Berserk: Will Silat Join the Black Swordsman Party?

Things have been heating up for Guts the Black Swordsman in the Berserk manga’s pages. With the next chapter of the bleak series arriving in the pages of Young Animal next month, the Kushan Empire is working to get out of the pickle it currently finds itself. For some time in the series, one of the Eastern nation’s biggest representatives has been Silat, the head of Kushan’s Bakiraka clan. With Griffith and his new terrifying Band of the Hawk making former enemies become fast friends, is it time for Silat to become a trusted member of Guts’ entourage?

Ironically enough, Silat didn’t make the final cut when it came to Berserk’s original anime adaptation. In the manga, the Kushan Empire warrior appeared during the Golden Age Arc, attacking Guts as a part of a tournament before the Black Swordman went on his now infamous rescue mission to save Griffith’s life. In the 1997 animated series, Silat didn’t make an appearance, holding a similar status to Skull Knight as the pair were both left on the cutting room floor. Luckily, Silat would appear in both the 2016 Berserk anime adaptation and the trilogy of films that would become Berserk: Memorial Edition.

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Silat & Guts: Frenemies

In the latest chapter of Berserk, Guts has been having a hard time. Even though the Black Swordsman doesn’t have any physical injuries, the wounds left on his psyche remain fresh. Finding himself unable to save Casca from the clutches of Griffith, Guts has went into a spiral where he finds himself unable to even pick up the Dragon Slayer as he once did. Unfortunately, Griffith’s forces aren’t waiting for the anime protagonist to “get his groove back.”

In the final pages of Chapter 381, the demonic Rakshas makes his way to Guts inside of his jail cell, looking to end the hero’s life once and for all. In a last minute save, Silat takes down the Apostle but finds himself disgusted to see that Guts barely reacts to the danger he was facing. Believing him to be a coward, Silat literally has to be pulled away by his fellow Kushians as he spends the entire time screaming at Guts. While the two are at odds, Kushan and Guts’ band seem fated to team up before Berserk’s end.

The Grand Finale Team-Up

Both Guts’ adventurers and the Eastern Empire have an enemy in common, as they are both seeking to finally strike Griffith and his forces from the face of the Earth. While Silat might not become an official member of the heroic band of warriors, it certainly appears as though himself and Kushan will be giving them the aid that they need as Berserk’s end approaches.

Want to see what the future holds for the Band of The Hawk? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on Berserk and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.