Why Guts is The Most Compelling Character in Manga History

R.I.P. Kentaro Miura. Thank you for what you've left us.
Berserk is one of the world's most popular manga and it's no wonder as to why. This masterpiece is full of characters that feel so utterly human they feel like they are going to jump right off the page. This is because they're written with logical motivations and character arcs and because they are left so much room to grow and change. This can be seen most well in Guts, the main protagonist and the most dynamically written character I have ever read. Today I want to share why I think Guts works so well.
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00:00 Intro
03:45 Character Design
07:27 Black Swordsman Arc
14:25 The Golden Age Arc
24:48 Griffith's Story
36:19 The Eclipse
45:30 Post-Golden Age Arc
54:31 Conclusion
#berserk #thankyoumiura

[@CaptainMack]

If you liked this video consider subscribing or checking out one of my other videos. Maybe this one, which in contrast to this video is a deconstruction of one the worst manga I've ever read! kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKPLoZeBatCLd9k

[@izukumidoriyaisssss3049]

Hey man. I just wanted to start this comment by saying I love most of this video. However, I have a very different perspective on Guts's characterization and writing during the black Swordsman arc. I honestly think Guts is still an extremely compassionate and empathetic man during this portion of the story. Now you're probably questioning that with every he says and does during that arc. But you only focused on his moments of cold hearted and speeches when talking about it. But there's something I don't think you've taken into account. He's lying to himself. Because if you look at his actions compared to his words. They don't match up. At all. For every one of his edgy speeches, there's a scene of him showing genuine guilt and remorse for the harm that happens around him. And him showing intense frustration at himself for feeling that way. Because he doesn't want to feel any sort of emotion like compassion or empathy ever again after everything he's lost. So he lies to himself, and uses his rage to overshadow all of those emotions. But no matter how hard he tries, the light of those emotions still shines through. A prime example of this is in chapter 2. When the priest offered him a carriage ride. He declined three times before finally giving in and accepting. And when the demons come, he acts genuinely protective of them. When the girl ran out to calm the horses, Guts screamed at her to get back in the carriage so she'd be safe. And when her possesed corpse killed her own father. He was so shocked and horrified, that he couldn't even fight back until she stabbed him, and snapped him back to reality. And when he told Theresia to kill herself, I honestly think he saw it as a genuine act of kindness. Because like her, he knows what it's like to face reality shattering events. He knows the pain of having everything you love taken from you. And he knows that some people just can't handle it. But when he saw in her eyes that she wanted to live after nearly falling to her death, he reached his sword out to save her. And I see him crying, as showing genuine remorse for telling her to kill herself. Because he got it wrong, she does want to live. And has the strength to struggle on like him. And he almost had her take her own life. So yeah. I honestly think he's a much better person during that arc than you gave him credit for.

[@bigmannoah5171]

Not much longer till u beat CaptainMackChannel

[@vokoaxecer]

Can Berserk be considered a Tragedy .

[@ghostrhinorhino4287]

We definitely need more animated characters built like houses

[@mumbles2840]

i love the copyright prevention bois

[@ANunes06]

This is great. However, I will continue to point out that the mainly overlooked reason that Guts is so torn up by the events of the Count's eclipse is that he could have comforted himself with the delusion that Griffith wasn't really given a choice. That it was an illusion or causality or fate or whatever. Then he sees the Count defy the Godhand and choose to sacrifice himself over the one he loved. He's *ruined* by the shattering of the one remaining delusion he could cling to.

[@LuckyTheLeperachaun]

Wow, that hit me

[@Kommandor942]

Woah

[@ergotrench]

I had the same feeling which made me hate Griffith so much so that it boils me down. I might not have understood it clearly but even though Griffith was fated to be one of the Godhand some things could still have been under his control say the princess or he could've just talked with Guts when he was about to leave or he could've . But well it was how the story was intended and it was what made it spectacular and better. Only thing I am sad at is that I miss the backstory for Griffith's action and the overall conclusion of the story itself.

[@noblejoseph6446]

All this taught me is that if they talked this out ALL THIS could’ve been avoided lol. Express your feelings guys lol

[@rickymoen9482]

I never considered that; good point! Guts didnt get to see what griffith saw though during his eclipse. Basically thousands more people would die if he didnt sacrifice his closest comrades. P.s. i dont think its an eclipse if an apostle is made. I think the eclipse is only for god hand members

[@redrawn7765]

Most people would be called normies for only liking protagonists, for Gutts.. *He’s literally the best character In Beserk*

[@fuckitweballin759]

And even the other characters know it, and think that its hot as fuck

[@rayz1685]

Who tf calls someone a normie for only liking protagonists lmao

[@acow1385]

Saitama’s another good protagonist.

[@tj7681]

@@rayz1685 that's what I'm saying lol.... We just got main character energy

[@JustSomeGuywithEpicGrasses]

@@acow1385 yeah. He's a good protagonist. He's not top 5, but he's top 100.

[@syntheticvocalist-p472]

Whenever I feel like I might be getting bored of Berserk, those feelings that are conjured from the story always makes it feel refreshed. I wish I could experience Berserk again for the first time.

[@CaptainMack]

This is a big mood

[@buneco05]

I just started reading it. I'm currently on volume 12 and omg. I've never seen anything like this before. Every little panel is a masterpiece. You probably read it multiple times. But I'm already certain that I will re-read it again as soon as possible. I'm sure there is aloooot of stuff I already missed or didn't notice on the first read

[@syntheticvocalist-p472]

@@buneco05 absolutely, even now I find small nuances that I didn’t see before and make connections I didn’t realize where there. This story really is something incredible.

[@lucasoliveiradejesusjesus6193]

Me too men.

[@AveChristusRex789]

Same. Incredible story, arguably the greatest manga of all time in my view and possibly one of the greatest pieces of literature period

[@gregchezick7757]

Most controversial take in the entire video, "I don't like Hitler."

[@goofygoober9719]

You'd be surprised how many people online disagree...

[@restitutororbis964]

@@goofygoober9719The same people who are Griffith fans 💀

[@alexvaughan1013]

​@@restitutororbis964There are two types of Griffith fans. Those who enjoy his character and know he's a piece of shit, and those who spam "Griffith did nothing wrong" all over Reddit.

[@alexvaughan1013]

Imagine saying that in an Attack on Titan video. There'd be a full-on meltdown!

[@12abirato]

Guts telling Farnese that he was grateful for her help just floored me when I first read it. I think that's when I realized Guts deserved, and would get a happy ending. Yeah, we'll never really see a true ending to the story, but come on, you know it would be happy. Kentaro Miura developed Guts in a way that made him earn my respect and admiration. At the end of the day it wasn't his physical strength, or giant sword, or blind rage, but his earnestness, determination, sensitivity, and selflessness. Guts expressing his respect towards others and finding worth in them, after all he's been through, truly defines his struggle to achieve what I feel is his true dream-- peace. Same here man, same here. RIP to Miura, and yes, I did watch the entire video and I did cry.

[@CaptainMack]

Couldn't agree more. Personally I think the story of Berserk is Guts accepting and moving past what happened, rather than gaining retribution for it. I don't know if we would have ever seen Guts take down Griffith, but I think I can safely say that it wouldn't have been where the story ended. Thank you for taking the time to watch and leave such a thoughtful comment!

[@dimitriwarchief301]

sad people will sometimes just see him as a big dude with a sword...and not a truely deep characetr

[@meganbarhorst5272]

Don't be ridiculous, the story was totally gonna end with Theresia coming out of nowhere years later to make good on her promise for vengeance.

[@spencerfoote6977]

Imagine too if Guts didn’t keep going. This series teaches you even if you’re going through the worse or rather a nightmare, get through it and fight/struggle and become yourself not what the world wants.

[@moonfrostic]

I personally feel as though the reason black swordsman was first was to make us feel like Guts. We have our guard up against the warmness of the hawks just like Guts because we KNOW what will happen. But I and many others eventually dropped our guard when reading, we couldn't help but feel for the warmth that the band gave. Literally portraying exactly how Guts feels, especially when all of it is taken away. Excellent video essay, deserves more attention.

[@Phyrrax]

One thing that great stories do is make you forget what happens even if it was shown to you. "It cant end that bad." You start to believe that it will be good despite you knowing that it wont. That wish overwrites the logical and thats why it still hits you like a ton of bricks when you are confronted with the reality. (Writing this, it sound pretty familiar to some of Berserks motives doesnt it? XD)

[@mahmud7645]

@@Phyrrax Can relate. I was aware of the Eclipse when first watching the 1997 Anime and it is still the most intense video and television scene I have witnessed

[@Karma-cj1wu]

I read it so many times and while reading the golden age i just completely forgot

[@Vapormax]

It didn't occur to me that guts not having his own dream would mean that Griffith wouldn't see him as someone he has to put up his "ideal self" as you put it. It's obvious that he's different around guts and the irony of Guts not being his "ideal" really shows how we as human really fail to see what's important to us, much like how guts himself makes that mistake. Great video I watched the whole thing! Keep it up

[@CaptainMack]

Thank you I really appreciate it! You got my point exactly haha, I think that aspect of Berserk's writing makes the characters feel so human they feel realistic and I don't feel like I've seen it done so well before. I absolutely love it!

[@Phyrrax]

I always thought that this was the main point of that dialogue/scene. Guts wanting an own dream/home and being seen as equal without realising that both is actually already there. And Griffith spewing a bunch of hypocritical nonesense, that when put to the test by his favourite person (meaning Guts leaving the group) crumbles that crucial part of his world view in an instant. Both fail to appreciate and see what they have and end up worse because of it.

[@KingJobber]

It also doesn't help that Guts had just gone through an extremely traumatic moment with that botched assassination for Griffiths sake and then has to hear that.

[@hkiyr]

What did you get from that scene then?😭

[@noblejoseph6446]

All this taught me is that if they talked this out ALL THIS could’ve been avoided lol. Express your feelings guys lol

[@someoneelse3456]

At 34:45 you say that in Griffith's mind, Guts is second only to Griffith's 'dream'. It's shown that to Griffith, his dream had actually become less valuable than his friendship with Guts - it's precisely why Griffith blunders as soon as Guts leaves. Griffith eventually realises this himself during his year being tortured, and he begins to bear resentment towards Guts because of this, as shown when he tries to strangle Guts upon them being reunited again.

[@therandomdickhead5744]

I’d end up hating guts too.

[@ananana5200]

This. I also thought it was pretty clear by now that the reason for Griffith's fall off grace is BECAUSE his dream became less important than Guts.

[@ananana5200]

@@therandomdickhead5744 congratulations on the accuracy of your username!

[@derokdeathaxe6984]

@@ananana5200 don't forget some sort of a minor and yet important detail about Griffith's dream: it's stated that with the last battle(happened a few days before Guts leaving), the kingdom reached peace, meaning that Griffith couldn't raise through nobility's ranks by winning battles, and it was time to...basically court the princess, which he began to do during the celebratory event, with that speech about dreams and equals. So yeah Griffith lost his mind, but with the whole current situation i just described in his mind, but mostly the frustration of losing Guts.

[@cynga7035]

Absolutely based taste, I’m so glad I chose to subscribe. I will miss Kentaro Miura - he was one of my biggest inspirations.

[@CaptainMack]

Thank you I hope you enjoy the video. It was hard to work on this video knowing that Kentaro Miura passed away, but it also motivated me even more to share my love for it. Everyone should know how brilliant he was

[@cynga7035]

@@CaptainMack I just finished the video, it was great. I really feel with you for that outro and I think it just goes to show how much Miura has impacted people - and your video on Guts is testament to that impact. Also, it's great to hear that Monster Hunter is your favourite game series, it's mine too, immediately recognized the Valstrax theme when Skull Knight was shown. I hope you feel better soon.

[@CaptainMack]

@@cynga7035 I'm glad it resonated with you thank you for watching this beast for a video lol. I felt like the Valstrax theme fit that absolute Chad of a knight so perfectly, and I'm so excited to see Valstrax in rise although I haven't had a chance to hunt it yet

[@cynga7035]

@@CaptainMack if you’d like/are okay with it, I’d like to add you if you have a Switch, we can hunt Valstrax together sometime!

[@CaptainMack]

@@cynga7035 Sure sounds great! If you don't mind, could you message me on Twitter so I can send you my friend code? I don't want it out on the internet haha twitter.com/CaptainMack_

[@user-xm6rf7km4p]

i agree with the fact that "he'll use every single strategy". The most obvious one is Rosine fight

[@youshouldntadidthat7691]

Yup. He’ll take a blade through the arm and mouth, drown himself in the intestines of dead children to survive a fire he started, and use children as leverage to get that extra swing in

[@bamham4359]

Thats my favorite apostle fight of the series. Shows just how far guts is willing go

[@ddipster9342]

Also with the fight against the Count, i feel this strategy based fighting style faded away in later chapters though after he got the berserker armor

[@zodiacthriller6094]

@@ddipster9342 after the Rosine fight is when he starts to get his party, so he isn't forced to do nearly as extreme things because he isn't fighting alone

[@ddipster9342]

@@zodiacthriller6094 that’s true for better or worse

[@davigondim8850]

"Guts is great, worth all three silver coins"- Donovan

[@frozi7711]

Fucking OOF

[@laiden25]

Cursed

[@onyxseal24]

bro what the fuck 😂

[@jithinff8686]

dont wanna be that guy but ''its 4 silver coins''

[@fonke_monke]

it was not lmao@@jithinff8686

[@thiefnumber1380]

I have read Berserk and after watching this video, I think I understand Berserk a little more than I did before. I started the video and BOOOOM, 1 Hour is almost over. Nothing felt unnecessary, everything is just perfectly balanced as it should be. This Video deserves more Views.

[@CaptainMack]

Thank you so much, that's a huge compliment! I'm so glad you liked the video :)

[@therandomdickhead5744]

It flew by so fast

[@J-aimeFaust]

it's absolutely crazy to me that miura started berserk when he was 23. I'm 22 and can't imagine being talented enough to write something of this quality. miura is by far the greatest author of all time and his passing broke my heart in the same way as when a family member passes. truly berserk is the greatest story in all of fiction. bar none

[@frog6054]

Miura has been drawing manga since he was 5 years old. He's a talented and very passionate about his craft since the early age. I guess that's what makes him achieve this kind of greatness.

[@RagerTheStruggler]

What’s crazier is that Miura only had a vague outline of what he was going to write. He literally F* it and winged everything. Truly a genius.

[@OscarSanchez-vd8lq]

Takehiko Inoue is on par imo vagabond the only manga that gives berserk a run for its money

[@Karma-cj1wu]

@@OscarSanchez-vd8lq i feel like at that point its a battle of ideology and not writing. Its like asking which one taste better, apple or orange?

[@hi14993]

32:30 Honestly, I would go further. Griffith wanted to be a king. Kings are the top of all hierarchical medieval power structures. Therefore, Griffith wanted power most strongly. In Guts, Griffith sees the epitome of his ideal self. Someone who places everything into what he does and holds nothing back. Someone who has won respect and admiration by his own will and strength. Someone who has the ability to shape the world as he sees fit if he were to put his effort into it. Someone like Guts. Griffith in multiple scenes is haunted by the fact that he has to step on others to achieve what he wants. He lacks the same kind of strength of self that Guts has. He goes out of his way to sleep with the pedophile noble in order to avoid more trauma caused to others. In the scene afterwards, he is literally trying to claw his way out of his skin since he had to reduce himself to such methods. He constantly drafts plans to save as many lives as possible. He doesn't forget to elevate those that follow him to knighthood. Before the fall, almost every member of the band of the hawks is elevated to that status. When he dreams during the eclipse, he is horrified at the deaths of others that he has caused due to his perceived weakness before being chastised about it. Really, when Guts leaves, Griffith has to watch as the embodiment of his actual ideal turns his back on him. Watching the manifestation of your goals leave you has got to be absolutely gut wrenching. It is only in this grief that he begins acting against his interests. When at his deepest moments of despair, he begins doing as he pleases acting as if he has already become powerful, repercussions be damned. This leads to his arrest and torture. Only to be saved by his physical ideal self. So now he has been reminded about the ideal he can longer ever be. Eventually his despair gets to a point where he in agony and grief wants to no longer suffer. So he sacrifices everything to gain his wildest dreams. Which, while faulty, is a very human and very mortal trait.

[@sagiterrorist9]

Thank you for writing this

[@frog6054]

Wow, now it's makes sense about why Griffith care so much about Guts other than he's gay. Both Guts and Griffith idolized each other and they don't even realize it until it's too late.

[@MrGrgiZg08]

this is the greatest summary of Griffith and the Eclipse I ever read! Thank you for this

[@learningftw8173]

I think you are mostly right but I wouldn't say Guts is the person Griffith wants to be. Guts may have some traits Griffith values but Guts could never do what Griffith did. Guts being the embodiement of what Griffith wants to be would only make sense if he thought of himself as such an insect that becoming a king would be his only way to feel good/safe as opposed to Guts which does whatever he wants without any fear of repercussions, which I wouldn't believe to be true. Maybe Griffith didn't need to be king, and that thought became more real when he met Guts, the only man who made Griffith forget about his dream. What did he truly want? I'm not sure..

[@nothingwrong2293]

Now remember that considerable portion of the fanbase thinks that Griffith is just an uncaring psychopath who manipulated Guts into doing his bidding

[@thomasdevlin5825]

Not exactly a comment about Guts, but one thing I love about the golden age arc is how it does such an effective job at establishing the world as completely normal that even though you already know there's supernatural forces at play, when Zod transforms into his apostle form you're still like "HOLY SHIT HE'S ACTUALLY A MONSTER!"

[@griffinr-wv1tr]

Muira has admited he didnt have a full plan for griffith and guts until he made the golden arc. some may call this under prepared but I think of it as resourceful and flexable.

[@johnynoway9127]

most writers who write long stories change their mindsets and have had 500 different versions of their story before writing them

[@zzxp1]

This is how most stories go when in the writting proccess, there is an idea, a begining and an end goal, and you experiment with what feels right until the characters come to live and you ask as a writter if doing x or y would feel apropiate for said character.

[@AxeLasagna]

What’s the name of the song playing in the background of the start if the golden age arc? I forgot

[@jonathanswavely7259]

If it wasn't for that one panel where Guts sheds a tear while walking away from the Count's daughter I would have put the series down because at that point I honestly thought he was just so edgy asshole. Now I see him as one of the most well written characters in fiction

[@elijahchaney7715]

It really depresses me that Griffith allowed his dream and ideal self to drive a wedge between him and the people he cared about. Even now, in later chapters where Griffith has more or less achieved his goal, he feels empty within because the people he wants beside him aren’t there, even if he proclaims that they have no worth to him. He sits on a throne of flashy dreams, not of true substance.

[@alexvaughan1013]

Now I'm imagining Rick with his King of Shit crown.

[@tristansylvester1079]

Rewatching this and I realized something about the Griffith Guts rematch. Griffith isn't sure he has enough control of his curved sword to avoid impaling guts. But guts is able to swing his sword faster than Griffith can react to, hard enough to cleanly cleave his blade, and then stop it before he strikes Griffith. Displaying absolute perfect control of his sword that Griffith admitted he couldn't match in his own inner dialogue.

[@scotcheggable]

Part of the reason why we didn't start with the golden age arc is because miura hadn't actually conceptualised it when he started writing berserk lol

[@scotcheggable]

@Cyrus Connell oh I entirely agree that it's better to read black swordsman first. It just wasn't really an intentional decision made on miuras part.

[@alexvaughan1013]

It's like he got all the edgy out of Guts, and himself, with the Black Swordsman Arc. And then gave us the profound story of how this edgy boi came to be with Golden Age.

[@dustylittle5841]

"He knows he can't protect Casca and and Pursue Griffith, there's not enough GUTS to go around." Me: Looks at all the guts he strewn around throughout his life thus far... Uhhh, you sure about that? But on a serious not, DAMN good video. Watched it from start to finish. Happily subscribed and looking forward to more! Keep it up! By the way, the copyright boys thing was pretty good. Gave me a few food chuckles.

[@CaptainMack]

Lmao shit you right maybe he should be gathering all those guts up instead of letting them go to waste. Low IQ Guts

[@shawnromwell9613]

I had no idea that Guts intentionally or unintentionally sought out the demons that killed his friends, that's a detail that totally went over my head. Thanks for sharing that along with the rest of the video. 👍

[@zapstarfr]

I can't imagine the day when I heard Miura was dead. That was the most heartbreaking news I've ever heard in my life. I'm just 16 and I first read Berserk when I was around 14 years old (yeah, too young to read such explicit shits) but you know, I am so glad and happy that I did. That single series grow me more matured, made me understand the world better, and taught me something so useful that no schools, teachers or my parents have ever taught me: Always be a Struggler even if it almost kills you. My attachments to Guts is so huge that i sometimes wished I was able to meet him or someone like him irl or at least meet the creator Kentaro Miura himself (though it was already pretty difficult to reach him out even back in the days). Berserk is like the series that is not just for the entertainment purpose. It basically is like a Bible to me. Idk man, I had some suicidal thoughts and went into a short/temporary depression when I heard Miura was dead. He's the only person that I respect the most. I don't care if anyone says that there are better series or anything than Berserk because for me, it'll never replace its number 1 spot from my deepest parts of my life. I'll never forget Berserk, how it has impacted me, how it has impacted other people. I would always try to be more "Guts"-like than anyone else and that thought itself makes me push myself forward. Btw, a really great video I must say, pretty underrated. I wish you get success too.

[@brucelee270]

We all would meet him miura, one day, I promise..

[@user-dy7ls7uo9j]

Eh most people have seen things as explicit as berserk by 14

[@timbuckley321]

When you joked "Just amputate that shit" I laughed out load and slapped that subscribe. Appreciation for genius levels of detail and great humor? yes please.

[@guts1258]

Outstanding video Mack, but I have to offer one correction to something you stated. You said that Guts is one of the most dynamically written characters in all of manga history. While this is true I would take that a step further and say Guts is one of the most dynamically written characters in all of human history.

[@CaptainMack]

Oh I'm definitely not gonna disagree lol

[@steps8140]

Biased opinion? Most definetly The correct opinion? Abso-fucking-lutly

[@zaia3747]

I hold a Master's degree in Literary Criticism and I have read and analysed almost every piece of fiction I have come across, and yet I'm still yet to find a character more compelling than Guts. So you aren't wrong there.

[@wtfhahahaha]

@@zaia3747 FOR REAL?

[@nothingwrong2293]

​@@zaia3747well, it's good to know that we aren't just a bunch of wierdos praising our favorite japanese comic, and that Berserk is as good as we say it is

[@AlexHyena-dv4mb]

Miura truly was a blessing to this world. His work will never be forgotten

[@gatsuberserk4227]

İ have been reading berserk for 15 years , at least 2 times a year and i've read it in 3 different languages but this video made me realize things that i never thought. It gave insight to some off the thought process behind Griffth and his actions that i never knew and contextualized some off the reasons behind Guts behaviour. Thank you

[@CaptainMack]

No, thank you for giving my long-ass video the time. I'm really glad to hear I was able to offer some new interpretations for someone who knows and loves the series so much.

[@robertgonzalez8262]

this breakdown of why having the black swordsman arc first helps guts character development become so likable is insane i never realized how in-genius it was of mirura to do that so that the stark change in guts character is more consumable and likable, amazing breakdown my man

[@CaptainMack]

Thank you I'm really glad you liked it :)

[@NotYamiii]

one of my favorite berserk videos ever cant believe it hasnt got more views

[@8umber]

I saw berserk's first anime adaptation and felt horrified yet compelled to learn how this demon slaying beast came into existence and watched all of it. After staring into the abyss I came to the realization of how guts is the greatest example of a human being.

[@b-santriestorock.5044]

Bruh I already have a hobby and it is to watch people talk shit about mangas/movies/music/literary works. Looking forward to your future works.

[@CaptainMack]

Haha you found the right channel then, thanks!

[@JuliusCaesar103]

Great video, loved the point about Griffith finding a friend in Guts because he was the only one who did not share the same dream, that is a great way to think about it. Look forward to part 2.

[@Dan_Roland]

I loved your take on Griffith’s philosophy! This channel deserves way more subs and views.

[@ranovee2682]

Theres some really brilliant and different takes and interpretations of the story in here than ive heard from other creators on Berserk. I really liked that you took the time to break down the story beats because it would be so hard to really grasp the nature of Guts as a character without explaining some of it... Great stuff I really enjoyed this. I remember feeling exactly how you felt in this when I discovered Berserk for myself, I literally couldnt get it out of my head for over a month. Easy subscribe for me.

[@SkullSkill912]

i see a lot of potential in you! an hour just went by and i didnt even relize it! keep up the work man, youll go places!

[@CaptainMack]

Thank you, I'll do my best!

[@christopherderrick3745]

This manga meant so much during my formative years... and still does. It is part of why I have managed to get this far in life.

[@genbelisarius7780]

What an outstanding take on Griffith and why Guts meant so much to him. I never analyzed Griffith's reason behind the importance of Guts to him this well and it makes so much sense. Guts didn't really have a dream and so Griffith felt less pressure around him than around The Hawks, and was easier to be more of himself around Guts. What an awesome take, definitely earned a sub.

[@xunluckyz6338]

I think this is my favorite analysis I’ve ever seen

[@restinginn9906]

You're right. Nothing can compare to the depiction of rage in the manga during the eclipse scene. Man. What a masterpiece. I wanted to say I really like your video and the way you describe things. May the algorithm bless and reward you for your efforts

[@Haneynozuka]

guts cat person CONFIRMED

[@kairossorkian1180]

I can't believe Griffith is the first Dream subscriber.

[@DarthAssViolater]

One of my favourite panels of berserk was when Guts was preparing to go fight the count and there were 2 cannon balls on the ground along with his sword and knives. 8+ chapters later we see that he only uses 2 shots because that's all he prepared with.

[@wtfhahahaha]

BROOOOOOOOO

[@CasulsGittingGud]

You've earned a sub from me, almost everything is ON point. This what we get when a genius, philosopher, artist, combined into one person and make graphic novel. a perfection. RIP Miura-sensei, i legit cried after knowing the sad news. but i still believe in his assistant and the script he might left behind. afterall he told that he WILL finish it even if he died.

[@frog6054]

For real, the story of Berserk is easily one of the most well written story out there and not only that, it's also arguably have the greatest artworks we've seen in a manga. Miura is the most hardworking and talented mangaka!

[@visualsamurai7718]

When seeing berserk from an outside perspective, it looks like an edgy badass swordsman thats OP, but it's a story that breaks you down like it broke guts, it portrays demons as real demons it doesn't leave out any detail of pure evil, but it strengthens you as well, it tells you to keep going towards your goal, and yes guts is OP, but he never wins without a loss, he gains perspective of just how weak he is and to keep going and to keep growing, it's a story that has help reshaped so many people.

[@potatoaim7805]

This is an amazing video but YOU SIR are a perfect human being for doing what you did when Skull Knight appeared

[@CaptainMack]

In this house we stan Skull Knight

[@deacongiamanco7081]

Btw the song is Silver winged scarlet star from monster Hunter generations ultimate. I love the monster attached to the song and the series in general

[@fernandobrandini8862]

This channel is so underrated, you’re gonna be big soon!!

[@sergiocanali3352]

Yo how the FUCK a guy who put this much work on a single video is getting ONLY 26K views??? I recently finished reading berserk and your video happend to be just what i wanted, a perfect way to reflect upon and revisit kentaro miura's masterpiece. Thank you so much for making unbelievably awesome content. You gained 1 fan!

[@CaptainMack]

Thank YOU for spending an hour on my work and leaving such a nice comment haha, I really appreciate it :)

[@wtfhahahaha]

306k now :)

[@nothingwrong2293]

​@@wtfhahahahadeserves more tbh, this is one of the best videos about Berserk I've seen

[@wtfhahahaha]

@@nothingwrong2293 yeah agreed but 😭 ur name LOL

[@nothingwrong2293]

@@wtfhahahaha I'm coping hard

[@NotChaosCultist]

Great analysis mate, thank you for making this video! Also, you may have heard it already, but it seems that we will get a new chapter of Berserk in September (I think). Let's hope that enough material exists so that the story can end in a way that is faithful to Kentaro Miura's vision.

[@CaptainMack]

I did see I actually pre-ordered the issue it's coming out of. I can't read Japanese so I'll have to wait for it to be translated but I wanted to have the last chapter he worked on physically

[@sadswordsman2129]

I spent an entire hour on what should've been a 20 minute drawing because I was too busy watching this video. Great video mate, cheers!

[@CaptainMack]

Haha thank you I hope the drawing ended up a masterpiece

[@JOE-sx2oe]

1.01:00 I too was sad that I wouldn't see the rest of Berserk, but just recently Miura's team finished a new chapter of Berserk, and because of the last panel saying "END" one of two things may happen: 1) The story ends there, no more berserk. 2) It is the end... but of the current ARC and they'll finish the story (At least that's what I think, you might want to check out any news)

[@priesten2763]

I am what you would call physically a person who is the same as Guts. I love Berserk and I find in Guts many ways a form of ideal I can strive towards. I dont know why, but on clicking this video I wasnt expecting very much. Maybe it was your physical appearance being that of the typical anime nerd, or maybe it was the length of the video, I was half expecting just a long fanboying rant. But this video is absolutely amazing. Not only is it long, but every second of it is filled with extremely insightful commentary. I had to pause several times to think deeply before continuing. I also felt very related to you because you analyze things in a way that is very similar to me. There is one thing Id like to add to this video, maybe you agree with me or maybe you do not. In your explanation of Griffiths speech in regards to whom he considers a friend, you conclude "Therefore he does not consider Guts a friend" I always like to think this wasnt the case. Griffith had his belief that he held onto strongly, but I think Guts had become his friend, an equal in his eyes without him noticing it. Thats why Guts was always the only one Griffith could confide in. Didnt you say that yourself? Guts was the only one who didnt have a dream out of the members of the Hawk. Guts was respected in this way because he didnt need Griffith. There was later a moment in the story where Griffith had a realization that Guts might have overheard this speech. I forget when this was. But I think this moment is huge for Griffith. Not only did that made him realize that Guts was a friend to him all along (he had never considered that until then) but even worse, he realized that it was his own words that caused his only friend to leave him. This is what caused him to hate himself. Remember when he had sex with princess charlotte? He kept thinking of Guts the whole time, and after the act was over he started crying while injuring himself. I think Griffith deeply hated himself for driving out his only friend. This goes back to Guts, who actually probably also thought of Griffith as a friend, and upon hearing that speech felt betrayed. Not just betrayed, but he must have felt humiliated to have allowed himself to think of Griffith as a friend yet the feeling wasnt mutual at all. Or so he thought. Griffith weakness being, a desire to find an equal, and Guts weakness being a desire to be needed.

[@justincunningham7892]

Man, this is probably the best anime/manga video I’ve seen on KZbin and that’s saying a lot. You just gained a huge fan.

[@CaptainMack]

I don't deserve that much praise lmao but thank you so much that means a lot

[@zelda117ifyshow]

Great video :0 Also, I do like Corkus. People unjustly hate him, just because he opposes guts.

[@JK-fj1xl]

The video: * really detailed in its descriptions of the characters struggles, ideologies and the atrocities they have to live through * The copyright boys: 🕺🕺🕺

[@deus_sandwich2943]

I was reading berserk for the second time and at the moment where guts was leaving the BOH, i remembered someone talking about losing your place for gaining or obtaining purpose and thought it was genius. Then i was like oh right the dude with his guts analysis. When i thought about this i realized how much true it was, even today when you think about it. You can't have both of worlds and i never truly understood what it meant when reading berserk at first. So thank you for helping me to understand this because it adds so much more depth to berserk. This video is incredible in terms of quality and writing. I never bother watching 1 hour long videos but you made me stay until the very end.

[@CaptainMack]

I'm really glad I was able to offer a different perspective on the story, especially if it helped you reach a better understanding of it. I think that theme is so rooted into Berserk, and realizing how Guts and every other character struggles with that choice has really helped me appreciate the depth of Berserk's characters. Thank you so much for such a kind comment!

[@deus_sandwich2943]

​@@CaptainMack I hope your channel will grow and you will be rewarded for putting that much effort in your videos !

[@redyeti34]

Imma be real, I already love berserk and it's themes are what I love the most. I stuck around and watched this video because you are fuckin great. You put together incredibly well paced and engaging videos and have a stellar personality. Definitely deserve more recognition and subscribers.

[@CaptainMack]

Thank you bro I really appreciate that

[@redyeti34]

@@CaptainMack no problem man, you put in the work.

[@jordanjoestar-turniptruck]

I am in love with your editing. Especially green-screening yourself all over the place.

[@tinyarmadillo]

This channel is a gem, really glad I found it. Keep up the amazing work!

[@nikeimizhongtomasch1880]

Because we can all identify with him, he had a typical childhood being a sex slave to a bald man. Then lived off the streets, until being picked up by a financially stable bisexual man. Then he fought demons, lost his arm and an eye, just to install some steampunk tech. Most of us are in the same shoes, unlike unrealistic characters, looking at you Goku and Naruto.

[@austin3600]

As someone who is not particularly a fan of anime or much into it, I absolutely love Berserk. It is by far my favorite story of all time, from any type of media, and Guts is probably my favorite character of all time. He's not a hero, he's simply human, which is what makes his character so great. As much as I would recommend it, it certainly isn't for the faint of heart lmao. Literally nothing is off limits. *Nothing*

[@AraAra-zc2eb]

Berserk is the story of a man with the role of an object, a sword, becoming a man, one that acts upon the story. Guts go from acted upon to acting on. It's a slow, difficult change, but the best there is for those that keep reading Berserk beyond the Eclipse. Edited because: if you don't like Corkus, you haven't read Berserk enough.

[@Zombie-Vendetta]

This video was awesome man, ive been reading this manga for over 10 years, ever since I was 12. Growing up and seeing this story being created throughout my life was an amazing experience, I dont read manga but berserk was an exception. We all have a side of Guts!

[@Phyrrax]

One other thing to note, is that at the Black Swordsman Arc, Guts is at his lowest.We are pretty ugly when we are at our lowest. Guts being so cruel is not just because he is being through some dark stuff, but also as a shield to not lose his last bit of sanity and being able to hold onto his goal and keep on pushing. Distancing himself from other humans and being cruel, in his mind, is the solution to keep on going. If he loses only one more person thats somewhat near to him he is probably going to crumble. I always interpreted that part where he barely can hold back tears, as the realisation of how cruel of a monster he has become and has to be, to keep on going. He rather gives the daughter a negative reason to live, than reaching out and explaining himself. Its still better than her giving up right? Knowing deep down that she could end up like him. A sad angry person that only lives for revenge.

[@shawnsuckstm3353]

Not only that but (I personally) believe him acting cruel in the black swordsman arc is a way to protect the innocents in his own way. Pushing them away by acting like a villain, so they don't get hurt. the priest and his daughter is a perfect example of that.

[@scotttrail522]

@@shawnsuckstm3353 This, to me, sounds like Spider-Man and Shadow the Hedgehog. Or, just the second person.

[@shawnsuckstm3353]

@@scotttrail522 I don’t know much about Spider-Man’s character but I can definitely agree with the shadow the hedgehog part

[@scotttrail522]

@@shawnsuckstm3353 Spider-Man's quips, much like Guts' cruelty being a shield to not lose his sanity, is HIS own way of having to keep pushing forward. And just like Guts', if Spider-Man "loses one more person that's somewhat near to him, then he is probably going to crumble." ***** What Guts went through, with Casca losing her mental stability. . . similar to Shadow the Hedgehog, where the only friend that he ever had-- Maria-- was gunned down in front of him, and he could do nothing but watch helplessly. Much like Guts-- unlike Spider-Man, since he doesn't act cruelly to push humans away to save innocents' lives--, with Shadow the Hedgehog. . . "Distancing himself from other humans and being cruel, in his mind, is the solution to keep on going." Guts and Shadow are clear examples of this. I'm. . . not sure about Batman, though.

[@shawnsuckstm3353]

@@scotttrail522 ah I see, thanks for the info.

[@zombiesalmon4997]

Its actually not very often that my favourite character is the protagonist but guts, man... gotta love him.

[@poshkoala]

Some of the music from Golden Age Arc are just a 'feels good vibe'

[@alexvaughan1013]

I love your first point about how Guts' design tells the story of who he is. Here's another example of a design that does this extremely well: L from Death Note. L's design is iconic the very second he reveals himself in full. It seems simple on the surface, but each element highlights information about L: - Pasty white skin. This is because L never goes outside and gets sunlight and possibly has a Vitamin D deficiency. This could also be caused by L's abysmal diet of nothing but coffee and sweet food (no wonder he has a heart attack!) - Dark circles under his eyes. The black parts of his eyes are very enlarged. This is because L rarely ever sleeps and drinks coffee non-stop. - Overgrown, dishevelled hair. Why make your hair look nice when you're locked in your room solving difficult cases? - Wears the same outfit: a white long-sleeve and blue jeans. Because L uses his brain a lot, he probably wants to eliminate the decision of what clothes to wear every day. That's why Zuckerberg, a real-life eccentric genius, always wears the same outfit. They're also probably comfy when sitting in his iconic "L position". - There's also the speculation that L is on the autism spectrum. So wearing the same clothes could be a routine for him. - No shoes. Since L sits in a squat position for long periods, this probably allows him to spread his feet out properly. And no shoes means no damage to the furniture. - L is very skinny, even with his terrible diet. L explains that he burns calories by using his brain (I don't know how scientifically accurate that is, but I digress). He can also play tennis and knows capoeira, which he shows when he kicks Light. So I imagine L keeps himself fit.

[@Monchich94]

This is great Edit: Ok now that I'm finished the video, I just want to thank you for making it and allowing me relive some of the great moments along with some poignant analysis. Your segment on why the black swordsman arc was necessary has given me a greater appreciation for the arc. I got emotional remembering some of the moments in the series. It's too good, and it's too beautiful. Guts deserves so much better. Anyway, thank you for the video, you deserve way more views.

[@LegionaryAtticus]

Excellent video! I just wanted to elaborate on what the Raiders were, as it seemed to confuse you. The Band of The Hawk are essentially a light cavalry brigade, with some infantry here or there, however the Raiders fight as both heavy (ish, they themselves are heavily armored but their horses are not for mobility) and light cavalry, but as a skirmisher infantry as well. It's their job to forcefully enter fortifications, strike weak points in the enemy's line, and generally fight as an infantry force as well.

[@Mannnnnnnn]

Just bought the berserk game although its not perfect it just makes me appreciate the series more man rip Kentaro Miura

[@AnimeFanatic95]

Its been years since I sat through and watched a video as long as yours. The way you captured the theme of Guts and unfolded his life story, who he was, and how he connects to Griffith and the world around him made me fall in love with Berserk all over again. Truly, this story is a masterpiece at the highest level and only comes once in a generation. I'm just glad to be born in the right place and time to experience such a compelling story.

[@davidbesnei9104]

That transition with the Guts theme was so amazing and astonishingly good it made me cry . Well done mate!

[@lunaius_]

I have heard alot of opinions about that quote from grifith and your interpretation I find the most compelling. Great Video :)

[@crisisanagram3916]

An hour long video on one of my favorite character's in fiction? SIGN ME UP

[@jamesroe8934]

I loved this video, so thoughtful. You're style and delivery grew on me quickly as well.

[@scottjefferson4048]

so many small youtubers making these masterpieces of videos really makes my day, thank you por presenting all of this in such a beautiful way.

[@zainio]

I watched the whole video then saw the views and subs and was so surprised. I thought this video had a couple million views and you had hundreds of thousands of subs. This video was really really high quality. I haven't properly watched/read Berserk but you told the story really well and covered stuff that I hadn't seen before.

[@RedHotSillyPeppa]

One of the best berserk reviews I've seen watching it was a great time though fortunately and unfortunately berserk had its final chapter recently you did great on this video, please keep it up, you just got a new subscriber

[@zacadam4129]

As one of my favorite series, this video was amazing. So much Berserk analysis is as shallow as “ends justify the means,” despite it being one of the deepest, most complex stories of all time. This video made me think of a lot of angles this story has that I hadn’t even thought of before. Amazing

[@liambrasier6590]

Nah man, i didnt feel like you went overboard with the details at all. In fact i felt there were some important parts of guts' childhood and teen/young adult years that explained a LOT about why hes got such an abrasive emotional guard up during the black swordsman arc, that you didnt cover. Rip Miura sensei

[@spygun0442]

“Gut’s has the coolest prosthetic arm”. Sekiro: “sad shinobi noises”.

[@faeryfossil3472]

I really enjoyed this, Berserk holds a big place in my heart and i can’t get enough of the theories and character analyses, i’ve reread the golden age arc so many times and i really do find it so important and so impactful not only for the full story but for the readers and as a perspective on many aspects of life. I’d love to see you do more character analyses and maybe even some theories, despite the tragic passing of Miura. Very nice work, keep it up :-) P.S., say what you want about corkus but i find him endearing in a very annoying way at times lol, and during the eclipse when guts calls out his friends’ names, including his it really broke my heart

[@emperorleachy6435]

This video was excellent, loved your editing style a lot of it made me chuckle, great analysis of Guts and even Griffith, I honestly was so shocked to see you have less than 100,000 subs, you deserve way more and a lot more views too, you’ve gained a new sub from me.

[@batsburning]

singlehandedly won my subscription with this video. brilliant analysis and interpretation of one of the best written characters (and best written relationships in the case of Guts and Griffith) in media. you should have more subscribers.

[@GiovanniDeluxxe]

The Golden Age is probably the best arc in my opinion.

[@Haneynozuka]

I was full on attentive during the whole hour lmao omg time sped by... And while I won't read or watch berserk since I'm definitely not Trauma resistent enough I could really understand what you mean and how compelling the writing is, topped with incredible artwork!! I smiled a lot throughout the video it was so interesting and can't wait to flex with my knowledge!

[@CaptainMack]

Yes! I'm glad you were able to find it so enjoyable haha and even happier you found it watchable at all

[@jordanjoestar8839]

Guts is the only character from manga/anime that feels 100% real to me. I often have to remind myself he never existed because he's one of the only truly realistic and unpredictable protagonists I've come across.

[@SereneSimian]

You've got just the right blend of spices and seasonings to blow up, subscribed.

[@lion12324]

guts and Casca also survived the eclipse because of the fairy dust given by jedau, those who were exposed by this dust were protected, it seems that guts breaks the laws of the god of causality since guts was not supposed to be born. yes, he is protected by the plot, but the author also gave him a reason why remains. He is the variant that causality did not take into account.

[@jamesr1096]

Excellent work Mack! You really did a great job with this character study. I also really appreciate the reverence you showed towards Miura and his life's work. Thank you and I look forward to watching more of your essays in the future.

[@CaptainMack]

Thanks man I really appreciate it. Miura left behind a unique legacy that cannot be replaced. The least I can do is show some respect for that haha

[@terrenceswiff]

LOVED the video! I feel like I've seen maybe 7 different reads on Berserk, one of mine included (reading the Black Swordsman arc as a means to convey Causality to the reader, and post-Eclipse, when Guts has broken free, to be "fateless", as we no longer know for sure what will happen as we watch this man struggle) and they've all been valid. It really is such an incredible work. I hadn't considered the "it makes you accept change" angle but it absolutely does. Great stuff! Great video!

[@CaptainMack]

That's what I love about Berserk, there's so many different ways it can be interpreted and it all works so well lol. Thank you for checking this out I'm glad you liked it

[@RageShroud]

Kentaro passed away over a year ago? I honestly, everyday it feel like he just left us. I have been reading Berserk, watching berserk since the beginning. 40 years old this year, as a kid practically raised by Guts ( I just mean the motivation to preserver as I grew up, I never let the idea of suffering stop me as its always temporary) I was heart broken to hear he passed before blessed us with the end of his story.

[@quadbell8190]

I already liked the content of your video. The moment you called Capcom out for the Dragonslayer, I subbed.

[@mrmanju6989]

Everything about the blackswordsman arc drew me in. You could tell Guts wasnt 100% asshole bc he threw up after stabbing the girl, tried a couple times to tell the old man to not give him a ride, literally told them his deal and told them to stay in the carriage, saving Puck to begin with, and you could tell he kept Puck aroudn despite being a dick to him, there was nice mystery and like a deep body of water you can see it isnt shallow even though you cant see the bottom. Black Swordsman was perfect to me as a fresh read and of course cool in a different way when read with context and timeline in mind. I like it either way, but i am 100% glad i read Blackswordsman first

[@vxlume3475]

You just earned my sub and like for this vid and sure i’ll check your other vids too! i read the whole manga up to date and absolutely obsessed about everything in berserk no need to explain it to you ofc lol, but anyways you explained new feelings to me about guts and made re-experience my journey with berserk along with every shocking event that happened in the manga … love this vid and keep it up! 👍

[@jtothey1993]

Amazing video dude. I gained some prespective that I didn't have about Berserk which makes me love the manga even more! Thank you so much!

[@ClearlyNeo]

You’ve instantly become one of my favorite KZbinrs. Video quality is superb and very well executed!

[@proximamidnight1581]

Great video,great hair. Hope your channel grows and you make a lot of great Berserk related videos.

[@marvelous_jack5228]

I know i'm 3 months late to this video but thank you so much for it, it's so nice to know there's another person who has read Berserk and enjoyed it so much. This video is a great analysis on the first two arks and is highly underrated. It's also great to get a different view point of certain scenes, like when guts tells Theresia to kill herself. I and many others see it as Guts sayin that to her to make her hate him so much that she would go on a revenge path, similar to Guts, to kill him. It's not a great way to live but atleast she would be alive (that's what i believe Guts was thinkin durin that time)

[@CaptainMack]

Oh that's really interesting I hadn't considered that possibility. In another way, it would also make sense if Guts saw his own actions as comparable to Griffith's in that he took something precious from Theresia. Therefore he may believe he is deserving of the same fate as Griffith pushing him to want her to pursue that revenge. That's what I love about Berserk though, there's so much room to make interpretations. Thank you for your kind words about my video, I'm so glad to hear you liked it :)

[@marvelous_jack5228]

@@CaptainMack i don't think i articulated my opinion clearly enough haha. What i meant to type was that The anger, and therefore revenge, Theresia would harbour for Guts would be the only thing she would be livin for since literally everythin was taken from her and she was literally about to slit her own wrists. This is what i believe Guts was strivin for. Since it is shown he has a soft spot for kids, he wouldn't want her to simply give up on life. He did what he could at the time, even though he coulda done somethin less "heartless", he still managed to give her a reason to live despite everythin that's happened to her

[@CaptainMack]

@@marvelous_jack5228 Oh no I get what you're saying. After you pointed out that possibility it just made me think of another possible interpretation. There's so many ways it could go lol

[@mazsar8895]

I have watched dozens of videos like this but so far this was my favourite. Good job man !

[@CaptainMack]

Thank you!