Guts is the central protagonist and the main character of Berserk. He swings a huge sword known as the Dragonslayer and was born from a hanging corpse. Guts in Berserk is all about his friendships with the people he loves and he hunts demons to avenge the death of his comrades. He is known as the Black Swordsman. Berserk examines the idea of friendship through Guts and Griffith’s unbreakable bond, but at the same time, it also examines the themes of betrayal and revenge through both of these characters.
Guts in Berserk – A basic overview of the character
Guts has always been a tormented soul who faced a lot of traumatic experiences when he was young. He was raised among a group of mercenaries and his adoptive father Gambino sold him for one night to a man. These experiences seriously led Guts into a state of hiding and distance. But things changed when he joined the Band of Hawks and their leader Griffith soon became his best friend.
Things changed for him and he made many friends over time, some of which include Judeau, Pippin, Caska, and Rickert. But soon, after Guts and Caska survive the massacre, he became cold and unforgiving, leading to a revengeful soldier who is mad with rage. Guts becomes a true struggler to save people and take revenge on his enemies. He is a character who is determined to survive, no matter the circumstances.
The Power of Friendship in Berserk – A quick look into the central trope
Berserk has a unique way of portraying the power of friendship. It is not all about revenge and safeguarding, but also about growth and learning. Friends become a medium to ward off loneliness and are used as a medium to provide criticism of one’s actions. In the Band of Hawk, we see how Caska criticizes Guts for his brashness and his habit of diving into dangerous situations and dragging others along.
We also see how Guts is ready to do anything for his friends, even to the extent that he would treat himself as expendable. He is always an inch away from death, not because of a lack of skill or anything, but because he is there at the front so that no one else has to be. The trope of friendship even runs deeper when we talk about the other dynamics, but that is for another time.
Would Guts remain the same without his companions in Berserk?
- Guts was always a lonely and lost child, but he found a home in the Band of Hawks. But soon, the person he considered his best friend, Griffith, took everything away from him.
- Griffith, in order to gain power and become a king, sacrificed all of the Band of Hawks. He even violated Caska in front of Guts and every member of the band was killed as a sacrifice for Griffith’s transformation into Femto.
Guts never remained the same after losing everything and all of his companions. He was broken and devastated, to see his best friend turned traitor turn into a ruthless emperor of a false utopia. Guts give in everything to take his revenge and stop Griffith.
Conclusion
Guts in Berserk is one of the most devastated anime protagonists of all time. He has lost everything to his belief and his faith, and people have used him to their advantage. Guts tried to believe that for once he could have a proper life with real friends, but everything was taken away from him by his own best friend. This sort of devastation changes Guts and turns him into a stone-cold killer.