By taking in Isidro, did Guts save him?

Unlike the other characters in Berserk manga, Isidro is rarely praised for the way he’s written or his development as a character. Quite contrary to his fellow characters, he always leaves readers unimpressed with little to no depth in his actions. While his contribution to Guts’ character is apparent, what happens if we look at things from the other way around? How does Guts contribute to Isidro’s character?

The only reason we get introduced to him is because he was saved by Guts. But was he in fact saved by Guts? There’s a possibility that he might have ended up somewhere far better if he had not become a band member. Let’s explore this possibility a little more to get a better grip on his character from Berserk Manga. 

Guts role in Isidro’s life

Hidden behind a barrel, Isidro witnesses Guts’ Swordsmanship as he slays the soldiers who were threatening the boy’s life a second ago. Inspired by his skills, he decides to follow Guts. From there, his journey as a band member. 

• It is evident that there are some similarities between the characters. Guts grew up in the most appalling conditions possible. Nobody besides him would have managed to survive under similar circumstances. He could only rely on himself. He adapted to his surroundings and strengthened himself to be a masterful swordsman. 
• On the other hand, Isidro headed out on a journey to be like one of those heroes he had always heard about. Identical to a Shonen protagonist(as confirmed by Miura himself), he had a dream that he wanted to fulfill. He was still naive and his age and inexperience were often reflected in his actions. 

• Guts understand that the world has the power to mold people into cruel beings capable of carrying out horrifying crimes. In a world like that, you need to draw out the strength within you and hone it to hold your fort. Unwillingly so, but he has been training Isidro to do all of that.

He has grown stronger because of his time with Guts and the others. His growth fails in comparison and maybe his absence wouldn’t even make a major difference when it comes to his band. But he saved Casca when Guts wasn’t around to do so. Even if it’s slow, he’s undergoing growth, he wouldn’t have gotten the same results had he been under someone else. 

Did Guts save him?

During their first encounter, Guts saved Isidro’s life in a real sense. Figuratively, the chances of him ending up somewhere better than where he is now are extremely low. We have seen that he can be quite immature at times and isn’t as adapting to situations as the people he’s surrounded by. He nearly ended up dead during his first appearance in the manga. Threats are inevitable in the world of Berserk.

Despite the perseverance and determination he displays, without his party, surviving to this point all on his own wouldn’t have been possible. Guts never tried to make him do things in a particular way. Other than telling him to figure out things on his own, Guts never tried to dictate how he should live his life. From there on, how things progressed was majorly dependent on the decisions he made on his own.

Fate’s role in the series is a huge factor that needs to be considered. If Isidro hadn’t crossed paths with Guts he’d have ended up somewhere similar, and probably worse off. The world of Berserk is merciless. We’ve already seen the brutal things that have happened to other characters. Somewhere, along with the other members Isidro got a chance to grow up in a safer environment. Which wouldn’t have been possible without Guts. 

Conclusion

What Isidro offers has not been as impressive. Unlike the Spiel Anime Newsletter, which brings you a wide array of impressive topics on a bi-weekly basis, every Monday and Saturday. Back to Isidro, compared to the other characters who are monstrous in a lot of ways, he is normal for the majority of what we have seen of him.

His contribution also fails in comparison to others. But his character arc hasn’t reached its end. So we might see him grow into a character who stands on par with the others in terms of depth and contribution. Maybe then, we’ll see a louder and clearer explanation of the parallels between him and Guts.