I liked the detail that Skullknight died in it, so when Guts finds it, it has a skull motif, but when he wears it, it gets a hound motif, the armor adapts to the wearer.
@@powermixer8 I wonder if the Beast of Darkness is still just a manifested form of all negative emotions and thoughts that guts endured, or did it became something more dangerous to Guts even get sort of self-awareness that can interact with him.
@@ukaszszperling9157 so because of the brand Guts is inside the interstice. In the interstice thoughts and will are given power. This is why the beast of darkness has enough power to even possess Guts. Once he has the berserker armor it gets a physical manifestation. If guts didn't have a brand the helmet would still be a skull. At least that's my theory.
@@powermixer8 Maybe, that could explain the dream on the boat that guts had where the beast of darkness was talking to him while being outside of the armor. I can't remember though if it was before the beginning of fantasia arc or after when the dream happened.
I just now realized that the more Guts gets control over the armor, the more the Berserker armor turns from a metallic beast into a simply wolf themed set of Gothic plate armor.
@@powermixer8 yeah. When his eyes are visible and his on control the helmet in particular looks more like a Gothic Sallet helm rather than a wolf head.
@@ah3617 It’s more of a plot device to signify that once again, the duality of existance between Guts and Griffith is coming to a parellel. While undoubtedly it is improbable for Guts to match Griffith in terms of raw power, he has a significant advantage with the power gap getting close. What I mean is that so long as the odds between them aren’t too drastic, then Guts has a chance of overcoming Griffith through will and effort alone.
You haven't tried Ghosts and Goblins, oh mah lord. It's about as difficult as Guts making it to the last step to get to Griffith in the earliest chapters of the manga.
You could argue that sacrificing others it's at the cost of your own humanity as well. Becoming an apostle is severing all ties with the human species, thus sacrificing yourself (your soul if you wish) along with the ones you love
@@Joangelis yeah that’s just a self contradictory statement. It’s a framing issue where he should have put it down as a speculation initially and later proove that the trial had been all these years he spent. I got it and understood but as we can see it’s not apparent directly so their point is valid too.
@@karanjoshi2662 I honestly just think the problem for these guys was they didn't watch the video far enough. But I do understand what you mean and that can easily be why as well
If the core of Spiderman is : With great power comes great responsibility. I've come to find that the core of Berserk is: With great power comes a great price. This story is so we'll written . Great video!
The thing is the core of Spiderman is also written into Berserk. As much as I love Spiderman, Berserk even does Spiderman's own core morals better. Guts & Casca's relationship post the Eclipse is a clear cut example.
That true you can not create something from nothing. And everything worth having comes at a cost. The more worthwhile the higher the cost. Femto being a prime example.
well... I'd say Spider-Man even goes further to tell us that this responsibility comes with a price. Something like power leads to responsibility that leads to a price to pay, which in the case of Spider-Man it is the fact that he can't study a lot, he can't hang out with the girl he likes, he can't give the proper atention to his aunt all because he's Spider-Man, and he's Spider-Man not because of his powers but because of his responsibilities
I love Berserk because at its heart, it's not about a man getting stronger through training or magic or whatever, it's about a man who has been hurt in the past and needs to learn how to rely on others. The Berserker armor is the perfect example of that since it requires Guts to rely on Schierke to prevent him fr losing his mind.
I was really hoping this wasn't true but he died in May. That really sucks. Thank you for letting me know. I wonder if anybody else will take up the project or if that would/could even be worthwhile.
@@ShatteredGlass916 Yeah, probably. There are a few people in existence still that could finish it but I doubt they would really want to and it's less likely that they would even be the ones that would get the rights to the project. I'm almost certain that Kentaro didn't know how to finish it which is why he gave up on it twice. Maybe at most he had the last chapter figured out but not how to get to that chapter.
Super Saiyan was supposed to make you give into your inner violence/rage/darkness as well. Vegeta said it a few times- that a Super Saiyan was an unstoppable killing machine. Even when Goku achieved the form, King Kai said he was trying hard to hold onto who he was. And then later... they dropped that for some reason and it was turned into a kid's play thing.
What makes the berserker armor stand out in my opinion is that it doesn't grant its user any strength like other power ups would do. Instead it nulls physical exhaustion , pain and injury. In this way it doesn't grant superhuman ability but rather surpasses the human limitation. All the crazy shit Guts does while wearing the armor is all his innate strength.That's why he remains human unlike Grifith who has transformed into something other than human. Edit: Firstly. I don't see the berserker armor as inherently good or bad. It is a powerful yet dangerous artefact. It has its dark side, mainly its cost. Guts must sacrifice something, be it his body mind, emotions or senses, it is HIS sacrifice unlike Grifith's. Grifith sacrificed others for his own benefit and the power he gained was not his own. He literally vanished and what little remained of him transformed into an inhuman demonic figure Femto. Secondly The beast of darkness was there long before the introduction of the armor. It is a fundemental part of Guts. A dark, malformed and primal part of Guts. The armor works by manipulating the negative od of its wearer, the beast of darkness is the embodiment of Guts' negative tendencies, as such it is greatly invigorated by the armor and so Guts has to struggle more to keep it in check. The point is the beast is Guts' darkness but it is still human. Thirdly We don't really know how the armor worked for Skull knight. It might have affected him completly differently from Guts. We know it ate him but that's really it. Lastly I do believe that what will in the end separate Guts and Grifith will be the connections they have made. Who knows maybe in the future Guts might have to choose between revenge or friendship.
I disagree that he remains human , unlike Griffith , with that armor. Skull Knight uses that Armor and had issues to deal with the God Hand Leader ,let alone Zod , it's implied that he was the king of an ancient empire , sacrificed by a "holy man" in a Tower. Same Tower in which Griffith was tortured. With long exposure of that armor and his fantastical adventure , Skull Knight turned into something inhuman , that process can happens to Guts as well. Guts remains human because of his connections , in a weird way , Skull Knight is a mirror of Guts , when dwells too long in the Dark without much help , if Guts loose control , if Guts pushes his friends away or if he looses them , he will became a new Skull Knight.
@@phantasosxgames8488 Yeah , guts' mind is lost when he is full berserker armor 'fuck you' mode. But griff and S.K werent in the same tower pretty sure. Void sacrificed the vity that S.K was king of from my knowledge.
PhantasosX Games Skull Knight isn’t some incarnation of rage however he’s quite sane and level headed, perhaps that’s what the armor will turn Guts into once he masters control of his ego and runs the risk of turning into a demon like Femto if he lets his desires take control of his life.
@@Kcin5041 Though I am sure Flora had something to do with it. SK was consumed by the armor, but I speculate Schierke's master knew what was going on, saved him in a similar manner the novice mage helps Guts regain control over himself, and the rest is... ambiguous.
In my opinion, Guts is the true White Hawk that will save the land. Griffith portrays as an illusion of the White Hawk when in reality he is the Black Hawk Femto. I think the Berserker Armor is gonna transform with him, cleansing the armor of its old dark nature through the help of his new companions and Rickert, and eventually, probably turn white when his hair becomes fully white from the stress of the battle. Then his Dragonslayer will become the GodHandslayer, a pitch black Greatsword. This is all my speculations though!
Dwarven artifacts are usually portrayed as gold in other lores. Perhaps it was originally golden and then tainted by Skull Knight's demise, leaving it in the sinister blackened form Guts finds it in. And now, with the redemption Guts is undergoing, the armor too will reach its golden form.
Good old Guts (The Hundred Man Slayer), making the slaying of Demons, Dragons and Gods cool before the existence of Fairy Tail. At this point he is the everything slayer.
Before watching the video. The berserk armor is great for the story. Possibly the best transformation in anime and storytelling. 1. The set up and forshadowing of skull knight 2. We know the last person to wear it died and that the helmet represents your soul. Skull shape for the prevoius owner and dog shape for guts. 3. We know that dwarves made it. This opens up the world of berserk. 4. We dont know yet why it was made 5. It changes up guts' fighting style with the same weapons 6. It provides great tension for the story because we dont know what happens if guts fights a god hand. 7. It gives guts' negative emotions physical form. Stress and anger.
And yet later images show the helmet being more human for Guts, with Guts' eyes open... so maybe it's not a guaranteed death sentence, if you have a way to keep connections to something other than your dark side open, and have the will to keep your mind intact.
@Triple M The Berserker armor seems to become more and more fitting for Guts, so maybe it adjusts itself to new users of it, and it was later used by smaller humans, or larger dwarves. It might also have been originally made for the Skull Knight... unless there's history to it that I'm missing.
@@TheBrandedOne2003 I was wondering When Guts goes to save Griffith Charlotte tells a story about Gaiselik and 5 angels came on earth to destroys his terror kingdom and we know that the last berserker's armour owner has died in it But Skull knight is still around If Skull knight was a God's hand member and Gaiselik won against his enemies thank's to that armour could have made more sense rather than Skull night owning that armour It should be the perfect plot twist Guts and Skull knight seem to share the same kind of revenge though But Skull knight seems hating Void as knowing pretty well Sion and the other members Guts still don't know a thing about the God's hand Fuck Miura move the ass on
I think the reason why the Berserker armor works is actually very simple: Just having the armor DOES NOT solve the problem. In fact, it immediately does more harm than good as it rips his body apart just to keep up. It's just a tool that he has to learn to use and accept. In fact, the entire dawning of the armor is immediately painted as a very sinister thing that poses a direct threat to Gutts and those around him and the temptation of the armor goes on to haunt him for quite some time.... It's a tool that he needs, but also a very dangerous one that he needs to learn to control and master with a completely new field of hard work he's almost never had to deal with- self restraint and clarity. The Berserker armor is NOT a magical 'fix everything' power-up, it's something he has to struggle with that, at times, is more of a burden than anything else.... A mental burden to complement the physical burden of his oversized sword....
I'm very late but I agree. The suit is a necessity but it also shows that the kind of battle guts is fighting is no longer one that's won by strength and willpower. He literally has to sacrifice his own flesh and bone to survive and keep his companions safe, sometimes even his own consciousness
@@Noah-rd5ri I feel like it's also not really a coincidence at all that the best way to really make the armor work is to have Schierke use her magic to help manage it, tying into the big theme of the Caska stuff that Gutts literally can't do everything on his own. So if he wants to succeed and keep his companions safe he has to rely on them while also keeping his own anti-social tendencies in check. Which is just so well handled! Murata really was a great writer, the guy basically just straight-up created a character arc that's solved through "the power of friendship" without making it cheezy or obvious or having it feel unearned or forced. It just kind-of exists and the buildup is so well handled that it doesn't even really click until you stop and look at just how well the new team works together. It's a shame he died so early, I really do wish his work got the more mainstream appreciation it deserved.
@@dracocrusher agreed, and as the manga gets farther in you can see that guts looks...less intense, even content you could say. You could chalk it off to his desire to fight waning but I don't think it's that, because the berserk armor is still able to draw out his negative emotions. I think it's the fact that he has companions that he feels more at peace, he knows that if he loses it there's people to pull him back and that he doesn't have to take every fight all on his own. That and now Casca has someone to trust who makes her happy, something he ruined
Guts’ prosthetic arm is another neat symbol of his character. It is needed because of what Griffith took from him; represented by his missing arm. The prosthetic arm’s magnetic fingertips are designed for the sole purpose of gripping a sword, representing the single-minded revenge mode that Guts enters during the Black Swordsman arc. The loss he experienced leaves him literally unable to do anything except to ‘grasp the sword’ and seek revenge. I think this part of his character comes to a conclusion when he attempts to rescue Casca when she falls overboard from Roderick’s ship. Because his prosthetic can only grip a sword, he is unable to hold onto her, showing that although he can grip a sword AKA pursue revenge, this doesn’t work for the things that truly matter to him now, which are Casca and his friends, therefore he needs to reconsider his purpose. Like Dionysian said in the video, the Berserker Armor is the next step in this symbolic progression. He begins to act selflessly on the behalf of the people he cares about, becoming a true hero.
Whats funny is he can't actually lift the sword with just teh prosthetic cos the magnets arn't anywhere near strong enough for him to actually grip it (first arc where he fights the slug demon). So his left arm is used more to help guide the sword. Its completely wielded by his right.
Yeah I agree. I feel like it was always hinted at that Skull Night and Guts were similar so I guess it kinda makes sense that he'd find the Berserker Armor, but I'm not sure if that really counts as foreshadowing since the armor was never mentioned at all IIRC.
I hate when ppl quote actors, it’s obviously the writer’s or writer’s inspiration that is responsible for the quote. Most films Morgan is in draws from biblical simplicity. Just look at SE7EN
My favorite thing about the Berserk armor is how when Zod sees Guts wearing for the first time, he turns accusingly to the Skull Knight about leading Guts down the same dark path he walked. The idea that a being as steeped in darkness as Zod, who literally seen and taken part in the worst of the horrors the Godhand can impart finds this path too dark and is even offended on Guts' behalf over how they could foist this thing on him says a lot. It implies he thinks death is preferable if nothing else. Makes me wonder what Zod's history with the Skull Knight and Shierke's master actually is.
That's actually the moment that convinced me I HAD to read Berserk. Well, either that, or the panel after when Schierke descends into Guts's memories of the Eclipse.
*_How to create the Greatest Armor List_* _-a Buffed ass man with a sword bigger than a house_ _-have a loli cosplayin as a witch_ _-B L A C K_ _-Make it look like dragon scales _-RGB EYES_ _-Need a traumatizing power_
Don't forget having skull shaped/wolf shaped helmet, this increases the coolness factor by 100% (I prefer the skull shaped design of the beginning personally, it looked so dope)
At this point Guts has gone through so much Miura could literally make Guts an omnipotent God capable of ending the Godhand out of the blue and I don't think you could make a legit argument he doesn't deserve it lol. As much as he has been through he deserves literally any power-up, benefit, mercy, whatever he is given. I think that is why Miura can get away with Dragonslayer just sitting in a blacksmiths shed, the Berserk armor in a witches cellar, etc etc. I've never seen a character be as tortured as Guts and keep going and anytime we see him finally start to over power the forces that have tortured him for so long it's a cathartic event.
At this point a “nuke of goodness” could drop from the sky into his lap and when he shoved it up griffiths ass and detonated it I’d be like hell yeah he earned it great story telling
My favorite part about the berserker armor is that it isnt a power up at all in the traditional sense. the item doesnt give him more power arbitrarily, it allows him to use the full extent of his powers by removing his body's usual limits. imo most powerups are just "oh look, this transformation made me stronger for no apparent reason, cool!"
Plus it’s not just something he can use Willy nilly. When he uses it everyone around him it at risk of being killed and it is effectively destroying his body to let him win the fights. And there isn’t any part of it protecting the user from the damage it or anyone else causes other then normal armor stuff. Sure he can fight with broken bones but it also means after the fact he now has broken bones in a much worse condition.
That's actually a pretty used. Lots of power ups are "it removes your body limits", "it lets you use his powers at 100%" etc. It isn't the idea that makes it good, but the execution of it. It a character has a powerup that makes him uncontrollable and creates risk of hurting his friends or even becoming the threat, that's cool, but if a friendly hug and just some talk makes it never be a REAL threat, it's a bs powerup. Your description is literally Ultra Instinct, surpassing your body/mental limits.
Using the Berserker armor is like damage boosting in a video game. You still get hurt, but you are temporarily invincible enough to eliminate the enemy before they can hit you again.
What's amazing is the the Berserker Armor isn't really a power up, it just erases the wearer's ability to feel pain or fear, allowing them to surpass the limits, which also is slowly killing the wearer.
Out of all the super powers, weapons, and magic in mangas, anime, and comics.. the berserker armor’s the only one that gives me a doubt of even wishing to have one. It’s a terrifying armor tbh.
@@wb6012 I don't think there is any armor that is literally stripping you away from your senses and your humanity, little by little everytime you wear it other than the Berserker Armor. It's in the name, the armor makes you go Berserk, not only it makes the user to not feel pain but it is also using the wearer's wrath and intense emotions and letting all of them explode in a festival of bloodshed, the wearer become literally the Berserker. And the consequences are serious, just look at the face of Guts in Fantasia, my man looks like he is in his 50's when he is in his mid-20's, the stress caused by the extremely high amount of cortisol due to the armor is destroying his body and shortening his life span.
@@jundullah9869 there are, but practically none come close to the way berserk armor is written, u can FEEL that the thing is costing him is life, hxh does similar things well with kurapika last chain and gon transformation, u know that does things are having an impact and it scares u, a lot
One cool note: the armor is magical enough to allow Guts to use his prosthetic hand as a normal hand, but only in berserker mode so far. he did so in the fight with Grundbelt IIRC.
This is why I thought it was obvious that Guts would use his Behelit, ultimately being forced to make the same choice that Griffith did, and instead choosing to sacrifice his dream, rather than his comrades Though, that being said, there's really no reason not to sacrifice them, logically, considering it's not actually a death sentence, and total victory would naturally remove the penalty anyway
I'd say guts is closer to Beowulf a man struggling and triumphing against supernatural forces. Or how the Norse gods have understandable motives and are completely willing to do dark deeds to accomplish them
The Berserker armour didn't come out of nowhere, it was foreshadowed with the beast of darkness, the armour itself is a physical manifestation of the beast, which means as early as lost children Miura already had the idea for the armour, it may seem like it came out of nowhere but Miura masterfully built up the armour through the beast of darkness creating a strong connection to it before it was irevealed.
00:24 he says it falls under both categories, so thats probably what he means. The beast of darkness is foreshadowed but the actual armor shows up later.
I also think that the Berserker Armor works so well due to the theme of "You must become a monster to defeat monsters." That theme is emphasized early in the manga and once he gets the Berserker Armor, it really becomes true as Guts loses humanity each time he wears it and is at the brink of killing everyone he loves. And each time he wears the armor, everyone around him remarks how beastial and inhuman he's become while he's berserk.
What I like is it’s actually armor. Many times in anime armor isn’t actually functional at all or reveals to much. I love European armor and it’s history and it is represented very well in Berserk. The Berserker Armor is armor done right in anime. It works functionally and looks amazing too. The armor actually works as real world European armor.
I came out a bit of the opposite, I think SSJ2 was way better than SSJ1 now. Gohan through out the series was shown to have great potential but was unable to really push himself to that point until he knew he had to. Some may judge Goku for putting so much on his son, even when he was alive, but this is a common trope in hero stories where the master has to die before the student can rise up themselves. There are multiple ways the master may die but all involve putting everything onto the student so they will be forced to rise to the occasion. SSJ1 didn't have that sort of build up because we had seen Goku grow stronger multiple times and put his new strength to the test just to win and the greatness SSJ1 was just the seriousness of the situation. With Gohan he always had someone there to back him until that one point he had to get serious and grow up into the likes of his dad and the other Z-Fighters.
The trial for the power up is the power up itself, in the case of this armor. It is more detrimental to the protagonist than it is beneficial, and it’s only used as a last resort.
This is a great video. I'm a huge Berserk fan, so it was great to listen to someone else echo a thematic theory I've had about the armor and also reciprocate my love for it's interesting and unique thematic use.
6:10 Am I the only person who was curious about what the magic axe that Guts declined was capable of? Like what if it was the ultimate weapon of the Berserk world and he declined easy mode to take on the Apostles on Veteran difficulty? It haunts me.
It would have just been an axe able to hurt things a regular weapon couldn't. But the Dragonslayer can already do that because It's been enchanted by all the apostles it's killed, sooo...
I'd be like an magically enchanted high level axe, but the dragonslayer has been leveled up ever since guts got it, guts' connection with the sword is really interesting, I don't see guts using any other weapon anymore other than the Dragonslayer
*Berserk New Chapter came out "Wow i ve been waiting this for a long time, can't wait to see Guts party or Rickert party in action" "Great, another Griffith Episode," "Oh wow, Griffith gonna build Orphanage" "He also bang the Queen, ofc" I Hope Guts gonna rekt Griffith soon :(
God I hate Griffith. By God I hate that bitch. Fuck his city, fuck his righteousness. And you know the irony, when he dies or gets injured, his whole city, complete with the people and monsters will weep for him. Definitely the most hate-deserving SOB in all of fiction.
I love your video. I see berserk as a story that represents our struggles through a fantasy story. I Love the contrast that you made. Its not just about a badass good guy murdering demons. Its about the quest of a person to become a better man. I love that you highlight the element of the story that the more Guts used the armor the less rage had control over him.
When I read Guts fighting with the Berserk armor for the first time, I reacted like Hisoka does when he sees Gon preform something amazing. I will never forget how awesome it was. I hope to see Nosferatu vs Guts one more time, to see Guts spank that ass.
@@anadawaween Yeah, Batman is such a pussy that he fights God's while being a human being. And being the most important member in a team filled with superpower beings.
@@samuelraji8343 yea, and that's just Tuesday for Guts, except instead of just dealing with Godlike super beings. He is literally fighting the gods and the concept of fate itself. Also most of the "Gods" Batman fights don't want to eat and rape him and his friends, not necessarily in that order
The benefit of the armor is simple. It lets you keep fighting till you literally have lost every drop of blood. Your bones will be corrected but not repaired and you essentially have to be dried up or turned to ash to actually die.
The Berserker Armor is pretty much like putting on an Armor in a Soulsborne game that plays the game for you but you lose health every second you have it on. I’m a big fan of untraditional and unorthodox power ups like this in manga and anime. Stuff like Deku breaking his limbs if he uses too much power in a certain limb then having the scars to show for it and Guts basically pushing his body to the verge of death everytime he uses the armor and progressively loses his senses as he continues to use it. Idk man. I love shit like this where you could even argue it isn’t a power up at all.
Why does it not feel wrong that he has handed the armor to him? Because he earned it more than any anime protag who goes on some short trial. What he went trough was in no way to earn the armor but when he gets it he earned because all of what he went trough
I always thought that the most brilliant part of the armor was that the only times Guts could successfully control it were when he allowed himself to be helped by someone else (Schierke/Moon boy). Pretty on brand that struggling against your own demons is easier in the company of people you trust.
I love that the Berserker armor is basically Marvel's Venom, the helmet even forms a toothy monster head that "swallows" the host's head and takes over his mind. The transformation from the original skull form to the fox/wolf one that's unique to Guts' inner struggles with his personal demon was also great.
Y'know Hercule Satan? He's actually very powerful, with extended knowledge of martial arts, and literal Almost Superhuman strength. But he lives in a world where a 4 year old child can kill a planet Killer. As such, his achievements are paltry in comparison to... how about Goku. Kid Goku. After Roshi's training. Imagine if Ki wasn't a thing. That would be Hercule strength.
@Valsion Custom Yeah, the same thing goes for Yamcha. He’s still the second strongest normal human in the Dragon Ball world. But he’s a man among literal gods, which makes him seem weak in comparison.
Kaioken was always my favorite power up in Dragon Ball for a few reasons. 1. It looks nice with the red flares 2. It requires actual careful thinking when in use, rather than just going SSJ. It was important for Goku not to screw up any of his attacks and waste his energy. 3. Like I said before, it serves essentially a quick shot of power for a specific moment rather than a long wind next level powerup like SSJ. You don't get to use it for long periods of time or else you destroy your body. I love this aspect because it gave fights like the one between Goku and Vegeta a real sense of weight and urgency. The berserker armor is basically the final form of the kaioken in its use, though instead of damaging just your body, it damages your body and psyche.
Such a great video and I love the continued contrast between Guts and Griffith that keeps popping up in the series. And the panel where you see Guts' face after first removing the Berserker armor helmet is one of my favorite panels ever.
Seeing everyone's amazing comments only makes the pain even greater knowing that this story will never get finished and all of us wont get to live to see it together...
All for One, and One for All... Guess the author of Hero Academia, got the gist from Guts and Griffith pretty well, one might think. A shame that the personifications of it, sort got diminished heavily in Academia, while it's been strengthened ever so much more, over the many years, in Berserk. Berserk has all the glorious and almost lost legacies of true grand stories, with great characters and a world, which at times can be more cruel than sin, yet have the most beautiful and heartfelt scenes at times.
@@imtheonehero9305 Dude, everybody is talking about it, that's why people didn't like the anime adaptation It wasn't just a bad adaptation, it was a disrespectful mess of animation that stained the book of a great manga
I applaud you on being able to analyze and explain this part of the story without giving any rise to new content past what the anime has shown despite the manga being further. I don't think I've seen this before and I am beyond impressed. Great idea and even greater defense of your thoughts, loved the video.
I'm pretty new to berserk and, coincidentally, late to this video, but i just wanted to say how satisfying it is to hear someone commentate on elements of the story from the perspective of Campbell's hero's journey and other western story telling traditions. This video made my understanding of certain elements of the story much more tangible such as the transformation of Guts into a hero. Great video!
Sounds fitting to the whole thing that Guts is the "Jungian Hero". If u look at it this way, the armor itself is a manifestation of Guts's shadow, and by the act of integrating and accepting the shadow for what it is, and trying to use it for good, he becomes a hero, he becomes complete as a person.
Oh man, the Abyss Watchers ost coming on was so good. Considering how Guts inspired Artorias, dark souls music was a rather professional choice. Great video
So many Berserk videos feel the need to stretch out the comparisons that they make to other literature or the details they notice to such a degree that it becomes some ridiculous all encompassing tale about philosophy/psychology/humanity/relatibility etc. I really like how your three key insights (kinds of powerups, Greek hero, Griffith sacrifice of others vs. Guts self-sacrifice) were paced, introduced and well-developed without making the entire story revolve around this thing you noticed, dragging out the video, or appealing to vague concepts that sound impressive but aren't fleshed out. Really refreshing, I wish these types of videos were the ones getting 1mill+ views.
using dark souls soundtracks in the background just made this vidoe even more perfect I now know why poeple really love this manga, because it's witten well dammit it's written very very amazingly well too bad the author didn't life to continue
Behelit's sacrifice rules have been retconned since its introduction, now sacrifices don't have to be someone you love or hold dear, it can be anyone who's close or related to you, even if you hate them. You can even sacrifice yourself too. For example Rosine sacrificed her parents whom she hated instead of her one friend whom she loved and cherished.
In reality, she loved her parents. She loved them dearly, she was just having a tantrum with her father punching both her mother and she on what she believed it was a forest of elves. You cannot sacrifice someone who hate or that isn't near you at the time of the sacrifice. This is why Griffith became Femto, he loved the Band of the Hawk so much that their sacrifice was enough to make him the Fifth Member of the Godhand.
After putting off getting into berserk for a couple of years, after watching the anime (97) and reading the manga I can confidently say this is one of the greatest stories ever told, and easily my favorite manga/anime.
Dude I’m a huuuge Berserk fan and I must say this is an amazing video. I’ve never thought of the berserk armor so deeply and as a device to make Guts a better man. Love the series even more now. Also subscribed.
I just made the connection how much Hugo Martin drew from Berserk for the new Doom games. A man too angry to die, slaying demons who won't stop coming is straight up Berserk.
(Last chapter spoilers) I think its interesting how in the last chapter (RIP Kentaro Miura) guts takes off the armor and realizes how weak he's become without it. It further adds to the point that guts is pushing himself to the limit with the armor and using it is not without mental and physical consequence. Guts is becoming worn down and the armor isn't magically adding to his power level, its actually supplementing and making up for his wear and tear. Hes transitioning from using the armor to being dependent on it. I hope if the manga ever continues, we will see guts regain his original strength outside the armor, and then use the armor to further propel himself to new heights to take on Griffith. It seems like this is the point in the story where the hero gets reprieve from conflict and a renewed sense of energy to take on the real enemies and its a shame it has to end this way.
Guts did not take the magic axe Shierke's master wanted to give him because the Dragon Slayer is a much more familiar weapon and it was already infused with the power of the countless spiritual beings he slew. He did not know this yet, but maybe he suspected it after all the apostles he killed with it.
Excellent video! I think the Berserker Armor is an ass-pull, but Miura customarily makes the armor such an integral part of Guts's growth that the reader could not envision the story without it. A lesser writer/artist could probably not have pulled it off. Great stuff.
You know, I find the current form of the Berserker Armor's helmet somewhat ironic since it kind of looks like a dark and edgy version of Grifith's helmet.
It reminds me of one special narrative rule in DND. If a barbarian burns out or silences their rage narratively, then they can become a fighter class instead.
The closest thing I've been able to find that compares to the berserker armor is the Makai knights armor from (Garo) where the armor does give the user a power up, the actual person who uses them only ever needs then during dire situations as the limitations are too great. The Makai armor has the following : 1)increases the user's capabilities for 99.9 seconds. 2)harms all evils that it comes into contact with. 3)the armor is inherited not obtained. 4) The user is nigh impervious to regular attacks and can only be harmed using special weapons or extremely powerful attacks. Drawbacks: 1) If used for more than 99.9 seconds Tha user will gain greater power at the cost of his humanity, becoming the very thing he is fighting against. 2)the armor itself is a living being composed of meterial form the same monster they fight, it can and will try to corrupt the user into giving up their humanity via their lust for power, the darkness in their hearts and of course Rage. 3) once 99.9 seconds have passed there will be a 99.9 second window where the user can be saved by external help in removing the armor or helping the user resist the armors will, during this time both the user and the armor will lose control and attack every thing in their path. In summary both armors have reletively the same function and dangers to them, both have rules that apply to their respective story but ultimately function the same.
I just want to point out that just before Guts fought Grunbeld, he encountered Slan and was destroyed. His armor was instantly shredded off him and the Skull Knight had to save him and in the first part of the fight against Grunbeld, Guts realized he needed armor to protect himself as any blow dealt by Grunbeld was devastating.
To me it’s like reevaluating life while being in an operation room pumped full of morphine, and the doctor is Phil Swift as he demonstrates the power of flex tape.
OMW ITS THE POWER RANGERS, THERES THE RED FIRE DAGGER FOR ASIDRO, THERES THE SILVER STEEL STUFF FOR THE GIRLS, THERES THE GREEN AND WHITE WIND STUFF FOR THE ONE GUY, AND THE BLACK ARMOUR FOR GUTS
Gon is such a strange character to me. Hes so much like your general Shounen protagonost but so much... Darker? Hes a complete hypocrite (He hates Nobunaga because he kills so much yet dares to care for someone, but his best friend is Killia) kind of... Well sociopathic (In the Hunter's test he watched a lot of people die and at no point did he care) and hes a bit obsessive (evidenced by when he let himself become... That... When Neferpitou said s/he couldn't fix Kite). Gon has some serious problems all things considered.
@@sanguineregis5354 ua-cam.com/video/1XnqUDIxZhw/v-deo.html you can watch this video if you want a more info on the subject of Gon Ps you forgot how he did make if first kill in a chimera arc but it was juste normal and nothing esle not a important milestone
@@sanguineregis5354 absolutely agreed. Most people somehow miss on the genius of togashi's writing and call the transformation cool but ass pull. It was not an ass pull, it was building up for a LONG time and it made perfect sense for Gon's character as he is a child and Togashi really hit this one on the head here. Anyhow, I love it how HxH is filled with such gold nuggets everywhere! Such a masterpiece.
I liked the detail that Skullknight died in it, so when Guts finds it, it has a skull motif, but when he wears it, it gets a hound motif, the armor adapts to the wearer.
I interpreted it as the Beast of darkness manifested in it and forced the change.
@@powermixer8 I wonder if the Beast of Darkness is still just a manifested form of all negative emotions and thoughts that guts endured, or did it became something more dangerous to Guts even get sort of self-awareness that can interact with him.
@@ukaszszperling9157 so because of the brand Guts is inside the interstice. In the interstice thoughts and will are given power. This is why the beast of darkness has enough power to even possess Guts. Once he has the berserker armor it gets a physical manifestation. If guts didn't have a brand the helmet would still be a skull. At least that's my theory.
@@powermixer8 Maybe, that could explain the dream on the boat that guts had where the beast of darkness was talking to him while being outside of the armor. I can't remember though if it was before the beginning of fantasia arc or after when the dream happened.
@Shaman Xeed Go watch Black Clover you basic fuck.
I just now realized that the more Guts gets control over the armor, the more the Berserker armor turns from a metallic beast into a simply wolf themed set of Gothic plate armor.
I would explain that as his beast of darkness was in control. He looks more normal after he reins the beast in
@@powermixer8 yeah. When his eyes are visible and his on control the helmet in particular looks more like a Gothic Sallet helm rather than a wolf head.
@@scarecrow2097 I like it thematically but I thinks it looks silly when we see his eyes under the armor
@@popeyethe29th To me as well he's starting to look like batman.
@@ah3617 It’s more of a plot device to signify that once again, the duality of existance between Guts and Griffith is coming to a parellel. While undoubtedly it is improbable for Guts to match Griffith in terms of raw power, he has a significant advantage with the power gap getting close. What I mean is that so long as the odds between them aren’t too drastic, then Guts has a chance of overcoming Griffith through will and effort alone.
Ah, yes. Dark Souls, the Berserk of video games, getting played in the background for daddy Guts
You haven't tried Ghosts and Goblins, oh mah lord. It's about as difficult as Guts making it to the last step to get to Griffith in the earliest chapters of the manga.
@@electroeel148 fuck that game, seriously its just torture.
@Shaman Xeed your channel is trash
Berserk is really a story about hope. ua-cam.com/video/udd_moVzVA4/v-deo.html
yup..was looking for that confirmation of what i'm hearing ..thx
Ahhh, I like that observation "Behelit is a cost of others, Berserk armor is cost at one's self."
same i didn't thought of that before as well
You could argue that sacrificing others it's at the cost of your own humanity as well.
Becoming an apostle is severing all ties with the human species, thus sacrificing yourself (your soul if you wish) along with the ones you love
@@lucasgill7819yeah but the apostles don't consider that as a loss
Guts did earn the armor. His entire life was a trial
He fully said that watch the video
@@aaronfletcher3785 10:17 Not trying to be mean but you viewers should watch entire videos before saying anything 👍
@@Joangelis yeah that’s just a self contradictory statement. It’s a framing issue where he should have put it down as a speculation initially and later proove that the trial had been all these years he spent. I got it and understood but as we can see it’s not apparent directly so their point is valid too.
@@karanjoshi2662 I honestly just think the problem for these guys was they didn't watch the video far enough. But I do understand what you mean and that can easily be why as well
Guts birth was the trial, everything after was just the dlc
I just hope Berserk finishes while I'm still alive...
Berserk makes you immortal
Or while its creator is still alive
Funny thing is YOU’RE ALREADY DEAD.
This is is a feeling all manga lovers echo.
@Shaman Xeed lame bait
If the core of Spiderman is : With great power comes great responsibility. I've come to find that the core of Berserk is: With great power comes a great price. This story is so we'll written . Great video!
The thing is the core of Spiderman is also written into Berserk. As much as I love Spiderman, Berserk even does Spiderman's own core morals better. Guts & Casca's relationship post the Eclipse is a clear cut example.
That true you can not create something from nothing. And everything worth having comes at a cost. The more worthwhile the higher the cost. Femto being a prime example.
@Shaman Xeed and no one could ever take you seriously with an anime PP and a fake name tho.
@Shaman Xeed Are you ok?
well... I'd say Spider-Man even goes further to tell us that this responsibility comes with a price. Something like power leads to responsibility that leads to a price to pay, which in the case of Spider-Man it is the fact that he can't study a lot, he can't hang out with the girl he likes, he can't give the proper atention to his aunt all because he's Spider-Man, and he's Spider-Man not because of his powers but because of his responsibilities
I love Berserk because at its heart, it's not about a man getting stronger through training or magic or whatever, it's about a man who has been hurt in the past and needs to learn how to rely on others. The Berserker armor is the perfect example of that since it requires Guts to rely on Schierke to prevent him fr losing his mind.
Yeah.
Ok, but the armor is literally magical.
@@wb6012 these are metaphors explained
Like schierke magic is quite radical the same way Galileo and other scientist were with science
Rest In Peace Kentaro Miura
I was really hoping this wasn't true but he died in May. That really sucks. Thank you for letting me know. I wonder if anybody else will take up the project or if that would/could even be worthwhile.
@@parker469a honestly, unless Kentaro Miura himself left a full detailed note on this manga, it's better to just let it rest.
@@ShatteredGlass916 Yeah, probably. There are a few people in existence still that could finish it but I doubt they would really want to and it's less likely that they would even be the ones that would get the rights to the project.
I'm almost certain that Kentaro didn't know how to finish it which is why he gave up on it twice. Maybe at most he had the last chapter figured out but not how to get to that chapter.
Bye bye papa franku
Pain
Super Saiyan was supposed to make you give into your inner violence/rage/darkness as well. Vegeta said it a few times- that a Super Saiyan was an unstoppable killing machine.
Even when Goku achieved the form, King Kai said he was trying hard to hold onto who he was. And then later... they dropped that for some reason and it was turned into a kid's play thing.
A tingly feeling on your back 💀
Do you understand the concept of mastering a power up?
@@rockstar-made Goten and Trunks.
@@WThroat You mean prodigies that came out Goku and Vegeta who already had mastered SSJ and went beyond?
@@rockstar-made experiences don't get passed down with generations. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
What makes the berserker armor stand out in my opinion is that it doesn't grant its user any strength like other power ups would do. Instead it nulls physical exhaustion , pain and injury.
In this way it doesn't grant superhuman ability but rather surpasses the human limitation.
All the crazy shit Guts does while wearing the armor is all his innate strength.That's why he remains human unlike Grifith who has transformed into something other than human.
Edit: Firstly. I don't see the berserker armor as inherently good or bad. It is a powerful yet dangerous artefact. It has its dark side, mainly its cost. Guts must sacrifice something, be it his body mind, emotions or senses, it is HIS sacrifice unlike Grifith's. Grifith sacrificed others for his own benefit and the power he gained was not his own. He literally vanished and what little remained of him transformed into an inhuman demonic figure Femto.
Secondly The beast of darkness was there long before the introduction of the armor. It is a fundemental part of Guts. A dark, malformed and primal part of Guts. The armor works by manipulating the negative od of its wearer, the beast of darkness is the embodiment of Guts' negative tendencies, as such it is greatly invigorated by the armor and so Guts has to struggle more to keep it in check. The point is the beast is Guts' darkness but it is still human.
Thirdly We don't really know how the armor worked for Skull knight. It might have affected him completly differently from Guts. We know it ate him but that's really it.
Lastly I do believe that what will in the end separate Guts and Grifith will be the connections they have made. Who knows maybe in the future Guts might have to choose between revenge or friendship.
I disagree that he remains human , unlike Griffith , with that armor.
Skull Knight uses that Armor and had issues to deal with the God Hand Leader ,let alone Zod , it's implied that he was the king of an ancient empire , sacrificed by a "holy man" in a Tower.
Same Tower in which Griffith was tortured.
With long exposure of that armor and his fantastical adventure , Skull Knight turned into something inhuman , that process can happens to Guts as well.
Guts remains human because of his connections , in a weird way , Skull Knight is a mirror of Guts , when dwells too long in the Dark without much help , if Guts loose control , if Guts pushes his friends away or if he looses them , he will became a new Skull Knight.
The berserk armor devours your ego though until nothing is left but your beastial/dark side.
@@phantasosxgames8488 Yeah , guts' mind is lost when he is full berserker armor 'fuck you' mode. But griff and S.K werent in the same tower pretty sure. Void sacrificed the vity that S.K was king of from my knowledge.
PhantasosX Games Skull Knight isn’t some incarnation of rage however he’s quite sane and level headed, perhaps that’s what the armor will turn Guts into once he masters control of his ego and runs the risk of turning into a demon like Femto if he lets his desires take control of his life.
@@Kcin5041
Though I am sure Flora had something to do with it.
SK was consumed by the armor, but I speculate Schierke's master knew what was going on, saved him in a similar manner the novice mage helps Guts regain control over himself, and the rest is... ambiguous.
In my opinion, Guts is the true White Hawk that will save the land. Griffith portrays as an illusion of the White Hawk when in reality he is the Black Hawk Femto. I think the Berserker Armor is gonna transform with him, cleansing the armor of its old dark nature through the help of his new companions and Rickert, and eventually, probably turn white when his hair becomes fully white from the stress of the battle. Then his Dragonslayer will become the GodHandslayer, a pitch black Greatsword. This is all my speculations though!
I like this
Dwarven artifacts are usually portrayed as gold in other lores. Perhaps it was originally golden and then tainted by Skull Knight's demise, leaving it in the sinister blackened form Guts finds it in. And now, with the redemption Guts is undergoing, the armor too will reach its golden form.
Ketsueki no Ryūjin a white berserker armor would be badass.
Good old Guts (The Hundred Man Slayer), making the slaying of Demons, Dragons and Gods cool before the existence of Fairy Tail. At this point he is the everything slayer.
@@salt1701 stand aside JoJo, the real Golden Experience is coming... in 20 years.
Before watching the video. The berserk armor is great for the story. Possibly the best transformation in anime and storytelling.
1. The set up and forshadowing of skull knight
2. We know the last person to wear it died and that the helmet represents your soul. Skull shape for the prevoius owner and dog shape for guts.
3. We know that dwarves made it. This opens up the world of berserk.
4. We dont know yet why it was made
5. It changes up guts' fighting style with the same weapons
6. It provides great tension for the story because we dont know what happens if guts fights a god hand.
7. It gives guts' negative emotions physical form. Stress and anger.
And yet later images show the helmet being more human for Guts, with Guts' eyes open... so maybe it's not a guaranteed death sentence, if you have a way to keep connections to something other than your dark side open, and have the will to keep your mind intact.
@@hariman7727 That's with Schierke helping him - quite literally, his friends and human connections keep him from losing himself.
@Triple M The Berserker armor seems to become more and more fitting for Guts, so maybe it adjusts itself to new users of it, and it was later used by smaller humans, or larger dwarves.
It might also have been originally made for the Skull Knight... unless there's history to it that I'm missing.
Jose Sosa Maybe Flora actually made it for Skull Knight when God sent 4 angels after him
@@TheBrandedOne2003 I was wondering
When Guts goes to save Griffith Charlotte tells a story about Gaiselik and 5 angels came on earth to destroys his terror kingdom and we know that the last berserker's armour owner has died in it
But Skull knight is still around
If Skull knight was a God's hand member and Gaiselik won against his enemies thank's to that armour could have made more sense rather than Skull night owning that armour
It should be the perfect plot twist
Guts and Skull knight seem to share the same kind of revenge though
But Skull knight seems hating Void as knowing pretty well Sion and the other members
Guts still don't know a thing about the God's hand
Fuck
Miura move the ass on
I think the reason why the Berserker armor works is actually very simple: Just having the armor DOES NOT solve the problem. In fact, it immediately does more harm than good as it rips his body apart just to keep up. It's just a tool that he has to learn to use and accept. In fact, the entire dawning of the armor is immediately painted as a very sinister thing that poses a direct threat to Gutts and those around him and the temptation of the armor goes on to haunt him for quite some time....
It's a tool that he needs, but also a very dangerous one that he needs to learn to control and master with a completely new field of hard work he's almost never had to deal with- self restraint and clarity. The Berserker armor is NOT a magical 'fix everything' power-up, it's something he has to struggle with that, at times, is more of a burden than anything else.... A mental burden to complement the physical burden of his oversized sword....
Jesus christ
I'm very late but I agree. The suit is a necessity but it also shows that the kind of battle guts is fighting is no longer one that's won by strength and willpower. He literally has to sacrifice his own flesh and bone to survive and keep his companions safe, sometimes even his own consciousness
@@Noah-rd5ri I feel like it's also not really a coincidence at all that the best way to really make the armor work is to have Schierke use her magic to help manage it, tying into the big theme of the Caska stuff that Gutts literally can't do everything on his own. So if he wants to succeed and keep his companions safe he has to rely on them while also keeping his own anti-social tendencies in check. Which is just so well handled!
Murata really was a great writer, the guy basically just straight-up created a character arc that's solved through "the power of friendship" without making it cheezy or obvious or having it feel unearned or forced. It just kind-of exists and the buildup is so well handled that it doesn't even really click until you stop and look at just how well the new team works together.
It's a shame he died so early, I really do wish his work got the more mainstream appreciation it deserved.
@@dracocrusher agreed, and as the manga gets farther in you can see that guts looks...less intense, even content you could say. You could chalk it off to his desire to fight waning but I don't think it's that, because the berserk armor is still able to draw out his negative emotions. I think it's the fact that he has companions that he feels more at peace, he knows that if he loses it there's people to pull him back and that he doesn't have to take every fight all on his own. That and now Casca has someone to trust who makes her happy, something he ruined
Guts’ prosthetic arm is another neat symbol of his character. It is needed because of what Griffith took from him; represented by his missing arm. The prosthetic arm’s magnetic fingertips are designed for the sole purpose of gripping a sword, representing the single-minded revenge mode that Guts enters during the Black Swordsman arc. The loss he experienced leaves him literally unable to do anything except to ‘grasp the sword’ and seek revenge. I think this part of his character comes to a conclusion when he attempts to rescue Casca when she falls overboard from Roderick’s ship. Because his prosthetic can only grip a sword, he is unable to hold onto her, showing that although he can grip a sword AKA pursue revenge, this doesn’t work for the things that truly matter to him now, which are Casca and his friends, therefore he needs to reconsider his purpose.
Like Dionysian said in the video, the Berserker Armor is the next step in this symbolic progression. He begins to act selflessly on the behalf of the people he cares about, becoming a true hero.
Whats funny is he can't actually lift the sword with just teh prosthetic cos the magnets arn't anywhere near strong enough for him to actually grip it (first arc where he fights the slug demon). So his left arm is used more to help guide the sword. Its completely wielded by his right.
I feel like "how skeleton knight is skeleton knight " was the forshadowing. He never seemed like an apostole.
Probably not since he's not under the control of the god hand and isn't out doing evil shit
Guts didn't blood when Skull Knight is around him, while to the other apostle Guts is bleeding
Puck said he feels like an elf.
@Shaman Xeed if you're gonna be a troll at least learn how to do it properly
Yeah I agree. I feel like it was always hinted at that Skull Night and Guts were similar so I guess it kinda makes sense that he'd find the Berserker Armor, but I'm not sure if that really counts as foreshadowing since the armor was never mentioned at all IIRC.
When army of Satan is labeled as an angel a man must turn himself into a demon. - *MORGAN FREEMAN*
xD
He didn't say that right?
The brightest star turns darkest, the darkest void turns brightest
I hate when ppl quote actors, it’s obviously the writer’s or writer’s inspiration that is responsible for the quote. Most films Morgan is in draws from biblical simplicity. Just look at SE7EN
Never till now have I wondered why using punctuation marks are important while writing
My favorite thing about the Berserk armor is how when Zod sees Guts wearing for the first time, he turns accusingly to the Skull Knight about leading Guts down the same dark path he walked. The idea that a being as steeped in darkness as Zod, who literally seen and taken part in the worst of the horrors the Godhand can impart finds this path too dark and is even offended on Guts' behalf over how they could foist this thing on him says a lot. It implies he thinks death is preferable if nothing else.
Makes me wonder what Zod's history with the Skull Knight and Shierke's master actually is.
Gaiserik history
Yeah I can't wait to find out too
Actually this is one of my favourite moments.
I dont think he was "offended", rather surprised and intrigued by the situation and Skull Knights motives
That's actually the moment that convinced me I HAD to read Berserk. Well, either that, or the panel after when Schierke descends into Guts's memories of the Eclipse.
*_How to create the Greatest Armor List_*
_-a Buffed ass man with a sword bigger than a house_
_-have a loli cosplayin as a witch_
_-B L A C K_
_-Make it look like dragon scales
_-RGB EYES_
_-Need a traumatizing power_
Don't forget having skull shaped/wolf shaped helmet, this increases the coolness factor by 100%
(I prefer the skull shaped design of the beginning personally, it looked so dope)
I feel like air horns are needed because that sounds MLG/Dank Memey as fuck.
And also the wearer should be manly af
With an arm canon that somehow doesn't shatter his arm and collar bone
@Vayne Carudas Solidor I know that, I was just saying that I found the skull version more aesthetically pleasing
At this point Guts has gone through so much Miura could literally make Guts an omnipotent God capable of ending the Godhand out of the blue and I don't think you could make a legit argument he doesn't deserve it lol. As much as he has been through he deserves literally any power-up, benefit, mercy, whatever he is given. I think that is why Miura can get away with Dragonslayer just sitting in a blacksmiths shed, the Berserk armor in a witches cellar, etc etc. I've never seen a character be as tortured as Guts and keep going and anytime we see him finally start to over power the forces that have tortured him for so long it's a cathartic event.
At this point a “nuke of goodness” could drop from the sky into his lap and when he shoved it up griffiths ass and detonated it I’d be like hell yeah he earned it great story telling
@@TimmyMcGowan to be fair i actually want to see god randomly nuking his country
And now Guts will probably never get his happy end
@@pr6897 Nah, it's continuing. But after continuing, I still think he's not gonna get a happy ending considering what happened to him now. 💀
@@TimmyMcGowan I love the way you put that
This guy must have put his grasses on the whole time
yeah must be a fellow vegan too
Where does this meme come from?
@@idontknowyet2875 berserk 1997 op
It appears nothing will be wrong
@@joshuagraham5750 *wong
The beauty of berserks writing is I never once questioned why he wasn’t given the armour earlier
My favorite part about the berserker armor is that it isnt a power up at all in the traditional sense. the item doesnt give him more power arbitrarily, it allows him to use the full extent of his powers by removing his body's usual limits. imo most powerups are just "oh look, this transformation made me stronger for no apparent reason, cool!"
Plus it’s not just something he can use Willy nilly. When he uses it everyone around him it at risk of being killed and it is effectively destroying his body to let him win the fights. And there isn’t any part of it protecting the user from the damage it or anyone else causes other then normal armor stuff. Sure he can fight with broken bones but it also means after the fact he now has broken bones in a much worse condition.
That's actually a pretty used. Lots of power ups are "it removes your body limits", "it lets you use his powers at 100%" etc. It isn't the idea that makes it good, but the execution of it. It a character has a powerup that makes him uncontrollable and creates risk of hurting his friends or even becoming the threat, that's cool, but if a friendly hug and just some talk makes it never be a REAL threat, it's a bs powerup.
Your description is literally Ultra Instinct, surpassing your body/mental limits.
Using the Berserker armor is like damage boosting in a video game. You still get hurt, but you are temporarily invincible enough to eliminate the enemy before they can hit you again.
What's amazing is the the Berserker Armor isn't really a power up, it just erases the wearer's ability to feel pain or fear, allowing them to surpass the limits, which also is slowly killing the wearer.
Out of all the super powers, weapons, and magic in mangas, anime, and comics.. the berserker armor’s the only one that gives me a doubt of even wishing to have one.
It’s a terrifying armor tbh.
There are literally countless of power ups that can hurt the user/distract their emotions.
@@wb6012 So, that doesn’t invalidate what he said
@@wb6012 but they didnt executed well
@@wb6012 I don't think there is any armor that is literally stripping you away from your senses and your humanity, little by little everytime you wear it other than the Berserker Armor. It's in the name, the armor makes you go Berserk, not only it makes the user to not feel pain but it is also using the wearer's wrath and intense emotions and letting all of them explode in a festival of bloodshed, the wearer become literally the Berserker. And the consequences are serious, just look at the face of Guts in Fantasia, my man looks like he is in his 50's when he is in his mid-20's, the stress caused by the extremely high amount of cortisol due to the armor is destroying his body and shortening his life span.
@@jundullah9869 there are, but practically none come close to the way berserk armor is written, u can FEEL that the thing is costing him is life, hxh does similar things well with kurapika last chain and gon transformation, u know that does things are having an impact and it scares u, a lot
Guts story is so realistic, people go through a lot in their life, but they will never be better if they don't face their demons and let people in
One cool note: the armor is magical enough to allow Guts to use his prosthetic hand as a normal hand, but only in berserker mode so far. he did so in the fight with Grundbelt IIRC.
*IM NOT ALWAYS GAY*
*BUT WHEN I DO, ITS ONLY FOR GUTS*
~Griffith
Stfu
I agree
And that old guy he had sex with
@@KyngD469 aggresive
Griffith will open up his cheeks for the right price ...
Oh god hes going to destroy his body like griffiths was destroyed, sacrificing his own body for others while griffith sacrificed others for a new body
i never even thought about it like this😦
Damn... I never even made that connection.. self sacrifice as compared to Griffith scarificing others.
This is why I thought it was obvious that Guts would use his Behelit, ultimately being forced to make the same choice that Griffith did, and instead choosing to sacrifice his dream, rather than his comrades
Though, that being said, there's really no reason not to sacrifice them, logically, considering it's not actually a death sentence, and total victory would naturally remove the penalty anyway
@@cokecan6169 I think sacrificing something that makes you human is what the beheilt wants
What if Guts using behelit and sacrifice himself?
*Armor begins to hurt me*
*Me moaning* : yes daddy
Armor : What??
Me: What??
What??
@@mr.cheese6627 What?
Armor: you are hentai
You: NANI?!
Unfortunately the armor actually dulls pain so you wouldn't even get the chance to feel it,
What?
I'd say guts is closer to Beowulf a man struggling and triumphing against supernatural forces. Or how the Norse gods have understandable motives and are completely willing to do dark deeds to accomplish them
I thought you were talking about the skullgirls wrestler XD
What we need is a hero
I need at least 3 chapters each year. Is that too much to ask Miura?
@Shaman Xeed you should stop with the bait its embarrasing nobody is gonna fall for it
Beowulf is an extremely powerful man who takes on monsters. Berserk is about an extremely powerful man learning not to become one
The Berserker armour didn't come out of nowhere, it was foreshadowed with the beast of darkness, the armour itself is a physical manifestation of the beast, which means as early as lost children Miura already had the idea for the armour, it may seem like it came out of nowhere but Miura masterfully built up the armour through the beast of darkness creating a strong connection to it before it was irevealed.
00:24 he says it falls under both categories, so thats probably what he means. The beast of darkness is foreshadowed but the actual armor shows up later.
I also think that the Berserker Armor works so well due to the theme of "You must become a monster to defeat monsters." That theme is emphasized early in the manga and once he gets the Berserker Armor, it really becomes true as Guts loses humanity each time he wears it and is at the brink of killing everyone he loves. And each time he wears the armor, everyone around him remarks how beastial and inhuman he's become while he's berserk.
What I like is it’s actually armor. Many times in anime armor isn’t actually functional at all or reveals to much. I love European armor and it’s history and it is represented very well in Berserk. The Berserker Armor is armor done right in anime. It works functionally and looks amazing too. The armor actually works as real world European armor.
Before watching "Yeah, it is cool, but calling it the best might be an overstatement"
After watching "Well, shit. You're right!"
I came out a bit of the opposite, I think SSJ2 was way better than SSJ1 now. Gohan through out the series was shown to have great potential but was unable to really push himself to that point until he knew he had to.
Some may judge Goku for putting so much on his son, even when he was alive, but this is a common trope in hero stories where the master has to die before the student can rise up themselves. There are multiple ways the master may die but all involve putting everything onto the student so they will be forced to rise to the occasion.
SSJ1 didn't have that sort of build up because we had seen Goku grow stronger multiple times and put his new strength to the test just to win and the greatness SSJ1 was just the seriousness of the situation. With Gohan he always had someone there to back him until that one point he had to get serious and grow up into the likes of his dad and the other Z-Fighters.
The trial for the power up is the power up itself, in the case of this armor. It is more detrimental to the protagonist than it is beneficial, and it’s only used as a last resort.
This is a great video. I'm a huge Berserk fan, so it was great to listen to someone else echo a thematic theory I've had about the armor and also reciprocate my love for it's interesting and unique thematic use.
6:10 Am I the only person who was curious about what the magic axe that Guts declined was capable of? Like what if it was the ultimate weapon of the Berserk world and he declined easy mode to take on the Apostles on Veteran difficulty? It haunts me.
The axe is imbued with earth element. Dragonslayer was imbued with dark element because of all the demons he killed with it
It would have just been an axe able to hurt things a regular weapon couldn't. But the Dragonslayer can already do that because It's been enchanted by all the apostles it's killed, sooo...
I'd be like an magically enchanted high level axe, but the dragonslayer has been leveled up ever since guts got it, guts' connection with the sword is really interesting, I don't see guts using any other weapon anymore other than the Dragonslayer
Unlikely, since the berserker armor is supposed to be a tool above all other tools.
Dragonslayer are enchanted weapon as well
*Berserk New Chapter came out
"Wow i ve been waiting this for a long time, can't wait to see Guts party or Rickert party in action"
"Great, another Griffith Episode,"
"Oh wow, Griffith gonna build Orphanage"
"He also bang the Queen, ofc"
I Hope Guts gonna rekt Griffith soon :(
God I hate Griffith. By God I hate that bitch. Fuck his city, fuck his righteousness. And you know the irony, when he dies or gets injured, his whole city, complete with the people and monsters will weep for him. Definitely the most hate-deserving SOB in all of fiction.
@@panzerjagertigerpelefant Also, Fuck the people who say "Griffith did nothing wrong" bunch of retarded bitches.
@@squirrel_disaster don't we all
@@squirrel_disaster I feel like he would bend over for guts . No homo tho
@@nerobiblios4086 griffith did do nothing wrong, because casca enjoyed it! And don't even get me started on the romance between Donovan and Guts
I love your video. I see berserk as a story that represents our struggles through a fantasy story. I Love the contrast that you made. Its not just about a badass good guy murdering demons. Its about the quest of a person to become a better man.
I love that you highlight the element of the story that the more Guts used the armor the less rage had control over him.
When I read Guts fighting with the Berserk armor for the first time, I reacted like Hisoka does when he sees Gon preform something amazing. I will never forget how awesome it was. I hope to see Nosferatu vs Guts one more time, to see Guts spank that ass.
Boy, that is one WICKED medieval Batman interpretation lol
man batman is such a pussy in comparison to guts
@@anadawaween Yeah, Batman is such a pussy that he fights God's while being a human being. And being the most important member in a team filled with superpower beings.
@@samuelraji8343 yea, and that's just Tuesday for Guts, except instead of just dealing with Godlike super beings. He is literally fighting the gods and the concept of fate itself. Also most of the "Gods" Batman fights don't want to eat and rape him and his friends, not necessarily in that order
I wonder what a medieval Superman would look like
@Vayne Carudas Solidor Um, none of them have even remotely have Superman-esque Berserker armor but okay
The benefit of the armor is simple. It lets you keep fighting till you literally have lost every drop of blood. Your bones will be corrected but not repaired and you essentially have to be dried up or turned to ash to actually die.
If anyone else hasn’t, I just wanna say I appreciate the subtle touch of bloodborne music playing during this video
The Berserker Armor is pretty much like putting on an Armor in a Soulsborne game that plays the game for you but you lose health every second you have it on.
I’m a big fan of untraditional and unorthodox power ups like this in manga and anime. Stuff like Deku breaking his limbs if he uses too much power in a certain limb then having the scars to show for it and Guts basically pushing his body to the verge of death everytime he uses the armor and progressively loses his senses as he continues to use it. Idk man. I love shit like this where you could even argue it isn’t a power up at all.
Why does it not feel wrong that he has handed the armor to him? Because he earned it more than any anime protag who goes on some short trial. What he went trough was in no way to earn the armor but when he gets it he earned because all of what he went trough
Also it's the whole 'a curse and a blessing' motif. The power up comes at a terrible price and lesser men would not be able to bare it's burden.
I always thought that the most brilliant part of the armor was that the only times Guts could successfully control it were when he allowed himself to be helped by someone else (Schierke/Moon boy). Pretty on brand that struggling against your own demons is easier in the company of people you trust.
“He didn’t work to get the armor”
Hasn’t our boi suffered enough?
I love that the Berserker armor is basically Marvel's Venom, the helmet even forms a toothy monster head that "swallows" the host's head and takes over his mind. The transformation from the original skull form to the fox/wolf one that's unique to Guts' inner struggles with his personal demon was also great.
That’s a good comparison
5:13 AND WHEN EVERYONES SUPER!
No one will be
Y'know Hercule Satan? He's actually very powerful, with extended knowledge of martial arts, and literal Almost Superhuman strength. But he lives in a world where a 4 year old child can kill a planet Killer. As such, his achievements are paltry in comparison to... how about Goku. Kid Goku. After Roshi's training. Imagine if Ki wasn't a thing. That would be Hercule strength.
I still love that reference
@Valsion Custom
Yeah, the same thing goes for Yamcha. He’s still the second strongest normal human in the Dragon Ball world. But he’s a man among literal gods, which makes him seem weak in comparison.
@@justyouraverageblackstar3672 a god among men, yet a man among gods
Kaioken was always my favorite power up in Dragon Ball for a few reasons.
1. It looks nice with the red flares
2. It requires actual careful thinking when in use, rather than just going SSJ. It was important for Goku not to screw up any of his attacks and waste his energy.
3. Like I said before, it serves essentially a quick shot of power for a specific moment rather than a long wind next level powerup like SSJ. You don't get to use it for long periods of time or else you destroy your body. I love this aspect because it gave fights like the one between Goku and Vegeta a real sense of weight and urgency.
The berserker armor is basically the final form of the kaioken in its use, though instead of damaging just your body, it damages your body and psyche.
Such a great video and I love the continued contrast between Guts and Griffith that keeps popping up in the series. And the panel where you see Guts' face after first removing the Berserker armor helmet is one of my favorite panels ever.
So powerful it turned an adult manga into a teenager's fantasy comic.
Seeing everyone's amazing comments only makes the pain even greater knowing that this story will never get finished and all of us wont get to live to see it together...
The Berserker armour is probably my favourite power up of all time. A close second to me would be Luffy's gear fourth, so bizarre yet terrifying.
All for One, and One for All... Guess the author of Hero Academia, got the gist from Guts and Griffith pretty well, one might think. A shame that the personifications of it, sort got diminished heavily in Academia, while it's been strengthened ever so much more, over the many years, in Berserk.
Berserk has all the glorious and almost lost legacies of true grand stories, with great characters and a world, which at times can be more cruel than sin, yet have the most beautiful and heartfelt scenes at times.
Berserk isnt that good. Thata why no one talks about it lol
Pretty sure all for one and one for all existed as concept before berserk
@@imtheonehero9305 Literally the highest rated manga on mal way above everything you like
@@imtheonehero9305 Dude, everybody is talking about it, that's why people didn't like the anime adaptation
It wasn't just a bad adaptation, it was a disrespectful mess of animation that stained the book of a great manga
@@capitatecab6049 really hoping my bois from the castlevania crew are gonna adapt the manga. Yes, even the Lost Children Arc.
Newbies and no good thinkers: But the armor will make you inhuman! You can die!
Guts: But the apostles will die first no?
I applaud you on being able to analyze and explain this part of the story without giving any rise to new content past what the anime has shown despite the manga being further. I don't think I've seen this before and I am beyond impressed. Great idea and even greater defense of your thoughts, loved the video.
I'm pretty new to berserk and, coincidentally, late to this video, but i just wanted to say how satisfying it is to hear someone commentate on elements of the story from the perspective of Campbell's hero's journey and other western story telling traditions. This video made my understanding of certain elements of the story much more tangible such as the transformation of Guts into a hero. Great video!
My thoughts exactly, i mean wow, i couldn't put a more accurate description of what i thought about the berserker's armor.
-Guts, as strong as his greatsword is.
-Griffith, as selfish as his dreams is.
-Casca, as beautiful as her name is.
Sounds fitting to the whole thing that Guts is the "Jungian Hero". If u look at it this way, the armor itself is a manifestation of Guts's shadow, and by the act of integrating and accepting the shadow for what it is, and trying to use it for good, he becomes a hero, he becomes complete as a person.
Oh man, the Abyss Watchers ost coming on was so good. Considering how Guts inspired Artorias, dark souls music was a rather professional choice. Great video
So many Berserk videos feel the need to stretch out the comparisons that they make to other literature or the details they notice to such a degree that it becomes some ridiculous all encompassing tale about philosophy/psychology/humanity/relatibility etc. I really like how your three key insights (kinds of powerups, Greek hero, Griffith sacrifice of others vs. Guts self-sacrifice) were paced, introduced and well-developed without making the entire story revolve around this thing you noticed, dragging out the video, or appealing to vague concepts that sound impressive but aren't fleshed out. Really refreshing, I wish these types of videos were the ones getting 1mill+ views.
using dark souls soundtracks in the background just made this vidoe even more perfect
I now know why poeple really love this manga, because it's witten well dammit it's written very very amazingly well
too bad the author didn't life to continue
gotta love the background dark souls 3 music
There's some ds2 music as well
@@cloudbloom yeup, if I'm not mistaken it's majula's theme from DS2
@@JohannesJ7539 Begining is Things Betwixt in ds2
this is the firelink shrine music from all dark souls games if im not mistaken
@@theforkman16 Eh, maybe-
I've put the most hours into DS3, so that's where I recognize it from.
Behelit's sacrifice rules have been retconned since its introduction, now sacrifices don't have to be someone you love or hold dear, it can be anyone who's close or related to you, even if you hate them. You can even sacrifice yourself too. For example Rosine sacrificed her parents whom she hated instead of her one friend whom she loved and cherished.
In reality, she loved her parents. She loved them dearly, she was just having a tantrum with her father punching both her mother and she on what she believed it was a forest of elves.
You cannot sacrifice someone who hate or that isn't near you at the time of the sacrifice. This is why Griffith became Femto, he loved the Band of the Hawk so much that their sacrifice was enough to make him the Fifth Member of the Godhand.
After putting off getting into berserk for a couple of years, after watching the anime (97) and reading the manga I can confidently say this is one of the greatest stories ever told, and easily my favorite manga/anime.
I appreciate the dark souls music in the bg, great video! Berserk is probably one of my favorite series of fiction ever written.
Love that dark souls bgm in the video. It fits Berzerk's theme!
the dark souls creator miyazaki loves berserk and takes a lot of inspiration from it
Liked, subbed, and rang that bell, can’t wait to see more of your content
I see Berserk I click like.
And 0 dislikes, good, as it should be.
PS: "recent" chapters lol ...why am I laughing? ;_;
@@BOOFIRE191
"Keep struggling."
- Miura to Berserk fans
I disliked
@@_bakz_3682 You'll get adult attacked in your sleep.
P.S: I'm joking, just in case :P
Dude I’m a huuuge Berserk fan and I must say this is an amazing video. I’ve never thought of the berserk armor so deeply and as a device to make Guts a better man. Love the series even more now. Also subscribed.
I just made the connection how much Hugo Martin drew from Berserk for the new Doom games.
A man too angry to die, slaying demons who won't stop coming is straight up Berserk.
A bit of a stretch but I see where you’re coming from
10 points for going with "none gay man love" other than bromance
(Last chapter spoilers)
I think its interesting how in the last chapter (RIP Kentaro Miura) guts takes off the armor and realizes how weak he's become without it. It further adds to the point that guts is pushing himself to the limit with the armor and using it is not without mental and physical consequence. Guts is becoming worn down and the armor isn't magically adding to his power level, its actually supplementing and making up for his wear and tear. Hes transitioning from using the armor to being dependent on it. I hope if the manga ever continues, we will see guts regain his original strength outside the armor, and then use the armor to further propel himself to new heights to take on Griffith.
It seems like this is the point in the story where the hero gets reprieve from conflict and a renewed sense of energy to take on the real enemies and its a shame it has to end this way.
Guts did not take the magic axe Shierke's master wanted to give him because the Dragon Slayer is a much more familiar weapon and it was already infused with the power of the countless spiritual beings he slew. He did not know this yet, but maybe he suspected it after all the apostles he killed with it.
You know, I never thought about that connection from Guts to old Greek heroes but it makes a lot of sense.
Just another reason why Berserk is not just a great anime but possibly the best narrative anime ever.
i'm a simple man i see berserk i click take my like good sir
Excellent video! I think the Berserker Armor is an ass-pull, but Miura customarily makes the armor such an integral part of Guts's growth that the reader could not envision the story without it. A lesser writer/artist could probably not have pulled it off. Great stuff.
"Not like Batman..."
13:12 left side of screen lol
Your videos always gives me a knew way to look at and understand berserk. Solid video
I also want to Mention, Okarun's Turbo Boy form. He gain the Power Up out of Nowhere and then he Strengest his Power.
You know, I find the current form of the Berserker Armor's helmet somewhat ironic since it kind of looks like a dark and edgy version of Grifith's helmet.
To give of yourself is there any greater gift?
this video makes me want to play ds2 and idk why
Funny I literally beat Dark Souls 2 today, on July 4th.
Great video man! You truly made me thinks much deeper about the subtext the armor entails.
It reminds me of one special narrative rule in DND. If a barbarian burns out or silences their rage narratively, then they can become a fighter class instead.
The closest thing I've been able to find that compares to the berserker armor is the Makai knights armor from (Garo) where the armor does give the user a power up, the actual person who uses them only ever needs then during dire situations as the limitations are too great.
The Makai armor has the following :
1)increases the user's capabilities for 99.9 seconds.
2)harms all evils that it comes into contact with.
3)the armor is inherited not obtained.
4) The user is nigh impervious to regular attacks and can only be harmed using special weapons or extremely powerful attacks.
Drawbacks:
1) If used for more than 99.9 seconds Tha user will gain greater power at the cost of his humanity, becoming the very thing he is fighting against.
2)the armor itself is a living being composed of meterial form the same monster they fight, it can and will try to corrupt the user into giving up their humanity via their lust for power, the darkness in their hearts and of course Rage.
3) once 99.9 seconds have passed there will be a 99.9 second window where the user can be saved by external help in removing the armor or helping the user resist the armors will, during this time both the user and the armor will lose control and attack every thing in their path.
In summary both armors have reletively the same function and dangers to them, both have rules that apply to their respective story but ultimately function the same.
I just want to point out that just before Guts fought Grunbeld, he encountered Slan and was destroyed. His armor was instantly shredded off him and the Skull Knight had to save him and in the first part of the fight against Grunbeld, Guts realized he needed armor to protect himself as any blow dealt by Grunbeld was devastating.
The berserker armor is just the original kaio ken + guts fursona.
You can't change my mind
To me it’s like reevaluating life while being in an operation room pumped full of morphine, and the doctor is Phil Swift as he demonstrates the power of flex tape.
Totally different
Well kaio Ken predates the berserker armor.
OMW ITS THE POWER RANGERS, THERES THE RED FIRE DAGGER FOR ASIDRO, THERES THE SILVER STEEL STUFF FOR THE GIRLS, THERES THE GREEN AND WHITE WIND STUFF FOR THE ONE GUY, AND THE BLACK ARMOUR FOR GUTS
Gorgeous video, this and no one understands guts/Griffith are some of the greatest most true and beautifully made videos on UA-cam
Just a question, what do you think of gon's transformation during the Chimera ant arc in HxH?
@@BOOFIRE191 It truly is, It's one of my more favorite darker transformations in shounen. Seeing Gon in such away hurt but was also frightening.
Gon is such a strange character to me. Hes so much like your general Shounen protagonost but so much... Darker? Hes a complete hypocrite (He hates Nobunaga because he kills so much yet dares to care for someone, but his best friend is Killia) kind of... Well sociopathic (In the Hunter's test he watched a lot of people die and at no point did he care) and hes a bit obsessive (evidenced by when he let himself become... That... When Neferpitou said s/he couldn't fix Kite). Gon has some serious problems all things considered.
@@sanguineregis5354 ua-cam.com/video/1XnqUDIxZhw/v-deo.html you can watch this video if you want a more info on the subject of Gon
Ps you forgot how he did make if first kill in a chimera arc but it was juste normal and nothing esle not a important milestone
@@sanguineregis5354 absolutely agreed. Most people somehow miss on the genius of togashi's writing and call the transformation cool but ass pull. It was not an ass pull, it was building up for a LONG time and it made perfect sense for Gon's character as he is a child and Togashi really hit this one on the head here. Anyhow, I love it how HxH is filled with such gold nuggets everywhere! Such a masterpiece.
Berserk is legendary the anime just sucks
Are you kidding?! After everything Guts went through, he deserves the Berserker Armor and more.
Once these two fight both of them will die guaranteed.
I will see Guts surviving but not his armor. Like how Guts exceeds the price of the armor then the armor repays him.
Awesome video. Yours is the first in forever I even slowed down 10%
Love the DS3 firelink shrine ost playing in the back and listening to you explain about the berserk armor power up.