Well this video exploded out of nowhere... My first ever video on this new channel was a different Berserk video about Casca being the best character in Berserk, it's old so don't expect too much, but go watch it anyway: th-cam.com/video/0BLrLSkAcVg/w-d-xo.html
Something I found terrifying in the original animated series was how Gaston was voiced by Goku's voice actor. It was really disturbing hearing his voice being utterly terrified in a situation...
he wants wings to reach his dream (the castle seen in his revealed past); because despite the sacrifice, standing on corpses wasn't enough. and who else, but a driven albeit misguided child could ascend to fantasia(?). cheers!
He wants wings because he's insane, and a monster. I really can't wait to see him burn in some dramatic fashion. Something horrible, like Jojo antagonist level of torment or more really at minimum.
I see the line of "i want wings" to mean that Griffith is eager to to cast away his humanity to become godlike. Also it has smacks of Icarus, having wings and arrogance to fly close to the sun.
Agreed! It’s not just childlike to want to fly but it is an evolution of humanity, what would make someone better than an average human and a symbol of freedom and symbolically/literally being above others. It is a pretty clever design choice, it’s why I think that most angels (or divine/awe inspiring beings) have wings to show that they are beyond humanity.
well it is not mean he cast away but it is a very metaphoric thing (wings) mean the true freedom! well nowdays the flying is not big deal... of course not...! ":D but in the past it was that thing what humanity never could and never will! also they thought the god there is on the sky! (or beyond the sky) even in the attack on titan there is wings symbol (freedom of the wings squad it is their mark/symbol/sign) but opposite like icarus! grifith fly/fall too deep and not too high!
I love the line “I want wings” because it perfectly encapsulates how unfeeling and evil he has become. He just sacrificed all of this friends, and all he can think about is how he can trick out his new God bod
he sacrificed his mortal wings (the band of the hawk) that carried him thus far for real ones. It's very much something you'd expect from an ambitious and uncompromising war genius.
Jeremiah 17:9-10 NLT “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” The idea of evil is literally shaped like a human heart. Perhaps it’s Miuras twisted heart which came up with this series?
@@briancooley8777 Ouch, Miura’s twisted heart? I know you didn’t mean it, but it sucks that he literally died from a heart problem too. R.I.P Miura, we love you. Berserk is the greatest story I’ve ever read in my entire 22 years of existence.
@@ascended313 Berserk 1997 was my first experience with the series, and I took someone's advice to skip the first episode/save it till the end and honestly, it was still all leading up to the eclipse, black swordsman arc or not. There's a ton of foreshadowing and red flags you see with Griffith's character.
There's only one other quote from a villain that I love more than "I want wings" and that is when Merton takes Lex Luthor to the source wall and warns him that only a twelfth level intellect would be able to handle all the knowledge of the universe and Lex tells him "then I am overqualified" and then becomes God of the multiverse. Good stuff
@@matiasluukkanen7718 hmm yes, comics are childish, Flash paradox, All Star Superman, The Batman Who Laughed, Death of the Family, Endgame and The Killing Joke are oh so childish it hurts my very adult and mature brain, only children should read comics like Brian Azarello's Joker.
Jeremiah 17:9-10 NLT “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. (And desires?) I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.” The idea of evil is literally a human heart! And our hearts tell us “do what thou wilt” all the time...
Once, I had heard that one of the main reasons why Chapter 83 was taken out of canon was because Miura thought it gave too much away too early. It's still a neat idea even if it ends up being false.
I don't think it's at all false, I think he just wanted to hold off on revealing his ideas for "the idea of evil" until the final arc/ending stage of the story.
@@HerMi.T i think it exist because he is teased in many chapter and it was said that Miura removed that chapter from being canon but he realised it was too much plot so soon. Because the idea of evil might be th ultimate boss
@@Caspianm2 i know its late but I feel he was trying to hold off from revealing too much behind the power of manifestation until he introduced magic users
Something I always found interesting about Griffith's ascension to become Femto is that (If I recall correctly) he doesn't justify his actions but I always found there to be an interesting implication, although it's more noticeable in the 1997 anime in comparison to the manga itself. While he is looking back on his life thus far as he is about to make his choice, we are reminded of the losses and triumphs The Band of the Hawk had suffered as well as their members devoting themselves to following Griffith. The reason I find this to be such an interesting moment is that they emphasize the phrase, "We will follow you," and other phrases along the lines of how they will see through to whatever end and how they wish to help accomplish Griffith's dreams, and so on. Although it by no means validates or redeems Griffith's willingness to sacrifice his loyal soldiers, it almost feels like Griffith is being subjected to have flashbacks of these moments because not only do they spur him on further, but it almost feels like these moments are being used to provide a justification so that the audience can understand the gravitas of Griffith's heinous act of betrayal. The twisted nature of it all is that even though his followers who have long since literally fought his battles they also did promise their lives in devotion to Griffith's ambitions...just not in ways they could or would have chosen. Griffith is being told that they sealed their own fates by following him and that ultimately the end result is the same: Griffith in power of all he desires and his kingdom built on the remains of those who sacrificed their lives to help him get there. There is an undeniable difference in regards to all of this since what The Band of the Hawk actually agreed to was something more honorable and potentially beneficial as well as an act done willingly, not something they were bound to at the whim of a goal-driven psychopath with too much ambition and little to no remaining sense of morality. This moment is also a brilliant example of one of Berserk's other narrative elements that I feel it handles extremely well: Various choices made and deeds done by certain characters are in no way justified, but are made to be understood why these deeds of questionable morality are done, whether we like it or not. Griffith is never portrayed as worthy of any forgiveness and there is clearly no justifying his actions, but we do know why he did it and the position he is in. We hate him, but we know fully well why we hate him on more than just a surface level. It goes deeper than just the end result of his choice, all the way down to the fact that at this point he no longer requires a sense of vindication outside of, "I will achieve my dreams, and those who attempt to stand against me will be put down, their remains adding further platitudes to my ascent." He doesn't need to even feel justified anymore in his own head because he no longer feels remorse. The scene he relived while making his decision goes back to a memory of a young boy who wanted to join The Band of the Hawk and was granted the chance to do so. That boy with dreams of greatness and ambitions all his own died in battle not long after he fell in with the ranks of the band. Griffith looks back at this moment with the last shred of humanity he had and felt remorse, only to be reminded that such regrets were a part of following such ambitions. This was the moment where the shell of Griffith cracked and fell away, and the fifth member of the God Hand, Femto emerged in its place. Any Berserk fan has likely heard and clenched their fists at hearing the phrase, "Griffith did nothing wrong," but I can't help but take that one step further. At this point, Griffith is beyond caring about such distinctions, yes, but there was a time when he did. That being said, right and wrong were no longer of any consequence and the discussion of just or unjust actions of good or evil are no longer blurred or to be considered, there is only fortitude and might enough to fulfill ambition. We all know that Griffith did everything wrong that he could have, but even at his worst prior to gaining his hell-hated wings, he was still human enough to care about others to a certain extent. I feel that this singular moment, although it only implies certain aspects about Griffith's choice and how much or little it may or may not have affected his own mentality, is so brilliantly done and also speaks highly of Kentaro Miura's skill as a writher and a creative mind full of detail and literary prowess.
Okay but this comment deserves more likes. The amount of thought put into this is just too good. Also! I'd like to add that Femto (as the Hawk of Light) could just as easily show case Falconia as a counterargument if he wanted: All these people living (mostly) happy lives away from the danger of monsters and weather and such, all for the price of a couple hundred nameless soldiers. Sure, they were at one point valuable, but would you place their value over the value of millions of other human lives? Not to mention he basically had the Princess wrapped around his well manicured finger, but that's neither here nor there.
@@srslydoatm9251 Thanks so much for reading through my comment and I'm so happy to hear your response and that you found value in my initial comment :) Berserk is one of those works of fiction to me that I can't help but hold dear because of all that makes it so thought provoking and I also learned of it and began to read the manga after a friend watched the 1997 anime with me because he was already a fan. Let's just say it was the right series at the right time in my life as I was 17 at the time and my high school years were a living hell so I guess the struggles and strife of Guts hit home for me personally in some respects but I will leave it at that lol I'm a writer myself, and Berserk also gave me excellent insight as to development of deep and meaningful characters as well as how to flesh out a world in ways that greatly benefit such an undertaking. I'm mostly a historical fiction author but I've always wanted to write something more of a high fantasy and Berserk serves as a great example of that. I've always believed that in some ways the story and setting develop around the characters and in turn the characters adapt to their world essentially. Berserk is a fine example of that to my mind. Well my rambling aside, thank you again for taking the time to read and respond. I hope that you are doing wonderfully in all things and that you continue to live well and in safety despite the condition the world has been in for the moment.
I LOVE this analysis of Griffith and this is why i will maintain that Griffith is my absolute favorite antagonist of all time. He is SO well written and SO complex.
@@davinaagawu1251 Thanks! :D I'm glad you found value in it :) Griffith is definitely a well-written villain and his complexities and inner workings of his mind are some of the most interesting I have seen in a villain. He is my favorite villain, but in the I want to see him utterly destroyed when he meets the Dragonslayer face-to-iron lol
It also highlights Griffith’s greed: he just got done being reformed, and the first thing he says is “I’m dissatisfied, give me more.” Not to mention the religious implications that wings themselves have!
The reason I hate him is the scene JUST before the sacrifice when he is a kid and he says... “I can’t apologize. No, I will not apologize. If I repent everything will come to an end” This. This tells you what he truly is
Yeah everything will come to an end and every fallen member of the hawks death will have been in vain if his goal is not reached (not saying grifith is good but I think there could've been a less malicious mode of thinking)
what he truly is. a dude who used a bunch of people who looked up to him, who will keep using people who look up to him and wont stop until he gets what he wants. that scene is literally just propaganda that the god hand fed Griffith to make him feel validated in being an evil pos. Griffith is just evil lol not that much to it.
In a way, I almost love that this chapter wasn't included in volumes. The fact that we can't guarantee the cannonicty of any of it adds this extra level of lovecraftian mystery to it (which it would still have anyway, but perhaps not as much) that I don't feel would be present if it was still in the volumes. I'm not sure if this was worth it being excluded, but its very interesting.
I’m happy it wasn’t included since beserk is about guts fighting against destiny and how no matter what odds are stacked against him it’s his will that keeps him going.it would seem far too ironic for a man’s fight against destiny be destiny itself
@@lkdon18lk74 i like that it wasnt included cause if you consider destiny to be an all powerful author of the world, then they're both victims of destiny i mean ya gotta feel bad for griffith before the eclipse, if they hadnt misunderstood one another he couldve been king and then learned the value of his friendship with guts and he'd have the hawks and feel an actual sense of achievement and companionship, to be as a king should be while levelling up some emotional IQ, but nah, the entire world was conspired against him to get him to the eclipse, break him, manipulate him, stoke the flames of his ego after his broken ass heart froze over and make him a lil baby bird can feel no nothing just live a hollow life on easy mode all alone
@@lkdon18lk74 Isn't that the whole point though? His destiny is to struggle against his destiny. He is literally marked for 'sacrifice' and pre-destined to meet that end regardless of how he dies. That's why he's referred to by Skull Night as 'The Struggler' and heck look at Skull Night. He makes a sword capable of destroying (maybe) Femtoe and the sword literally brings about Femtoe's perfect world-breaking event. It is literally fighting destiny and in doing so enabling destined events to occur. To me the entire point of Berserk is that its an eloquent discussion about free will, whether we have it, whether we don't and whether regardless of that we can find meaning and acceptance in the human condition.
@@Zoey-- I rlly like your take on this but I personally prefer the thoughts on whether destiny is real or not so that we can switch sides on if guts struggle is pointless rather then having a physical all causing being to be the root of everything.since I enjoy the mystery and deciding myself rather then it being written
Doesn't help that he had a heart condition. The irony was probably not lost on him when he passed. Hopefully on the other side if there really one he will tell us how he wanted to end the story.
@@silverhawkscape2677 yeah Griffith travels to the present with his wacky hand powers to find a KFC and he becomes besties with Guts again or some shit
@@themollymachine incorrect, it was an Aotic dissection. His Aorta split open. and he bled to death, internally, probably leaked out. Nothing to do with a heart attack or a vax.
It was soooo weird when it came out, really felt lovecraftian and super confusing, looking back with what we have now I really appreciate it more though.
i went out of my way to read it during my read through, its a gem of context and until it gets written over with anything close to its depth its canon to me. it really helps make Griffiths transformation complete and gives such absolute clarity to the kind of being Griffith becomes! it makes it a LOT easier to understand why he acts like he does with this validation from what appears to be God.
I don't think he redacted it because it revealed too much, i think i heard somewhere he did it because it put limitations on what he could do with the world and by making it "non canon" he can be free to write what he wants and gives a small clue into what might be the final plan
One thing I disagree with is that Griffith is being presented with something greater than himself for the first time. Griffith being tortured left him extremely weak, and lowered him below even his most amateur soldiers- unable to even grasp his sword. In fact, those feelings of resentment probably played a decent role in his initiating the eclipse to begin with. The difference is Griffith isn’t irritated by seeing this “god” like he was to see everyone else.
I feel like regardless of the circumstances Griffith would’ve started the eclipse because he did not see any of his comrades as more than pawns to reach his dream. Although this is purely hypothetical as he needed to be at a complete emotional, psychological, and physical low to summon the eclipse.
Because his ascent was all the hand play. Berserk is in part all about destiny and the defiance of such. This is why Griffith is the embodiment of the perfect hero with a perfect destiny bestown upon him to become a god, But also Guts is the complete opposite. Someone whose destiny has decided he shouldn't even be alive from the moment of his birth. While Guts existence is a complete anomaly of fate. Griffith fate was decided before he was born. The hand knew his actions would lead to his eventual downfall, And that he would eventually sacrifice everyone to get his goal. Because To griffith, his goal is only divine.
@@scoott8605 it’s pretty well known that he did actually care for all the the people on the Band of the Hawk, but that at the end of all things Griffith cared and valued his dream more and the entire purpose of the Band was devoted to thst dream.
@@YY-ln1ol I think there was a specific scene where the Godhand referred to Guts as a minor role in the greater fate of the world, so the variations in his fate aren't predictable. He's not like Griffith who has a divine role, his is ancillary to Griffith and otherwise unimportant, so perhaps his fate wasn't as set in stone.
I always interpreted the wings as the opposite or juxtaposition of Lucifer’s fall, where instead of being ‘cast down’(having his wings clipped), Griffith has made his metamorphosis into Godhood and ascended.
Well he only wanted wings. He could have asked for robotic arms, shoulder mounted gattling guns and Guts seeking nuclear warhead launcher on his back. Mere wings is quite humble of him really.
It's a pretty profound moment in hindsight, and it tells you allot about Griffith as a character, but personally I just found this moment funny. Here Griffith is literally standing in front of god, after being given direct orders to do whatever he wants, with the power to do anything he sets his mind to, and instead of asking for world domination or infinite power, he asks for wings, the most simple things he could possibly to with this power
It goes deeper. Since Miura is the Idea of Evil, and he gave Griffith actual plot armour and control over reality, then Griffith himself redacted the chapter and removed it from canon.
@@stew-03 I speak of all of history's authoritarians. Destroying your past is a convenient and natural step to controlling the future. One, I'm afraid, that is too tempting for most given power to resist.
Make no mistake, Griffith is evil, I want to see him pay dearly and burn in hell, but more than Griffith, the real antagonist of Berserk is... Fate Fate placed that behelit in Griffith hands, it was always obvious to me it was only a matter of time until he used that thing, Griffith having fallen to despair for the first time in his life succumbed to that fate and embraced his role in it. Guts is the one that will never succumb to fate, he is one of the few that fights against it, he struggles but never gives up even tho his role was to die
Daniel you think you know philosophy and you don't Guts never surrender his soul to Griffith he only did it for Caska you fake fans or should I say gay community hate to say it to you and the gay community Griffith is gay and likes Guts but Guts doesn't like him so Griffith than rapped Caska because he was jealous of her he wanted Guts to have feelings for him like how guts feels towards Caska
Thing is, his wings were forming before he asked for them. He was made to say that exact same thing at that moment, kinda like Neo talking to The Architect
My best friend told me griffith is a good Antagonist because after eclipse first Time he meet guts again, he answered on gut's question "WHY, GRIFFITH, YOU BETRAYED EVERYONE, WHY?!?!?" "I betrayed you, but never my Dream."
"Death of the Author" is an essay by Roland Barthes which argues that interpreting a text should not rely on the biases and biography of an author. An example of this would be reading The Lord of the Rings without referring to Tolkien's love for nature and hatred of industrialization. In this context, Kyle is saying that it exists regardless of Miura's intentions to include it in the official volumes or not. We don't know what he was thinking when he wrote it, we don't know what he was thinking when he decided not to include it in the official volumes, we don't know what he meant when he wrote this chapter. So it's up to us as readers to put an interpretation to it.
The amount of work that must've went into this chapter, just to discard it. I imagine most wouldn't be able to bring themselves to do something similar.
I think most fans still consider the "Lost Chapter" to be canon still. Kentaro, may he rest in peace, wanted to cut the chapter because "it gave away too much too soon" and it is easy to see why. I think these events happened in the background of the Eclipse, during Griffith's apotheosis. My guess is that Miura wanted to revisit the Idea of Evil later on in the story, to explain the Godhand and the Law of Causality. I don't think he ever considered making these elements non-canon though. He just wanted to change the time of the reveal.
"Death of the Author" is an essay by Roland Barthes which argues that interpreting a text should not rely on the biases and biography of an author. An example of this would be reading The Lord of the Rings without referring to Tolkien's love for nature and hatred of industrialization. In this context, Kyle is saying that it exists regardless of Miura's intentions to include it in the official volumes or not. We don't know what he was thinking when he wrote it, we don't know what he was thinking when he decided not to include it in the official volumes, we don't know what he meant when he wrote this chapter. So it's up to us as readers to put an interpretation to it.
So basically, Griffith is just an empty husk, like a robot or vessel of fulfilling the prophecy. Made me wonder if Lucifer felt the same. Him and Griffith are quite similiar. Interesting.
I thought I did not want to know this information but now that I've learned it I am excited. This helped explain so many things and puts Griffith on a different level for me.
You gotta appreciate the fact that when the IoE mentions the lineages of the characters that will come to influence Griffith's decision, we get a shot of the helix shaped appendix of the IoE, which of course is a reference to DNA. That attention to detail is just outstanding. For me "I want wings" always showed how superficial Griffith was, in the end he just wanted to be fabulous (along with the fact he could fly and thus be above everyone else).
What I like about Griffith and Guts is that both parallel each other in different ways. For example Guts is more Straight Forward in his appearance and approach and yet Griffith is a living contradiction. He's muscular but at the same time looks feminine, considered an angel by many but worshipped by demons, a saviour and yet doomed the world for his own gain. It's just fascinating
good video, the part about the behelit coinciding with the last tear shed was really spot on. also the part about Miura being the literal "Hand of God" as he writes out the destiny of the series
At the end you say, "But it exists, and the author is dead." I damn near had a heart attack. Thankfully saw this was posted in March. Miura is alive and well going into 2021.
It was a flippant(and *extremely* careless) reference to the idea of "The Death of The Author", the concept of authors becoming separate from their works after publication. Think of J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter as an example of why fans adopted the concept. But yes, with the Miura death meme existing for decades, that line definitely should've been handled with more tact.
It’s not non-canon let’s just say that. It was removed because Miura felt it gave too much away too soon. It’s status as canon may change, but it’s a good place to judge where the story of berserk is going until such a time that its status is confirmed.
I always had a feeling that the stone hedges were the burial site/ Memorial for the souls lost on the very first ever eclipse. Historically they were sometimes indicative of the final resting place for royalty.
the fact that there’s potential for all of this to b explained through concluding arcs is absolutely mind blowing. something so absolutley peak fiction without even being complete just to get 50x better with an absolutely god lvl chapter writing wise
this desire is understanding the plan and accepting the role. Griffith has a plan-he still wants his "kingdom" actually. The very existence of this plan and its implementation in Griffith's actions is what is important. And "I want wings" is the player's ideal wish in this context.
This moment solidifies the idea that makes Griffith real evil. Not comic book "i want to conquer/destroy the world" Evil. The kind of evil the worst people on earth were characterized by. And this is why griffith is probably among the best villains ever made.
👏👏👏 Incredible explanation of Incredible chapter of Incredible series. RIP to Miura. one of the best authors in our generation. Griffith is by far my favourite character in this series. There has never been a more human like character in any other manga. The selfishness , the greed, the lust, the pettyness, the perfectionism , the vainglory! The vainglory! Encaptulates everything wrong whit the human heart in all the right ways. Guts on the other hand shows every good aspect of humanity . The positivity, the struggle, the sheer determination to proceed in an impossible situation. Struggle against self, struggle against the inevitabile . Such a shame this series will never be concluded the way Miura intended.
Almost at 500 subs! Yipee. Neat video. I always found this chapter one of the more interesting ones, first due to its theological take and the meta surrounding the cannon. But your take on that The Essence of Evil is Muira himself, makes it that much more interesting. Makes it really interesting. Berserk has a lot of lore to dig into which is going to be fun on re reads.
I really like this concept of humanity wanting a reason to live so badly that it forms evil itself. This sort of nihilistic/absurdist thing that dispenses evil to give people purpose and give humanity a thing to fight against. It's fascinating.
I thought so too but I was also like: is this some moral of the story right now? Like, there’s consequences to not accepting plainly that something just happened for no reason at all (I.e. being misled/false causes/waste of time and effort/unnecessary blaming)
Your comment is hog wash the devil is god and the sun in the sky is Saturn that's what the all seeing eye means the sun in the sky is saturn and the rainbow in the sky is Saturn rings earth is the self called titan moon of Saturn and our sun is Saturn when you die the sun will eat your soul just like saturn eats its children you should have known that if your so smart
TBF, omitting the chapter from future prints because he felt it gave too much away too early, is not the same as a retcon. The chapter is most definitely still canon. The fate of Berserk is still to be determined as of right now, but unless it continues and this chapter is retconned later, it’s still canon. Considering his reasoning for omitting the chapter from future prints, I’m very much of the opinion that Miura intended to revisit this scene with a flashback later in the series after he had revealed more of the events to the readers.
Think about how many men in the past have self sabotaged themselves. Attacking Eastern Europe in the winter seems to he a common one in European history. Not to mention all the men who haven't had as much power as Hitler and Napoleon. People can be their own worst enemy. Griffith self sabotaged himself once, those who don't learn from their mistakes are doomed to repeat them...
I actually like that this chapter was cut. I feel the mystery of berserk is what makes it so interesting and this chapter really explains a lot so I can see why Miura wanted it removed
Interesting. I've just finished reading all of Berserk so far, and I didn't know about this chapter. Now that I have read it, I agree with Miura. It's a nice chapter, very exciting and profound, but I can see why he thinks it was a mistake. As interesting as it is, it's not as overwhelming as it should, given that we are seeing God. It comes a little short and mundane. It's very hard to grasp what God is, imagined or not, and this chapter makes it seem quite straightforward. Even for a genius like Miura, grasping what God is and explaining it to a man, is a big task to accomplish successfully. For any storyteller, it seems out of reach. How to deal with something like that? By removing this chapter and maintaining the mystery of what is there in the deepest layers of the Astral World, it keeps the uncertainty and the mystery of destiny more ambiguous, and also keeps the story grounded in what humans have to deal with in those circumstances.
So...the Idea of Evil is created by humans thinking evil exists (instead of just a rationalization of their pain and suffering)...and the behelits, or encapsulation of desire/wanting, are born from that idea. So all we have to do is stop thinking of our suffering as an exterior principle. Which sounds like the escape from suffering of nirvana in Buddhist philosophy is the answer. Mind blown. This is some deep shit. Miura was a genius, RIP
I guess when guts arrives in elfheim, he also describes griffiths plans similar. His goal is to always soar higher and never be satisfied (something very human-like imo). In did not know about the lost chapter so thanks for bringing that up. Having the source of all evil telling you "do as you wish" is such a terrifying thought....
I always saw "I want wings" as a solidifying moment of Griffith's arrogance. Reading that line, I remembered his conversation with Guts about the possibility of the existence of a person who could stand above all others regardless of class. During that conversation, the reader felt as if Griffith believed himself to be that person. With the Idea of Evil validating that mindset, in true Griffith fashion, it isn't enough that he stands above everyone - he must soar far above them. As only a hawk would.
Wow... as a strictly only manga reader, I've never known about this. for nearly 20 years! Thanks for bring this to my attention. Because you're right! This chapter is enlighted!
ehmmm holy shit, like I heard the last sentence, i"it exists and the author is dead" and then looked at the date and i felt so bad just remembering that Miura has left us
I see it more as a reflection of himself upon Griffith. The form may be of the author, but the idea of evil is really the desires of the collective viewership filtered through Miura. What I mean by this is that the idea of evil is less a character and more a representation. That means that, unlike a character, the idea of evil will not just do whatever as a character. It exists at nearly the same metaphysical level as the author, so while Miura could draw whatever crap with crayons and say it's Berserk, the idea is analogous to the storybuilder within Miura who creates the world of Berserk. So in pretty much all realities I see, Miura maintains professionalism, and the god of Berserk remains constant; maybe adding to the story, but never inherently changing the will of the work (key word: "maybe." miura pls make more chapters). Going off of "metaphysical level," which I know is vague: the world of Berserk is below its god, placing belief in that which is not all-powerful, whether that be the known world, spirits, demonic power, or other. In this chapter, Griffith comes to terms with his desire being what he holds above all else. Coincidentally, human desire, as the force that fundamentally urged the creation of this manga, is that which is all-powerful here. He doesn't understand god, but that doesn't matter, because he understands that which precedes god: he understands us, the viewers, at our cores as humans. Then, this scene is contextually Griffith's metaphysical ascent to godhood (as he becomes metaphysically "equal" to god). Interestingly, this means that Femto, while physically less than god, through his aforementioned ascent obtains the ability to create nearly anything in the story of Berserk, as he understands that God creates what humans seek and what he seeks is what humans seek. The worldbuilding of Berserk after the eclipse does feel different, but with that perspective, Femto willed that different world into existence. I might have wanted to see the differences the eclipse would bring upon the world of Berserk, but Femto shaped it Miura made it.
"Griffith asks for wings here when he couldve asked for anything" amazing video covering the overarching reason the story has such negative elements. Trult everyone in this story lead a life that was deserving. Their futures only holding their each desire and seeing that unfold and how their each dream is like changing each part of a boat until that boats original parts are nolonger in the machine, and have made something completely different that is irreversible. The band of the hawk is much like the boat and each fate has been sealed since the start. You really do a service in your explanation here ❤
Stonehenge is on a layline and a faultline so it could be these laylines (for Berserk at least) are areas where the ethereal world connects with the physical
personally, I almost suspect that ending is griffith reaching his goal and realizing how hollow and empty it is. I somehow doubt that he'll just sit contently on the throne of the world once he has no higher thing to aim for.
Ive been a berserk fan for like 3 years and i never realized the behelits are like the last tear drop of the person's soul, and thats why Griffith cried blood in the eclipse, because he has the crimson behelit. Amazing how much you keep learning about this series.
I thought he wanted wings because his kingdom is in the sky. Wings are a metaphor to give him enough power to make him live like a ruler. Everyone for that makes hkm a very compelling villain. Despite this, this was an excellent breakdown of this chapter. It is easily one of my favorites from berserk. P.S. I still like your interpretation. Art, in general, can be dissected in many different ways and come to different results. That is why I love art.
fantastic video and more informative and to the point than a lot of the headcanon/clickbait videos on Bersrk. I can understand why Miura wanted to cut out what amounts to a pretty huge exposition dump, but I dont think it actually hurts the story by removing any intrigue or mystique. Though, who knows? maybe something entirely different is on the horizon.
Desires are very childish if they aren't fleshed out, Guts never had a desire so he could never be childish wanting wings is so basic... Gut's is the opposite of Grifith because he doesn''t want anything but it is his duty to persue things he needs such as stopping evil because evil was started due to him, or purising his own path because he was a pawn for a man with childish desires, I think Grifith will realize that Gut's
@@IzzySarru no he wants to be Grifiths friend for most of the first part then realized the path hes been taking to become Grifith's friend isn't the right one to that goal then changes it casuing Grifith to crumble sense Guts was carrying his dream
That last point you made about Miura making himself the idea of evil and speaking to Griffith directly was just brilliant, you are a wizard dude, thank you for this video, opened my eyes to a lot of things I missed from this chapter because there’s just so much in it to unravel.
I posit this idea: that the line "Do as you will" is directed both at Griffith and at the audience. Just as the will of humanity is the will of the Idea, so too is the will of the reader the will of the author. Perhaps Miura made chapter 83 "non-canon" in order to give the reader a choice as to whether or not to include it in their own analyses of the series. After all, if it were definitely canon, there would be no room for argument, but if it were definitely not a part of the series, it would not have ever been written at all. By releasing chapter 83 but refusing to endorse it, Miura gives the reader the same directive the Idea of Evil gives to Griffith; to interpret this however you want, and use it in the way that best suits your enjoyment of it.
Well this video exploded out of nowhere... My first ever video on this new channel was a different Berserk video about Casca being the best character in Berserk, it's old so don't expect too much, but go watch it anyway:
th-cam.com/video/0BLrLSkAcVg/w-d-xo.html
It should. It's a great video
I for one am very grateful the algorithm brought this to me. Never would have found it otherwise.
You really perfectly described why this chapter is my favorite in the whole series
Tfw you want B Dubs
I'm so glad I found this video. :D Didn't know about that chapter
Guts: Hey Griffith, me and Casca are gonna hit up a chicken place, what do you want?
Griffith:
“I want wings”
"understandable"
Weird that the top comment said thighs
*Proceeds to sacrifice the whole gang because someone ate his wings*
@@9902-x1r nah, they forgot his fries
Void be like: i want a big f**king brain
I love this 😂😂
*knowledge
Slan: I want to fap at everything whilst having big ol tiddies
*TOO BIG BRAIN*
I want a big baby head and my hands stuck together forever
Guess who xP
I didn’t know Griffith’s choice in chicken would make him so hated
Underrated comment
It’s because everyone knows that legs are better.
Griffith : Ah yes ! Casca ! My favorite kind of chicken
@Funnyman Boogeyman no you, the legs are the best
I'm more of a breast kinda guy
Always found it hilarious that Gaston realizes he's a minor character and it literally makes his head explode, top tier 4th wall break from Miura
Top tier take. At least i can laugh about one of their deaths
Something I found terrifying in the original animated series was how Gaston was voiced by Goku's voice actor. It was really disturbing hearing his voice being utterly terrified in a situation...
F
@@tabulldog2743 Gokus voice actor did voice lines for multiple fodder characters it was so distracting
@@Rex-X-Dark you cant really hold that against him though im pretty sure he was in this before becoming goku.
Griffith "i want wings"
Me "what sauce do you want wit that"
🤭🤭🤭
Knowing Griffith's dodgy character, he probably wants Sweet & Sour sauce.
Red sauce
Have a like
In this world, is the destiny of mankind controlled by some spicy breaded wing of poultry? Is it like the scent of chipotle hovering above?
he wants wings to reach his dream (the castle seen in his revealed past); because despite the sacrifice, standing on corpses wasn't enough. and who else, but a driven albeit misguided child could ascend to fantasia(?). cheers!
makes sense
Yeah
He wants wings because he's insane, and a monster.
I really can't wait to see him burn in some dramatic fashion. Something horrible, like Jojo antagonist level of torment or more really at minimum.
@@Krystalmyth same
Also maybe he wanted wings because he wants the one thing he misses to be a "hawk".
I see the line of "i want wings" to mean that Griffith is eager to to cast away his humanity to become godlike. Also it has smacks of Icarus, having wings and arrogance to fly close to the sun.
The Icarus analogy was exactly what I was thinking.
Agreed! It’s not just childlike to want to fly but it is an evolution of humanity, what would make someone better than an average human and a symbol of freedom and symbolically/literally being above others. It is a pretty clever design choice, it’s why I think that most angels (or divine/awe inspiring beings) have wings to show that they are beyond humanity.
@@BlitzkriegBryce yes yes!
well it is not mean he cast away but it is a very metaphoric thing (wings) mean the true freedom! well nowdays the flying is not big deal... of course not...! ":D but in the past it was that thing what humanity never could and never will! also they thought the god there is on the sky! (or beyond the sky)
even in the attack on titan there is wings symbol (freedom of the wings squad it is their mark/symbol/sign)
but opposite like icarus! grifith fly/fall too deep and not too high!
…. On wings of pastrami
I love the line “I want wings” because it perfectly encapsulates how unfeeling and evil he has become. He just sacrificed all of this friends, and all he can think about is how he can trick out his new God bod
he sacrificed his mortal wings (the band of the hawk) that carried him thus far for real ones. It's very much something you'd expect from an ambitious and uncompromising war genius.
the idea of evil = miura
never thought about this, such a briliant idea.
Jeremiah 17:9-10 NLT
“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?”
The idea of evil is literally shaped like a human heart.
Perhaps it’s Miuras twisted heart which came up with this series?
Crime never sleeps, Idea of Evil: hold my hiatus
11:15 HEHEH..
AND WE GOT PULLED
INTO THE MIDDLE..
..OF SOME CRAZY
STORY SOMEONE WROTE.
Eh, that feels like over thinking.
@@briancooley8777 Ouch, Miura’s twisted heart? I know you didn’t mean it, but it sucks that he literally died from a heart problem too. R.I.P Miura, we love you. Berserk is the greatest story I’ve ever read in my entire 22 years of existence.
I've had my eyes on griffith ever since guts joined them. so many red flags, and bad vibes.
Well ya know they kinda show he’s a bad guy in the black swordsman arc
@@ascended313 Berserk 1997 was my first experience with the series, and I took someone's advice to skip the first episode/save it till the end and honestly, it was still all leading up to the eclipse, black swordsman arc or not. There's a ton of foreshadowing and red flags you see with Griffith's character.
@@Caspianm2 he was always a sociopath
@@Caspianm2 That advice is awful lol How about reading/watching it the way one of the best authors ever intended?
@@night1952 dude shut the fuck up, the first episode makes absolutely no sense without context
9:20 Wings? *WINGS?*
Griffith should've just bought a Red Bull.
Not funny 👎
@@4realRecon rigth, extremely funny
@@4realRecon D K
NOT FUNNY
didn't laugh
Actually he bought a 'bull with wing'. i think you understand my point.
If only he had seen your comment before the eclipse
There's only one other quote from a villain that I love more than "I want wings" and that is when Merton takes Lex Luthor to the source wall and warns him that only a twelfth level intellect would be able to handle all the knowledge of the universe and Lex tells him "then I am overqualified" and then becomes God of the multiverse. Good stuff
To be fair Luthor is overqualified for godhood.
Beautiful
I want to add one more quote in the mix:
*"The only thing all humans are equal in is Death"*
Johan Liebert
Yes, comics are childish like that.
@@matiasluukkanen7718 hmm yes, comics are childish, Flash paradox, All Star Superman, The Batman Who Laughed, Death of the Family, Endgame and The Killing Joke are oh so childish it hurts my very adult and mature brain, only children should read comics like Brian Azarello's Joker.
Griffith: "No, I don't want to be chicken wings."
Godhand: "Too f*cking bad."
Crisis averted 🙏🏿
Unravel plays
Jeremiah 17:9-10 NLT
“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. (And desires?) I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.”
The idea of evil is literally a human heart!
And our hearts tell us “do what thou wilt” all the time...
Is that true? Or are you born into a prison, a prison for your mind?
Eddy I’m not sure what you’re referring to
What is Jeremiah?
Tastes like food he was a prophet in the Bible
@@briancooley8777 O
Once, I had heard that one of the main reasons why Chapter 83 was taken out of canon was because Miura thought it gave too much away too early. It's still a neat idea even if it ends up being false.
in chapter 82, god is appeared in the end. It means idea of evil did exist. But this possible that miura will change some small things there.
I don't think it's at all false, I think he just wanted to hold off on revealing his ideas for "the idea of evil" until the final arc/ending stage of the story.
@@HerMi.T i think it exist because he is teased in many chapter and it was said that Miura removed that chapter from being canon but he realised it was too much plot so soon. Because the idea of evil might be th ultimate boss
@@Caspianm2 i know its late but I feel he was trying to hold off from revealing too much behind the power of manifestation until he introduced magic users
Something I always found interesting about Griffith's ascension to become Femto is that (If I recall correctly) he doesn't justify his actions but I always found there to be an interesting implication, although it's more noticeable in the 1997 anime in comparison to the manga itself. While he is looking back on his life thus far as he is about to make his choice, we are reminded of the losses and triumphs The Band of the Hawk had suffered as well as their members devoting themselves to following Griffith.
The reason I find this to be such an interesting moment is that they emphasize the phrase, "We will follow you," and other phrases along the lines of how they will see through to whatever end and how they wish to help accomplish Griffith's dreams, and so on.
Although it by no means validates or redeems Griffith's willingness to sacrifice his loyal soldiers, it almost feels like Griffith is being subjected to have flashbacks of these moments because not only do they spur him on further, but it almost feels like these moments are being used to provide a justification so that the audience can understand the gravitas of Griffith's heinous act of betrayal.
The twisted nature of it all is that even though his followers who have long since literally fought his battles they also did promise their lives in devotion to Griffith's ambitions...just not in ways they could or would have chosen. Griffith is being told that they sealed their own fates by following him and that ultimately the end result is the same: Griffith in power of all he desires and his kingdom built on the remains of those who sacrificed their lives to help him get there.
There is an undeniable difference in regards to all of this since what The Band of the Hawk actually agreed to was something more honorable and potentially beneficial as well as an act done willingly, not something they were bound to at the whim of a goal-driven psychopath with too much ambition and little to no remaining sense of morality.
This moment is also a brilliant example of one of Berserk's other narrative elements that I feel it handles extremely well: Various choices made and deeds done by certain characters are in no way justified, but are made to be understood why these deeds of questionable morality are done, whether we like it or not.
Griffith is never portrayed as worthy of any forgiveness and there is clearly no justifying his actions, but we do know why he did it and the position he is in. We hate him, but we know fully well why we hate him on more than just a surface level. It goes deeper than just the end result of his choice, all the way down to the fact that at this point he no longer requires a sense of vindication outside of, "I will achieve my dreams, and those who attempt to stand against me will be put down, their remains adding further platitudes to my ascent."
He doesn't need to even feel justified anymore in his own head because he no longer feels remorse. The scene he relived while making his decision goes back to a memory of a young boy who wanted to join The Band of the Hawk and was granted the chance to do so. That boy with dreams of greatness and ambitions all his own died in battle not long after he fell in with the ranks of the band.
Griffith looks back at this moment with the last shred of humanity he had and felt remorse, only to be reminded that such regrets were a part of following such ambitions. This was the moment where the shell of Griffith cracked and fell away, and the fifth member of the God Hand, Femto emerged in its place. Any Berserk fan has likely heard and clenched their fists at hearing the phrase, "Griffith did nothing wrong," but I can't help but take that one step further.
At this point, Griffith is beyond caring about such distinctions, yes, but there was a time when he did. That being said, right and wrong were no longer of any consequence and the discussion of just or unjust actions of good or evil are no longer blurred or to be considered, there is only fortitude and might enough to fulfill ambition.
We all know that Griffith did everything wrong that he could have, but even at his worst prior to gaining his hell-hated wings, he was still human enough to care about others to a certain extent. I feel that this singular moment, although it only implies certain aspects about Griffith's choice and how much or little it may or may not have affected his own mentality, is so brilliantly done and also speaks highly of Kentaro Miura's skill as a writher and a creative mind full of detail and literary prowess.
Okay but this comment deserves more likes. The amount of thought put into this is just too good.
Also! I'd like to add that Femto (as the Hawk of Light) could just as easily show case Falconia as a counterargument if he wanted:
All these people living (mostly) happy lives away from the danger of monsters and weather and such, all for the price of a couple hundred nameless soldiers. Sure, they were at one point valuable, but would you place their value over the value of millions of other human lives?
Not to mention he basically had the Princess wrapped around his well manicured finger, but that's neither here nor there.
@@srslydoatm9251 Thanks so much for reading through my comment and I'm so happy to hear your response and that you found value in my initial comment :) Berserk is one of those works of fiction to me that I can't help but hold dear because of all that makes it so thought provoking and I also learned of it and began to read the manga after a friend watched the 1997 anime with me because he was already a fan. Let's just say it was the right series at the right time in my life as I was 17 at the time and my high school years were a living hell so I guess the struggles and strife of Guts hit home for me personally in some respects but I will leave it at that lol I'm a writer myself, and Berserk also gave me excellent insight as to development of deep and meaningful characters as well as how to flesh out a world in ways that greatly benefit such an undertaking. I'm mostly a historical fiction author but I've always wanted to write something more of a high fantasy and Berserk serves as a great example of that. I've always believed that in some ways the story and setting develop around the characters and in turn the characters adapt to their world essentially. Berserk is a fine example of that to my mind. Well my rambling aside, thank you again for taking the time to read and respond. I hope that you are doing wonderfully in all things and that you continue to live well and in safety despite the condition the world has been in for the moment.
I LOVE this analysis of Griffith and this is why i will maintain that Griffith is my absolute favorite antagonist of all time. He is SO well written and SO complex.
@@davinaagawu1251 Thanks! :D I'm glad you found value in it :) Griffith is definitely a well-written villain and his complexities and inner workings of his mind are some of the most interesting I have seen in a villain. He is my favorite villain, but in the I want to see him utterly destroyed when he meets the Dragonslayer face-to-iron lol
I just gotta say that he does justify his actions to himself. Also the sacrifice wouldn't work if he didn't love the people who he is sacrificing.
It also highlights Griffith’s greed: he just got done being reformed, and the first thing he says is “I’m dissatisfied, give me more.” Not to mention the religious implications that wings themselves have!
Wings. The ability to reach touch the Heavens. No wonder why man looked upon them so enivably before that fateful day in 1903.
Griffifth: “I want wings”
Behelit: “DOES THIS LOOK LIKE A FREAKING KFC TO YOU!!!??”
Hound: now I want the whole f-ing chicken.
Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk I cried lmao, keep going 🤣
Horse/Goat:
"Sir, this a demonic sacrifice"
The reason I hate him is the scene JUST before the sacrifice when he is a kid and he says...
“I can’t apologize. No, I will not apologize. If I repent everything will come to an end”
This. This tells you what he truly is
Yeah everything will come to an end and every fallen member of the hawks death will have been in vain if his goal is not reached (not saying grifith is good but I think there could've been a less malicious mode of thinking)
@@dylanbuzz9789 I agree
@Filip Gasic but it's not a mistake if he wins.
@@lweaver2988 Tell that to the dead.
what he truly is. a dude who used a bunch of people who looked up to him, who will keep using people who look up to him and wont stop until he gets what he wants. that scene is literally just propaganda that the god hand fed Griffith to make him feel validated in being an evil pos. Griffith is just evil lol not that much to it.
In a way, I almost love that this chapter wasn't included in volumes. The fact that we can't guarantee the cannonicty of any of it adds this extra level of lovecraftian mystery to it (which it would still have anyway, but perhaps not as much) that I don't feel would be present if it was still in the volumes.
I'm not sure if this was worth it being excluded, but its very interesting.
I’m happy it wasn’t included since beserk is about guts fighting against destiny and how no matter what odds are stacked against him it’s his will that keeps him going.it would seem far too ironic for a man’s fight against destiny be destiny itself
@@lkdon18lk74 i like that it wasnt included cause if you consider destiny to be an all powerful author of the world, then they're both victims of destiny
i mean ya gotta feel bad for griffith before the eclipse, if they hadnt misunderstood one another he couldve been king and then learned the value of his friendship with guts and he'd have the hawks and feel an actual sense of achievement and companionship, to be as a king should be while levelling up some emotional IQ, but nah, the entire world was conspired against him to get him to the eclipse, break him, manipulate him, stoke the flames of his ego after his broken ass heart froze over and make him a lil baby bird can feel no nothing just live a hollow life on easy mode all alone
@@lkdon18lk74 Isn't that the whole point though? His destiny is to struggle against his destiny. He is literally marked for 'sacrifice' and pre-destined to meet that end regardless of how he dies. That's why he's referred to by Skull Night as 'The Struggler' and heck look at Skull Night. He makes a sword capable of destroying (maybe) Femtoe and the sword literally brings about Femtoe's perfect world-breaking event. It is literally fighting destiny and in doing so enabling destined events to occur. To me the entire point of Berserk is that its an eloquent discussion about free will, whether we have it, whether we don't and whether regardless of that we can find meaning and acceptance in the human condition.
@@Zoey-- I rlly like your take on this but I personally prefer the thoughts on whether destiny is real or not so that we can switch sides on if guts struggle is pointless rather then having a physical all causing being to be the root of everything.since I enjoy the mystery and deciding myself rather then it being written
@@Crosshill couldn’t put it in better words 🤣
"It exists and the Author is Dead"
That reference to the idea of the Death of the Author didn't age well
I had to check the date on the video lol
Hahaha yo I got bothered a bit, "yeah he's dead, that don't mean we get decide what's ca- ohh. OHHHHHHH."
Doesn't help that he had a heart condition. The irony was probably not lost on him when he passed. Hopefully on the other side if there really one he will tell us how he wanted to end the story.
@@RecoilGunnerStudios I'm certain there is one. But it will be a long wait.
So let's live this one to the fullest.
@@silverhawkscape2677 yeah Griffith travels to the present with his wacky hand powers to find a KFC and he becomes besties with Guts again or some shit
“But it exists and the author is dead” 👀
fuck
Well shit
This video was made a year ago....how did he know? Was it a joke?
@@CuShorts He didn't mean that Miura was death, it was a reference to the "Death of the author" concept in media/art criticism.
That irony is just too much...damn it! The fact that the artist died of a ruptured heart. That's the true Berserk ending.
damn.... he took the vax... thats why he had a heart Attack
@@themollymachineyou stupid
@@themollymachine incorrect, it was an Aotic dissection. His Aorta split open. and he bled to death, internally, probably leaked out. Nothing to do with a heart attack or a vax.
The author is dead took on a second meaning. RIP Kentaro Miura.
this was a great breakdown man, i apparently didnt read this chapter, i guess it may be too revealing but man its so powerful hah.
It was soooo weird when it came out, really felt lovecraftian and super confusing, looking back with what we have now I really appreciate it more though.
It's actually neglected by Miura himself, so it's probably the easiest one to miss out on.
i went out of my way to read it during my read through, its a gem of context and until it gets written over with anything close to its depth its canon to me. it really helps make Griffiths transformation complete and gives such absolute clarity to the kind of being Griffith becomes! it makes it a LOT easier to understand why he acts like he does with this validation from what appears to be God.
I love the idea of evil, it’s so interesting and thought provoking and not like all the stupid recycled crap we see all the time
I don't think he redacted it because it revealed too much, i think i heard somewhere he did it because it put limitations on what he could do with the world and by making it "non canon" he can be free to write what he wants and gives a small clue into what might be the final plan
His body is remade for him, and the very first thing he does is say "not good enough, I want wings." He is the embodiment of avarice.
Griffith: I want wings
Me: sir this is a hardware store
"Sir, why are you naked?"
sir why are you raping that girl?
"sir what are these people doing in hell?"
Sir why is there an eclipse wait what sauce do you want
One thing I disagree with is that Griffith is being presented with something greater than himself for the first time. Griffith being tortured left him extremely weak, and lowered him below even his most amateur soldiers- unable to even grasp his sword. In fact, those feelings of resentment probably played a decent role in his initiating the eclipse to begin with. The difference is Griffith isn’t irritated by seeing this “god” like he was to see everyone else.
I feel like regardless of the circumstances Griffith would’ve started the eclipse because he did not see any of his comrades as more than pawns to reach his dream. Although this is purely hypothetical as he needed to be at a complete emotional, psychological, and physical low to summon the eclipse.
Because his ascent was all the hand play. Berserk is in part all about destiny and the defiance of such. This is why Griffith is the embodiment of the perfect hero with a perfect destiny bestown upon him to become a god, But also Guts is the complete opposite. Someone whose destiny has decided he shouldn't even be alive from the moment of his birth.
While Guts existence is a complete anomaly of fate. Griffith fate was decided before he was born. The hand knew his actions would lead to his eventual downfall, And that he would eventually sacrifice everyone to get his goal. Because To griffith, his goal is only divine.
@@scoott8605 it’s pretty well known that he did actually care for all the the people on the Band of the Hawk, but that at the end of all things Griffith cared and valued his dream more and the entire purpose of the Band was devoted to thst dream.
@@YY-ln1ol I think there was a specific scene where the Godhand referred to Guts as a minor role in the greater fate of the world, so the variations in his fate aren't predictable. He's not like Griffith who has a divine role, his is ancillary to Griffith and otherwise unimportant, so perhaps his fate wasn't as set in stone.
Its also worth noting that he asks for something distinctly non-human.
He doesn't want to be a better human; he wants to be better than every human.
Griffith: I want wings.
Red Bull: Allow me to introduce myself.
I always interpreted the wings as the opposite or juxtaposition of Lucifer’s fall, where instead of being ‘cast down’(having his wings clipped), Griffith has made his metamorphosis into Godhood and ascended.
Well he only wanted wings. He could have asked for robotic arms, shoulder mounted gattling guns and Guts seeking nuclear warhead launcher on his back. Mere wings is quite humble of him really.
I mean Griffith can imagine that since those things dont exist for the fantasy thrope
@@HelghastStalker he could've made them exist.
It's a pretty profound moment in hindsight, and it tells you allot about Griffith as a character, but personally I just found this moment funny. Here Griffith is literally standing in front of god, after being given direct orders to do whatever he wants, with the power to do anything he sets his mind to, and instead of asking for world domination or infinite power, he asks for wings, the most simple things he could possibly to with this power
its metaphorical for realizing the true power of his femto form
It goes deeper. Since Miura is the Idea of Evil, and he gave Griffith actual plot armour and control over reality, then Griffith himself redacted the chapter and removed it from canon.
So Griffith is a totalitarian who secures power by omitting history? Sounds familiar...
@@jimijenkins2548 do you speak of joe?
@@stew-03 I speak of all of history's authoritarians. Destroying your past is a convenient and natural step to controlling the future. One, I'm afraid, that is too tempting for most given power to resist.
Void: "I want big brain"
Make no mistake, Griffith is evil, I want to see him pay dearly and burn in hell, but more than Griffith, the real antagonist of Berserk is... Fate
Fate placed that behelit in Griffith hands, it was always obvious to me it was only a matter of time until he used that thing, Griffith having fallen to despair for the first time in his life succumbed to that fate and embraced his role in it. Guts is the one that will never succumb to fate, he is one of the few that fights against it, he struggles but never gives up even tho his role was to die
Daniel you think you know philosophy and you don't Guts never surrender his soul to Griffith he only did it for Caska you fake fans or should I say gay community hate to say it to you and the gay community Griffith is gay and likes Guts but Guts doesn't like him so Griffith than rapped Caska because he was jealous of her he wanted Guts to have feelings for him like how guts feels towards Caska
@@jstill612 Fuck off
@@williamshakemilk2192 Well mannered reply? Read my comment again and then read his reply again and think a little.
By your logic, every anime's real antagonist is fate, so no.
@@williamshakemilk2192 hahah what mate he straight up called the community gay and uttered complete nonsense unless I'm seeing things
Thing is, his wings were forming before he asked for them. He was made to say that exact same thing at that moment, kinda like Neo talking to The Architect
causality baby
In my opinion the best single chapter of Berserk and canon in my heart until proven otherwise.
Canon is whatever you want canon to be
My best friend told me griffith is a good Antagonist because after eclipse first Time he meet guts again, he answered on gut's question "WHY, GRIFFITH, YOU BETRAYED EVERYONE, WHY?!?!?"
"I betrayed you, but never my Dream."
I swear to god if another one of you asks what the last line means...
ratio
😳
What does the last line mean??
"Death of the Author" is an essay by Roland Barthes which argues that interpreting a text should not rely on the biases and biography of an author. An example of this would be reading The Lord of the Rings without referring to Tolkien's love for nature and hatred of industrialization.
In this context, Kyle is saying that it exists regardless of Miura's intentions to include it in the official volumes or not. We don't know what he was thinking when he wrote it, we don't know what he was thinking when he decided not to include it in the official volumes, we don't know what he meant when he wrote this chapter. So it's up to us as readers to put an interpretation to it.
wait you said “the author is dead” at 11:53 written a year ago?
The amount of work that must've went into this chapter, just to discard it. I imagine most wouldn't be able to bring themselves to do something similar.
I think most fans still consider the "Lost Chapter" to be canon still. Kentaro, may he rest in peace, wanted to cut the chapter because "it gave away too much too soon" and it is easy to see why. I think these events happened in the background of the Eclipse, during Griffith's apotheosis. My guess is that Miura wanted to revisit the Idea of Evil later on in the story, to explain the Godhand and the Law of Causality. I don't think he ever considered making these elements non-canon though. He just wanted to change the time of the reveal.
Pizzeria: So thats 2 large pies and garlic knots, do you want anything else?
Griffith:
"Death of the Author" is an essay by Roland Barthes which argues that interpreting a text should not rely on the biases and biography of an author. An example of this would be reading The Lord of the Rings without referring to Tolkien's love for nature and hatred of industrialization.
In this context, Kyle is saying that it exists regardless of Miura's intentions to include it in the official volumes or not. We don't know what he was thinking when he wrote it, we don't know what he was thinking when he decided not to include it in the official volumes, we don't know what he meant when he wrote this chapter. So it's up to us as readers to put an interpretation to it.
Or he’s a time traveler
…
We'll never know the ending. Rest in peace, Miura.
We’ll know when we get to heaven my bro
That what keeps me up at night
So basically, Griffith is just an empty husk, like a robot or vessel of fulfilling the prophecy. Made me wonder if Lucifer felt the same. Him and Griffith are quite similiar. Interesting.
I thought I did not want to know this information but now that I've learned it I am excited. This helped explain so many things and puts Griffith on a different level for me.
You gotta appreciate the fact that when the IoE mentions the lineages of the characters that will come to influence Griffith's decision, we get a shot of the helix shaped appendix of the IoE, which of course is a reference to DNA. That attention to detail is just outstanding.
For me "I want wings" always showed how superficial Griffith was, in the end he just wanted to be fabulous (along with the fact he could fly and thus be above everyone else).
What I like about Griffith and Guts is that both parallel each other in different ways. For example Guts is more Straight Forward in his appearance and approach and yet Griffith is a living contradiction. He's muscular but at the same time looks feminine, considered an angel by many but worshipped by demons, a saviour and yet doomed the world for his own gain. It's just fascinating
The pain knowing this masterpiece will never be finished.
This comment didn’t age well lol
@@overkillforever1 no it didn’t, it’ll truly never be finished how it was supposed to finish
good video, the part about the behelit coinciding with the last tear shed was really spot on. also the part about Miura being the literal "Hand of God" as he writes out the destiny of the series
Cashier: this is the third redbull you’ve bought today. Why are you drinking so much?
Me:
At the end you say, "But it exists, and the author is dead." I damn near had a heart attack. Thankfully saw this was posted in March. Miura is alive and well going into 2021.
It was a flippant(and *extremely* careless) reference to the idea of "The Death of The Author", the concept of authors becoming separate from their works after publication.
Think of J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter as an example of why fans adopted the concept.
But yes, with the Miura death meme existing for decades, that line definitely should've been handled with more tact.
Ummm well..... 😭
@@enlightenmentman5608 Dude this sucks so badly. I'm so sad he's gone.
...And that same week, he passed away. Almost feels like I jinxed him.
Rest in power, Mr. Miura.
@@theevilbillgates im sorry man, at least Miuras best friend is taking up the reigns
This chapter is new to me and i 100% agree with your take. Its a shame he cut it, its amazing.
Increasingly interesting, as we get some insight into the Scull Knights' past in the latest chapters.
Some extreme visuals as well
I didnt know this wasn't canon. Either way I love this breakdown
It’s not non-canon let’s just say that. It was removed because Miura felt it gave too much away too soon. It’s status as canon may change, but it’s a good place to judge where the story of berserk is going until such a time that its status is confirmed.
@@SeppukuAddict Imagine that lol. Decades ago and this chapter is still the one that gives the most exposition to the story haha
It’s loose canon
@Jesus Pernia Well to me it is, so idk who you are trying to convince lol
I don’t really understand what does it give away and how isn’t it canon
I always had a feeling that the stone hedges were the burial site/ Memorial for the souls lost on the very first ever eclipse.
Historically they were sometimes indicative of the final resting place for royalty.
the fact that behelits are supposed to be the last tear their user will ever shed makes chapter 364 that much more meaningful
frieza: I want ultimate power and to be immortal!
griffith: *wing*
the fact that there’s potential for all of this to b explained through concluding arcs is absolutely mind blowing. something so absolutley peak fiction without even being complete just to get 50x better with an absolutely god lvl chapter writing wise
this desire is understanding the plan and accepting the role. Griffith has a plan-he still wants his "kingdom" actually. The very existence of this plan and its implementation in Griffith's actions is what is important. And "I want wings" is the player's ideal wish in this context.
This moment solidifies the idea that makes Griffith real evil. Not comic book "i want to conquer/destroy the world" Evil. The kind of evil the worst people on earth were characterized by.
And this is why griffith is probably among the best villains ever made.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
@@jimijenkins2548Except that he never had them...
👏👏👏
Incredible explanation of
Incredible chapter of
Incredible series.
RIP to Miura. one of the best authors in our generation.
Griffith is by far my favourite character in this series.
There has never been a more human like character in any other manga.
The selfishness , the greed, the lust, the pettyness, the perfectionism , the vainglory! The vainglory!
Encaptulates everything wrong whit the human heart in all the right ways.
Guts on the other hand shows every good aspect of humanity . The positivity, the struggle, the sheer determination to proceed in an impossible situation. Struggle against self, struggle against the inevitabile .
Such a shame this series will never be concluded the way Miura intended.
Almost at 500 subs! Yipee. Neat video. I always found this chapter one of the more interesting ones, first due to its theological take and the meta surrounding the cannon. But your take on that The Essence of Evil is Muira himself, makes it that much more interesting. Makes it really interesting. Berserk has a lot of lore to dig into which is going to be fun on re reads.
I think Berserk purposefully has next to no lore, that's why the Chapter is so special.
I really like this concept of humanity wanting a reason to live so badly that it forms evil itself. This sort of nihilistic/absurdist thing that dispenses evil to give people purpose and give humanity a thing to fight against. It's fascinating.
I thought so too but I was also like: is this some moral of the story right now? Like, there’s consequences to not accepting plainly that something just happened for no reason at all (I.e. being misled/false causes/waste of time and effort/unnecessary blaming)
The original sin was when man made god in his own image.
Holy shit leave some brain for the rest of us
My favorite comment
Never thought of it that way
Well that sums up the atheists' side pretty well, bravo
Your comment is hog wash the devil is god and the sun in the sky is Saturn that's what the all seeing eye means the sun in the sky is saturn and the rainbow in the sky is Saturn rings earth is the self called titan moon of Saturn and our sun is Saturn when you die the sun will eat your soul just like saturn eats its children you should have known that if your so smart
TBF, omitting the chapter from future prints because he felt it gave too much away too early, is not the same as a retcon. The chapter is most definitely still canon.
The fate of Berserk is still to be determined as of right now, but unless it continues and this chapter is retconned later, it’s still canon.
Considering his reasoning for omitting the chapter from future prints, I’m very much of the opinion that Miura intended to revisit this scene with a flashback later in the series after he had revealed more of the events to the readers.
He had wings, and he plucked all the feathers out of them himself..
Quoted- Myself
He became too greedy.
Think about how many men in the past have self sabotaged themselves. Attacking Eastern Europe in the winter seems to he a common one in European history. Not to mention all the men who haven't had as much power as Hitler and Napoleon. People can be their own worst enemy. Griffith self sabotaged himself once, those who don't learn from their mistakes are doomed to repeat them...
I actually like that this chapter was cut. I feel the mystery of berserk is what makes it so interesting and this chapter really explains a lot so I can see why Miura wanted it removed
What this chapter explain ? To me it put more questions and mystery
Interesting. I've just finished reading all of Berserk so far, and I didn't know about this chapter. Now that I have read it, I agree with Miura. It's a nice chapter, very exciting and profound, but I can see why he thinks it was a mistake. As interesting as it is, it's not as overwhelming as it should, given that we are seeing God. It comes a little short and mundane. It's very hard to grasp what God is, imagined or not, and this chapter makes it seem quite straightforward. Even for a genius like Miura, grasping what God is and explaining it to a man, is a big task to accomplish successfully. For any storyteller, it seems out of reach. How to deal with something like that? By removing this chapter and maintaining the mystery of what is there in the deepest layers of the Astral World, it keeps the uncertainty and the mystery of destiny more ambiguous, and also keeps the story grounded in what humans have to deal with in those circumstances.
The Wings statement is a rebuke of the king torturing him saying a commoner will never soar to noble heights.
When the characters you create start to scare you.
I always misread it as "I want things" and get a chuckle out of the unrealized, non-existent meme potential
So...the Idea of Evil is created by humans thinking evil exists (instead of just a rationalization of their pain and suffering)...and the behelits, or encapsulation of desire/wanting, are born from that idea. So all we have to do is stop thinking of our suffering as an exterior principle. Which sounds like the escape from suffering of nirvana in Buddhist philosophy is the answer.
Mind blown. This is some deep shit. Miura was a genius, RIP
I guess when guts arrives in elfheim, he also describes griffiths plans similar. His goal is to always soar higher and never be satisfied (something very human-like imo). In did not know about the lost chapter so thanks for bringing that up.
Having the source of all evil telling you "do as you wish" is such a terrifying thought....
I always saw "I want wings" as a solidifying moment of Griffith's arrogance. Reading that line, I remembered his conversation with Guts about the possibility of the existence of a person who could stand above all others regardless of class. During that conversation, the reader felt as if Griffith believed himself to be that person. With the Idea of Evil validating that mindset, in true Griffith fashion, it isn't enough that he stands above everyone - he must soar far above them. As only a hawk would.
Wow... as a strictly only manga reader, I've never known about this. for nearly 20 years! Thanks for bring this to my attention. Because you're right! This chapter is enlighted!
ehmmm holy shit, like I heard the last sentence, i"it exists and the author is dead" and then looked at the date and i felt so bad just remembering that Miura has left us
Miura validating Griffith, is a take I had never heard and man did it send chills down my spine. This channel is criminally underrated. Subscribed ❤️
So, The Idea of Evil is effectivly Miuras self insert character?
Idea of evil is Miura's self insert mary sue character
I see it more as a reflection of himself upon Griffith. The form may be of the author, but the idea of evil is really the desires of the collective viewership filtered through Miura. What I mean by this is that the idea of evil is less a character and more a representation. That means that, unlike a character, the idea of evil will not just do whatever as a character. It exists at nearly the same metaphysical level as the author, so while Miura could draw whatever crap with crayons and say it's Berserk, the idea is analogous to the storybuilder within Miura who creates the world of Berserk. So in pretty much all realities I see, Miura maintains professionalism, and the god of Berserk remains constant; maybe adding to the story, but never inherently changing the will of the work (key word: "maybe." miura pls make more chapters).
Going off of "metaphysical level," which I know is vague: the world of Berserk is below its god, placing belief in that which is not all-powerful, whether that be the known world, spirits, demonic power, or other. In this chapter, Griffith comes to terms with his desire being what he holds above all else. Coincidentally, human desire, as the force that fundamentally urged the creation of this manga, is that which is all-powerful here. He doesn't understand god, but that doesn't matter, because he understands that which precedes god: he understands us, the viewers, at our cores as humans. Then, this scene is contextually Griffith's metaphysical ascent to godhood (as he becomes metaphysically "equal" to god).
Interestingly, this means that Femto, while physically less than god, through his aforementioned ascent obtains the ability to create nearly anything in the story of Berserk, as he understands that God creates what humans seek and what he seeks is what humans seek. The worldbuilding of Berserk after the eclipse does feel different, but with that perspective, Femto willed that different world into existence. I might have wanted to see the differences the eclipse would bring upon the world of Berserk, but Femto shaped it Miura made it.
Its more of miura becoming his own plot device
"Griffith asks for wings here when he couldve asked for anything" amazing video covering the overarching reason the story has such negative elements. Trult everyone in this story lead a life that was deserving. Their futures only holding their each desire and seeing that unfold and how their each dream is like changing each part of a boat until that boats original parts are nolonger in the machine, and have made something completely different that is irreversible. The band of the hawk is much like the boat and each fate has been sealed since the start. You really do a service in your explanation here ❤
Waiting for guts to meet the idea of good
Stonehenge is on a layline and a faultline so it could be these laylines (for Berserk at least) are areas where the ethereal world connects with the physical
INTO THE WARP!
@@scottbruckner4653 THE EMPEROR PROTECTS
They dont wanna include that chapter because they said it gave away too much about the story
Also some of the things introduced have changed, it was too black and white
@@HovektheArtist
"black and white" sounds like a racist terminology.
@@jello788 really
@@jello788 its sounds like two colors you race obsessed moron
@@jello788 *fart noises in the distance*
for me those were the most shocking pages of the whole manga, and we are talking about berserk. the genious of miura
personally, I almost suspect that ending is griffith reaching his goal and realizing how hollow and empty it is. I somehow doubt that he'll just sit contently on the throne of the world once he has no higher thing to aim for.
Ive been a berserk fan for like 3 years and i never realized the behelits are like the last tear drop of the person's soul, and thats why Griffith cried blood in the eclipse, because he has the crimson behelit. Amazing how much you keep learning about this series.
I thought he wanted wings because his kingdom is in the sky. Wings are a metaphor to give him enough power to make him live like a ruler. Everyone for that makes hkm a very compelling villain. Despite this, this was an excellent breakdown of this chapter. It is easily one of my favorites from berserk.
P.S. I still like your interpretation. Art, in general, can be dissected in many different ways and come to different results. That is why I love art.
This was such a good chapter I can't believe it's not part of the canon, it's one of my favorites
Idear of evil
Griffith did EVERYTHING wrong and will still be wrong.
“Welcome to KFC what can I get you”
Griffith:
fantastic video and more informative and to the point than a lot of the headcanon/clickbait videos on Bersrk. I can understand why Miura wanted to cut out what amounts to a pretty huge exposition dump, but I dont think it actually hurts the story by removing any intrigue or mystique. Though, who knows? maybe something entirely different is on the horizon.
Desires are very childish if they aren't fleshed out, Guts never had a desire so he could never be childish wanting wings is so basic... Gut's is the opposite of Grifith because he doesn''t want anything but it is his duty to persue things he needs such as stopping evil because evil was started due to him, or purising his own path because he was a pawn for a man with childish desires, I think Grifith will realize that Gut's
I dunno, I think Guts has the most basic of basic desires. He wants to live.
@@IzzySarru no he wants to be Grifiths friend for most of the first part then realized the path hes been taking to become Grifith's friend isn't the right one to that goal then changes it casuing Grifith to crumble sense Guts was carrying his dream
That last point you made about Miura making himself the idea of evil and speaking to Griffith directly was just brilliant, you are a wizard dude, thank you for this video, opened my eyes to a lot of things I missed from this chapter because there’s just so much in it to unravel.
I pray that Miura's assistants will do their best to continue this story.
There’s isn’t any news about them doing so chapter 364 is probably the end :(
Even if they did it would never be canon.
This was an incredible analysis, you earned a liked and subscribe just based on the first video I’ve ever seen from you. This was transcendent
I posit this idea: that the line "Do as you will" is directed both at Griffith and at the audience. Just as the will of humanity is the will of the Idea, so too is the will of the reader the will of the author. Perhaps Miura made chapter 83 "non-canon" in order to give the reader a choice as to whether or not to include it in their own analyses of the series. After all, if it were definitely canon, there would be no room for argument, but if it were definitely not a part of the series, it would not have ever been written at all. By releasing chapter 83 but refusing to endorse it, Miura gives the reader the same directive the Idea of Evil gives to Griffith; to interpret this however you want, and use it in the way that best suits your enjoyment of it.
Well, I read Berserk online before I bought the manga and the chapter where just there..
I had no clue it wasn't canon lol...
Very nice Video!