How Berserk flips the chosen one trope in anime, explored

Berserk is one of the greatest manga ever created, and one of the longest-running too. Since its inception, it has held fans spellbound for various reasons. One reason is its dark and gritty story. Berserk’s plot is dark and terrifying, the world is also filled with impending doom. Another reason for the manga’s grip on fans is its art. Each panel is impeccable and leaves viewers speechless at the work of Kentarou Miura.

While Berserk has been successful as a manga, the anime has not enjoyed the critical or public acclaim that the manga has enjoyed. The anime has had two iterations, and they have had issues that range from storytelling to animation. Despite this, the love for the anime has not diminished. Some fans of the series revisit the older anime iteration, while some are content with watching the one made in 2016.

With all the problems plaguing the series as a whole, the series has thrived, and this is due to how it inverts a popular trope, the Chosen One trope. The Chosen One trope can be seen around fiction from the likes of Harry Potter to Game of Thrones, but no medium of fiction uses this trope like anime or manga. The series flips the trope by putting everything in Guts’s path and making his hero journey akin to that of a villain. Here is how Berserk flips the Chosen One trope.

Disclaimer: This article tackles sensitive topics and reflects the author’s opinion. Reader’s discretion is advised.

---

How Berserk inverts the chosen one trope

Guts defeating Zodd is one of the first signs of him being the chosen one (Image via Hakusensha)

To understand how Berserk inverts the Chosen One trope, the trope needs to be explained. The Chosen One trope is a narrative device that is commonly used in fantasy, and it involves a protagonist who has been predestined to save the world or perform any other major task. These protagonists are usually the subject of prophecy; a good example is Harry Potter, who was prophesied to beat Voldemort. Another example of the Chosen One in pop culture is in Greek Mythology, where there was a prophecy that one of Kronos’s sons would usurp him. Zeus later kills Kronos and takes over his position as ruler of the universe.

In anime, there are many notorious examples, one of the most popular being Naruto. Another anime that uses the Chosen One trope to great effect is One Piece, as the current chapter of the series has placed Luffy on a huge pedestal. Even Boruto, the sequel of Naruto, has the titular character become the Chosen One after he defeats Momoshiki. Berserk inverts the trope by calling Guts the Chosen One, but it adds a twist to the trope.

Guts being the Chosen One in Berserk is clear when he comes across the most powerful force for good in the Berserk universe—the Skeleton Knight. The Skeleton Knight saves Guts on numerous occasions in the story, but only after major events have happened. He leaves Guts to suffer during the eclipse, and doesn’t prevent the Mark of Sacrifice from being placed on Guts. These actions are odd for a character deemed the Chosen One, but are not abnormal in the series.

Guts defeating an apostle (Image via Hakusensha)

Berserk grants Guts abilities, and oddly, doles out a huge punishment for him using those abilities. This is unheard of in most works of fiction, as the Chosen Ones are seldom physically punished for their abilities. It is almost like Kentaro Miura wanted Guts’s drive to be punished or the protagonist to come to a realization on his own.

Throughout the series, Guts seeks nothing apart from strength. This action is done for one sole purpose—vengeance. Guts wants to destroy Griffith for taking away the only things he has ever cared about, and that is the problem. Guts killing Griffith won’t take any of the pain and anguish he feels, it also won’t eliminate the elephant in the room—the Godhand.

The final way the series twists this trope is by presenting two calls to adventure for the main character to follow. The first is the clear path of saving the world from the apostles, which involves Guts going through senseless pain as he has to use the Berserker armor; the second is the path of revenge, and it requires the Berserker armor. Loss is at the end of the Chosen One’s story, and that is rare for the trope.

---

Final thoughts

One of the reasons Kentaro Miura was able to take so many liberties in Berserk’s storytelling is that it's Seinen. If it were Shonen, he might have made Guts a stereotypical Shonen Character. Guts would have been similar to Eren Jaeger from Attack on Titan.

Another way the series subverted the Chosen One trope is by offering Guts a third call to adventure. This path requires the most action and the most strength, Guts need to accept and let go. This might be anticlimactic to most viewers, but it is a path hinted at by the story and what makes the series a masterpiece.

---