Berserk/Characters/Band of the Hawk

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


This page is for The Band of the Hawk, both the Original band and the reformed band.

For the main characters, go to Berserk
For the Apostles, the Godhand and other antagonists in this series, check out Berserk
For everyone else, go to Berserk


Band of the Hawk - Original

The original True Companions of Guts with whom he spent the whole Golden Age arc. After taking a break from their company to find out his true purpose, Guts returns to them 1 year later but finds out that the Band has almost fallen apart from losing its leader, which leads to the whole Griffith Rescue arc.

With the exception of Rickert, all of the original Hawks were victims of Griffith's Transhuman Treachery, and ended up as sacrificial lions to the Godhand in order to fulfill Griffith's destiny. Only Guts and Casca survived the nightmare, but as mentioned above, they did not come out of it unscathed.

Judeau

Voiced by: Akira Ishida(Japanese, TV series), Yuuki Kaji (Japanese, movies) Christopher Kromer (English, TV series)

"Whether it's good or bad, it's always unfortunate to wake up in the middle of a dream."

The Smart Guy of the Band was a perceptive, genuinely kind guy with an unrequited crush on Casca. Yet he held no grudge towards Guts for having won Casca's affections and even helps them get together.

Exceptionally good at throwing weapons, he had a very good aim and was also a notable strategist, as seen during the Griffith Rescue Arc upon the fight with the Bakirakas.

He got mortally wounded protecting Casca during the Eclipse, and dies without telling her his true feelings.

Pippin

Voiced by: Masuo Amada(Japanese, TV series), Takahiro Fujiwara (Japanese, movies) (Japanese), Jeff Ward (English, TV series)

The stoic, taciturn, muscle guy of the Hawk, was a former miner who used to go alongside Guts on the battlefield and wielded a war hammer or a war axe. Despite his brutish appearance, Pippin was actually quite smart and only spoke up to say something important.

During the Eclipse, Pippin sacrifices himself so Judeau can attempt to get Casca to safety. Guts later finds his eviscerated corpse still standing upright, before it's torn in half and eaten by the Count.

Corkus

Voiced by: Tomohiro Nihimura(Japanese, TV series), Yoshiro Matsumoto (Japanese, movies) (Japanese), Marc Sebastian (English,TV series)

"You have nothing special! You can never be like Griffith!"

The resident Jerkass of the Hawks was a former pirate. Cocksure yet cowardly, pretty ineffectual and never seen kicking ass, he has a strong dislike for Guts but never acts openly against him. Nevertheless, he was also one of the Hawks' commanders. 

He ends up delirious during the Eclipse and is eaten alive by the Female Apostle.
  • All Just a Dream: What he would like to believe the Eclipse is.
  • Death by Sex: In a way. At least he checked out happy...
    • His facial expression spoke otherwise - as his head was in the mouth of the apostle that ate him.
  • Dirty Coward: For a seasoned mercenary, he was pretty cowardly.
  • Glory Seeker: If there's one thing that he benefits from upon joining the Hawks, it's making a bigger name for himself.
  • Inferiority Superiority Complex: Never passes up a chance to draw attention to himself, but at the mention of having an actual dream, his mouth falls shut.
  • Jerkass (Deliberately obnoxious and offensive to everyone, especially to Guts.)
  • Non-Action Guy
  • Sacrificial Lion
  • Smug Snake (Appeared cocksure but was actually pretty cowardly on the battlefield)
  • Yes-Man: Shamelessly kisses Griffith's ass every step of the way.

Rickert

Voiced by: Akiko Yajima(Japanese, TV series), Minako Kotobuki (Japanese, movies) (Japanese), Michelle Newman (English, TV series)

"The Band of the Hawk is your family! Why would you want to leave?"

The youngest one of the group, is often seen with Pippin. He is the only one not to be involved in the Eclipse since he wasn't with the Hawks when it all went down and is taken to Godo's place by the Skull Knight along with Guts and Casca. He then cares for Casca with Godo's daughter, Erika, while Guts sets off to exact revenge on the Apostles.

  • Bishonen: What he evolves into when Guts comes back with Casca after the Conviction Arc.
  • The Blacksmith: A little while after being taken to Godo's place by the Skull Knight with Guts and Casca, he learns blacksmithing from Godo and helps Guts by putting together his new armour and his Arm Cannon
  • Cheerful Child
  • Child Soldier: By far the youngest member of the Hawks.
  • Gadgeteer Genius: About as much as one can get in a Medieval setting. He was able to fashion a prosthetic arm for Guts using spare parts he found around Godo's workshop. An arm that also doubled as an Arm Cannon and which could be used to mount a Repeating Crossbow.
  • Huge Guy Tiny Guy: A non romantic example. He was often seen hanging out with Pippin who was easily 3 times his size.
  • Promotion to Parent: Since Godo fell ill and eventually died, he's taken it upon himself to raise Erica.
  • Put on a Bus: Went his own path with Erika to a yet unknown fate after Guts and Casca set out.
  • Tagalong Kid
  • Weapon of Choice: Little guy could wield a crossbow pretty good.
  • Why Did It Have To Be Elves?: Since his encounter with Rosine, Rickert developed a bit of a phobia towards Elves. Puck, of all things, can make him uneasy.
  • Wide-Eyed Idealist: The most optimistic of the Hawks, almost taken to an annoying level since he sees the Hawks as more of a family unit than a company of Hired Guns. Even after seeing half of his comrades get eaten, being told that the rest had died, seeing Casca insane, and seeing Guts take a dark shift in character, he still remained hopeful that Griffith would return and didn't really think to pressure Guts for the truth of what really happened for everything to come to that because he was too scared to ask.


Gaston

Voiced by: Masato Kawanakako

"It doesn't feel real, does it? Like we're in someone else's dream..."

An average guy who joined the Hawks so he could live the life he wanted afterwards and open his own shop. He had a fiancée back in Wyndham but she eventually left him, and he ended up with nowhere to go other than helping Griffith fulfilling his dream.

Loyal to Guts before anybody else, he is the last Hawk shown to die during the Eclipse, his head exploding in Guts' arms from the pressure of a parasite demon.

  • All Just a Dream: Like anybody else, he has a hard time to really believe what is happening to him and his buddies.
  • Died in Your Arms Tonight: In Guts', upon telling him about what happened to the rest of the Raid Party.
  • The Everyman: Dude just wanted to open a clothes shop with what he would have collected with the Hawks...
  • Number Two: To Guts.
  • Sacrificial Lion
  • Satellite Character: Mostly a background character but he shows up consistently.
  • Undying Loyalty: Completely devoted to Guts, even before Griffith, and would have preferred to follow him if the band were to fall apart.
  • Your Head Asplode: What ultimately happens to him during the Eclipse.

Griffith's New Band of the Hawk

The new Band of the Hawk is a force of humans much like the first one, but led by greater Apostles that all gathered around Griffith and consider him as their leader. As said above, said Apostles appear much less monstrous than their weaker peers. Not much is known about their respective back stories so far.

Tropes that Griffith's New Band of the Hawk's members have in common:

  • Bishonen Line: The appearance of their apostle forms falls into the "awesomely badass" category, rather than the "freaky hideous Eldritch Abomination" category to which many apostles belong, demonstrating their great power, and also leaving open the possibility that they are not Complete Monsters.
  • Likable Villains: Pretty much all of them have some likeable qualities to their personalities - even Zodd. Debate is up for Rakshas, though.
  • The Nondescript: With the exception of Sonia and Mule, virtually nothing is known about Griffith's new sidekicks.
  • Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Aside from Zodd who was introduced before all the others, members of the New Band of the Hawk seem to be the former ones' counterparts:
    • Grunbeld is Pippin being the tallest one, wielding a war hammer, and unappreciative of unnecessary violence.
    • Rakshas is Corkus, as smug and obnoxious as Corkus was back in the days, albeit seen kicking ass once.
    • Sonia is Casca, infatuated with Griffith and the only female of note, except she's more harmonic and not an Action Girl.
    • Locus is Judeau, the most considerate and "friendly" of the group, even seen talking normally to humans.
    • Mule is Rickert, a naive kid who has no clue about who he's actually serving.
    • Irvine is Guts. Yes. An Aloof Ally who mostly stays on his own, brooding, much like Guts used to do back in the days, who develops a close relationship with the sole female of the group and whose Apostle form is very close to that of Guts' Enemy Within.
      • Some may also argue Zodd is Not So Different from Guts either, both of them being fiercely loyal to Griffith and living mostly for the battle, as well as having lost a part of them in battle (horn for Zodd, arm and eye for Guts). But their motives are very different and Zodd has no intention of going on his own just yet.
  • Villainy Discretion Shot: Pretty much all of the apostles who head Griffith's neo-Hawks are decent and noble enough, but they are still apostles, meaning that they must have crossed the Moral Event Horizon at some point in order to get to that point...

Zodd

Voiced by: Kenji Utsumi(Japanese, TV series), Kenta Miyake (Japanese, movies), J. David Brimmer (English) (English, TV series), Peter Lurie (English, Sword of the Berserk)

"If this man is a true friend to you, be prepared! For when this man's dreams come crashing down, you shall meet your death! A death that you shall not escape!"

A centuries-old Blood Knight, Nosferatu Zodd (his full name) is a hulking and humanoid feline giant of tremendous strength. He is the first Apostle that Guts meets in the timeline and Zodd almost kills him along with Griffith until he realizes Griffith wears the Crimson Behelit. Upon flying away, he predicts the Hawks' unfortunate fate. His Apostle form is that of an enormous black humanoid tiger-like beast with horns and wings.

After the Eclipse, he is defeated by Griffith, losing one of his horns, and out of respect for Griffith's strength he joins the new Band of the Hawk as a demon commander. Extremely fond of battles and bloodshed, he seems to have a strange form of respect for Guts and considers him a Worthy Opponent, who only he should defeat. Not to mention that both cooperated once upon battling Ganishka after the great fight in Vritanis. His strange relationship with Guts was lampshaded by Sonia a little before he sets off for Vritanis.


Grunbeld

Voiced by: Tessho Genda

"To warriors, the battlefield should be a holy place. Our greater desire is to die amidst blood and carnage."

Towering above all the other members of the new Band, his Apostle form is that of a crystalline dragon. He desired to battle Guts after their return from the Qliphoth and is very surprised to find himself reduced to his knees when Guts puts on the Berserker Armor.

He appears as a red-haired, massively built giant who wields a warhammer and a shield that doubles as a cannon similar to the one Guts has.


Irvine

"I'm a hunter. I'm more relaxed when I'm alone."

An aloof, solitary and quiet Warrior Poet who enjoys playing the lute. He rarely speaks to anyone in the Band yet has formed a close relationship with Sonia. He uses a demonic, sentient bow in battle and is able to fire several arrows at a time.

He appears as a blank-eyed, Darker and Edgier version of Robin Hood. His Apostle form is that of a shaggy, Hell Hound-like beast from the waist down while his upper body is similar to a Werewolf. He can use his hair as a weapon and lower-body beast sports two horns that he can use as a bow.

  • The Archer: Irvine's weapon of choice is a demonic sentient bow.
    • The ranges he can use said bow bring him into Cold Sniper territory, for instance, he takes out every Kushan cavalry officer during the siege of Vritannis with headshots. From about a mile downrange. Without flinching.
  • Beast Man: He defines himself as one, and ultimately appears as one.
  • The Hunter: Also defines himself as this and justifies his need for solitude because of this.
  • Loners Are Freaks: A strange case. He isn't seen talking to anyone in the Neo-Hawks except Sonia, but he is one of the most sympathetic Apostles shown so far, along with Rosine and the Nameless Apostle.
  • Nice Hat
  • Our Werewolves Are Different
  • Pet the Dog: His relationship with Sonia counts as this.
  • Prophet Eyes
  • The Quiet One: Aloof to everyone in the Band with the notable exception of Sonia.
  • Razor Floss: His hair, while in Apostle form, seem to have this effect.
  • Rescue Romance: There seems to be shades of this as he rescued Sonia from a crushing blow of Ganishka.
  • Warrior Poet: He likes playing the lute when he is not fighting.
  • Weapon of Choice: Bows and Arrows.


Rakshas

"One day, I'll get your pretty head."

The most mysterious of all the Hawks seems to have no form other than that of a swirling black phantom wearing a tribal mask. Apparently a Kushan, he seems to have some beef with Silat. He said he joined Griffith's army so he could take his head. That's all we know at the moment.

  • Charles Atlas Superpower: we've yet to see him fight and we have no idea what he is (tough he is most likely an Apostle) or where he came from but it is implied he is very powerful, or at least very reliable when he wants. He sneaked on Zodd (literally hiding in his wings) to watch as Ganishka and Griffith fought!
  • Cool Mask
  • Enigmatic Minion: Virtually nothing is known about him.
  • Our Ghosts Are Different
    • Bedsheet Ghost: Looks very much like this except the sheet is black and there's something truly unnerving about him.
  • Psycho for Hire: He is quite sadistic and there is also the fact that he joined Griffith to kill him.
  • Satellite Character: The least seen of all the Neo-Hawks.
  • Sim Sim Salabim: Notably averted in comparison to all other Kushans.
  • Wild Card


Locus

"In this war, the physical world's trivialities will soon become meaningless. Dawn is drawing near. And a true sun will shine over us all."

The Moonlight Knight is a Noble Demon with very strict principles and who firmly believes Griffith will bring about a much better world. In his human form, he appears as a dark-haired Bishonen with ten liters of testosterone and badassery. His Apostle form is that of a shining, metallic Centaur-like creature wielding a heavy lance.

Also notable for being among the least mean-spirited of all Apostles thus far and usually speaks normally with humans and has never been shown to be in need of human flesh for sustenance.


Sonia

"That night I had a dream. A dream in which a kite and an owl were playing by the moonlight."

Appearing as a young, cute, blonde girl, Sonia is an Anti-Villain. Born with the gift of clairvoyance, she has a generally friendly disposition and is infatuated with Griffith. She doesn't fear the Apostles, and has even bonded with the distant Irvine. She resents Charlotte for being Griffith Love Interest since she considers herself the only being able to understand his true nature and feelings.

She has also struck a friendly relationship with Schierke upon meeting her in Vritannis and relates to her feeling of inadequateness among humans. She doesn't fight physically but often acts as the hub of thought of all the Hawks, relaying Griffith's orders to his subordinates and giving him instant information about any situation.

  • All Girls Want Bad Boys: Be it Griffith or Irvine, she does have a thing for morally questionable guys.
  • Animal Motifs: She likes comparing people to birds: She's a kite, Griffith's a hawk, Schierke's an owl and Mule almost got his own specie as well at one point. Other than that, Midlanders are ducks, Kushans are crows and apostles are dragons.
    • Irony: Despite believing herself superior to regular humans and thinking that she has found a soulmate in Griffith (at least until Irvine came into the picture), her helmet is shaped like a duckbill...
  • Anti-Villain
  • Creepy Child: She seems a little too easy around Obviously Evil Apostles. At one point, she even offers to sneak a corpse to one that moments ago was considering eating her.
  • Dark Chick
  • Forehead of Doom
  • Green-Eyed Monster: She is very jealous of Charlotte's relationship with Griffith.
  • Hair of Gold <-> Blondes Are Evil: Her moral neutrality and her otherworldliness make her swing between the two.
  • Mission Control: Her way with telepathy makes her one of these.
  • The Nicknamer
  • Nightmare Fetishist: She is in no way even remotely unnerved by the demonic Apostles, their appetite for human flesh, or even the threatening (or lewd) intent they display to her.
  • Oracular Urchin: She often gives cryptic predictions to people she likes.
  • Perky Female Minion: She is always smiling and welcoming to everyone even though she looks down on regular humans and calls them "ducks".
  • Precocious Crush: On Griffth.
  • Smitten Teenage Girl: Same deal as Charlotte, but in an even more immature way.
  • Wounded Gazelle Warcry: Charges blindly onto the battlefield to fight with Ganishka's Aposlte form, despite being by far the weakest of the Neo-Hawks, and is rescued in extremis by Irvine. Turns out she did so to motivate Midland's troops to help Griffith's army defeating Ganishka.


Mule

A young and minor noble of Midland. He briefly resisted the Kushan invasion of Midland with his retainers, until he was rescued by Griffith and his new Band of the Hawk, subsequently pledging his sword to Griffith. As a member of the new Band of the Hawk, Mule's main concern is the protection of Sonia.

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