Warning: spoilers ahead for Berserk chapter 366!
The latest Berserk chapter hints that the largest battle of the entire manga will transpire on the island of Skellig, where Guts already has his hands full with Griffith and the his most loyal apostle Zodd the Immortal.
Such a provocative statement should shock longtime readers of the manga as Berserk‘s many wars are jam-packed with a seemingly endless stream of fighters on each side. Many of the more famous instances that the 1990s anime has forever immortalized occurred during the Hundred-Year-War between the empires of Chudor and Midland during the Golden Age. Some of the more recent examples transpired during the Kushan-led massacre at the port city of Vritannis and the consequent battle between Griffith and the Kushan Emperor Ganishka, also known as Shiva.
The main clue hinting at the sheer magnitude of the upcoming battle comes from chapter 366, where Guts’ elf companion Puck notices strange wisps manifesting in the air over the island of Skellig, noting that something is coming. Readers have seen this phenomenon before in chapter 357 when Griffith shows his awed army the branches of the World Twin Tree, which can be utilized as a special mode of transportation that can send people anywhere quickly so long as they are led by either Griffith or his medium Sonia.
It can therefore be theorized that Sonia is leading Griffith’s entire army across the world to Skellig Island through the branches of the World Twin Tree. Although readers have already witnessed Griffith’s massive army battling against the hordes of Shiva, it’s important to realize that a great deal of time has passed since then. Earlier, when Guts and his troupe first arrive on Skellig, they were warned that time passes differently there and that if they elongate their visit, they will find that the outside world changes completely. This explanation creates the impression that time moves much slower on Skellig in relation to the outside world, which means that a day there could equate to months everywhere else, allowing Griffith to grow his army. Adding to this, Griffith has proved that he won’t discriminate who can join his ranks, and in many instances, he has expressed a desire for his kingdom to become a melting pot, even between humans and demons.
It’s unclear what means of protection the inhabitants of Elfheim on Skellig Island have at their disposal, but the Wickermen sent after Guts and his troupe were apparently only a scant few of their available forces. As the Elfheim witch Morda tells Schierke in a recent chapter, the Wickermen are captured soldiers of an invading army that her people sacrificed to form their own protection. On top of this hidden army, there’s no telling what else the people of Skellig Island have stashed away within the magical depths of their land.
Even though Berserk’s world has experienced some incredible wars throughout the decades, it’s quite likely that the chaos that will inevitably ensue in the upcoming chapter 367 will transcend anything fans have seen yet. This is shocking especially when taking into consideration the massacre at the port city of Vritannis. The first wave of Kushan beasts lasted from chapters 258 to 278 before the entire Kushan army finally arrived in chapter 279, launching the second phase almost 10 chapters later. And since Berserk publisher Young Animal has already revealed that this current arc will last for six chapters over the summer, it’s highly likely that this massive battle will transpire for four bloody installments.
Berserk chapter 366 is available now from Dark Horse.
