Skullknight's Immortality?

[JetBlack]

You're thinking of Flora's explanation in volume 24. The part about dead spirits is a little different though, and she specifies that most people can't stay in that layer too long.

You know, I actually thought about something similar myself many years ago, how SK could have died and through his incredible willpower remained in the upper layers of the astral world, until Flora came to bring him back to the world with the help of elves by encasing his spirit into a magical armor. I still like this idea, but don't be mistaken: it's only theory until proven true. The things you list as evidence don't prove anything, for example the skull-shaped helmet only means he was the last person to extensively use the armor (we don't even really know how the shape-changing process is activated), and it doesn't mean the events that ended with him wearing his current armor followed that particular direction. Even assuming he was the last owner of the Berserk's armor, his body could have been transferred while he lay dying or freshly dead into the new armor, and then fused with it.

Thanks in fact my explanation wasn't so good, but it's like you read my mind and I thought exactly like you have explained.
And now I realize that yes his body could have been transferred. I never thought about that, oops. And now I remember he knows something about the Elf king, so who knows...

Well Aaz this is the reason I've been reading this forum for some years and why I think it is the best.



EDIT:
I've reread volume 24 and I found this:

Flora speaking:

"I had a revelation from a friend in the realm of dead (SK)... Branded ones who are guided by small wings will visit this forest"

"Most of them realize their own death or become unable to retain their ethereal form,and vanish from this stratum"

"What turn of events made you ask me this favor?" Who was it for... Because you (SK) suffer from the same curse and pity them? Or was only to use them?"

So it seems that SK is dead and lives in the spiritual world (realm of dead) and in some way he managed of stay in the upper planes or even in the world (Flora say most of them but not all...) and that was a revelation from me... SK suffered the same curse of Guts!? So is he branded?

I think that elf king gave him a big hand in the past and also Flora... What do you think?

PS. Italian translation in the manga is bad! but I started with it so...

 

[Walter]

Yeah, that idea's been tossed around here before a few times too. But I think your translation isn't 100% accurate here. I think Olivier Hague's from back in the day works better than even the one featured in our translation section:

As they leave, Guts looks behind them, and sees another silhouette with Flora...

Flora tells the Skull Knight she was surprised when he asked her this favor. That's not in his habits. "Is that because fellow sufferers pity one another? I want to believe you still haven't lost your humanity, my old friend..."

So, she's not necessarily referring specifically to branded ones, but those who struggle against Causality (since that's really the subject of the latter half of their conversation).

But lets just run with it anyway. I don't really think he could have been branded, because SK is presumedly a spirit in armor (alluded to by the sound effects of the Beherit falling into his armor in Vol 16, and his ability to create the Yobimizu no Tsurugi). That being the case, when branded die, they are absorbed into the Vortex of Souls. Clearly he evaded that fate somehow.

 

[Vampire_Hunter_Bob]

(alluded to by the sound effects of the Beherit falling into his armor in Vol 16, and his ability to create the Yobimizu no Tsurugi)

Also the Dreamcast game these same sound effects can be heard.

 

[Donald Shimoda]

I've always had this theory that the damage that SK takes is cumulative and he only fights when it is a necessity. Other wise why don't we see him going around killing apostles all the time?

 

[Walter]

I've always had this theory that the damage that SK takes is cumulative and he only fights when it is a necessity. Other wise why don't we see him going around killing apostles all the time?

When's he ever been shown taking any damage? And Im sure he has better things to do than squash bugs all day.

 

[Donald Shimoda]

When's he ever been shown taking any damage? And Im sure he has better things to do than squash bugs all day.

He would try to limit his damage to a minimum if it were cumulative, that could explain why he fights with the Sword and Shield.

 

[Aazealh]

PS. Italian translation in the manga is bad! but I started with it so...

The lines you posted aren't from the Italian manga, and they happen to be inaccurate as well (like Walter pointed out). If you had taken time to search around the forum you would know that.

So it seems that SK is dead and lives in the spiritual world (realm of dead) and in some way he managed of stay in the upper planes or even in the world (Flora say most of them but not all...) and that was a revelation from me...

That's not a solid proof of anything, since many creatures live in the Astral World without being dead. In any case death is a very relative notion here since SK is obviously still around, interacting with the world and all. He's not a specter or anything, though who knows what he'd be able to do or not without his armor. All you're doing here is repeating what I said in my previous post and basing yourself on a badly worded translation to attempt to cast it in stone. Unfortunately that doesn't work because Flora's words aren't nearly as clear as you make them out to be.

SK suffered the same curse of Guts!? So is he branded?

The line doesn't particularly imply that SK is branded. Allow me to quote myself on this:

She says something approaching (the "children" are all of them), yes, that SK shares the same "experience/hardships". The disease part is a four kanji idiom about how people sharing the same disease can understand each other. It's not limited to diseases or anything, and doesn't relate to a curse specifically. I don't think she refers to the Brand in particular, and it's definitely not clearly stated or even hinted at.

As you can see, the word "curse" isn't used.

I think that elf king gave him a big hand in the past and also Flora... What do you think?

Well that's pretty much what everybody guesses, and there's no need to rely on a particular line or comment to get to that conclusion. We know he and Flora were companions at the time, and from Puck's line in volume 18 it's clear that he's related to elves one way or another.

I've always had this theory that the damage that SK takes is cumulative and he only fights when it is a necessity. Other wise why don't we see him going around killing apostles all the time?

That's already been proven wrong in the manga, as you would know if you paid more attention. Cumulative damage? What makes you think that's even possible? Everytime he's received any damage it's disappeared not long after. Remember when he threw a spike at Slan? It was back in volume 28. The claw marks Zodd left on his shield? Same thing, they were gone. I highly doubt anything like what you're suggesting actually takes place.

He would try to limit his damage to a minimum if it were cumulative, that could explain why he fights with the Sword and Shield.

It's not like he needs a reason to use a shield other than the fact it's a very efficient way of fighting when coupled with a sword. What a dubious reasoning...

 

[JetBlack]

The lines you posted aren't from the Italian manga, and they happen to be inaccurate as well (like Walter pointed out). If you had taken time to search around the forum you would know that.

Well now I've found the translation done on this site... Sorry but I never thought that the English translation could be so different... Ok now I see that it's different... But you know what? The Italian translation is different in another way too! So from now on I think I will read "our" translations and doing so I will see the difference from my language .
Another thing I missed is that in Italy the manga is like the tankobon but flipped from left to right. The right arm the left eye...

That's not a solid proof of anything, since many creatures live in the Astral World without being dead. In any case death is a very relative notion here since SK is obviously still around, interacting with the world and all. He's not a specter or anything, though who knows what he'd be able to do or not without his armor. All you're doing here is repeating what I said in my previous post and basing yourself on a badly worded translation to attempt to cast it in stone. Unfortunately that doesn't work because Flora's words aren't nearly as clear as you make them out to be.

Well I'm sorry to say but maybe I have to hear things 2 times to believe that it's not as easy as I thought.
Well you are also right this time and sorry for the bad translation that gave me false hope... So the the skull armor and the sword are important in the mystery too... I will think about that.

But lets just run with it anyway. I don't really think he could have been branded, because SK is presumedly a spirit in armor (alluded to by the sound effects of the Beherit falling into his armor in Vol 16, and his ability to create the Yobimizu no Tsurugi). That being the case, when branded die, they are absorbed into the Vortex of Souls. Clearly he evaded that fate somehow.

Oh shit (sorry), why didn't I think of that with my mind. If he is branded when he dies he goes to the Vortex! (Thanks for your kindness)
Well also if Aaz says he's not a spectre or anything (that could be true) the mystery remains: what is SK?

Thanks guys for making me think better.

PS. Walter I found the topics about the struggle vs causality and I learned a lot! But the post about causality is great! I'm still here laughing, I want causality dimension font 72 too.

 

[Aazealh]

But you know what? The Italian translation is different in another way too!

Yeah, I'm aware of this.

Well also if Aaz says he's not a spectre or anything (that could be true) the mystery remains: what is SK?

I don't think there's much more to say about the fact SK isn't like the evil spirits that attack Guts every night.

 

[JetBlack]

I don't think there's much more to say about the fact SK isn't like the evil spirits that attack Guts every night.

Well yes he is for sure not like those evil spirits. And I hope when Guts arrives to the Elves' home to know a little more about SK.