Berserk: 7 Things to Remember For The Manga's Return

On June 12th, Berserk’s 384th chapter will finally be released after almost a year of fans waiting to see Guts and his allies’ return. With so many months between installments, now seems like the perfect time to bring readers back up to speed on everything that’s been happening in the world of the Band of the Hawk. Considering where we last left the Black Swordsman, and how writer Kouji Mori and Studio Gaga’s artists are making earth-shattering events happen in the manga series, a refresher course is well worth checking out, with seven key aspects to remember.

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7.) Guts Versus The Cave

When last we left the Black Swordsman, both he and his fellow heroes were attempting to find help with the Eastern Nation known as Kushan. Unfortunately for Guts, the brand on his neck was seen as a “no-go” for the Kushan Empire, and thus, they voted to exile the hero into a mysterious, supernatural cave. While the contents of the cave remain a mystery, this is sure to be the focal point for chapter 384. To date, no one has seemingly managed to actually escape from this cave alive, most likely meaning that Guts is about to be in for one of the biggest fights of his life.

6.) Casca Has Been Kidnapped

One of the biggest plot points of Berserk, following the tragic passing of creator Kentaro Miura, has been Guts losing Casca to Griffith. Thanks to infiltrating Elfhelm, the new Band of the Hawk was able to steal Casca, which could not have happened at a worse time. Casca’s sanity has finally been restored, leaving Guts with little time to focus on the reunion he has longed for over the years. Now trapped in Falconia as Griffith takes the fight to Kushan, Casca is attempting to free herself while simultaneously being powerless in the wake of the new Band of the Hawk’s march.

5.) Guts’ Emotional Damage

Following the kidnapping of Casca, something broke in Guts’ brain, to the point where we have not witnessed him pick up his sword once following the passing of Miura. Berserk fans have long been wondering if the Kushan adventure might just be what the Black Swordsman needs to regain his sanity. While Guts has been through years of torture while fighting demonic Apostles, something in him simply broke once he found himself unable to save the love of his life. The protagonist, when faced with Griffith’s deadliest assassin, didn’t even try to save his own life, proving that Guts has some serious work to do if he wants to break out of his spiral of depression and doubt.

4.) Griffith Has Never Been Stronger

Following the Eclipse and Griffith’s betrayal of his former allies, the White Hawk managed to return to Earth during the Conviction Arc, regaining a new human body and seemingly leaving behind his days as the Godhand’s “Femto.” Now ruling the kingdom of Falconia, Griffith has been making a new Band of the Hawk, which does what many considered to be impossible. The villain’s new force is a union of both Apostles and humans, making for a force that is unlike anything seen before in Berserk. Even if Guts and his allies truly partner with Kushan to take on Falconia, it is not going to be an easy fight.

3.) Guts’ New Eclipse

Guts’ time in the cave is something that we’ve already discussed, but there are levels to the latest Berserk chapter. The Black Swordsman specifically found himself swallowed by a mysterious liquid, surrounded by what appeared to be a clam. The previous panel of chapter 383 sees Guts trapped inside the clam-like object, pointing toward the idea of a metamorphosis quite like Griffith’s transformation into Femto. While the Godhand seemingly has no part to play in this potential transformation, we might see a very different Guts emerge in the next chapter. It’s highly doubtful that he’ll emerge from the supernatural cocoon as a demon lord, but even regaining his sanity is a major blow to Griffith and his army.

2.) Skull Knight’s Origin Remains a Mystery (Though This Could Change)

Throughout Berserk, one of Guts’ strongest allies has also been one of his most mysterious. The enigmatic Skull Knight was the one to save Guts and Casca from the Eclipse and has popped up from time to time. In recent chapters, readers finally got a glimpse of Skull Knight’s origin, where a different iteration of the Godhand had seemingly cursed him to this existence as a powerful spirit. While we might never get the full story, the idea of Berserk finally revealing Skull Knight’s background before the end would make sense. Speaking of the end…

1.) We’re In The End Game

In previous chapters, Skull Knight spilled the beans to Guts that they had truly entered the “End Game” of the series. Considering Berserk’s manga has been running for decades, first starting all the way back in the 1980s, Kentaro Miura’s epic franchise is setting the stage for the final battle. This isn’t to say that the next chapter will be Berserk’s last, as we still will most likely be waiting years to see the final installment arrive, but it’s clear that the grand finale is on the horizon. With Kouji Mori and Studio Gaga hoping to end the series in honor of Miura, we will get an ending; it’s just a question of when.

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