10 strongest characters in Berserk, ranked

The strongest characters in Berserk is a topic not often associated with the series because it doesn't focus much on power scaling. While Guts, the protagonist, does get involved in a lot of fights throughout the series, the truth of the matter is that this manga has a lot more focus on the story and the worldbuilding. As such, comparing some characters' strengths is a lot more difficult.

However, the strongest characters in Berserk are easy to gauge. There are some notorious powerhouses, such as the Godhand and Nosferatu Zodd, who are undeniably stronger than most individuals in the story. Therefore, here are the 10 strongest characters in Berserk, based on their feats and how they stack up against most of the cast.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the Berserk series. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and not Sportskeeda as a whole.

Guts and nine other strongest characters in Berserk, ranked

10. Irvine

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It is very likely that Irvine might be the most underrated among the strongest characters in Berserk and even among the Apostles. His stoic and mysterious personality and lack of major fights in the series have kept him from displaying his full power, but considering he ranks high in Griffth's new Band of the Hawk, it makes sense that he is one of the strongest Apostles in the manga.

Irvine is a master archer and his released Apostle form allows him to create organic arrows and super speed. He is also superhuman when it comes to his strength in this form, to the point that his arrows have been capable of dismembering his targets with ease.

9. Locus

A display of Locus in his Apostle form while fighting (Image via Young Animal).

Locus is one of the several powerful Apostles who rank high in Griffith's army and also one of the men with a prominent position of leadership. Even in his human form, Locus already showed a masterful use of his abilities as a lancer during Griffith's conquests, ranking high among the Apostles in the series.

However, it is in his released form that he truly shines, merging with his horse and achieving a sharp shape that makes him extremely powerful. The only issue is that, much like Irvine, readers haven't seen the full extent of his abilities, which makes it harder to put him in a higher position among the strongest characters in Berserk.

8. Grunbeld

One of the strongest characters in Berserk (Image via Young Animal).

Having the nickname of the "Great Flame Dragon" should be enough of a hint that this man deserves to be among the strongest characters in Berserk. As in the previous two cases, Grunbeld serves as part of Griffith's army as an Apostle. However, he already had a reputation for dealing with Tudor's invasion by his lonesome during the Hundred-Year War, which is a considerable feat on its own.

Grunbeld was already among the most powerful human warriors in the series but his released form as an Apostle, which turns him into a giant dragon made out of corundum, takes him on a whole new level.

He was able to fight with Guts while the latter was using the Berserker Armor and has also been seen fighting entire armies on his own.

7. Nosferatu Zodd

Another one among the strongest characters in Berserk (Image via Young Animal).

A list of the strongest characters in Berserk wouldn't be complete without Nosferatu Zodd, who could be described as the Apostle centered around fighting and strength. He has built a reputation of being a centuries-old fighter who can crush entire armies on his own and is always searching for a new challenge, which has often led to him fighting Guts time and time again in the series.

Zodd's strength is the stuff of legends in Berserk, being able to defeat countless enemies and keeping up with some of the strongest fighters. A very good example of this is when Guts and he team up to defeat Daiba, a magic user, thus showing how these two characters can even defeat enemies with very different sets of skills.

6. Guts

Not only one of the strongest characters in Berserk but also the strongest human (Image via Twitter/@SenEto99)

Guts is not only among the strongest characters in Berserk but he is also the strongest human in the series. As the protagonist of this manga, he has fought several Apostles and won on several occasions, an accomplishment that no other human in the series can claim.

Furthermore, Guts' masterful handle of his sword, the Dragonslayer, ability to strategize, and endless perseverance in combat make him a dreadful enemy to go up against. A good example of this was his battle at the Hill of Swords against Nosferatu Zodd as he managed to corner the latter even in his released form.

Furthermore, another element that ranks Guts high among the strongest characters in Berserk is the addition of the Berserker Armor. While a high risk for his well-being, it serves as a last resort when facing off strong opponents as he no longer feels damage and can fight without restrictions.

5. Skull Knight

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There is no denying that the Skull Knight is among the strongest characters in Berserk as he has been fighting the likes of Zodd and the Godhand and has lived to tell the tale. Most fans have assumed that he was the legendary conqueror, King Gaiseric, but that has not been fully confirmed in the series, although it would add to the character's achievements.

The Skull Knight has not been capable of defeating the Godhand throughout the centuries but seems to be well above the Apostles in terms of power. Only Nosferatu Zodd has managed to keep up with him in combat, although Rickert mentioned during their fight at the Eclipse in the Golden Age arc that the Skull Knight was winning that battle.

Much like several members of Griffith's new Band of the Hawk, audiences have never seen the Skull Knight go all out, though.

4. The Sea God

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The Sea God managed to enter the physical world after the events of the Great Wave of the Astral World involving Ganishka, the Skull Knight, and Griffith, eating alive most of the people of the island it was in. Its body is never fully shown but is massive enough to overwhelm anyone who decides to challenge it.

This creature also managed to eat the likes of Guts and Schierke as they were fighting it, hosting an endless number of creatures within it. The Sea God can also devour people and turn them into extensions of itself, making it one of the strongest characters in Berserk.

3. Shiva Ganishka

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There is no denying that Ganishka, in his regular form, would have ranked high among the strongest characters in Berserk. He was a powerful Apostle and also had a deep understanding of magic, making him the terrifying emperor of the Kushan and would have conquered the world if it wasn't for Griffith.

This led Ganishka to the point of creating an artificial Eclipse with a Behelit he created, thus turning him into a monstrosity that is known in the fandom as Shiva Ganishka.

There is a strong argument to be made that he became the strongest Apostle to ever live but also lost his own sense of self and was turned into the bridge that merged the fantasy world with the physical one.

2. The Godhand

Arguably the strongest characters in Berserk (Image via Hakusensha)

Most fans of the series would agree that the Godhand are the strongest characters in Berserk and the five of them are together on this list because it has never been confirmed that one is more powerful than the rest. However, they are beings who were once human and have transcended, existing in a different realm and influencing the events that take place in the world.

Another reason why they are the strongest characters in Berserk is because they cannot be hurt through natural means. It has been shown several times that Guts has not been able to hurt Griffith in his Femto form and it was never fully confirmed if he managed to truly hurt Slan when they faced each other as well.

1. The Idea of Evil

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The Idea of Evil is a very peculiar example when it comes to the strongest characters in Berserk because, on paper, this is not a part of the series. Author Kentaro Miura originally introduced this entity in chapter 83 of the manga as Griffith sacrificed the Band of the Hawk during the events of the Eclipse but chose to remove this part of the story in future releases because it gave away much of the plot.

It is difficult to quantify or describe what the Idea of Evil actually is but it basically represents the human concept of destruction, chaos, selfishness, and depravity. And since the humans materialized this concept, this Idea of Evil, said entity created the Godhand to cause chaos across the world and the latter created the Behelits to form the beings known as Apostles.

Considering that Miura's reasoning for removing this chapter was to not spoil too much of the main plot, the Idea of Evil does exist in the story's canon. This is basically Berserk's idea of an evil god that reigns over the Godhand, which makes it the most powerful being in the series.

Final thoughts

When it comes to the strongest characters in Berserk, there are several other choices that need to be taken into account. However, these are some of the best examples and have several feats that serve as a way to gauge their strength in the story.

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