Highlights
- The Bakiraka clan is a group of deadly assassins known for their formidable combat abilities and superhuman talents.
- They have a history of siding with allies who possess immense wealth and political power, but also maintain a code of honor.
- The Bakiraka clan aims to restore their former glory and have been involved in major conflicts, including the Hundred-Year War and the war between Midland and the Kushan Empire.
Deadly assassins for hire who have plied their trade throughout the world of Berserk, the Bakiraka are a clan of warriors that were formerly allied with the Kushan Emperor Ganishka. Having been cast out of their homeland, the Bakiraka attained a fearsome reputation as formidable combatants with superhuman abilities, which fueled their business as hired muscle for the unsavory military maneuvers of their clients.
In the past, they have been employed by the Royal Family of Midland, nations under the Holy See, and the Kushan Empire, which showcases their tendency to side with allies who wield immense wealth and political power. That being said, they do possess a code of honor of sorts, since they banished their former comrade Rakshas after he gave up his status as a human in favor of being reborn as an Apostle. The clan have a major role to play in Berserk, particularly due to their shifting allegiances.
The Origins Of The Bakiraka
Driven off their own lands centuries prior to the start of Berserk, the Bakiraka clan reached Midland and dove into the business of being assassins, working out of a hidden village that was once closed off to outsiders. Each member of the clan is said to be a superhuman fighter on their own, with many among them boasting unique abilities that go far beyond the limits of normal soldiers. Their end goal throughout these endeavors is to restore the clan to its former glory.
In Midland, they have been referred to as a "murderer's guild," or an "assassination order." Many within the nation believe that the clan's members are inhuman, owing to their supreme efficiency in completing difficult missions. In truth, all members of the clan are trained in a variety of combat techniques and killing methods, allowing them to excel at their craft against powerful adversaries.
In terms of appearance, most members of the Bakiraka possess the same tanned complexion as other subjects of the Kushan Empire, but their attire varies greatly depending on their role. Whereas Silat, the son of the Bakiraka clan leader, wears light armor with a headdress and mouth covering, the tapasa who guard him are garbed in simple loincloths, to minimize any restriction to their mobility during battle.
How Strong Are The Bakiraka?
Evidenced in how he was able to defeat most of the original Band of the Falcon, save for Guts, Silat is one of the strongest human warriors in all of Midland. Relying on an acrobatic style of fighting that is as complex as it is theatrical, he generally wields katar-type daggers, circular throwing weapons known as chakram, or a flexible whip-like blade known as an urumi.
Conversely, the towering tapasa rely on pure close quarters hand-to-hand combat, as their fists and legs have been honed to a point where they can break armor and exert brutal amounts of force. Other members of the Bakiraka include a man with long limbs who uses tekko kagi like blades, a javelin thrower, an imp-like individual who blows poison needles from a pipe, a frog-like member who fights with a trident, and a female combatant who uses combustible dust to generate explosions by striking her bracelets against each other to generate sparks.
Despite how much their physiques may vary, each member of the Bakiraka is extremely fast and exceptionally agile. The tapasa in particular are deceptively fast, despite their massive, hulking figures, which makes them all the more menacing. Perhaps the best exponent of this trait is the former member turned Apostle Rakshas, who is among the fastest characters in the series, and is capable of shapeshifting as well as creating weapons from his appendages to strike opponents down before they can react.
A Desperate Ploy To Return Home
The Bakiraka's willingness to ally themselves with the highest bidder, saw them partake in the Hundred-Year War between the Kingdom of Midland and the Tudor Empire. During this conflict, they dispatched scores of rulers and vassals from nations allied with both kingdoms. It is said that the Bakiraka discarded their pride when they began the practice of working as assassins for hire, and are desperately attempting to restore their clan by accumulating wealth and influence.
Later on, in the war between Midland and the Kushan Empire, the Bakiraka were enlisted by Emperor Ganishka to capture Griffith, which they attempted to do during the Incarnation Ceremony at the Tower of Conviction in Albion. On learning that Ganishka was not human but rather an Apostle, Silat and his troop of tapasa began to grow concerned about whether it was apt for them to entrust the future of their clan to a demon.
Further along the line, they also received an offer to join the army of Midland under Griffith, but refused due to their discomfort in following the current of causality that appeared to be pushing the reborn Band of the Falcon onward. Silat then proceeded to spy on Rickert's interaction with Griffith, and became intrigued by the boy after seeing how he stood up to the Falcon of Light. Subsequently, he vowed to protect Rickert from Rakshas, as he believed that he held valuable information about Griffith. Silat and the tapasa eventually fled Falconia alongside Rickert and Erica, journeying back to the Bakiraka's hidden village.
Berserk is available to stream on Netflix.
