How Should Berserk Come To An End?

The anime franchise of Berserk has been running since the 1980s, leaving many fans wondering just how the arc of Guts, Griffith, Casca and the dark world they reside in will meet its end and we’re here to share some of our ideas. The creator of the franchise, Kentaro Miura, has created an amazingly artistic world for the Black Swordsman and his friends who are looking to take down the demonic hordes of the God Hand. This amazing art work takes time to produce, causing a number of hiatuses when it comes to Berserk and fans are still waiting for the next chapter to be released.

Though Miura is on record that the ending is on the way, we still have no idea just how Berserk will wrap up its long running story line or when the story line will wrap. Needless to say, based on the past arcs of Guts and his journey to get revenge on Griffith, there are more than a few options for how this legendary franchise will end.

Griffith Wins

Griffith has returned to the land of the living following his betrayal of the original Band of the Hawk, becoming “Femto” of the God Hand. As he puts together a brand new version of the Band of the Hawk that incorporates both humans and demons, it seems as though this “white knight” is in fact going to be the main thing to unite the two worlds under one banner. 

Griffith “winning” would essentially mean that the world would enter in a new world of peace, run under his reign as the new king of the world. With Griffith sacrificing the lives, and souls, of his friends and fellows soldiers to gain his insane new powers, Guts certainly deserves his revenge, but you have to wonder if it’s worth it at this point. 

The Demons Win

Berserk has been a world that hasn’t been shy about showing how truly and utterly screwed humanity is in the face of demons. Guts himself is easily the strongest human being on the face of the earth at this point and he BARELY managed to take down the opponents that come across his path. Even if Guts is able to defeat Griffith, the God Hand is a different story all together. These four beings appeared initially during the Eclipse event, touting their godhood and rule of the demon world, and they are clearly not an enemy that can be destroyed through mortal means.

While Guts has since acquired the Berserker armor, the demons overwhelming Guts after he gets his revenge on Griffith certainly would be in keeping with the rest of the franchise! 

Guts Takes Home The Gold

Guts has been working toward getting revenge on Griffith since the very beginning of the series itself, and his thirst for revenge came about when the leader of the Band of the Hawk betrayed their friends to gain demonic power. The Black Swordsman killing Griffith would certainly be deserved, and with this ending, perhaps Guts could once again find peace in the franchise of Berserk. With Casca seemingly finally having come to her senses and regained her sanity, this has been the first major GOOD event to take place in Guts’ life for some time and it hints at the fact that maybe the series does end with Guts and Casca riding off into the sunset. 

Everyone Loses

Considering the history of the anime franchise, this one probably seems the most likely! Berserk is a story that is mired in darkness and blood, with battles normally resulting in hundreds of deaths. It is certainly understandable to see that the forces of Guts and Griffith would eliminate one another, making all parties involved far worse off than they ever were. Mutual destruction could certainly be assured and it would deliver the powerful message that revenge and power simply can’t work in the long run. 

Somehow A Happy Ending

Probably the least likely event to take place but we could definitely see HOW it would happen. Perhaps Guts realizes that his quest for revenge won’t make him feel better at the end of the day and simply lets Griffith becoming king, uniting the world of the supernatural with the mundane, while continuing his life with Casca away from the battlefield. Is an ending like this even possible at this point? We’re not sure but perhaps it’s one that is coming all the same. 

Guts Wins But Also Loses

The Black Swordsman may in fact get his revenge against Griffith, but he is still “branded” and promised to the God Hand. His soul is still set for the world of demons and should Guts kill Griffith, there will be no one to unite the world of man and the world of the demons. By killing his former friend, perhaps Guts is stopping himself from receiving a happy ending when all is said and done. For a man that has been looking for an end to endless war, it seems as though that even if he were successful in attaining it, he would still lose. 

It Doesn’t End

Perhaps the most tragic ending of the lot is that Kentaro Miura isn’t able to end his long running anime franchise and the story of Guts and Griffith is never completed. While we are crossing our fingers that the legendary manga comes to an end, we also recognize just how long the story has taken to tell and we have to wonder if it may take another 30 years for it to reach its end.

How do you think that the series of Berserk will come to an end? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the Black Swordsman!