Berserk is one of the greatest manga ever made. Kentaro Miura has influenced a generation of video games, manga, shows, and everything else along the same lines. The sheer number of revolutionary things in Berserk that are still referenced to this day shows just how groundbreaking this manga really is, and Miura's genius is something that is sorely missed in the realm of manga. Thankfully, his legacy persists to this day, and fans can always read through his amazing artistry and see how much he grew over the course of drawing Berserk.
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At the heart of Berserk is Guts, one of the most engaging and exciting protagonists in manga history. He seems like an unnecessarily angsty warrior until his backstory is revealed to show the horrors he had to go through. Here are some of the worst things that have happened to Guts over the course of Berserk.
Updated on February 19, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: Berserk is one of the most influential manga of all time, with everything from giant swords to its unique take on dark fantasy inspiring many pieces of entertainment media ever since. The story of Guts as he strives to take revenge against the man who betrayed him in a brutal and devastating manner makes for a great time. While Miura's death was extremely tragic for fans of the series, people are still glad to know that this manga is continuing under the watchful gaze of his best friend and confidant. The main character has faced a ton of tragedies over the course of his life, and to see everything crumble to dust after watching him battle against all this adversity for the longest time wouldn't have felt right at all.
17 Being Born From The Remnants Of A Corpse
Turned Him Into A Derided Figure In The Mercenary Band Where He Spent His Formative Years
Guts' life was destined to be miserable from the get-go. After all, a mercenary band found him under the corpse of his mother, who had given birth to him after he had presumably died.
While he was adopted by one of the women in the group, she also died of the plague shortly after. As a result, Guts never got to know either his true mom or his adoptive one.
16 Treated Poorly As A Bad Omen
Verbally And Physically Abused By The Gruff Men Around Him
In the world of Berserk, a child that was born from the womb of a corpse was considered a death omen. As a result, Guts was on the receiving end of the ire of everyone around him.
Everything bad that happened in the mercenary group was blamed on him. It was clear that he was the focus of all hatred from the get-go, which is not something a young child should go through at all.
15 Growing Up Surrounded By Death And Cruelty
Caused Him To Become A Cruel, Unfeeling Human Incapable Of Love For The Longest Time
Guts obviously didn't have the happy childhood that most children enjoy. He was taken in by a band of mercenaries that were brash, unloving, and didn't even really like Guts in the first place because of how he entered the group.
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He grew up with death and murder being the norm, finding respite only in the sword that he held by his side at all times. It's a sad upbringing for a child and places Guts on a path of constant warfare and strife for a child, which is not healthy.
14 Abused When He Was Just Nine Years Old
Traumatized Him For Good
Donovan, one of the members of the mercenary group that Guts was taken under, took a liking to the young boy. However, his affections were quite sinister in nature, and this was revealed during one horrible night that changed Guts' life.
Even though Guts got his revenge the next day, the scars from this traumatic night haunted him for the longest time.
13 Realizing That His Own Adoptive Father Didn't Care About Him At All
The One Relationship He Thought He Had Was Based On Lies
During Guts' childhood years, there was only one source of stability that he had in his life, or so he thought. This person was the leader of the mercenary group, Gambino, who treated Guts like dirt even though the boy considered him to be a father figure of sorts.
However, it turned out that Gambino was nothing more than the scum of the earth. He was the man who sold Guts to Donovan for a meager three coins and even tried to kill Guts in his sleep after getting jealous of the latter's competency on the battlefield.
12 Feeling Guilty About Abandoning Griffith And The Band Of The Hawk
Blamed Himself For Griffith's Incarceration And Imprisonment
After overhearing a conversation that Griffith didn't take people seriously if they weren't his equal, Guts makes the bold decision of leaving the Band of the Hawk to stand on his own two feet. By this point, he was strong enough to defeat Griffith in battle, which broke the man with lofty ideals and caused him to make a costly mistake.
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After jumping the gun and taking the innocence of the princess he'd been wooing for the longest time, her twisted father ordered Griffith to be sent to the dungeons and tortured, while the Band of the Hawk were labeled as common criminals. When Guts finds out about this development, he's devastated and feels that he's to blame for Griffith's fall from grace, even though this wasn't his fault in any way, shape, or form.
11 Getting Betrayed By Someone He Considered To Be His Closest Friend
Griffith's Decision To Let The Eclipse Happen Led To A Chain Of Traumatic Events
It seemed that Guts' life was changing for the better after joining the Band of the Hawk. The bond he formed with Griffith, Casca, and the rest of the group was a much-needed source of happiness in his life.
However, after Griffith was tortured and lost everything he had, the man went down a dark path and decided to sacrifice the people closest to him in the fifth Eclipse. This included Guts as well, who couldn't believe that someone like Griffith could've betrayed him in such a vicious manner.
10 Watching His Allies Die Brutal Deaths
The Members Of The Band Of The Hawk Didn't Deserve To Die Such Brutal Deaths
Guts had grown really close to the Band of the Hawk. The members of this mercenary group got on Guts' nerves at the start, but he soon warmed up to the group and considered them to be his friends as well.
So, it was obviously tough for him to witness the brutal death of everyone in the group when Griffith unleashed the worst form of hell on them. However, it was the sight that followed that truly broke him.
9 Being Forced To Watch As The Love Of His Life Was Tormented
Griffith's Assault On Casca Broke Both Her And Guts
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At the start, Casca is a mercenary who doesn't hold Guts in high regard and never gives him any respect whatsoever. However, after a chance encounter left them both isolated, Casca finally warmed up to Guts and realized what he was all about.
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This led to her becoming Guts' lover, only for this happiness to be shattered when Griffith used the Behelit to gain untold power and become Femto. What proceeded was truly horrifying, with Guts being forced to watch as Griffith tormented Casca.
8 Losing An Eye While Trying To Save Casca
Physical Trauma To Accompany His Mental Anguish
Guts hated being held down while Griffith was ravaging Casca. It's one of the worst things to happen to Guts, with his right eye bearing witness to this horrible event before being impaled by the demon who was holding him down.
Of course, this loss of his eye was the last thing on Guts' mind at that point. He decided to pull out all the stops in a bid to prevent any more harm from being done to Casca, reaching a point where he resorted to.
7 Cutting Off His Arm In A Vain Bid To Save His Lover
Shows How Desperate He Was To Rescue Casca From Griffith's Malicious Grasp
It was clear that Guts would not let Griffith have his way with Casca without putting up a fight. However, before he could move to stop the newly-arisen Femto in his tracks, he was restrained by a demon who bit into his arm to stop him.
However, Guts didn't stand around helpless for long and used his broken sword to cut into his own arm and sever it. This was for naught, and he was restrained once again and forced to watch and Griffith carried on with his heinous deed.
6 Turning Into A Source Of Anxiety For The Person He Loves
The Trauma Of Griffith's Assault Led To Her Fearing Guts' Presence After Her Mental State Reverted To That Of A Child
While Guts and Casca managed to survive the fifth Eclipse, it came at a massive cost. Casca was especially affected by this event, losing her sanity in the process.
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She also developed a fear of Guts that didn't go away even after she regained her sanity. It's a terrible feeling to be a source of fear for the person you love, and Guts had to experience this horrible feeling on top of everything else.
5 Being Unable To Land A Single Blow On Griffith During A Fated Encounter
After Improving His Swordsmanship For Ages, He Was Unable To Harm His Nemesis At Elf Island
The last few chapters of Berserk have been quite engaging indeed, with Guts' conflict against Griffith finally reaching a head after they met each other at Elf Island. All his life, Guts was waiting for the moment when he would finally take out Griffith with his blade once and for all.
However, what this encounter did instead was point out just how helpless Guts really is in the face of such adversity. He couldn't land a single blow on Griffith, and that was the least of his problems.
4 Watching Helplessly As Casca Was Taken Away From Him
Lost The Love Of His Life To His Nemesis In A Heartbreaking Moment
Guts' battle against Griffith was quite humiliating as is, but it's what followed these events that really sent Guts over the edge. Not only did Griffith avoid any damage from his sword, but his rival also managed to snatch Casca away just when she was getting better.
Guts had absolutely no power in this situation and failed to either harm Griffith or save his beloved. It was a horrifying series of events that sent Guts down the path of despair.
3 Losing Faith In His Own Abilities
Being Completely Outclassed By Griffith Broke Him
After Griffith defeats Guts and abducts Casca from Elf Island, Guts completely breaks down. Even after honing his skills in battle, he's unable to stop a repeat of events from happening as the love of his life is snatched from his hands by his nemesis in an emotional moment.
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He starts second-guessing himself, wondering if he could ever take his revenge on the man who ruined his life and everything he held dear. Hopefully, by the time the story moves on, Guts will regain his confidence and attain the means to defeat the twisted apostle whose thirst for power has led him down a dark, disturbing path.
2 Having His Body And Mind Brutalized By The Berserker Armor Time And Time Again
Attained Immense Power At The Cost Of His Lifespan Decreasing
The Berserker Armor is one of the most powerful tools in Guts' arsenal, but it has some major drawbacks. For starters, it forcefully causes the wearer's bones to remain stuck together by impaling the user, which can potentially lead to blood loss and has left several scars on Guts' body.
However, what's even more threatening is that the Berserker Armor has immensely negative od that can potentially turn the wearer into a mindless beast. Guts has already succumbed to this armor before, and repeated infractions will lead to the loss of his own sanity.
1 Being Hunted By Evil Spirits For The Rest Of His Life
The Brand Of Sacrifice Means That Guts Will Be Tormented By Demons For The Rest Of His Life
The Invocation of Doom branded both Guts and Casca with the Mark of Sacrifice. This essentially meant that both people would be haunted and attacked by evil spirits for the rest of their existence.
Guts' transformation into the Black Swordsman involved dealing with these horrible demons during his journey to hunt down Griffith and the rest of the God Hand. If his life wasn't hard enough as is, Guts also has to deal with these demons, which indirectly puts everyone around him in danger. This is why he prefers to travel alone.
Berserk
- Release Date
- October 8, 1997
- Creator
- Kentaro Miura
- Studio
- OLM Team Iguchi
