Berserk is one of the great Japanese manga series of the 90s that’s translated to brilliant tattoo art; dealing with themes of destiny, free will, loyalty, and resilience, while grappling with mortality and the duality of human nature.
Berserk is a Medieval-themed dark fantasy series centered on the characters Guts, a lone mercenary, and Griffith, the leader of a mercenary band called the “Band of the Hawk.” They battle demons throughout the series.
The lead characters make popular tattoo subjects along with other pivotal symbols from the manga, such as the Brand of Sacrifice, the Skull Knight, a wolf symbol known as the “Beast of Darkness,” and Beherit – small stone creatures that link the natural and spirit worlds.
The other main subject used in Berserk tattoos is Guts’ badass bastard sword, which is known as the Dragons Slayer.
Check out these top 41 Berserk tattoo ideas that you can use as inspiration for a tattoo of your own.
1. Behelit Tattoo Ideas
2. The Brand of Sacrifice Tattoos
3. Casca Tattoo Ideas
4. Dragon Slayer Sword Tattoos
5. Berserk Tattoo Ideas for the Forearm
6. Griffith Tattoo Designs
7. Guts Tattoo Art
8. Brand of Sacrifice Neck Tattoos
9. Skull Knight Tattoo Ideas
10. Berserk Wolf Tattoos
What do Berserk tattoos symbolize?
Berserk is a fantasy manga that carries a lot of dark concepts and themes.
It often interests viewers, readers, and tattoo collectors by developing themes such as alienation, predestination and free will, and duality (the balance of good versus evil).
These are ideas that have been explored throughout the history of tattoo art, however, this is a contemporary version that appeals to lovers of anime and manga.
What does the Berserk “Brand of Sacrifice” tattoo mean?
Having the major symbolic brand/tattoo from within the manga Berserk naturally makes it a popular design choice for collectors, more so because it’s a kick-ass looking black or red sigil.
According to the Berserk wiki, “The Brand of Sacrifice marks those anointed for the Invocation of Doom, a sacrificial ceremony in which those consecrated by the laws of causality transcend their humanity.”
After sacrificing a loved one, those marked with the brand exist between the physical and astral plane, making them apostles of the “God Hand,” demons that play the role of antagonist in the series.
What is a behelit tattoo from Berserk?
Another cool customizable design option for lovers of the manga and tattoo, behelits (also known as beherits, which comes from the Syrian name for devil), are “drops of primed water leading to another world.”
They are the spiritual stone objects that act as key links of a deep layer of the Astral World to the Physical World.
What does the wolf symbol mean in Berserk tattoos?
The wolf is known as the Beast of Darkness and represents Guts’ wrath and bloodlust, which comes from the trauma of his life experience.
Guts takes out this wrath on demonkind, and the manga/television series uses the wolf to depict his rage when it’s unleashed on the creatures he fights in battle.