Recent Skull Knight speculations...

So, I listened to the speculations on the SK podcast and read threads that were relatively recent regarding SK and wanted to toss in some observations and speculation of my own. None of this is, or should be taken as FACT i'm just speculating on speculation nation.

The podcast was more recent than some old topics on here, and the BB message advised to start something fresh rather than add to posts idle for more than 100 days. And so...

PART 1

The rose thorn motif on SK's shield is most likely the emblem of his old empire in the fashion griffith still uses the same hawk flag to show his allegiance. I believe the rose and thorns is shaped into a simple skull and crossbones depiction using these items. Along with thorns on the sword handle its all part of the motif.

SK's horse... on the podcast someone mentioned it may have been a horse SK had an extremely close bond with and it shared his fate. I think this is the case too. The woman on the front could possibly depict the queen of the kingdom of that time. One step further... Is the horse the queen in her astral form who suffered the same fate? Just a thought.

"broken sword prophecy" - I think people are misinterpreting what SK is telling Guts in volume 9. From the DH translation, SK says "STRUGGLE.
CONTEND. WRIGGLE!! THAT ALONE IS THE SWORD OF ONE WHO CONFRONTS DEATH!! NEVER FORGET THIS!! IN THE ABYSS OF DESPAIR... ONLY HE WHO STANDS UP WITH BROKEN SWORD IN HAND... PERHAPS..." This is not some kind of literal reference to a broken sword nor can he see in the future. What I read out of this is that 'Only one who struggles and fights, never giving up in the face of despair, continues rising no matter the circumstance has a chance of survival' The 'sword' is the will and perseverance of the individual in the face of the gruesome circumstances'. SK' advice is simply based on his past experience not knowledge of the future.

Also the panel where SK and Zodd face off and SK 'wagers himself on his sword' is just his statement of accepting the battle and gambling the
outcome on his battle prowess. Someone in the podcast said something very similar to this and I totally agree. The line has nothing to do with
the sword itself.

The following is my own thought but so far the only reason anyone can come up with that ive been able to find about SK knowing information
that his acquisition of cant be explained is always some vague acquaintance we dont know about or simply 'we dont know enough to know' how he gets it. On two different occasions, Ubik uses a method described as 'opening or cleaving' time and space for a look-see or 'viewing the
reality in the conscious realm' of the target in which he basically opens a window for all present to view the past as though it was like
watching a film. If Ubik can do it, I theorize SK can do this too but not for the same twisted purposes, rather for information gathering. The
very nature of how its described 'cleaving time and space' is a part of the astral realm SK is well acquainted with.

There was a lot of speculation on Zodd and honestly, Zodd is a total mystery to me I haven't even been able to come up with a remote
explanation, and everything I've heard or read so far just hasn't resonated with me. I just cant figure out his role or place him. One thing I
am pretty sure about that is discussed is why he isnt aggressive when SK returns from the eclipse with Guts and Casca. Its pretty clear Zodd
lives for finding worthy battle opponents and the state of Guts and imminent arrival of critters of the feast were going to ruin the battle with SK, and he certainly didn't want to kill an unconscious Guts. He wants a one vs one duel with each of these worthy foes and he wants to be
the victor fair and square.

PART 2

Why did SK show up to 'save' Rickert? I feel like SK firmly is a believer in causality, yet he is also a firm believer that testing causality
at 'junction points' is a fair gamble within its laws and those with the resolve to manipulate it in their favor may try. Femto accuses him of such pertaining to the interfering with the Godhand in Volume 34.

Examples:

At the raiders last camp, those apostles were not yet supposed to be killing humans in the physical realm until after the feast, particularly
not Rickert since he is part of the flow of future events. SK is drawn to this event and halts it even though he himself doesn't fully understand why only this young boy is left, and is also why he doesn't just kill all the apostles himself. Its not the time or place.

Wondering why his 'sword wavers' perhaps he held back when attacking the beherit-apostle had nothing to do with the sword itself as speculated in the podcast. Causality dictated the apostle-beherit's purpose was not to die to SK and the fates that be gave a little nudge so the egg would not receive a fatal wound at that time.

Casca not dying at the feast. She was destined to give birth to the moonlight boy. SK was guided to save her as well as Guts from the feast.
Sk not pushing the issue on killing the moonlight/demon boy after it was born. All part of the flow of Casca giving birth, Casca 'protecting'
and thus leading to SK's conclusion that this was Guts lover and child and were 'not to be tampered with' at that time. Events at the Tower of Conviction. Its the recurring theme of causality pertaining to the fate of the moonlight boy and parents. Later 'finding' the moonlight boy on the beach and subsequent encounters up to the present are all intertwined. Im especially interested in seeing Casca's relationship with moonlight boy should she regain he sanity and memories.

Always there to keep the scales of fate balanced. Its one of my favorite things about SK, he and Guts are the best party crashers in the world of Berserk and I love it.

PART 3

One recurring theory that keeps coming up in regards to several characters including SK is that they were being 'groomed' by the Godhand at one point or another while in their human lives. I think all of this is false as the godhand does not create beherits and guide the beherits to their destined owners. Idea of Evil, causality, some much greater force dictates this. As for SK 'grooming' guts I just dont
see it, I think he just aids him realizing he has similar goals and sees him walking a similar path he once walked himself. I think there
IS humanity still left in SK, his empathy toward Guts is such a strong sign of that.

I'm rooting for him. :badbone:
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. But the way this post is structured, it may as well be a reply to one of the SK-themed Podcast threads, since you reference the podcasts throughout.

After reading your full post, I think you may have misinterpreted me playing devil's advocate a lot of times on the show for my actual views on things. I'll almost always adopt an inquisitive tone when introducing a topic, as if I don't know the answer to it. This is for the purpose of conversation.

Anyway, on to the points:

vEnTh said:
The rose thorn motif on SK's shield is most likely the emblem of his old empire in the fashion griffith still uses the same hawk flag to show his allegiance.
Gaiseric's imperial capital was called "Midland," and Midland's emblem isn't a rose thorn motif.

None of this is, or should be taken as FACT i'm just speculating on speculation nation.
If that's the case, then why do you phrase some things as if they are fact? Example:

This is not some kind of literal reference to a broken sword nor can he see in the future.
Why not? I don't know why you're making more out of SK's prophecy when its meaning has already been revealed. Guts survived the Eclipse because he fought on—literally with a broken sword—until SK arrived. What makes you think his prophecy meant more than the obvious?

On two different occasions, Ubik uses a method described as 'opening or cleaving' time and space for a look-see or 'viewing the reality in the conscious realm' of the target in which he basically opens a window for all present to view the past as though it was like watching a film. If Ubik can do it, I theorize SK can do this too
You think SK has abilities on par with a member of the God Hand? Based on what? The fact that his horse floats?

The very nature of how its described 'cleaving time and space' is a part of the astral realm SK is well acquainted with.
It's not the same thing _at all_ for a number of reasons.

Its pretty clear Zodd lives for finding worthy battle opponents and the state of Guts and imminent arrival of critters of the feast were going to ruin the battle with SK, and he certainly didn't want to kill an unconscious Guts. He wants a one vs one duel with each of these worthy foes and he wants to be the victor fair and square.
It's a little more complicated than Zodd just keeping Guts around as a tasty duel snack for later. He admires Guts, a notion we all knew, but was confirmed by Sonia's prophecy in Ep 277. Anyway, Zodd's not all about honor or fighting "fair and square." He leads an assault against an old woman, pinning SK down so his associates can decapitate her. "Gotcha fair and square, granny!" And in Vritannis he tells Guts that he wouldn't hesitate to rip him apart even in his ruined state if he didn't back off.

I feel like SK firmly is a believer in causality,
No need to feel this. It's apparent from his conversations with Flora.

yet he is also a firm believer that testing causality at 'junction points' is a fair gamble within its laws and those with the resolve to manipulate it in their favor may try. Femto accuses him of such pertaining to the interfering with the Godhand in Volume 34.
You're being far too verbose for the point you're actually trying to make: He sees weak points in events where he can make changes. Right?

Wondering why his 'sword wavers' perhaps he held back when attacking the beherit-apostle had nothing to do with the sword itself as speculated in the podcast. Causality dictated the apostle-beherit's purpose was not to die to SK and the fates that be gave a little nudge so the egg would not receive a fatal wound at that time.
That's not how things work in Berserk. There are no "fates that be" that poke and prod at physical objects. I'll throw you a lifeline here though and offer that maybe you meant it was like when the arrows all missed Griffith, right?

Casca not dying at the feast. She was destined to give birth to the moonlight boy. SK was guided to save her as well as Guts from the feast.
Sk not pushing the issue on killing the moonlight/demon boy after it was born. All part of the flow of Casca giving birth, Casca 'protecting'
and thus leading to SK's conclusion that this was Guts lover and child and were 'not to be tampered with' at that time. Events at the Tower of Conviction. Its the recurring theme of causality pertaining to the fate of the moonlight boy and parents. Later 'finding' the moonlight boy on the beach and subsequent encounters up to the present are all intertwined. Im especially interested in seeing Casca's relationship with moonlight boy should she regain he sanity and memories.
Was this a speculation? I think everybody knows that SK indirectly played a role by rescuing Casca and thus paving the way for the child to be born, etc. Hence all the talk we had about Femto's wavering hand.

Always there to keep the scales of fate balanced. Its one of my favorite things about SK, he and Guts are the best party crashers in the world of Berserk and I love it.
Yeah, but it backfired in Vol 34. That really wrecked this sentiment for me.

One recurring theory that keeps coming up in regards to several characters including SK is that they were being 'groomed' by the Godhand at one point or another while in their human lives.
We do know the God Hand manipulate large scale events, as seen with Slan's appearance in volume 18 and Conrad's appearance in volume 17. However, I don't think I've ever seen this voiced or written in the way you're offering above. I think we may have said causality had a path for characters that they ultimately veered away from, similar to the Count.

As for SK 'grooming' guts I just dont see it, I think he just aids him realizing he has similar goals and sees him walking a similar path he once walked himself. I think there IS humanity still left in SK, his empathy toward Guts is such a strong sign of that.
I think that's an oversimplification given how SK has been portrayed throughout the series.

Despite SK's actions, there is a cold manipulation behind how he treats Guts, and that goes hand-in-hand with what Flora says of him in volume 24 "Are you using him?" Of course SK helps Guts, but he's also guiding him down a treacherous path—one that very nearly destroyed him when he was a human. As for his residual humanity, I don't really think that's even in question. He's not a machine. But I do believe there's a yet unvoiced conflict within SK about the path Guts is on, and how SK himself ended up. Of course he'd like a powerful ally, but how long will he stoically guide another "fellow struggler" along the brink of destruction just for that chance?
 
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