Top 10 Berserk Moments

The attack on Doldrey was dangerous, with 2,000 men drawing out the bulk of the army, while the remaining half tasked with sneaking into the fortress. Casca gets a great spotlight here as she defeats Adon who had just ambushed her earlier. But the real battle was between Griffith's men and Boscogn, the strongest man in the Tudor army. As Guts clashed with the commander of the Purple Rhinos, he remarks that Boscogn brought him closer to death than fighting 100 men. But it’s Zodd’s appearance which tips the tide, as he tosses down his sword, allowing Guts to kill Boscogn in one final slash. It was a close call, but an impressive struggle nonetheless.

At the start of the first anime adaptation of Berserk, we’re privy to the events just after the Eclipse. Guts prevents some corrupt soldiers from harassing a local tavern, sending a message along to their master. This leads to a clash with the Snake Lord, a demon apostle of the “God Hand” who is able to transform into an intimidating monster. It’s the first on-screen outing of “The Black Swordsman”, where we find out how tough, but also cruel this warrior is as he takes down the lord in brutal fashion.

After Griffith’s betrayal, he became the demon Femto, the 5th member of the God Hand. Despite his new powers and idealized form, he could not just enter back into the world without taking a few steps first. The Egg of the Perfect World sacrifices itself, producing hallucinogenic visuals culminating in the reconstitution of Griffith in the physical realm. The unstoppable threat was now real. He could do as he pleased in the physical realm, and start his quest to establish his kingdom of Falconia. His return is spine-chilling. It was something fans wanted to see but also feared at the same time.

Casca was a loyal and devoted soldier to Griffith, treating his will as gospel. The Band of the Hawk helped her discover herself and gave her a place to belong. So it’s understandable that she’s jealous of Griffith’s fondness for Guts and resents his recklessness, endangering what she cares about. Eventually, she discovers how ruthless Griffith is and instead finds solace in Guts, who’s saved her on multiple occasions. Guts and Casca are hardened, but broken people. Their trauma never relents, but for this one moment, they learn to give themselves to one another. The author, Kentarou Miura, didn’t intend for these two to get together, but it ultimately led to something beautiful.

After being separated from Griffith and the others, Casca and Guts are ambushed by Adon and the Blue Whale Knights. Guts orders Casca to run and get help while he fights them off. What ensues is an intense, gory, and memorable feat where Guts proceeds to kill 100 men single-handedly. It’s not just an incredible battle, but also the shifting point in Guts’ mindset questioning why he’s even fighting them and whether it’s all worth it. He resides to completely focus on the skirmish, but this is a turning point for the Band of Hawk’s captain. A change he doesn’t know will have unforeseen consequences.

It seemed hopeless for Guts and Casca once Femto had arrived. But then, like a badass guardian angel, The Skull Knight swoops in on horseback to deal out some punishment. Being one of the most important characters in the series, it was a huge shame that he was omitted from the original 1997 anime, so seeing him finally realized in motion during the Golden Arc trilogy was a treat for many fans. Seeing him take on these insurmountably powerful demons was magnificent, and while his presence was fleeting, it was definitely one thing this film had over his 1998 counterpart.

With the spirit tree mansion engulfed in flames and Guts severely wounded, it seemed that the Apostles had finally cornered our heroes. But luckily, Flora reveals the armor formerly worn by the Skull Knight instructs Schierke to give it to Guts despite the risks. Donning the armour, Guts becomes a completely uninhibited, savage warrior who can feel no pain, engulfed in negative emotions. This allows Guts to balance the scales between him and Apostle Grunbeld, who seemed impossibly strong before.

Early on in the series, a young Guts joins the Band of the Hawk after being defeated by its leader Griffith. The reason why this duel was so potent is that it mirrors what happens later on down the line. When Guts realizes that he will forever be in Griffiths shadow if he remains within the Band of the Hawk, he decides to leave, something that the leader doesn’t take well. The two face off in a rematch which is quickly and decisively won by Guts. Not only is this one of the most iconic moments in the franchise, but it’s also the catalyst for everything that comes afterwards.

Guts is a very intense fighter, commonly wearing a scowl as he faces down his opponents. But it’s when came across his first Apostle, Zodd the Immortal, that we see him get genuinely scared. Up to this point, Guts had no idea there was anything supernatural about this world. So while he could brute strength his way through any other fight, he couldn’t outmatch this demon of the battlefield. The Beast Swordsman commends him for holding his own, but Guts is overwhelmed when Zodd releases his full power. If not for Griffith’s intervention, Guts likely wouldn’t have made it out alive. We also wouldn’t have got some notable foreshadowing on the horrors to come.

Griffith was once a powerful, driven young man with a purpose. But after Guts leaves the Band of the Hawk’s, he’s broken. He has relations with Princess Charlotte which leads to him getting arrested and tortured. When Guts and the gang finally find him, he’s left completely impaired, barely able to move or speak. He resents Guts for surpassing him and so he does something completely unthinkable. He activates the Behelit necklace, sacrificing all his comrades to join the God Hand and become Fento. The loveable band of warriors get slaughtered and brutally abused, with Guts and Casca barely getting away. It’s the greatest betrayal in anime history and is a heart-wrenching moment from Berserk that no one will ever forget.