(Essay for the second issue of the Berserk fanzine.)
Author: Myself
Berserk is a character-driven manga, recognized for its dark themes and fatalistic storytelling. The world of Berserk is bleak and unforgiving. The main themes of the manga are pain, struggle, and coping with trauma. Born into this world, the three protagonists, Guts, Casca, and Griffith, are no exception to that reality. Their lives consist of so much pain that ultimately, their way to cope with it shapes and determines their futures and the people they eventually become. All three main characters face rejection, sexual abuse, and betrayal as their sources of anguish. All three handle those experiences differently. A glimpse into their backstories reveals a lot, the most prominent example being with the protagonist, Guts. As a child, he is abused, betrayed and denied love by his father. We meet him as a newborn, found by Shishu under the corpse of his dead mother, which is seen as a bad omen straightaway. He is then raised by Gambino, who blames him for Shishu’s death, which he believes is part of the omen. During his childhood, he is denied parental love and care, and taught only how to fight by Gambino. Regardless, he sees the man as his father figure.
Desperate for Gambino’s approval, Guts learns to use a sword too big for a boy his age. However, his attempts to earn the man’s affection remain fruitless. Guts is rejected, neglected, and never taught anything by his father. Knowing only how to swing his sword, Guts expresses his negative emotions by doing so. Gambino’s rejection frustrates Guts, which he deals with through swinging his sword in battle.
After Gambino sells Guts out to Donovan, Guts decides against directly confronting his father, afraid of hearing the truth. He takes revenge on Donovan, but never on the man who betrayed him. When Guts takes Gambino’s life in self-defence, Guts regrets and blames himself for it. Guts dedicated his life to killing enemies to cope with the fact, that he caused his father’s death.
He muses: “If one person[,] anyone[,] had looked my way[.] [B]ut wandering the battlefields made me realize[,] that wouldn’t do me any good in tryin’ to survive.” (Ch.33, P.19.) He comes to believe that he does not need love and recognition, but only the battlefield. It leads into his refusal to let anyone into his life after Gambino’s death. Aside from fighting to stay alive, Guts sees no meaning in living.
Only after meeting Griffith does he change that sentiment. Guts himself states: “[…] I incidentally found someone I really wanted to have look at me.” (Ch.33,P.20). He finally feels wanted and noticed by someone, but this ends the moment he overhears Griffith’s speech with Charlotte. Rejection leads to him leaving the Hawks, and he once again focuses on battles. Upon his return, he is deeply distraught after rescuing Griffith, and he furiously slaughters the Midland’s army to cope with it. During the Eclipse, he rushes into battle with the Apostles, and continues to hunt them down in the following years. Guts identifies with his sword and sees it as the closest thing to a dream of his own.
However, when he meets Griffith again, he hesitates to kill him. He confronts his former friend with the words: “You mean after what you did, after all those you betrayed, you don’t feel anything?!” (Ch.178,P.12). This refers to what Griffith has done to the Hawks and Casca, but not directly to what he did to Guts. It implies he does not feel that he is in the right position to blame Griffith for betraying him. It resembles his hesitation to confront and take revenge on Gambino as a child, since he keeps seeking his recognition.
Eventually, all the bottled-up anguish and anger threaten to get the best of him. They manifest as the Beast of Darkness – a houndlike monster representing Guts’ id and his most violent urges. The Beast longs to destroy every source of hope in Guts’ life so Guts can finally continue his path of hatred. Even after Guts decides to stray from his path, the foreboding promise of the Beast that it is going to take over, when the time comes, remains.
Casca’s fate is equally tragic. Seen as a yet another mouth to feed by her parents, she grows up feeling inferior, lacking a sense of self. The earliest we see of her is when she was a little girl, after she was given up to a perverted nobleman. It is implied that her parents must have been aware the man did not have her best in mind all along.
Due to the abuse Casca suffered, her gender makes her feel frustration and regret for being born a woman. To feel useful, she tries to mirror the needs of the people she loves, hence drastically changing after she meets Griffith. All her attempts to become important to him remain fruitless, but she never stops trying because it is what gives her a purpose.
Casca deals with pain and anguish by clinging to her dream of having someone who appreciates her, even when it’s futile. After she meets Griffith, he becomes her reason to not accept a life of being preyed upon. Being irreplaceable to him becomes her dream, even when it is mostly built on her wishful thinking. When being forced to face reality, her reaction is violent, and she refuses to accept it. "[...] I tried to convince myself that Griffith wanted you just for your strength. […] I can’t forgive you." (Ch.18,P.4-6).
Guts’ appearance poses a threat to the fragile connection she and Griffith have. The usually distant Griffith shows interest in Guts, which he has never shown in her. She does not want to accept Griffith’s indifference towards her, so she feels jealous of Guts, which is especially emphasized by her words: “Having Griffith trust me deeply… made me realize my own worth. […] I want to be something he can’t do without in achieving his dream. I believed that wish would come true […] until that day. The day you showed up…” (Ch.18,P1-2).
Casca constantly sways between frustration and denial. When she finally accepts she will never be loved by Griffith, she attempts to kill herself. Her feelings for both Guts and Griffith are her way to escape the lack of purpose and appreciation in her life, which is hinted by herself: “Everyone is weak. […] [T]hey rely on dreams and other people. […] I wanted someone to be near me.” (Ch.70,P.20-22). Just like she devoted her life to Griffith, she is ready to devote her life to Guts after he saves her life. When she finds out Griffith slept with Charlotte, it becomes clear that her feelings are still conflicted. “I'm a horrible [...] woman. [...] Somewhere in my heart, hearing the princess talk about Griffith like that, I...” (Ch.51,P.10-11). Ultimately, when having to choose whether to leave with Guts or stay with Griffith, she chooses Griffith, as she finally feels needed by him.
The Eclipse represents the moment during which everything she has ever clung to is mercilessly taken away from her. She is not only abused sexually, but also completely discarded by the man she has worshipped for years. After this, she rejects reality, and regresses to a childlike state. Her mind is healed only after many years, but she still must face her traumatic experience. As if to emphasize her escapism, she wakes up on a fairy island, completely detached from the dark Berserk world.
As the antagonist of Berserk, Griffith’s pain is often overlooked. He appears to be uncaring, but we see his struggles in carrying the burden of guilt for the deaths of his soldiers. He is driven to obtain his own kingdom not only by ambition, but also by the belief it is the only way to repay the dead. “[…] For the sake of the dead, if there is something I can do, that thing is to win.” (Ch.17,P.24). This, in return, causes more deaths and creates a vicious cycle, from which he cannot escape. He progressively grows distant and does not allow anyone to become close to him.
To cope with his guilt, Griffith rejects responsibility for other people’s fates. He offers Casca a sword to fight for herself instead of actively saving her. He supresses his emotions and lives in the delusion he has none. He acts passive and aloof, and never learns to deal with feelings. We as readers rarely learn to know him through introspection, but mostly through other people’s eyes - a sign of him denying to face whatever is going on in his heart.
Griffith copes with pain by denying his feelings and acting as an idealized version of himself. He remains ignorant to emotions, so he never learns to deal with them. He tries to rationalize everything he does, which gives the impression of a contradiction between his words and his actions. As if to prove to himself he would do anything for his dream, he even describes his night with Gennon as a strategic move. However, it becomes apparent that he was driven by guilt. Even after he self-harms on the day after, he claims to be alright.
From this point on, Griffith grows distant and forces himself to view his soldiers as tools. By doing so, he believes he could be spared the pain of having those important to him die. “It’s not that he is strong, ” Casca notes, “Griffith has to make himself strong.” (Ch.17.P.2). This hints at his emotional fragility. Meeting Guts changes him, again observed by Casca: “But Griffith, so calm and composed, always gets impulsive, when it comes to you […] You are the one, that changed Griffith that way.” (Ch.18,P.4-6).
Claiming he owns Guts gives Griffith a sense of being fully in control, even over life and death. This is a connection Griffith can only have with Guts, one he cannot have with the other Hawks. Their willingness to die for his dream is a burden he must carry. For them, he can never stray from his path. However, Guts does not depend on his dream. Eventually, Griffith begins to care for him, yet he rationalizes his attachment, so he never learns to deal with those emotions either.
Once Guts leaves the Hawks, Griffith feels betrayed and hurt, which he tries to deflect by sleeping with Charlotte. He ruins everything he has achieved to escape the pain. Only while tortured for a year, does he finally come to terms with his feelings. When he overhears Guts intends to leave again, Griffith reaches the peak of his desperation, which triggers the Eclipse. His transformation into Femto frees him from the emotions he has always dreaded and he finally becomes his idealized persona.
However, the first thing Griffith does once reborn into the human world is to verify his apathy towards Guts. “[I came here] To see you. […] I came here to know for certain whether anything will shake my heart.” (Ch.178,P.8-10). This implies that the fear Guts might hold power over him is one of the first things to cross his mind after being reborn. He dismisses his rapid heartbeat while watching Guts struggle against Zodd, and later his urge to save Casca from the falling rocks, as the influence of his vessel. However, knowing Griffith’s history of denial, the readers are left enough room for doubt.
None of the three protagonists faces the pain in their lives straight on. The unhealthy coping mechanisms they have developed come with a price. Guts lives with the threat of being taken over by the product of his own bloodlust. Casca lost her sanity by rejecting reality altogether and to regain it, she will have to face her worst memories after years of being regressed into a childlike state. Griffith appears to have lost his ability to feel, but this can yet again be an act of denial. Despite the many years that passed since their childhoods, all three main characters have developed in a direction that makes sense in accordance to what they have experienced.
he runs towards griffith crying, and hugged him tightly.
It surprised him, but he knew how children were, so he did not truly worry too much. Like always, he patted Ciel on the head, and lifted the boy in his arms.
❝ If I let you skip lunch and go straight to the desert, will you tell me what the matter is? ❞ Perhaps he underestimated the woes of the little lord, but crying while having sweet cake sounded rather difficult.
🎁 "Papa didn't forget your birthday" It's a small, big eyed, three headed puppy. "Cerberus gave birth to that this morning. He won't grow as big as his parent. But I believe he will be a nice edition to you ranks"
❝ Thank you... ❞ He appreciated receiving so many presents on this day, unlike the years before, but it was the second dog he’d gotten. This one seemed to have three heads too, so perhaps it counted as three dogs.
Do you know what the BEST about Griffith having a bday today is?
It means he is a Scorpio. Because:
Symbol: The Scorpion
Element: Water
Ruling Planet: Pluto — the planet of power and regeneration
Body Part: Crotch, reproductive organs (LMAO)
Good Day: Magnetic, passionate, loyal, protective, trendsetting, brave
Bad Day: Obsessive, possessive, jealous, secretive, vengeful, manipulative
Favorite Things: Underground music, spicy food, an air of danger, one-of-a-kind objects, wireless devices, organic ingredients, vinyl (VINYL!)
What You Hate: Simple-minded people, insincere flattery, personal questions, living at someone else’s house
Secret Wish: To have complete and total control (!!!)
How to Spot Them: Intense eyes, a hawk-like gaze, smooth movements (AAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Where You’ll Find Them: In the studio producing a platinum album, sitting at the corner table of an underground bar, taking things apart and figuring how to put them back together again
Keywords: Intimacy, Sex, Secrecy, Power, Intensity, Obsession
But that’s not everything
Scorpio people can be tricky to spot. With their reserved personas, they seldom starts a conversation or expresses interest in others openly—unless they feel out the situation first. Once you get them to open up, however, you’ll feel their scorching passion for whatever topics fascinate them. Be warned: Scorpios can focus on one subject to an extreme, so you may be in for a deeper dive than you expect—or want! But their natural charisma can quickly pique your interest in the topic, too. Many Scorpios are cutting-edge trendsetters with cultlike followings! Another way to spot them? Look for the piercing Scorpionic gaze, which is hawklike, narrowing in on its “prey” with hypnotic and piercing eyes. If you happen to be the object of that look, watch out! You could feel read as easily as a children’s book, as Scorpio seems to just KNOW all your secrets, soft spots and fears. Their focused attention can be addictive, and even painful when it’s pulled away. Be careful how quickly you fall down that Scorpio rabbit hole—it’s not as easy to crawl back up. When you befriend a Scorpio, you form a power couple or formidable alliance. While they don’t give up their loyalty and trust easily, once they do, they’ll stick with you through thick and thin. Don’t even think about double-crossing a Scorpio, though, because they WILL unleash their fury on you, divulging all of your secrets and airing your dirty laundry. Revenge is their favorite dish to serve…ice cold! On a positive note, Scorpios are the perfect people to help you explore your darker emotions or sexuality, guiding you through fifty-plus shades of irresistible and soul-communing experiences. Although this sign may crave complete and utter control over everything, Scorpios secretly yearn for the very thing they fear: true intimacy with others. It takes a lot for Scorpio to reveal their vulnerability, so guard that privilege with the utmost care. As Scorpios open up and learns to show their shadow side, they can heal in ways that are truly profound.
❝ Ozen, you didn’t have to…Thank you. ❞ he took the jar. He knew he should have expected something like this from her, but somehow he hadn’t. He looked away to not let her see the laughter in his eyes, for he feared she might take it the wrong way. He couldn’t suppress it for long though.
❝ I’m sorry, I just… have never cooked in my life before. I know many recipes though, so I will make sure to use it. ❞
It wasn’t as if Griffith disliked dogs. He just had no affinity for them at all, so his first reaction was to stare at the puppy for some time.
❝ Thank you. ❞ he muttered once he remembered his good manners, and took the little boy in his hands, smiling. At least it wasn’t female, and couldn’t gift him with more of its kind in few months. Suddenly, a silly thought crossed his mind, and he burst into laughter.
🎂 🎁 Griffith’s birthday 🎁 🎂 || send 🎂 for a “Happy Birthday”
It was odd, to say at least. He had not expected to see Noah, and even less so had he expected the angel to congratulate him so enthusiastically. It was a nice surprise, even if a part of him could not believe Noah had come only for Griffith’s birthday’s sake.
❝ Thank you. I wish I had prepared something, but we still have plenty of wine. Let me know if you want something to drink, and I will send Rickert. ❞
🎂 🎁 Griffith’s birthday 🎁 🎂 || send 🎂 for a “Happy Birthday”
❝ Thank you... I appreciate the thought. ❞ So he knew too? Griffith wondered who else did. Griffith had never cared for this day so much, but he was certainly touched.
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