Before I begin I would like to pay respects to Miura and make it clear that I am thankful to be able to take part on this forum and discuss the enthralling story of Berserk, written and illustrated by Kentaro Miura, may he rest in peace. This is human life, so the loss of his life is a much more serious matter than the fictional stories we all love to watch, read and daydream about in our personal time. Whenever the time is appropriate, I hope his assistants will have an opportunity to continue the series based on whatever notes they have, work they have already done and creative energy they shared with the original creator.
Since he has unfortunately passed and the stories direction is unclear, the best place to get answers is on this website with other people who enjoy analyzing fiction.
When the Skull Knight who was recently revealed to be King Gaiseric shared his memories of an Eclipse, the one that destroyed his empire there were four separate entities with void in the center within the abstract place conjured from the depths of the astral realm. Do you think they were Godhand members without a doubt? With the number of them, their placement, the fact that they weren't behaving like the other beings hidden within the tentacles peering from within the darkness, which we can assume are Apostle's, they stand peering off from the distance observing the events like the first eclipse witnessed in the story for Griffiths ceremony. They aren'tr on the branded surface of the city devouring or tearing anyone apart. Perhaps those tentacles are similar to the pillar or altar that Griffith was reborn as Femto on, as Guts climbed it it makes sense.
Also, if Void is the first apostle of this new group of five, his design is different from the Apostles that we see in episode 362. Those Apostles share less characteristics with humanity and have much more unique designs, almost appearing much more like a mythological entities or beast. This makes sense due to the fact that they were Godhand members who originate from a much different world, and the human desire for a reason for their suffering is what created the Idea of Evil whose will or metaphorical hand is exercised through the Godhand, so the mindset of mankind will directly affect their form. I assume Gaiseric to have been a living flesh and blood human being around 400 AD since the 100 years war ends during Gut's life time and in real life that was about 1400 AD. If it were a millennia ago then it would have taken place during a time in which humans were witnessing the fantastic just like in real life, our religions which I do not believe are entirely fiction, were being developed and the events that take place in them happened about one thousand years before the first recorded millennium 1000 AD.
Also, the Roman Empire reigned for hundreds of years. Just like they were one of the earliest Republics that brought multiple people from many continents together their Emperors were powerful and achieved many great things and were admired as much as they were abhorred just like Gaiseric's story with the sage he locked away, the many warring states he conquered and brought together Amicably. Though majestic astral beings were known to mankind. This fits the time. For example, I believe in Jesus and I think its estimated or we think if he was a living breathing person named Yeshua who performed miracles he died around 6 AD. The artwork and the politics during Guts time period with different mercenary bands supporting a centralized army relative to a kingdom in order to work their way into a society built on classism with an oligarchy, aristocracy or monarchy of some sort running it and deciding who becomes Noble and rises through the ranks. Void, Ubik, Slan, Conrad and Femto all are Godhand members whose features mirror humanities ideas during that time.
Perhaps the power of the beings is relative to Ganishka as he was a massive Apostle whose form was probably the most unique in my opinion and he was aware of the elements, astral beings and had access to information on Astral entities and even learned how to create a makeshift Behelit, if he was able to do that with Daiba's help and knowledge perhaps more Apostle's were capable of doing this and those beings were indeed magic users who used their understanding of the separate realms and traveled deep into the astral realm.
Is it possible these are the elemental kings? I forgot where I learned this but in Japan there is a belief system that stems from Chinese Godai which is implemented in a form of Buddhism in which Earth, Wind, Fire, Water and Void are the five elements and Void is represented by the spirit or energy before it manifest. It is free will, creativity, spontaneity the place in which the elements themselves are transferred form energy or matter. This could make a lot of sense with the type of magic Void used as a human and what he became as a Godhand member who could also be an elemental king. That could be why he is the only one who can create the energy to cause the Brand himself, and why he is illustrated as having a massive Brain as Void represents free thinking and the energy of the spirit or ideas themselves. If the Idea of Evil is created from collective consciousness of man then this makes sense.
I just have a hard time seeing a Godhand setting themselves up to relinquish their power. I also don't dislike the idea of their being a previous Godhand but I swear the idea of there only being one set of Godhand members made them even more deified in my mind. It also makes their individuality and the causality resulting in their effect that was not necessarily more unique, spectacular and thought provoking but it was all of those things in its own way.
My final inquiry and the question most important to me, is what do you think happened to the previous members? The vortex of souls? Or do they get to just exist as astral entities.
Since he has unfortunately passed and the stories direction is unclear, the best place to get answers is on this website with other people who enjoy analyzing fiction.
When the Skull Knight who was recently revealed to be King Gaiseric shared his memories of an Eclipse, the one that destroyed his empire there were four separate entities with void in the center within the abstract place conjured from the depths of the astral realm. Do you think they were Godhand members without a doubt? With the number of them, their placement, the fact that they weren't behaving like the other beings hidden within the tentacles peering from within the darkness, which we can assume are Apostle's, they stand peering off from the distance observing the events like the first eclipse witnessed in the story for Griffiths ceremony. They aren'tr on the branded surface of the city devouring or tearing anyone apart. Perhaps those tentacles are similar to the pillar or altar that Griffith was reborn as Femto on, as Guts climbed it it makes sense.
Also, if Void is the first apostle of this new group of five, his design is different from the Apostles that we see in episode 362. Those Apostles share less characteristics with humanity and have much more unique designs, almost appearing much more like a mythological entities or beast. This makes sense due to the fact that they were Godhand members who originate from a much different world, and the human desire for a reason for their suffering is what created the Idea of Evil whose will or metaphorical hand is exercised through the Godhand, so the mindset of mankind will directly affect their form. I assume Gaiseric to have been a living flesh and blood human being around 400 AD since the 100 years war ends during Gut's life time and in real life that was about 1400 AD. If it were a millennia ago then it would have taken place during a time in which humans were witnessing the fantastic just like in real life, our religions which I do not believe are entirely fiction, were being developed and the events that take place in them happened about one thousand years before the first recorded millennium 1000 AD.
Also, the Roman Empire reigned for hundreds of years. Just like they were one of the earliest Republics that brought multiple people from many continents together their Emperors were powerful and achieved many great things and were admired as much as they were abhorred just like Gaiseric's story with the sage he locked away, the many warring states he conquered and brought together Amicably. Though majestic astral beings were known to mankind. This fits the time. For example, I believe in Jesus and I think its estimated or we think if he was a living breathing person named Yeshua who performed miracles he died around 6 AD. The artwork and the politics during Guts time period with different mercenary bands supporting a centralized army relative to a kingdom in order to work their way into a society built on classism with an oligarchy, aristocracy or monarchy of some sort running it and deciding who becomes Noble and rises through the ranks. Void, Ubik, Slan, Conrad and Femto all are Godhand members whose features mirror humanities ideas during that time.
Perhaps the power of the beings is relative to Ganishka as he was a massive Apostle whose form was probably the most unique in my opinion and he was aware of the elements, astral beings and had access to information on Astral entities and even learned how to create a makeshift Behelit, if he was able to do that with Daiba's help and knowledge perhaps more Apostle's were capable of doing this and those beings were indeed magic users who used their understanding of the separate realms and traveled deep into the astral realm.
Is it possible these are the elemental kings? I forgot where I learned this but in Japan there is a belief system that stems from Chinese Godai which is implemented in a form of Buddhism in which Earth, Wind, Fire, Water and Void are the five elements and Void is represented by the spirit or energy before it manifest. It is free will, creativity, spontaneity the place in which the elements themselves are transferred form energy or matter. This could make a lot of sense with the type of magic Void used as a human and what he became as a Godhand member who could also be an elemental king. That could be why he is the only one who can create the energy to cause the Brand himself, and why he is illustrated as having a massive Brain as Void represents free thinking and the energy of the spirit or ideas themselves. If the Idea of Evil is created from collective consciousness of man then this makes sense.
I just have a hard time seeing a Godhand setting themselves up to relinquish their power. I also don't dislike the idea of their being a previous Godhand but I swear the idea of there only being one set of Godhand members made them even more deified in my mind. It also makes their individuality and the causality resulting in their effect that was not necessarily more unique, spectacular and thought provoking but it was all of those things in its own way.
My final inquiry and the question most important to me, is what do you think happened to the previous members? The vortex of souls? Or do they get to just exist as astral entities.
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