Berserk 302 - Soar

[Starnum]

There's no real proof yet, but I agree with Starnum that Rashas is an Apostle. Given everything we've seen of him, it just seems likely. Sure he's also a renegade of the Bakiraka clan, but most of the Apostles also seem to have "human" identities, so that doesn't prove anything.

Right, I will concede that there's no proof of him being an apostle, but I do find it to be highly likely. The way he moves and seems to go beyond normal stealth, like suddenly forming and dropping off of Zodd's wing like that, gives me the impression that he is an apostle, just like the greater apostles who joined Griffith, such as Locus and Grunbeld. We just haven't seen Rashas transform yet, if he truly is an apostle, that is.

[The Herald]

Well, Guts is a super human without being an apostle, wouldn't Rakshas also be able to pull that off somehow? Not saying that he has killed boat loads of demons, but he did it another way. The world is full of possibilities.

[Starnum]

Yeah, I already said it's possible. If I had to bet though, my money is on him being an apostle.

[DrPepperPro]

I've always thought Rakshas is a woman. Though it's just as impossible to prove as the apostle thing for now.

[Deathbringer]

I personally don´t think that Rak´shas is an apostle, mostly because of his reasons to join Griffith´s forces, he´s not there to serve the Hawk out of any sense of loyalty or any other kind of ideology that even the most deranged, care free apostles seem to have. He´s just there to kill him and so he appointed himself as his personal bodyguard.

He´s certainly not a normal human being, that´s for sure, but i´m betting on a human being non the less.

And If Griffith didn´t brought the guy with him, there´s 2 reasons why he could be there, plus the the fact that fucking ZODD didn´t noticed him is pretty fucking amazing.

A) He wants to personally see Ganishka´s demise since he probably has some personal history or just some kind of feud with him, as he´s the only Kushan following Griffith and he made his way to show Silat how horrible Ganishka truly was by showing how he made the cannon fodder for his army.

B) He´s there to keep his promise to Griffith and take this opportunity to finally kill him and take his head for himself, now that he´s pretty exposed (Well, if you don´t count Zodd that is)

C) Both

[DrPepperPro]

On a completely different note, here's some info on a possible Berserk movie. Though it seems doubtful, it's interesting anyways.

http://community.livejournal.com/susumu ... 03#t171503 (and the 2 posts under that)

[Istvan]

On a completely different note, here's some info on a possible Berserk movie. Though it seems doubtful, it's interesting anyways.

http://community.livejournal.com/susumu ... 03#t171503 (and the 2 posts under that)

It would be really interesting, if done well, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

[Omnideus]

Thanks again, Evil Genius. As always, greatly appreciated.

Personally, I was not disappointed at all in this chapter. The art was amazing. Plus, the connotations of what is to come leaves me wanting more. Once again, Miura did not disappoint...

[citanuzuki666]

After reading the chapter, I couldn't remember what rakshas's name was, so I decided to look him up.

From skullknight.net
Rakshas-Exiled from the Kushan clan of Bakiraka, Rakshas is a mystery. His motivation for allying with Griffith is so he can ensure that one day he can cut off his beautiful head. Rakshas commands the demon search and destroy squad.

After reading this I took his name and entered it into wikipedia. This is what I found.

Rakshasa- A Rakshasa (Sanskrit: राक्षसः, rākṣasaḥ; alternately rakshas, Malay: raksasa, Bangla: rakshosh, Japanese: 羅刹天, rasetsuten) is a demon or unrighteous spirit in Hindu and Buddhist mythology. Rakshasas are also called man-eaters ("Nri-chakshas," "Kravyads") or cannibals. A female Rakshasa is called a Rakshasi, and a female Rakshasa in human form is a Manushya-Rakshasi.

According to the Ramayana, Rakshasas were created from Brahma's foot; other sources claim they are descended from Pulastya, or from Khasa, or from Nirriti and Nirrita. Legend has it that many Rakshasas were particularly wicked humans in previous incarnations. Rakshasas are notorious for disturbing sacrifices, desecrating graves, harassing priests, possessing human beings, and so on. Their fingernails are venomous, and they feed on human flesh and spoiled food. They are shapechangers, illusionists, and magicians.

I realize that there is an extra a at the end but they seem very similar in name and character. First off, Assuming that these two are in any way related, I could say that rakshas has more of a male name than a female, so more than likely he is male. Secondly, it states that " Rakshasas were particularly wicked humans in previous incarnations". This is some compelling evidence that he is an apostle. It may also be the reason why he is exiled by the Bakiraka. I think rakshas sacrificed the bakiraka's chance to take over the kingdom's thrown and that is why he is exiled. I know its weird to think that he sacrificed a moment and not a person, but that chance had to be prized by the Bakiraka and thus would make a suitable sacrifice in my opinion. The only reason I can think of for him to sacrifice the Bakiraka is that he wanted the power to kill griffith. Other than that I have no idea. I found this interesting enough to post and I hope you guys enjoyed reading it. Let me know what you guys think.

[hbi2k]

It seems unlikely to me that a non-Apostle could hang out with Griffith's Apostle army as comfortably as Rakshas seems to. Even Silat and his big beefy Bakiraka bodyguards, while clearly supernaturally-powered far beyond any "normal" human, are clearly outclassed by even the mid- to low-grade Apostles in Griffith's retinue. The fact that Rakshas can mingle with even the most high-grade and/or totally inhuman Apostles-- the sort who threaten even allies like Mule and Sonia should they cross paths-- with seeming impunity would seem to indicate that he is probably at least a mid-grade Apostle himself.

It's true that his statements that he will eventually attempt to kill Griffith are at odds with the sort of hero-worship the other Apostles have for him, but then, the reactions of the Apostles to Griffith have never been uniform. Most of them follow him with minimal prompting, but Ganishka rejects him altogether, and Zodd needed to be defeated in combat before he'd recognize him. The whole "I'll follow you until I feel like killing you" thing may be genuine, or it may be all talk, a way of reconciling his instinctive need to follow the Prince of Demons with his own sense of individuality and/or whatever code of honor he may live by.

Is it POSSIBLE that he gained his supernatural powers some other way? Well, yes, but it seems unlikely. Thus far, the only demonstrated way anyone has gained powers comparable to a mid- to high-grade Apostle without BEING an Apostle is through witchcraft, and Rakshas is almost certainly not a witch. The only other exception is Guts himself, who's kind of a special case and at this point has had plenty of help.

The simplest explanation is usually the correct one, so if he looks like an Apostle, acts like an Apostle, and has the powers of an Apostle, he's probably an Apostle.

[Istvan]

I think rakshas sacrificed the bakiraka's chance to take over the kingdom's thrown and that is why he is exiled. I know its weird to think that he sacrificed a moment and not a person, but that chance had to be prized by the Bakiraka and thus would make a suitable sacrifice in my opinion.

Doubt it. I'm pretty sure that the sacrifice has to be a person. Among other things, it was strongly implied during Griffith's ceremony that the souls of the sacrifice(s) are what power the transformation from human into Apostle/God's Hand.

[citanuzuki666]

Doubt it. I'm pretty sure that the sacrifice has to be a person. Among other things, it was strongly implied during Griffith's ceremony that the souls of the sacrifice(s) are what power the transformation from human into Apostle/God's Hand.[/quote]

I don't disagree with that. It's all just speculation on my part. Half the reason I posted that is to see if someone saw a flaw in it that I couldn't. It still could be true if he sacrificed someone though.

[Starnum]

Yeah, I gotta agree with Istvan on this one. I'm pretty sure the sacrifice has to be a person as well.

[The Herald]

IMO the sacrifices have to be people because then the whole allusion to religion wouldn't quite apply as much. In Greek mythology human sacrifice was was outlawed by Zeus and when it was found to be happening the perpetrator would be in some kind of trouble, like be forced to roll a boulder up hill in the underworld for all eternity. In Christianity and Judaism the only human sacrifices that were allowed were the ones God asked for, like Job, and Christ himself, but that was a personal sacrfice so that was different. Because sacrifice is such a huge theme in Berserk the end might have something to do with Guts committing a righteous personal sacrifice to rid the world of the Godhand and apostles and allow the people to be free from the constructs of their own fear. Pretty big task ahead if that's the case.

[Starnum]

I'm really hoping the ending isn't so predictable as that. Personally I'm getting kind of tired of the ending where the main character sacrifices them self.

[The Herald]

Well yeah, but maybe Guts does that, and then doesn't die, and creates a balance between good and evil. Like in The Order War by LE Modesitt Jr, you should check that one out, great book.

[Istvan]

Well yeah, but maybe Guts does that, and then doesn't die, and creates a balance between good and evil. Like in The Order War by LE Modesitt Jr, you should check that one out, great book.

Which ending in the world of Berserk would seem totally contrived and illogical. As has been mentioned before, in the world of Berserk there is no "Idea of Good" or equivilent (which makes logical sense when you consider the nature of Idea of Evil's creation), so there's no power to "balance" evil the way there was order and chaos to balance in Modesitt's book. Similarly, somehow changing the nature of humans, all across the planet, would feel...unrealistic. I just don't see an ending like that, and I'd be bitterly disapointed if it happened.

[Rolos]

Agreed, if Berserk were to be over-simplified to ridiculous extremes, it still would not be about two equal opposing forces, but a single great nigh omnipotent force going against a single man. Thats what makes Berserk so awesome.
In the same way the ancient greek tragic heroes fought against their fate (with depressingly bad results), Gutts fights his, and the good thing is that, unlike with the Greek tragedies, the reader has no idea about how Berserk is going to end.


On a Berserk related note, I finally got the Deus Ex Machina - God-hand joke. Miura used the elements of the manga to make a subtle yet incredibly hilarious joke in the anime.

Anyone who had never read the manga before watching the anime would think the Eclipse was a little forced, right? The warnings were few and scattered, and unless you were really paying attention, you would have never expected something of such magnitude to happen. Anyone in his right mind would have had the words Deus Ex Machina floating in front of his eyes once the demons start springing out of nowhere.
Mr Kentano Miura had already thought about that, and decided to joke about it.
Since the plot seemed stagnant at that point, and this sudden change would be perceived by the audience as a Deux Ex Machina, he intentionally named it as such. The very hand of God intervenes to make the plot move along. Of course, the god-hand had existed long before that in the manga, the joke is in the way its name was presented.
Once the trauma caused by the VERY graphic depictions of death and miscellaneous violence settles down, and Fridge Logic starts to work, you realize Miura is the best fucking comedian ever.
I think I might be gay for him.

[The Herald]

In the Berserk world there is no defined good and evil, and neither is there in Modesitt's book, that's why I felt it a good comparison. I may have worded it wrong, so let me put it a different way. In his world there is order and chaos, neither good nor bad, but people just attribute feelings to what exist. Berserk is like that with fear, and demons are created from that fear. In our own perception of good and evil the demons are most definately evil because they eat humans, and because we are humans things that eat us are evil, or at least something to be feared. I guess evil has to do with the unjustness of it all. Why should all of these creatures have the power they do if all they do is be destructive? But Guts is destructive himself, does that not make him just as bad as the demons. It does, obviously, that's why people are scared of him. The point of Berserk I find it so point this kind of sense of good and evil out. It's useless really to try and figure out the end of Berserk. Feels like Guts will survive it though.

[Istvan]

In the Berserk world there is no defined good and evil, and neither is there in Modesitt's book, that's why I felt it a good comparison.

Wrong. In Modesitt's book there are two opposing forces - order and chaos. There can be (and is) good and evil in those books, but such isn't defined by whether something is order or chaos based. In the Berserk world, there's one supreme power, and it is the Idea of Evil. It is explicitly labeled as evil, right there in the name.

I may have worded it wrong, so let me put it a different way. In his world there is order and chaos, neither good nor bad, but people just attribute feelings to what exist. Berserk is like that with fear, and demons are created from that fear. In our own perception of good and evil the demons are most definately evil because they eat humans, and because we are humans things that eat us are evil, or at least something to be feared. I guess evil has to do with the unjustness of it all. Why should all of these creatures have the power they do if all they do is be destructive?

Also wrong. The Apostles aren't created by fear. They're created by Idea, and Idea was created by people's desire for a reason for their suffering, and the evil that happens to them. Idea exists to be the reason that bad things happen, to be the source of all evil in this world. Apostles are created to spread suffering, to spread "evil." If you find yourself doubting their evil nature, take a good look at how they're created sometime. Miura has made it about as clear as he could (consistent with a good story and believable characters) that the Apostles and Idea are evil. That's the very reason for their existence, to be/cause evil.

But Guts is destructive himself, does that not make him just as bad as the demons. It does, obviously, that's why people are scared of him. The point of Berserk I find it so point this kind of sense of good and evil out. It's useless really to try and figure out the end of Berserk. Feels like Guts will survive it though.

Ok, I could argue the "just as bad as the demons," but there's not much point. The moral ambiguity of the main character is irrelevent to the argument at hand, because it doesn't make his opponent any less evil just because he himself isn't all that nice of a person. I'll agree that the ending isn't something I can predict, though.

[The Herald]

As usual you write and all I see is mush ... yeah you can say that I'm an uneducated retard, but this is my opinion and my way of reading Berserk and I truly believe that what Miura's getting at is what really is evil and what isn't. In any case, I'm not wrong for having my own personal opinion, and this why I always try to say that this is my own opinion. Still don't feel like Berserk is going to end well, but not utterly tragic. Now Oryx and Crake, that's probably the most tragic a book can get.

[bhaal]

Doubt it. I'm pretty sure that the sacrifice has to be a person. Among other things, it was strongly implied during Griffith's ceremony that the souls of the sacrifice(s) are what power the transformation from human into Apostle/God's Hand.

Just remember what the Beherit-Apostle sacriffice was not a person, but a thing, the land he know.

[Rolos]

Doubt it. I'm pretty sure that the sacrifice has to be a person. Among other things, it was strongly implied during Griffith's ceremony that the souls of the sacrifice(s) are what power the transformation from human into Apostle/God's Hand.

Just remember what the Beherit-Apostle sacriffice was not a person, but a thing, the land he know.

Nope, he was sacrificing his own self in order to give birth to a new world.

[bhaal]

Nope, he was sacrificing his own self in order to give birth to a new world.

Good point, but:




Soo, at the same time he is the sacrifice for the new world birth.



(no one will flame this litlle noob? I feel so ignored lol)

[Rolos]

Nope, he was sacrificing his own self in order to give birth to a new world.

Good point, but:




Soo, at the same time he is the sacrifice for the new world birth.

mmm...good point. To think that I could have forgotten something so important. May be I should read Berserk again. Again.

Good one dude.

(no one will flame this litlle noob? I feel so ignored lol)

Relax man, in EG members are judged by the quality of their posts, not how much, or how often, they post.
That, among many other thing, is, in my opinion, what makes this community so awesome.