Kentaro Miura's famous dark fantasy series Berserk is arguably best in manga form. It gives readers a chance to explore the entire story while the anime adaptations only go so far. The original manga shows just how brutal and action-packed Guts' journey is, and it's all thanks to his famous sword, the dragon slayer.
Rarely does Guts actually slay any dragons with this weapon, but all the same, his mighty dragon slayer is an iconic piece of manga history. Berserk fans even include it in their arsenal when they re-create Guts in Dark Souls 3. Here's where the dragon slayer came from, and how it symbolizes its scarred but stubborn wielder in the story of Berserk.
The Origins Of Guts' Dragon Slayer Sword
For such a terrifying and legendary weapon, the dragon slayer has surprisingly mundane and humble origins. It did not fall from the heavens as God's gift to humanity, nor was it forged in the deepest pits of Hell. Instead, this sword is the creation of a blacksmith named Godo, an unassuming but hardworking man who lives in the wilderness of the Midland kingdom. Godo is a master of his craft who often built swords, shields and armor for wealthy patrons and their private armies during his heyday.
One day, Godo received a rather exotic request: to make a mighty sword powerful enough to slay a dragon, even though no one had ever seen one. Godo followed the request, but it was in vain. There were no dragons to kill with it, and the sword was so heavy and large that no one could use it correctly, so it ended up as a useless novelty. Godo kept the dragon slayer in his home and propped it up against the wall, a symbol of a wealthy patron's vanity or perhaps foolishness. Years passed, and the dragon slayer had no master.
Then the eclipse happened, and Griffith betrayed first the Midland king and then the Band of the Hawk, leaving Guts with a broken sword, a missing eye and a maimed arm. Guts was burning with anger and needed a weapon to match. No ordinary sword could handle the monstrous apostles, so he met Godo and demanded a new one. Godo gave him a fine sword with which to fight, but it broke while battling a local apostle, so Guts needed something more.
He seized the seemingly worthless dragon slayer and picked it up, defeating the apostle with its deadly cutting edge. Guts knew right away that this sword fit him perfectly, and began his journey of revenge with the dragon slayer firmly attached to his back. Even Rickert, who had known Guts in the Band of the Hawk, could hardly believe what he was seeing. As Berserk went on, he and the dragon slayer became totally inseparable.
The Nature & Symbolism Of Guts' Dragon Slayer
The dragon slayer looks impractically huge at first, and indeed, it seems no one except the powerhouse Guts can hold and swing it correctly. This mammoth iron weapon has inspired many others of its kind, such as Cloud Strife's huge sword in Final Fantasy VII. It is estimated that the dragon slayer weighs around 400 pounds. In fact, most observers describe it as a "heap of raw iron," a crude piece of metal that can barely even be considered a weapon or sword -- but Guts doesn't mind at all.
Guts' mightiest weapon is not indestructible, however, and after two years of nonstop fighting in Berserk, he was pushing the sword to its limit. He had no blacksmithing skills, so he allowed the dragon slayer to deteriorate, becoming nicked and dented from overuse as well as stained and dulled from constant exposure to blood. Godo commented on this when Guts finally returned to his workshop, and graciously reforged the dragon slayer in intense heat to rid it of all impurities and fix its metal body.
Now that his sword was as good as new, could Guts keep up? Like his weapon, he was physically and mentally worn out from constant fighting and adventure. If he didn't reforge himself with peace and acceptance of his fate, then he would break down into scrap.
Every good sword needs a blacksmith's tender care to rid it of impurities and scars, and Godo urged Guts to give up his vengeful quest and find his true purpose in life. Guts, however, stayed on track, with his sword reforged but his heart more scarred and rusted than ever. If he's not careful, the legendary Berserk warrior will fall apart long before his oversized sword does.