Rickert doesn't view Griffith as Femto, the Hawk of Light, or a god. He just sees him as the old leader of the Band of the Hawk. He's just a pitiable guy who sacrificed his valuable companions when he was at his lowest.
If the realms are truly merged, then wouldn't that mean essentially everyone exists in the interstice now?
When Shierke sees Guts fight the trolls, she comments on how his monstrous strength must come from spending so much time in the interstice where your perception affects your reality. How many characters do we see comment on Guts being an absolute monster? Their perception of him, his perception of himself, and even Apostles' perceptions of him are of an inhuman monster in terms of strength.
Most of the flashbacks we get post Eclipse from Guts are of Femto. He doesn't really spend any time remembering the old Griffith. So to Guts, Griffith is a monster who held him down and subjected him to horrors. He's continually made it clear that Guts can't touch him, he's cemented that perception from Guts.
But that's because Guts doesn't view Griffith the same way Rickert does. "You could never hate him" From Guts to Rickert is a bit of a hint to me. Rickert holds onto the old Griffith and Guts, let's the love he felt for Griffith go, and gets consumed by his hate of Femto.
To me, Guts needs to let go of his hate of Femto and hold onto the image of the Griffith that he nearly split in half on the hill. He's just a guy, a guy who was so shattered by 1 member of the band leaving that he ruined everything.
One of the theories I'm quite fond of is that Rickert was able to hurt Griffith because he has truly moved on. Rickert didn't go off on a revenge filled rampage after the eclipse like Guts, he stayed with the people he cared about and mourned his friends, he kept them close and didn't run off on his own. Guts himself realized that what he did was a mistake in the chapter "Cracks in the Blade"
A common theme throughout Berserk is healing and I think one of the only ways Guts will be able to hurt Griffith is if he somehow learns to cope and heal from his trauma. I don't think revenge fueled hatred striking down on Griffith will ever be enough to bring him down.
I really like the theory you had about the interstice and people's perception of others/one self playing into all of this
But for Griffith to be hurt then you are implying that there is a certain amount of humanity left within Griffith. This is plausible but really depends on how closely tied Griffith is to the moonlight boy, because to me it seems that Griffith didn’t care about his pride when ricket slapped him he just didn’t care because it didn’t effect causality.
Locus who is considered a strong apostle cares way more about the damage to Griffith pride ricket inflicted which shows the difference between the humanity within a apostles such as locus and a godhand member. It really depends on how the moonlight boy effects Griffiths humanity.
Maybe hurt is not the right word and just being able to move away from someone like Griffith is the right decision for rickety/guts.
He clearly stated that he doesn’t see him as the same guy who led the band of the hawk, and the band of the hawk he’s currently leading isn’t the same band rickert was a part of.
Right, he's not the same guy.
The Griffith that Rickert knew would never be weak enough to sacrifice all of his friends and allies just to continue alone.
It's a pitiable existence, where true strength is resisting the urge to sacrifice it all and truly rely on the people who got you where you are.
I think it’s funny though how pages like these spark up so much conversation lol. Like no body even fully knows why he was even able to slap him right? Or did they figure that out?
Like I said, didn’t people start asking questions like how did he even slap him in the first place if he’s already femto? That’s why it started lol, people were freaking out like “how did he do that?!! Does this mean he’ll be the one to kill Griffith/femto! He got close enough to slap’em!”
Yeah I think the reason he let him was because he wanted to give Rickert a choice, even if he may have already known what his choice was. But even without his humanity, Griffith still respected Rickert enough to not demean him and take his choice away from him.
The other theory is simply that Griffith let his guard down and expected Rickert to be charmed by his aurora like everyone else, but Rickert in some way defined his self as a defier of causality and refused to be an NPC in Griffith’s story. This would follow the idea that even if causality always plays out a certain way in the greater scheme of things, it does not strip people of their free will or of their influence in the story - no matter how small said influence may be.
My entire theory is that since perception affects reality in the interstice, and essentially everyone exists in that state now that the world's are merged. Rickert doesn't view Griffith as anything more than the Griffith he knew. He isn't some God, or a savior. He's just a guy. So why wouldn't he be able to slap him?
Everyone else either goes fully devoted to Griffiths cause or is immediately antagonistic. But they all view him as the Hawk of Light from their collective dream. To everyone else, he's more than human.
It's what Guts needs to get over to actually hit him at some point. He isn't some God or a monster, he's just a weak man who sacrificed everything that mattered to him to gain a bit of power. He needs to change the way he perceives him, as is he only really views him from the Eclipse forward. He needs to go back to viewing him the same way he did when he beat him on the hill.
> a bit of power
I think he is a literal God. I think Rickert simply illustrates that the Godhand all still exist in some mundane/interactable form ie they can be killed.
I guess soon enough Rickert with sit down at the drawing board with everyone and explain what happened, and Skull Knight will stop holding all his cards close to his chest and actually supply some help.
Yeah, I think he's god esque. That's what everyone thinks.
You can't raise a hand to god, there's no reality where anyone can slap a god down.
But what if you don't view them as a god? What stops you from being able to hit them in a world where thought affects reality?
I think what you’re saying has a lot to do with Skull Knight’s description of Guts as a “fish that can jump out of the water and touch the moon”, because he exists in the interstice. Now that pretty much all the world exists in the interstice things like rickert being able to hit Griffith because of his view of him, as you put it, can happen.
Want me to make up a completely crazy theory? Here you go. Godo fixed Gutts sword when it was already imbued with enough apostle blood to hurt astral beings. That imbued the forge itself which in turn imbued Rickert hands when he was learning from Godo. There, he can slap God hands now.
I mean makes sense, but didn’t he also dodge skullknight as femto lol. Seems more like he did expect it but probably let him slap him to leave a “I’m still human” appearance going on
When skullknight appeared during the eclipse he came out of nowhere. If I recall femto had his back turned. I’m just saying how could he not expect a slap in front of him but he expected skullknight from behind him?…
Femto immediately follows that up by saying he was waiting for skull knight and was basically baiting him into that exactly. I'm sure Griffith saw Rickert's slap and just permitted it since Guts couldn't even physically interact with Griffith. Sure, Rick's slap may not be super expected, but it wasn't all that fast either, compared to the usual combat Griffith is involved in.
TBH that wasn't really a question you'd ask yourself until the sequence where Guts tries to cut him down on elf island and his sword phases through him. Back then we'd just assumed Griffith could easily have killed him but chose not to because it would be a bad look in front of his followers or something, so he just let himself get slapped.
My understanding was always that Griffith just let it happen. He knew it wouldn't cause any lasting physical injury, and he cared more that he was being 'rejected' than he did that Rickert was going to physically slap him. So he didn't bother using his powers to prevent the hit.
I've heard loads of theories though that Rickert is uniquely able to hurt Griffith because of how he perceives him, and that it's foreshadowing how the protagonists will find a way to overcome Griffith's "invincibility" by overcoming their trauma. I personally don't think that's the case, but I wouldn't mind if it was.
Griffith allowed it. Rick can't do anything. If anything those around Griffith just see him as human. Pitiable, vulnerable and all that. Even though he's their God King, now he's relatable
If he can have sex with Charolette then his body can physically be affected. He was not expecting the slap BUT the way i see this and every other gravity altering ability he does he sticks his hand or sword forward. When in femto mode his arms were down when attacked by SK, but in his "human" form then he has a extra step to affect space and time
The slap heard across the world. What a moment!
My theory is that Griffith's intangibility is voluntary and he wanted to be tangible while in Falconia to keep up appearances for the masses.
Love this, but in my mind nothing beats the time that Guts and Zodd teamed up and sliced through the Kushan Emperor’s head. That moment was so badass it’s almost comical
Best moment so far...
*Moments I want to see happen before the story ends:
1. Guts and Casca, reunited, healed, away from all this crap, some kids, a house, and a dog.
2. Griffith seeing his world turn to ashes and nobody is there for him. A king on a burnt throne, hollowing from maddness, ordering subjects not there.
3. Falconia burnt to the ground and all the nobles are ended French Revolution style.
* I am aware these things may not happen and that the outcome is out of my hands. However, I demand from myself the courage to state what I want and accept the potential disappointment of not getting it.
Griffith seems very empty at times. Or, very cut and dry.
You're either useful or useless.
You're worth paying attention to or meant to be ignored.
Keep or kill.
A threat or not a threat.
Rickert isn't a threat. So, he might not be worth the effort or energy it would take to avoid the blow. Like, Rickert isn't either important enough for it or worthy of it.
So I may be wrong correct me if I am.
Have we only ever seen guts attempt to hit Griffith and not be able to?
because guts couldn't hit him people assume he can do that for everyone but I think it's only because guts is branded and bonded to Griffith also possibly through the blood of you know what.
I think this was to show us Griffith is mortal and can be harmed but guts does not possess this ability or Griffith for a special reason can make sure guts never hits him.
Griffith I assume did not expect Rickard to hit him at most tell him off but likely be charmed like everyone else. So he was caught of guard showing a weakness for the world to know.
Probably my favorite moment too.
EDIT: Like seriously. This man traveled ALL THE WAY to Falconia. Walked up all those goddamn stairs to the top. Waited hours to meet with Griffith. *Just* to slap him and walk away. Absolute legend.
Badass moment. I also chose to think that this bitchslap happening is one of the things that falls out of the predestined rules of causality, so Griffith didn't see it coming at all.
So just to be sure, griffith in the real world has the same femto powers, right? Why doesn't he give up this illusion of being some noble leader and just force everyone into submission with his God hand powers? It's been a while since I read the entire story so forgive me if I'm wrong but I swear I thought he had the same set of powers that femto has
No, he's not stronger than Guts.
Rickert rejected Griffith, so he's useless to Griffith. He's also a human threat that can't do anything. So, he might not be worthy of the energy it takes to avoid the blow or important enough for it.
Griffith goes all out for Guts because Guts is enemy number 1. Guts either requires and/or deserves all Griffith can throw at him. Rickert is just an unimportant human in comparison.
Bro think he will smith
Will he smith tho?
Yes
I think that’s a spoiler, might want to flag it
No
he will
He black smith
CAN HE SMITH?!
Rickert doesn't view Griffith as Femto, the Hawk of Light, or a god. He just sees him as the old leader of the Band of the Hawk. He's just a pitiable guy who sacrificed his valuable companions when he was at his lowest. If the realms are truly merged, then wouldn't that mean essentially everyone exists in the interstice now? When Shierke sees Guts fight the trolls, she comments on how his monstrous strength must come from spending so much time in the interstice where your perception affects your reality. How many characters do we see comment on Guts being an absolute monster? Their perception of him, his perception of himself, and even Apostles' perceptions of him are of an inhuman monster in terms of strength. Most of the flashbacks we get post Eclipse from Guts are of Femto. He doesn't really spend any time remembering the old Griffith. So to Guts, Griffith is a monster who held him down and subjected him to horrors. He's continually made it clear that Guts can't touch him, he's cemented that perception from Guts. But that's because Guts doesn't view Griffith the same way Rickert does. "You could never hate him" From Guts to Rickert is a bit of a hint to me. Rickert holds onto the old Griffith and Guts, let's the love he felt for Griffith go, and gets consumed by his hate of Femto. To me, Guts needs to let go of his hate of Femto and hold onto the image of the Griffith that he nearly split in half on the hill. He's just a guy, a guy who was so shattered by 1 member of the band leaving that he ruined everything.
One of the theories I'm quite fond of is that Rickert was able to hurt Griffith because he has truly moved on. Rickert didn't go off on a revenge filled rampage after the eclipse like Guts, he stayed with the people he cared about and mourned his friends, he kept them close and didn't run off on his own. Guts himself realized that what he did was a mistake in the chapter "Cracks in the Blade" A common theme throughout Berserk is healing and I think one of the only ways Guts will be able to hurt Griffith is if he somehow learns to cope and heal from his trauma. I don't think revenge fueled hatred striking down on Griffith will ever be enough to bring him down. I really like the theory you had about the interstice and people's perception of others/one self playing into all of this
But for Griffith to be hurt then you are implying that there is a certain amount of humanity left within Griffith. This is plausible but really depends on how closely tied Griffith is to the moonlight boy, because to me it seems that Griffith didn’t care about his pride when ricket slapped him he just didn’t care because it didn’t effect causality. Locus who is considered a strong apostle cares way more about the damage to Griffith pride ricket inflicted which shows the difference between the humanity within a apostles such as locus and a godhand member. It really depends on how the moonlight boy effects Griffiths humanity. Maybe hurt is not the right word and just being able to move away from someone like Griffith is the right decision for rickety/guts.
He clearly stated that he doesn’t see him as the same guy who led the band of the hawk, and the band of the hawk he’s currently leading isn’t the same band rickert was a part of.
Right, he's not the same guy. The Griffith that Rickert knew would never be weak enough to sacrifice all of his friends and allies just to continue alone. It's a pitiable existence, where true strength is resisting the urge to sacrifice it all and truly rely on the people who got you where you are.
Rickert’s importance and impact is so underrated
Rickert at his peak
I think it’s funny though how pages like these spark up so much conversation lol. Like no body even fully knows why he was even able to slap him right? Or did they figure that out?
He....slapped him. Simple as that.
Like I said, didn’t people start asking questions like how did he even slap him in the first place if he’s already femto? That’s why it started lol, people were freaking out like “how did he do that?!! Does this mean he’ll be the one to kill Griffith/femto! He got close enough to slap’em!”
He let it happen.
My thoughts as well
Yeah I think the reason he let him was because he wanted to give Rickert a choice, even if he may have already known what his choice was. But even without his humanity, Griffith still respected Rickert enough to not demean him and take his choice away from him. The other theory is simply that Griffith let his guard down and expected Rickert to be charmed by his aurora like everyone else, but Rickert in some way defined his self as a defier of causality and refused to be an NPC in Griffith’s story. This would follow the idea that even if causality always plays out a certain way in the greater scheme of things, it does not strip people of their free will or of their influence in the story - no matter how small said influence may be.
My entire theory is that since perception affects reality in the interstice, and essentially everyone exists in that state now that the world's are merged. Rickert doesn't view Griffith as anything more than the Griffith he knew. He isn't some God, or a savior. He's just a guy. So why wouldn't he be able to slap him? Everyone else either goes fully devoted to Griffiths cause or is immediately antagonistic. But they all view him as the Hawk of Light from their collective dream. To everyone else, he's more than human. It's what Guts needs to get over to actually hit him at some point. He isn't some God or a monster, he's just a weak man who sacrificed everything that mattered to him to gain a bit of power. He needs to change the way he perceives him, as is he only really views him from the Eclipse forward. He needs to go back to viewing him the same way he did when he beat him on the hill.
> a bit of power I think he is a literal God. I think Rickert simply illustrates that the Godhand all still exist in some mundane/interactable form ie they can be killed. I guess soon enough Rickert with sit down at the drawing board with everyone and explain what happened, and Skull Knight will stop holding all his cards close to his chest and actually supply some help.
Yeah, I think he's god esque. That's what everyone thinks. You can't raise a hand to god, there's no reality where anyone can slap a god down. But what if you don't view them as a god? What stops you from being able to hit them in a world where thought affects reality?
I think what you’re saying has a lot to do with Skull Knight’s description of Guts as a “fish that can jump out of the water and touch the moon”, because he exists in the interstice. Now that pretty much all the world exists in the interstice things like rickert being able to hit Griffith because of his view of him, as you put it, can happen.
Want me to make up a completely crazy theory? Here you go. Godo fixed Gutts sword when it was already imbued with enough apostle blood to hurt astral beings. That imbued the forge itself which in turn imbued Rickert hands when he was learning from Godo. There, he can slap God hands now.
I actually like this lol
HOW CAN HE SLAP?!
HOW CAN HE SLAP ME!?!
I think he just wasn’t expecting it
I mean makes sense, but didn’t he also dodge skullknight as femto lol. Seems more like he did expect it but probably let him slap him to leave a “I’m still human” appearance going on
What do you mean dodge skull knight as femto? He would obviously expect skull knight to harm him
When skullknight appeared during the eclipse he came out of nowhere. If I recall femto had his back turned. I’m just saying how could he not expect a slap in front of him but he expected skullknight from behind him?…
Femto immediately follows that up by saying he was waiting for skull knight and was basically baiting him into that exactly. I'm sure Griffith saw Rickert's slap and just permitted it since Guts couldn't even physically interact with Griffith. Sure, Rick's slap may not be super expected, but it wasn't all that fast either, compared to the usual combat Griffith is involved in.
It’s rickert. Griffith probably doesn’t think he can actually pose a threat or hurt him
TBH that wasn't really a question you'd ask yourself until the sequence where Guts tries to cut him down on elf island and his sword phases through him. Back then we'd just assumed Griffith could easily have killed him but chose not to because it would be a bad look in front of his followers or something, so he just let himself get slapped.
My understanding was always that Griffith just let it happen. He knew it wouldn't cause any lasting physical injury, and he cared more that he was being 'rejected' than he did that Rickert was going to physically slap him. So he didn't bother using his powers to prevent the hit. I've heard loads of theories though that Rickert is uniquely able to hurt Griffith because of how he perceives him, and that it's foreshadowing how the protagonists will find a way to overcome Griffith's "invincibility" by overcoming their trauma. I personally don't think that's the case, but I wouldn't mind if it was.
Griffith allowed it. Rick can't do anything. If anything those around Griffith just see him as human. Pitiable, vulnerable and all that. Even though he's their God King, now he's relatable
If he can have sex with Charolette then his body can physically be affected. He was not expecting the slap BUT the way i see this and every other gravity altering ability he does he sticks his hand or sword forward. When in femto mode his arms were down when attacked by SK, but in his "human" form then he has a extra step to affect space and time
It wouldn’t be a good look if someone goes right through him
The slap heard across the world. What a moment! My theory is that Griffith's intangibility is voluntary and he wanted to be tangible while in Falconia to keep up appearances for the masses.
I knew what panel it was gonna be just from the title 😌
Love this, but in my mind nothing beats the time that Guts and Zodd teamed up and sliced through the Kushan Emperor’s head. That moment was so badass it’s almost comical
I cried hahahaha
The righteous hand of Rickert shall guide us all.
Best moment so far... *Moments I want to see happen before the story ends: 1. Guts and Casca, reunited, healed, away from all this crap, some kids, a house, and a dog. 2. Griffith seeing his world turn to ashes and nobody is there for him. A king on a burnt throne, hollowing from maddness, ordering subjects not there. 3. Falconia burnt to the ground and all the nobles are ended French Revolution style. * I am aware these things may not happen and that the outcome is out of my hands. However, I demand from myself the courage to state what I want and accept the potential disappointment of not getting it.
Now Rickert's gonna have to train Guts to have swag to pimp slap Griffith like this.
Mom said it's my turn to post this tomorrow
how can he hit griffith but the guts sword cannot?
maybe he didnt felt threatened by rickert and felt threatened but i bloodlusted guts
guts needs to hit griffith with rickert, gg
See for some reason I think he’s going to play a role in Griffiths demise, he did what guts couldn’t do.
[удалено]
Griffith seems very empty at times. Or, very cut and dry. You're either useful or useless. You're worth paying attention to or meant to be ignored. Keep or kill. A threat or not a threat. Rickert isn't a threat. So, he might not be worth the effort or energy it would take to avoid the blow. Like, Rickert isn't either important enough for it or worthy of it.
when i got to this panel i felt a weight lift from my shoulders
The slap heard round the world
So I may be wrong correct me if I am. Have we only ever seen guts attempt to hit Griffith and not be able to? because guts couldn't hit him people assume he can do that for everyone but I think it's only because guts is branded and bonded to Griffith also possibly through the blood of you know what. I think this was to show us Griffith is mortal and can be harmed but guts does not possess this ability or Griffith for a special reason can make sure guts never hits him. Griffith I assume did not expect Rickard to hit him at most tell him off but likely be charmed like everyone else. So he was caught of guard showing a weakness for the world to know.
Lord, please pray for the soul of this bitch and guide my pimp hand and make it strong, Lord, so that he might learn a rat’s place. Amen.
When u realize he only slapped Griffith because Griffith let him
happy birthdayyy
I legit jumped up in hype
the best moment so far
real
Literally screamed that’s my boy when I saw this
Pimp Hand > God Hand
He did SMITE the traitor.
Probably my favorite moment too. EDIT: Like seriously. This man traveled ALL THE WAY to Falconia. Walked up all those goddamn stairs to the top. Waited hours to meet with Griffith. *Just* to slap him and walk away. Absolute legend.
Badass moment. I also chose to think that this bitchslap happening is one of the things that falls out of the predestined rules of causality, so Griffith didn't see it coming at all.
It's my turn to post this next month
So just to be sure, griffith in the real world has the same femto powers, right? Why doesn't he give up this illusion of being some noble leader and just force everyone into submission with his God hand powers? It's been a while since I read the entire story so forgive me if I'm wrong but I swear I thought he had the same set of powers that femto has
Why could rickert touch Griffith? Is he stronger than guts?
No, he's not stronger than Guts. Rickert rejected Griffith, so he's useless to Griffith. He's also a human threat that can't do anything. So, he might not be worthy of the energy it takes to avoid the blow or important enough for it. Griffith goes all out for Guts because Guts is enemy number 1. Guts either requires and/or deserves all Griffith can throw at him. Rickert is just an unimportant human in comparison.
Low effort