Is the Berserk World Unbalanced?

ok so we all know about God Hand and Idea and Casuality...and we know that they are evil or at least cause many evil things to happen.

I was just wondering where are the forces that are the opposite to the above? Are there even any? Is the world of Berserk so unbalanced that man has the chance to fulfill their inner evil (behelits) and not the chance to make things right? Where is the light in the darkness? Are Guts and his followers the only ones that are trying to make things right/ have revenge against the God Hand and Griffith for the pain they have caused?

Of course Berserk is not your typical series, so it may not have to have the "all powerful good" that overcomes the evil in the end. In fact that is what makes this series so interesting and dark. But i was just wondering if anyone noticed this besides me.

I also found it interesting that the physical appearance of good and evil is warped in the Berserk world. I.E. Griffith always being in white and looking so pure, clean, perfect, etc; and Guts being the black swordsman and always being battle scared and seeming dirty, angry, etc.; the fact that the God Hand is more like the Devil Hand...

I just have been rereading and watching the series and this was one fact that caught my eye. I dunno if it has been discussed b4, if so someone please show me the thread

I believe the world is getting unbalanced or at least this is the threat of it. The balance is threatened by something like Chaos, if you are familiar with Warhammer or even Dragonlance: War of Souls Saga fantasy.
Yup, a common fantasy element. Not so surprised about it on my behalf.

The berserk world seems technically unbalanced. The spiritual side has a lot of high evil entities. However, one must remember humans in thier own right are powerful entities. Wether your plan is good or bad. If enough of us get together or one of us finds a way to beat you and uses it or passes it on. We will glady come over and mess up every plan there is. Humans are nuetrality and free will. So, humans are the 'real' balance and if the good spirtual elemnts have waned they are what is left to restore nuetrality. Be it by restoring the good or destroying the evil, humans restore the nuetrality.

That is what makes berserk exciting, the unbalenced part of it. Theres no high all powerful god that can stop the gods hand or the idea, because then there would be no story. When the situation seems hopeless, guts enters the fray and theres a single ray of light. His sword becomes stronger with every evil soul he kills, and now he just recieved some kick ass armor that gives meaning to the manga name berserk. By the time guts goes after griffith, griffith will probably have that empire he dreamed of (only its not complete), and will be stronger then ever, presenting more challenges for our hero guts. This is why i love berserk so much ;D.

Good point

You're saying that this world is balanced? there is far move evil and harm going on then good.

nope, were saying its unbalanced and that's what makes it interesting.

Lauralana said:

ok so we all know about God Hand and Idea and Casuality...and we know that they are evil or at least cause many evil things to happen.

I was just wondering where are the forces that are the opposite to the above? Are there even any?

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Schierk mentions the four magnicent elemental spirits who brings mercy and compassion to those who summon them. And "Idea" can be good, if people (her creator) have goodness in their hearts.

But really, Berserk is never about the conflict between good and evil. Besides, good and evil seems to be rhetorical opposites. The closest thing to a ruling principle in berserk is power of Desire.

Yep there is no good or evil in the series.
So it's not unbalanced.

It's all very realtive to the nature of the inhabitants of Midland.

Could the nature of the inhabitants of midland be unbalanced, therefore, unbalancing everything else? Are enough humans beings neutral anymore?

Berserk reflects more on the human hearts. Kinda like the idea is all the humans thoughts and emotions. You cant call it evil, but it can get really bad and fucked up. Just like you can call the human heart complex, the story is just as complex.

First-- I'm sorry, but where does the whole discussion of Idea and Causality come into the Berserk storyline? I've read all the issues, and I can't seem to place it. I'd like to go back and reread that section.

Now, as for my thoughts on balance--

You know, Lauralana, I've been thinking a lot about this too recently, and it seems to me that the whole interlude with Flora and the introduction of Elemental/Nature forces into the Berserk plot may have provided a possible path through which many of the human characters could wield enough power to actually make a difference.

Why would Miura spend so much time with Flora, and all the new weapons, and introducing the young witch, etc. if not to begin the process of creating a dichotomy between the power of the Godhand/Behelit and Elemental/Nature forces? Why would Griffith and the Band of the Hawk attact her if Flora and her Elemental Powers weren't a real thread to him? Why did Griffith attack her anyways?

There's a lot to be said for this (the power of the Elements) being a major part of the continuation of the story-- that it could be the weapon that human's will be able to wield--

1)Flora's fire was strong enough to even stop Grunbeld.
2)Flora was able to weaken the power of the brand (much in the way that Guts was safe for the night when stayed in the cave where the fairies used to live-- their magic was more powerful than the brand too).
3)How you use the Nature power is basically the opposite of how you use the Behelit's power-- you take from others to get power from the Behelit, but you have to sort of give of yourself /merge to use the Nature power.
4) The new weapons that the characters got have definitely made them able to fight with demons and lesser Apostles (i.e. Serpico in particular, but really all of them)-- not to the level of Guts, but far more than they were able to do before.

Basically, yeah, I think the Berserk world is unbalanced, but only on the surface. There is a power that predates even the beginning of the God Hand-- that of the witches and the Elements. I just think that people like Guts need to learn how to use that "path."

Thoughts on this?

DemonX said:

This is why i love berserk so much ;D.

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Not only that... People who are good arent that good and people who are bad are arent that bad either... Good character like Guts can be brutal, mercilness and wouldnt considering much abt killing someone who try to stop him, no matter good or bad... Griffith on the other hand who represent evil, show his passionate, his love for Guts and his army...


The personality of each character are interlude and they is no confimation which one is good or bad... One very good example:

Mozgue: He might seem like a villian for reader when he first appear, but what happen later? He fight Guts and wanted to burn Caska alive so that he could save his people from being gobble up by the monsters, and when his disciples died he was furious... this show that he had compassionate for his disciple. The reason why he look like a villian because he use the wrong evil method to prove his faith to God. It was base on good intention, but just wrong method...

Smith said:

Not only that... People who are good arent that good and people who are bad are arent that bad either... Good character like Guts can be brutal, mercilness and wouldnt considering much abt killing someone who try to stop him, no matter good or bad... Griffith on the other hand who represent evil, show his passionate, his love for Guts and his army...


The personality of each character are interlude and they is no confimation which one is good or bad... One very good example:

Mozgue: He might seem like a villian for reader when he first appear, but what happen later? He fight Guts and wanted to burn Caska alive so that he could save his people from being gobble up by the monsters, and when his disciples died he was furious... this show that he had compassionate for his disciple. The reason why he look like a villian because he use the wrong evil method to prove his faith to God. It was base on good intention, but just wrong method...

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Yea, I understand what your saying, and I totally agree with you. I probably typed it wrong, but everyone is good to a certain extent. Everyone has an individual point of view, and sees the world in its own way. Like how grunanbald helped that little girl even though he was an apostel, or how ronishu (or however u spell it) actully was a little girl who belived in fairytales, or how even the count (not the snake one) didn't kill guts because he would endanger his daughter, therisa. It kinda even makes guts look evil because whenever the apostels show their good side he kills them. However he has his reasons to and even he sheds light once in a while.

Doppelganger said:

Basically, yeah, I think the Berserk world is unbalanced, but only on the surface. There is a power that predates even the beginning of the God Hand-- that of the witches and the Elements. I just think that people like Guts need to learn how to use that "path."

Thoughts on this?

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Yeah, Miura will surely introduce some higher power for good that has been kept secret in the Berserk universe so far. I don't know what this power will exactly be-elves, witches, perhaps those wizards Puck spoke of, something else in Elfheim, or something completely different-but now that Flora is dead and Idea/Godhand/spirits/demons are all against the good guys, Gutts' party will need someone to upgrade their abilities and conscienciousness of their reality. And Skull Knight will not be the one to do that (if he was, then he wouldn't rely on Flora nor would he have constantly failed in his efforts to bring down Godhand for the last 1000 years). Elementals, elves, and witches are bullshit against the workings of Godhand. All they can do is assist in battles, they cannot win the war.

nir085 said:

witches are bullshit against the workings of Godhand. All they can do is assist in battles, they cannot win the war.

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I am quite sure Flora can do something more than just bullshitting, she is afterall included in Griffith's list of the wanted...

Doppelganger said:

First-- I'm sorry, but where does the whole discussion of Idea and Causality come into the Berserk storyline?

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It's from the "lost" chapter 83. If I recall correctly, it was a chapter published in YA, but Miura pulled it when the chapters were published into volume form. I'm pretty sure you can find it on SK if you do a search.

There's a lot to be said for this (the power of the Elements) being a major part of the continuation of the story. Basically, yeah, I think the Berserk world is unbalanced, but only on the surface. There is a power that predates even the beginning of the God Hand-- that of the witches and the Elements. I just think that people like Guts need to learn how to use that "path."

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Isn't there kind of a yin-yang feel to all this? I don't really know much about Eastern philosophy and religions beyond the broad basics, but isn't yin-yang about balance, of constant rise/fall, having the seeds of the opposite within so nothing is ever absolutely one thing or another?

And if I remember right, isn't there something about the "five material aspects" also involved: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water.

Guts and Griffith themselves are very yin-yang, even down to the feminine/masculine aspects.

Maybe somebody who knows more about Eastern philosophy could comment?

I don't have huge knowledge about that, but I think Flora/Scierke's magic is more related to the polemic Allister Crowley's than eastern/taoist's. Should do some searches... ^^

Guil

Smith said:

I am quite sure Flora can do something more than just bullshitting, she is afterall included in Griffith's list of the wanted...

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Right, but I'm talking about this point in the script. Flora is dead, leaving Schierke as the only witch, and an apprentice witch at that. We've already seen much evidence that she needs a guide and the only experienced anti-Godhand warrior at this point is Skullknight, who cannot function as a guide for a witch. Not as a magic guide anyways. I guess there is always the possibility that Schierke will communicate with Flora from the dead, but that doesn't seem too likely considering Flora's sad goodbyes.

nir085 said:

Right, but I'm talking about this point in the script. Flora is dead, leaving Schierke as the only witch, and an apprentice witch at that. We've already seen much evidence that she needs a guide and the only experienced anti-Godhand warrior at this point is Skullknight, who cannot function as a guide for a witch. Not as a magic guide anyways. I guess there is always the possibility that Schierke will communicate with Flora from the dead, but that doesn't seem too likely considering Flora's sad goodbyes.

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Look like we may have a bit underestimate her ability, she did have the potential... just inexperience