If you’ve read the “Berserk” manga or seen the anime, you must have wondered about the origins and mystery hidden behind the Brand of Sacrifice at least once.
Berserk is incredibly popular all over the world. It’s a masterpiece created by the perfect blend of multiple origins. On one end, the series reflects extremely violent battle-filled adventures with dark fantasy, while on the other, it depicts the consequences of love and betrayal.
The artistry throughout the entire anime series is breathtaking, the plot is captivating, and the characters will stay with you forever.
Additionally, you also discover different rune-like symbols on several characters, symbolizing their past life or their sins.
Thus, in this blog, I’ll go through the Brand of Sacrifice in Berserk and will share how all of these symbolic marks affect the characters’ lives. Let’s get started!
What Does The Brand of Sacrifice in Berserk Represent?
Humans use this symbol for the acquisition of great power in exchange for their humanity.
In Berserk, the mysterious and demonic people of “God Hand” are linked to the symbol of the Brand of Sacrifice. God Hand members demand humans perform ceremonial sacrifices. The victims are then branded with the Brand of Sacrifice as their bodies and souls get consumed as payment!
Those who carry the Brand of Sacrifice rarely live. They are meant to be killed.
Yes, that’s the law.
No one is allowed to live with a Brand of Sacrifice, yet Guts is still alive!
How? Keep reading, and you will discover the mystery behind it!
Furthermore, those who carry a Mark of Sacrifice are constantly tormented since it represents their obligation to “God Hand.”
They are no longer the owners of their lives!
Every night, Apostles who are drawn to the Brand pursue the person. And as the branded person lives in the liminal space between the Physical and Astral Realms, these ghosts can kill them to cease their warm bodies for their own.
How Did Guts Get The Brand of Sacrifice?
There have been several Berserk characters that have the Brand of Sacrifice. But only two characters managed to stay alive. And they are the vicious Guts & his only female companion and lover, Casca.
Like many others, the two received their Brand of Sacrifice during the occultation ceremony- a unique sacrificial ritual that happens every 216 years and brings in new members to the “God Hand.”
In the occultation ceremony, most of the branded people died, but Guts and Casca survived thanks to the Skull Knight. The Skull Knight intervened during the ceremony and changed their fate.
After surviving the Eclipse, Guts becomes vengeful and wishes nothing more than to seek out and kill each Apostle he comes across. He wants to end the lifelong war with his arch-nemesis, Griffith, and hunt down the members of the “God Hand.”
Can Guts Remove The Brand Of Sacrifice?
The only way to remove the Brand of Sacrifice in Berserk is to cut off the branded part of the body. So, removing the Brand of Sacrifice is tricky business as the bearer will have to lose a limb.
And for Guts and Casca, removing the Brand of Sacrifice is nearly impossible because Guts has the Brand of Sacrifice marked on his neck, and Casca has it on her chest.
So in their case, removing their body parts with marks is impossible.
One Reddit user, however, voiced his opinion that Guts’ sword, the dragonslayer, had effects on both the physical and astral worlds. So, Guts should be able to shave off that area of his skin where the Brand is located.
And then another Reddit user replied, “I think the brand is more than just a scar on the body. It’s more symbolic and basically a mark on your soul.”
As an avid manga reader and anime otaku, I agree that the Brand of Sacrifice is not an apparent mark but a deep-seated symbol engraved on both body and soul!
Does The Brand of Sacrifice Give Power To The Bearer?
The Brand of Sacrifice is a magical symbol. It doesn’t grant any powers to the bearer because it’s just a mark of a death sentence. The branded person must be killed at the hands of demons or haunting ghosts.
And when a spirit or a member of “God Hand” comes in a certain range of the branded person, the Brand of Sacrifice starts hurting and alerts his owner about their forthcoming.
However, the Brand of Sacrifice does not grant Guts any special abilities to fight or survive. He grew strong by enduring the hardships of life as a branded one and perfected his techniques by defeating formidable apostles.
Is The Brand of Sacrifice Real? Berserk Symbol Origins!
The sculptures of ancient Greece and other old religions inspire most of the symbols used in Berserk.
The origin of the Brand of Sacrifice traces back to an ancient Norse rune that was employed as a tribal warrior mark in the old days. It can also be compared to the Odal rune, a ribbon-like symbol representing unity.
And if we dive deeper, we learn that the Brand of Sacrifice in Berserk is a sign for individuals who have been anointed for the Invocation of Doom- a sacrificial event in which those who partake will become something more than human.
So, I would say that the idea behind Invocation of Doom is pretty similar to Christian philosophy, and the mythology of the Vikings is somehow connected as well.
How? Check the image of Vikings Runes below!
While the sign of the Brand of Sacrifice has appeared in various forms throughout history and bears some resemblance to Viking runes, it is still safe to conclude that the Brand of Sacrifice from Berserk manga is not real and does not exist.
That’s all the main information that one should know about the Brand of Sacrifice in Berserk anime and manga.
If you want to get the Berserk manga, I would suggest MangaClash.
In case you want to seek more characters’ info or want to find your next manga, check out our manga section.