In bringing the final fight to Griffith’s door, Berserk’s heroes are going to need some unexpected help. Following the destruction of Elfhelm, Guts the Black Swordsman hasn’t done well in holding together his mental state. The “Eastern Exile Arc” is one that has seen Guts and his comrades clapped in chains, taken by warriors from the Kushan Empire that they encountered on the open seas. With the long-awaited arrival of Berserk’s 377th manga chapter, readers are given a deep dive into the current trappings of Kushan while also being shown one of the biggest and most shocking cliffhangers in Berserk’s history.
Warning. If you don’t want to be spoiled on Chapter 377 of Berserk’s manga, be forewarned that we’ll be diving into serious spoiler territory for this article. Luckily for Guts and company, the Kushan Empire realizes that they need the anime heroes’ help if they are looking to bring down the White Hawk and his twisted new iteration of the Band of the Hawk. Perhaps the most noteworthy member of Kushan is Silat, the warrior who first appeared prior to Griffith originally being saved from Midland’s diabolical dungeons. During a chat with one of Guts’ latest allies, Silat breaks down the current state of Kushan.
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Kushan’s Empire Status
“Kushan is a vast multiracial nation comprising a multitude of races,” Silat explains, “The heads of the various clans will meet and decide on policies for the country as a whole based on their views. The consensus is that Ganishka lost because he neglected Kurultai with his dictatorship so we cannot make the same mistake again.” If you need a reminder, Ganishka was the previous emperor of Kushan who was also a disciple of the Godhand. Looking to take over the world and even become more powerful than the Godhand itself, Ganishka was defeated thanks to Griffith and Guts doing the unthinkable, teaming up.
Silat also takes the opportunity to state why Kushan has endured as a nation for so long, “Since ancient times, we have lived through the upheavals of our leaders being overthrown in ugly disputes, we have continued to walk on a long and thick history of wars. Now the difference in the number of piled-up corpses. Not one of us would kneel to those evil man-eating demons.”
A Traitor Revealed
While the Kushan Empire has gathered to think of their next attack against the Band of the Hawk, this chapter ends on a hair-raising note. The “Head of Kushan’s North Clan” is revealed to be a demon in disguise, revealing himself to be none other than Rakshas. If you’re unfamiliar with the masked ghoul, the assassin is working for Griffith only to have the best chance to kill the White Hawk for himself. Unfortunately for Guts and company, it seems that Rakshas is dead-set on doing some serious damage to Kushan’s attack plans. Since the next chapter is titled “The Beginning of a Tragedy”, things aren’t looking great for the anime heroes.
Following the tragic passing of Kentaro Miura, the artist’s friends have taken the reins of Berserk in Kouji Mori and the artists at Studio Gaga. While Berserk has abandoned a regular release schedule for its latest chapters, readers don’t have to wait long for Chapter 378 as it has been confirmed to arrive this month. Luckily, Miura and Gaga are proving that it is worth the wait for Guts and Griffith’s potential endgame as this latest installment is one of the team’s best so far.
Want to see what the future holds for the Band of the Hawk? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for all the latest on Berserk.
