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This subject's current manga status is questionable. See #Notes.

Obeying the will of the essence of humankind, I weave every man's destiny.
– The Idea of Evil[1]

The Idea of Evil[expl 1] is a primal entity residing in the Abyss. It is responsible for dictating the fate of humanity through its application of causality, acting on the species' collective unconscious will.

Story[]

Conception[]

The Idea is the will of humanity's collective unconscious made manifest, owing its origins to the species' longing for transcendental reasons regarding its existence:[1]

Reasons for pain. Reasons for sadness. Reasons for life. Reasons for death. Reasons why their lives were filled with suffering. Reasons why their deaths were absurd. [Humans] wanted reasons for the destiny that kept transcending their knowledge. And I produce those, as it is what I have been brought into existence for.
– The Idea of Evil

Meeting Griffith[]

During Griffith's Eclipse, Griffith's essence descends into the depths of the Abyss as he experiences an onrush of sensations from the sacrificial slaughter he has willed, though he notes that he feels nothing in his heart. It is then that a voice reveals to him that "When suffering so profound as to make someone rip themself apart is confronted, a heart is frozen." Additionally, the voice explains that the numerous beherits emanating from the place are "Droplets of ideas that have spilled from this sea to eternity," and "Summons to the other world." Upon arriving to the sight of the Idea's fleshy, heart-like core, Griffith issues the question of "God...?"[2]

Manga E83 IoE Meets Griffith

"Do as you will, chosen one."

The Idea explains its nature as the human collective unconscious will made manifest and reveals that it is responsible for the man Griffith is, having cultivated his lineage and the historical context which led to his audience with it. When asked by Griffith what it wants from him, the Idea answers that it is a part of Griffith and Griffith a part of it by virtue of Griffith himself being a part of mankind's collective unconscious, and that, therefore, his desire is its desire. Furthermore, it reassures Griffith that whether his actions bring suffering or salvation, they will prove suitable for mankind regardless, for they are ultimately desired. The Idea then urges Griffith to harness the power of the feelings in the Abyss to refashion his body into a suitable shape for his task, thus giving rise to the birth of the fifth God Hand angel Femto.[1]

Notes[]

  • Flora mentions that the God Hand are "executors of the will of something lurking in the distant Abyss".[3]
  • Void references a "god born of man"[4] and refers to the soon-to-be sacrificed Band of the Falcon members as "lambs of the unholy god born of man" and deems Griffith as "the one chosen by the hand of the great god".[5]
  • Episode 83, in which the Idea converses with Griffith, was intentionally excluded from volume format, as Miura felt the appearance of "god" would limit the story's range. Miura was undecided on whether or not the Idea would feature in the manga again, though he never explicitly denied its canonicity, even when asked.[6]
    • Nonetheless, the Idea, at least physically, still exists within the established manga story, as it makes its on-panel debut at the end of episode 82, which has been published in volume format.

Explanations[]

  1. ^ Regarding the meaning of "Idea of Evil", idea comes from Ancient Greek ἰδέα (idéa, "notion, pattern; form; type") and is Platonic in nature as in the theory of forms. From the original Japanese, "Idea of Evil" (魔の源形) literally means "source/origin of evil".

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d Berserk :: Volume N/A, "God of the Abyss (2)"
  2. ^ Berserk :: Volume 13, "God of the Abyss (1)"
  3. ^ Berserk :: Volume 24, "Magic Stone"
  4. ^ Berserk :: Volume 12, "Parting"
  5. ^ Berserk :: Volume 12, "Advent"
  6. ^ Walter Bennet (sender), Puella (translator). "Writing Miura". "It's because I wanted Berserk's world to be revealed just that far, not any more than that. The appearance of god in the manga conclusively determines its range. I thought that might limit the freedom of the story development. I myself don't know if the Idea of Evil will show up again in the manga or not." SkullKnight.net.

Appendices[]

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