If you’ve ever fallen deep into the dark and twisted world of Berserk, chances are you’ve heard about the Eclipse. For many fans of manga and fantasy storytelling, the Eclipse isn’t just a plot twist—it’s a turning point that forever changes how you view the medium. As someone who has followed Berserk for years, I can confidently say that no other event in manga delivers the same raw emotional intensity, visual horror, and thematic weight.
In this article, we’ll explore what the Eclipse is, how it fits into the broader narrative of Berserk, and why it holds such a legendary status in the world of dark fantasy. Whether you’re new to the series or a longtime fan revisiting this gut-wrenching chapter, this will help you understand its place in both manga history and fantasy literature at large.
Setting the Stage: What is Berserk?
Created by the late Kentaro Miura, Berserk is a Japanese manga series that began serialization in 1989. It follows the story of Guts, a lone mercenary wielding a massive sword, as he navigates a brutal world filled with war, demons, betrayal, and a seemingly endless spiral of suffering. On the surface, it’s an action-heavy dark fantasy, but underneath, it explores themes of trauma, revenge, love, destiny, and the human condition.
From the very first panels, Berserk hooks readers with its rich art, psychological depth, and an ever-darkening story that refuses to hold back. And then—there’s the Eclipse. A moment so disturbing, it redefined what fans could expect from manga storytelling.
What is the Eclipse Event?
The Eclipse occurs at the climax of the “Golden Age” arc, widely considered one of the most critically acclaimed story arcs in manga history. Up to this point, Berserk tells the tale of Guts’ time with the Band of the Hawk, a mercenary group led by the charismatic and ambitious Griffith. We watch them rise from nothing, gaining fame and power under Griffith’s leadership. The bond between Guts, Griffith, and Casca becomes the emotional core of the story.
But as with all great tragedies, the higher they climb, the harder they fall.
After Griffith’s dream of ruling a kingdom crumbles due to his impulsive actions—specifically, his affair with a noblewoman leading to imprisonment and torture—he is rescued by the Band of the Hawk, now a shadow of its former self. But it’s too late. Griffith is broken, physically and emotionally. Desperate and disillusioned, he activates the Behelit, a mysterious crimson talisman, which triggers the Eclipse.
In this hellish event, the world shifts into an astral plane where monstrous beings known as the God Hand offer Griffith a choice: sacrifice his comrades in exchange for ascension into a demonic entity known as Femto. Griffith agrees. In a matter of minutes, the Band of the Hawk is slaughtered in a horrifying ritual. Guts and Casca survive, but not without unspeakable trauma. Guts loses an eye and an arm; Casca loses her sanity.
Why is the Eclipse So Iconic?
To understand why the Eclipse has such a lasting impact, you have to look at its narrative function, emotional intensity, and philosophical depth.
A Narrative Earthquake
Until the Eclipse, Berserk was a compelling, character-driven war drama with hints of the supernatural. It had its dark moments, but they were grounded in the harsh realities of medieval life. The Eclipse marks the series’ transformation into full-blown dark fantasy. After this point, demons become a permanent fixture in Guts’ world, and the tone shifts into a more psychological, horror-infused journey.
This shift doesn’t come out of nowhere—it is masterfully foreshadowed. The Behelit, recurring imagery, and hints at Griffith’s destiny build up to this moment. But still, nothing prepares the reader for how cruel, graphic, and heartbreaking it is when it actually unfolds. The sheer violence, betrayal, and emotional devastation subvert all expectations.
The Death of Innocence
For many fans, the Eclipse is where Berserk sheds its final layer of hope. It takes characters we’ve grown to love—the loyal Judeau, the brave Pippin, the kind Corkus—and brutally wipes them out. Miura’s pen doesn’t flinch. These aren’t cinematic deaths; they’re raw, tragic, and permanent.
And then there’s Casca. The Eclipse’s most haunting moment is arguably her assault by Griffith, now reborn as Femto, as Guts is forced to watch. It is one of the most controversial scenes in manga, and for good reason. It cements the moment not just as a plot point, but a traumatic experience for readers.
This is not gratuitous shock value. It’s a deliberate storytelling choice that breaks the characters to the core, setting the stage for the themes of trauma, vengeance, and survival that define the rest of the series.
Symbolism and Thematic Weight
The Eclipse is loaded with symbolic meaning. It represents the death of dreams and the birth of monstrosity. Griffith’s choice reflects a philosophical question at the heart of Berserk: is it justifiable to sacrifice others to achieve greatness?
Griffith’s ambition drives the story, but during the Eclipse, ambition turns into ego-driven cruelty. He becomes the embodiment of evil not through madness, but cold calculation. In this, Berserk examines the cost of power and the meaning of free will—core themes in both fantasy and existential literature.
How the Eclipse Reshaped Manga and Fantasy
The Eclipse isn’t just famous within Berserk. Its influence stretches across the manga landscape and beyond.
In the manga community, the Eclipse is often referenced as a benchmark for how far a story can push emotional and visual boundaries. Miura’s artwork during this arc is staggering in its detail and horror, painting the despair in almost biblical scale. It’s cited alongside legendary manga moments like the death of Ace in One Piece or the Chimera Ant arc in Hunter x Hunter—but even those lack the same raw nihilism and existential shock.
Fantasy writers, too, have taken notice. The Eclipse challenges the notion that fantasy must have noble quests and happy endings. Instead, it carves a path where horror and fantasy can co-exist with literary depth. Fans of Game of Thrones often find parallels between the Red Wedding and the Eclipse, though Berserk came first and arguably hit harder.
The Personal Impact: Reading the Eclipse
As a longtime fan of manga and fantasy fiction, I still remember the first time I read the Eclipse. I was young, not expecting more than a cool swordsman story—and I was emotionally wrecked. It was a turning point not just for the characters, but for me as a reader. It made me realize that storytelling could be unflinching, that fantasy could hurt, and that manga wasn’t just comics—it was literature.
Many readers describe a similar experience. Some take a break from the series afterward, emotionally overwhelmed. Others dive deeper, drawn in by the pain because it feels real. Berserk earns its grief. The Eclipse isn’t iconic because it shocks; it’s iconic because it changes you.
Final Thoughts: Why the Eclipse Still Matters
Even decades after it was first published, the Eclipse in Berserk remains one of the most unforgettable and talked-about events in manga history. It’s not just an example of powerful storytelling—it’s a cultural milestone in the fantasy genre. Its emotional brutality, philosophical complexity, and visual storytelling are unmatched.
For anyone exploring manga or fantasy, reading Berserk—and confronting the Eclipse—is almost a rite of passage. It challenges your expectations, questions your values, and leaves an imprint that stays with you long after you turn the final page.
Whether you’re drawn to Berserk for its artistry, its gritty realism, or its philosophical depth, the Eclipse stands as a reminder of the medium’s power to tell stories that are not only epic—but also hauntingly human.
