An elf, a child, a noble and her servant, a madwoman, and a deranged psychopath. Quite the collection of weirdos. Perfect for any RPG. But you know what they need to complete the package? A spellcaster.
Along with another elf whom I always forget about. But I’m getting ahead of myself. First: a recap.
Last time on Berserk: Griffith put together a new Band of the Hawk with the Apostles that slaughtered the old one. With the power of divine providence, he’s taken the helm of Midland’s defense against the invading Kushans. Meanwhile, Guts’ journey with Casca took a dark turn. Luckily for the Black Swordsman, Isidro, Farnese, and Serpico have agreed to accompany him on his journey to Elfhelm.
Now, it’s time for that journey to continue. Today, we’re covering the following chapters:
- Like a Baby
- Trolls
- The Witch
We rejoin our protagonists on a calm day. Guts finally grants Isidro his wish to train him in the sword while Serpico prepares dinner. It’s honestly kinda sweet seeing Guts act the stern but wise mentor to Isidro while Serpico plays the cook.
Meanwhile, Farnese brings Casca along to gather some firewood. But Farny’s mind isn’t on twigs. So far, she hasn’t been especially helpful along the journey. She’s poisoned the food, destroyed the laundry, and nearly gotten them killed during a demon attack. Turns out, a lifetime of being nobility and pretending to be a knight didn’t prepare her for life on the road, especially not given her current company. Safe to say, she’s feeling pretty sorry for herself.
In this moment of reflection, she opens up to Casca. She apologizes for all the cruel things she did to her back in Conviction and even joins Casca in playing with a pile of leaves. It’s a short but sweet scene that sets the stage for their relationship to come.
But then, after turning her back for just a moment, Casca disappears. As the sun sets and the world grows dark, Farnese desperately searches for her charge, losing herself in the woods. Alone and terrified, she weakly cries out to Serpico for rescue, but her servant is nowhere to be seen. So Farnese does as she did in her childhood: she cowers and hides.
Morning rises, and the rest of the crew finds Farnese hiding in the hollow of a tree. Turns out, Casca made her way back to them, so she’s just fine. Farnese was the one who needed rescuing.
*Quick side note: I love how Casca mirrors Isidro’s mannerisms a lot of the time. We get our first real instance of it here, and it’s just so damn cute and wholesome. Anyways, back to the story.
Embarrassed and humiliated, Farnese opens up to Serpico about her feelings. Concerned, he asks if she wants to go back to the Holy City. But Farnese denies the offer with surprising vehemence. However useless she may feel, she’s finally discovering who she truly is. It’s just as the chapter title said: she’s a baby learning to walk.
This whole sequence is what cemented Farnese as one of my favorite Berserk characters. Her arc is one of the best in the series, being almost as dynamic and intriguing as that of Guts! From a sadistic/masochistic pyromaniac to a lost and confused but determined young woman, and that’s just the start! The fact that Miura could take a loathsome antagonist character and make her a beloved member of the main cast is a testament to his phenomenal writing skills!
Carrying on the road, the gang comes across a traveling shepherd who gives them exposition directions and advice. With the Kushans near to crushing Midland, other kingdoms are gathering their fleets in a pre-emptive strike against the Empire. What’s more, there’s a danger along the road our party is taking. Not bandits: trolls.
This is where Berserk really starts to expand on the fantasy elements. Up to now, the only real magic we’ve seen has been because of either Puck, evil spirits, or the God Hand. With this section, Miura expanded the world beyond just men and demons, introducing us to his takes on classic fantasy monsters. It’s a refreshing addition, one that makes the world of Berserk that much more interesting.
*Another side note: I love Guts’ reaction to the idea of Midland being annihilated. He spent the best years of his life fighting for it in the Hawks. The idea that it might vanish leaves him feeling melancholy. All of this is communicated through two reaction faces, one panel of the old banners of the Hawks, and some vague dialogue. While it intrigues Farnese, it leaves me feeling an indescribable sadness.
Whereas ‘Like a Baby’ focused on Farnese, ‘Trolls’ is centered around Isidro. We rejoin the lad in the woods, running away from a merchant on donkeyback with a basket of apples on his back. After said merchant clotheslines him in the back of the head, he shows pity and kindness to the boy, understanding the brutality of the world. Isidro, being a realist, immediately takes advantage of this, knocking the old man out and making off with his goods.
This is a great example of Miura’s ability to add comedy to the series without detracting from the dark tone. Seeing Isidro completely ruin this friendly old man is genuinely hilarious. Plus, it’s a fun display of his unique skill set. Whereas Guts smashes shit down and Serpico is cunning and nimble, Isidro is a trickster.
Even so, he’s still struggling to overcome the hurdle that is the Black Swordsman. Train as he might, he can’t so much as budge Guts. Sure, he’s got two good throwing arms, but what good will that do in swordplay?
In this moment, Isidro comes to the most shocking revelation of his entire young life: why not use two swords? A revelation as dramatic as Deku realizing he can kick things in My Hero Academia.
The next day at sparring, Isidro puts his new idea into practice, striking low, fast, and surprising his mentor with a hidden second blade. While he does land a strike on Guts, he is then swiftly defeated. Even so, Guts is impressed with the boy, and he gives him some valuable pointers on how to improve the technique, as well as how to improve himself as a warrior.
I love this scene. It’s the first time in a very long while that we get to see Guts hold a full conversation with someone. As far as we’ve seen, he hasn’t spoken this much to someone since the Golden Age. Fitting, since he’s sharing wisdom he’s gained from a life spent as a mercenary at war. It almost feels reminiscent of his childhood, with him now playing the part of Gambino. He’s being the father to Isidro that he wished his own father was to him. Perhaps that’s why Guts looks so sad towards the end…
As Serpico pulls Guts aside, Isidro is now left alone once more with Puck. Here, the boy finally shares his true goal: to become the ultimate swordsman! A dream so childish and stupid that even Puck laughs at him.
On that note, I want to talk about Puck. As much as I love Falcon of the Millenium Empire, it does have one major fault that I can’t forgive: it reduces Puck to a gag character. He’s almost exclusively drawn in his chibi-chestnut style from this point forward. It’s borderline obnoxious at times. Once, Puck was the co-star to Guts, the second most important character in the manga! He was the angel on Guts’ shoulder, the sole source of levity and morality in the entire series! Now that that role is being filled by the rest of the party, Puck has been stripped of any seriousness or narrative importance. He’s the funny elf that breaks the fourth wall.
But on the bright side: that’s just about my only genuine criticism of this entire arc. Now, back to the good stuff.
While all that is happening, Farnese plucks the feathers from their next meal while Casca plays with the feathers. But oh no! Casca’s Brand is beginning to bleed. Turning, she sees a dark, ape-like arm in the trees nearby.
Eh, I’m sure that’s fine. Alone with Serpico, Guts is sure that his new companion wants a rematch. While Serpico denies this, he does make one thing perfectly clear: if anything happens to Farnese, he’ll hold Guts responsible. The two clearly respect one another as warriors, but they are more rivals than friends. I love their dynamic.
Anyways, Farnese and Casca are in danger. Luckily for them, Isidro is there to save the day! But shortly after freeing the two girls, it becomes clear that the boy is out of his depth. Because he’s not fighting bandits; he’s fighting a troll. Scared as he is, however, he’s still determined to fight.
Luckily for him, a familiar figure with an elf and staff is watching from nearby.
As ‘The Witch’ begins, Isidro is nearly murdered by the troll. Before it could split the boy’s skull, our hatted friend manages to drive it off by… throwing berries at it. No time to process that, however. The danger has not passed. In fact, it’s all around them. The party is completely surrounded by trolls. Nothing a bit more magic can’t fix.
Some awesome displays of really creative magic later, and the party is safe. Farnese, having spent her life burning ‘witches’ at the stake, is terrified to meet an actual spellcaster. But Isidro is too busy being humiliated and hypnotized into being a monkey for being rude. By the time Guts and Serpico arrive, this dangerous encounter has become a slapstick comedy.
As she departs, the little witch observes the party from a distance. Despite talking down to Isidro, she does acknowledge that something is strange about them. Particularly with Casca and Guts. Something strange is stirring in her forest, and they’re at the center of it.
With that, we come to an end of today’s material. I’d love to keep going, but we mustn’t get carried away. We’re getting into the first major leg of the arc now. I want to give it the diligence it deserves.
Also around this point is the notable change in Berserk’s tone. It’s still a dark fantasy, yes, but it isn’t half so grim as it has been up to this point. Some may find this disappointing, but I find it part of why this section is as incredible as it is. Guts’ companions have only been around for a few chapters, and they’re already bringing light back into his life.
It certainly helps that the character work we’ve seen up to this point has been nothing short of incredible. Farnese and Isidro have already gotten some incredible scenes, and they’re both going to grow significantly from here. Not to mention Serpico’s budding rivalry with Guts. Hell, we haven’t even added Schierke yet!
But I’m getting ahead of myself again. Until next time: stay safe, strugglers.
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