One of the greatest manga franchises EVER created turned 35 on August 25 this year.
That story is Berserk, created by the late Kentaro Miura (who passed away in 2021), and started its run in 1989 via Monthly Animal House (currently called Young Animal). Even after Miura’s death, the notes he left behind allow the story to continue though the story will deviate from his original vision. We have to put our faith in the hands of Miura’s trusted friends and hope they will do the story justice.
The Story, Spoilers Ahead
Berserk centers on a young man named Guts (also known as “Gatsu”), a wandering sword-for-hire, who travels from one job to another. The boy was born shortly after his mother died and was discovered by a couple, Gambino and Shisu, who raised him. Shisu passed away shortly after and Gambino took his grief out on Guts, beginning the years of physical and emotional abuse.
Gambino became an irredeemable piece of s–t.
He trained Guts in swordsmanship.
While Guts became a fine mercenary at a young age, Gambino treated him as an expendable commodity. One example is when Gambino pimped an unwitting Guts, against the latter’s will, to a fellow soldier one night.
That means Guts was raped one night by a fellow soldier.
It gets worse when Gambino suffers a critical injury that permanently sidelines him from the frontlines, leaving Guts as the unwitting “breadwinner.” Guts risks death virtually every day to keep Gambino’s pockets fat.
Then Gambino gets piss drunk one night and attempts to kill Guts, but is killed by Guts in self-defense. Unfortunately, there are no witnesses to the incident and that means the entire mercenary camp believes Guts maliciously killed Gambino, which forces Guts to flee for his life.
Guts becomes a wandering mercenary who makes a living on the battlefield. The tragic thing is that he hasn’t turned 18 yet.
There is one FATEFUL battle where Guts kills a high-profile enemy and receives a bonus which catches the eye of Griffith, the leader of the “Band of the Hawk,” who gives his UNDIVIDED attention to him. Guts is ambushed by Griffith and his people on the way “home,” leading to a battle.
Guts loses the battle and is critically wounded.
Guts wakes up and finds himself in the custody of Griffith’s mercenary group, though he tries to leave and fails after losing to Griffith (again). Unless Guts can defeat Griffith in a fight, he cannot leave the Band of the Hawk.
Life under Griffith’s leadership isn’t bad because Guts is treated like a family member. Guts proves invaluable to Griffith as a soldier and commander.
Despite the initially turbulent relationship with Casca, Griffith’s second-in-command, they become close comrades. With Guts at his side, Griffith turns the Band of the Hawk into the Midlands Empire’s main force against the Chudor Kingdom. Things get interesting during the military campaign where Guts and Griffith cross paths with the (literal) demon mercenary Nosferatu Zodd.
Zodd sees Guts as a rival and Griffith as someone meant for “greatness.”
While the Band of the Hawk participates on the frontlines, Griffith learns how to play politics by working behind the scenes to build influence, which leads to covert political assassinations in which one mission Guts inadvertently killed a child (Prince Adonis).
The Band of the Hawk ensures victory in the final battle where Griffith kills the Chudor King and Guts kills the military leader, winning the Midlands Kingdom War.
The Band of the Hawk is renamed the “Band of the Falcon” and its commanders are awarded noble status.
This doesn’t satisfy Guts because he wants to pursue his dream of being the greatest swordsman. He chooses to leave the group, despite opposition from his comrades, leading to another battle with Griffith. While Griffith was busy with the political stuff, his hand-to-hand combat skills eroded.
Guts’ skills IMPROVED greatly, though, and it ensured his victory over Griffith. He leaves to pursue his dream while Griffith is broken and that leads him to make a BAD decision, finding solace in Princess Charlotte (while taking her virginity in the process). Griffith is caught and tossed in prison where he is tortured and mutilated (his tongue getting cut out in the process).
The group’s noble status is revoked.
The King of the Midlands Empire felt that punishing Griffith wasn’t enough and believed that his mercenary group also needed to be punished. Casca and company are lured into a trap where many are killed in the process. The remnants flee and become fugitives.
Guts is having the time of his life as a wandering swordsman but he receives word about what happened. He returns where his surviving mercenary buddies, except a few like Judeau, treat him with contempt. They BLAME Guts for their predicament because he “abandoned” everybody to achieve his “selfish” desire and broke Griffith.
Guts and Casca consummate their love for each other but that’s short-lived.
Once Griffith is rescued, he betrays them by activating his red beherit that pulls everyone within its radius into a dimension ruled by the God Hand. Everyone is branded and sacrificed. Guts, Casca, and Rickert (though he wasn’t present) are the surviving members. Griffith transforms into “Femto - Wings of Despair” and becomes the fifth member of the God Hand. In his first act as Femto, Griffith rapes Casca in front of Guts (who is pinned down by a demon).
Guts and Casca survive when the Skull Knight comes to the rescue, but are scarred for life.
Despite escaping, Guts and Casca remain branded which means they spend their nights tormented by demons. This is also beneficial because the brand allows Guts to detect the presence of evil.
The trauma made Casca’s mind regress to a child’s state. Guts and Casca’s unborn child was tainted by Griffith’s infected semen, during the rape, and became the “Demon Child.”
Guts, with Casca at his side, travels to find a way to restore Casca’s mind.
Griffith creates the “Neo Band of the Hawk” and works to build his kingdom.
Guts finds a new family in the form of “Guts’ Traveling Party.”
Guts and Griffith prepare for the day they meet again, which is a reckoning.
Berserk is one of the greatest dark tragedy stories created. If you look past the times the story went on hiatus, the story is 35 years strong.
Adaptions Outside The Manga
Berserk was adapted into animated series, full-length films, and video games.
The first series came out in 1997 which lasted 25 episodes. It followed Guts when he first encountered the Band of the Hawk, joining their ranks, to the dreaded “Eclipse Festival” (which led to virtually the entire Band of the Hawk getting killed).
I believe it’s the greatest animated adaptation of Berserk so far.
A new series came out in 2016 which spanned two seasons with season one focusing on the “Conviction Arc” and season two on the first half of the “Millennium Falcon Arc.” While I am happy to see an animated adaptation of the story beyond the “Golden Age Arc,” I didn’t care for the series.
I disliked the CGI animation because it looked weird.
The series should have streamed on Funimation instead of Crunchyroll because the former wouldn’t sensor the content. When the people got naked, like Nina, they possessed no genitalia, which made them look like dolls.
There was a lack of bloodshed and gore, an integral part of Berserk. The fighting was dry and boring.
The studio watered down the series.
The only good thing about the 2016 series was the music.
The three full-length animated films focused on the Golden Age Arc with the final showing Skull Knight rescuing Guts and Casca. The three films were combined into a compilation film titled Berserk: The Golden Age - Memorial Edition.
I liked the 1997 series adaptation more but enjoyed the films more than the 2016 series.
At least the films had the blood and gore!
Studio ECLYPSE worked on a fan-made adaptation and planned to release it in 2025 but it’s unlikely now. Studio Gaga, who currently holds the license, threatened Studio ECLYPSE with a lawsuit.
The response is divided because netizens who side with Studio Gaga accuse Studio ECLYPSE of trying to profit without permission. At the same time, others accuse Studio Gaga of waiting so long before threatening legal action.
For all we know, the project remains in limbo.
The franchise’s first game adaptation was in 1999 on the Dreamcast titled Sword of the Berserk: Guts’ Rage.
It’s an original story between volumes 22 and 23 of the manga which covers the Millennium Falcon Arc. The story begins with a caravan of traveling performers attacked by bandits and Guts inadvertently comes to the rescue, accompanied by Casca and Puck.
The bandits are defeated and both groups (supposedly) part ways.
Casca follows the caravan into town because she wants to see the show. Guts reluctantly enters town to let Casca enjoy the show. His brand “activates” during the show and eyes Job, one of the performers, who’s infected by a “Mandragora.”
The bystanders panic and curse Job which angers him.
Job transforms into a monster and Guts is forced to kill him. He meets the town’s ruler Balzac who employs him to visit a specific village that supposedly holds the cure. Rita, the surviving performer, is imprisoned.
Guts learns that Balzac isn’t giving the full truth.
The game contains a compendium that introduces players to the world of Berserk. I got introduced to the franchise through this game.
The Skull Knight has a cameo at the end of the game, once you go through the ending credits.
The second game adaptation launched in 2004 for the PlayStation 2 titled Berserk Millennium Falcon Arc: Chapter of the Holy War. The game covered part of the Millennium Falcon Arc where Guts acquires his “Berserk Armor” and is joined by Schierke.
The game is Japan-exclusive.
The latest adaptation was released in 2016 on the PlayStation 3 titled Berserk and the Band of the Hawk, from Koei Tecmo, which is a Berserk-themed conversion of the studio’s popular Dynasty Warriors franchise.
The franchise isn’t new to special conversions.
Other conversions include Fist of the North Star: Ken’s Rage, One Piece: Pirate Warriors, Hyrule Warriors, Dynasty Warriors: Gundam, and more.
In 2023, the mobile MMORPG title Shin Megami Tensei Liberation Dx2 had a limited-time collaboration with Berserk.
Guts also appeared in the mobile game Dragon Poker.
What Influenced Berserk?
Miura was influenced by Fist of the North Star, Violence Jack, Guin Saga, and Hellraiser.
If you’re familiar with the lore of the four works mentioned, you’ll see how they influenced Berserk.
Kenshiro, the hero of Fist of the North Star, lived a life of sadness and tragedy. Guts’ life is sad and tragic.
The titular Violence Jack is violence incarnate. That is reflected when Guts enters “Berserk Mode.”
The titular Guin’s fighting prowess and mysterious aura are reflected in Guts.
The Cenobites from Hellraiser inspired the creation of the God Hand and its Apostles.
As many works inspired Miura to create this wonderful story, Berserk influenced other stories.
In 35 years, the franchise carved a legacy. Happy 35th anniversary to Berserk.
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