Forged by the dwarf blacksmith Hanarr, at an unspecified time in the past, the Berserker Armor is perhaps, the mostpotent weapon in Guts' arsenal. Introduced during the confrontation at the Spirit Tree Mansion, the armor has been imbued with a dark, violent od — the life force of all beings residing within the universe ofBerserk. As per the story, the armor itself synchronizes with the negative emotions of its wearer to significantly boost their speed, strength, and fighting capabilities to virtually superhuman levels.
Those who don it are commonly termed “berserkers” due to the inhuman strength and ferocity with which they engage in combat. In effect, the od associated with the armor shuts off any sense of pain or fear in the mind of its wearer. While all these facets of the armor’s design can transform its users into fearsome warriors capable of taking oneven high-ranking Apostleshead on, they all come at a fatal cost. Guts has, on multiple occasions, cheated death with the aid of this armor inBerserk, but it has come at a price that increased each time.
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Origins And History
Prior to Guts,' there have been strong nods toward the Skull Knight being the last person to put on the armor. This would things quite well, since it was heavily implied that its previous user fought until they bled out completely from multiple grievous injuries. The Skull Knight has also confirmed this to a certain degree. He then handed it over to his friend Flora, who resided in the Spirit Tree Mansion, where it remained until bestowed upon Guts during his confrontation with Grunbeld and Zodd. Composed of plates of black metal, featuring sharp angles, the armor’s outward appearance is quite menacing of its own accord, with a helm that oddly resembles thevisage of the Skull Knight.
On Skellig Island, the armor displayed the ability to draw out the “blood memories” of its earlier users. When the blacksmith Hanarr struck the armor, worn by Guts at the time, the latter was immediately transported to a prior Eclipse featuring anearlier version of the God Hand. The only recurring member between the two quintets was Void, whereas all the other figures were entirely different. Guts also glimpsed a vision of a woman who bore a great resemblance to the Flower Storm Monarch Danan. While this was isolated incident, it is quite likely that more such recollections may come to light.
An Unhinged Feral Rage
At its basest level, the armor eliminates any need for self-preservation in the mind of its user. Subconscious physical and mental limiters present in the human body are removed, permitting movements that exceed human capabilities. Under its influence, wearers become increasingly aggressive and unhinged in their fighting style, attacking with little regard for their own safety or well-being. Grunbeld himself remarked that no ordinary human would have been able to move the way Guts did while wearing the armor and swinging ablade as large as the Dragon Slayer. The Great Flame Dragon Knight acknowledged Guts' strength, and had to take on his Apostle form to even fight him to a stalemate. Guts had initally struggled against Grunbeld, but on putting on the armor, he overpowered the Apostle with ease.
The user will still feel pain as a sensation, but they can choose to simply ignore it. Another effect the armor has is the induction of an intense bloodlust in the user’s mind, amplifying negative emotions to fuel violent rampages in a trance-like state. The armor’s od physically manifests and shapes the helm to reflect the violent emotions coursing through the mind of its wearer. When Guts succumbs to the armor’s rage,the helm takes on a formresembling the Beast of Darkness, and he sometimes even bites opponents. In this state, itcompletely covers Guts' head, with glowing red eye sockets, but when Guts regains control of himself, the lower half of his face and his real eyes become visible. The armor is capable of repairing itself when damaged, and can reinforce the user’s body against virtually any injury. For broken bones, sharp spikes protrude from the armor’s inner surfaces, returning the bone fragments or entire limbs to their natural positions, allowing them to function normally. Other types of injuries are repaired similarly, but each such augmentation often opens up new wounds that leave users vulnerable to continuous blood loss.
The Cost Of Transcending One’s Limits
Drawbacks in extended or repeated usage of the armor vary in their severity. Nevertheless, consistently pushing past the limits of the human body can have grave consequences on both physical and mental well-being. Firstly, the user must always stay incontrol of their own negative emotionswhile using the armor in combat. Entering this state on multiple occasions can cause negative emotions to fester to overwhelming levels. A user’s sight and taste are sometimes diminished, and they develop recurring tremors in their hands, like in Guts' case, where he became partially color-blind and developed a streak of white hair when he first put it on. He was also unable to take off the armor until he healed as its sharp metallic protrusions were the only thing holding his injured body in place.
Currently, the only known measures to prevent Guts from losing complete control of his mind are Schierke’s astral projections. At first, her magical presence was able to keep the armor’s od at bay, but this has grown more and more difficult. Later on, the intervention of the Moonlight Boy had a similar effect, bringing Guts back from the brink in the fight against the Sea God. Hence, Guts' over reliance on the armor is like a ticking time bomb, where he must accept the immense price paid each time it saves his life. This struggle against his own limits makes him painfully aware of his own vulnerability. A common theme throughoutBerserkis the price at which power can be acquired, be it through sacrifices made to the God Hand, or with magical items such as the Berserker Armor. Faced with hismost powerful foe yet— Griffith — Guts may finally have to choose between the vengeance he so desires and his own will to stay alive for those he loves.
