Episode 361 (July 22)

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
So here's a summary:

As they stand on the cliffs of Skellig, Guts asks the Skull Knight why he’s come. SK answers that causality has led him here. Guts tells him that he's talking cryptically again. He also thanks him for all the advice he's given him in the past, but cracks a joke saying that despite SK's over-worrying, he's made it here "in one piece", albeit with just one eye and one arm. Although there was "a bit of violence" on the way. The Skull Knight tells him to stay alert, because "causality hasn’t yet been concentrated". Guts gets worried and asks him what he means, but they're interrupted by Gedflynn.

Gedflynn tells SK it's been a while and calls him "your majesty". But then corrects himself, since nowadays he goes by the monicker "Skull Knight". Guts is confused at the "your majesty" bit. The Skull Knight tells Ged that his face looks familiar to him... "You're the child of Vido." Gedflynn states his name and tells him that when he was a boy, he accompanied his father during several audiences with SK. And now he oversees this village. SK replies with a backhanded compliment "that sly boy became an excellent man". Guts goes "wait a minute old man, how old are you?". Gedflynn replies that it’s meaningless to ask that of a being that exists in a different time flow.

Gedflynn in turn asks Guts how he knows the Skull Knight. Guts replies that it's some kind of ominous relationship that is fated to be and can't be avoided. Ged is like "is that so.....". He then suggests to the Skull Knight that he visit Hanarr along with Guts. Hanarr is the dwarf blacksmith who created both the Berserk's armor and the Skull Knight's current armor. SK agrees and says he'll use this occasion to ask him to repair his armor. We move on to Molda sleeping on a tree branch. She awakes and sees the three of them going down a gorge. Meanwhile Schierke's trying to learn how to fly on a broom. Molda uses this as an excuse to take off with her. She gives her a "first flight" experience. She teases her but also gives her genuine information, comparing how it's different to flying with one's body of light. She also says that, without boasting, she's the best at flying on the island. Of course it's more or less an excuse to follow Guts and co, and as she points them out, she and Schierke decide to follow.

They're headed into a deep gorge, and Schierke remarks that the atmosphere is different in there. Molda explains that it's for the eccentrics of the island. Because no matter how bright and beautiful the queen of the elves is, some people prefer dimness to sunlight... Just like the spirit Schierke summoned earlier. Molda also reveals that her teacher lives there. She's curious as to where Guts and Gedflynn are going, as well as that strange knight she's never seen before. As they get deeper, Schierke gets worried. Now the atmosphere is really different... and this place is close to the Qliphoth. Then they come across inactive Wicker Men. Molda explains that long ago, they came under attack from a big country on the continent, and so some magic users sacrificed the souls of enemy soldiers to create these constructs. They also get a bit into Molda's outlook on life and her slight disdain for the village above, as well as Schierke's relationship with her comrades.

They encounter Volvaba (or maybe Volvapa), Molda’s teacher. She chastizes Molda for taking out a Wicker Man. The old crone is a master of curses and other dark arts. Schierke introduces herself as Flora's apprentice, who the old witch seems to know (or at least has heard of). They ask her if she hasn't seen Gedflynn and two knights pass by, and she tells them they went to the stone forest. It's where the dwarves dwell. Molda is not happy as she does not like the place. They leave and Molda's teacher basically yells at her because she never helps her with anything. She briefly muses throwing a curse on her, but also reflects on the fact she's made a friend, although... She seems worried by the fact said friend is related to Flora, and that the Skull Knight (who she calls by name) is here. Thinks to herself "those old men's usual nonsense will finally become true."

The girls get to the entrance of the stone forest. Molda explains that they'll have to walk from here on out. The place is narrow and dark, but it's also got a high concentration of Barytes, which makes it very tiring to fly. Meanwhile, Gedflynn and his guests come upon Hanarr the blacksmith. He asks him what's a magician doing down here, but then he sees the Skull Knight is here. He says it's nostalgic to see him, and calls him "king". He also comments on the fact he hasn't passed on to the other world, then says it's no surprise, since it's thanks to his skill. The Skull Knight replies "Thanks to you, I'm doing fine, my friend". Hanarr isn't having it though. "Hah, doing fine you say? You're just babbling in your coffin."

Hanarr then turns his attention to Guts. He didn't seem to think he'd see that armor again. He tells Guts that it looks like he's been using it for a long time. Guts answers that indeed, and thanks to it he's been able to dodge death many times. He thanks Hanarr. The dwarf tells him that since he's now the owner of that armor, he can use it skillfully and without limits. However... the armor can also devour its owner, as it is possessed. He then says he'll test it, and strikes the armor with his hammer. It immediately activates, and the episode ends.

Now for some comments:

The name Vido/Vid (ヴィド) is reminescent of Void (ボイド). It's not the same name, but it doesn't feel like a total coincidence either. In Japanese the two names look kind of similar while sounding pretty different. If we speculate, a guess might be that Vid was his human name, and when he was reborn he renamed himself Void. Just like Griffith and Femto. So... that would mean Gedflynn might actually be Void's son. :isidro: I want to emphasize that this is just a fun train of thought Walter and I got excited about, it's not carved in stone or anything, but the resemblance is interesting.

The names Hanarr and Volva are both inspired by Scandinavian mythology. However Miura tends to slightly modify names when he borrows them, so take note that their final spelling is pending. It could be "Hanar" for example. For the old witch, I'm still determining what I find to be the likeliest spelling. It's "Volvapa" or "Volvaba" for now. Speaking of her... Master of curses? I bet she'd like to have a look at the Brand.
 
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Great Summary! This Episode looked interesting at first, but I didn't expect it to be so full of info... and these "revelations" :SK:

The name Vido/Vid (ヴィド) is reminescent of Void (ボイド). It's not the same name, but it doesn't feel like a total coincidence either. In Japanese the two names look kind of similar while sounding pretty different. If we speculate, a guess might be that Vid was his human name, and when he was reborn he renamed himself Void. Just like Griffith and Femto. So... that would mean Gedflynn might actually be Void's son.
:isidro:
I want to emphasize that this is just a fun train of thought Walter and I got excited about, it's not carved in stone or anything, but the resemblance is interesting.

Oh god, at first when I read the name Vido/Vid I joked with myself that he might be a distant relative of Void. And I can't even say that you're reaching with this one, it's definitely possible that Gedflynn's father is actually Void. And besides that, I can honestly see Miura slowly giving us info on the past lives of the God Hand members through their human family or friends. Or at least for some of them:shrug:.
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Since Young Animal is out and we're on a new page I've unspoilered the summary and I think we can carry on the conversation in the open now.
Anyway, there's really a lot of information packed in this episode, beyond even what I've summarized above. One of the most dense I can remember.

And besides that, I can honestly see Miura slowly giving us info on the past lives of the God Hand members through their human family or friends. Or at least for some of them:shrug:.

Let's not get too crazy here, just Gedflynn being related to Void would already be huge, and it's only possible because he's a guru that lives in Elfhelm.
 

Grail

Feel the funk blast
This is quite a lot to think about. The implications here are huge! :void: Thanks Puella and Aaz for the summary.
 
Let's not get too crazy here, just Gedflynn being related to Void would already be huge, and it's only possible because he's a guru that lives in Elfhelm.

Yeah, it was a crazy idea, just my excitement for the episode talking :ganishka:.
It's definitely a very dense episode, can't wait to hear what you guys have to say about it on the Skullkast.
 
Thanks for the timely summary as always. Huge episode alright, looking forward to the full translation.

Many interesting characters on Elfhelm, and the fact that they all seem to know the Skull Knight is not surprising, but definitely exciting. The star of this one for me was Hanarr, for sure. The long anticipated dwarf master who created some of the most intriguing artefacts of the Berserk world. I can't wait to see what unique insight he has, and would also love for him to take a look at Godot's own creation. The arms and armor nerd in me is delighted.

The name Vido/Vid (ヴィド) is reminescent of Void (ボイド).

Vido...Voido...

QMnEh6T.png


Hopefully, the creator, Hanarr, knows what he is doing at the end by making Guts go berserk.
Rest assured, he will not "go berserk" and start attacking people. What will probably happen is that Guts will pull himself together at the last moment, and this little demonstration by Hanarr will have been a fitting start to properly addressing the issue of the armor.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Well, I was ready to joke this episode will cut away and really be about Rickert examining Kushan booby traps, but this genuinely sounds like one of the best episodes ever for lore! Most importantly, we got the Chekhov's gun story explanation for Skully's broken armor. I knew all along, of course. :badbone:

Anyway, very cool implications all around (Wally picked a bad week to abstain from the episode thread; SON OF VOIDO =). I think even bigger than the idea of Void potentially having a son is that we'd know where he was from, that it's fucking Elfhelm where he was an overseer, and his outfit is indeed a God Handified version of a witch's wardrobe. Also, with all those royal references Skully, or someone that knows him, will basically have to explain him at this point, and I also appreciate that not everyone is happy to see him since, let's face it, if this guy shows up on your doorstep it means trouble isn't far behind.

Rest assured, he will not "go berserk" and start attacking people. What will probably happen is that Guts will pull himself together at the last moment

Well, let's not be too hasty, hopefully someone will have to restrain him, maybe cross swords for just a moment. :guts: :SK:
 
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Wow! SO much information to process. Thanks for the summary Aazealh. I suspected the blacksmith striking and thus activating the armor at the end was to "test" something, but just what exactly is he attempting to test here? I think you were correct Aaz that he's testing Guts control over the armor, which they will soon find out is lacking. It will be very interesting to see how that scenario plays out. Will SK have to step in to subdue a raging Berserker armor Guts? CAN he even subdue Guts in that armor if he wanted to? I don't necessarily want to see a SK vs Guts fight play out, I don't think it's a coincidence that Schierke is there either. Really hoping we learn more about the armor and Sk's past with the introduction of this Hanar blacksmith character.
 
Well, let's not be too hasty, hopefully someone will have to restrain him, maybe cross swords for just a moment. :guts: :SK:
Is this really how we wanna see it happen though? It would make Guts look pretty bad, so I highly doubt it will escalate beyond that suspenseful ending page.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Wow, what an insanely huge episode. Quite a bit to unpack. Thank you Puella and Aaz! This one was a doozy...

We expected a Guts-SK one on one, akin to the others they've had in the past. Instead we got a whirlwind tour of the denizens in the dark underbelly of Elfhelm, demonstrating that the island is more diverse than its fluffy, pink icing.

Miura also tipped his hat numerous times toward events in Elfhelm's past, which could coincide with other character reveals in the next few episodes. Among these is "Vido." When I saw that katakana, I did initially read it as Void (ヴィド vs ボィド ), and it just about gave me a heart attack, people. Along with the enticing idea of this being a namedrop of his human form, if it pans out in that direction, it would be confirmation of what we've long discussed— that Void was a magic user whose focus on forbidden magic may have resulted in the brand, and his introduction to the God Hand.

There's also Hanarr. With his introduction, we're one step closer to learning exactly what happened with Gaiseric to begin with. A previous attack on the island explains not only the wicker man we saw when Guts' party first arrived, but also the collection of them down in the gorge. The presence of barytes in the dwarven mine also potentially dispels our initial notion of it being exclusively a property of the Idea of Evil and its minions, and seems more associated with the dark. There could still be a connection there, but at the very least, we know that it's not handcuffed to the God Hand.

Despite all of this, what has my attention the most at this moment is the focus on the armor. Naturally I figured it would be addressed. Despite his cheerful demeanor with SK at the start of the episode (that was nice to see), Guts is in pretty terrible shape. Addressing his usage of the armor in the presence of the armorer himself, well I expect some cool result from that. I haven't spent more than 10 minutes considering all the possibilities though. But maybe this is the medium by which Guts will come to some resolution with the Beast later. In any case, when Hanarr suddenly struck the armor, I could just imagine SK on the next page, gritting his metal teeth nervously at the result (“what the fuck are you doin, mannnn?!”). :SK: :chomp:
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Many interesting characters on Elfhelm, and the fact that they all seem to know the Skull Knight is not surprising, but definitely exciting.

I think it's important to note that the Skull Knight hadn't seen Gedflynn since he was a child though. And that Molda had never seen him before. This implies that he hadn't come back to the island in a long long time.

The star of this one for me was Hanarr, for sure. The long anticipated dwarf master who created some of the most intriguing artefacts of the Berserk world. I can't wait to see what unique insight he has, and would also love for him to take a look at Godot's own creation.

I don't think there's much doubt that he'll get to look at the Dragon Slayer, and I'm definitely eager to hear what he has to say about it.

I think even bigger than the idea of Void potentially having a son is that we'd know where he was from, that it's fucking Elfhelm where he was an overseer, and his outfit is indeed a God Handified version of a witch's wardrobe.

Well don't be too hasty, Gedflynn oversees the village but that doesn't necessarily mean his father also did before him.

Also, with all those royal references Skully, or someone that know him, will basically have to explain him at this point, and I also appreciate that not everyone is happy to see him since, let's face it, if this guy shows up on your doorstep it means trouble isn't far behind.

He's also pretty much already issued a warning: "causality hasn’t yet been concentrated". Translation: the Idea of Evil is charging up the ion cannon.

I suspected the blacksmith striking and thus activating the armor at the end was to "test" something, but just what exactly is he attempting to test here? I think you were correct Aaz that he's testing Guts control over the armor, which they will soon find out is lacking.

Yeah I think it's pretty clear that he's seeing whether Guts can resist the armor's Od or not. I'm actually curious to hear more details on how it works, even though we got a great explanation when it was introduced.

There's also Hanarr. With his introduction, we're one step closer to learning exactly what happened with Gaiseric to begin with.

Indeed! And we got the confirmation of the fact he was transferred to his current armor while dying and that it basically prevents him from passing on to the next step, which I think is already pretty good. Of course we had already come to that conclusion 15 years ago, but now it's official. :SK:

The presence of barytes in the dwarven mine also potentially dispels our initial notion of it being exclusively a property of the Idea of Evil and its minions, and seems more associated with the dark. There could still be a connection there, but at the very least, we know that it's not handcuffed to the God Hand.

Well Barytes are an element of the world, so they couldn't possibly be exclusively tied to the God Hand anyway. I know I didn't envision them like that. However, I think this episode doesn't invalidate the fact that the "evil power" of the Idea of Evil, the God Hand and apostles may be directly related to Barytes. Another thing that's established here is that flying around has its limits. The implication is that it's easier in Elfhelm because there aren't many Barytes there, but Schierke won't be doing transcontinental flights on a broom in the future.

But maybe this is the medium by which Guts will come to some resolution with the Beast later.

I still think there will be more than one step for this. Mitigating the armor's Od is one thing (can it be done at all without also depriving it of its power?), but I believe that dealing with the Beast of Darkness itself is a bigger endeavor that will require some soul-searching and Casca's participation. I also still see it as irremediably tied to the quest for revenge, which will also need to be addressed.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
We expected a Guts-SK one on one, akin to the others they've had in the past. Instead we got a whirlwind tour

Have we ever seen him so... public and sociable? It's pretty cool. :badbone:

I don't think there's much doubt that he'll get to look at the Dragon Slayer, and I'm definitely eager to hear what he has to say about it.

Think we'll find out Godot was a quarter dwarf? :ganishka:

Well don't be too hasty, Gedflynn oversees the village but that doesn't necessarily mean his father also did before him.

True, he only reveals they had audience with Skull Knight, and perhaps dating back to before his current state (and it's equally good if his father was a leader or more of an outsider =).

He's also pretty much already issued a warning: "causality hasn’t yet been concentrated". Translation: the Idea of Evil is charging up the ion cannon.

Or God Hand Voltron incoming.

when Hanarr suddenly struck the armor, I could just imagine SK on the next page, gritting his metal teeth nervously at the result (“what the fuck are you doin, mannnn?!”). :SK: :chomp:
Yeah I think it's pretty clear that he's seeing whether Guts can resist the armor's Od or not. I'm actually curious to hear more details on how it works, even though we got a great explanation when it was introduced.

"Pfff, I thought you knew what you were doing? I can't believe you survived this long; this guy is recklessly operating my equipment!" :daiba:

Indeed! And we got the confirmation of the fact he was transferred to his current armor while dying and that it basically prevents him from passing on to the next step, which I think is already pretty good. Of course we had already come to that conclusion 15 years ago, but now it's official. :SK:

Yeah, confirmed what we already surmised, but I want to SEE IT and all that we don't know about it! I'm feeling greedy, but damn if every episode isn't packed with interesting revelations lately. Miura is definitely telling us something.

But maybe this is the medium by which Guts will come to some resolution with the Beast later.
I still think there will be more than one step for this. Mitigating the armor's Od is one thing (can it be done at all without also depriving it of its power?), but I believe that dealing with the Beast of Darkness itself is a bigger endeavor that will require some soul-searching and Casca's participation. I also still see it as irremediably tied to the quest for revenge, which will also need to be addressed.

Yeah, it's like the other side of the coin with Guts/Casca post-eclipse, and she's not even fully healed yet. It's interesting to consider them fixing him or bringing the "old" Guts back, since I think in most of our head's he's "normal" as is and just as we like him, but, essentially deal with all his baggage and demons so he becomes the best version himself, sort of like after his musha shugyō post-Falcons. Noble Guts, the Swordsman of the Light, "Only a fully trained warrior, with the barytes as his ally, can conquer Void and his Emperor." :guts:


Random observation: Molda is Farnese with palette-swapped hair. =)
 
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It's "Volvapa" or "Volvaba" for now. Speaking of her... Master of curses? I bet she'd like to have a look at the Brand.

Fantastic summary! It felt like I was reading a light novel instead of a manga.

Do you guys think Volvaba might play a role in helping guts and Casca with their brand? It also kind of has to be addressed before the final act of the story no? It seems like it weighs both characters down considerably (Casca more so) when they encounter apostles. Flora and Schierke just kind of gave Guts the band aid. Unless Miura is going to keep the “spider sense” bleeding for the remainder of the story. Not that there’s a problem with that either way.

Perhaps she helped SK with his in some way?
 
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Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Unless Miura is going to keep the “spider sense” bleeding for the remainder of the story. Not that there’s a problem with that either way.
There is a problem though, proximity to a God Hand member causes intense pain.

Perhaps she helped SK with his in some way?

We don’t know that he’s branded. I know some people believe it, but I don’t think there’s enough evidence to make that a basic assumption.
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Think we'll find out Godot was a quarter dwarf? :ganishka:

Oh I definitely look forward to what Hanarr will say about Godot's work. Given his character I'm expecting a sort of grudging respect.

It's tangential but Walter and I were talking earlier about the age old question of whether the Dragon Slayer was made using ore from the elf mine and more importantly whether that gave it special properties. I always thought that explaining the DS away with "it's made from magic ore" would suck for a number of reasons and I still do. First off it would lessen the iconic idea of it being just "a giant slab of iron". Second we already have explanations for everything, from how Guts can lift it (he's in the interstice where the mind can influence matter) to the special properties it has acquired over its years of use (being imbued by all the astral creatures Guts has slashed with it). That being said, if it was made with ore from that mine, well it was probably damn fine ore to begin with and maybe Hanarr could comment on that aspect. The other question is whether or not he can or should improve on it somehow, which is also something I'm looking forward to reading.

True, he only reveals they had audience with Skull Knight, and perhaps dating back to before his current state (and it's equally good if his father was a leader or more of an outsider =).

In my mind it's got to be back when SK was still human. As for the circumstances around those audiences... Literally impossible to tell for now.

Or God Hand Voltron incoming.

HE'S COMING

Conrad-SeaGod-Original.jpg


(For those who weren't there at the time, this was done by Grail for one of our old April Fools' Day)

Noble warrior Guts, the Swordsman of the Light. :guts:

Without going that far, I think managing to "tame" the Beast of Darkness and making it align its goals on those of Guts (feels weird typing since this the Beast literally just embodies Guts' darker emotions) will be needed before the final showdown. Basically making it so Guts will still be able to tap into his rage in battle, but without that latent thrist for self-destruction (burning those he loves... and himself for the sake of revenge). Guts already did some of that work during the sea journey, but it wasn't completely successful. He couldn't keep the Beast chained up when using the armor, however he did manage to "call" on it when things were dire inside the Sea God.

Random observation: Molda is Farnese with palette-swapped hair. =)

Oh, that's unfair, I think her face is pretty distinctive.

Fantastic summary! It felt like I was reading a light novel instead of a manga.

Do you guys think Volvaba might play a role in helping guts and Casca with their brand? It also kind of has to be addressed before the final act of the story no? It seems like it weighs both characters down considerably (Casca more so) when they encounter apostles. Unless Miura is going to keep the “spider sense” bleeding for the remainder of the story. Not that there’s a problem with that either way.

Thanks, glad you liked it. We've already been introduced to ways of lessening the effects of the Brand back at Flora's place. Our heroes might get more, and I would absolutely love to get a diagnostic of the Brand from Volvaba, but I don't expect a cure. It's part of Guts and Casca's characters and I just don't see them being free of it, at least until the series ends. Anyway, Volvaba's most interesting line in this episode to me is that Molda's budding friendship with Schierke worries her. I mean, this is an old witch who's introduced as master of curses and specialist of dead spirits, and the connection to Flora (and presence of the Skull Knight) has her worried. Makes me wonder just how much of a badass Flora actually was. :flora: That line is especially mysterious/ominous: "those old men's usual nonsense will finally become true."
 
There is a problem though, proximity to a God Hand member causes intense pain.



We don’t know that he’s branded. I know some people believe it, but I don’t think there’s enough evidence to make that a basic assumption.

That’s true. I edited my post after forgetting to mention that Flora and Schierke kind of just put a band aid on the brand. Which makes the issue probably as addressed as it’s going to be till the conclusion.

Yeah there’s definitely no hard evidence that SK was actually branded. He might just know a lot about it from his past encounters with the god hand? But it would make a lot of sense considering where he is in his current state no? Either way I agree it’s not really important with everything else going on.
 
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Thanks for the summery, @Aazealh.

"causality hasn’t yet been concentrated"
I had to collect my proverbial shit back together after reading this line. Man, this sounds ominous and awesome. If I have to make a guess, this refers to the Moonlight Boy showing up to Elfhelm. I'm assuming that his presence will be more significant than simply triggering Casca's memory. I wouldn't be surprised if the boy turns back into Griffith in Elfhelm and wreaks havoc. Will have to wait and see.

Gedflynn tells SK it's been a while and calls him "your majesty".
With Griffith recalling Geiseric in 358, and SK being referred to as "your majesty" and "king" by multiple characters, I think this is a very good indication that sooner than later SK's backstory will be told. I think that Miura is holding off on telling it is due to it being so pivotal, that it would pretty much signify the beginning to the end. So, he most likely will exhaust everything else that he wants to tell in Elfhelm before he starts SK's backstory.

They're headed into a deep gorge, and Schierke remarks that the atmosphere is different in there.
Then they come across inactive Wicker Men. Molda explains that long ago, they came under attack from a big country on the continent, and so some magic users sacrificed the souls of enemy soldiers to create these constructs.
I'm happy to see this. I anticipated something similar to this. Elfhelm seemed a little bit too bright and docile to me. It just came off a little too one-note for Berserk. I still think that the Elfhelm residents are good by nature. This means that they are pacifists and would always want to avoid conflict. But, that doesn't mean that they would not fight back if push comes to shove. This introduces a much needed extra dimension to Elfhelm.

He then says he'll test it, and strikes the armor with his hammer. It immediately activates, and the episode ends.
Man, it's gonna be hard waiting for the next episode. Seems like Miura has a very clear plan ahead. Fingers crossed, he's planning on releasing the next episode soon. Don't want to speculate too much on this point (since there's very little info to base on), but I assume that Hanarr will somehow teach Guts how to better control the armor and how to "turn in off" without aid from Schierke. :shrug:
 
Thanks so much for the summary Aaz!

After being so beat up, I really hope Guts get some form of upgrades. I feel so sorry for his physical and mental state right now.

We just witnessed the healing of Casca, perhaps it is Gut's turn to experience some healing of his own. After all, he went through a similar experience with Casca. Heck, anything would be fine, at least return the man his sense of taste for goodness sake!
 

Rhombaad

Video Game Time Traveler
What an episode! I don't have much to add to the discussion, since so much has been said already, but I don't think Guts or Skull Knight will come to blows in the next episode. If Hanarr can activate the armor with a strike of his hammer, I imagine he has a way to deactivate it, as well. I don't think he'll be key to taming the Beast of Darkness (I think Casca will have more of a role in that), but he may be able to help Guts control the armor's od and use it like he did during his fight with the Sea God.

I had always thought St. Albion and Void were the same person, but this new "Vid/Vido" wrinkle throws that into some doubt. It'll be interesting to see if the names just happen to be similar, or if there really is a connection there. Regardless, I think it's pretty cool that Skull Knight met Gedflynn as a child.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
[Volvaba] seems worried by the fact said friend is related to Flora, and that the Skull Knight (who she calls by name) is here.

This has low-key become one of my favorite details of the episode. It's either: She's concerned for the girls because Flora and Skull Knight are people who action tends to follow, OR ... Flora was a saucy lass when she was young. (:flora:: "Nice nose, ya ugly bitch" | :void:: "Young lady that skirt is NOT regulation length!")

What an episode! I don't have much to add to the discussion, since so much has been said already, but I don't think Guts or Skull Knight will come to blows in the next episode. If Hanarr can activate the armor with a strike of his hammer, I imagine he has a way to deactivate it, as well. I don't think he'll be key to taming the Beast of Darkness (I think Casca will have more of a role in that), but he may be able to help Guts control the armor's od and use it like he did during his fight with the Sea God.

Yep, Aaz pointed it out in this thread, and in retrospect it seems clear what Hanarr is doing with this little test. That panel at the top of the second-to-last page is revealing. He can see the armor's od just beneath the surface. And he's proving to Guts how little control he has over the armor. Though Guts "owns" it, the armor's od is ready to envelop him at the slightest provocation. Of course, we knew this from back on the beach before Vritannis, where the mere mention of Griffith by SK caused the Beast to stir.

But you're right that what Hanarr is doing is kind of a boss move, and we're left with this great cliffhanger, wondering if he has an "off" switch plan for this, or... He's betting on his pal Mr. Bones to intervene. :badbone:

I had always thought St. Albion and Void were the same person, but this new "Vid/Vido" wrinkle throws that into some doubt.
Gah, that's a good point, Rhombaad... :sad:

It'll be interesting to see if the names just happen to be similar, or if there really is a connection there. Regardless, I think it's pretty cool that Skull Knight met Gedflynn as a child.

I don't think it's going to end up a coincidence. For one, Miura is pretty stingy with names. And for SK to reference someone we haven't even seen yet by name, I think that's pretty noteworthy. And because it's coming from SK and looks so similar to Void's katakana name, I think we're right to have our radars active, even if, as you rightly point out, there are already contrary possibilities for Void's identity.
 
Thank you @Aazealh and @puella for the substantive summary. This is such a huge episode!
Many in this thread have explored and exhausted most, if not all, interesting points for discussion, so I fear I won't add much to the conversation.

I had always thought St. Albion and Void were the same person, but this new "Vid/Vido" wrinkle throws that into some doubt.
Gah, that's a good point, Rhombaad... :sad:

Yeah, if they are both the same person, that would raise some questions. Why was Gedflynn so amicable to SK (given he is Gaiseric) when SK has put his father into captivity and tortured him at St. Albion? How would the larger magic community react to that, assuming he is well known among magic users?

They encounter Volvaba (or maybe Volvapa), Molda’s teacher.
The old crone is a master of curses and other dark arts.
Our heroes might get more, and I would absolutely love to get a diagnostic of the Brand from Volvaba, but I don't expect a cure.

That would be cool to see. Also, maybe we could see her comment on the beherit Guts always carries. I wonder what a master of curses and dark arts knows about the egg that haven't been explained by the other gurus and Flora.
 

Grail

Feel the funk blast
Yeah, if they are both the same person, that would raise some questions. Why was Gedflynn so amicable to SK (given he is Gaiseric) when SK has put his father into captivity and tortured him at St. Albion? How would the larger magic community react to that, assuming he is well known among magic users?

That's really interesting, I forgot about that! I think it's worth mentioning that the concept of differing accounts of events based on verbal tradition/legends is not a new thing in Berserk (see Judo's vs Princess Charlotte's accounts of the 4 or 5 angels in volume 10). Maybe the truth is hidden beneath muddled tales of this old saint! Then again, I am just desperate for this Vido = Void theory to be true. That would seriously be a mind-blowing reveal. :isidro:

I also wanted to add that I really enjoyed this episode's exploration of the less sweet and cuddly denizens of Skellig. I can't wait for more Volvaba and Hanarr, these characters seem like they'll a lot of interesting potential interactions with Guts and Schierke in coming episodes.
 
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