The influence of Friedrich Nietzsche on Kentarou Miura’s Berserk

Berserk has taken some influences from the ideas of German philosophy Nietzsche. The most common example is the Ubermensch, also known as the over-man, or super man. In Berserk, this is personified over time by the two main characters: Griffith initially and Guts later

In the Golden Age arc, Griffith is the ubermensch because he follows his own ideals and is not constrained by the world he is in. He inspires others to follow him because of his dream, and his willingness to do so wholeheartedly. This separates the over man from the rest

However, as the arc progresses, this infamous line appears

Griffith says that his friend can only be his equal, having his own dream, simply for his own reason. His troops are not his friends because they follow his dream, not their own. Griffith’s friend can only be his equal in that regard

This lines up exactly with what Nietzsche writes in Thus Spoke Zarathustra

Also especially to not here, Nietzsche says “Our longing for a friend is our betrayer”. This can exactly apply to Griffith’s downfall, as his desire for a friend and his inability to actually do it properly leads to his downfall

In the end, Griffith becomes a slave to fate and causality, giving it up for power. This is what Nietzsche warns against, the ubermensch is different from a slave, and Griffith, now Femto, is a slave to fate

Now we have Guts. In the beginning Guts is constantly struggling against fate, and trying to figure out his dream. He breaks away from Griffith to fund his own dream. He is always fighting his own path. And this draws people to him naturally.

Guts is the true over man. He fights for himself, but by extension also others. He isn’t a slave to fate, he fights to go against it for his own happiness. But he never forces others to be part of him. He encourages them to find their own path as well. Exactly what Nietzsche said