Guts' right eye.

I was looking back through the manga to re-read the parts with the Beherit Apostle, and came across a part where Guts' says, "I cant forget, by my right eye's last sight!"

Is that final image burnt into his retina? (well I mean I know he doesn't have a retina there anymore... but do you understand what I mean?)

Does he ALWAYS see that? It could explain why he never gives up... because most people would eventually just calm down and give up, but... if you saw it every waking moment, could you EVER calm down or forget?

But yeah thats my question:
Is that image burnt in like a photograph because it was his right eye's last sight?

I think it's burnt into his memory, more than anything. I know what you're trying to say, but I think it's just an extremely painful thing happened to be the last thing he ever saw with both his eyes. I don't think he always sees it, but it's still something that's haunting him.

Literally I'd say no, but as a psychological fragment that encapsulates Griffith's ultimate betrayal of friendship, yes. Theoretically there could be "magical" reason why Guts would hold onto such a traumatic moment and experience it constantly over and over again, driving him towards revenge, or whatever it is that he truly seeks, but it's not really necessary. Suffice it to say, as in other situations, Guts simply does not give up as easily as the rest of us would.

Denial said:

Literally I'd say no, but as a psychological fragment that encapsulates Griffith's ultimate betrayal of friendship, yes. Theoretically there could be "magical" reason why Guts would hold onto such a traumatic moment and experience it constantly over and over again, driving him towards revenge, or whatever it is that he truly seeks, but it's not really necessary. Suffice it to say, as in other situations, Guts simply does not give up as easily as the rest of us would.

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Mmmm I think you are right. I just thought it was interesting how he touches where his right eye is whenever he is remembering what happened. Just little details and yeah probably more psychological then magical. It's an association of that moment also being the moment he lost his eye, so kind of like people feeling pain when they remember something (like vietnam flash backs), Guts associates the painful memory with the loss of his eye?

Good symbolism on Miura's part... then again, it always is.

I was thinking about the physiological significance of Guts' eyesight. I think that it's possible that only having one good eye is actually an advantage because, not only would his one eye compensate for the loss of the other one, but it takes away a lot of distraction. For example, if a rock is jettisoned at your right eye, your left eye can't detect the rock, so your response time is slowed because it takes a few milliseconds in the least to react to this situation. End result: black eye. However, if you only have one sharp eye, you can respond immediately without delay. I think that this situation has helped Guts immensly on his swordplay against Apostles and the like.

It's likely that Miura didn't think about all this because most of you are probably thinking, "Well its fiction lol!!!1" But I like to think that Berserk works on a level a realism that can explain things (like how Guts can wield the Dragonslayer,) or at least Miura leaves it up to the reader to think about these types of things. Any ways, I thought I would share this with you.

That....that didn't quite make sense in any fashion. Guts would be better off with both eyes, I promise you.

Since we're reviving the thread, I'll take the opportunity to assure Tristram that Rhombaad and Denial were right about the last sight of Guts' eye. It's meant to be taken as a psychological phenomenon.

Triggormortis said:

I think that it's possible that only having one good eye is actually an advantage because, not only would his one eye compensate for the loss of the other one, but it takes away a lot of distraction.

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No, that's impossible. First, his remaining eye could never compensate for the loss of the other, it's not physiologically possible. Second, I don't see how it'd take away any "distraction" or even help Guts. That's just not how the human eye functions.

Like mike.william said, Guts would be better off with his two eyes intact, there's no doubt about it.

Tristram said:

Is that final image burnt into his retina? (well I mean I know he doesn't have a retina there anymore... but do you understand what I mean?)
But yeah thats my question:
Is that image burnt in like a photograph because it was his right eye's last sight?

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No. Actual visual memory (a type of sensory memory) lasts a very short period of time (and by short I mean about or less than a second). So, no there is no physiological phenomenon that would cause Guts' (or anyone's for that matter) visual cortex to perceive some sort of continuous "freeze frame" image of the last signals that neurons connected to the "rods and cones" fired off before being destroyed (further the last signal that would be fired would be on of darkness because the claw would obscure any light that would strike the retina - that is before it dug into his retina.

Which brings me to what is known as Flash-bulb memory. This is a phenomenon in which a particular image or images (as well as other sensory preceptions) are strongly embedded in your mind, this sort of phenomenon is associated with an extremely prominent event, (many in the US who were alive in the 60's remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when they heard about or even saw the assassination of JFK - this is of course an example of an event of some prominence on a national scale), one would certainly define the Eclipse as such. So what is occurring is a psychological/cognitive phenomenon, not that of a sensory impulse that is locked in some sort of limbo.

Triggormortis said:

I was thinking about the physiological significance of Guts' eyesight. I think that it's possible that only having one good eye is actually an advantage because, not only would his one eye compensate for the loss of the other one, but it takes away a lot of distraction. For example, if a rock is jettisoned at your right eye, your left eye can't detect the rock, so your response time is slowed because it takes a few milliseconds in the least to react to this situation. End result: black eye.

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Preception and spatial reasoning doesn't work exactly like that. In fact having binocular visual cues (such as is more helpful when both tracking and judging the distance and position of items that are moving toward or away from them at high rates). Monocular cues have certain advantages (it is easier to align the fixed (or iron) sights of a handgun or rifle with one eye closed, this prevents the "double image" that one sees when aiming with both eyes open, though proper training can help one overcome such issues). However Guts' field of vision has been reduced significantly (by around 70 degrees (an individual eye sees more than 90 degrees)), however it is his experience, determination and intelligence (and rage, let's not forget the rage) that has been there for him. As it is fairly apparent he is not one to give up.

Not better off with one eye... Goodbye Depth perception...

In fact losing an eye not only damages your depth perception but also creates a blind area in your vision range.
For a fighter such as Guts he must be have real problems when facing fighters of similar level (Zodd in human form for example, dont count apostole forms because most of them are so huge that can be seen even with a blind spot).
In those cases Gusts has to guess what the enemy is doing since he cant see him until he/she is over him (in a fight losing half a second because you cant see what enemy is doing results in losing some vital organs...)
Not forget that the effective range of Guts vision is 60% of normal or so (im not an eye expert so sorry if im mistaken)

Plus when the enemy has multiple limbs- etc having limited vision sucks

jepn30 said:

however it is his experience, determination and intelligence (and rage, let's not forget the rage) that has been there for him. As it is fairly apparent he is not one to give up.

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That's right, plus probably a very accute sense of hearing. Sure, he's got to deal with
his missing right eye, but that's precisely what he does, he deals with it relying on his other senses, experience and so on...

speaking of his right eye... you guys think we'll see the apostle that poked his eye later down the road?

here's the best image I could find:
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/2194/righteye6md.jpg

I dunno, I'm having doubts, mainly because most of the shots he's in only show his arm/claw except for the one above- as opposed to the apostle that got his arm, which we've already seen again(Borcoff or Borkov?). Though, I feel it would have more meaning to get back at the apostle that took his eye than the one that took his arm in my opinion :S

Ewok said:

Though, I feel it would have more meaning to get back at the apostle that took his eye than the one that took his arm in my opinion :S

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Guts never really got a good look at him. Good job finding the design, I didn't think it had one. I doubt he will reappear, though.

Yeah, I sort of doubt he will appear again as well. Yet you never know, Miura might have some suprise up his sleeve for us

IsolatioN said:

Yeah, I sort of doubt he will appear again as well. Yet you never know, Miura might have some suprise up his sleeve for us 

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Yeah... but what could be expected from this lesser apostle ? a big fight ? also, we don`t know if it was killed during the period of the Black Swordsman altough I consider this detail without importance, the monster just crippled his right eye, that`s the end of the story.

While I think it'd be really out of left field (on par with Theresia coming back FOR REVENGE), it's always possible this apostle will get a cameo appearance, like Borkov did in vol 27. As for Guts recognizing it... he didn't recognize the apostles at Flora's mansion, though they recognized him from the eclipse. So, somehow I doubt it.

Yami no Tsubasa said:

Yeah... but what could be expected from this lesser apostle ? a big fight ?

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Given Guts' current strength, he'd probably be killed as easily as the underlings attacking Flora's mansion were.

Yami no Tsubasa said:

the monster just crippled his right eye, that`s the end of the story.

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Pretty much, and I doubt we'll ever see him again. Volkov (no confirmed official spelling) is remarkable because he's huge and it was cool to see him again, but I wouldn't be holding my breath for a cameo of every apostle present at the Eclipse if I were you.