With over 29 million volumes sold, it is one of the most successful adult manga ever. Berserk takes place in a setting similar to Europe in the Middle Ages. It centers around the life of Guts, an orphaned mercenary warrior, and his relationship to Griffith, the leader of a mercenary band called the Hawks. Both the manga and anime are noted for their heavy content of violence.
Currently, 30 tankōbon of the manga have been published in Japan. 1
Miura first premiered Berserk in 1988 with a 48-page prototype, which won a prize at the Comi Manga School where he was enrolled at the time. The following year, the first volume of the manga was released. Three more volumes appeared until Berserk was serialized by Young Animal in 1992, and new episodes are still being released in the semi-monthly (every second and fourth Friday of the month) magazine. Volumes are released biannually in Japan by Jets Comics, and contain 8-11 episodes depending on the release.
In America, the manga is translated and published by Dark Horse Comics, which has released ten volumes so far, the first in October 22, 2003. As with other Dark Horse manga releases like Hellsing or Trigun Maximum, the Japanese reading format from right to left is preserved in the English release.
In 1997, production began on a 25-episode anime series of the first thirteen volumes of the manga, titled 剣風伝奇ベルセルク (Kenpū Denki Berserk). Though it chronicles how Guts served Griffith in the Band of the Hawk, the TV adaptation took limited liberties with the story, which was too broad to be adapted perfectly to video. The story was taken largely intact, although certain characters, and the most violent or brutal scenes, were modified or removed. The series was animated by OLM (Oriental Light and Magic), and broadcast on Nippon Television in a post-midnight slot from October 7th1997 to April 31st, 1998. In America, the anime series has been dubbed/subtitled and published by Media Blasters, and has never aired there but is available on DVD and VHS.
The anime only "accurately" portrayed volumes five through eight of the manga. No other volumes covered remain intact to the true story, and some, such as volume 11, were even removed completely. Because those changes were approved by the series creator Kentaro Miura, many fans claim that the anime is nothing more than a giant advertisement for the manga itself. Others, however, claim the anime is meant to be an introduction to the story, not the story itself.
Note: All subsequent names come from the English translation, and Miura's statements about the official transliterations of the characters names in the beginning of Volume 27.
Guts (ガッツ lit. Gattsu)
Guts is the protagonist of the story; a tall, muscular white male with a sword about 7' long and 12" wide at its base with a prosthetic left forearm (that also conceals a cannon). Guts is a tragic hero; he is born as one who may be able to struggle against Causality, but unable to maintain it indefinitely. The second story arc of the series revolves around his childhood and adolescence in a mercenary band after being adopted by the band's leader Gambino, and his subsequent joining of, and departure from, the Band of the Hawk. The dynamic and turbulent relationship between Guts and Griffith, the leader of this group, forms the primary focus of the manga for the first thirteen volumes. After the events of the Eclipse, in which he loses his left forearm and right eye, Guts seeks revenge on Griffith (now Femto). Upon doing so, he is subsequently reunited with Casca after two years separation. After the Incarnation Ceremony at Albion, Guts now travels with a new group of companions. He currently possesses the Berserk's Armor, an ancient, cursed suit of armor that allows the wearer to overcome his physical and mental boundaries in combat. Doing so damages his body and allows his inner beast, a feral dog-like demon, to take over and endanger everyone in the vicinity, friend or foe.
Griffith
Griffith (グリフィス lit. Gurifisu)
Griffith is the founder and leader of the mercenary army Band of the Hawk. Extraordinarily charismatic and handsome, his tactical skill gives him and his army the reputation of invincibility, making him the favoured choice of the King of Midland, who is locked in a long and devastating war against the Empire of Chuder. He is willing to sacrifice everything for his dream of glory, believing that he is destined for things greater than the average man can aspire to. However, being of common heritage, Griffith must prove through battle his mettle in a court where everything depends on birthright. After he won the war for Midland, he challenged Guts to a duel for Guts' freedom and lost, leading to Guts' departure from the band. Griffith, broken and feeling betrayed briefly finds comfort in the arms of Charlotte, the Princess of Midland. The affair is soon discovered, after which Griffith is imprisoned and tortured for a full year. He is rescued by Casca and Guts, but he has been already physically crippled and mentally broken. In the depths of despair, thoughts of his dream's end drive him to summon the God Hand. He gives up the Band of the Hawk for sacrifice, with only Casca and Guts surviving, and becomes Femto - the final member of the God Hand. Two years later, Griffith is reincarnated in the city of Albion; he now leads a newly formed Band of the Hawk, still in pursuit of his dream to obtain his own kingdom.
Casca
Casca (キャスカ lit. Kyasuka)
Casca was the only female soldier in the original Band of the Hawk and is behind only Griffith and Guts in swordsmanship. Her ambivalent relationship to both of them makes her moody and capricious. Casca joins the Band of the Hawk after Griffith saves her from a sexual assault by a nobleman. After Griffith is imprisoned, she becomes the leader of the Band of the Hawk and, along with Guts, leads the mission to rescue Griffith. The trauma of the Eclipse, especially her rape at Femto's hands, has cost Casca her memory and voice. In addition to being Guts' lover, she also gave birth to a child, which had become tainted by Femto's rape. During her travel with Guts, the strain of watching over her in her state and fighting against evil spirits for nights on end drove Guts to succumb to his inner beast and nearly rape her. Due to this, she now detests Guts and has found comfort in the only adult female traveling with them: Farnese. Casca travels with them completely oblivious to her surroundings, with Guts and company keeping close watch over her. Casca's well being is the driving force for Guts to keep himself from reverting back to a revenge-obsessed wanderer. It has been revealed outside the city of Vritanis that her mental state may be cured at their final destination, Elfhelm, by the King of the Flower Storm.
From left: Isidro, Puck, Serpico, Evarella, Schierke, Guts, Farnese, Casca
The following characters are only in the manga:
Puck (パック lit. Pakku)
Puck is a Wind spirit from Elfhelm: an utopia on the island Skellig. Elves in Berserk can only be seen by the open-minded; the devoutly religious cannot see Puck at all, but can feel him if he touches them. Puck can secrete a powder from his wings to heal wounds and can emit a bright flash to blind enemies. Puck often appears as comic relief and was the first one to join Guts' journey.
Farnese (ファルネーゼ; lit. Farunēze)
Farnese is a noblewoman who lead the Holy See's ceremonial guard, the Holy Iron Chain Knights. Since this position has been traditionally held by a woman, Farnese was appointed during her stay at a convent she was sent to by her father, Federico Vandimion. Farnese's infatuation with fire and her lack of empathy from a poor upbringing allowed her to hunt down and burn supposed witches and pagans at the stake. In doing so, it gave her a sadistic pleasure she wouldn't admit, even to herself. She and Serpico left their Holy See positions after Griffith's rebirth in the desolate city of Albion, which shattered her religious faith. She then chose to follow Guts in hopes of learning more about the world and has caused her to be a more sympatheic human being. Since then, Farnese has begun to study witchcraft under Schierke's tutelage and is primarily Casca's care taker.
Serpico (セルピコ lit. Serupiko)
Farnese's servant, Serpico was also Herald for the Holy Iron Chain Knights. Despite his meek appearance, Serpico is comparable to a fox when he's aggressive, due to his cunning and speed with a rapier. Serpico has a dislike for fire, coming from seeing his mother burn at the stake, making his devotion to Farnese seem strange. Despite that and her abusing him as they grew up, he cares deeply for Farnese. Serpico was her servant since she found him beaten on a snowy street over a decade ago and is also her half-brother (both have the same father), but Farnese is unaware of it. Animosity came between Serpico and Guts, for Farnese's journey with Guts endangers her life. After a duel with Guts, that ended with Guts sparing his life, Serpico's since learned to trust Guts to protect her when he couldn't. Serpico uses a sword and cloak blessed by the wind spirit Sylph that allows him to battle demons alongside Guts.
Isidro (イシドロ lit. Ishidoro)
Isidro is a young boy with dreams of becoming the best swordsman in history, an ambition he takes seriously. He traveled aimlessly for a year after he left his village until he ran into Guts outside of Albion. Having been suitably impressed with Guts' massive sword and the incredible speed he wields it with, Isidro follows Guts as to "steal" his sword techniques. Isidro learns basic sword techniques from sparring with Guts, but has yet to be as disciplined. Besides being a dead shot with any kind of handheld projectile, Isidro is also an excellent thief and voyeur. It is worth noting he has a knack for making up good plans or courses of action in the heat of battle. Isidro wields Salamander's dagger; a fire-based magical weapon he uses to fight demons.
Schierke (シールケ lit. Shīruke)
Schierke is a young witch-in-training, a disciple of the witch Flora. She aided Guts' group with a troll infestation in a nearby village where she showed how powerful magic is in Berserk. She left her home and Flora behind when they were lost in an apostle attack Griffith ordered. Schierke, having lived a sheltered life, doesn't like the outside world and its religion, but finds it bearable due to her companions. Her magic skills are impressive for a child her age, but as she is still young she makes occasional mistakes. Her ability to sense "OD" (life force or spirit energy) means she can sense the power, intent, and alignment of enemies and friends. There is some friction between her and Isidro, with her seeing him as an incompetent monkey. Schierke is currently infatuated with Guts, in the way a girl looks up to an idol. She also has an elf, Evarella, who accompanies her.
Judeau (ジュドー lit. Judou)
The old Band of the Hawk's friendly persona. A former circus performer who wielded throwing knives, Judeau was also well-aware of the world around him and seen as a confidant. Throughout his stay with the Band of the Hawk, he was secretly in love with Casca, but never acted on it in respect to Guts' and Casca's feelings for each other. He died during the Eclipse, trying to keep Casca alive.
Pippin (ピピン lit. Pipin)
A massive dark-skinned man who wielded an equally massive mace. A former miner, Pippin lent his strength to the old Band of the Hawk. He was often associated with Rickert, who he seemed to share a big-brother relationship with. A man of few words to the end, he died during the Eclipse when he saved Casca from an Apostle.
Corkus (コルカス lit. Korukasu)
A loud-mouthed ex-thief. Corkus was fond of delusions of grandeur and constantly at odds with Guts. He was the leader of his own band of thieves before he joined the old Band of the Hawk. Despite his unappealing nature, he was one of the most loyal members of the Band of the Hawk, staying with them until his death during the Eclipse.
Rickert (リッケルト lit. Rikkeruto)
Rickert was the youngest in the old Band of the Hawk; indeed, at the start of the story he was a mere child. Rickert looked up to Guts and Griffith as rolemodels and is one of the few surviving members of the original Band of the Hawk who stayed with the group when Griffith was virtually destroyed by the King of Midland. After the Eclipse (which he wasn't present at), he moved in with Godot, the smith that created the Guts' Dragon Slayer, and became his apprentice. For the next two years, Rickert's talents as a smith grew, he but remained completely unaware of what transpired at the Eclipse. It wasn't until after Guts, Griffith and Casca were reunited at the Hill of Swords did he learn of the original Band of the Hawk's fate.
Zodd (ゾッド lit. Zoddo)
Also known as Nosferatu Zodd, or Zodd the Immortal, referring to his apparent immortality. As an apostle (a God Hand servant) he has spent three centuries combating in countless battlefields searching for worthy opponents. Zodd first encountered and defeated Guts and Griffith in a castle raid, where he spared them, realizing who Griffith would be. As an apostle, he can transform his human form to a deadlier demonic one; in Zodd's case, his is that of a minotaur (only having the face of a feline) with his right horn cut off (as a sign of defeat to Griffith) and retractable bat-like wings. Zodd has a strange relationship with the Skull Knight, who can hold out against Zodd's demon form. One of the most powerful apostles known, he now serves in the reincarnated Griffith's reformed Band of the Hawk after losing a duel to his spiritual form in a dream.
Grunberd (グルンベルド lit. Gurunberudo)
Of the new Band of the Hawk members, this apostle is one of its strongest. A giant, red-haired man in scale plate armour designed to make the wearer resemble a dragon. Armed with a warhammer and a cannon hidden in his shield, he is renowned as a famous war veteran in the northern part of the continent, apparently having held ground with a small force of 3000 men for a considerable amount of time against a superior, overwhelming force from Tudor. He fought Guts at Flora's manor; being forced to turn into his demon form of a fire-breathing dragon to combat Guts in the Berserk Armor. In his demon form, Grunberd is a quadruped dragon whose outer shell is composed of stylized Corundum crystal formations.
Locus (ロクス lit. Rokusu)
The new Band of the Hawk's knight in shining armour, he was known as the Moonlight Knight: undefeated in jousting, and apparently too proud to serve anyone until he swore loyalty to Griffith after seeking him out. He had apparently been coaxed to do so by a vision. Along with being an apostle, he also leads the Band of the Hawk's demon lancer division, yet arguably the most human of the apostles. His demon form is him melding with his horse to form a metallic centaur with his lance transformed into a double-bladed sword.
Irvine (アーヴァン lit. Āvain)
The prominent archer of the new Band of the Hawk, he has never spoken to anyone but Sonia. His eyes have no pupils nor irises, implying that he is blind. However, his monstruously shaped bow has a demonic eye in the middle of its handguard, and it is assumed that he sees through it, though perhaps only to aim. A self-described hunter and loner, he prefers to camp out in the woods whilst indulging in his only known pleasure: playing the lute by the campfire. In battle, Irvine's aim is incomparable, and he is able to fire off serveral arrows at the same time with unerring accuracy. The bow itself seems to funnel quite a bit of power into its arrows: foes hit at the neck find themselves headless.
Sonia (ソーニャ; lit. Sōnya)
Sonia is part of Griffith's reformed Band of the Hawk and is extremely devout in her admiration of him. Her parents were killed when Kushans came to her village. She was held prisoner by them until Griffith, with his apostles, rescued her and others in an assault against the invading Kushans forces. Sonia, despite being surrounded in a surreal and sometimes horrific world, remains abnormally calm and shows no sign of fear for her life. On the contrary, she is amazed and cheerful about her existence. She is gifted with the power of clairvoyance, which is amplified when she gets closer to Griffith, with whom she has a childish infatuation with. Sonia uses her ability to sense people's emotions and see images of the future to aid in the new Band of the Hawk's campaigns. She has befriended Schierke when they met in Vritanis and has prophesized they'll meet again: referring to Schierke as an owl and herself a kite playing in a moonlight forest.
Rakshas (ラクシャス lit. Rakushasu)
A member of the new Band of the Hawk, he is also an exiled member of the Kushan Empire's Bākiraka Clan. He covers his entire body with a black cloak and his face with a white mask with three eyes painted on it. It was him who showed Silat and his two bodyguards how Emperor Ganishka's demon soldiers, the Dāka, are created and told them their emperor isn't even human. His motives for doing this are unclear; he himself has admitted that he only joined Griffith's cause as to make sure no one would kill Griffith but him.
Cruel, powerful demons who manipulate our world, messengers of the Idea of Evil (the God created by Man). The God Hand themselves were all once humans who were chosen by the Idea of Evil to serve its purpose of giving reason for humanity's suffering. Note that the God Hands cannot take corporeal form in the mortal plane; as such, when they do take mortal form it is not a true body and instead a construct, formed by whatever is at hand. Most of the God Hand's names are inspired by Science-Fiction novels.
Femto (フェムト lit. Femuto)
Femto is the incarnation of Griffith as a member of the God Hand. In the Incarnation Ceremony, which only takes place once every 216 years, he is reincarnated with a human body but given the gift of supernatural charisma, continuing to chase his dream of a kingdom. Femto's body appears as dark armor with cape-like wings on the back, with a demonic version of Griffith's familiar hawk-beak helmet. His name is inspired by the mathematical prefix femto.
Void (ボイド lit. Boido)
A member of the God Hand with a large, exposed brain, eyes stitched shut and lips peeled back. Void is the one who brands the sacrifices made by tortured souls in order for them to become apostles and achieve their dream. Apparently the nemesis of the Skull Knight, he seems to be the leader of the group. His name is inspired by Frank Herbert's Destination: Void.
Slan (スラン lit. Suran)
The female member of the God Hand. Slan takes on the form of a naked woman with black leathery wings and vine-like hair. She is a temptress whom appears to have a "fascination" with Guts when she manifests in the Qlippoth to confront him. Her name is inspired by A. E. van Vogt's Slan.
Ubik (ユービック lit. Yūbikku)
The God Hand Ubik has the form of a small floating demon wearing glasses and having tentacle-like legs. Ubik appears to be a deceiver; he is able to conjure up images from the past to persuade sacrificer into fulfilling the ritual of sacrifice. It is he who convinced Griffith to continue walking towards his dream as a demon. His name is inspired by Philip K. Dick's Ubik.
Conrad (コンラッド lit. Konraddo)
Conrad is a mystery. It is suspected that his particular motif is plague and disaster; in one village he is shown as having destroyed the populace with the Black Plague, his head materializing from the plague-carrying rats that infested the town. His name is inspired by Roger Zelazny's ...And Call Me Conrad.
Gambino (ガンビーノ lit. Ganbiino)
Guts' adoptive father, and leader of a mercenary band. Gambino trained Guts to be a mercenary like himself and even gave Guts his first scar (across his nose) during a practice fight. Gambino sold Guts for a night to Donavon, a perverted soldier. Guts secretly kills Donavon after a battle after he learned Gambino sold him. Gambino was later hit by a cannon blast in battle and lost his leg and the ability to fight. This infuriates his anger at Guts even further, as he also blames the death of his lover, Shizu, on Guts when she adopted him. Gambino becomes drunk one night and tries to kill Guts in anger. He admits he sold Guts to Donavon for three silver coins right before Guts kills him in self-defence. Despite this revelation, Guts bears no ill will towards his surrogate father.
Federico de Vandimion (フェデリコ ド ヴァンティミイン lit. Federiko do Vandimion)
Father to Farnese, Manifico, Georgio and Politiano, he is the lead of the illustrious Vandimion family: the wealthiest family throughout Berserk. Apparently a cold uncaring man, he was always working hard to ensure his vast fortune is secure and thus, leaving no time to raise Farnese properly. In truth, he was actually frightened of his ill-tempered daughter, as revealed by his wife to Farnese. His uncaring behavior towards his family is likewise returned to him, with the exception of Farnese, who asked Guts to protect her family when Kushan beasts invaded their noble's ball. He is also the father of Serpico, who he granted a noble title, in exchange that no one else finds out about their relation.
Magnifico de Vandimion
The youngest (officially, at least) son of Federico, Magnifico is apparently his father's least favorite, and thus has yet to be as affluent and successful as his brothers. This has made him quite ambitious, and he plots under his father's nose to reap benefits from the exploration of the new world. To do this, He arranged a marriage between Farneze and his long time friend Roderick, the third Prince of Eath and Admiral of his kingdom's fleet. This was part of a deal to allow the rest of the band passage onboard a ship to Skellig, as all the ships in Vritannis' harbor were dedicated to the war against the kushan empire. Things don't quite go as planned, and he is currently tagging along Guts' band in the hopes of surviving the battle of Vritannis. Magnifico is blond haired, has an average build, thick eyebrows and a very firm jaw, a feature that clashes with his incredible cowardice.
Roderick of Schtauffen
The Third Prince of Eath, Roderick is in a similar familial situation to Magnifico, his long time friend. As a sailor, he sees vast potential in the exploration of the seas, unlike his peers, who focus internally to the point of stagnation. Roderick is, as of volume 29 chapter 252, farneze's fiance. His obvious motivations for this alliance are the vast opportunities and support the Vandimion name could bring him, but he seems to take a very personal interest in the heiress as well due to her interesting reputation. Roderick is a handsome young man with long black hair tied in a ponytail, and a cute (if a bit large) button nose. Unlike Magnifico, the prince of Eath is an excellent charmer and a decent blade, and demonstrates a willingness to brave demons, even though he is ill equipped to take them on. He is currently following Guts in the battle of Vritannis.
Flora (フローラ lit. Furōra)
Schierke's mistress, who taught her in the arts of magic and Od (spirit energy, life force, etc). In addition to being a powerful witch of indeterminate age, she is an old friend of the Skull Knight, whom she sees as "still having a human heart." This would imply that Flora knew the Skull Knight before he took on his current ghoulish form. Prior to her living in the woods outside Enoch village, she wandered the land, helping people with her magic until the Holy See's influence drove her into reclusion. She dies when Griffith sends apostles to hunt down any witches powerful enough to oppose him, but not before securing an escape route for Schierke and Guts' companions to flee the destruction of her home.
Skull Knight (髑髏の騎士 lit. Dokuro no kishi)
The Skull Knight has the appearance of a human skeleton in armor, wearing a black cape and riding a ghostly horse. He opposes the God Hand, the pantheon of evil deities in Berserk's universe. He is very powerful, able to match Zodd's demon form in single combat. His trump card is sticking his sword down his throat in order to coat it with the beherits he's collected to form a blade that can cut holes through reality's different planes. Throughout the story, the Skull Knight aids and saves Guts, but his motives are unclear. It is speculated he is Emperor Gaiseric, the first Emperor of Midland from over a millennium ago who united the entire continent and ruled until God sent 4 or 5 "angels" to punish him for his gluttony. Since the fall of Gaiseric's empire, the Skull Knight has appeared and openly opposes the God Hand, due to a grudge he has with the God Hand. Before Guts donned the Berserk's armor, he had also worn it.
Azan (アザン lit. Azan)
A former member of the Holy Iron Chain Knights under Farnese's command, he is a large, round, bald and bearded middle aged man devoted to the code of chivalry. He is a devoutly religious knight, but even he questioned the methods in which the Holy See approved of dealing with supposed heretics. Effectively wielding a metal quarterstaff, he has shown great skill with it in combat against Guts and various other abnormally skilled or strong fighters. Since the reincarnation of Griffith at Albion, he parted ways with Farnese and Serpico, only to re-emerge in Vritanis, still staying true to the noble and proud virtues of a knight: to defend the weak and punish the wicked without question.
Silat (シラト lit. Shirato)
A skilled, agile fighter, who is also prince of the exiled Bākiraka Clan. He wields exotic weapons including Chakrams, Katars and Urumis. His combat style is similar to Kalarippayattu, though Guts has referred to him as a circus performer due to Silat's exotic appearance, acrobatics and his almost theatrical tendency to call out his attacks. His clan has been exiled and he works under Emperor Ganishka's rule in order to restore his people to their rightful place. To do this, he has tried to find and capture Griffith for the emperor, but unsuccessful. However, after he witnessed how his emperor creates his demon soldiers, the Dāka, and saw Ganishka's frightening sorcery while the emperor himself fought off Griffith's apostle lancers, he may be questioning his sworn allegiance.
Emperor Ganishka (ガニシュカ 大帝 lit. Ganishuka daitei)
The Grand Emperor of the Kushans, he is an apostle who goes against Griffith's will. He has taken over Midland using his familiars and demon soldiers and aims to conquer the entire continent. He employs his dark magic via his mist, which he can transform into. In this form, he shows no visible weaknesses and is able to hurl lightning at his enemies. He has turned Wyndham into his demonic capital base and aims to take down the Holy See stronghold of Vritanis to the west. A glutton with no regard for anything but his position, he opposes Griffith's will with the intention of being a servant to no one.
Many of the characters in Berserk use weapons that set them apart from the common medieval soldier. Guts is probably the foremost amongst them, as he uses a variety of interesting and relatively modern weapons besides his formidable sword.
The Dragonslayer
Once upon a time in an unnamed land, a king requested from all the master smiths in the country a sword that could slay a dragon. One of these smiths was Godo. Not believing in dragons and fueled by an ironic sense of humor, he took the request far too seriously and made an oversized clod of iron that COULD indeed be used to slay a dragon, but could not be wielded by human hands. The king was not amused. Godo was stuck with the weapon for years until a cornered Guts, who had barely recovered from the Eclipse and came under attack from an Apostle, took the massive weapon as easily as a regular greatsword and cleaved the beast in two.
The Dragonslayer would be Guts' weapon of choice against all manner of demonic entities since then. Approximately 7 feet long, 3 inch thick and 1 and 1/2 foot wide, it is often desribed by onlookers as a massive piece of iron. In combat it is highly effective against multipe foes, as there's little that can stop the massive blade when it is in full swing. The Dragonslayer's width and resilience against blunt force also makes it an excellent defensive weapon.
The Arm Cannon
Guts' iron prostethic, besides allowing him to hold on to his weapon, also houses a small blackpowder cannon. The relative lack of power to full sized cannons is made up for by the fact that Guts always uses it at extremely close range.
The Repeater bowgun
Like the name implies, this small crossbow can fire off bolts in rapid succession before needing to reload. Two versions of this weapon exist. The first, made by Godo, has a simple mechanism powered by a crank, and is gravity-fed by a large wooden box on top. The second, designed by Rickert to replace the first, is a bit more complex: the ammunition is fed in by a spring pulling down on a collapsable box of bolts on top, which makes it much easier to reload on the fly. Guts lost this second version in the Qlipoth, after confronting Slann's avatar, and it is unknown if he will get a replacement.
Miniature bombs
Small metal balls, only twice the size of a marble, laden with spikes, hollow, filled with gunpowder and detonated by a fuse. Essentially a medieval fragmentation grenade. First used by Guts, he then let Isidro have the rest of his supply due to the boy's talent for throwing.
Grunbeld's Shield
A massive shield, with iron scales arranged to form a carapaced monster. It houses a full sized cannon, placed along the shield's length, with the muzzle serving as a mouth. Two extendable blades are placed on each side of the gun, forming the monster's tusks. These serve as supplementary melee weapons.
At the confrontation at Flora's mansion, Grunbeld lost it to a Berserk Guts, who fired his own cannon at the shield cannon's muzzle and blew the whole construct from the inside.
Azan's staff
While quarterstaves (see: quarterstaff) are hardly extravagant, Azan's own stick is peculiar in two aspects: First, it is considerably longer and thicker than the average staff, and second, it is made entirely of iron. Also, both ends a shaped like maces, and this is the point of difference between the two versions of the weapon. The first version had its ends resemble early medieval maces, which were more like spiked batons. The second's ends are more traditional maceheads, larger, rounder, but sans spikes.
In addition to the video-games, Berserk has spurred on a range of different merchandise from lighters to keyrings. Statues and action figures are produced by Yamato, through their Art of War line. The original soundtrack of the anime series by Susumu Hirasawa is available on CD.
The iron prosthetic hand worn by Götz von Berlichingen.
Guts
(1480-1562) Götz von Berlichingen, a Germanknight, was the leader of a band of mercenary soldiers and had a reputation as a Robin Hood figure. In 1504, his right arm was struck by friendly cannon fire, and a prosthetic iron arm was developed to replace it. Guts' iron arm in his original character concept is very similar to Götz's iron arm kept in the Nürnberg Museum.
Berserk's mangaka has stated explicitly in an interview that he created Guts independently. He did not find out about the German knight until after several volumes of the manga have been published.
Emperor Gaiseric
The Emperor Gaiseric Princess Charlotte alluded to was based on the actual King Gaiseric who ruled the Vandals' kingdom in Europe in the 5th century. He was famed as a brilliant general who even had the Roman Empire worried about his might. In the manga, Gaiseric is said to have created a vast empire similar to the Romans that was destroyed by God's wrath. He banded together his small tribe and brought them great fame as a kingdom that exercised its authority in the Mediterranean.
Emperor Ganishka
The Emperor Ganishka working as Griffith's enemy in Berserk was based off King Kanishka, who ruled over the actual Kushans and a vast empire in India and South Asia during the 2nd century. He was also a profound Buddhist and adorned his empire with its respective figures and promoted it vigoriously. Like his real-life conterpart, Ganishka also decorates his palace with famous Buddist figures, but have demonized them to suit his nature.
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When activated, this ability causes your Mangle (Bear) ability to hit up to 3 targets and have no cooldown, and reduces the energy cost of all your Cat Form abilities by 50%. Lasts 15 sec. You cannot use Tiger's Fury while Berserk is ...
Heavily-armed Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces on Friday, 26 August, stormed the southern West Bank town of Dura, in the Hebron district, attacking civilians and laying siege to at least two large mosques.
Microsoft Corp co-founder Paul Allen goes berserk! August 30, 2010. The co-founder of Microsoft Paul Allen have started suing different companies for Interval Licensing LLC.This lists violations of four patents for technology that ...
Defeated & Frustrated: Climate Activists Turn to Terror, Go Berserk. The global warming movement as we have known it is dead. It was done in by a combination of bad science and bad politics. Two weeks ago, the foundation (hockey stick) ...
40 people were injured in northern Spain when a raging bull jumped into the packed grandstands of a bullring and ran amok. The terrifying incident happened in.
