Hello, strugglers. Here is a theory about the diabolical archangel of the God Hand and his devious plans. I make a lot of assumptions so please feel free to not make anything for granted. Having said that, let's dive in!
What happened 1.000 years ago and what is Void's endgame?
So, this theory is based in everything Miura has given us with his work and the hints spread all over the story. Let's begin, 1000 years ago. The physical and astral world have not been separated and there are no known kingdoms within what we came to know as Midland. At one point, a man named Gaiseric descents from the North. As for his unknown origins, he could be a viking or he at least has conquered some Norse kingdoms (There are Nordic armors in Elf Island with which the awakened Casca fights as practice. Also, it checks out for him to be a Northman, geographically speaking). Having said that, Gaiseric could be of a completely different race but let's move on as it's not that important. So, this military figure eventually ships to Elf Island, where he comes face to face with magic users and all kind of astral beings. During his stay at the island, he befriends Flora and falls in love with a -presumably local- woman who, as we she in the flashbacks, looks exactly like The Flower Storm Monarch (Let's put a pin on that and talk about it later on).
So, in addition to forming strong bonds with the locals, Gaiseric gets a huge power-up, as he is gifted with a mighty weapon. That is of course, the fearsome Berserker Armor, made by dwarves (Particularly Hanarr, who we meet during the Elf Island chapter). So, equipped with this unstoppable weapon, Gaiseric goes about his military quest. He soon conquests all Western lands and begins to form his empire, that covers all of Midland. Now, during the years of building, it is safe to assume he had some close subordinates. That bring us to arguably the most important person in the universe of Berserk and who this theory considers to be the true master mind and architect of evil.
During the Conviction arc (More specifically the Birth Ceremony chapter), Father Mozgus tells a story about a priest who is said to have clashed with Emperor Gaiseric and eventually being tortured to death by his truly. As many common theories in the Berserk community suggest, Void was a priest -a pope like figure pethaps- and a close confidant of Emperor Gaiseric. It is quite possible the two were close friends that build an empire together. But as Gaiseric's power grew, so did his greed. The ambitious Emperor abused his power and practically enslaved his people, as he built his enormous capital, which covered the entirety of today's Midland. As Gaiseric used the magical powers of The Berserker Armor, he became the absolute, having total power over everyone and everything. But to quote Guts himself "The price for ambition too great, is self-destruction".
Let's begin with what came to be the fall of Gaiseric's homungus empire. So, at some point, Void became wary of the king's ambition and feared his greed would prove to be fatal for his people, who Void cared about deeply. Also, given his religious beliefs, it is possible Void saw Gaiseric's use of magic as something that defied the laws of God himself and defiled all that he held sacred. Whatever the reason, the priest came to clash with the Emperor, in an attempt to save the innocent people of Midland (Oh, the irony). It could be that Void was the leader of some sort of religious cult, gathering countless believers in order to defy the greedy Gaiseric. The emperor wouldn't have it and imprisoned his friend, as his power started to grow large and he was posing a big threat to him. Void was then tortured viciously, with his deformed look as a God Hand member probably inspired by the grotesque form Gaiseric gifted him with. At this point, an angel is said to have descended from the sky, as an answer to his anguish (sounds familiar?)
So, this is where the world began to crumble. Based on what we come to know about causality in the lost chapter of Berserk (Chapter 83), an obscure entity took form over a thousand years ago. The Idea of Evil, the closest thing to a God in the universe of Berserk, was created by humans and also dwells deep within the heart of man. So, this man-made God remained hidden deep into the abyss, what can be loosely described as the bowels of the astral world. Void is possibly the first human being to meet this entity and comprehend the concept of causality. Perhaps being the owner of the first crimson beherit, the tortured and betrayed priest's anguish opened a portal that connected with the abyss. Coming face to face with The Idea of Evil, Void was posed with a difficult question: "In this world, is the destiny of man controlled by some transcendal entity or law? Is it like the hand of God, hovering above?"
Now, this is where it gets interesting. This theory is going to unfold in two parts. Part I is all about exploring exactly what took place during the first eclipse, 1000 years ago. Part II, on the other hand, analyses what I believe to be Void's true endgame, possibly hinting at the finale of Berserk itself.
Part I: What happened 1000 years ago, during the first eclipse?
So, Void activates the Crimson Beherit and meets the Idea of Evil. He then gains immense power and obtains his God Hand form by making a sacrifice. Void chooses to basically murder all of Gaiseric's empire, including his cult's devoted followers (who could be the skull branded corpses at the bottom of The Tower of Rebirth). The myth however, speaks of four or five angels that destroyed the Empire. So, who were these mysterious figures that assisted the vicious archangel and what were their motives?
It is possible Void somehow contacted the Four Kings, magical entities that dwell in the astral world and basically control all of magic in the universe of Berserk. They could be the mysterious figures we see standing besides Void in the flashbacks, as all of their forms and character design are heavily inspired by various mythical Gods of Fire, Water, Earth and Wind. Being the constants of this world, Void convinced them that the ambitious Gaiseric is a threat to the well being of the entire universe. Enraged by his hybris, the four kings lend their powers and came to decimate Gaiseric's entire empire in the matter of one night.
Side Note: Something cool that is worth mentioning is that in Japanese philoshophy, there aren't just four elements (Fire, Water, Earth, Wind) but five. What is this other, mysterious element, you may ask? Well, it is that known as "Void".
Back to the biblical carnage. The Empire of Gaiseric falls and his dream is destroyed before his own eyes (The parallels). Also, Gaiseric's beloved died in his arms, with the fallen Emperor vowing revenge. So, he is going mad and completely abuses the power of the Berserker Armor. Not sure about the next part but it's possible he slaughters the four kings (or the old God Hand or whatever it was if the four Kings theory doesn't pan out). Void somehow survives Gaiseric's revenge and the fallen emperor loses his humanity and his physical body to the insatiable apettite of the acursed armor. His friend Flora comes to the rescue (sort of speak). She uses some forbidden magic (which gets her exiled from Elf Island) and somehow saves Gaiseric's beloved. However, she doesn't seem to be the same person ever again, as it was made apparent multiple times within the series (Particularly Skull Knight's meet-up with The Flower Storm Monarch). In addition, she saves the life of her friend, who is also never going to be the same. As Skull Knight himself said "This was the end of a foolish King". Gaiseric did in fact die that day, completely consumed by his hatred and the armor's steely teeth.
During the series, we learn of the existence of Daimons. Advanced and accomplished magicians (like Flora) can be upgraded (sort of speak) to astral beings. Daimons, as all of astral beings, draw their power from the Spiral World Tree. These beings can live on, even if their physical bodies are destroyed (As happened with Flora herself). Again, this part is a bit hazy but it is possible that meddling with the fountain of all power (The mighty tree) is in fact a tabboo in the sorcerers circle. So, Flora may have used the power of the tree to revive Gaiseric's and his beloved. In the latter's case, her body leaves on but she seems to have been reborn as another person entirely, with no connection or memories of Gaiseric. In his case, things are a lot worse. His body and soul have been completely swallowed by the armor and his inner darkness. The only thing left from him is feelings of deep hatred and rage. Put bluntly, there is nothing else to save. Flora once again uses the powers of the tree and turns her dear friend into the funky skeleton we all came to love. Skull Knight isn't a human being, or an astral being per se. He could be some sort of a Daimon, with him existing within the world of idea rather than the physical or astral world. That places him in the interstice, like the branded swordsman himself. As to what Skull Knight is, he is The Spirit of Vengeance. Well, not really, but it sounded too cool not to say it. Skull Knight becomes more of a concept, a wandering force that is haunted for eternity, solely existing to be "The foe of the inhumans". That explains a lot about him, if you think about it. Time flows different for him, he is kind of immortal, he appears and disappears mysteriously. To put an end to this, Skull Knight has been fighting for 1.000 years against the powers of evil and his old friend Void.
Now, we should get one last thing out of the way before we go to Part II and analyse Void's plans. Gaiseric's empire gets destroyed and he becomes Skull Knight. What happened next? It is possible that a team of the world's strongest sorcerers and astral beings contribute to a major event of the Berserk's universe: The separation of the two worlds. As mentioned before, the world was one, with astral beings existing along physical beings. In order to put an end to Void's plans and reigning supremacy, the sorcerers split the two worlds into the Physical and the Astral world. That is the reality we come to face during the most of the story, following Guts and company all the way until Vol. 34. The Great Roar of the Astral World merged the two worlds together once again, which was something Void was trying to do for the past millenium. So, let's put a stop right here as we pretty much covered the 1.000 year old events.
Part II: What is Void's plan and exactly what has he been doing for the past centuries? What comes next and how will it affect the finale of the entire series?
Now, most theories I've read point out that the betrayed priest manages to become the perfect agent of The Idea of Evil's agenda, as he manages to implement it as a constant of the world itself. The laws of causality seem to be infecting the world as it was know, to the point that free will is eradicated and everything is within the palm of the God Hand. That theory is based on the assumption Void wishes to be a vessell of the Idea of Evil and blindly implement its will onto the world. My theory is taking it a step farther. What if Void isn't trying to serve the Idea of Evil but instead free people from its will? What if in a twisted way, Void wishes to save the world and create a new one, free from the Idea of Evil? Sounds quite noble, doesn't it? Well, not really.
Void met the entity and came to understand the flow of causality in a way probably no one else in the Berserk universe does. Coming to face with the darkness of the abyss, he realises something: This world is beyond saving and the game is rigged. Well not that exactly but you get the point. So, he decides to use causality to his advantage in order to actually change the world. Let's pump the breaks for now and we will get back on this at the end.
First of all, it is critical to understand that Void's plan works in two levels. The first one is basically everything we witness during the series. The second level is only known by him, not even the other God Hand members. So, let's analyse the secret plan before diving into the (secret plan)². The God Hand clearly has an agenda, even though no one seems to know exactly what it is. Most theorise that the devious demons want to create a world that is ran by causality and their twisted motives. Works great for all God Hand members (Especially Femto) so why question it, right?
So, secret plan, explained. Void wants to make two big plays: Merge the physical and astral world once again and give birth to The Hawk of Light. Everything that happens during the past 1.000 years lead to exactly that. One after the other, members of the God Hand are born, until the horrific events of the fifth eclipse take place and Femto is born. The Hawk of Light is incarnated a couple of years later and months after that The Great Roar of the Astral World takes place. Fast forward to Berserk's current reality. Griffith sits atop of his throne in Falconia, his utopic empire, setting his sights to the East part of the world. The God Hand seems to control everything and all is well for the bad guys. Plan's worked to perfection, right? That's what everyone thinks, including the rest of the God Hand members and the hateful Griffith. Here comes the fun part: Void is secretely planning to betray the God Hand and has given birth to The White Hawk's legend for the sole purpose of destroying him.
Void had to bring the two worlds together as it was essential to his plans. He also wanted to form the world in a way that serves causality's law, in order for the God Hand to have total control of everything. So, he went on with his plan, carefully building throughout the centuries. The state of the world was chaotic, as Gaiseric's empire fell and the survivors of Midland (assuming there were any) and the entire world came to face an uncertain future. This part of the theory is going to make assumptions based on hints and personal theories but the main thing to take from it is Void's apparent agenda.
So, Void wanted to take over the world and build a new order of things, in which the God Hand reigned absolute, serving the Idea of Evil. In order to accomplish it, the ex priest did what he knew best: He created a religion (More of a cult if you think about it). The believers were no other than him and the other God Hand members, along with the horrific apostles he would come to create in the upcoming centuries. Indeed, 1.000 years passed and there was a distinct method within the madness and the forces of darkness. Five angels (God Hand), serve God (The Idea of Evil), while the followers (Apostles) worship said angels. Everything moves within the palm of their hand, with the law of causality reigning absolute. How did the devious Void accomplish this? Well, it was no easy task and it took a tremendous amount of preparation. Let's dive into it.
The five God Hand members
First, we have to consider the state of the world as Gaiseric's empire fell. Anarchy would fester within all of Midland and the Western civilization would be in steep decline. So, Void used causality and created the second God Hand member, Conrad. It is quite possible that he was some sort of Doctor that had saved countless lives sometime during the 216 years after the fall of Gaiseric's empire. The important figure fell ill somehow and was about to die horribly and unfairly (possibly by the plauge, also known as black death). Being the owner of a crimson beherit, the man summoned Void and he granted his wish for power and eternal life (Give or take). The ex doctor sacrificed everything he held dear (possibly the lives of all the people he saved) and Conrad was born. Void used his new partner, in order to sink the world in further despair. Conrad used his powers to spread diseases throughout the fallen kingdom and decimate the poor Midlanders. This went on until the next Eclipse took place, 216 years later.
With the world sinking into darkness, the need for hope arised. So, Void deemed it was the perfect moment for him to spread his propaganda and preach the word of his made-up religion to the unsuspected people of Midland. For marketing reasons, the demon would have to make up a story that would me more appealing to the audience (Demonhood isn't really catchy to be honest). So, he came up with the idea of Berserk's equivalent of Christianity. Now, the word of this new religion would have to spread around the world somehow. Enter God Hand member number three, Ubik. It is possible Ubik was some kind of noble man, like Minister Foss. During his mortal days, he spread misinformation and controlled the people through propaganda, making him a perfect candidate for becoming a God Hand member. Same old story went on, and the noble man faced death, subsequently sacrificing what held dearly and ascending into demon-hood. Void used Ubik, so he would plant the seeds of his new religion and control the people through religious propaganda. Void basically wrote the scriptures that the Holy See came to worship, all according to his 1.000 year old plan. So, "Christianity" spread all over the kingdom, foreshadowing the birth of darkness and the coming of a Messiah that would save the world and so on (More on that later).
216 years passed and the made-up religion seemed to reign supreme, with one small problem: A variety of cults seemed to have been formed, with people unable to completely agree about the religious specifics. Void, of course, saw that coming. The only thing he needed to do was control these cults too. How did he do that, you may ask? With the help of the next God Hand member, Slan. The femme fatale controlled cultists, exploiting their inner desires, mamipulating them through carnal pleasure etc. and urging them to defy and defile God. It is possible the woman was some sort of repressed figure in her humain days, like the naive Princess Charlotte or perhaps even a nun (There is an interesting fan fiction essay about this theory). Whatever the reason, she came to sacrifice her loved ones and became the smoking hot heartless demon we see in Berserk.
Let's recap: The world has been reformed according to Void's plans. Conrad spread the plague and sank the people of Midland to despair. Ubik spread the false words of "God" and propagated the scriptures of the Holy See. Slan controlled the cults that were born from the reigning religion of the world and all seemed to advance perfectly for Void. Only thing left was the arrival of a certain person. Of course, we are talking about The Hawk of Light, the proclaimed Messiah of the world. As we all know, Griffith came to rise to power as the dreadful Femto. Having sacrificed his loved ones and descending into darkness, he became the fifth and final member of the God Hand.
The Hawk of Light
So, what is so special about Griffith and how does he serves Void's agenda? Let's dive in. During the Golden Age, we know of the hundred year old war between the forces of Midland and those of Tudor, that left the western world all beaten-up, poor and disorganised. After the horrific Eclipse took place and Femto was born, 2 years of despair covered the world. During that time, Guts wandered Midland, slaying apostles and gaining the title of The Black Swordsman. What happened to the rest of the world, you may ask? That is answered during the Conviction Arc, mostly during the Birth Ceremony Chapter. To put it shortly, a dreadful darkness enveloped the world. Now, all of the God Hand members worked together, in order to set up the perfect setting for the prophecised Hawk of Light to be born. Conrad spreads the plague, decimating villages all around the empire, forcing the survivors to migrate and seek shelter at the Holy City, as refugees. Furthermore, the Kushan invasion pushes Midlanders away from Windham and to the refugee camp beneath the Tower of Conviction (This Ganishka fellow is pretty helpful to the God Hand's agenda without realizing it. I wonder who gifted him his powers and secretely urged him to invade Midland). At the same time, Slan encourages the cultists to sin furthermore and drives a wedge between the believers of the Holy See and all heretics. Inquisitions and subsequent deaths spread fear all over and people desperately wish and pray for someone to save them. Now, Ubik does his own part. He plants the prophetic dream of the white hawk into everyone's minds, teasing at the appereance of the savior of this world. At a certain point, the incarnation ceremony takes place and The Hawk of Light is incarnated. All of the refugees die miserable deaths and become sacrifices for the birth of the Messiah (Who is ironicaly the equivalent of the Anti-Christ in Christian mythology, if we want to explore the parallels).
Now, what is Griffith's role in Void's plans? The white hawk defends Midland by uniting the apostles that roam all the lands and rescues the Midlanders from the clutches of the invading Kushan. Ganishka plays the role of the villain (Which comes naturally to him) and tries to conquer the west. Griffith pushes the apostle to the edge, forcing him to dive deep into the abyss to gain power, using the man-made beherit that Daiba created. Things go horribly wrong and a humongous monster is birthed. This is very important, as it serves the ulterior motive of the scheming Femto. Griffith and the God Hand have been working behind the scenes to merge the physical and astral world, after 1.000 years of separation. This is heavily hinted from the birth of The Hawk of Light and afterwards, with the two worlds starting to overlap with Griffith's appearance. But let's not forget that there is a third world, that of Idea. In order for the worlds to merge, the mere concept of astral beings roaming the earth has to be formed within the minds of men. Ganishka's Shiva form makes sure that happens, with Griffith's apostles revealing their true nature in return. Faced with a common enemy and being lead by the charismatic Hawk of Light, the people of Midland fight side by side with the Apostles, accepting the unknown and the absurdity of the world. Moments after, Femto deflects the hit of Skull Knight sneak attack and hits Ganishka's Shiva form, killing him in the process. During the entire Falcon of the Millenium Arc, Griffith and the God Hand have been secretely preparing for this moment. The spirit tree (A large structure that connects the physical with the astral world) has a number of brances spread within the world, protected by Daimons, advanced magicians. Griffith has been attacking those vantage point and is destroying the branches, in order to cause instabillity to the entire tree, as he did when Zodd and company burned down Flora's cabin. When Ganishka dove into the abyss for a second time, a fissure was nearing, as the two worlds became even more interlapped with one another. Skull Knight's Sword of Actuation can cleave open space and was ironically used by the Godhand in an indirect manner. By deflecting SK's hit onto Ganishka, Griffith managed to create a fissure, which lead to the appearance of the Great Spirit Tree and the merging of the physical and astral world. Hooray for Void, who has been working for it for the past millenium.
Now, Griffith has created his own Utopia (Falconia, that sprung from the depths of the astral world and is basically Gaiseric's fallen empire, since Griffith has everything served to him in a sliver platter). The Hawk of Light is worshipped by its followers and reigns supreme, as a military leader and the Messiah of this world. He is currently venturing towards the East, ready to eliminate the only remaigning opponents he has in this new world. Having said all that, Griffith has fullfilled his biggest part in Void's plans. He merged the worlds together once again and is the main character in the religious play Void wrote, making sure the God Hand control the worls through his godly presence. Griffith has everything he ever wanted and the rest of the God Hand are pleased, with their plan having worked to perfection. But is that all? Does Void really not have another hidden agenda?
Of course he does. This is the last part of this enormous essay (sorry about that I just get fired up when talking about Berserk). Void has a secret plan, one he hasn't shared with his evil partners. In order to comprehend his character, we have to think of this: What is his dream? Dreams and the sacrifices one is willing to make in order to accomplish them is a main theme of the series, with Griffith embodying all of the virtues and horrible qualities a dreamer can hold deep in his heart. But what if Griffith, the chosen Messiah and ruler of the known world, is nothing but a mere pawn of Void? What if Conrad, Ubik and Slan are also nothing but means to an end for the demonic ex priest, who is planning to betray all of them and fulfill his one true dream?
Let's dive in by asking a very important question: What did Void wished for, back when he was a human being?
I believe he wanted to spread the word of God and stand side by side with his friend Gaiseric, all for the good people of Midland. I know what you are thinking, "This Void guy doesn't sound like he is that bad". Well, yes and no (Mostly no). Imagine this: Betrayed by his friend, tortured and left to die, Void comes face to face with the Idea of Evil. He learns the grim truth of his world, that the laws of causality pretty much rule everyone and everything. Faced with the horrible reality and having been pushed to his limit, the dying man chooses to abandon his humanity and gain enough power to rise above the rotten world. He sacrifices his beloved cultists and the people of the empire he held dear into his broken heart and becomes the ruthless demon we know. The evil Void decides to become a servant of the Idea of Evil and carry its will, sinking the world into darkness. That is what everyone thinks that is happening, including Griffith and the rest of the God Hand members. So, how come I'm not buying it?
When you think about it, Void would have to be completely broken and swayed by the man-made God, in order to abandon his life's work in its entirety. Sure, being tortured by your friend can do that to you but I believe Void was mentally stronger than that. There is a possibillity he was completely altered when he came to face the grim reality of the world. What if his iron will didn't break but simply got contaminated by darkness? Perhaps Void thought of his purpose as pretty much the dark version of his human dream: To lead the people according to the will of God. Well, this theory takes it a step further. What if Void actually wants to save people from the Idea of Evil?
That sounds pretty weird, considering everything the villain does is in the mame of causality and its inescapable law. I think Void realized that the world is a victim to its own darkness and that he can't change that with conventional actions. So, having realized that the game is rigged, he used the rules of the game to his benefit. Having been sunk into darkness, the ex priest realized "I cannot defeat evil, nor do I wish to". So, he began his scheming with one thought in mind: To liberate man from the inescapable chains of causality and the man-made God, the Idea of Evil.
The irony of his plan is that Void wishes to free humans by controlling them, tricking them into actually believing they have free will. He himself has seen how this world is working and believes he can change it with his cunning ways. Put bluntly: Void is a priest who decides to fight against his own God, by cleverly playing the game according to causality's laws. Using the flawed system to his advantage, he wishes to create a world where believers are freed from the Idea of Evil. Exactly how does he think he can pull it off, though?
Everything has to do with the scriptures of the Holy See. Void created a fake religion that he wrote down, much like a theatrical play. He then manipulated the world for a thousand years (with the help of the other God Hand members he himself created) and shaped the world in a manner he saw fit to his plans. The Messianic Hawk of Light was born and Void now has everyone exactly where he wanted. He used the God Hand to form the world exactly as he planned and build the stage for his twisted play. After a thousand years of preparation, he birthed the Messiah of the worls and he managed to merge the two worlds. At the same time, everything is ideal in the eyes of Griffith, that is oblivious to the fact he is about to serve his final purpose: To be exposed as the villain he is and be killed. I know what you are thinking. This sound too good to be true. Will the white haired monster finally get what he deserves? It's normal to doubt it, as since the fateful Eclipse, Griffith has done nothing but winning. He has everything he wanted and nothing seems to be able to stop him. Well, he is in fact not winning, Void is. Griffith is simply playing out the role Void wrote and is heading towards his last act.
Void's true goal is to urge people into defying God. Since the Idea of Evil is absolute and cannot be defeated, Void created a fake religion and implemented it into the world, with the sole purpose of turning people against it. Having control over this charade, he is now going to trick the people into defying their own Messiah and "freeing" themselves from the God they think they are serving. Quite ironic that Void's secretely claims that his true God is free will, given that his plan to create his twisted utopia is to manipulate people into thinking they have free will themselves. But I guess this is the cruel grace of the God born of man, with Void basically becoming the very thing he seeks to destroy.
Now, the "fun" part. The world believes Griffith is the Hawk of Light, their Messiah. Void is secretely orchestrating the fall of Griffith, as he realizes causality's currents are flowing towards that direction, him giving all the right nudges for it to happen. Griffith's wings are going to burn, like Icarus and he will come face to face with the death of his dream once again. Perhaps the other members of the God Hand will betray him (Alongside Void who is clearly doing so), or maybe Guts and company will actually manage to put a stop to his evil plans (Although I don't think that is possible given what he have seen so far in the series). For whatever reason, the selfish Griffith will come to face his fall, as the treacherous Void offers him a way out. He has to sacrifice Falconia, so he can once again escape death. The dying man will do so, with his entire empire witnessing his true colors, as spectators to the inhuman ceremony. What would normally happen is that all the people and perhaps apostles of Falconia would die horribly and Griffith would once again get away with it. But here comes the surprise reveal!
Void finally shows us what he has been secretely planning for the past centuries. In a shocking twist, the Archangel of the God Hand speaks up. He offers the people of Falconia a choice: To sacrifice their own Messiah and save themselves. As the Hawk of Light has been revealed to actually be The Hawk of Darkness, the believers of the manufactured religion have the illusion of free will. By sacrificing Griffith, they can break the chain of causality and deny their own God (although a fake one, created by Void). As for the rest of the God Hand, it is possible Void offers them as sacrifices as well, to the people of Falconia or even Griffith himself, in a final attempt to save his life. Can God Hand members be sacrificed though? Well, when the two worlds merged during the great roar of the astral world, all of the God Hand members were incarnated. That means they can probably be branded and offered as sacrifices, which is a brilliant play by Void. Now, everything is set for the new world he envisioned, one where free will reigns above all and people have defiled and rejected every Godly figure, becoming their own Gods. In reality, all Void has done is trick men into thinking they are free, as he believes there was no other way to do so. The irony is that he himself is no different that the Idea of Evil, as he manipulates people, stripping them of their free will. Having said all that, let's revisit an iconic quote of the Berserk series.
"In this world, is the destiny of mankind controlled by some transcendental entity or law? Is it like the hand of God hovering above? At least it is true that man has no control, even over his own will"
It rings a bit different, doesn't it? Well, that's what this theory thinks so, even though the finale could be something else entirely. Having said that, the last part of Berserk is going to be quite explosive, as the world is going to change drastically. I personally believe Griffith, Slan, Ubik and Conrad will all die due to Void's betrayal. Guts is going to have a chance to kill Griffith before the ceremony takes place but he will denounce his revenge, choosing forgiveness over hatred, for the sake of his child, who shares a body with his nemesis. Griffith will eventually die from the hands of Void and his followers and everything will flow according to the demonic priest's will.
I don't know if Void will lose in the end but here is a possible scenario. His 1.000 year old plan works to perfection and the world is shaped according to his dream. Causality will come to bite him in the ass though, as his demonic sins will be his downfal, in the face of the fallen Gaiseric The Skull Knight will use his Beherit sword to entomb Void and himself within the vortex of souls. The two will never truly die but will spend eternity fighting eachother in hell, which is pretty poetic if you think about it. As for Guts, he will spend his remaining days with Casca, grieving the loss of their child and working through their trauma. The love they share is going to support them for the rest of their lives and the Black Swordsman will keep struggling until the end.
Thank you for reading my crazy theories. Feel free to comment and point out anything you want and keep on enjoying Berserk. Stay cool, strugglers!
What happened 1.000 years ago and what is Void's endgame?So, this theory is based in everything Miura has given us with his work and the hints spread all over the story. Let's begin, 1000 years ago. The physical and astral world have not been separated and there are no known kingdoms within what we came to know as Midland. At one point, a man named Gaiseric descents from the North. As for his unknown origins, he could be a viking or he at least has conquered some Norse kingdoms (There are Nordic armors in Elf Island with which the awakened Casca fights as practice. Also, it checks out for him to be a Northman, geographically speaking). Having said that, Gaiseric could be of a completely different race but let's move on as it's not that important. So, this military figure eventually ships to Elf Island, where he comes face to face with magic users and all kind of astral beings. During his stay at the island, he befriends Flora and falls in love with a -presumably local- woman who, as we she in the flashbacks, looks exactly like The Flower Storm Monarch (Let's put a pin on that and talk about it later on).
So, in addition to forming strong bonds with the locals, Gaiseric gets a huge power-up, as he is gifted with a mighty weapon. That is of course, the fearsome Berserker Armor, made by dwarves (Particularly Hanarr, who we meet during the Elf Island chapter). So, equipped with this unstoppable weapon, Gaiseric goes about his military quest. He soon conquests all Western lands and begins to form his empire, that covers all of Midland. Now, during the years of building, it is safe to assume he had some close subordinates. That bring us to arguably the most important person in the universe of Berserk and who this theory considers to be the true master mind and architect of evil.
During the Conviction arc (More specifically the Birth Ceremony chapter), Father Mozgus tells a story about a priest who is said to have clashed with Emperor Gaiseric and eventually being tortured to death by his truly. As many common theories in the Berserk community suggest, Void was a priest -a pope like figure pethaps- and a close confidant of Emperor Gaiseric. It is quite possible the two were close friends that build an empire together. But as Gaiseric's power grew, so did his greed. The ambitious Emperor abused his power and practically enslaved his people, as he built his enormous capital, which covered the entirety of today's Midland. As Gaiseric used the magical powers of The Berserker Armor, he became the absolute, having total power over everyone and everything. But to quote Guts himself "The price for ambition too great, is self-destruction".
Let's begin with what came to be the fall of Gaiseric's homungus empire. So, at some point, Void became wary of the king's ambition and feared his greed would prove to be fatal for his people, who Void cared about deeply. Also, given his religious beliefs, it is possible Void saw Gaiseric's use of magic as something that defied the laws of God himself and defiled all that he held sacred. Whatever the reason, the priest came to clash with the Emperor, in an attempt to save the innocent people of Midland (Oh, the irony). It could be that Void was the leader of some sort of religious cult, gathering countless believers in order to defy the greedy Gaiseric. The emperor wouldn't have it and imprisoned his friend, as his power started to grow large and he was posing a big threat to him. Void was then tortured viciously, with his deformed look as a God Hand member probably inspired by the grotesque form Gaiseric gifted him with. At this point, an angel is said to have descended from the sky, as an answer to his anguish (sounds familiar?)
So, this is where the world began to crumble. Based on what we come to know about causality in the lost chapter of Berserk (Chapter 83), an obscure entity took form over a thousand years ago. The Idea of Evil, the closest thing to a God in the universe of Berserk, was created by humans and also dwells deep within the heart of man. So, this man-made God remained hidden deep into the abyss, what can be loosely described as the bowels of the astral world. Void is possibly the first human being to meet this entity and comprehend the concept of causality. Perhaps being the owner of the first crimson beherit, the tortured and betrayed priest's anguish opened a portal that connected with the abyss. Coming face to face with The Idea of Evil, Void was posed with a difficult question: "In this world, is the destiny of man controlled by some transcendal entity or law? Is it like the hand of God, hovering above?"
Now, this is where it gets interesting. This theory is going to unfold in two parts. Part I is all about exploring exactly what took place during the first eclipse, 1000 years ago. Part II, on the other hand, analyses what I believe to be Void's true endgame, possibly hinting at the finale of Berserk itself.
Part I: What happened 1000 years ago, during the first eclipse?So, Void activates the Crimson Beherit and meets the Idea of Evil. He then gains immense power and obtains his God Hand form by making a sacrifice. Void chooses to basically murder all of Gaiseric's empire, including his cult's devoted followers (who could be the skull branded corpses at the bottom of The Tower of Rebirth). The myth however, speaks of four or five angels that destroyed the Empire. So, who were these mysterious figures that assisted the vicious archangel and what were their motives?
It is possible Void somehow contacted the Four Kings, magical entities that dwell in the astral world and basically control all of magic in the universe of Berserk. They could be the mysterious figures we see standing besides Void in the flashbacks, as all of their forms and character design are heavily inspired by various mythical Gods of Fire, Water, Earth and Wind. Being the constants of this world, Void convinced them that the ambitious Gaiseric is a threat to the well being of the entire universe. Enraged by his hybris, the four kings lend their powers and came to decimate Gaiseric's entire empire in the matter of one night.
Side Note: Something cool that is worth mentioning is that in Japanese philoshophy, there aren't just four elements (Fire, Water, Earth, Wind) but five. What is this other, mysterious element, you may ask? Well, it is that known as "Void".
Back to the biblical carnage. The Empire of Gaiseric falls and his dream is destroyed before his own eyes (The parallels). Also, Gaiseric's beloved died in his arms, with the fallen Emperor vowing revenge. So, he is going mad and completely abuses the power of the Berserker Armor. Not sure about the next part but it's possible he slaughters the four kings (or the old God Hand or whatever it was if the four Kings theory doesn't pan out). Void somehow survives Gaiseric's revenge and the fallen emperor loses his humanity and his physical body to the insatiable apettite of the acursed armor. His friend Flora comes to the rescue (sort of speak). She uses some forbidden magic (which gets her exiled from Elf Island) and somehow saves Gaiseric's beloved. However, she doesn't seem to be the same person ever again, as it was made apparent multiple times within the series (Particularly Skull Knight's meet-up with The Flower Storm Monarch). In addition, she saves the life of her friend, who is also never going to be the same. As Skull Knight himself said "This was the end of a foolish King". Gaiseric did in fact die that day, completely consumed by his hatred and the armor's steely teeth.
During the series, we learn of the existence of Daimons. Advanced and accomplished magicians (like Flora) can be upgraded (sort of speak) to astral beings. Daimons, as all of astral beings, draw their power from the Spiral World Tree. These beings can live on, even if their physical bodies are destroyed (As happened with Flora herself). Again, this part is a bit hazy but it is possible that meddling with the fountain of all power (The mighty tree) is in fact a tabboo in the sorcerers circle. So, Flora may have used the power of the tree to revive Gaiseric's and his beloved. In the latter's case, her body leaves on but she seems to have been reborn as another person entirely, with no connection or memories of Gaiseric. In his case, things are a lot worse. His body and soul have been completely swallowed by the armor and his inner darkness. The only thing left from him is feelings of deep hatred and rage. Put bluntly, there is nothing else to save. Flora once again uses the powers of the tree and turns her dear friend into the funky skeleton we all came to love. Skull Knight isn't a human being, or an astral being per se. He could be some sort of a Daimon, with him existing within the world of idea rather than the physical or astral world. That places him in the interstice, like the branded swordsman himself. As to what Skull Knight is, he is The Spirit of Vengeance. Well, not really, but it sounded too cool not to say it. Skull Knight becomes more of a concept, a wandering force that is haunted for eternity, solely existing to be "The foe of the inhumans". That explains a lot about him, if you think about it. Time flows different for him, he is kind of immortal, he appears and disappears mysteriously. To put an end to this, Skull Knight has been fighting for 1.000 years against the powers of evil and his old friend Void.
Now, we should get one last thing out of the way before we go to Part II and analyse Void's plans. Gaiseric's empire gets destroyed and he becomes Skull Knight. What happened next? It is possible that a team of the world's strongest sorcerers and astral beings contribute to a major event of the Berserk's universe: The separation of the two worlds. As mentioned before, the world was one, with astral beings existing along physical beings. In order to put an end to Void's plans and reigning supremacy, the sorcerers split the two worlds into the Physical and the Astral world. That is the reality we come to face during the most of the story, following Guts and company all the way until Vol. 34. The Great Roar of the Astral World merged the two worlds together once again, which was something Void was trying to do for the past millenium. So, let's put a stop right here as we pretty much covered the 1.000 year old events.
Part II: What is Void's plan and exactly what has he been doing for the past centuries? What comes next and how will it affect the finale of the entire series?Now, most theories I've read point out that the betrayed priest manages to become the perfect agent of The Idea of Evil's agenda, as he manages to implement it as a constant of the world itself. The laws of causality seem to be infecting the world as it was know, to the point that free will is eradicated and everything is within the palm of the God Hand. That theory is based on the assumption Void wishes to be a vessell of the Idea of Evil and blindly implement its will onto the world. My theory is taking it a step farther. What if Void isn't trying to serve the Idea of Evil but instead free people from its will? What if in a twisted way, Void wishes to save the world and create a new one, free from the Idea of Evil? Sounds quite noble, doesn't it? Well, not really.
Void met the entity and came to understand the flow of causality in a way probably no one else in the Berserk universe does. Coming to face with the darkness of the abyss, he realises something: This world is beyond saving and the game is rigged. Well not that exactly but you get the point. So, he decides to use causality to his advantage in order to actually change the world. Let's pump the breaks for now and we will get back on this at the end.
First of all, it is critical to understand that Void's plan works in two levels. The first one is basically everything we witness during the series. The second level is only known by him, not even the other God Hand members. So, let's analyse the secret plan before diving into the (secret plan)². The God Hand clearly has an agenda, even though no one seems to know exactly what it is. Most theorise that the devious demons want to create a world that is ran by causality and their twisted motives. Works great for all God Hand members (Especially Femto) so why question it, right?
So, secret plan, explained. Void wants to make two big plays: Merge the physical and astral world once again and give birth to The Hawk of Light. Everything that happens during the past 1.000 years lead to exactly that. One after the other, members of the God Hand are born, until the horrific events of the fifth eclipse take place and Femto is born. The Hawk of Light is incarnated a couple of years later and months after that The Great Roar of the Astral World takes place. Fast forward to Berserk's current reality. Griffith sits atop of his throne in Falconia, his utopic empire, setting his sights to the East part of the world. The God Hand seems to control everything and all is well for the bad guys. Plan's worked to perfection, right? That's what everyone thinks, including the rest of the God Hand members and the hateful Griffith. Here comes the fun part: Void is secretely planning to betray the God Hand and has given birth to The White Hawk's legend for the sole purpose of destroying him.
Void had to bring the two worlds together as it was essential to his plans. He also wanted to form the world in a way that serves causality's law, in order for the God Hand to have total control of everything. So, he went on with his plan, carefully building throughout the centuries. The state of the world was chaotic, as Gaiseric's empire fell and the survivors of Midland (assuming there were any) and the entire world came to face an uncertain future. This part of the theory is going to make assumptions based on hints and personal theories but the main thing to take from it is Void's apparent agenda.
So, Void wanted to take over the world and build a new order of things, in which the God Hand reigned absolute, serving the Idea of Evil. In order to accomplish it, the ex priest did what he knew best: He created a religion (More of a cult if you think about it). The believers were no other than him and the other God Hand members, along with the horrific apostles he would come to create in the upcoming centuries. Indeed, 1.000 years passed and there was a distinct method within the madness and the forces of darkness. Five angels (God Hand), serve God (The Idea of Evil), while the followers (Apostles) worship said angels. Everything moves within the palm of their hand, with the law of causality reigning absolute. How did the devious Void accomplish this? Well, it was no easy task and it took a tremendous amount of preparation. Let's dive into it.
The five God Hand membersFirst, we have to consider the state of the world as Gaiseric's empire fell. Anarchy would fester within all of Midland and the Western civilization would be in steep decline. So, Void used causality and created the second God Hand member, Conrad. It is quite possible that he was some sort of Doctor that had saved countless lives sometime during the 216 years after the fall of Gaiseric's empire. The important figure fell ill somehow and was about to die horribly and unfairly (possibly by the plauge, also known as black death). Being the owner of a crimson beherit, the man summoned Void and he granted his wish for power and eternal life (Give or take). The ex doctor sacrificed everything he held dear (possibly the lives of all the people he saved) and Conrad was born. Void used his new partner, in order to sink the world in further despair. Conrad used his powers to spread diseases throughout the fallen kingdom and decimate the poor Midlanders. This went on until the next Eclipse took place, 216 years later.
With the world sinking into darkness, the need for hope arised. So, Void deemed it was the perfect moment for him to spread his propaganda and preach the word of his made-up religion to the unsuspected people of Midland. For marketing reasons, the demon would have to make up a story that would me more appealing to the audience (Demonhood isn't really catchy to be honest). So, he came up with the idea of Berserk's equivalent of Christianity. Now, the word of this new religion would have to spread around the world somehow. Enter God Hand member number three, Ubik. It is possible Ubik was some kind of noble man, like Minister Foss. During his mortal days, he spread misinformation and controlled the people through propaganda, making him a perfect candidate for becoming a God Hand member. Same old story went on, and the noble man faced death, subsequently sacrificing what held dearly and ascending into demon-hood. Void used Ubik, so he would plant the seeds of his new religion and control the people through religious propaganda. Void basically wrote the scriptures that the Holy See came to worship, all according to his 1.000 year old plan. So, "Christianity" spread all over the kingdom, foreshadowing the birth of darkness and the coming of a Messiah that would save the world and so on (More on that later).
216 years passed and the made-up religion seemed to reign supreme, with one small problem: A variety of cults seemed to have been formed, with people unable to completely agree about the religious specifics. Void, of course, saw that coming. The only thing he needed to do was control these cults too. How did he do that, you may ask? With the help of the next God Hand member, Slan. The femme fatale controlled cultists, exploiting their inner desires, mamipulating them through carnal pleasure etc. and urging them to defy and defile God. It is possible the woman was some sort of repressed figure in her humain days, like the naive Princess Charlotte or perhaps even a nun (There is an interesting fan fiction essay about this theory). Whatever the reason, she came to sacrifice her loved ones and became the smoking hot heartless demon we see in Berserk.
Let's recap: The world has been reformed according to Void's plans. Conrad spread the plague and sank the people of Midland to despair. Ubik spread the false words of "God" and propagated the scriptures of the Holy See. Slan controlled the cults that were born from the reigning religion of the world and all seemed to advance perfectly for Void. Only thing left was the arrival of a certain person. Of course, we are talking about The Hawk of Light, the proclaimed Messiah of the world. As we all know, Griffith came to rise to power as the dreadful Femto. Having sacrificed his loved ones and descending into darkness, he became the fifth and final member of the God Hand.
The Hawk of LightSo, what is so special about Griffith and how does he serves Void's agenda? Let's dive in. During the Golden Age, we know of the hundred year old war between the forces of Midland and those of Tudor, that left the western world all beaten-up, poor and disorganised. After the horrific Eclipse took place and Femto was born, 2 years of despair covered the world. During that time, Guts wandered Midland, slaying apostles and gaining the title of The Black Swordsman. What happened to the rest of the world, you may ask? That is answered during the Conviction Arc, mostly during the Birth Ceremony Chapter. To put it shortly, a dreadful darkness enveloped the world. Now, all of the God Hand members worked together, in order to set up the perfect setting for the prophecised Hawk of Light to be born. Conrad spreads the plague, decimating villages all around the empire, forcing the survivors to migrate and seek shelter at the Holy City, as refugees. Furthermore, the Kushan invasion pushes Midlanders away from Windham and to the refugee camp beneath the Tower of Conviction (This Ganishka fellow is pretty helpful to the God Hand's agenda without realizing it. I wonder who gifted him his powers and secretely urged him to invade Midland). At the same time, Slan encourages the cultists to sin furthermore and drives a wedge between the believers of the Holy See and all heretics. Inquisitions and subsequent deaths spread fear all over and people desperately wish and pray for someone to save them. Now, Ubik does his own part. He plants the prophetic dream of the white hawk into everyone's minds, teasing at the appereance of the savior of this world. At a certain point, the incarnation ceremony takes place and The Hawk of Light is incarnated. All of the refugees die miserable deaths and become sacrifices for the birth of the Messiah (Who is ironicaly the equivalent of the Anti-Christ in Christian mythology, if we want to explore the parallels).
Now, what is Griffith's role in Void's plans? The white hawk defends Midland by uniting the apostles that roam all the lands and rescues the Midlanders from the clutches of the invading Kushan. Ganishka plays the role of the villain (Which comes naturally to him) and tries to conquer the west. Griffith pushes the apostle to the edge, forcing him to dive deep into the abyss to gain power, using the man-made beherit that Daiba created. Things go horribly wrong and a humongous monster is birthed. This is very important, as it serves the ulterior motive of the scheming Femto. Griffith and the God Hand have been working behind the scenes to merge the physical and astral world, after 1.000 years of separation. This is heavily hinted from the birth of The Hawk of Light and afterwards, with the two worlds starting to overlap with Griffith's appearance. But let's not forget that there is a third world, that of Idea. In order for the worlds to merge, the mere concept of astral beings roaming the earth has to be formed within the minds of men. Ganishka's Shiva form makes sure that happens, with Griffith's apostles revealing their true nature in return. Faced with a common enemy and being lead by the charismatic Hawk of Light, the people of Midland fight side by side with the Apostles, accepting the unknown and the absurdity of the world. Moments after, Femto deflects the hit of Skull Knight sneak attack and hits Ganishka's Shiva form, killing him in the process. During the entire Falcon of the Millenium Arc, Griffith and the God Hand have been secretely preparing for this moment. The spirit tree (A large structure that connects the physical with the astral world) has a number of brances spread within the world, protected by Daimons, advanced magicians. Griffith has been attacking those vantage point and is destroying the branches, in order to cause instabillity to the entire tree, as he did when Zodd and company burned down Flora's cabin. When Ganishka dove into the abyss for a second time, a fissure was nearing, as the two worlds became even more interlapped with one another. Skull Knight's Sword of Actuation can cleave open space and was ironically used by the Godhand in an indirect manner. By deflecting SK's hit onto Ganishka, Griffith managed to create a fissure, which lead to the appearance of the Great Spirit Tree and the merging of the physical and astral world. Hooray for Void, who has been working for it for the past millenium.
Now, Griffith has created his own Utopia (Falconia, that sprung from the depths of the astral world and is basically Gaiseric's fallen empire, since Griffith has everything served to him in a sliver platter). The Hawk of Light is worshipped by its followers and reigns supreme, as a military leader and the Messiah of this world. He is currently venturing towards the East, ready to eliminate the only remaigning opponents he has in this new world. Having said all that, Griffith has fullfilled his biggest part in Void's plans. He merged the worlds together once again and is the main character in the religious play Void wrote, making sure the God Hand control the worls through his godly presence. Griffith has everything he ever wanted and the rest of the God Hand are pleased, with their plan having worked to perfection. But is that all? Does Void really not have another hidden agenda?
Of course he does. This is the last part of this enormous essay (sorry about that I just get fired up when talking about Berserk). Void has a secret plan, one he hasn't shared with his evil partners. In order to comprehend his character, we have to think of this: What is his dream? Dreams and the sacrifices one is willing to make in order to accomplish them is a main theme of the series, with Griffith embodying all of the virtues and horrible qualities a dreamer can hold deep in his heart. But what if Griffith, the chosen Messiah and ruler of the known world, is nothing but a mere pawn of Void? What if Conrad, Ubik and Slan are also nothing but means to an end for the demonic ex priest, who is planning to betray all of them and fulfill his one true dream?
Let's dive in by asking a very important question: What did Void wished for, back when he was a human being?
I believe he wanted to spread the word of God and stand side by side with his friend Gaiseric, all for the good people of Midland. I know what you are thinking, "This Void guy doesn't sound like he is that bad". Well, yes and no (Mostly no). Imagine this: Betrayed by his friend, tortured and left to die, Void comes face to face with the Idea of Evil. He learns the grim truth of his world, that the laws of causality pretty much rule everyone and everything. Faced with the horrible reality and having been pushed to his limit, the dying man chooses to abandon his humanity and gain enough power to rise above the rotten world. He sacrifices his beloved cultists and the people of the empire he held dear into his broken heart and becomes the ruthless demon we know. The evil Void decides to become a servant of the Idea of Evil and carry its will, sinking the world into darkness. That is what everyone thinks that is happening, including Griffith and the rest of the God Hand members. So, how come I'm not buying it?
When you think about it, Void would have to be completely broken and swayed by the man-made God, in order to abandon his life's work in its entirety. Sure, being tortured by your friend can do that to you but I believe Void was mentally stronger than that. There is a possibillity he was completely altered when he came to face the grim reality of the world. What if his iron will didn't break but simply got contaminated by darkness? Perhaps Void thought of his purpose as pretty much the dark version of his human dream: To lead the people according to the will of God. Well, this theory takes it a step further. What if Void actually wants to save people from the Idea of Evil?
That sounds pretty weird, considering everything the villain does is in the mame of causality and its inescapable law. I think Void realized that the world is a victim to its own darkness and that he can't change that with conventional actions. So, having realized that the game is rigged, he used the rules of the game to his benefit. Having been sunk into darkness, the ex priest realized "I cannot defeat evil, nor do I wish to". So, he began his scheming with one thought in mind: To liberate man from the inescapable chains of causality and the man-made God, the Idea of Evil.
The irony of his plan is that Void wishes to free humans by controlling them, tricking them into actually believing they have free will. He himself has seen how this world is working and believes he can change it with his cunning ways. Put bluntly: Void is a priest who decides to fight against his own God, by cleverly playing the game according to causality's laws. Using the flawed system to his advantage, he wishes to create a world where believers are freed from the Idea of Evil. Exactly how does he think he can pull it off, though?
Everything has to do with the scriptures of the Holy See. Void created a fake religion that he wrote down, much like a theatrical play. He then manipulated the world for a thousand years (with the help of the other God Hand members he himself created) and shaped the world in a manner he saw fit to his plans. The Messianic Hawk of Light was born and Void now has everyone exactly where he wanted. He used the God Hand to form the world exactly as he planned and build the stage for his twisted play. After a thousand years of preparation, he birthed the Messiah of the worls and he managed to merge the two worlds. At the same time, everything is ideal in the eyes of Griffith, that is oblivious to the fact he is about to serve his final purpose: To be exposed as the villain he is and be killed. I know what you are thinking. This sound too good to be true. Will the white haired monster finally get what he deserves? It's normal to doubt it, as since the fateful Eclipse, Griffith has done nothing but winning. He has everything he wanted and nothing seems to be able to stop him. Well, he is in fact not winning, Void is. Griffith is simply playing out the role Void wrote and is heading towards his last act.
Void's true goal is to urge people into defying God. Since the Idea of Evil is absolute and cannot be defeated, Void created a fake religion and implemented it into the world, with the sole purpose of turning people against it. Having control over this charade, he is now going to trick the people into defying their own Messiah and "freeing" themselves from the God they think they are serving. Quite ironic that Void's secretely claims that his true God is free will, given that his plan to create his twisted utopia is to manipulate people into thinking they have free will themselves. But I guess this is the cruel grace of the God born of man, with Void basically becoming the very thing he seeks to destroy.
Now, the "fun" part. The world believes Griffith is the Hawk of Light, their Messiah. Void is secretely orchestrating the fall of Griffith, as he realizes causality's currents are flowing towards that direction, him giving all the right nudges for it to happen. Griffith's wings are going to burn, like Icarus and he will come face to face with the death of his dream once again. Perhaps the other members of the God Hand will betray him (Alongside Void who is clearly doing so), or maybe Guts and company will actually manage to put a stop to his evil plans (Although I don't think that is possible given what he have seen so far in the series). For whatever reason, the selfish Griffith will come to face his fall, as the treacherous Void offers him a way out. He has to sacrifice Falconia, so he can once again escape death. The dying man will do so, with his entire empire witnessing his true colors, as spectators to the inhuman ceremony. What would normally happen is that all the people and perhaps apostles of Falconia would die horribly and Griffith would once again get away with it. But here comes the surprise reveal!
Void finally shows us what he has been secretely planning for the past centuries. In a shocking twist, the Archangel of the God Hand speaks up. He offers the people of Falconia a choice: To sacrifice their own Messiah and save themselves. As the Hawk of Light has been revealed to actually be The Hawk of Darkness, the believers of the manufactured religion have the illusion of free will. By sacrificing Griffith, they can break the chain of causality and deny their own God (although a fake one, created by Void). As for the rest of the God Hand, it is possible Void offers them as sacrifices as well, to the people of Falconia or even Griffith himself, in a final attempt to save his life. Can God Hand members be sacrificed though? Well, when the two worlds merged during the great roar of the astral world, all of the God Hand members were incarnated. That means they can probably be branded and offered as sacrifices, which is a brilliant play by Void. Now, everything is set for the new world he envisioned, one where free will reigns above all and people have defiled and rejected every Godly figure, becoming their own Gods. In reality, all Void has done is trick men into thinking they are free, as he believes there was no other way to do so. The irony is that he himself is no different that the Idea of Evil, as he manipulates people, stripping them of their free will. Having said all that, let's revisit an iconic quote of the Berserk series.
"In this world, is the destiny of mankind controlled by some transcendental entity or law? Is it like the hand of God hovering above? At least it is true that man has no control, even over his own will"
It rings a bit different, doesn't it? Well, that's what this theory thinks so, even though the finale could be something else entirely. Having said that, the last part of Berserk is going to be quite explosive, as the world is going to change drastically. I personally believe Griffith, Slan, Ubik and Conrad will all die due to Void's betrayal. Guts is going to have a chance to kill Griffith before the ceremony takes place but he will denounce his revenge, choosing forgiveness over hatred, for the sake of his child, who shares a body with his nemesis. Griffith will eventually die from the hands of Void and his followers and everything will flow according to the demonic priest's will.
I don't know if Void will lose in the end but here is a possible scenario. His 1.000 year old plan works to perfection and the world is shaped according to his dream. Causality will come to bite him in the ass though, as his demonic sins will be his downfal, in the face of the fallen Gaiseric The Skull Knight will use his Beherit sword to entomb Void and himself within the vortex of souls. The two will never truly die but will spend eternity fighting eachother in hell, which is pretty poetic if you think about it. As for Guts, he will spend his remaining days with Casca, grieving the loss of their child and working through their trauma. The love they share is going to support them for the rest of their lives and the Black Swordsman will keep struggling until the end.
Thank you for reading my crazy theories. Feel free to comment and point out anything you want and keep on enjoying Berserk. Stay cool, strugglers!
I highly doubt that. I mean he literally would be looking at the answer if he was in front of the Idea of Evil.
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