Berserkis one of the most critically acclaimed manga series. It has been written by Kentarou Miura.Berserkis considered to be among the best manga because it offers the readers a unique experience that is usually not found in the other seinen manga.
According to the users ofMyAnimeList, Berserk is the best mangaof all time. It has held the position of number 1 for many years, and it doesn’t look to be changing anytime soon. Every arc inBerserkis unique but the Golden Age arc stands out from the rest, but what sets it apart from the other arcs?
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What Makes The Golden Age Arc Special?
The Golden Age arc is special in more than one way. Being the second story arc, it takes the readers back into the Hundred-Year War period, which involved the Tudor Empire and the Kingdom of Midland.
This period is very important in the story as it gives the fan the reason behind Guts' behavior and how everything started. This arc acts as the bridge between the past and the present, which makes it crucial as, without proper information, the fans would be extremely confused. Due to the arc’s importance, it received a movie trilogy that covered all the events of the arc. Also, the Golden Age arc has obviously beenturned into an anime.
The Key Events
The Golden Age has many notable moments. Firstly, in this arc, Guts met Griffith and the Band of Hawk. Griffith was extremely impressed with Guts when he saw the latter killing Bazuso. Shortly afterward, Guts was attacked by members of the Hawk, and he was easily able to defeat them. However, Griffith stepped in before things could get worse. Griffith challenged Guts that if the latter managed to defeat him in a fight then he would be allowed to go free. However, if Griffith won, Guts would have to join the Band of Hawk. Griffith ended up winning the fight and thus, Guts had to stay with the Band of Hawk.
Secondly, this arc introducedone of the strongest apostlesin the series— Nosferatu Zodd. Guts' fight against the apostle was very interesting, but the interaction between the two was more important. Before leaving, Zodd warned Guts that Griffith would cause him immense pain. At the time, Guts didn’t know what to make of it and did not pay much heed.
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Thirdly, in this arc, the Band of Hawk brought an end to the Hundred-Year War between the Midlands and the Tudor Empire. This earned Griffith a promotion, and he became one ofthe most powerful peoplein the kingdom. However, things soon went downhill for the caption of the Band of Hawk as Guts decided to leave. Griffith tried to duel with Guts, but he lost, which meant that Guts was free to go.
Losing Guts took a serious toll on Griffith and in order to distract himself from this incident, the latter decided to bed Princess Charlotte. This resulted in his imprisonment and the rest of the Band of Hawk almost being exterminated by the army of Midlands. Finally, the Golden Age arc revealed how Griffith betrayed everyone. When the time came, Griffith used the power of the Beherit and sacrificed almost all of his friends. Guts managed to survive while Casca was sexually abused by Griffith, who had now become a member of the God Hand.
The Impact Of The Arc
The Golden Age arc left a serious mark on the story as a whole.Griffith became Femto, and gained unparalleled power. On the other hand, Guts was branded during the eclipse, and he had to fight every single to stay alive. He swore to avenge all his fallen comrades and Casca, the girl that he loved. Guts began to hunt apostles as he traveled to gain more information about God Hand and their abilities.
The arc showcased the dark side of the human mind; one that disturbed many people. The fans could not believe that Griffith could do something so horrible as sacrificing his comrades to the demons. It also showed why Guts started to travel by himself and how he in a sense became a “demon,” who was just as scary as the apostles.
The fans of the series adore the Golden Age arc because it is so eventful. It shows the readers an entirely different version of Guts, one who cared about his comrades and was willing to trust them. The arc also introduces many new characters from the Band of Hawk, and they were given enough screentime for the fans to understand them. Secondary characters such as Judeau managed to lighten the mood with his humor and he also helped Casca and Guts with their problems. Such characters only added to the already incredible story of the series and made it even better. Another important thing about the arc is that this was the final arc in which Casca was her normal self. After the events of the Golden Age arc, she became softheaded. Overall, the impact of this arc is far greater in comparison to the rest of the arcs inBerserk.
