Least Favorite Berserk Character

Judge this thread.

  • This thread is a blight on all that is sane

    Votes: 34 66.7%
  • This thread reminds me that my opinion matters. I hate that stupid Casca!

    Votes: 17 33.3%

  • Total voters
    51
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CnC

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Duststorm said:
This tread is about your own opinion of Berserk characters, not about their role in the story. Griffith is a very important character for plot development and the story would be pointless without him but you can still dislike his character.

oh? The "I hate (insert character here). They're worthless." -"Nuh UH! (that character you just inserted) is necessary for A) B) C)---blahblahblahblah" -type discussions that are oh-so prevalent here speak otherwise.

Its up there with the "sexiest female" thread when it comes intellectual discussion. Perhaps if we could add a poll it'll reach its true potential of a crap thread.
 

Walter

Administrator
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Oh, is THAT what you meant.... Well Jesus I don't have time for that. It's easier to just shit on the thread.
 
As I ponder over this thread, dangerous I know, I see the two main reactions that have caused turmoil. The ones who state their opinion against a character, in an untactful and not amusing way, and those who take said posts way out of context and try to argue how said persons opinion is wrong.

This thread had so much more potential. Especially when you consider the writing skill someone has to have to make someone angry or resentful towards some lines drawn on paper. :judo:


- C


ps. especially when against that peg-legged freak Vargas, he just pushed my buttons! :carcus:
 

Gurifisu

Sweet dreams, dear child of god.
Actually now that I think of it... I kind of dislike Ishidro. Not because of his comedy aspects (I like Puck's more), but because when he kills (and he's just a kid) something that would be difficult for a normal soldier to kill... he kills it with some magic sword, and it downplays the power of said beast. Making :ganishka: demon soldiers more like fodder for the side characters... instead of dark menacing nightmares, takes some of the edge off. Exercise for Gut's I suppose. I also don't like the fact that he doesn't have a good back story (though Muira could be saving this for some plot twist, I just don't see it happening). Still he's a fun character, I just don't think he's as expertly crafted as someone like Serpico (god, I love everything about him).

Ok, I see what everyone's saying. I agree that Isidro is useful and reliable, but children don't just leave home on a whim. Not even someone as hardened by battle as Guts would have left his original mercenary band if he didn't need to right? I just feel that Isidro had to have left home for other more serious reasons than simply hoping to gain fame and fortune as the world's greatest swordsman. I really expect more to be said about Isidro because he is often more than just comic a relief character like Puck. Then again, Puck has had somewhat serious moments before as well, his talk with the Slug Count's daughter.

Yeah, I don't like that either.

Oh, and this isn't a character, but the magic pentagons they use tick me off a little. They just don't seem to have enough of that Berserk touch (I'm not talking about the seal to suppress Gut's Brand)... I wish I could find a picture, it's just that I thought that aspect of the magic could of been given a more unique feel.
 

Aazealh

Administrator
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Okin said:
children don't just leave home on a whim.

In fact they do. It's really not a rare occurrence. More so in older times when a 15 years old was considered an adult. I'm not sure you really know what you're talking about here.

Okin said:
Not even someone as hardened by battle as Guts would have left his original mercenary band if he didn't need to right?

Not the same background at all. That comparison's really not pertinent here. And I hope I don't have to explain why, because it's not hard to see.

Okin said:
I just feel that Isidro had to have left home for other more serious reasons than simply hoping to gain fame and fortune as the world's greatest swordsman.

Maybe he wanted to do something with his life instead of being a poor and miserable farmer (remember Casca's life as a kid?), suffering from whatever the world would throw at him without being able to stand for himself? Dying at the hands of a band of thieves passing by someday for no reason and without having achieved anything at all? You know, kind of like Griffith, another character that "didn't have a good back story" (meaning that we don't know the details of what he did when he was 6 years old). Sometimes I wonder if people read the manga at all or if they just skip the parts with character development. Or just can't understand them when they're not ostentatiously spelled out. Is deducing things and reading into implications really that difficult?

Okin said:
I really expect more to be said about Isidro because he is often more than just comic a relief character like Puck. Then again, Puck has had somewhat serious moments before as well, his talk with the Slug Count's daughter.

Isidro has had a lot of very serious moments, just like Puck.

Pencil-Knight said:
Personally, I don't think there are many characters who "contribute nothing" to the story. The Lord of Koka Castle was perhaps one of those few. He got casted just to show us how badass Guts is, or how evil apostles are.

That's a rather important contribution, don't you think? Someone had to do it, and the Snake Baron did it well.

Gurifisu said:
Actually now that I think of it... I kind of dislike Isidro. Not because of his comedy aspects (I like Puck's more), but because when he kills (and he's just a kid) something that would be difficult for a normal soldier to kill... he kills it with some magic sword, and it downplays the power of said beast.

I don't really see the logic in what you say here. First off, Isidro's a good swordsman regardless of his age (in fact his age makes it even more impressive), his skills are a fact, so I'm not sure it's pertinent to compare him, who's exceptional, to ordinary soldiers. Isidro has proven that he could defeat grown men several times, be it bandits or pirates. And Guts was killing grown men at an even younger age, so I don't think it's particularly shocking or anything. Second, he's been living with Guts for a while now, encountering many supernatural phenomenons and creatures, so he's got a lot more experience in dealing with them than an ordinary soldier. The sheer fear and confusion one would feel when facing those creatures for the first time don't apply to him. Third, considering the fact that Isidro's a rather remarkable fighter, him needing a magical weapon (very powerful any way you look at it) to defeat these creatures actually testifies of their power.

Gurifisu said:
Making :ganishka: demon soldiers more like fodder for the side characters...

They're fodder for Guts, and they can't stand against him and his companions, but that doesn't mean they're fodder for "side characters". That's not interpreting the scenes where they fight correctly to say so. They're all used to fighting monsters, but Isidro and even Serpico only work as aids for Guts in those situations. If he wasn't there, mowing down half a dozen enemies with each swing of his sword, you can bet the others wouldn't be too comfortable. Lastly, I don't think Isidro takes things too lightly when fighting, even if he's joyful and upbeat.

Gurifisu said:
Oh, and this isn't a character, but the magic pentagons they use tick me off a little. They just don't seem to have enough of that Berserk touch (I'm not talking about the seal to suppress Guts Brand)... I wish I could find a picture, it's just that I thought that aspect of the magic could of been given a more unique feel.

Well I'd like to see a picture then, because the seals used to suppress the Brand's negative effects aren't very different from the rest of the symbols used for magic. And while they're inspired from existing stuff, I don't find those too common, even in fantasy stories (whether it's novels, comic books, movies or games), and I think they fit well within the Berserk universe. Also, the only pentagon I can think of right away is the one Schierke traced in the air with her staff to repulse trolls during her first meeting with the group.
 

Gurifisu

Sweet dreams, dear child of god.
Also, the only pentagon I can think of right away is the one Schierke traced in the air with her staff to repulse trolls during her first meeting with the group.

Yep, that's the one that got on my nerves... seems to generic occult for me. But they rarely use that in it's pure form so it's fine.

Oh, and I understand that some of my problems with Ishidro are indeed illogical (won't try to defend, I understood that while I was posting).. it's not like I have some impassioned loathing of Ishidro, I just don't like him as much as the other characters. I understand what your saying, but it's likely impossible to come up with a character in Berserk (main, or prevalent to the current arc) that has absolutely no saving grace, or is even that bad to begin with (unless you use the magic powers of philosophy with which anything can be argued). As a character I enjoy him the least (or close to the least), which isn't exactly saying I don't enjoy him.
 

Aazealh

Administrator
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Gurifisu said:
Yep, that's the one that got on my nerves... seems to generic occult for me. But they rarely use that in it's pure form so it's fine.

Ah, Ok. I think you were a bit harsh then, it was a one-time deal and while the symbol is indeed generic by today's standards, it's also widely found in a lot of cultures and mythologies, so why not in Berserk as well? I mean I understand your point, but it's the sort of thing that's bound to appear almost everywhere due to how powerful of a symbol it is. Besides, right after that she used her hair to send the trolls away, so I think it balances itself out. :guts:
 

Okin

The Ultimate Battle Creature
Aazealh said:
Maybe he wanted to do something with his life instead of being a poor and miserable farmer (remember Casca's life as a kid?), suffering from whatever the world would throw at him without being able to stand for himself? Dying at the hands of a band of thieves passing by someday for no reason and without having achieved anything at all? You know, kind of like Griffith, another character that "didn't have a good back story" (meaning that we don't know the details of what he did when he was 6 years old). Sometimes I wonder if people read the manga at all or if they just skip the parts with character development. Or just can't understand them when they're not ostentatiously spelled out. Is deducing things and reading into implications really that difficult?

That hurts, I read! :judo: Your right, the common people did suffer. I guess that I forgot Isidro came from one of those dirt-poor farms instead of the capital city. It does seem like the irrational dream of a youth to seek fame and glory. I probably thought he would need more of a motive because of the chances he would survive to meet Guts or some other great swordsman. His personality isn't that cautious though, so I submit to you Aaz.

Oh and wasn't most of Vargas' character design intended to produce pity and disgust, and characterize Guts more?
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Okin said:
I guess that I forgot Isidro came from one of those dirt-poor farms instead of the capital city. It does seem like the irrational dream of a youth to seek fame and glory. I probably thought he would need more of a motive because of the chances he would survive to meet Guts or some other great swordsman. His personality isn't that cautious though, so I submit to you Aaz.

Well, Griffith's own dream was quite irrational as well, don't you think? It's really just a matter of perspective. And yeah, he's the adventurous type, with all of what that entails.

Okin said:
Oh and wasn't most of Vargas' character design intended to produce pity and disgust, and characterize Guts more?

Yeah, among other things.
 
I'd have to say Lord Mozgus.

He was a combination of a religious bigot, bible thumper, and inquisitor. Very torquemada-esque, and the perfect example of everything I detest when one mixes religion and politics. The part where he saves the baby of a starving woman, but then has her tortured to death (it doesn't really show her dying but it's assumed) for committing a 'sin' had me frothing at the mouth in anticipation of Guts skewering the bastard.

I was particularly happy when he stopped preaching after Guts shoved the DS down his throat :guts: .
 

Scorpio

Courtesy of Grail's doodling.
Melorik said:
The part where he saves the baby of a starving woman, but then has her tortured to death (it doesn't really show her dying but it's assumed) for committing a 'sin' had me frothing at the mouth in anticipation of Guts skewering the bastard.

Just a minor note, but she did survive the torture. However, the baby ended up dying in the end anyway and we saw her clutching it with her bandaged hands.
 
I stand corrected on that point then. Most of the commoner people during that arc looked very similar and there were alot of corpses so I must've overlooked it at the time. That makes it worse though... he tortured the poor woman and then ended up letting her baby die anyway. His death was too merciful.. Guts should've prolonged it :chomp:
 

scarredsword

Have you ever killed anyone?
I'm going to say Gambino for selling Guts to that pedo for three silver pieces. Zodd, just because he's annoying. And yeah, that blonde chick for being such a ditz!
 

Aazealh

Administrator
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Melorik said:
Most of the commoner people during that arc looked very similar and there were alot of corpses so I must've overlooked it at the time.

I don't find the commoners all that similar looking, and that scene is hard to miss. I think you just didn't pay enough attention.

Scarred Sword said:
Zodd, just because he's annoying. And yeah, that blonde chick for being such a ditz!

Would you mind developing a bit? How is Zodd annoying you exactly? And who do you mean by "blonde chick"?
 

CnC

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Aazealh said:
Would you mind developing a bit? How is Zodd annoying you exactly? And who do you mean by "blonde chick"?

I'm guessing Farnese, but a little elaboration wouldn't hurt
farnese_emote.gif
 

Pistol

black heart with brown eyes
Ok ok new girl here so be gentle if I happen to let a noobish comment slip, anyhow now now I've heard Puck being referrred to as the "Jar Jar" of Berserk- XD personally I think he's rather cute but this is a pretty accurate description, though it seems girls (though....I have yet to meet any other berserk fans that are girls aside from one.) are more tolerant of him! So what makes people hate him so much?
 

Forest Wraith

Evil is born when we lose power over ourselves.
Pistol said:
Ok ok new girl here so be gentle if I happen to let a noobish comment slip, anyhow now now I've heard Puck being referrred to as the "Jar Jar" of Berserk- XD personally I think he's rather cute but this is a pretty accurate description, though it seems girls (though....I have yet to meet any other berserk fans that are girls aside from one.) are more tolerant of him! So what makes people hate him so much?

Welcome aboard Pistol.

Somehow, for some people, the version of Guts that Miura has created just isn't badass enough for them, to paraphrase:

"OMG! GUTS NEEDS 2 RAPE AND KILL EVERYONE N SACRAFICE THEM ALL 2 TEH BEHELITT ALREADY N RIP GRIFFITH A NEW-1 WITH THE BERSERK ARMOR! ISIDRO SUCKS N NEEDS 2 DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111111111111111"

You'll notice that they also often complain that Berserk has "Gone down-hill": That's because in earlier volumes, they thought that Guts was the one-dimensional killing machine that they want him to be for childish reasons that have thus far merited no detailed consideration save for in regards to attempting to explain why their assumptions and assertions are incorrect. On the positive side, we've gotten some genuinely profitable discussions and examination of character traits out of these arguments (For a recent and impressive example search the forum for "Two Ill-conceived characters").
Anyway, the people who make these sort of complaints care nothing for the character development and illumination of events that supporting characters provide: For example, Puck often serves as an unbiased and expressive observer to events that occur in the series, providing additional emphasis on emotional context and character traits. If you are not aware of this and just hanging on for the moment where Guts does something very bad to Griffith through his pantaloons with The Dragon Slayer: Puck just seems jarring, childishly comic and out of place.
Calling him Berserk's Jar-Jar just shows the caliber of intelligence and observation skills at work here.
 

Scorpio

Courtesy of Grail's doodling.
Pistol said:
Ok ok new girl here so be gentle if I happen to let a noobish comment slip, anyhow now now I've heard Puck being referrred to as the "Jar Jar" of Berserk- XD personally I think he's rather cute but this is a pretty accurate description, though it seems girls (though....I have yet to meet any other berserk fans that are girls aside from one.) are more tolerant of him! So what makes people hate him so much?

I actually didn't like Puck at first, I felt he was a poor character whose only purpose was to "SFX: GUTS HAS CONFLICTING FEELINGS" However, once he got the introductions to Guts' inner turmoil out of the way, he became a welcome comic relief and his character grew to very high importance- keeping Guts alive through his more grave injuries and also relatively sane with his comic mischief. I've been a fan ever since.
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Hey Pistol, welcome to the forum. :serpico:

Pistol said:
anyhow now now I've heard Puck being referrred to as the "Jar Jar" of Berserk

Well I won't ask where you heard that, but I wouldn't recommend you to keep frequenting those people.

Pistol said:
this is a pretty accurate description

No, I don't think it is. Forest Wraith's post was clear enough about it, so I'll leave it at that.

Pistol said:
So what makes people hate him so much?

I don't think there's that many people that actually hate Puck, but for those that truly do I'd question whether they should read Berserk or not.
 

Pistol

black heart with brown eyes
Actually it was on a couple websites (not specific ones, more like anime watching domains) where he's referred to by that. XD

But if you think about it he really is sort of a tool for comedy relief and clarifying Guts thoughts and that's why I don't think he's so bad- oh why this is refreshing to see that no one on here really hates him! n_n

And on that other note, one of my friends said the same but I don't think it went down hill, I think the series really evolved. Guts became more complex and through his experiences he seems to have molded himself into a more relateable person than "I love hurting people!" guy.
From the art to the story I think it just keeps getting better.
 
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