History Berserk / TropesQToT

* TakeMyHand: Played a lot, especially between Guts and Casca.

* SlobsVersusSnobs: The clash between the Holy Iron Chain Knights, consisting of disciplined and elitist aristocrats (snobs), and the pagans, consisting of (slobs) in the Conviction arc.

* SneakyDeparture: Guts tried to leave the Hawks' lodgings at night without waking anyone up or attracting attention so he wouldn't have to explain himself or say goodbye to anyone, but it didn't work on account of Casca spotting him.

* SilverHasMysticPowers: Silver is effective at both harming and protecting against spiritual entities like trolls.
* SingleStrokeBattle: Zodd vs [[spoiler: Griffith's Falcon Spirit. in volume 17.]] Also how Guts defeated Griffith in their final rematch as he left the Band of Hawks.
* SinisterMinister: Bishop and High Inquisitor Mozgus.
* SinisterScimitar: [[PantheraAwesome Nosferatu Zodd]] uses one.
* SirensAreMermaids: Was revealed in chapter 325 that [[spoiler: the merrow can use singing as their weapon.]]

* SkunkStripe: Guts gets one on using the Berserker Armor for the first time.

* SlobsVersusSnobs: The clash between the Holy Iron Chain Knights (snobs) and the pagans (slobs) in the Conviction arc.
* SmallAnnoyingCreature: Puck, and everyone treats him like one, to boot. Later on, Evarella also applies.
** Isidro, too. He's small, he's revoltingly annoying, and he tends to act like an animal (especially after pissing off Schierke).
* SmallRoleBigImpact: Charlotte and Griffith´s affair is not discovered by the king, or any relevant character, just by a nameless, generic castle maid who spies them through the keyhole. Later, the maid starts to spread the word until the king becomes aware of the it, and things start to go to hell. Said maid only appear in a single page and it completely dissapears from the plot after. Indirectly, the irrelevant maid became the first UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom that kickstarted things like the Eclipse!
* SmittenTeenageGirl: Princess Charlotte on Griffith and then Sonia, who is even more childish and shallow about it.

* SneakyDeparture: Guts tried this... it didn't work on account of Casca spotting him. But they had a SnowMeansLove moment because of it!
* SnowMeansDeath / SnowMeansLove: Combined twice. Once when Casca tries to dissuade Guts from leaving the Hawks, right before the Guts vs Griffith showdown. Also [[spoiler: when she screams Guts' name upon watching him walking away after defeating Griffith]]. The second time [[spoiler:when Guts fights off snow demons in order to protect [[TheOphelia post-eclipse Casca]]]]. Even before that, Guts makes his vow that he would never leave Casca like he did two year prior again as they leave Godo's house for the last time as it begins to snow.
* {{Socialite}}: Lady Vandimion, Farnese's mother.

** SoundtrackDissonance: I don't know about you, but having to hear that same song right after seeing [[spoiler: Guts in utter physical and emotional agony from having to watch Casca get raped to insanity]] is REALLY unsettling.

* SparedByAdaptation: [[KillTheCutie Unlike the manga]], Collette and her father were not killed off, as they replaced Puck in the tavern scene in the first episode of the anime.

* TentacleRope: Played for horror during the Eclipse... Need I really elaborate how?

* ThereWasADoor / INeedNoLadders: [[BigDamnHeroes No time!]]

** The Golden Age Arc (Revenge 9-Episode 94, Volumes 3-14): An extended backstory of Guts that begins with his birth and childhood, it shows how he met Griffith and became part of the tightly-knit Band of the Hawk during the Midland Hundred Year's War. It focuses on the experiences of friendship, rivalry, love, and conflict that made Guts who he is today, and ends with Griffith's sacrifice of Guts and the Hawks during the Eclipse, which results in Guts swearing revenge and setting off as the Black Swordsman.

*** Chapter of the Holy Demon War (Episodes 177-235, Volumes 22-27)

* ShownTheirWork: Despite this being a fantasy manga, ''Berserk'' is packed to the gills with research and real-life inspiration, which has only increased over the series' run:
** Arms and Armor: Miura makes great effort to understand how European weapons and armor were constructed, decorated, and used. By the later volumes he has some characters wearing armor that is obviously based on actual examples in museums almost down to the placement of each articulation and rivet, including types of armor and helmets that are mostly unknown to non-specialists. This extends to the Kushan Empire's Indian-influenced equipment which includes suits of plate and mail, armor for Elephants, and real-life exotic weapons such as the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katar_(dagger) Katar]], [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chakram Chakra]], [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urumi Urumi]], and [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maduvu Maduvu]].
** Swordsmandship and martial arts: Miura uses his knowledge of UsefulNotes/{{Kenjutsu}} to give Guts, Casca, and other characters distinct fighting styles. In chapter 331 Guts even pulls off something close to a real move from the German school of ''[[UsefulNotes/EuropeanSwordsmanship harnischfechten]]'' to take down a man in armor [[http://mangasee.co/manga/?series=Berserk&chapter=331&index=2&page=13 using his sword as a lever]].
** Architecture: Miura lovingly references numerous European architectural styles from the Romanesque to Rococo, drawing numerous extremely detailed churches, castles, and cities. His overview of the city of Falconia is such an amazing vision of an ideal city that it must be seen to be believed.
*** Doldrey is based on the Castilla de Coca, the castle in Griffith's dream resembles the Alcazar of Segovia, the church in Enoch village is based on the Iglesia de San Martín de Tours in Frómista, and the pillared halls underneath the public palace in Vritannis are based on the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosque-Cathedral_of_Cordoba Great Mosque of Córdoba]]. All of these buildings are in Spain.
*** The Cathedral in Windham is based on Rheims Cathedral in France, while the classical building that houses Daiba's Reincarnator is based on the Pantheon in Rome.
*** The Vandimion mansion in Vritannis is based on the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_La_Rotonda Villa La Rotonda]] outside Vicenza, and the city's crenelated building with a tower resembles the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palazzo_Vecchio Palazzo Vecchio]] in Florence.
** Fashion and Clothing: Various clothing fashions for both men and women from the 14th to 18th centuries are faithfully reproduced, such as the puffed-and-slashed doublets of German [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landsknecht Landsknechte]] mercenaries and the lace collars and large trousers of TheCavalierYears.
** Politics and Government: The Golden Age Arc very accurately simulates how mercenaries were often used by monarchs to reduce their dependence on the nobility for military support, and how this often created opportunities for mercenaries to climb the social ladder or seize political power. There is also a lot of attention paid to the nature of royal succession and marriage, and with the Holy Alliance in Vritannis we see the complex role of religious politics and military alliances in international relations.
** Religion, Folklore, and Mythology: A large number of fantastic beasts from various cultures such as unicorns, hydra, mermaids, and kelpies appear in the story. There are also many references to Hindu mythology and religion related to the Kushan, such as when Daiba refers to Guts and Serpico as warriors of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durga Durga]] and [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vayu Vayu]], respectively, and the Kushan also use many terms in Sanskrit to describe supernatural phenomena.
** The ''Seahorse'' chapters imply that Miura has done some research on ship-to-ship combat in UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfPiracy and WoodenShipsAndIronMen, as Roderick uses a detailed strategy involving placing himself downwind to confound Captain Sharkrider's pirate fleet.

* ShoutOut:
** The names of the God Hand demons are all references to classic science-fiction books. These books are ''Destination: Void'' by Creator/FrankHerbert, ''Literature/{{Slan}}'' by Creator/AEVanVogt, ''And Call Me Conrad'' by Creator/RogerZelazny, and ''Literature/{{Ubik}}'' by Creator/PhilipKDick.
** Miura seems to be an ''Series/UltraSeven'' fan. In this panel, pay very close attention to [[http://img697.imageshack.us/img697/2491/ultraseven.jpg the swordsman]]. Part of that helmet look familiar?
** Apparently, Miura is also a [[http://view.thespectrum.net/series/berserk-volume-20.html?ch=Volume+08&page=59 Puro Resu fan.]]
** The Godhand seem very much like his take on the Cenobites from ''{{Franchise/Hellraiser}}'' especially Void's face resembling Chatter's. Also Guts calls his iron arm [[Film/ArmyOfDarkness 'groovy']] in volume 14 though that could have been the translator's doing.
** The scene where Guts meets Femto on the top of the steps in the Escheresque realm in the Guardians of Desire arc bears a very strong resemblance to Kenshiro's confrontation with Shin in Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar. Complete with his companion wondering what the hell happened between these two.
** In vol 34, [[http://view.thespectrum.net/series/berserk-volume-20.html?ch=Volume+34&page=167 one panel is very obviously]] a ShoutOut to Creator/HieronymusBosch (the same painting as on that page).
** Puck frequently makes puns and meta-references to pop culture. Example: [[http://manga.animea.net/berserk-chapter-28-page-69.html this page]] where he's drawn like Yoda on one panel.
** In volume 21, Puck makes a reference to [[SaintSeiya burning his cosmo]] while trying to distract two of [[KnightTemplar Father Mozgus']] henchmen.
** In volume 25 Isidro refers to Trolls as "rotten [[TheMoomins Moomins]]".

** Architecture: Miura lovingly references numerous European architectural styles from the Romanesque to Rococo, drawing numerous extremely detailed churches, castles, and cities. In the port city of Vritannis he bases the Vandimion mansion on the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_La_Rotonda Villa La Rotonda]] outside Vicenza, and includes stand-ins for the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palazzo_Vecchio Palazzo Vecchio]] in Florence and the pillared halls of the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosque-Cathedral_of_Cordoba Great Mosque of Córdoba]]. The dimension in which the God Hand appears in volume 3 is a tribute to the architectural fantasies of Creator/MCEscher. His overview of the city of [[spoiler:Falconia]] is such an amazing vision of a living, breathing city that it must be seen to be believed.

*** Chapter of the Birth Ceremony (17-21): Contains the events at St. Albion and the Tower of Conviction, including the refugee crisis, Bishop Mozgus' inquisition against heresy, Guts' attempt to rescue [[spoiler:Casca]], and the ceremony resulting in [[spoiler:Griffith's resurrection]].
** The Millennium Falcon Arc (Volumes 22-34): [[spoiler:Focused on Guts' new quest to take Casca to Elfhelm and accumulation of a new adventuring party, as well as Griffith's return and war to liberate Midland from Emperor Ganishka.]]
*** Chapter of the Holy Demon War (Volumes 22-27): [[spoiler:Guts
*** Chapter of Falconia (Volumes 27-34):
** The Fantasia Arc: The current arc, which has yet to be released in a volume.

* TastyGold: Guts does this after killing Bazuso.

* TheQuest: Guts' overarching objective since the Conviction arc ended is to get to Elfhelm and FindTheCure for Casca's insanity. But first we've got to [[ArcFatigue get to Elfhelm!]]
* QuirkyMinibossSquad: The Bakiraka mercenaries employed by the King of Midland and Mozgus' Torturers are both collections of strange individuals of different builds with bizarre weapons and methods of fighting, whom Guts and his allies must defeat as a team.

* RRatedOpening: The first scene of the series is Gutz banging a demon before blowing its head off with a cannon.

* RainOfArrows: How the Midland army ambushed the Band of the Hawk after Griffith's treason. They managed to get Casca with ''[[HumanPincushion five arrows]]''... [[{{Badass}} but that wasn't enough to stop her.]]

* ARealManIsAKiller: [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]] in volume 18, when Isidro starts following Guts around in an attempt to become [[ToBeAMaster the world's greatest swordsman by stealing his techniques.]] Guts then asks Isidro if he had ever killed anybody, to which [[BlatantLies Isidro claims he has.]] Obviously Guts was trying to dissuade the young man from following him further.
* ReallyDeadMontage: Guts gets ones of these during his FreakOut after the eclipse. Again, [[TearJerker big *sigh*.]]
* RearingHorse: Happens a few times, mostly with Griffith.

* RecruitingTheCriminal: The Black Dog Knights are made up of the worst murderers, rapists and all around scum that Midland has to offer. They're so bad that one of them is a literally bestial demon who's not even particularly disguised and no one really notices.
* RedBaron:
** The Band of the Hawk was known as the "grim reapers of the battlefield." ''Badass''.
** Guts gets the moniker "100 man slayer" while he was in the Band and The Black Swordsman after he went on his RoaringRampageOfRevenge.
** During his two years of hunting Apostles Guts comes to be called "TheBlackSwordsman", recognized by his black clothing, giant sword, and false arm.
* RedOniBlueOni: Guts is the Red Oni, while Griffith is the Blue Oni. Also, Guts and Serpico.
** Guts and Griffith's differences are also highlighted by almost every aspect of their appearences and personalities. Guts is a [[TallDarkAndHandsome tall]], [[RatedMForManly masculine]], [[HeroicBuild heavily muscled]], crew-cut, black-haired, [[BrownEyes brown-eyed]] [[TheBigGuy giant of a man]] who's preferred weapon is a {{BFS}}, whilst Griffith is a [[{{Bishonen}} small, thin]], [[DudeLooksLikeALady effeminate]], blue-eyed, PrettyBoy who uses a saber like a scalpel. Even their personalities are different, with Guts being straightforward, ernest, crude, somewhat thick about non-combat matters, who doesn't think too hard about why he acts, while Griffith is mysterious, charismatic, intelligent, well-read, and introspective. Their only truly shared trait is their incredible mental drive to accomplish their goals; even then, Guts really doesn't want to hurt innocent people at the expense of his goals, but Griffith doesn't mind manipulating people in order to accomplish his.
*** The 2012 movie series is even [[ColorCodedForYourConvenience color-coding]] them appropriately, outfitting Guts with a red cape and Griffith with one that's blue on the inside.
** Schierke and Isidro are also this. [[FieryRedhead Their]] [[ShyBlueHairedGirl hair]] [[ColorCodedForYourConvenience even contrasts!]]
* RedRightHand: Nearly all demons are obviously not entirely normal even before they go OneWingedAngel. On occasion this is how Guts gets pointed to one.
** Some have pointed out that Guts having slightly pointier ears and teeth than other humans ([[BadassNormal not to mention his phenomenal physical strength and endurance,]] even before magic got involved,) might be evidence of him not being entirely human. Since he was born from a hanged woman and nobody has the faintest idea who his father might have been, it is a distinct possibility.
* RedSkyTakeWarning: Happens during Griffith's DespairEventHorizon, in which his crimson behelit is activated, [[TotalEclipseOfThePlot cuing in the Eclipse.]] I don't like where this is going - [[http://www.mrsmanga.com/Berserk/073/13 even Guts says it.]]

* RedshirtArmy: The Midland Army pretty much just gets chewed up by the Tudor Empire during the Hundred Year War while the Hawks, being the protagonists, are the ones that have PlotArmor and emerge victorious. The Holy Alliance Army also gets slaughtered by the Kushan before Griffith and the New Band of the Hawk comes in the nick of time.

* SpitTrailKiss: Mixed with the ForcefulKiss trope on page 2 and played for obvious and ''major'' FanDisservice during the eclipse.
* TheSquadette: Casca, Farnese, and Sonia are in their respective parties, but only one of them was an actual ActionGirl. Guess.

* StandardHeroReward: [[{{Subversion}} Would have happened]] if all had gone according to plan for Griffith the first time.... Later on, [[DoubleSubversion it pretty much happens]] [[spoiler: when Griffith defeats Emperor Ganishka with his Apostle army and his dream kingdom, Falconia, becames real, along with having Princess Charlotte's hand in marriage.]]
* StarCrossedLovers: Guts and Casca ''never'' catch a break.
* SteppingStoneSword: Guts climbs a tower of human heads with daggers.
* SticksToTheBack: Guts's Dragon Slayer
** Justified in that the mechanism is visible (hook on his back, ring on the sword, leather strap with a notch for the end of the blade), and even used for effect (said leather strap looks like a stereotypical pointed devil's tail when the sword is drawn).
* StoryArc: In order:
** The Black Swordsman Arc (Volumes 1-3)
** The Golden Age Arc (Volumes 3-14)
** The Retribution/Conviction Arc (Volumes 14-21) - with three major parts
*** Chapter of the Lost Children (14-16)
*** Chapter of the Binding Chain (16-17)
*** Chapter of the Birth Ceremony (17-21)
** The Millennium Falcon/Hawk of the Millennium Empire Arc (Volumes 22-34) - with two major parts
*** Chapter of the Holy Demon War (22-27)
*** Chapter of Falconia (27-34)

*** There is currently a brief intermission with the three-part Boyhood Arc.

* SwipeYourBladeOff: Guts does this in the new movie after killing Bazuso.

* SwordOverHead: Subverted during the final fight scene between Guts and Rosine. After mortally striking Rosine down, Guts closes in to deal the finishing blow - only he is unable too. Not because ''he'' stopped himself, but because the Holy Iron Chain Knights intervened, causing Guts to flee the scene to avoid capture.

** Casca's great mistake just before the Eclipse was telling Guts to leave her and Griffith behind and follow his own dream. Griffith happened to overhear the entire conversation, and that's what drove him off the deep end, causing him to abscond with the wagon, crash in the shallows, and become reunited with the behelit at the moment when he was most emotionally vulnerable to temptation. Casca's FatalFlaw was her dutiful and self-sacrificing nature, and the conflict that created with the fact that her true romantic feelings were towards Guts. Even though she was forced to realize how physically disabled Griffith was by his torture, and knew how much Guts' departure had devastated him, she either ignored or failed to see the warning signs of how Griffith's feelings of despair, jealousy, and spite were metastasizing into something dangerous. Griffith had always been the savior from her childhood, and even though she later learned of his human weakness she never could have imagined him turning on her and Guts. When Griffith made an unwanted advance on her while she was changing his bandages--essentially AttemptedRape if not for his physical disability--she was devastated but couldn't admit to herself or to Guts that that's what had just happened. Instead of reacting with anger, she gave Griffith what he wanted least: pity. Casca decided to stay with Griffith, but Griffith would always know that she dd it out of pity and would never love him the way that she loved Guts. Worse, she told Guts to leave when she knew that he was the person that Griffith most cared about, because she didn't want Guts to give up his dream for the sake of her and Griffith, and felt intense guilt for not staying at Guts' side like they'd promised as lovers. In order not to have made that mistake, she would have had to not be Casca anymore, since her tragic mistake was something she did out of her noble but flawed sense of self-sacrifice and obligation.

* TitleDrop: After acquiring the Berserker armor (plus the armor itself), Schierke has referred to Guts losing himself to the Beast as "going berserk".

* TortureTechnician: The guy responsible for torturing [[spoiler:Griffith]]; also, Mozgus's retinue.

* {{Tragedy}}: The Golden Age Arc is filled to the brim with this.

*** The Godhand seem very much like his take on the Cenobites from ''{{Franchise/Hellraiser}}'' especially Void's face resembling Chatter's. Also Guts calls his iron arm [[Film/ArmyOfDarkness 'groovy']] in volume 14 though that could have been the translator's doing.

** This may very well be unintentional, but Griffith's helm, especially [[spoiler:as Femto]], bears an uncanny resemblance to Winslow's Owl Mask from Film/PhantomOfTheParadise.
*** Then again the two share more than headgear. Winslow is [[spoiler:[[HellHolePrison imprisoned for life]], becomes a disfigured mute, and is driven by obsession into a [[DealWithTheDevil Faustian contract]].]] Not to mention his full costume includes the helmet, black lipstick, cape, and a black body suit.
*** It's also noted that while Griffith goes through [[spoiler:a similar journey and looks like Winslow, his personality is closer to the main villain of the movie, Swan.]]

*** In volume 21, he makes a reference to [[SaintSeiya burning his cosmo]] while trying to distract two of [[KnightTemplar Father Mozgus']] henchmen.
** Guts' new Berserker armor makes him look like an armored Franchise/{{Batman}} [[spoiler: if he's in control]].

** Guts having sex with a woman, that woman turning out to be an Apostle, and Guts killing the Apostle in short order within the first chapter is possibly a reference to Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian. In the pulp adventures, Conan would often be put in similar situations.
** The spell of warding Farnese casts over the ship during the Sea God arc is cast in a manner almost identical to some of those cast by dweomer masters such as Nevyn and Jill in the ''Literature/{{Deverry}}'' books- turning to the four cardinal points and appealing to the four elemental kings for protection.

* RelationshipVoiceActor: This was the beginning for both Creator/NobutoshiCanna (Guts) and Creator/ToshiyukiMorikawa (Griffith)...

* ScheduleSlip: Kentaro Miura's irregular scheduling is legendary.

* TragicBromance: Guts and Griffith to a T, much in the same vain as [[StarWars Obi-Wan and Anakin]] or [[XMen Professor X and Magneto.]]

* RecruitingTheCriminal: The Black Dog Knights are made up of the worst murderers, rapists and all around scum that Midland has to offer.

* ShipperOnDeck: Evarella for Guts x Schierke.

* TheQuest: Get to Elfhelm and FindTheCure for Casca's insanity. But first we've got to [[ArcFatigue get to Elfhelm!]]
* TheQuietOne: Pippin
* QuirkyMinibossSquad: The Baki-Raka and Mozgus' Inquisitors.

** DudeShesLikeInAComa: A [[{{Squick}} squicky]] version as the King of Midland is molesting his own daughter as she sleeps.

** NearRapeExperience: Guts almost rapes Casca in the manga after succumbing to The Beast. [[spoiler: [[RapeAsDrama Not that this is the first time.]]]]

** Guts and Griffith's differences are also highlighted by almost every aspect of their appearences and personalities. Guts is a [[TallDarkAndHandsome tall]], [[RatedMForManly masculine]], [[HeroicBuild heavily muscled]], crew-cut, black-haired, [[BrownEyes brown-eyed]] [[TheBigGuy giant of a man]] who's preferred weapon is a {{BFS}}, whilst Griffith is a [[{{Bishonen}} small, thin]], [[DudeLooksLikeALady effeminate]], blue-eyed, PrettyBoy who uses a rapier-like saber like a scalpel. Even their personalities are different, with Guts being straightforward, ernest, crude, somewhat thick about non-combat matters, who doesn't think too hard about why he acts, while Griffith is mysterious, charismatic, intelligent, well-read, and introspective. Their only truely shared trait is their incredible mental drive to accomplish their goals; even then, Guts really doesn't want to hurt innocent people at the expense of his goals, but Griffith doesn't mind manipulating people in order to accomplish his.
*** The 2012 anime is even [[ColorCodedForYourConvenience color-coding]] them appropriately, outfitting Guts with a red cape and Griffith with one that's blue on the inside.

* RedshirtArmy: Absolutely every soldier who appears.

* RescueIntroduction: How Guts and Puck met in the first chapter.
* RescueRomance: Subverted with Casca's PrecociousCrush on Griffith, later turned HeroWorshipper, which started when he saved her from a sexual assault. Played straight with she and Guts, after he aided her during the Blue Whale Knights battle and their relationship grew from there.

* {{Retcon}}: The Count arc shows Griffith finding a young Guts as the sole survivor of a battle. The very next volume has them meeting differently.

* SleepingYourWayToTheTop: Discussed by [[StrawMisogynist General Adon]] during his first encounter with Casca, where he incorrectly assumed that she only became a general in the Band of the Hawk because she slept with Griffith.