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8[[quoteright:248:[[Anime/Berserk1997 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/berserk_berserker_1429.jpg]]]]
9[-[[caption-width-right:248:His name is [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Guts]], and he's about to hack out ''[[SeanConneryIsAboutToShootYou yours]]''.]]-]
10
11->''"Bodvar Bjarki ploughed into them now, hacking two handed, his only thought to do as much damage as he could before he fell. And now they fall in heaps before him, one on top of another, and both his arms are bloodied to the shoulder, and he felled so many, the dead were stacked all about him. He stormed on as if he was insane."''
12-->-- ''Literature/TheSagaOfHrolfKraki''
13%% One page quote is enough. Additional quotes can go on the subapge Quote/TheBerserker. For discussion of page quote choices, go to the "General Page Quote Discussion" thread in the "Projects: Long Term/Perpetual" subforum.
14
15The Berserker is a character who throws themself into a fight with such reckless abandon, it seems like they ''want'' to die. It could be [[HotBlooded over]]-[[BloodKnight enthusiasm]], [[SuicidalOverconfidence overconfidence]], UnstoppableRage, or [[DeathSeeker because they do indeed want to die]]. Whatever the cause, it's usually accompanied by a [[ScreamingWarrior bellowing warcry]]. Sometimes with total obliviousness to [[FriendOrFoe whether they're actually fighting the enemy]]. And they [[AttackAttackAttack never, ever retreat]].
16
17For extra points of terrifying spectacle, oftentimes the Berserker is inexplicably [[FeelNoPain immune to pain]] and/or [[MadeOfIron injury]]. It's one thing for the screaming, frothing lunatic hacking people down left and right to simply be too savage to get near, but when they take so many arrows they look like a porcupine [[AnnoyingArrows and it just pisses them off even more]] (or worse, [[PainAndGain makes them stronger]]) it is quite another. When they shrug off a cannonball with little more than a feral scream, that's usually sufficient for the opposing army to [[MassOhCrap collectively shit itself]] and ''[[ScrewThisImOuttaHere run]]. ''
18
19Berserkers are equally capable of being good or evil, being either TheBigGuy or TheBrute respectively. If they're good, then out of battle, they will likely brood about whatever it is that causes their berserk fits or remorse about losing control of themselves. Most end up one of two ways: being taught by their teammates to control themselves after a particularly close call, or dying in a dramatic fashion while lamenting that they died without completing their mission. Good Berserkers are also very prone to {{Heroic Sacrifice}}s, for very obvious reasons. When this is not played for drama, the Berserker may have a BoisterousBruiser attitude when not in his battle rage. An evil Berserker, on the other hand, is generally just unrepentantly AxCrazy and very often ChaoticEvil.
20
21The trope's title refers to [[TruthInTelevision the]] ''[[TruthInTelevision berserkr]]'' [[TruthInTelevision of Viking-Age Scandinavia]]: Warriors who are said to have thrown themselves into battle wearing only animal hides for armour and with no regard for their own safety. Their 'battle-madness', whose exact nature is presently unknown (some say it came from ingesting weird mushrooms or some other mind-altering substance before a battle) is said to have been a gift from Odin. The word "berserkr" means "Bear-shirt" in Old Norse, referring to either [[BearsAreBadNews their going into battle with the ferocity of bears]] or for wearing [[NemeanSkinning bear pelts]] into battle. Their effectiveness in battle is up for debate, but they were an imposing and terrifying nightmare to the continental Europeans -- and, if Literature/TheIcelandicSagas are to be trusted, to their own civilization. Some Norse societies would eventually outright ban the practices of the berserker, no doubt influenced by its people converting to Christianity.
22
23With terms used in sources that speak of the Norse berserkr also occasionally giving off some implication of {{Shapeshifting}} (or at least stating their ferocity was ''like'' they became savage animals...), it's a possibility the tales of the berserker would later inspire that of the [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent Werewolf]].
24
25Berserkers that truly do wish to die in battle are better known as {{Death Seeker}}s -- those who don't often overlap with the BloodKnight or BarbarianHero instead. When foolishly done without any regard to strategy or planning, the Berserker becomes a LeeroyJenkins. Because of its historical root, berserkers are likely {{Proud Warrior Race Guy}}s.
26
27Compare BerserkButton, which is when pressing a character's UsefulNotes/{{Trigger}} turns them into this. Compare HulkingOut for cases where the berserk character changes physically as well as mentally. If the Berserker fights this hard so that no one else needs to help him, he might also be a MartyrWithoutACause. Contrast BlindedByRage, where a berserker's blind rage proves to be his undoing.
28
29When the Berserker is pitted against an [[TheAce ace]] who matches him in combat, but also has a much cooler head on his shoulders, see ArrogantGodVsRagingMonster. If the berserker ''is'' the one with the cool head, see TemperateBerserker.
30
31This trope should not be confused with the recurring character title of the ''Franchise/FateSeries'', the now-disbanded Australian grindcore band Music/TheBerzerker, the ''Literature/{{Berserker}}'' universe, the manga franchise ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'', the classic arcade game ''VideoGame/{{Berzerk}}'', or the 1967 B-horror movie ''Film/{{Berserk}}''.
32----
33!!Examples
34[[index]]
35* TheBerserker/AnimeAndManga
36* TheBerserker/ComicBooks
37* TheBerserker/FanWorks
38* TheBerserker/{{Literature}}
39* TheBerserker/{{Music}}
40* TheBerserker/TabletopGames
41* TheBerserker/VideoGames
42[[/index]]
43
44[[foldercontrol]]
45
46[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
47* A downplayed example in ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'' with Jack-Jack in that, as a toddler, his "berserker rage" is throwing a temper tantrum. However, the nature of his powers is such that when he has a tantrum he transforms into a red demonic imp form that has no compunctions against launching onto Bob's arm and gnawing upon it to vent his frustration at being denied a cookie.
48* ''WesternAnimation/WallE'' features HAN-S, a malfunctioning massage robot with anger issues. His arms tend to flail around uncontrollably, and he shakes and growls like an animal when his arms are restrained. Although he was not designed for combat, he is nevertheless powerful enough to [[spoiler:singlehandedly wreck an entire platoon of Steward bots]].
49[[/folder]]
50
51[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
52* The Captain during the final battle in ''Film/ThreeHundred'' becomes the [[DeathSeeker Death Seeker]] version of this trope, having already witnessed the death of his son and knowing no Spartan will survive this fight. Boar spears have a cross-bar behind the head to prevent animals from doing the same thing the Captain does, which is charge up the spear haft after it pierces his gut - so that he can kill the wielder. Like most fabled berserkers, he is only defeated by the combined efforts of several enemies hacking him to pieces.
53* In ''Film/The13thWarrior'', Ahmad ibn Fadlan goes battle-mad during one attack, but seeing as he's hanging around Vikings and taking on more and more of their culture, it's not surprising.
54* The [[PsychoPrototype Neomorphs]] in ''Film/AlienCovenant'' have almost all of the lethal speed and strength of their Xenomorph brethren, with none of [[ItCanThink their trademark subtlety and intelligence]]. They attack and try to [[ToServeMan feed on]] every biological organism they encounter. Shortly after being born from [[spoiler:Ledward]], the infant Neomorph savagely mauls [[spoiler:Karine]] and then immediately goes after [[spoiler:Faris]] without pause; outside, it eats [[spoiler:Walter]]'s hand trying to get to [[spoiler:Daniels]], then lunges at [[spoiler:Rosenthal]] and shreds her forearms with its frantic biting and clawing.
55* The aptly-named Sven the Berserk in ''Film/ErikTheViking'' is one comedic example. His father is also a berserker and lectures him on berserking. He goes into a rage over every little thing, which leaves him with insufficient pent-up rage when he actually needs it.
56* In ''Film/AlitaBattleAngel'', Alita tends to transition quickly between TranquilFury and ferociously attacking. Alita is inclined to [[LeeroyJenkins rush into battle without adequate forethought or preparation]]. The military body Alita finds and later wears is even called "the Berserker body."
57* In ''Film/ChaiLaiAngelsDangerousFlowers'', Spadix gets stronger, tougher and more aggressive the angrier she gets: especially if someone gropes her ass or boobs. At her strongest, she can bend steel bars, or stomp an opponent literally into the ground.
58* ''[[Film/DannyTheDog Unleashed]]'': Danny fights with pure aggression when he's let off his leash.
59* Dying in battle was a family tradition for Lieutenant Dan Taylor in ''Film/ForrestGump'' and he is furious when Forrest saves him (especially since he was crippled by his injury).
60* Franchise/{{Godzilla}}. When he gets into a fight, he doesn't stop until either his enemy has been defeated or until the battle ends in a draw. Only rarely has he been defeated in battle.
61** ''Film/GodzillaVsDestoroyah'': After Destoroyah [[spoiler:kills Junior]], Godzilla goes into a berserk rage and begins to unleash his wrath unto Destroyah all the while [[spoiler:[[SuperpowerMeltdown dying of a nuclear meltdown.]]]] This causes Destoroyah, one of the most (if not the most) sadistic and evil monsters in the films to ''run for his life''.
62** This is a major plot point in the film ''Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla''. It turns out that hearing Godzilla's roar is enough to send Kiryu (a cyborg version of the original Godzilla) to rampage across Tokyo. The JSDF end up reprogramming him to ensure this doesn't happen again.
63** Gigan and King Ghidorah are two [[PsychoForHire evil examples of this.]] They don't care what planet they're helping the alien villains to conquer and why. As long as they get to fight and destroy things, they're happy.
64* Parodied by [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Mr. Furious]] in ''Film/MysteryMen''. He gets angry. He gets ''really'' angry. That's it. No super-strength, no supernatural resistance to pain or injury, and he doesn't [[HulkingOut change into a monster]]. He's just a raging Creator/BenStiller with all the fighting ability of a loaf of bread. Then he finally [[BerserkButton finds something]] to get righteously furious about, and suddenly [[UnstoppableRage becomes as super-strong]] as he's supposed to be...
65* Berserkers are depicted in ''Film/TheNorthman'' in line with current historical understanding as warriors clad in animal pelts who enter a trance-like ritual state; even when not performing such rituals, Amleth still enters battle with ruthless ferocity.
66* Benjamin Martin in ''Film/ThePatriot2000'' exhibits berserker-like qualities in battle. Especially his first and last fight scenes.
67* One of the replacement players in ''Film/TheReplacements2000'' is Danny Bateman, a riot cop and Gulf War veteran. Stoic and reserved under normal circumstances, the second he's expected to perform he becomes a lunatic, equally likely to inflict bodily harm on friend and foe alike.
68* ''Franchise/StarWars'': Kylo Ren's lightsaber fighting style is very aggressive and he cares little about getting hurt in the process.
69* Ajax in ''Film/{{Troy}}''. When he goes into battle, no AnnoyingArrows or [[OnlyAFleshWound mere impalement]] can stop him from administering a righteous hammer of justice.
70* In the ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'', Wolverine often flies into a rage when he's in a fight.
71[[/folder]]
72
73[[folder:Gamebooks]]
74* In ''Literature/LoneWolf'', some enemies are described as entering fights in a state of rage, making them immune to basic psychic attacks.
75** This is common with the [[DoomTroops Drakkarim]]; they're sometimes seen hacking at lowly soldiers on their side, like Giaks, just to reach their main foe.
76** Several Acolytes of Vashna are also seen in battle frenzy in ''The Legacy of Vashna'', thanks to the [[BottledHeroicResolve Adgana herb]].
77[[/folder]]
78
79[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
80* ''Series/{{Angel}}'':
81** Gunn, as a result of SurvivorGuilt and blaming himself for Alonna's death. Negated when he fell in love with Fred, giving him a new lease on life.
82** Connor tries to commit SuicideByCop after Jasmine's defeat, and doesn't care if the Cop has to be Angel.
83* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': When we first meet Faith, the result of witnessing the gruesome death of her Watcher. She relapses back into it when she awakens from her coma.
84-->'''Buffy:''' Girl's not playing with a full deck, Giles. She has no deck. She has a 3.
85* ''Series/CobraKai'': [[TheBrute Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz]] becomes Cobra Kai's most aggressive fighter, favoring the AttackAttackAttack approach in all situations ([[TheAce Miguel]], despite being a superior fighter, is more pragmatic). Before becoming Hawk, Eli [[FreudianExcuse was relentlessly bullied at school]] due to a facial scar; after joining Cobra Kai, [[DoNotCallMePaul Hawk]]'s aggressive style is fueled by a desire to inflict the pain he's suffered on others. The second season deconstructs this, as [[EvilMentor Kreese]]'s teachings lead Hawk to become more aggressive at the expense of his fighting skills, culminating in him losing a fight [[spoiler:to [[TheSlacker Demetri]] of all people]] in the season finale.
86* ''Series/GameOfThrones'':
87** In the Season 6 episode [[Recap/GameOfThronesS6E9BattleOfTheBastards "The Battle of the Bastards"]], Jon Snow goes [[UnstoppableRage completely berserk]] in the battlefield after [[spoiler: Ramsay kills poor Rickon]], singlehandedly slaying every enemy soldier he can gets his hands on. Even ''Tormund'' is unsettled. At the end of the episode, he's a BloodSplatteredWarrior [[spoiler: who beats the living shit out of Ramsay]]. Jon only calms upon seeing his sister Sansa, who ultimately kills Ramsay herself by feeding him to his own dogs.
88** In battle, Tormund and Styr both scream and howl while delivering powerful blows.
89** Brienne starts her fights with proper poise and footwork, but when she's pushed she'll go absolutely feral on her enemies, biting and screaming like a maniac until they are down.
90** After Yoren is killed in "What is Dead May Never Die", Gendry charges at the Lannister soldiers armed only with his smith's hammer.
91** Euron is an axe-wielding berserk captain who personally leads his boarding party with an attacking zeal and passing regard at best for actively defending himself (uncommon for a berserker, he wears heavy armor). When he boards Yara's flagship, he takes several hits from the Sand Snakes and Yara during their respective fights, but shrugs them off as easily as mosquito bites.
92* ''Franchise/KamenRider'': Riders possessing alternate berserker forms is a common recurring trope in the franchise.
93** The titular Rider of ''Film/ShinKamenRiderPrologue'' has strong berserker elements as an innate feature, with Shin going from a fairly-normal human to a ruthless, efficient, feral killer.
94** ''Series/KamenRiderKuuga'' never truly introduces a berserker but does allude to one. If reached through improper means, Kuuga's Ultimate Form will have black eyes and be a destructive world-endangering monster. But if reached properly, it'll be red-eyed and fully under control.
95** ''Series/KamenRiderAgito'''s Burning Form grants a massive physical power-up and a brutal fighting style in exchange for the risk of Agito entering a berserk state. However, he eventually gains control over the form, causing it to evolves into the Shining Form.
96** ''Series/KamenRiderBlade'' has the Joker Undead, extremely powerful monsters driven purely by their instinct to fight, which is powerful enough to trump their reason. Hajime/Kamen Rider Chalice, the only natural Joker, initially loses control of himself after changing to his Joker form and attacks anything around him. Kenzaki/Kamen Rider Blade also becomes a berserker when his [[SuperMode King Form]] first starts turning him into a Joker.
97** ''Series/KamenRiderKabuto'' has the Red Shoes System, an in-built "safety" feature of the Zecters to ensure that the Rider will always fight the Worms. If taken over by the Red Shoes, the Rider in question will ruthlessly target and attempt to kill any potential enemy, regardless of said enemy's intent.
98** ''Series/KamenRiderKiva'' briefly becomes a berserker when his Fangire blood is triggered.
99** ''Series/KamenRiderDouble'''s MidSeasonUpgrade is [=FangJoker=]. This form is powered by the Fang Memory, a support robot whose only purpose is to protect Philip. It does this by turning him into the main body of W (as opposed to the usual candidate, Shotaro) and making him far more aggressive, attacking anything in reach. Just one use traumatised Philip badly enough to refuse to ever use the form again, [[GodzillaThreshold only relenting thanks to Shotaro being in mortal danger]]. But with the latter's help, he gained control of the form, permanently ridding it of its berserker nature.
100** ''Series/KamenRiderOOO'' had the [=PuToTyra=] Combo, the [[SuperMode final form]] of the titular Rider powered by the absence of desire. During Eiji's first use of the form, it was completely uncontrollable, with Eiji mercilessly attacking the two [[ChromeChampion Births]] after easily obliterating the two [[MonsterOfTheWeek Yummies]]. As if that wasn't bad enough, it also slowly corrupts him into a saurian Greeed monster, starting by robbing him of his taste for normal food. Eiji does eventually gain control of the form (at the cost of losing a good deal of its power), but intense stress not only returns [=PuToTyra=] to its fully-powered berserker state, but speeds up the Greeed transformation. Eventually, Eiji becomes the appropriately-named Eiji Greeed because of this, which starts out near-mindless, but then turns Eiji into a mindless berserker overwhelmed with one desire: the desire for nothing.
101** ''Series/KamenRiderDrive'''s MidSeasonUpgrade form is Dead Heat, a form that possesses a lot of speed and power, but hijacks its user's body if used for too long. This causes the fully aware user to uncontrollably attack anyone nearby.
102** ''Series/KamenRiderExAid'''s Drago Knight Hunter Z causes Ex-Aid to wildly lash out at anyone nearby while remaining conscious of what he was doing. This is because the armour provided by the Gashat was supposed to be split between four players, rather than be used by one person all at once. Strangely, it never has this effect when used by the other Riders.
103** ''Series/KamenRiderBuild'' has the Hazard Trigger, also known as the "Forbidden Item". This upgrades his standard [[MultiformBalance form changes]] into Hazard Forms, which are [[DarkIsEvil primarily black-coloured]] {{Lightning Bruiser}}s. But if these forms are used for too long, the user's consciousness shuts down. They then turn into ruthless, efficient killing machines, set on destroying their target by any means necessary. [[spoiler:This proves a problem when [[HeroicBSoD Sento traumatises himself]] after killing Aoba with it]]. In the end, Sento can only delay the loss of consciousness rather than fully overcome it, but eventually comes up with a workaround in the form of the [=FullFull RabbitTank=] Bottle.
104*** Users of the Sclash Driver steadily turn into berserkers themselves, thanks to the Driver exposing them to potent doses of [[AppliedPhlebotinum Nebula Gas]], elevating their aggression and desire to fight with each use. However, the effect becomes less severe with experience.
105** ''Series/KamenRiderZeroOne'' has the [=MetalCluster=] Hopper Progrise Key, which causes the user's mind to be overwhelmed by a psychopathic AI. They remain fully aware, but their body attacks indiscriminately. It was supposed to be used to cripple Zero One, as the key locked out the previous transformations. But in practice, it created a murderous, near-unstoppable juggernaut before a workaround was found.
106*** The movie of the series also has the [=HellRising=] Hopper Progrise Key, which is an ArtifactOfDoom that wasn't meant to be used to transform, but Aruto seizes it [[GodzillaThreshold out of desperation]]. The transformation is not only [[PainfulTransformation unbelievably painful]], but the sheer power of the key drives Aruto completely insane, only stopping when [[spoiler:Is blocks his FinishingMove]].
107** ''Series/KamenRiderSaber'' has the Primitive Dragon Wonder Ride Book, which binds itself to Touma [[spoiler:out of their shared feelings of betrayal]] and makes him far stronger, at the cost of suppressing his personality and turning him into a rampaging, animalistic beast in a human's body. It's only when Touma reaches out to the desolate dragon and makes a happier ending to its story that Elemental Dragon, another new book, is made. Using it in conjunction with Primitive Dragon allows Touma to transform safely.
108* Gem and Gemma of ''Series/PowerRangersRPM''. A pair of {{psychopathic|Manchild}} {{Man Child}}ren who have a five year old's fascination for guns and explosions (or rather, "boom time") and a HenshinHero's armory. They have to be reminded rather frequently to, for example, not blow up the enemy factory until prisoners have been removed.
109* Numerous alien species from the various ''Franchise/StarTrek'' franchises, including the Klingons and Jem'Hadar (the latter first appearing in ''[[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Deep Space Nine]]'' continuity), are brutally fierce warrior races which not only show no fear of death but in some instances actually seem to relish the prospect of death in battle (although the ''[[Series/StarTrekEnterprise Enterprise]]'' franchise plays down this aspect of Klingon culture somewhat).
110** The ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' episode "The Doomsday Machine" features an unstoppable machine constructed by an unknown alien civilisation constructed to kill and destroy for ever without stopping.
111* ''Series/{{Vikings}}'': In Season 2, Rollo, Jarl Borg, and a group of Borg's men are seen eating mushrooms before a battle and charging into the fight bare chested. Rollo's actions in the battle are horrifically brutal, and he attacks several of his former comrades savagely until a combination of having killed one of those comrades via ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice and being confronted by his brother Ragnar finally snap Rollo out of it.
112[[/folder]]
113
114[[folder:Myths & Religion]]
115* In the mythology of the TropeNamers, Odin was the patron God of the berserkers. The name Odin [[MeaningfulName actually means]] [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast the furious]].
116* In [[Myth/CelticMythology Irish legend]], when the hero Cuchulainn went into "warp-spasm," he was invincible -- but could not distinguish friend from foe.
117* Lancelot from Myth/ArthurianLegend had many aspects of this trope, which ''Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail'' preserves. He is memorable for scenes where he would kill innocents and be pretty sorry for it later, just like in the stories.
118* Myth/ClassicalMythology:
119** Although Ajax is described as a defensive fighter in ''Literature/TheIliad'', a post-Homeric source makes him into this. At one point, blind with fury over not getting the recently-deceased Achilles' armor, he goes into a [[UnstoppableRage berserk rage]] and kills a bunch of sheep, thinking they are the Greek army. When he realizes what he has done, he is DrivenToSuicide. He is depicted the same way in ''Film/{{Troy}}'', although the whole "sheep-killing" thing is skipped over.
120** Diomedes also fits, being unwilling to stand down in the face of two deities. He [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu wounds both of them]] and forces them to retreat.
121** Achilles himself is also an example-- once [[AchillesInHisTent he gets out of his tent]], that is.
122** Heracles is also known to fly into mad rages at times. This is never a pleasant thing for anyone he was fighting -- or for any innocents in the vicinity. He murdered his family one time after a particular nasty rage brought about by Hera, which led to him undertaking the Twelve Labors as atonement.
123** Ares represented this aspect of war, as opposed to Athena's [[TheStrategist more measured approach]].
124* Myth/HinduMythology:
125** Kali. Normally the benevolent mother goddess Parvati, she notably slew the demon Raktabija who kept making copies each time his blood was spilled. The solution? She drains his blood and eats the duplicates. Trouble was, she got [[BloodLust blood]] [[AxCrazy thirsty]], literally. She wouldn't stop until her husband Shiva either turned into a baby to bring out her [[MamaBear maternal instincts]] or got trampled by a dancing Kali who [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone snapped out of it once she realized what she was doing]].
126** Shiva was said to be prone to berserker rages as well. At one point, there was a party in his house that he didn't know about, so he went on a rampage and killed everyone present. It was only after he stopped that Parvati informed him that he'd killed their son, Ganesha, by [[OffWithHisHead chopping his head off]]. Remorseful, Shiva put everyone he'd killed back together, but some of the body parts got jumbled up; Shiva couldn't find Ganesha's head so he used the head of a female elephant that he found near Ganesha's body as a replacement.
127* The Literature/BookOfJudges in Literature/TheBible reports that "the Spirit of the Lord came on Literature/{{Samson|AndDelilah}}" several times, which inevitably resulted in a high body count. On one occasion he [[CurbStompBattle killed one thousand Philistines]] singlehandedly, armed only with [[ImprobableWeaponUser a donkey's jawbone]].
128[[/folder]]
129
130[[folder:Pro Wrestling]]
131* Wrestling/OlegTheUsurper in Wrestling/{{Chikara}}, who has TheGimmick of a Viking Berserker. His RedBaron is "The Mad Viking Warrior."
132* Wrestling/{{WWE}} ''named'' Wrestling/JohnNord's Viking gimmick The Berzerker.
133[[/folder]]
134
135[[folder:Roleplay]]
136* The third RP of ''Roleplay/DarwinsSoldiers'' has Gustave, a man who has a penchant for violence and has little regard for his personal safety. Being an [[FunnyAnimal anthropomorphic Nile Crocodile]] with thick muscle, thick scaly skin and scutes that essentially serve as body armor, "personal safety" might mean different things to him.
137* In ''Roleplay/TheGamersAlliance'', Razoul and the warriors of Vanna's Black Guard in general. They tend to devour Drakeroot before battle in order to become more ferocious and powerful, but the root also has the side effect of turning them into nearly mindless brutes as a result.
138* Darth Apparatus in ''Roleplay/TheGunganCouncil''. He may seem reserved when not in battle. Yet when the lightsabers light up, he rips apart enemies in a fit of pure rage. He even used [[VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins Oghren's]] quotes on berserkers while describing how he fights.
139* [[FourStarBadass Admiral Flota]] Vladimir Ilyavich Tokarev, '''HERO OF THE TRIBES''', from v4 of ''Roleplay/OpenBlue''. The male population of the aforementioned "tribes" consists entirely of HotBlooded [[FantasyCounterpartCulture pseudo-Russo-Mongol]] warriors, and thus to be regarded as "'''HERO OF THE TRIBES'''" means you've gotta be a Berserker in your own right. It's even lampshaded as one of his specialties. Somewhat subverted in that he only does this when engaged in melees, and if there is no other viable ship tactic. When it's more effective to just blow you up from a distance, he ''will'' opt for that instead. Tokarev didn't become an admiral for stupidity, after all.
140[[/folder]]
141
142[[folder:Visual Novels]]
143* Servants summoned to the Berserker class in ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight''. These heroes, drawn from mythological heroes known for their potential for madness, have access to the 'Mad Enhancement' ability that boosts all stats in return for [[SmashMook sealing most of their skills]], making them impossible to control and having exorbitant mana drain on their masters; Berserkers are usually just as dangerous to their own controllers as to their enemies.
144** The Berserker summoned in the Fifth Grail War is Heracles/Hercules, and Lancer is at one point explained as having the potential to be summoned under this class (understandable, as Lancer is [[Myth/CelticMythology Cú Chulainn]]).
145** In ''Literature/FateZero'' the Berserker is the BlackKnight, [[spoiler:later revealed to be Lancelot]].
146** Later in ''VideoGame/FateEXTRA'', there are two Berserkers: One is [[Literature/RomanceOfTheThreeKingdoms Lu Bu]], the other is [[spoiler:[[VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}} Arcueid Brunestud]]]].
147** ''Literature/FateApocrypha'', due to its team-based premise, also has two Berserkers: Berserker of "Red" is Spartacus, while Berserker of Black is a genderbent [[Literature/{{Frankenstein}} Frankenstein's Monster]] created before the more well-known male monster.
148** In ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'', Berserkers stand out in the TacticalRockPaperScissors chart; [[GlassCannon their attacks are extra-effective against every non-Shielder class but in turn they suffer extra damage from those classes]]. Due to the cast expanding, Berserkers encompass more than just the violently insane as it can encompass traits such as [[{{Yandere}} obsessive love]] (Kiyohime, Raikou) or a fanatical dedication to saving lives ([[SquareRaceRoundClass Florence Nightingale]]).
149[[/folder]]
150
151[[folder:Web Animation]]
152* ''WebAnimation/HelluvaBoss'': While all the {{professional killer}}s at IMP (and the receptionist if needed) can get quite bloodthirsty, Millie stands out among them, whether she's [[PsychoForHire just having fun]] or in an UnstoppableRage. Tellingly, she's not allowed to participate in the rodeo competition in her home village because she "gets carried away" and was responsible for nine out of the fifteen deaths the last time around.
153* {{Invoked|Trope}} and {{Exploited}} in ''WebAnimation/{{Lackadaisy}}''. Thanks to deliberate preparation and prompting by his cousin Rocky, newly recruited booze-runner and TheDragAlong Freckle goes into a [[PutTheLaughterInSlaughter cackling]] rage with dilated pupils when presented with a [[GunNut Tommy Gun]] hidden in Rocky's [[SenselessViolins violin case]], so dissociated that Rocky has to bodily move him from one car window to the other to turn a chase by rival gangsters into a fairer CarChaseShootout. Freckle only comes out of it when asked if they're safe, but not before reflexively clawing holes in the upholstery.
154--> '''Freckle:''' *strained* '''Sorry!''' ''Sorry.'' I didn’t mean to. It’s just that there’s a ho- a fire. A ''burning'' '''hot''' fire i- in, uh. [[ChangeTheUncomfortableSubject In the e-engine compartment!]]
155* ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue'': The Meta is like this but seemingly in the "berserker rage" state permanently. In ''Reconstruction,'' he goes on a massive killing rampage whenever he gets a new AI fragment, and in ''Revelation'' this is taken to its final extreme.
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158[[folder:Webcomics]]
159* ''Webcomic/DominicDeegan'' had a one-shot character named Brok that was hired by the Infernomancer during his first appearance, who goes into an UnstoppableRage after Bumper tries (and fails) to knock him out by smashing a staff on the back of his head. He was at first meant to have a much longer run, but writer/artist Mookie stated that he just didn't feel right throwing in a Berserker-type character in a magic-based world, so a raging Brok chases Stunt and Bumper into the sunset and is never seen again.
160* ''Webcomic/{{Drowtales}}'': The bulk of the Vloz'res army consists of [[ThePlague heavily tainted]] warriors called berserkers. Curiously, the only named berserker is a [[GentleGiant subversion]].
161* In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', when Grace is well and truly pissed off, she defaults to her SuperSoldier conditioning and morphs into this, ferociously and relentlessly attacking whatever's causing her stress until it's completely obliterated. The climax of the "Painted Black" arc is essentially Grace entering a literally UnstoppableRage against Damien after the latter threatens her friends one too many times.
162* Lewis Black has no superpowers in ''Webcomic/FakeNewsRumble'', but his sheer rage (and a chair) makes him just as capable of fighting monsters as his superpowered colleagues.
163* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'':
164** Jägermonsters. They were given the opportunity to become nigh unkillable [[SuperSoldier super soldiers]] specifically because they were among the best and most dedicated warriors serving under the Heterodynes and any who chose to take the Jägerdraught did so knowing that it killed outright or drove to suicide nine out of ten of those who take it just so that they could continue fighting and pillaging alongside their Heterodyne and their descendants. Even the most reserved among them are eager to fling themselves into battle.
165** Not to suicidal levels, but Trelawney Thorpe has been shown to rather impulsively spring into action.
166* Subverted in ''Webcomic/GuildedAge'': Byron the Berserker is arguably the most level-headed, well-adjusted member of the party because he apparently lives in fear of his tendency to lose his shit and become a true, foaming at the mouth, screaming, psychotic, berserkergang killing machine. (He does enjoy a good bloodbath, though.) The condition is probably some kind of supernatural curse. A cultist once tried to force him to kill one of his friends with it, and there's a TroubledBackstoryFlashback that [[http://guildedage.net/webcomic/chapter-5/chapter-5-page-3/ hints he might have killed a town as a boy]]. Possibly a [[DeconstructedTrope deconstructed one]].
167* ''Webcomic/BreakfastOfTheGods'': Several characters qualify, which makes sense given the premise. Consider how many cereal mascots over the years have regularly lost control over their preferred cereal...
168** Sonny the Cocoa Puffs Cuckoo-bird is a psychotic (and psychopathic) homicidal, maniac. When he's "sane" he's kept in a dungeon cell in a straitjacket.
169** Froot Brute is a pudgy sort of guy who turns into a bloodthirsty werewolf when he even ''thinks'' about his cereal
170** Near the end of book three, [[spoiler:Super Bear]] makes an appearance. And everything the character has done through the first two books and first 3/4 of the final one makes ''perfect'' sense. In single combat he takes out Sonny ''and'' Froot Brute. And then is about to go after Tony the Tiger -- one of his own friends.
171* Sweet, timid, ShrinkingViolet Calvin in ''Webcomic/{{Lackadaisy}}'' can turn into a Berserker when you put a gun in his hands.
172* In ''WebComic/ManlyGuysDoingManlyThings'' Tank was literally engineered to be the berserker, forced into it by the army he worked for after an injury, because they wanted to see how far they can push this trope before a man becomes a liability to his team. His army family managed to jailbrake the chassis so the army couldn't pump Tank with aggro juice without warning, but this has left Tank with some hangups that occasionally prompt him to turn up the juice himself and take his insecurities out on [[spoiler:his ex-boyfriend]] CommanderBadass.
173* Ed from ''Webcomic/MegaTokyo'' not only seems to relish bloodshed and destruction and to engage in said activities with reckless abandon, he has himself been seriously maimed and/or killed numerous times only to be rebuilt/resurrected by his superiors that he might put himself (willingly) in harm's way again.
174* Normally, Violet from ''Webcomic/TheNoordegraafFiles'' is rather calm, if a bit of a DeadpanSnarker. Manage to rile her up, (through making her angry, scaring her, or otherwise), however, and she'll fly into a rather intense UnstoppableRage. Once this occurs, your best bet is to stand back and wait for her to calm down - after any possible hostiles in the area have been beaten into the ground, of course.
175* A berserker visits a bordello in ''WebComic/{{Oglaf}}'', only to begin frothing at the mouth and pelvic-thrusting uncontrollably while engaging the services of one of the employees, who has [[TapOnTheHead an emergency sap]] on hand for [[GetAHoldOfYourselfMan just such an occasion]]. He is then kicked out for ignoring the clearly labeled "No Berserkers" sign the establishment has up.
176* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'':
177** Thog of the Linear Guild, like all ''D&D'' barbarians, has the Rage ability (probably Greater Rage if he's around Roy's level) and is able to break open a jail cell and toss Roy around like a rag-doll while under its influence. Also, his post-Rage fatigue manifests itself as confusion and short-term memory loss.
178** Belkar Bitterleaf also has a couple of barbarian levels, but it's not always obvious when he goes into a rage because he's commonly in some kind of foul temper.
179* Parodied in ''WebComic/SaturdayMorningBreakfastCereal'', [[https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/life-as-a-berserker "Life as a Berserker"]], where two Norse berserkers discuss their profession in a modern-sounding way.
180--> Yeah, but what they don't tell you about is work-related stress. Descending into a blind rage is associated with thickening of the arteries and cardiac hypertrophy.
181* Otsana from ''Webcomic/SparklingGenerationValkyrieYuuki'' is a Valkyrie from The Days of Berserkers and "High Adventures" and she even has a wolf motif which would confirm her berserker status.
182* In ''Webcomic/ThistilMistilKistil'', [[http://tmkcomic.depleti.com/comic/ch03-pg16/ Coal's father, apparently.]] And Coal himself. RedEyesTakeWarning...
183* In ''Webcomic/WeakHero'', Wolf's one-track bloodlust translates into a fighting style where he'll mindlessly absorb all of his opponent's hits so that he can get up close and pummel them in return, and in fact seems to get ''stronger'' the more that he's beaten up.
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187* In ''Literature/TheAngloAmericanNaziWar'', a lot of the Waffen-SS and Hitler Youth approach this due to fanaticism garnered through years of propaganda against the "evil English" and a [[HopelessWar general lack of options]]. Brainwashed ChildSoldiers with automatic weapons are quite terrifying. But it's {{Deconstructed|Trope}} because no matter how crazy these kids are, [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome they're no more or less vulnerable than anyone else]]; they tend to be brushed aside easily while the Heer troops, men in their forties and fifties pressed back into service with their old [=WW2=]-era guns, have a more methodical and rational approach to battle that means they can pull off good, [[WorthyOpponent even sometimes impressive efforts]] against the younger, fitter and better armed Allied troops.
188* ''Series/CobraKai:'' This is Hawk's style of combat. He unleashes all of his pent up anger and aggression in a fury of offensive strikes that leave his opponent overwhelmed and unable to defend. Robby found this out the painful way -- InTheBack! -- at the All Valley tournament when he mocked his [[BerserkButton "stupid haircut."]] However, he becomes a [[{{Deconstruction}} deconstructed]] example of this in season two, where it's shown that his ego and aggression have become so out of control that they have caused his skills to become less refined and sloppy. As a result, [[spoiler:Demetri]], who is very much a novice, is able to beat him in a straight fight.
189* In ''Literature/DeadWest'', the two [=MacArkills=], and even possibly the Amber Duchess. This is more believeable from the elder [=MacArkill=], nicknamed the Beast, who is absolutely built for it, but when the Porcelain Doctor has a meltdown, it is an impossible sight to behold. Mind you, the smaller brother is still 6 foot tall, but thin as a stick. This does zero to diminish the ensuing carnage.
190* Regan Bard in ''Literature/VoidDogs'' uses this, referred to in text as the "warp spasm" of Irish myth.
191* The ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'' features an official "rager" classification for mutants that's ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin. Students afflicted that way frequently come to Whateley Academy with a body count already on their record. Razorback (a student turned into a sort of velociraptor by his mutation, complete with loss of his human vocal apparatus) is both a poster child and one of the good guys.
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195* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}}'' as shown in the episode [[Recap/AmphibiaS3E23GrimesPupil "Grimes Pupil"]] that Toads are trained at a very young age to funnel their rage into strength against thier enemies. Grimes manages to teach this skill to Sprig.
196* Zuko of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' is prone to such moments (running Zhao's Fire Navy fleet, seeking out fights with his more powerful sister) because [[{{Determinator}} he truly cannot fathom walking away from a fight]].
197* ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'':
198** Dinobot is the very ''definition'' of this one. He wasn't ''afraid'' to die... Seeing a battle through to the end was a pretty significant part of his code of honor. [[spoiler:True to form, he went out in a blaze of glory.]]
199** When Optimus gets infected with a cyberbee designed to make him a coward, [[GoneHorriblyWrong but got the opposite effect]], he tore through the Predacon base with apparent ease.
200* While he's always had anger issues, ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'' gives Donald Duck an additional wealth of adventuring experience and protective fatherly instinct that combines to turn him into this. He's able to take down a Beagle Boy thrice his size handily when enraged; was able to put up a strong showing against [[spoiler: A war-thirsty Alien General]] who was, once again, thrice his size; and even as a pre-teen, was capable of subduing a bestial monster (over thrice his size at that age!) after it broke his guitar.
201* ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'':
202** While Jack usually keeps his emotions in check, he has a couple of moments where he completely loses his temper, especially when his [[EnemyWithin Inner-Self]] is in control of his negative emotions. Aku exploits this twice. First, in an episode when he created a dark version of the samurai in an attempt to finish Jack. Jack defeats Mad Jack by simply meditating. Second, when Aku destroyed the last time portal that will get Jack back to the past. Jack '''loses it''' and [[MomentOfWeakness kills three sheep out of anger]].
203** Ashi. Whenever sufficiently enraged enough to fight someone, she's absolutely brutal and ruthless to her opponents; as best seen when she battles, for example: Jack, the Dominator, or that Orc Army. [[spoiler:Her possessed form is even worse]].
204** The Scotsman's wife. After being shown as a damsel in distress, having been kidnapped by the enemy of the episode and making Jack and the Scotsman carry her out of the prison she was in, she flies off the handle when the enemy of the episode calls her fat. Cue RoaringRampageOfRevenge.
205* On the two occasions that the Sword of Protection comes into contact with a corrupted First One artefact in ''WesternAnimation/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower'', it turns Adora into this, at least in her She-Ra form: red-eyed, uncontrollable and mindlessly violent. After a season and a half of Adora pulling her punches against Catra, her EvilFormerFriend and [[FoeRomanceSubtext heavily-implied crush]], "White Out" has Catra go toe-to-toe with corrupted Adora; the resultant fight is ''extremely'' one-sided, with Catra having to run for her life so Adora doesn't snap her in half. Perhaps fortunately for everyone, if she can be disarmed, the transformation ends and she instead ends up seemingly inebriated until something destroys the artefact.
206* The minor character Shoza in ''Shogun's Samurai''. When Tadanaga chooses to surrender to avoid the massacre of his troops, his retainer rebukes his decision. The samurai boldly announces his independence before his former master and the enemy and proceeds to set off on a lone charge, determined to defeat every last soldier and retrieve the rival prince's head. Even the enemy commander sincerely declares that Tadanaga has a retainer on his hands before ordering his troops to gun him down.
207* In ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'', Darth Maul initially starts out as one, due to years of isolation after his dismemberment at the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi. He later regains his more cunning, manipulative side (along with a working pair of legs) but in a fight his berserker tendencies come back to the fore.
208* ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformers'': Decepticon Sixshot is one of these. He is portrayed as possibly being the greatest pure warrior among the Transformers (though others may be more gifted at overall strategy, or just more powerful), aided by his (even more) rapid transformation speed and five alternate modes. Though a Decepticon, he speaks well of those he's beaten in combat, as he hopes that should anyone ever defeat him he will be treated as respectfully.
209* Superboy from ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010''. It's justified by the fact that, due to telepathic g-gnomes always either inhibiting or inducing anger, he's never really been angry before and it takes him a while to learn how to deal with it. By the second season, he's grown experienced at [[TranquilFury channeling it]].
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213* [[HornyVikings The Vikings]] are both the TropeNamers and the best examples; among their soldiers there were the fabled Berserkers, warriors who, in a (possibly drug-fueled) fit of UnstoppableRage, would plunge themselves into battle wearing little to no armor and slash their way through countless amounts of enemies, and earned themselves the mythic reputation they have today.
214** The commonly-known term "berserker" and their bear symbolism wasn't the only way frenzied Norse warriors would manifest -- "Úlfhéðnar" warriors had a similar fame for battle ferocity but instead used the wolf for their cult motif, which may have been particularly associated with the god Odin given [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geri_and_Freki he had a pair of wolves as pets]]. Neither "fire or iron" harming the berserkers was a repeated phrase in reference to the warriors in throes of their signature rage. A boar warrior cult also existed, though it doesn't appear that they had the same reputation for going into an uncontrollable frenzy.
215** Descriptions also commonly mentioned the berserkers gnawing the rims of their own shields (as shown by [[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Beserker%2C_Lewis_Chessmen%2C_British_Museum.jpg some of the pieces]] of a 12th-century chess set [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_chessmen found in Scotland]]) like crazed animals, unlike most media portraying berserkers as forsaking their fortitude by DualWielding or using a [[{{BFS}} single oversized weapon]] (perhaps even the berserkers had a semblance of survival instincts?).
216* The Other Wiki [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Running_amok describes]] the word "amok" as such: "The word derives from the Malay word amuk, traditionally meaning "an episode of sudden mass assault against people or objects, usually by a single individual, following a period of brooding, which has traditionally been regarded as occurring especially in Malaysian culture but is now increasingly viewed as psychopathological behavior". The article not only describes the state as much the same as berserking, but draws direct parallels.
217** The case of a single person going "amok" is described as "darkness taking their eyes" in contemporary Indonesia. This is almost exactly the same phrase that southern Slavic peoples, on the other side of the globe, use to describe situations where "it was all that someone could take" or someone reaching a violent psychological breaking point.
218* The Viking at Stamford Bridge [[YouShallNotPass volunteered to stay behind alone and hold back the Saxons while they waited for their reinforcements to arrive.]] For an hour, he stood alone on the bridge, killing over 40 men and wounding dozens more. He was only stopped when one soldier got the smart idea of floating in a barrel underneath the bridge, and jammed a spear up through the bridge [[GroinAttack right between the Viking's legs]].
219* Silius's account of the UsefulNotes/PunicWars talked about a Carthaginian mercenary from Spain named [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larus_(Cantabrian) Larus]], a huge Celtic bruiser that [[OneHandedZweihander wielded a two-handed axe with a single arm]] and hunted bears as a pastime in his homeland. According to Silius, after his entire unit was killed in a battle in Celtiberia, Larus kept covering the field with Roman corpses by himself and making many of them flee in terror, until he was put down by Lucius Scipio.
220* An episode of the UsefulNotes/LusitanianWars, recorded by Orosius and Florus, involved a lone Lusitanian footsoldier who had became separated from his people and surrounded by multiple Roman horsemen. Instead of panicking, he resorted to attack them all out, killing a horse and immediately beheading its rider, which made the Romans panic so hard that they fled away from the warrior.
221* Ukrainian UsefulNotes/{{Cossacks}} had their own kind of berserkers named "kharakterniki" ("the ones with a character" or "special ones"). Legends gave them some supernatural abilities like turning into ravens or hawks, healing wounds and charming bullets with words or catching bullets with bare hands. Probably the most famous kharakternik in history is the 17th centuary Zaporozhian Cossacks leader (Koshovyi Otaman) [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Sirko Ivan Sirko]].
222* During the course of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, Creator/AudieMurphy went berserk at Anzio when his best friend Lattie Tipton was killed by a German machine-gunner [[ISurrenderSuckers pretending to surrender]]. The result was Murphy killing the entire machine gun crew that killed his friend before commandeering their machine gun and grenades and turning them on German positions and destroying anything not wearing the right uniform. This got him the Distinguished Service Cross, second only to the Medal of Honor, which he got a year later in a truly ballsy move that involved [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome commandeering the machine gun of a burning tank and using it to hold off a German squad, taking a wound in the leg in the process, before leading his men to repel the Germans]].
223* Another WWII soldier, well dentist actually, went berserk against the Japanese. [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_L._Salomon Benjamin “Ben” L. Salomon]]. As his Medal of Honor citation reads: Captain Ben L. Salomon was serving at Saipan, in the Marianas Islands on July 7, 1944, as the Surgeon for the 2nd Battalion, 105th Infantry Regiment, 27th Infantry Division. The Regiment’s 1st and 2d Battalions were attacked by an overwhelming force estimated between 3,000 and 5,000 Japanese soldiers. It was one of the largest attacks attempted in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Although both units fought furiously, the enemy soon penetrated the Battalions’ combined perimeter and inflicted overwhelming casualties. In the first minutes of the attack, approximately 30 wounded soldiers walked, crawled, or were carried into Captain Salomon’s aid station, and the small tent soon filled with wounded men. As the perimeter began to be overrun, it became increasingly difficult for Captain Salomon to work on the wounded. He then saw a Japanese soldier bayoneting one of the wounded soldiers lying near the tent. Firing from a squatting position, Captain Salomon quickly killed the enemy soldier. Then, as he turned his attention back to the wounded, two more Japanese soldiers appeared in the front entrance of the tent. As these enemy soldiers were killed, four more crawled under the tent walls. Rushing them, Captain Salomon kicked the knife out of the hand of one, shot another, and bayoneted a third. Captain Salomon butted the fourth enemy soldier in the stomach and a wounded comrade then shot and killed the enemy soldier. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Captain Salomon ordered the wounded to make their way as best they could back to the regimental aid station, while he attempted to hold off the enemy until they were clear. Captain Salomon then grabbed a rifle from one of the wounded and rushed out of the tent. After four men were killed while manning a machine gun, Captain Salomon took control of it. When his body was later found, 98 dead enemy soldiers were piled in front of his position. Captain Salomon’s extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
224* Probably half of the real people profiled on Website/BadassOfTheWeek got on the site by going full berserker. [[https://www.badassoftheweek.com/inouye Late US Senator Daniel Inouye's]] story has a good example. He charges a series of German machine gun nests, gets his arm blown off while trying to throw a hand grenade, then ''picks up the grenade he just dropped with his good arm and throws it'', and ''then'' charges the next machine gun nest in a fugue state, firing one handed until getting wounded in the leg, at which point he props himself against a tree and ''keeps shooting''. When his buddies told him what he did, he replied, "No, that can't be... you'd have to be insane to do all that."
225* As the above examples illustrate, "going berserk" [[https://youtu.be/6Kf27uTGx80 is a rare but well established phenomenon that manifests as one of several responses to a person being pushed to their psychological limit.]] Instances have been recorded throughout history across many armies and battles.
226* Many people with autism can slip into a state called "meltdown" when overstressed or overstimulated. In this state they can sometimes (but do not always) violently lash out at their environment, not conscious of any harm to themselves. It's often mistaken for a mundane temper tantrum, but a normal toddler throwing a fit is in full control of themselves and making a power play, while a meltdown is not a controlled action.
227** There is evidence that at least some of these meltdowns are caused by an imbalance of grey and white matter in the brain, which renders the brain so sensitive to sensory input that being exposed to too many noises, smells or even colors at once can literally trigger a small seizure in the frontal lobe of the brain. For reference, the frontal lobe controls reason, emotional regulation, and decision making. Is it any wonder an autistic person in this state can become violent or unreasonably depressed?
228* This phenomenon also exists in the rest of the animal kingdom, of course:
229** ''Many'' animals are easily driven to anger to protect their families and turf. As evidenced by the trope names PapaWolf and MamaBear, [[NobleWolf wolves protecting their packs]] and [[BearsAreBadNews female bears protecting their cubs]] are best known for this sort of behaviour, but other animals do it too. For example, though not as dangerous to humans as bears and wolves are, geese are aggressively territorial, especially ganders protecting their mates' nests.
230** Mating season is also a major time for berserk aggression throughout the animal kingdom when creatures compete for partners. Among mammals, males typically fight each other for females. A possibly related phenomenon is [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musth musth]] in bull elephants.
231** [[ThreateningShark Sharks]] and {{piranha|Problem}}s infamously go into feeding frenzies, often triggered by finding large concentrations of prey animals and/or smelling blood.
232** Chicken flocks are known to go berserk and peck at birds with blood on their feathers. This cannibalistic behaviour is especially destructive because other flock members often get bloodied in these frenzies, leading the rest to turn on them too.
233** [[AngryAngryHippos Hippos]] are surprisingly aggressive, too. In Africa, they kill more humans than any animal except mosquitoes and other humans.
234** Honey Badgers are in a constant state of berserk. [[PintsizedPowerHouse Despite their small size]], their sharp claws and tough skin allow them to severely injure or even kill larger animals, and they are NOT afraid to do it. They will attack lions, hyenas, and other large predators without an ounce of fear and one of their preferred food sources are ''snakes'', deadly ones at that!
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