Zodd's backstory?

Apologies if this has been discussed, but I did run a search and there's A LOT of Zodd material.

Now I'm not Zodd's biggest fan. In fact, I don't even buy into his honourable side. Just when things get interesting with Guts he breaks out his Apostle form. Booo! Hiss! However, I am curious about his backstory and what pushed Zodd into casting away his humanity. Do you think Miura will ever shed light on this? And if so, do you imagine Zodd will have a particularly tragic past? :zodd:
 

Vampire_Hunter_Bob

Cats are great
Doc said:
I don't even buy into his honourable side. Just when things get interesting with Guts he breaks out his Apostle form.
That's a bit unfair. Zodd, as far as we know, doesn't fight anyone but professional soldiers. Just because Guts is the protagonist, doesn't change the fact that he is an armed soldier.

However, I am curious about his backstory and what pushed Zodd into casting away his humanity.
Nothing is known thus far.

Do you think Miura will ever shed light on this?
I certainly hope so. I don't see Zodd's past coming up until the very end of the series. It just seems like it'll go together, Zodd's past along with the ending of the series.

And if so, do you imagine Zodd will have a particularly tragic past? :zodd:
Maybe so, but I think it'll be just as tragic as the other apostle's back stories.
 

Aazealh

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Doc said:
Now I'm not Zodd's biggest fan. In fact, I don't even buy into his honourable side.

Keep in mind his "honourable side" as you say is just what people project on him. He himself doesn't pose as a honorable knight, unlike Grunbeld or Locus.

Doc said:
Do you think Miura will ever shed light on this?

Yes. I'm absolutely certain Miura will tell us about it.

Doc said:
And if so, do you imagine Zodd will have a particularly tragic past? :zodd:

Possibly. How tragic it will turn out to have been might depend on people's appreciation though, like it does for the other apostles. More interestingly, I think it might share similarities with Guts' own life; maybe without the little thing that made the difference in Guts' case.
 
First let me preface this by saying, I had a small surgery so I'm a little messed up on pain pills right now so I hope this makes sense.

Aazealh said:
Keep in mind his "honourable side" as you say is just what people project on him. He himself doesn't pose as a honorable knight, unlike Grunbeld or Locus.

I could not agree with you more. I myself fell into this pitfall early on, but over the years have come to terms with the fact that Zodd isn't really honorable, just loves a good fight and while it's easy to misconstrue seeking the ultimate strong one as honorable, really it's just another form of selfishness. While none of Zodd's past has been revealed I think in some form or fashion he has always enjoyed battle and that blood lust remained and a part of that is facing your death on the battlefield and overcoming it. Zodd's quest for the ultimate strong one is essentially the quest to face death and to feel alive, it's not about honor or the way of the warrior, it's simply about making his blood boil and the rush of facing your own death head on with only your strength to rely on.

Like Aaz said, Guts and Zodd probably have quite a bit in common.
 

Aazealh

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Zodd_the_Immortal said:
First let me preface this by saying, I had a small surgery so I'm a little messed up on pain pills right now so I hope this makes sense.

Don't worry, your post is fine. And I hope you recover from the surgery well. Anyway, I think this whole "honorable" thing also comes from the fact he's not portrayed as a typical base apostle whose main activities are to eat children and rape women. Compared to those guys, sure, he can look like a paragon of virtue. But that aside, he remains a bloodthirsty monster. And he doesn't pretend not to be one.
 

ZODDOII

BERSERK
let me tell you a little secret~ :daiba:

in my opinion, zodd's backstory like this :schnoz:

Untitled-4copy.jpg
 

ZODDOII

BERSERK
doesn't actually explain anything at all..... toobad.. :judo: It is hard to explain, and my english is bad, so is very hard to explain.

I can understand most of what you said , i want to tell you,but... :guts:
 
Well, I don't think That little face on Gaiseric's helmet in particular has anything to do with zodd. I also don't think it looks like a ape, Looks more like a lions face with those Whisker spots on the muzzle. Fit's in with the roman motif that his age had as well.
 
Aazealh said:
Keep in mind his "honourable side" as you say is just what people project on him. He himself doesn't pose as a honorable knight, unlike Grunbeld or Locus.

It is mostly as you say. Because I've found a lot of Zodd fans who profess what an honourable fighter he is, whereas I don't see it. But doesn't Zodd even admit his raison d'etre is to find a worthy opponent? It just bugs me that he feels the need to turn full Apostle when things get interesting...
 

Aazealh

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Doc said:
But doesn't Zodd even admit his raison d'etre is to find a worthy opponent?

It was to find the "Ultimate Strong One". He has found it in the person of Griffith (as the Falcon of Light), so now he serves him.

Doc said:
It just bugs me that he feels the need to turn full Apostle when things get interesting...

I understand what you mean when it comes to transforming whenever he meets some resistance, but I think it fits his character. There are no pretenses; when he meets a strong opponent he simply gives it all he's got. And it's not like he doesn't have an advantage in his human form to begin with (superhuman strength and reflexes). To put it simply: he is an apostle and so to him a truly "worthy" opponent is one that can stand against his apostle form.
 

Daijyashin

Berserk is Divine and Human
Aazealh said:
It was to find the "Ultimate Strong One". He has found it in the person of Griffith (as the Falcon of Light), so now he serves him.

A side note: This reminds me the issue about the foreknowledge of the pontiff concerning the name of Falconia.
This passage of Zodd makes me remind that after the dream, he knows already where Griffith will come, while in the dream, and therefore to the reader, there's no clue about it.

I guess we can think the same about the foreknowledge of the Pontiff. :schierke:
 

Aazealh

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Marik said:
A side note: This reminds me the issue about the foreknowledge of the pontiff concerning the name of Falconia.

"Foreknowledge" wasn't necessarily involved. For all we know he could have just named it on the spot.

Marik said:
This passage of Zodd makes me remind that after the dream, he knows already where Griffith will come, while in the dream, and therefore to the reader, there's no clue about it.

I think this post would be more at its place in Doc's thread about the Skull Knight's mysterious knowledge. Anyway, Zodd could have instinctively known where to go from the dream even though it wasn't shown to us. As a matter of fact, I can't even think of a convenient way to show it, not to mention that it would have revealed too much about what was to come. And if not, he could have learned about it from another, later dream, or could have just instinctively felt that Femto would come into the world around that place because of his nature as an apostle. There's plenty of possibilities.
 
Aazealh said:
It was to find the "Ultimate Strong One". He has found it in the person of Griffith (as the Falcon of Light), so now he serves him.

But do you think Zodd is still chomping at the bit for a worthy adversary?

Aazealh said:
I understand what you mean when it comes to transforming whenever he meets some resistance, but I think it fits his character. There are no pretenses; when he meets a strong opponent he simply gives it all he's got. And it's not like he doesn't have an advantage in his human form to begin with (superhuman strength and reflexes). To put it simply: he is an apostle and so to him a truly "worthy" opponent is one that can stand against his apostle form.

That's what I mean. Zodd is beyond any human warrior, except for Guts, which is why one would think he'd take the opportunity with both hands. As it is, he uses his true power to dwarf Guts the moment it gets exciting. But I can see your point that he might want someone who can resist his true nature.
 

Aazealh

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Doc said:
But do you think Zodd is still chomping at the bit for a worthy adversary?

I wouldn't say he's "chomping at the bit", no. In fact I wouldn't have said so of him before either. He doesn't look the part, but Zodd's an old man, remember. :slan: He's eager but patient, and has showed it in the past when he allowed various fights to be postponed (against Guts or the SK). Anyway, he still enjoys a good fight and I'm sure he'd seize an opportunity to fight against Guts once more if it presented itself (he said so himself actually); however like he told the Skull Knight in volume 26, he now has other priorities than simply to fight. His talk with Guts at the beginning of episode 278 is also revealing in that regard.

Doc said:
That's what I mean. Zodd is beyond any human warrior, except for Guts, which is why one would think he'd take the opportunity with both hands. As it is, he uses his true power to dwarf Guts the moment it gets exciting. But I can see your point that he might want someone who can resist his true nature.

Think of a fight in his human form as a hors d'oeuvre, and a fight in his apostle form as the main dish. His most formidable opponent outside of the Falcon of Light has been the Skull Knight, and we've never seen him even attempt to fight him non-transformed.
 
Holyvampire21 said:
Well, I don't think That little face on Gaiseric's helmet in particular has anything to do with zodd. I also don't think it looks like a ape, Looks more like a lions face with those Whisker spots on the muzzle. Fit's in with the roman motif that his age had as well.

Hi y'all, this be my first post here

i know a thing or two about historical armour and anyway, it should be a lion's face not an ape's

This helmet was an obvious inspiration for Miura, it is a piece made by renaissance master artisan Fillipo Negroli, famous milanese armoursmith of the time, in a style called "alla Romana antica"

1095.jpg


and if anyone's interested there is a great book filled with pictures called Heroic Armor of the Italian Renaissance Filippo Negroli and His Contemporaries, and it's really cheap nowadays on amazon, something around 24$ (i payed more than 100$ for my copy few years ago what with customs and taxes and all)
 

Panicfactorx

"Guess I should say you did well for a human..."
Aazealh said:
To put it simply: he is an apostle and so to him a truly "worthy" opponent is one that can stand against his apostle form.

I agree with Aazealh, Zodd isn't cheating! Anyone who makes it to his apostle form should feel honored that he feels them worthy of his full strength. Zodd is just totally BA anyway. I'm a huge fan, simply because he takes orders from no one (save Femto) and is ready to give people the 'what-fore' whenever (save on a mission). I find the entire scene between Guts and Zodd (in episode 278, Vol. 32) awe inspiring.

Zodd: "If that were the case, would you fight? Against the one we now serve, our Master! In that case it's a different story. Even if your legs couldn't stand, all of our forces will then tear you apart into a hundred pieces of flesh!"
This says "I'm willing to let you go, but if you stand in my way I'm not holding back". Zodd = best bad guy evar!

How could we understand an apostle's honor? After all apostles are beings of "extreme ego". A terrible layman's translation: someone so totally concerned with themselves. Even Locus and Grunbeld probably don't have real honor... extreme ego... their 'honor' is just their selfish desire to be seen that way, to be held peerless amongst warriors. Zodd just doesn't give a flying hoot about any of that! :zodd:
 

Infinte

They see me rollin', they hatin'.
Maybe Zodd was a Gladiator only for the reason of fighting strong opponents or a warrior on a battlefield famous for his ferociousness but then got lured into an ambush(a cowardly one not that ambushes are brave) without his weapon then he was about to die but couldn't accept that he hadn't faced a stronger opponent, his blood then touches his beherit which he had gained one way or another then the Zodd we know are born.
 

Walter

Administrator
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Infinte said:
Maybe Zodd was a Gladiator only for the reason of fighting strong opponents or a warrior on a battlefield famous for his ferociousness but then got lured into an ambush(a cowardly one not that ambushes are brave) without his weapon then he was about to die but couldn't accept that he hadn't faced a stronger opponent, his blood then touches his beherit which he had gained one way or another then the Zodd we know are born.
That's an incredibly specific hypothesis, given how little we know about Zodd. Also, the Beherit activates itself, it isn't triggered by blood. It usually activates during the owner's moment of desperation, in a scenario that's been preordained.
 

Infinte

They see me rollin', they hatin'.
Walter said:
That's an incredibly specific hypothesis, given how little we know about Zodd. Also, the Beherit activates itself, it isn't triggered by blood. It usually activates during the owner's moment of desperation, in a scenario that's been preordained.

My fault for being to specific but i thought that since Zodd is warrior type who loves fight strong opponents maybe that was what he were before becoming an apostle. I knew that if the beherit truly is yours it will come to your hand at your most desperate moment but here i thought that the owners blood was the catalyst my bad almost forgot that the count didn't use his blood but it was his cry. :judo:
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Infinte said:
I knew that if the beherit truly is yours it will come to your hand at your most desperate moment

In the words of Flora, the beherits' true master is the one from which they came... The Idea of Evil. :idea: Thus, no apostle ever truly "owns" a beherit.
 

Infinte

They see me rollin', they hatin'.
Aazealh said:
In the words of Flora, the beherits' true master is the one from which they came... The Idea of Evil. :idea: Thus, no apostle ever truly "owns" a beherit.

Yeah your right about that my fault again but i should have said that if it is your fate(causality) to have it then it will be at your hand when you are at your most desperate moment.
 
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