Rereading Berserk

[Captain Cadaver]

Seems about time to reread the manga in full, considering it's probably as close to finished as we may ever get now . I'll use this thread as a journal of sorts whenever having completed a relevant chunk of the story to dissect as well as discuss anything people wish to on that part of the story. Just finished volume 3 (ie. completed the Black Swordsman Arc and just got up to getting his money's worth), so might as well layout my thoughts on the Black Swordsman Arc as a whole.

The arc contains some questionable elements at the start, but most of them are at least contained in the first chapter and aren't entirely without explanation. Guts fucking the Apostle that killed Corkus seems weird, but not too out of character when he'd given up on saving Casca at that point and should know that was a good way to get them vulnerable. There's also Guts still not liking people touching him, but I can buy he only got over those close to him like Casca doing so and the Eclipse certainly prevented him from extending that courtesy to everyone. A continuity error less explainable would be no spirits haunting Guts when in the prison despite the emphasis placed on that in the next chapter. I guess with an Apostle nearby, the spirits didn't consider it worth it or something?
One moment from Guts I really like in this arc beyond the action scenes and iconic speeches would be when he says "It's your life," when presenting the option of suicide to Theresia with how it foreshadows the reveal of his character arc in the Golden Age and what being able to make one's own choices in life means to him.
On the subject of comparing characters to how they'd be portrayed later on, Femto is a notable example with his appearance here being very much that of a moustache-twirling villain with a superiority complex. Considering Miura did seem to have some idea of how he'd write him in the Golden Age though, I wouldn't say it's that inconsistent when it seems more like Femto trying to put on an act, since he was far from losing his human emotions after his transformation.
Even though Guts' more edgy and cynical nature in this arc makes sense with the reveal of the Eclipse, I can concede it doesn't make him a character the audience would be invested in without further context when he at times seems more violent and sadistic than some of his enemies. Fortunately, Miura was smart enough to present a moral anchor of the arc with Puck who, along with being an important support character, he's in many ways an insert for both the audience and Miura with how he questions many of the events going on and Guts' decisions as well as offers hints there's more to Guts' character than we initially see. Shame Puck's relevance would quickly fade after the Conviction Arc, but for now he did his role in the plot very well.
The villains in the arc aren't too deep, with the Snake Baron being one-dimensionally evil, but the Count serves his role well in presenting the darkness of humanity that can lead someone to become an Apostle in the right circumstances. Probably one of the more sympathetic Apostles within the manga.

As for the common citation that people should read the Golden Age first to avoid being spoiled, I wouldn't really agree. That's coming from the perspective of wanting to be excited rather than taking into account what the author's intent was. If anything, knowing the fate that awaits Guts and Griffith adds a layer of tragedy to the Golden Age by knowing that, despite how well their friendship develops and layers of them that are explored, we know their destinations which adds more impact to every lighter moment between them and mystery in how the friendship was severed. On the subject of mystery, the sense of mystery the Black Swordsman Arc provides is one reason to read that before the Golden Age with how it establishes several plot threads to hook the audience and dives right into the dark tone of the setting, the former of which would've been quite standard beats with little surprise if viewed after the Golden Age.

That said, the arc has its shaky moments, but presents many aspects such as the potential layers behind Guts' character, the tone and the fantastical elements well enough to be a fairly good start. I'd rate it about a 6.5/10.

Considering volume 3 ends just before Guts' struggle snuggle with Lord , I'll comment on the start of the Golden Age after the next volume most likely.

 

[SSJ2]

That's coming from the perspective of wanting to be excited rather than taking into account what the author's intent was.

I'd say it depends on what your goal is with reading the series. I'd argue that if you wanted to read it purely for entertainment, being spoiled on the major plot points of the best arc significantly reduce the impact of the eclipse and the entire golden age journey as a whole.

The Golden Age is similarly filled with enough mystery to draw anybody in, from Zodd's appearance, the Skull Knight, or even just the mysteriousness of Griffith's character. The Golden Age also has plenty of dark moments such as Guts' childhood, Griffith selling his body to that general, Griffith showing his ruthlessness in assassinating the Queen, Guts murdering a child, and then obviously the eclipse. The tone isn't completely dark like the Black Swordsman arc but there is still plenty of it to set the tone.

To me, seeing Guts in the state he was in in the BS arc kind of takes away from the constant tragedies that he goes through in the Golden Age. You know he ends up being a borderline psychopath before seeing what he had to go through. As a reader it felt more impactful to experience the highs and the lows as he went through them instead of knowing that all of his highs would eventually come crashing down.

I think if you are trying to read Berserk critically, definitely read it as the author intended. On my first read I'm glad that I was able to experience Guts' journey as it happened.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

My goal with it, as with all series, is to analyse how it works functionally and how well the author's vision is realised. That said, I have no issue with how the Black Swordsman started in media raes. Golden Age is very much a journey over the destination type story with its main focus being on character exploration rather than being plot-driven, so I wouldn't say knowing the fate of Guts and Griffith is a problem. I can see why it'd affect one's enjoyment towards the Golden Age, but enjoyment =/= quality.

---

Now read volume 4, so time to talk about Gambino and . To start with the meme god of the franchise himself, Donovan is unironically well utilised within the prologue not only for serving as the first catalyst of Guts' innocence being robbed, solidifying Guts' desire not to be controlled and making him later finding physical intimacy with Casca more impactful, but such a vile act also adds to displaying the dark tone of the setting and Guts being able to kill him adds to the running theme of him overcoming the hardships placed before him either physically or emotionally. Not sure if it was intentional on Miura's part, but I also find it worth noting how Donovan's wording when trying to get what he paid for was "Quit struggling," considering the title astral beings such as Skull Knight would later place on Guts. This was also pretty necessary in presenting why Guts has such a soft spot for children and is appalled whenever he impacts their life in a negative way such as with Adonis or Theresia.
Also, worth noting that paid 3 silver coins for that ass when a flashback a few chapters ago had Griffith note the life of a soldier is barely worth a silver coin. Either there was some inflation in those few years, or is a very generous bidder .

As for Gambino, even though he's not the most complex character, he serves his purpose well with how his attitude as a father figure to Guts and his fate offer some questions on how Miura may have gone about the Moonlight Boy plot line. The hypocrisy he shows in wanting Guts to fight better yet getting angry when he manages to get a hit on him also seems to suggest he's the type of person who needs to feel in control (at least after Shisu's death) which is further supported with what stimulates his desire to kill Guts, which is a pretty fitting starting point for the Golden Age when considering Griffith's character. It also says a lot that, despite his horrible nature, he still provided such an emotional bond to Guts that he was the centre of many of Guts' nightmares throughout this arc.

As a whole, the segment on Guts' childhood does a great job explaining elements behind Guts' psychology in the Black Swordsman Arc and him overcoming trauma across the Golden Age Arc.

For the segments following the Band of the Hawk, not as much to comment on beyond how each of the main members' traits are well established quite quickly, in particular Judeau being the voice of reason for the group with how well he can read people and break down their psychology.

Also, the top panel here foreshadows Griffith preparing a potato later on:

Spoiler

 

[ahill1]

May I join you post Golden Age?

 

[Mr. Popo Fan]

I feel you can make a solid argument for starting either with Golden Age or Black Swordsman. Ideally, I'd prefer to start with Golden Age completely blind; having no idea Griffith were to be a villain (sadly I knew this before I started). I feel Guts being the son of a corpse and joining the mercenary band is enough of a hook to keep one's interest. After his night of passion with Donovan, that should make most sympathetic to young Guts and eager to see him take revenge, or just to follow his story.

Reading Volume 1 myself recently, it's interesting just how different Guts is compared to the modern day. He's an asshole. Very cold, uncaring and standoffish. Doesn't like being touched like you say. Seeing him, with his physical injuries and hunting apostles should be enough of a hook to keep people invested from that point. Wanting to know what happened to him and how he became this way.

Either is fine. I like the dark/greyscale pages and the unrefined artwork from the early years.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

May I join you post Golden Age?

Feel free to join in at any time. It's not as if I have to worry about spoilers in a reread, after all.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

Finished volume 5, so there's a bit to talk about for the events with Zodd and those preceding it.

I'd say some character moments from Griffith support the stance of reading the Black Swordsman Arc first when it comes to his ambiguity with even his followers such as Judeau not being able to define him as good or evil and him being very much an enigma. Coupled with his questioning of if there's a difference between gods and demons after the fight with Zodd as well as Guts' less than heroic portrayal within the previous arc, it does help provide mystery on what Griffith/Femto's true nature is.
Another character moment I like from Griffith in this volume is him reminiscing on his duel with Guts and saying that's how fights should be. Miura does a great job in his expression here with Griffith seeming to both recollect fondly yet have a sadness in his eyes, pointing towards his distaste on the brutal nature and needless casualties of the battlefield compared to 1 V 1 duels and foreshadowing the impact the child's death would have on him agreeing to Gennon's arrangement.
During the same sequence of events, Guts presents some good character moments too. One thing that isn't talked about much is his anger in Casca referring to him as a mad dog, which links back to how Gambino treat his dog with more care and importance than he did Guts and is something we'd get more of a display of after Guts gets intimate with Casca. Miura also utilises a timeskip for development well, which is becoming a dying craft amongst mangaka and writers in general. Whereas a less competent writer would use it to completely rewrite a character and pass it off as development, Miura provides enough stimulus before it to make Guts' change in character over such a time period understandable, yet still make it apparent he's kept some core traits with Casca complaining that he never listens and always charges forth.

For the events with Zodd, this is a highlight of the early Golden Age, and not just for the action and build up to Griffith's betrayal. Regardless of whether you go in blind through the Golden Age to be suddenly dropped with this fantastical element or have the mindset already placed by the Black Swordsman Arc, seeing Guts fight someone like Zodd is still an impressive point in the story with how limited his arsenal is at this point and the tactics he's forced to fall back on. This approach also helps show Guts' growth compared to his risky and hot-headed attitude to battle before joining the Band of the Hawk. There's also several elements that quickly establish Zodd is more impressive than the previous Apostles, such as his great age and experience and how formidable he is in his "human" form alone.

 

[SSJ2]

One thing that isn't talked about much is his anger in Casca referring to him as a mad dog, which links back to how Gambino treat his dog with more care and importance than he did Guts and is something we'd get more of a display of after Guts gets intimate with Casca.

Very interesting. I just figured Guts was angry about the accusation of not caring about his comrades.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

Read up to the end of Volume 7.

Volume 6

The assassination segment is one of the highlights of the Golden Age, which is saying a lot. Along with it displaying the cruelties Griffith is willing to partake in (him seeming to have factored in Adonis' death), how Guts relates Adonis to himself is a great turning point for his character with his dream spelling out that it symbolises him destroying a part of himself for the will of another. If not for those events beforehand, it seems debatable if Griffith's speech about his dream would have as much impact on him as it did. Also fitting that an attempted assassination on Griffith leads to him retaliating with his own, considering his running theme of turning a bad situation in his favour as well as how his desire to get even with people will play into the Eclipse.
One underrated character moment in this segment too would be Corkus chastising Guts for not seeing the importance in the hunt. As well as Corkus in some ways acting as a vessel for the audience and the common man here, Guts' reaction compared to his emotional outburst when criticised by Casca in the previous volume shows he agrees and has become level-headed enough to concede his faults if they're true.

We also get introduced to Adon after this. He's probably the cheesiest character in the manga (or at least the Golden Age), but this aspect is utilised well with how his exaggerated cries of techniques passed down through the Corbolwitz family like some tokusatsu hero or Shonen protagonist is juxtaposed by him being debased enough to want to capture Casca as a sex slave, highlighting Miura's running theme in the arc of deconstructing and taking away the idealised image of knights and nobles. Also, I have to wonder if the way in which he talks about Corbolwitz family techniques (though this is played up more i the anime) inspired Arakawa with the techniques passed down the Armstrong family for generations. Wouldn't be too hard to imagine her liking the series, considering both Berserk and FMA draw from similar Lovercraftian elements when it comes to their supernatural aspects.

Here, we get the start of delving into Casca's background too. Even if not to the same extent as Guts and Griffith, Casca is a very well realised character with her struggles to fit in with the life she's been presented and working hard enough to become the 3rd strongest member of the Hawks, yet still presenting the problems for women who choose such a life with her menstruation. Miura clearly knew how to write an actually strong female character, unlike the vast majority of modern writers.

Volume 7

The flashback of Griffith not only presents the lows he's willing to sink to both for his dream and the safety of others, but also how much denial he has for his feelings with him saying the death of the child wasn't a factor in his decision, something his actions and the events just before he becomes Femto show isn't true. This does well in tying into a core aspect of Griffith's character being his presentation and how it can mask his true nature (something more obvious after his reincarnation). This also helps contrast him with Serpico, but that's a topic for far later down the line. Him also quickly changing gears straightaway after self-harming also does well in showing his enigmatic nature, leading more into how the arc constantly questions what his true nature is.
Also, this guy was getting paid in gold for pimping his ass whereas Guts is getting 3 silver coins from being pimped by Gambino. I guess Gennon was onto something with Griffith ageing like fine wine...or he just had that much thirst .

It goes without saying that Guts questioning his purpose when fighting the 100 men and the Campire of Dreams scene after it are great displays of his existential crisis as well as how Miura displays the arc's theme of humans needing connections to stay strong, something most evident with Griffith's downward spiral. One underrated aspect here though is how Judeau quickly clicks on to things such as Casca's change in demeanour or how she was on her period, showing once more he's easily the most socially aware member of the Hawks.

The Battle of Doldrey, though not as much of a high point as many others in the arc, displays some interesting aspects that can go overlooked with the well done action throughout it. In particular, Guts' apprehension on how Griffith must remain calm and composed works well regardless of if you started with the Black Swordsman Arc or pieced things together from Zodd's warning with how the overwhelming odds set up the battle as a red herring with how many may expect it to be where Griffith is forced to use the Behelit, which makes the events following it even more unexpected and well done.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

Very interesting. I just figured Guts was angry about the accusation of not caring about his comrades.

It could also potentially be foreshadowing the the Beast of Darkness, considering that's very much a manifestation of Guts' darker desires.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

Finished Volume 8.

The aftermath of the Battle of Doldrey shows how Miura excellently handles the realism of a medieval setting in a manner similar to someone like George R.R. Martin (there's a whole lot of similarities between Berserk and ASOIAF in setting and tone, but that's its own topic) with how the political intrigue within a kingdom holds more tension than the external threat of the battlefield. I'd also forgotten that the Queen had an affair with Julius. The anime's portrayal of her is serviceable for the narrative, but she's inarguably a far more fleshed out character in the manga with her desires to feel loved, something that ties heavily into the arc's themes of human connection.
I also like the interaction Guts and Casca have on her dress. To go back to the point of why Casca is a strong, female character done properly, Miura is able to convey her feminine features both internally and externally to tie this as part of her character and make her far more three-dimensional with how she can get embarrassed by her appearance despite being able to be cool and collected in battle and point out her typical masculine attire is far from a preference.

The sequence with Griffith burning the nobles and his interaction with Guts afterwards do many things well. His eyes when talking down to the Queen present the more inhuman nature they'd be more commonly shown as when he becomes Femto and how well he was able to read Foss is quite understandable when it comes to the dangerous nature of the court. There's also him making it apparent how much he wishes to maintain a perfect image to mask the ugly aspects of his nature, as already mentioned. One interesting character moment that gets overlooked is him telling Guts to leave the money on the brigands. This serves a utilitarian purpose of any potential blame being placed on an outside party, but his respect for their work also ties into the whole idea of him not fully respecting those who conform to his dream as these were men very much partaking in his plans for their own line of work rather than serving his will.

The scene of Corkus and Judeau talking to Guts is a good one with how it fleshes out both supporting characters and gives more insight into both the psychology of those that follow Griffith and Miura's views on humanity in general. Corkus is very much the average mercenary without the talent to follow their own path successfully and must instead conform to the will of another. Corkus going on about the material rewards to be gained from their rise and how Guts isn't interested in it shows their different mindsets with how the average man will use opportunity to gain reward, yet one of true character such as Guts can show strength through ignoring such easy fulfilment in order to find something more important. Meanwhile, Judeau's jack of all trades, master of none mindset serves as a reminder that even the skilled may not achieve excellence and adds some tragedy to his character in that he most likely held himself back due to his knowledge such as never taking an opportunity to try his luck with Casca. These perspectives and how Guts differs from them ties very much into Nietzsche's philosophy on the Ubermensch which is scattered heavily throughout Berserk, which I'll get more into shortly.

The Guts VS Griffith confrontation is easily one of the best parts of the Golden Age. The reversals of their first confrontation are both apparent and well done with Griffith now being the one emotional and agitated whereas Guts is calm and composed, with the tension on how this could be a life or death fight being displayed throughout. Even though the way Miura handled the events following it and leading up to the Eclipse were the perfect way to conclude the Golden Age Arc, it wouldn't have been out of place for this to be the finale with it being clear Griffith would suffer some loss and how heavily it weighed upon him as well as the climactic nature of such a confrontation, not to mention Corkus saying maybe losing an arm would give Guts a wake up call preparing first-time readers for this being where everything comes together. Back onto the talk about the Ubermensch, Guts and Griffith both embody that idea in different ways and to different extents. Griffith initially seems to embody these elements with him imposing his own values and ambitions as well as rejecting the status he was born into to seemingly become a self-made man, contrasted with Guts initially being closer to a nihilist due to his childhood with him accepting his lot in life. By this point, however, Guts has started embodying the true aspects of the Ubermensch by seeking to find purpose beyond typical status and customs and to be truly independent, whereas Griffith has started to become emotionally dependent on Guts; in other words, Guts becoming the true Ubermensch whereas Griffith is now the false Ubermensch. These strong reversals both in philosophy and psychology for the duo that are the driving force behind Berserk make this confrontation just as fascinating a turning point in the character writing for this arc as the Eclipse, or arguably even more so.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

Volume 9:

So, Griffith's reaction to losing Guts and finding comfort through Charlotte is an interesting one. Many interpret it as him having romantic feelings for Guts, but I'd say the "Griffith's secretly gay" take a very oversimplified take on it, particularly when it's not as though he decided to give Guts the Experience 2.0 at the Eclipse. Griffith seems to have more of the platonic love for Guts that one might have for their best friend and simply couldn't comprehend it with his views on the criteria of a true friend and not wanting to admit that Guts not only stood as an equal, but had surpassed him even without a dream of his own.
We can't talk about Griffith's plot line in this volume without mentioning Incest King's escapades. I guess Julius had some logic in him believing the King would approve Charlotte marrying her first cousin Adonis .

The tournament and Guts' rematch with Silat are probably the closest the arc gets to displaying elements of a Battle Shonen with the focus on setting up this conflict and Silat going on about how incredible his abilities are. I wouldn't say it's out of place though when considering several events show Berserk is varied enough to not fall into the typical norms of a psychological Seinen with Miura even citing the Shonen series Hokuto no Ken as a major inspiration and also saying Berserk's focus on characters acting emotionally in their decisions gives it a lot of similarity to Shoujo manga.
With the aftermath, though it's not the first time, I like how Guts has no issue with the Hawks touching him to visually show his character development.

The sex scene between Guts and Casca is probably the most well done and tasteful one I've seen in any series. It has a raw, passionate element to it, but the physical acts take a back seat to this being the emotional payoff to many bottled up feelings of attraction and need for connection that acts as great character development for both, particularly with things such as Casca being conscious about her body due to the battle scars or Guts struggling to overcome his PTSD during it as well as some very good dialogue from both. Sex scenes for plot/character development can be overdone, but if needing to add it to your story, take notes from Miura as this is how you do it.

 

[Pocket-Gog~]

PHEW, good thing I never finished Berserk. Imagine getting into something only for it to never get an ending, could never be me.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

PHEW, good thing I never finished Berserk. Imagine getting into something only for it to never get an ending, could never be me.

> Finished
> Never got an ending

I'd say pick one, but instead I'll just say A Song of Ice and What Now?

---

Volume 10:

Guts' reaction to Casca asking if it was his first time is priceless. It's got a comedic element to it with his expression, an air of innocence from Casca's loving tone and also the dark aspect of who popped his cherry . Miura balances many tones well through just two panels.
The flashback with Godo is also well done in showing Guts realising he doesn't need to strive for a grandiose dream like Griffith to forge his own path in life and that doing what you're best at can be the ideal way for some to find purpose. This will also be made more interesting to how Godo changes his mind on these views later on and helps change Guts' outlook yet again in a time of need.

The prison infiltration has a lot of good things such as Judeau showing a darker and more pragmatic side as well as Casca being able to give a sound argument against Charlotte coming with them to mask her own complex feelings for Griffith. As for Griffith, his severe injuries and his helmet being mockingly placed on his head combined with how people viewed him as a saviour have a lot of parallels to Christ and his Passion, which seems very intentional as Griffith's character arc from hereon will be one that props him up very much as an Antichrist figure.

The fight against the Bakiraka has a lot of good elements such as how Judeau and Pippin are given more shine than they'll get in any other conflict. In particular, Pippin talking about his work in mines implies he once had a dream or goal he gave up on before joining Griffith much like Corkus. Griffith also showcases that even if physically incapable, he still has the mind of a leader on the battlefield.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

Volume 11:

The Wyald fight is a fairly underrated part of the Golden Age. It has the red herring of prepping the audience for this to be the turning point between Guts and Griffith much like the Battle of Doldrey, but does this better due to Wyald being a supernatural threat that helps bring things closer to the setting of the Black Swordsman Arc, not to mention acting as a good benchmark as Guts defeating him through tactics, skill and willpower as well as showing how far he's rose above the other Hawks makes it apparent how he was able to survive so long during the Eclipse. Even with knowledge of what Guts would face through the previous arc, Wyald still acts as a strong benchmark for future events when his physical strength is comparable to the Count's and far above the Snake Baron, yet still a pissant to Zodd. Wyald's hypocrisy in not wanting to die works well with him knowing full well of what awaits an Apostle after death as well as serving as a reminder that Apostles become what they are through some level of selfish desire. Wyald forcing positivity on his men also showcases the negative affects of trying to force a positive mindset on people like livestock (something very relevant today with how much people screech in the face of criticism), which will play a major role in the way both major factions of the Conviction Arc handle fear in their situations.

We also get to see the seeds of Griffith's desire to control, with Casca's outburst about her and Guts leaving together likely being a strong catalyst behind his actions in the Eclipse.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

Volume 12:

So, Griffith starts the Eclipse and brings rise to the "Griffith Did Nothing Wrong" meme. The story does a good job conveying Griffith's rationale of not wanting the previous sacrifices others made for his dream go to waste so his action isn't purely one of selfishness and it's not as though he didn't care about his subordinates as that would invalidate the sacrifice. Also interesting to note that his choice adds into the idea of Griffith representing the Antichrist since, whereas Christ's disciples were martyred by their own choice in defence of his teachings, Griffith's disciples are sacrificed by him against their will. On the subject of deities, Void makes mention of the God Born of Man, showing that the common idea that the Idea of Gaslight Evil chapter being non-canon because of its removal from the Japanese tankoban is false.
One part before the main event of the volume that doesn't get talked about much is Griffith's dream when hijacking the wagon. Miura wasn't the type of writer to needlessly add things, so I wonder if there was any meaning to it beyond being a fake out. Perhaps Griffith and Casca having a child would be foreshadowing to the Demon Child? Perhaps it would've played into later events with Griffith's dream changing to wanting all these events to have been a dream? I've heard theories about how it could've tied into the end of Berserk, but unless Miura left some notes, we'll unfortunately never know.

The cutoff point of Zodd staying to fight Skull Knight reinforces what we saw before of Zodd not finding joy in eating humans, something quite odd for even the most "civilised" of Apostles. Maybe he only desires to feast on worthy warriors after besting them, or knew Skull Knight would try to interfere and stayed to block his path intentionally. Zodd probably had the most potential for exploration out of the Apostles with his sense of honour and it making it questionable what would lead to someone like him becoming an Apostle, though we'll unfortunately never know that either.

 

[Captain Cadaver]

Finished Volume 13 and read 14 up until the end of the Golden Age.

The Eclipse is where we get the first deep insight into how destiny functions within Berserk's universe, particularly when factoring in the lost Chapter 83. Even though certain aspects are strung together as predestined such as the bloodlines necessary to bring Griffith here, the Idea of Evil tells him the choice of what to do is still his own, making it apparent humanity still has free will of the choice they make on a destined path and how it ultimately turns into cause and effect; not removing the agency characters have in their actions. That said, Berserk is one of if not the best series when it comes to handling the idea of destiny.
The lost chapter also has some characterisation of Griffith that shows his transformation into Femto with how he's perplexed about not feeling anything for his comrades' death (as he won't after his reincarnation) and his phrasing of his desire to the Idea as "I want wings" provides a lot in few words with it highlighting his childish nature as well as how he views himself, not to mention having some necessary ambiguity of what he wishes to do with his power. The chapter also presents some thoughts on Miura's views on religion that'll play into the Conviction Arc.

We then get perhaps the most infamous part of Berserk in the rape of Casca, an important moment not just in it being a turning point for the plot, but what it means from the perspective of all characters involved. Guts is obviously horrified and enraged by Femto's actions, Griffith is using it as his way of asserting dominance and is perhaps somewhat influenced by the daydream he had; not to mention wanting Casca after his torture despite not caring for her sexually prior much like a child only wanting to covet what someone else has. Then there's Casca, once someone who would've thrown herself on Griffith should he have merely said to has now gone through so much development that the experience is horrifying. The character development and what has led to this point is what separates a moment like this within Berserk from how many other series may have executed such a scene as the character writing is what allows it to be meaningful rather than hollow edge.

Skull Knight's actions are perplexing ones that we'll likely never get an answer to, with him seeming to view saving Guts and Casca as a necessary part of destiny. Perhaps there was more to his ties to Guts than we realise, considering he'd display knowledge of things he shouldn't know such as Guts being born from a corpse. It's also worth noting Guts seems to have no surprise to hearing about the existence of Elves, perhaps showing Miura had plans for the Spring Flowers of Distant Days mini-arc long in advance.
Then there's the reveal of the Demon Child. As I've said, this links back to Guts' own birth with how Gambino also wanted to just let him die whereas a mentally ill mother protected Guts/the child, perhaps foreshadowing Guts may have met a similar fate to Gambino.

The arc concludes with Guts becoming the Black Swordsman with his full arsenal, the highlight obviously being the Dragonslayer. The mentions of humans fighting dragons and the question of what is one who hunts dragons is perhaps the most obvious drawing on Nietzsche's philosophies with it linking back to his "He who fights monsters must make sure he does not become a monster" line, a philosophy that not only has been shown throughout the Black Swordsman Arc, but will link heavily into both the Lost Children portion just ahead and reach its most obvious display through the Berserker Armour; perhaps being the most consistently displayed and explored philosophy in Berserk.

That concludes the Golden Age Arc, an arc that's golden in more than the coins Gennon gave Griffith its name. Miura made a risky decision with a long flashback that required it to have good characters as to not fail, and that gamble was pulled off masterfully with 3 of the most complex and well developed characters in the medium, a great exploration of its medieval setting, well done theme exploration on things such as human connection, fate, class roles, etc. and both character moments and plot twists that defined Berserk as its own entity within fiction. There's no denying the Golden Age is a 10/10 arc and perhaps the peak of storytelling within manga. Now, onto the Conviction Arc...

 

[SSJ2]

Idea of Gaslight Evil chapter being non-canon because of its removal from the Japanese tankoban is false.

Why was this even a thing? I don't see why that chapter would be excluded.

 

[Mr. Popo Fan]

Why was this even a thing? I don't see why that chapter would be excluded.

Because Miura wasn't pleased with the implications and felt it limiting to his creativity to introduce God as a character.

 

[SSJ2]

Interesting. I wonder why he bothered to write it.