Highlights

• The apostles in Berserk are humans who turned into demons by sacrificing something precious for power and immortality.
• Each Apostle has a unique backstory and appearance, adding complexity to their role as antagonists in the series.
• Through the Apostles, Berserk explores themes of sacrifice, dominance, and the loss of humanity in the pursuit of power.

In the dark and distressing world of Furious, the Apostles are some of the strongest and most grotesque antagonists, each harboring their own unique backstories and monstrous exteriors. As the main adversaries of Kentaro Miura's acclaimed manga, the Apostles are humans who sacrificed something precious to attain demonic power and immortality, serving the sinister Hand of God. This article explores the unique origins, desires, and atrocities represented by each Apostle in the series.

From the tragic stories of their transformations to their central roles in history, this article will examine the fates that define these perplexing beings in Furious. The transcendence of willing human beings into apostles is a central theme in Furious, which explores the ideas of sacrifice, dominion, and tyranny. Apostles are former humans who call upon the Hand of God in situations of extreme need or desire, sacrificing someone they love or something of significant value in exchange for unfathomable power and a new physical body that encapsulates the Japanese notion of the "Kaiju," an antagonistic beast of divine power. This Faustian bargain transforms humans into demonic entities, ultimately eliminating any vestige of their former humanity.

1 Berserk: each apostle and their story in the series

The Slug Count (Vlad Tepes): Apostle

Appearance: The Slug Count is the main antagonist of the "Black Swordsman" arc. The Count exists as a disgusting slug-like demon with the ability to regenerate and possess phenomenal power.

Bottom: Apostle Count Slug was formerly a prestigious nobleman named Vlad Tepes. Before his demonic transformation, the Count was a dedicated leader who focused on caring for his beloved family. The Count is a portrait of human complexity. His transcendence from human to apostle was not through his desire for greed or power; it was due to the devastating revelation of his wife's actions. During his grief, the Hand of God appears with a proposition for power, and subsequently, the Count sacrifices his wife in exchange for immense power and immortality.

Role in history: After nearly killing Guts, both the Count and Guts are confronted once again by the God Hand. The Count refuses a second Apostolic transformation as it would entail sacrificing his daughter, Theresia, which leads to his banishment to the Dark Abyss. The Count's significance in the story is a dichotomous elicitation of evil and humanity within Berserk universe. The Count embodies the essence of evil after his transformation, but his motives can be understood, and his refusal to sacrifice his daughter proposed the idea of the Berserk public. Do the Apostles still have some human values?

Rosine: Apostle

Appearance: Rosine, main opponent Berserk”Conviction Arc”, takes on a childlike fairy form with insect wings, resembling a beautiful but monstrous moth.

Bottom: Rosine was a young girl who suffered abuse. As a coping mechanism for her situation, she became absorbed in the fantastical world of fairy tales. When an incident happened to her father, Rosine left home with the goal of finding elves from her beloved fables. During this time, Rosine unexpectedly summoned the Hand of God, sacrificing her parents to become an Apostle.

Role in history: In the “Conviction” arc, Rosine creates a mortal realm for children, transforming them into pseudo-apostles with the characteristics of insect-like creatures. In Furious In canon, Rosine is the only child Apostle, who serves as a further inspection of Guts' character, whose zeal is to kill all the Apostles. Thus, Rosine's character and her interaction with Guts are a representation of how far Guts himself has strayed from the human path and the darkness that consumes his entire being.

Wyald: Apostle

Appearance: Wyald is a muscular, primate-like creature with immense strength and a sadistic nature in his apostle form. Wylad appears in the "Golden Age Arc" of Furious manga, considered in the opinion of many fans one of the best arcs in the manga's history.

Bottom: Wyald is the leader of a mercenary band of criminals and lawbreakers called the Dog Knights, who have been ordered to eliminate Griffith. Little is known about Wyald's past before becoming an Apostle or how he became an Apostle, but his sadism and brutality are evident in his actions, personifying the inherent, animalistic evil that resides within man.

Role in history: Wyald demonstrates that there is a spectrum of madness that can be applied to the Apostles. While they are all evil, the Apostles still have the autonomy to act and choose as they see fit, and Wyald cared for nothing other than truly inhumane destruction.

Zodd (Nosferatu Zodd): Apostle

Appearance: The most famous, fearsome, and well-known apostle, Nosferatu Zodd, was first introduced in the “Golden Age Arc.” Zodd is a central character in the Furious history and is a huge, horned beast with incredible strength and an indomitable fighting spirit. Its Apsotle form, as well as its humanoid form, are also very imposing.

Bottom: Zodd has lived for 300 years, reveling in battle and seeking out worthy opponents. His transformation into an apostle is shrouded in mystery, but he has been titled “God of the Battlefield” and “Immortal,” establishing Zodd in the mythos of the Furious world, a name that inspires fear in anyone who hears the name. Furthermore, Zodd shows true melancholy towards his apostle form, as battles have become too easy and are therefore no longer fun for him.

Role in history: Although Zodd is one of the strongest characters in Berserk, he finds no value in acts of callousness, his purpose lies solely in his effort to find worthy opponents to fight. Zodd's complex character adds depth to the series' exploration of power and honor, while also acting as a bridge between Guts and Griffith, as Zodd has joined Griffith's immensely powerful and revitalized Band of the Hawk.

Ganishka: Apostle

Appearance: Ganishka appears in the "Millennium Falcon" arc. As an apostle, he metamorphoses into a massive cloud-like entity with remarkable lightning powers.

Bottom: Ganishka served as an emperor who, in his quest for supremacy and eternal life, offered his son's life to become an apostle. His transformation reinforces his determination to triumph and predominate.

Role in history: Ganishka's ambitions lead to a climactic confrontation with Griffith. His rebirth in a heightened demonic form and subsequent defeat are central to the ongoing conflict between the humans and the Apostles.

Irvine: Apostle

Appearance: Irvine initially appeared in the "Millennium Falcon Arc" and is a slim and mysterious archer who sports a falcon mask. As an Apostle, his battle style differs from the hand-to-hand combat methods shown in other Apostles. Irvine is a long-range fighter who blends in as a lethal marksman.

Bottom: Irvine's past before becoming an apostle is largely unknown. He is presented as a "Robin Hood" archetype who, despite little elaboration in the Furious manga, Irvine is shown as a caring apostle who invites Sonia to sit by the fire and covers her body with his personal jacket when she falls asleep.

Role in history: Irvine further expresses the spectrum of personality inherent to the different Apostles. He becomes a loyal member of Griffith's new Band of the Hawk and supports Griffith's ambitions with his unmatched fighting skill.

Location: Apostle

Appearance: Locus, like Irvine, was introduced in the "Millennium Falcon Arc". Locus is a quintessential knight figure, both in his human and apostle forms. His apostle form is a metallic centaur-like creature with a spear.

Bottom: Locus was a renowned knight and is celebrated as the "Moonlight Knight". He maintained an undefeated record throughout his battles and conflicts, but is known to have no loyalty or allegiance to any king, leader, or master. However, Locus swore devotion to Griffith as his leader and is shown to believe in Griffith's cause as a development for the world. Currently, there is no information about the time, circumstances, or events that resulted in Locus becoming an Apostle.

Role in history: Locus is seen as Griffith's right-hand man, and in keeping with this position, Locus plays a significant role in the new Band of the Hawk. His loyalty to Griffith and combative prowess make him a significant figure in the series' future conflicts.

Rakshas: Apostle

Appearance: Rakshas premiered on Furious series during the "Millennium Falcon Arc". Rakshas is an enigmatic figure with a mask and a malleable, almost liquid physique. The atomic structure of his apostle form is fluid.

Bottom: Rakshas' past is shrouded in mystery. However, information from the Furious The narrative explains that Rakshas is a member of the Bakiraka clan and was, for some undisclosed reason, exiled. Since this exile, he has become an apostle and a taboo topic of discussion for the Bakiraka clan.

Role in history: Rakshas is another Apostle who illustrates the brutality of the world that Kentaro Miura created. Rakshas is an Apostle of Griffith's new Band of the Hawk who is shown to be arrogant and hedonistic. He also acts as a thorn in the side of the newly reformed and demonic Band of the Hawk, with Rakshas claiming that he once cut off Griffith's head.