HIGHLIGHTS

The impact of Berserk on manga, video games, and shows is undeniable, showcasing Miura’s groundbreaking genius.
Guts’ tragic backstory in Berserk is heart-wrenching, making him one of the most sympathetic protagonists in manga.
From betrayal to loss, Guts’ journey in Berserk is a harrowing tale of resilience in the face of unspeakable horrors.

Berserk is one of the greatest manga ever made. Kentaro Miura has influenced a generation of video games, manga, shows, and everything else along the same lines. The sheer number of revolutionary things in Berserk that are still referenced to this day shows just how groundbreaking this manga really is, and Miura’s genius is something that is sorely missed in the realm of manga. Thankfully, his legacy persists to this day, and fans can always read through his amazing artistry and see how much he grew over the course of drawing Berserk.

At the heart of Berserk is Guts, one of the most engaging and exciting protagonists in manga history. He seems like an unnecessarily angsty warrior until his backstory is revealed to show the horrors he had to go through. Some of the worst things that have happened to Guts in Berserk are genuinely painful to watch and make many people sympathize with a character who’s been dealt a bad hand by fate ever since he was born.

Updated on July 17, 2024 by Ritwik Mitra: Berserk is one of the most popular and beloved manga of all time. The late great Miura has penned one of the most inspirational pieces of fiction to date, with numerous video games, anime, and other such mediums taking inspiration from his imaginative works. The story of the Black Swordsman as he seeks revenge on the apostles for ruining his life is a tantalizing tale where fans can’t help but wish for Guts to succeed, even if the odds are stacked against him. The worst things that have happened to Guts in Berserk over the course of the manga can be hard to digest but it fuels the protagonist’s motivations and makes him one of the sympathetic characters on the show despite the brutal nature of his killings.

20 Being Born From The Remnants Of A Corpse

Turned Him Into A Derided Figure In The Mercenary Band Where He Spent His Formative Years

Guts’ life was destined to be miserable from the get-go. After all, a mercenary band found him under the corpse of his mother, who had given birth to him after he had presumably died.

While he was adopted by one of the women in the group, she also died of the plague shortly after. As a result, Guts never got to know either his true mom or his adoptive one.

19 Treated Poorly As A Bad Omen

Verbally And Physically Abused By The Gruff Men Around Him

In the world of Berserk, a child that was born from the womb of a corpse was considered a death omen. As a result, Guts was on the receiving end of the ire of everyone around him.

Everything bad that happened in the mercenary group was blamed on him. It was clear that he was the focus of all hatred from the get-go, which is not something a young child should go through at all.

18 Growing Up Surrounded By Death And Cruelty

Caused Him To Become A Cruel, Unfeeling Human Incapable Of Love For The Longest Time

Guts obviously didn’t have the happy childhood that most children enjoy. He was taken in by a band of mercenaries that were brash, unloving, and didn’t even really like Guts in the first place because of how he entered the group.

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He grew up with death and murder being the norm, finding respite only in the sword that he held by his side at all times. It’s a sad upbringing for a child and places Guts on a path of constant warfare and strife for a child, which is not healthy.

17 Abused When He Was Just Nine Years Old

Traumatized Him For Good

Donovan, one of the members of the mercenary group that Guts was taken under, took a liking to the young boy. However, his affections were quite sinister in nature, and this was revealed during one horrible night that changed Guts’ life.

Even though Guts got his revenge the next day, the scars from this traumatic night haunted him for the longest time.

16 Realizing That His Own Adoptive Father Didn’t Care About Him At All

The One Relationship He Thought He Had Was Based On Lies

During Guts’ childhood years, there was only one source of stability that he had in his life, or so he thought. This person was the leader of the mercenary group, Gambino, who treated Guts like dirt even though the boy considered him to be a father figure of sorts.

However, it turned out that Gambino was nothing more than the scum of the earth. He was the man who sold Guts to Donovan for a meager three coins and even tried to kill Guts in his sleep after getting jealous of the latter’s competency on the battlefield.

15 Being Forced To Kill The One Man He Could Call Father

Gambino Tried To End Guts’ Life, Forcing Him To Retaliate

After an injury took him out of commission and forced him to sit on the sidelines, Gambino started getting jealous of Guts’ proficiency on the battlefield. He never had any kind of parental love towards Guts and treated him like trash. It’s one of the worst things to happen to Guts in Berserk and ends on a horrible note when Gambino eventually loses it and tries to kill this kid when he comes over to check on the man he considers to be his father.

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Guts was forced to defend himself, sticking his sword up and unwittingly impaling Gambino when he fell on his blade. The mercenary had a death wish ever since he lost the use of his legs, but no one in the camp was going to read between the lines. In their mind, Guts was a demon child who’d bit the hand that fed him and chased him out of the group.

14 Betrayed By Martino During An Escape Attempt

Assumed That They Both Would Collaborate To Run Away

During his time as a mercenary, Guts was on the losing side of a battle and was imprisoned. He was forced to work as a laborer for his captors along with other captives, including an old man named Martino. Despite Guts’ cautious nature, he stuck up a partnership with Martino, assuming that he was looking out for his best interests. It surely seemed like it when Martino picked Guts’ lock and allowed him to run away from his imprisonment.

However, Martino was acutely aware of Guts’ injuries at the time and how they would impede his attempts to escape. He made a calculated attempt to get on the kid’s good side before using him as a distraction. While the guards were busy chasing Guts, Martino freed himself from his shackles and escaped, leaving Guts to be thrown to the wolves. It’s far from the worst thing to happen to Guts in Berserk, but it was a sobering moment that proved just how heinous and unforgiving the world really was.

13 Witnessing A Flower Spirit’s Sacrifice Who Nursed Him At The Cost Of Her Life

The Only Reason Why Guts Won Against His Captor’s Son

After being recaptured following Martino’s betrayal, Guts was put in an isolated cell where his wounds were festering. He was supposed to fight against his captor’s son for their amusement, knowing that the injured Black Swordsman would be quickly done away with for a spectacular ego boost. However, fate was smiling at Guts in the form of a flower spirit who nursed the swordsman back to health and ensured that his wounds would not get in the way during this fight.

However, what Guts didn’t know is that Chitch was actively sacrificing her life to ensure that Guts regained his health. She passed away in front of him, prompting Guts to thank her for her selflessness and promise that he’d scatter her ashes in a valley of flowers to pay respects to her sacrifice. It’s a solemn moment that shows what Guts has been through during his tumultuous and rocky journey.

12 Feeling Guilty About Abandoning Griffith And The Band Of The Hawk

Blamed Himself For Griffith’s Incarceration And Imprisonment

After overhearing a conversation that Griffith didn’t take people seriously if they weren’t his equal, Guts makes the bold decision of leaving the Band of the Hawk to stand on his own two feet. By this point, he was strong enough to defeat Griffith in battle, which broke the man with lofty ideals and caused him to make a costly mistake.

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After jumping the gun and taking the innocence of the princess he’d been wooing for the longest time, her twisted father ordered Griffith to be sent to the dungeons and tortured, while the Band of the Hawk were labeled as common criminals. When Guts finds out about this development, he’s devastated and feels that he’s to blame for Griffith’s fall from grace, even though this wasn’t his fault in any way, shape, or form.

11 Getting Betrayed By Someone He Considered To Be His Closest Friend

Griffith’s Decision To Let The Eclipse Happen Led To A Chain Of Traumatic Events

It seemed that Guts’ life was changing for the better after joining the Band of the Hawk. The bond he formed with Griffith, Casca, and the rest of the group was a much-needed source of happiness in his life.

However, after Griffith was tortured and lost everything he had, the man went down a dark path and decided to sacrifice the people closest to him in the fifth Eclipse. This included Guts as well, who couldn’t believe that someone like Griffith could’ve betrayed him in such a vicious manner.

10 Watching His Allies Die Brutal Deaths

The Members Of The Band Of The Hawk Didn’t Deserve To Die Such Brutal Deaths

Guts had grown really close to the Band of the Hawk. The members of this mercenary group got on Guts’ nerves at the start, but he soon warmed up to the group and considered them to be his friends as well.

So, it was obviously tough for him to witness the brutal death of everyone in the group when Griffith unleashed the worst form of hell on them. However, it was the sight that followed that truly broke him.

9 Being Forced To Watch As The Love Of His Life Was Tormented

Griffith’s Assault On Casca Broke Both Her And Guts

At the start, Casca is a mercenary who doesn’t hold Guts in high regard and never gives him any respect whatsoever. However, after a chance encounter left them both isolated, Casca finally warmed up to Guts and realized what he was all about.

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This led to her becoming Guts’ lover, only for this happiness to be shattered when Griffith used the Behelit to gain untold power and become Femto. What proceeded was truly horrifying, with Guts being forced to watch as Griffith tormented Casca.

8 Losing An Eye While Trying To Save Casca

Physical Trauma To Accompany His Mental Anguish

Guts hated being held down while Griffith was ravaging Casca. It’s one of the worst things to happen to Guts, with his right eye bearing witness to this horrible event before being impaled by the demon who was holding him down.

Of course, this loss of his eye was the last thing on Guts’ mind at that point. He decided to pull out all the stops in a bid to prevent any more harm from being done to Casca, reaching a point where he resorted to.

7 Cutting Off His Arm In A Vain Bid To Save His Lover

Shows How Desperate He Was To Rescue Casca From Griffith’s Malicious Grasp

It was clear that Guts would not let Griffith have his way with Casca without putting up a fight. However, before he could move to stop the newly-arisen Femto in his tracks, he was restrained by a demon who bit into his arm to stop him.

However, Guts didn’t stand around helpless for long and used his broken sword to cut into his own arm and sever it. This was for naught, and he was restrained once again and forced to watch and Griffith carried on with his heinous deed.

6 Turning Into A Source Of Anxiety For The Person He Loves

The Trauma Of Griffith’s Assault Led To Her Fearing Guts’ Presence After Her Mental State Reverted To That Of A Child

While Guts and Casca managed to survive the fifth Eclipse, it came at a massive cost. Casca was especially affected by this event, losing her sanity in the process.

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She also developed a fear of Guts that didn’t go away even after she regained her sanity. It’s a terrible feeling to be a source of fear for the person you love, and Guts had to experience this horrible feeling on top of everything else.

5 Being Unable To Land A Single Blow On Griffith During A Fated Encounter

After Improving His Swordsmanship For Ages, He Was Unable To Harm His Nemesis At Elf Island

The last few chapters of Berserk have been quite engaging indeed, with Guts’ conflict against Griffith finally reaching a head after they met each other at Elf Island. All his life, Guts was waiting for the moment when he would finally take out Griffith with his blade once and for all.

However, what this encounter did instead was point out just how helpless Guts really is in the face of such adversity. He couldn’t land a single blow on Griffith, and that was the least of his problems.

4 Watching Helplessly As Casca Was Taken Away From Him

Lost The Love Of His Life To His Nemesis In A Heartbreaking Moment

Guts’ battle against Griffith was quite humiliating as is, but it’s what followed these events that really sent Guts over the edge. Not only did Griffith avoid any damage from his sword, but his rival also managed to snatch Casca away just when she was getting better.

Guts had absolutely no power in this situation and failed to either harm Griffith or save his beloved. It was a horrifying series of events that sent Guts down the path of despair.

3 Losing Faith In His Own Abilities

Being Completely Outclassed By Griffith Broke Him

After Griffith defeats Guts and abducts Casca from Elf Island, Guts completely breaks down. Even after honing his skills in battle, he’s unable to stop a repeat of events from happening as the love of his life is snatched from his hands by his nemesis in an emotional moment.

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He starts second-guessing himself, wondering if he could ever take his revenge on the man who ruined his life and everything he held dear. Hopefully, by the time the story moves on, Guts will regain his confidence and attain the means to defeat the twisted apostle whose thirst for power has led him down a dark, disturbing path.

2 Having His Body And Mind Brutalized By The Berserker Armor Time And Time Again

Attained Immense Power At The Cost Of His Lifespan Decreasing

The Berserker Armor is one of the most powerful tools in Guts’ arsenal, but it has some major drawbacks. For starters, it forcefully causes the wearer’s bones to remain stuck together by impaling the user, which can potentially lead to blood loss and has left several scars on Guts’ body.

However, what’s even more threatening is that the Berserker Armor has immensely negative od that can potentially turn the wearer into a mindless beast. Guts has already succumbed to this armor before, and repeated infractions will lead to the loss of his own sanity.

1 Being Hunted By Evil Spirits For The Rest Of His Life

The Brand Of Sacrifice Means That Guts Will Be Tormented By Demons For The Rest Of His Life

The Invocation of Doom branded both Guts and Casca with the Mark of Sacrifice. This essentially meant that both people would be haunted and attacked by evil spirits for the rest of their existence.

Guts’ transformation into the Black Swordsman involved dealing with these horrible demons during his journey to hunt down Griffith and the rest of the God Hand. If his life wasn’t hard enough as is, Guts also has to deal with these demons, which indirectly puts everyone around him in danger. This is why he prefers to travel alone.