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Jill is a sensitive girl who lives in a village which, at the time of Guts and Puck's arrival, is being plagued by violent attacks from mysterious "elves".

Appearance[]

Jill is a young, brown-haired girl with two pigtails that reach her shoulder blades. She is short in stature, her height reaching slightly above Guts' waist, and her clothing befits that of a peasant. Her eyes are wide and brown, and a shawl is draped over her shoulders, tied in a ribbon at her chest. Similarly, she wears a small piece of fabric around her waist which is also tied in a ribbon, though at the back rather than front. Ruffled at the sleeve ends, the majority of her dress is light in color; the laced section above her hips is of a darker shade. Her shoes are simple, covering up to her ankles.

Personality[]

Zepek Hits Jill

Jill is often abused by her father.

Despite being sensitive, Jill is unafraid to voice her opinion. Her father Zepek, a reminiscent drunk fixated on the memory of his former military days, is defamatory and abusive toward her, crudely hitting his daughter and leaving her starved for affection. As a result, the two often get into arguments.[1] While her mother is more caring and compassionate, she too suffers from her husband's neglect;[2] Jill's household is a "battlefield", broken and dysfunctional, and Jill herself is profoundly unhappy.[1] She is not shown to have any friends to confide in.

However, for some time in the years leading up to her meeting with Guts, Jill had a then-human Rosine as her best friend. As an only child, Jill considered Rosine to be like a big sister, the latter being four years older than her. But, despite their close bond, Jill thought her friend's boyish antics to be strange and failed to realize that she was abused by her father, much like Jill herself would be in later years. Following the sudden disappearance of Rosine, Jill is left alone to reflect upon their relationship.[3] When the two finally reunite and the now apostle offers Jill the opportunity to become an elf of the Misty Valley,[4] the young girl declines after seeing the true nature of the so-called elves' "paradise".[5] Nevertheless, Jill still considers Rosine to be her closest friend, reaffirming her belief in elves [6] and shielding the fatally wounded apostle from Guts with her own body as he prepares to finish her off.[7]

JillSleeping

Jill trusts in Guts completely, falling asleep on his leg.

Frightened of her true parent, and having been saved by the swordsman from bandits and apostles alike upon their initial encounter,[8][9] Jill finds a new father figure in Guts during their short time together, a relationship Rosine suspects to be a crush on the young girl's part.[10][11] Childishly referring to him as "Mister Swordsman", Jill is considerate toward Guts, bringing him food after he is ran out of her village on account of the elf in his company.[2] She also expresses a desire to follow him, first to find Rosine,[12] and then to get away from her village. However, the swordsman refuses her final request, knowing that to bring her along would put her life at risk, and imparts with her the assurance that she must fight on her own "battlefield". Jill takes this advice to heart, returning to her village with a newfound sense of hope.[13]

Biography[]

Background[]

Although she has to face her daily chores alone, for a time she was friends with a girl named Rosine, who also suffered domestic abuse, although Jill did not intuit them due to her friend's adventurous nature, that clashed with the behavior expected of a girl.

Lost Children[]

Rosine tries to transform Jill

Rosine tries to transform Jill.

She makes her first appearance after being kidnapped by bandits to find her prowling through the forest and being saved by Guts from a possessed tree. Upon meeting Puck, she believes him to be one of the elves of the Valley of the Mist, as well as the inhabitants of his village. When she arrives home, she is greeted by her mother, protecting her from the fury of her husband, Zepek. Jill notices that he has spent all his time drinking and yells at her to stop telling her "pathetic loser war stories and get in her shoes."

Once Guts escapes from the villagers who believe that Puck is a harmful being, he takes refuge in a nearby mill at Jill's request. That night, Jill watches through her bedroom door as her mother is beaten by her father, urging her to discipline Jill. His old war buddy gets up, claiming he is going to urinate. He instead makes his way to Jill's room, but she bars the door. She keeps it in place as Zepek's friend tries to get in until she hears him move away. She takes Guts' cloak, which she did not return, and wraps it around herself, sits next to her bed, and trembles. Jill brings food the next morning and wonders from what strange place the warrior has come. In the morning, at the request of Guts Jill explains what kind of beings these "elves" are and where they live.

When she goes out with Guts and Puck to look for her friend Rosine in the forest despite the dangers that await them, she asks Guts to accompany his on his journey. Although she is amazed by the reunion with Rosine, she begins to have doubts about how her friend seeks to transform her into an "elf" after witnessing their cruel behavior toward each other. Still, Jill prevents Guts from finishing off her old friend after the fight between the Apostle and the Black Swordsman. When they return home, Guts shows her that it would be an even worse idea to be quickly surrounded by spirits, and that she has her own battle to fight at home. Jill is determined to move on, perhaps with the possibility of changing something even in a small way.

Gallery[]

Story[]

Conviction Arc[]

This section requires expansion.

References[]

  1. ^ a b Berserk :: Volume 14, "Jill"
  2. ^ a b Berserk :: Volume 14, "Coming By Flight"
  3. ^ Berserk :: Volume 15, "Girl I Remember"
  4. ^ Berserk :: Volume 15, "World of the Winged Ones"
  5. ^ Berserk :: Volume 15, "Cocoons"
  6. ^ Berserk :: Volume 16, "Firefly"
  7. ^ Berserk :: Volume 16, "Road Home"
  8. ^ Berserk :: Volume 14, "Black Swordsman, Again"
  9. ^ Berserk :: Volume 14, "Elves of Misty Valley"
  10. ^ Berserk :: Volume 15, "Guardian (1)"
  11. ^ Berserk :: Volume 16, "Bloody Night Sky"
  12. ^ Berserk :: Volume 15, "Will-o'-the-Wisp"
  13. ^ Berserk :: Volume 16, "Elf of the Blue Sky"
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