Template:Character Vlad Tepes is an Apostle and the Main Villain of Berserk: The Prototype, a short story released in 1988.
Appearance
Vlad appears a generous looking man at first glance, a somewhat heavyset man with a bald head similar to a pope with a wide smile and adorned in royal robes. He wears a ruffled cape with fur around the collar and at the base just around the shoulders, that passes all the way through the front and back. He also wears a crown with a large jewel on the front.
In his Apostle form, he grows to a bestial size. The form is reminiscent of a bat, having a upward slanted nose and a wide, deadly mouth aligned with many ferocious teeth. He has also gained horns, which curve upwards. His arms have become long and lanky, much like a gorilla and his legs have grown fur, with goat the leg being styled similar to Zodd's again. In addition to this, his upper body appears to be more of a rough, leathery texture almost like Dragons.
Personality
Like most sinister Apostle, he cares nothing for human life and takes pleasure in torturing them before they die. To this degree, he is shown as a cold and ruthless man who spares no one, especially women. He is also very cocky, believing himself to be more than a match for anyone even though he is defeated quite easily...
History
Vlad in Apostle Form
Vlad Tepes has been torturing a village for over ten years. During a war with a neighboring country the Lord Vlad Tepes took five hundred prisoners and impaled them all on wooden stakes and lined them up along the border. Even after 10 years the villagers were not allowed to remove them.
At one point, the Lord also started gathering young women from within his domain and started butchering them. Four women have already been captured from the village Guts is visiting and the next one will be Frikka, a girl saved by Guts' at the start of 'Berserk: The Prototype'. Though Guts declines the beginnings of the villagers to kill Vlad Tepes at first, he quickly changes his mind when he sees Frikka is being taken away in a carriage with the Brand of Sacrifice sealed on its doors.
Guts pursues the carriage and manages to sneak into Vlad Tepes' throne room. He is just in time to save Frikka. A battle ensues between Vlad Tepes and Guts and Vlad Tepes is forced to transform into his true Apostle form. He uses telekinesis to throw a volley of spears and swords at Guts. Guts blocks most of them but is pinned to a column by a spear that pierced his gut. Guts pulls the spear out and says that it was nothing. Guts charges Vlad and is struck again and seems to be done for. Guts is picked up by Vlad and taunts him for being able to do nothing to him. Guts then uses his cannon arm to blow a huge hole in Vlad which he follows up with the Dragonslayer and beheading Vlad.
Trivia
- Vlad the Impaler, better known by his posthumous name, Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler in English), was a ruler of Wallachia infamous for his cruelty and his practice of impaling his enemies. He was also known by his patronymic name, Dracula, which means "Son of the Dragon" (after his father, Vlad Dracul), and was the namesake of the famous vampire Dracula, from the novel Dracula.