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Berserk
ベルセルク (Beruseruku)
Genre	Action, Horror, Fantasy
Manga
Authored by	Kentaro Miura
Publisher	Jets Comics (JP) Dark Horse Comics (US)
Serialized in	Young Animal
Original run	1992 –
No. of volumes	29
TV anime Berserk (剣風伝奇ベルセルク/Kenpū Denki Berserk)
Directed by
Studio	OLM
Network	Nippon Television
Original run	October 7th 1997 – April 31st, 1998
No. of episodes	25
Video Games
Sword of the Berserk Berserk

For other articles related to the word "berserk" see Berserker (disambiguation)

Berserk (ベルセルク Beruseruku) is a heroic fantasy manga by mangaka Kentaro Miura.

With over 29 million volumes sold, it is one of the most successful adult manga ever. Berserk takes place in a fictional country called Midland, which bears many similarities 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 and nudity.

Currently, 29 volumes of the manga have been published in Japan¹.

Contents 1 Berserk Manga 2 Berserk Anime 3 Characters 3.1 Main characters 3.2 The Hawks 3.3 God Hand 3.4 Minor characters 4 Anime episode titles 5 Video Games 6 Merchandise 7 Character Origin? 8 See also 9 External links 10 Footnotes

Berserk Manga

Miura first began work on what was to become 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 chapters depending on the release.

In America, the manga is translated and published by Dark Horse Comics, which has released nine 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. Volumes 1-29 are available on the Internet, though illegally, in fan-made scanlations.

For a list of the chapters, see the Chapter Listing.

Berserk Anime

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). The production was supervised by Kentarou Miura and follows the manga closely. However, some characters from the manga were not introduced and some of the more graphic elements were toned down or removed. The series was animated by OLM (Oriental Light and Magic), and broadcast on Nippon Television in a post-midnight slot from October 7th 1997 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.

Characters

Note: All subsequent names come from the American translation, and Miura's statements about the official transliterations of the characters names in the beginning of Volume 27.

Main characters

• Guts (ガッツ lit. Gattsu)
  Although Miura has claimed he heard of Götz von Berlichingen, a German knight (1480-1562), after Berserk began, Guts' character resembles that of the knight, both in name and in having a prosthetic forearm. In the series, he is drawn as a tall, muscular white male with a sword about 7' long and 12" wide at it's base(Dragon Slayer). He can also use his prosthetic forearm as a cannon. Guts is a tragic hero; he is born outside the strands of fate, but unable to change destiny despite his never-ending efforts to do so. The second story arc of the series revolves around his adolescence in a mercenary band after being adopted by Gambino, the leader, and his subsequent joining and departure of the Band of the Hawk. The dynamic and turbulent relationship between Guts and Griffith, the leader of this group, form 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 goes to seek revenge on Griffith (now Femto) before deciding to protect Casca. After the Incarnation Ceremony at Albion, Guts is now traveling with a new group of companions. He is later given the Berserk's Armor, an ancient, cursed suit of armor that allows a man to overcome his physical and mental boundaries in combat damaging his body and also allows his inner beast to take over and endanger everyone in the vicinity, even the ones he cares about.

• Griffith (グリフィス lit. Gurifisu)
  Griffith is the founder and leader of the mercenary army Band of the Hawk. He is an extraordinarily charismatic and handsome person, whose tactical skill gives him and his army the reputation of invincibility. This makes him the favoured choice of the king of Midland, who is locked in a long and devastating war against the Empire of Tudor. His most important characteristic is that he is willing to sacrifice everything for his dream of glory, his belief being that he is destined for things greater than the average man can aspire to. Griffith is of common heritage, so he must prove himself by mettle in a court where everything depends on birthright. After the war, he was briefly romantically involved with Princess Charlotte, daughter to the King of Midland. Because of this he is imprisoned and tortured for an entire year. He is saved, but too late, as he is physically disfigured 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 newest member of the God Hand. Two years after the Eclipse, 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 (キャスカ lit. Kyasuka)
  Casca is the only female soldier in the Band of the Hawk and is second only to Griffith and Guts in skill. She is in love with the former and jealous of the latter, and her ambivalent relationship to both of them makes her moody and capricious. Casca joins the Band of the Hawk after she is saved by Griffith 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, lead the rescue mission to save him. 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 their child, which had become tainted by Femto's raping. She now wanders the land completely oblivious to her surroundings, with Guts and company keeping close watch over her.

• Zodd (ゾッド lit. Zoddo)
  Also known as Nosferatu Zodd, or Zodd the Immortal, referring to his apparent immortality. An apostle (a servant of God Hand), who seeks to meet the strongest opponent to battle, one who he has sought after for three centuries through countless battlefields. One of the most powerful apostles known, he now serves under the reincarnated Griffith after losing a duel to his spiritual form in a dream. Zodd first encountered Guts and Griffith in a castle raid, where he defeated them both, but spared them once he realized 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 having his right horn cut off (as a sign of defeat to Griffith) with retractable bat-like wings. Zodd has a strange relationship with the Skull Knight, who can hold out against Zodd's apostle form, and he constantly engages in battle with him.

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 openminded; the devoutly religious can't 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.

• 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 mythology. He is very powerful, able to match Zodd, an apostle of the God Hand, in single combat. Throughout the storyline, the Skull Knight aids and saves Guts multiple times, but his actual motives are unclear. Fans speculate he is really Emperor Gaiseric; the first emperor of Midland from about a millennium ago who united the entire continent and ruled until God sent 4 or 5 "angels" to punish him for his gluttony. Whether those angels were the God Hand or not is uncertain and is also speculated on. Some fans say he is often used as a deus ex machina, as Miura occasionally has him save characters who would otherwise die. His actions rarely seem that way, however, since most of them are explainable upon close examination.

• 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's dislike for fire comes 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. Serpico is also Farnese's 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. He's since learned to trust Guts to protect her when he couldn't after he realized Guts cares about them both. 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.

• 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 Band of the Hawk's campaigns.

The Hawks

• Judeau (ジュドー lit. Judou)
  The Band of the Hawk's resident jack-of-all-trades. A former circus performer who wields throwing knives, Judeau is also well-aware of the world around him and frequently comes forward to reveal information about the Hawk's enemies.
• Pippin (ピピン lit. Pipin)
  A massive dark-skinned man who wields an equally massive mace. A former miner, Pippin now lends his strength to the Band of the Hawk.
• Corkus (コルカス lit. Korukasu)
  A loud-mouthed ex-thief. Corkus is fond of delusions of grandeur and is constantly at odds with Guts.
• Rickert (リッケルト lit. Rikkeruto)
  Rickert is perhaps the youngest man in the Band of the Hawk; at the start of the series he looks more like a 12-year-old than a soldier. Rickert looks up to Guts and Griffith as people to follow, and isn't afraid of getting into the thick of combat in order to win.

God Hand

Cruel, powerful demons who manipulate our world, messengers of the Idea of Evil (the God created by Man). Most of the God Hand's names are inspired from 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 millennium, 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 taken from a mathematical prefix.
• Void (ボイド lit. Boido)
  A member of the God Hand with a huge exposed brain, eyes stitched shut and a skeleton-like appearance. 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, and seems to be the leader of the group. His name is inspired from 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 feathery wings and vine-like hair. She is a temptress whom appears to have a "fascination" with Guts when she manifests in the real world to confront him. Her name is inspired from A. E. van Vogt's Slan.
• Ubik (ユービック lit. Yūbikku)
  The God Hand Ubik has the form of a small flying demon with tentacle-like legs wearing glasses. Ubik appears to be a deceiver; it is he who convinced Griffith to continue walking towards his dream as a demon. His name is inspired from 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 body materializing from the hundreds of plague-carrying rats that infested the town. It is important to 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 at the time. His name is inspired from Roger Zelazny's ...And Call Me Conrad.

Minor characters

• Gambino (ガンビーノ lit. Ganbiino)
  Guts' adoptive father, and leader of a band of mercenaries. Gambino trains Guts to be a mercenary like himself. In the manga Gambino sells Guts for a night to Donavon, a perverted soldier. Guts secretly kills Donavon in battle after learning he was sold by Gambino. This is where the anime and manga conjoin. Gambino is hit by a blast in battle and loses his leg and the ability to fight. He becomes drunk one night and takes his anger out on Guts by attacking him with a sword and revealing that he sold Guts to Donavon for three silver coins, and Guts in self defense stabs him and runs away.

• Flora (フローラ lit. Furōra)
  Schierke's mistress, she trained Schierke in the arts of magic and taught her everything she could about magic and OD (spirit energy, life force, etc). In addition to being a powerful witch of indeterminate age, she is a 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.

Anime episode titles

1. The Black Swordsman
2. Band Of The Hawk
3. Baptism of Fire
4. Hand Of God
5. Sword of Wind
6. Zodd the Immortal
7. The Sword Master
8. Conspiracy
9. Assassination
10. Nobleman
11. Battle Engagement
12. Two People
13. Suicidal Act
14. Campfire of Dreams
15. The Decisive Battle
16. The Conqueror
17. Moment of Glory
18. Tombstone of Flames
19. Parting
20. The Spark
21. Confession
22. The Infiltration
23. Eve of the Feast
24. The Great Eclipse
25. Perpetual Time

Video Games

There are currently two Berserk video games available, one for Dreamcast (Sword of the Berserk), and one for PlayStation 2, entitled Berserk, that tells the story of the Manga beginning at Vol.25.

Merchandise

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.

Character Origin?

(1480-1562) Götz von Berlichingen, a German knight, was leader to 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 developed a prosthetic iron arm to replace it. Guts' iron arm in his original character concept is extremly similar to Götz's iron arm kept in the Nürnberg Museum.

See also

• Behelit
• Berserk: Chapter Listing

External links

• BerserkChronicles.com Very detailed site full of information and essays. Languages: English and Italian
• An interview with Kentarou Miura about Berserk.
• SkullKnight.net - Community / Encyclopedia / English Translations / Forum
• BerserkFan Biggest German FanPage. Languages: German
• Evil_Genius - Community / English Translations / Forum
• Berserk Storyline - Summary of the story in the anime
• Arctic Nightfall - Fanpage with information, screenshots and character descriptions
• Berserk at the Internet Movie Database
• The Hawks Community / BitTorrent / English Translations / Forum
• Kentaro Miura's biography and list of works.
• Berserk Original Soundtrack at MusicBrainz
• Berserk -forces- at MusicBrainz

Footnotes

• Note 1: Young Animal website [1]

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