserk :: Volume 17, "To the Holy Ground (1)"
  50. ^ Berserk :: Volume 38, "Landing"
  51. ^ Berserk :: Volume 39, "Corridor of Dreams"
  52. ^ a b c Berserk :: Volume 18, "Spirit Road (2)"
  53. ^ Berserk :: Volume 4, "Golden Age (4)"
  54. ^ Berserk :: Volume 4, "Golden Age (5)"
  55. ^ a b Berserk :: Volume 4, "Golden Age (6)"
  56. ^ Berserk :: Volume 5, "Golden Age (7)"
  57. ^ Berserk :: Volume 5, "Golden Age (8)"
  58. ^ a b c Berserk :: Volume 3, "Guardian Angels of Desire (6)"
  59. ^ a b Berserk :: Volume 5, "Nosferatu Zodd (2)"
  60. ^ a b Berserk :: Volume 5, "Nosferatu Zodd (4)"
  61. ^ Berserk :: Volume 6, "Assassin (3)"
  62. ^ Berserk :: Volume 6, "Precious Thing"
  63. ^ Berserk :: Volume 6, "Casca (1)"
  64. ^ Berserk :: Volume 7, "Casca (3)"
  65. ^ Berserk :: Volume 7, "Bonfire of Dreams"
  66. ^ Berserk :: Volume 7, "Battle to Capture Doldrey (2)"
  67. ^ Berserk :: Volume 8, "Battle to Capture Doldrey (5)"
  68. ^ Berserk :: Volume 8, "Battle to Capture Doldrey (6)"
  69. ^ Berserk :: Volume 8, "Tombstone of Flames (2)"
  70. ^ a b Berserk :: Volume 9, "Tournament"
  71. ^ Berserk :: Volume 9, "Confession"
  72. ^ Berserk :: Volume 10, "Infiltration of Wyndham (2)"
  73. ^ Berserk :: Volume 10, "Reunion in the Abyss"
  74. ^ Berserk :: Volume 10, "Flower of the Royal Palace of Stone"
  75. ^ Berserk :: Volume 11, "The Immortal, Again"
  76. ^ Berserk :: Volume 12, "Warriors of Twilight"
  77. ^ Berserk :: Volume 12, "Eclipse"
  78. ^ Berserk :: Volume 12, "All the Inhuman Monsters"
  79. ^ a b Berserk :: Volume 13, "Birth"
  80. ^ Berserk :: Volume 14, "One Who Hunts Dragons"
  81. ^ Berserk :: Volume 2, "Guardian Angels of Desire (2)"
  82. ^ Berserk :: Volume 3, "Guardian Angels of Desire (4)"
  83. ^ Berserk :: Volume 14, "Coming By Flight"
  84. ^ Berserk :: Volume 15, "Queen"
  85. ^ Berserk :: Volume 15, "Will-o'-the-Wisp"
  86. ^ Berserk :: Volume 16, "Road Home"
  87. ^ Berserk :: Volume 16, "Holy Iron Chain Knights (2)"
  88. ^ Berserk :: Volume 17, "Morning of Truth"
  89. ^ Berserk :: Volume 17, "Revelation (3)"
  90. ^ Berserk :: Volume 18, "Kushan Scouts (2)"
  91. ^ Berserk :: Volume 19, "Cliff"
  92. ^ Berserk :: Volume 20, "Those Dancing at the Top, Those Crawling at the Bottom"
  93. ^ a b Berserk :: Volume 20, "Martyrdom"
  94. ^ Berserk :: Volume 20, "Shadow of Idea (1)"
  95. ^ a b Berserk :: Volume 21, "One Who Clings, One Who Struggles"
  96. ^ Berserk :: Volume 21, "Dawn"
  97. ^ Berserk :: Volume 21, "Determination and Departure"
  98. ^ Berserk :: Volume 22, "Reunion on the Hill of Swords"
  99. ^ Berserk :: Volume 22, "Prologue to the War Chronicle"
  100. ^ Berserk :: Volume 24, "Mansion of the Spirit Tree (1)"
  101. ^ Berserk :: Volume 25, "Qliphoth"
  102. ^ a b c Berserk :: Volume 26, "Vicinity of Hell"
  103. ^ a b Berserk :: Volume 26, "Whore Princess of the Uterine Sea"
  104. ^ Berserk :: Volume 26, "Flames (1)"
  105. ^ Berserk :: Volume 26, "Berserker Armor (1)"
  106. ^ Berserk :: Volume 28, "Boy in the Moonlight"
  107. ^ Berserk :: Volume 28, "Jñānin"
  108. ^ Berserk :: Volume 29, "White Lily in the Field"
  109. ^ a b Berserk :: Volume 30, "Suzerain of the Religious Domain"
  110. ^ Berserk :: Volume 30, "Rusty Birdcage"
  111. ^ Berserk :: Volume 31, "Blaze Rod"
  112. ^ Berserk :: Volume 31, "Bursting Flames"
  113. ^ Berserk :: Volume 32, "Human Bullet"
  114. ^ Berserk :: Volume 34, "Creation"
  115. ^ Berserk :: Volume 36, "Full Moon (1)"
  116. ^ a b c Berserk :: Volume 37, "Spring Flower of Days Long Passed (1)"
  117. ^ a b Berserk :: Volume 39, "Great Gurus"
  118. ^ Berserk :: Volume 39, "Flower Storm Monarch"
  119. ^ Berserk :: Volume 40, "Beneath Sun-Dappled Trees"
  120. ^ Berserk :: Volume 41, "Barrier"
  121. ^ Berserk :: Volume 41, "Ravine"
  122. ^ Berserk :: Volume 41, "Vision of Death"
  123. ^ Berserk :: Volume 41, "Leaping Monkey"
  124. ^ Berserk :: Volume 41, "Teardrop of Morning Dew"
  125. ^ Berserk :: Volume 42, "Lull of the Waning Moon"
  126. ^ Berserk :: Volume 42, "Eye of the Maelstrom"
  127. ^ Berserk :: Volume 42, "Mistful Fading of the Cherry Blossoms"
  128. ^ Berserk :: Volume 42, "Fading Isle"
  129. ^ Berserk :: Volume 42, "A Dying Light in the Pitch Black Night"
  130. ^ Berserk :: Volume TBA, "The Morning After a Steady Foggy Night"
  131. ^ Berserk :: Volume 5, "Sword Master (1)"
  132. ^ Berserk :: Volume 14, "Evil Insect"
  133. ^ Berserk :: Volume 16, "Between Man and Demon"
  134. ^ Berserk :: Volume 22, "Beast Swordsman vs Black Swordsman"
  135. ^ Berserk :: Volume 22, "Unchanged"
  136. ^ Berserk :: Volume 25, "Mirror of Sins"
  137. ^ a b c Berserk :: Volume 27, "Fire Dragon"
  138. ^ Berserk :: Volume 31, "Eastern Magic"
  139. ^ Berserk :: Volume 16, "Firefly"
  140. ^ a b Berserk :: Volume 24, "Magic Stone"
  141. ^ a b Berserk :: Volume 28, "Familiars"
  142. ^ Berserk :: Volume 31, "Wind Coiler"
  143. ^ Berserk :: Volume 21, "Falling Sky"
  144. ^ Berserk :: Volume 33, "Roaring Heavens"
  145. ^ Berserk :: Volume 24, "Elementals"
  146. ^ Berserk :: Volume 27, "Depths of Hellfire"
  147. ^ Berserk :: Volume 26, "Flames (2)"
  148. ^ Berserk :: Volume 15, "Pursuers"
  149. ^ a b Berserk :: Volume 30, "City of the Demon Beasts (2)"
  150. ^ Berserk :: Volume 30, "City of the Demon Beasts (1)"
  151. ^ Berserk :: Volume 26, "Retribution"
  152. ^ mangabrog.wordpress.com (by awarenayorikku (translator)) :: "Berserk Artist Kentarou Miura Interview"
  153. ^ Berserk :: Volume 14, "Black Swordsman, Again"
  154. ^ Berserk :: Volume 7, "Battle to Capture Doldrey (1)"
  155. ^ SPECTRUM NEXUS » Berserk Kentarou Miura Information

Appendices

Advertisement