Religious tyranny, satanic orgy cults, cannibalism do to starvation, extreme torture methods using real historical tools such as the Judas Cradle, breaking wheels, rack torture, flaying and burning at the stake, etc.

The people see this as a sign that the foretold messiah will soon come to save the world from darkness when really it's just Griffith leading them to believe that. He wanted to convey an "extension of reality" feel to the sword, similar to the depiction of the Fist of the North Star 's Hokuto Shinken martial art, and make it believable for the readers. Berserk: War Cry—Postcard Collection ( ベルセルク ポストカードブック WAR CRY (雄叫び), Beruseruku Posutokādo Bukku Uō Kurai (Otakebi)), released on August 20, 1998. com, also wrote: "Despite the slaughter, Berserk doesn't feel as amoral as it could be; our hero is a killer, but given his well-developed back story, his occasional tears of remorse seem more genuine than, say, Crying Freeman 's. The loner, who's named Guts, is on an unknown mission but from what I gather, it's to kill someone bad.Berserk Official Guidebook ( ベルセルク オフィシャルガイドブック, Beruseruku Ofisharu Gaidobukku), was released by Hakusensha on September 23, 2016. Despite how broken and full of hate and bloodlust he is, he still cares for Jill and throws himself in harm's way multiple times to protect her. As Griffith mingles with Midland nobility while acquainting himself with the king's daughter Charlotte, Guts begins developing feelings for his fellow commander Casca, the Hawks' only female member. Griffith forces Guts to join the group after defeating him in battle, with Guts becoming his best fighter and main confidante.

Guts denounces the very idea of prayer, claiming that the act of clasping hands only prevents people from fighting for their lives. The people may occasionally look funky, but castles, knights, horses, and Baroque and Romanesque trappings are drawn with detail and accuracy. If I had've discovered this shit when I was a teenager, I probably would've suffered a fatal wargasm.

The manga was a finalist for the second, third, fourth, and fifth installments of the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 1998, [181] 1999, [182] 2000, [183] and 2001, [184] respectively. Miura's fame grew after Berserk was serialized in Young Animal in 1992 with the release of "The Golden Age" story arc and the huge success of his masterpiece made of him one of the most prominent contemporary mangakas. Writing for Advanced Media Network, Serdar Yegulalp said that the artwork of the first volumes are "a little rougher and less polished than the later ones," but that after the eighth volume "there is scarcely a page that doesn't look spectacular," adding that "Miura's loving attention to detail on most any page or panel is stupefying. Even Dark Souls took heavy inspiration from it, if that is any indication for how well executed it is.

Miura said that the title was connected to Guts' imagery, influenced by Mad Max's eponymous character, further elaborating: "In short, starting from a world with a dark hero who is burning for revenge, prompts you to imagine a rabid character.The first episode begins with the Black Swordsman arc and shifts into the Golden Age arc thereafter. Berserk has spurred a line of statues and action figures produced by Art of War, Prime 1 Studio and First 4 Figures.

The sex-and-violence factor has contributed to its popularity, as Guts, the Black Swordsman, goes 'berserk' and kills everything that breathes, bi-secting his enemies with an eight-inch wide, six-foot long broadsword that is obviously and ridiculously phallic. Schierke begins to teach Farnese magic and dampens the effects of the sacrificial brands on Guts and Casca via magical seals. After the battle between Guts and Mozgus, Farnese decides to follow Guts, to find a new purpose in her life, away from her social position and the church. This arc mainly serves to set up a lot of future plot points by introducing us to the Behilit, the God Hand, and the fact that even the demonic apostles are capable of emotions and having a family.

Campbell also commented: "The closest thing visually that Berserk could be compared to might be Claymore, another very good manga—but really Berserk is on a plain of its own. Guts is taunted by visions of his inner darkness, beckoning him to give into his inner rage, but passes out just as the ship is boarded by warriors in Kushan uniforms. The magazine's issue was a "memorial" to Miura, featuring a special "Messages to Kentarou Miura" booklet and a poster of "famous scenes" from the manga. Bertschy said that the artwork is where Berserk "really shines," adding: "The cross-hatching work, the level of detail, it's all stunning.