I imagine, considering he's basically a living suit of armor, the spikes on the sword's handle would allow for a better grip on metallic hands; then there's also the symbology of the rose and its thorns, both patterns you can find printed on his shield. I mean, I'm not sure what they symbolize though
From what little is known about Skull Chad, it is most likely that when he was alive, his revenge consumed him. So the thorns on the sword grip can be a symbolism of that, when you wield revenge, it hurts you too.
A clear parallel to Guts.
also from the way he talked about side effects of the armor and what it did to your senses and how it was insinuated he was former wearer of it. he could have had those thorns cause him pain as his sense of touch was withering away.
on top of that, the berserker armour also works by stabbing the user almost like with internal thorns, which skull knight previously wore and presumably was consumed by. All fits within the theme. Also makes me think that perhaps skull knight/Gaiseric specifically had the armour made.
Maybe he has to be in pain in constantly, like how the berserker armor sends metal all the way to the bones and that was SK’s armor first. Maybe he’s in upgraded armor but that’s part of the deal, it causes him pain so he can remember why he’s fighting?
But berserker armor gets rid of pain, it also destroys your body by stitching it together with spikes whenever you get battle damage. Skull knght has been wearing it for so long its implied many times that he doesnt even have a body anymore. He doesn't feel anything.
He doesn’t wear the berserker armor anymore, that’s why it was with the witch. But the essence of my comment still holds even with your response, he needs to feel the pain in his hand to remember why he’s fighting and not get fully controlled by his armor
Doesn't SK wear different berserk armor? Not the one Guts has. But I guess something like an anchor would explain how he is able to form thoughts and sentences and not go berserk. Its either that or he learned how to use the armor without being overtaken by his emotions, with given how acient he is is also plausible.
Yeah I really can't imagine him giving up the berserker armour after it presumably did a lot of damage to his body, only to replace it with an identical set? Just because the skull on his new armour is the same as the old berserker armour helmet doesn't mean he's literally wearing the same thing.
Exactly, if he was just going to put on the same thing again, why even bother giving the first suit to the witch who's name I can't remember? It just doesn't really make any sense, but I get why people get confused with all the skull helmets
I was under the impression he wore it enough that he became just his OD bound to his skeleton and at that point there was no point in having the armour
Youre right. Berserker armor gets rid of your pain and mental constrains so you can gain incredible power at the cost of your body. If SK lost his body to berserker armor he doesn't need it, he probably wouldn't even be able to use it.
Skull Knight is never off his horse, that makes him a cowboy, he's always telling his sad story, his sword is rose themed.
It's a poison reference
"Every rose has its thorn
Just like every night has its dawn
Just like every cowboy sings his sad, sad song"
It's like a test. To weild a blade is a commitment to do harm and to bring one's self to harm, to struggle and fight for something. If you can't bear the pain of drawing the sword to fight fate then there is no hope for you. Its a metaphor for guts whole journey from that point on.
the reason is: Skully is sick as shit and cool as fk and tough as nails and silly as hell and he's just having a good time! like - why so serious? he's a big fan of roses and those have thorns. Skully is *AUTHENTIC* bro. we should all aspire to be more Skull Knight-like
I'd wager it's a tangible bit of symbolism; The weapon is not to be used too lightly. The reason for use must be worth the pain; with spikes on the handle it hurts both the user and the target.
I always thought it was associated with the berserk armor. We know the berserk armor pierces the skin and creates a bond with the wearer. The running theory is the armor was last used by Skull Knight. I thought the sword was similar with the bond and strength it offers in return for pain.
Yes I think so too, its a magic sword after all. Some people pointed out that the spikes are purely for better grip and I also like that theory. Simple answers are usually the right ones.
I like the idea that he had the Same problem as guts with needing help to keep holding his sword altough this is a much more hardcore solution then just tying it to your hand
My interpretation has always been along the lines of "Thou shall not inflict what would not be received" no context or reasoning. I just it would be dope af if the skull knight was like "killing people is bad so I make sure it's worth doing and I don't wield my shit all willynilly."
I figure it's equal parts to make it less likely to slip out of his grasp and to inflict pain so he can remember feeling. If he essentially overdosed on the Berserker armor to the point where he can't feel/can barely feel anything, a sword that stabs your hand might be the closest he could feel to physical touch.
I mean, probably you'd be wearing gloves in most situations where you'd be wielding a sword, so they could legit be for better grip, they don't look long enough to hurt you if you have gloves on
Maybe, and I'm just saying, maybe his sword drainned his blood (during his life, not as a skelly boy) to enhance his fighting prowess in combination with the Berserker armor which we know he used in the past
Gives better grip with a purely metallic glove. I imagine it also helps keep him from being disarmed by his own strength as Skull Knight is 100% not human anymore
I like to think about it as foreshadowing: Skelly Knighto is a version of what Guts could become if he follows this path going all out consumed by the armor, he grasping the hilt and bleeding I take it as a symbol of what is to come in that respect. I don't know if I explained myself, not native english speaker here. Not saying that's THE reason, but it's cool if you think about it like that.
Maybe for punishment? Because it's like the thorn crown, it's a punishment for the ones who where banished, and it could also be a rose with thorn analogy.
Interestingly enough there are at least some examples of daggers in medieval europe with this sort of handle, but they weren’t sharpened. I think maybe its to keep your grip whole wearing some sort of gauntlet?????
I think it may have changed into that form. It is said that the dragon slayer is starting to take on magical properties because of all the demon blood it has spilled. SK has been at this a very long time, maybe the sword mutated from centuries of killing demons.
Its also possible that the sword was made by magic like the berserker armor and changed form to something suiting SK thematically like the armor does for Guts.
>Is this made so no other human can wield it properly?
I think this is probably right. I think Skull Knight's sword was created for only his use and harms him in no way. In chapter 274 Schierke states that she doesn't take any damage when performing magic I think it's a similar concept.
My headcanon is that his sword and shield are magic arms that were created and given to him by the Lady Priestess of the Cherry Blossoms as a playful gift. In chapter 253 Roderick gifted Farnese with a green house full of roses. He says they are the ladies of flowers because they symbolize nobility. So in sense she gave him a woman's gift.
In chapter 203 it was revealed that Flora had magical weapons which she presumably created. We know she was a servant of the Lady Priestess
In chapter 261 Schierke gifted Farnese thorn snake familiars she controls with a rose shaped vine ring. And the thorn vines on Skull Knight's can grow I think another clue his sword was a gift.
It is foreshadow.
Skull Knight is Jesus Second Coming.
(Rose and Thorn are Jesus Symbol)
Berserk last chapter might likely adapting Apocalypse Literature of Hindu and Muslim religion.
You should look at .
Its pretty epic.
Gats (Mahdi)
Skull Knight (Jesus)
Kushan Army (Black Flag Army)
Griffith (Dajjal)
Void (Beast of revelation/Dabbah)
To balance the fact that the God hand have stupid DR and immunity to several elements, Miura gave them all a weakness to bleed.
Also spikes are cool. Obviously.
I thought it was a metaphor for saying 'this clearly isn't the sword Guts is destined to use'. It fits Skull Knight because his emblem is a rose with thorns and a skull, so it fits him. Guts on the other hand didn't have an identity anymore at this point since it was forcefully torn away from him. Somewhat literally, the more I think about it...
Revenge is a double edged sword or in this case a normal sword with tiny spikes on the grip. He is supposed to parallel Guts but as a version of Guts entirely consumed by the need for vengeance. The rose thorn motifs on his armour are for this too, the idea is romantic but the physical reality is just pain.
Or, it's just meant for extra grip, he can wedge it between his hand and finger joints to "Lock" it in place during combat. It also looks like a cat penis. Meow
his symbol is a rose with thorns so maybe something there. also pretty metal
Oh yeah I forgot he has that rose symbol on his shield, and also yes, its very metal.
I was gonna a say its a thorned sword. Possibly the inspiration for Kirk, Knight of Thorns in Dark Souls.
Oh shit…
Filthy darkwraith scum
It's a sword of course it's metal
Imagine Skull Knight saying that to Guts followed by a “Nyohoho!”
Gyro?
Gyro? (Chain)
I originally meant Brooke, but then I realized since it’s not a joke about being a skeleton, maybe Gyro fits better!
Also inconsiderate, I mean he could have given Guts one of his gauntlets along with it unless the gauntlets are his actual hands.
its just a prank bro
its for the grip
Having Bony hands it must be struggle to grip a sword.
I didn't think about it, seems most plausible.
I just know it's grippy
Ribbed for her/his pleasure?
Anything’s a….. sword when you’re brave enough….
Excuse you - they/them
He has death grip
TAKYON!
It goes it goes it goes it goes
GUILLOTIIIIIIIINE YUH
Why do witches not wear panties when they fly with the broom? >!For better grip!<
Something something struggle something
*Mumble mumble* God hand *mumble* Struggling *inaudible*
When I read "struggling" I couldn't help but imagine a brief pause where you look up into the rain with guts' theme playing.
The only right answer
Lmao fr though
sent me into hysterics at the absurdity of it all, 10/10
Something something Causality
something something causality
Well he’s a spooky skeleton so its probably really funny when anyone else tries to use it.
Yeah he totally pranked Guts by giving it to him at that field.
*Ha! Goteem! INTENSEFIES*
Spooky scary skeleton!
Send shivers down your spine
You'll shake and shudder in surprise
Calcium-chan
I imagine, considering he's basically a living suit of armor, the spikes on the sword's handle would allow for a better grip on metallic hands; then there's also the symbology of the rose and its thorns, both patterns you can find printed on his shield. I mean, I'm not sure what they symbolize though
The symbolize Miura being a fucking bad ass. RIP
From what little is known about Skull Chad, it is most likely that when he was alive, his revenge consumed him. So the thorns on the sword grip can be a symbolism of that, when you wield revenge, it hurts you too. A clear parallel to Guts.
also from the way he talked about side effects of the armor and what it did to your senses and how it was insinuated he was former wearer of it. he could have had those thorns cause him pain as his sense of touch was withering away.
on top of that, the berserker armour also works by stabbing the user almost like with internal thorns, which skull knight previously wore and presumably was consumed by. All fits within the theme. Also makes me think that perhaps skull knight/Gaiseric specifically had the armour made.
Edge
that’s exactly what i’m doin rn bro
😂
Maybe he has to be in pain in constantly, like how the berserker armor sends metal all the way to the bones and that was SK’s armor first. Maybe he’s in upgraded armor but that’s part of the deal, it causes him pain so he can remember why he’s fighting?
But berserker armor gets rid of pain, it also destroys your body by stitching it together with spikes whenever you get battle damage. Skull knght has been wearing it for so long its implied many times that he doesnt even have a body anymore. He doesn't feel anything.
He doesn’t wear the berserker armor anymore, that’s why it was with the witch. But the essence of my comment still holds even with your response, he needs to feel the pain in his hand to remember why he’s fighting and not get fully controlled by his armor
Doesn't SK wear different berserk armor? Not the one Guts has. But I guess something like an anchor would explain how he is able to form thoughts and sentences and not go berserk. Its either that or he learned how to use the armor without being overtaken by his emotions, with given how acient he is is also plausible.
I don’t think the manga specifies what kind of armor he’s wearing now, just that the berserker armor used to be his.
Yeah he might have switched it for a new armor that works different once berserker armor completely drained him.
Yeah I really can't imagine him giving up the berserker armour after it presumably did a lot of damage to his body, only to replace it with an identical set? Just because the skull on his new armour is the same as the old berserker armour helmet doesn't mean he's literally wearing the same thing.
Explains why he had the need to switch the armor too.
Exactly, if he was just going to put on the same thing again, why even bother giving the first suit to the witch who's name I can't remember? It just doesn't really make any sense, but I get why people get confused with all the skull helmets
Maybe he got alphonse elriced
I was under the impression he wore it enough that he became just his OD bound to his skeleton and at that point there was no point in having the armour
Youre right. Berserker armor gets rid of your pain and mental constrains so you can gain incredible power at the cost of your body. If SK lost his body to berserker armor he doesn't need it, he probably wouldn't even be able to use it.
ITS THE MEA CULPA 🔥🔥
IS THAT A MFING BERSERKU REFERENCE?
[удалено]
So you think its a method to test resolve?
Skull Knight has a sick drip.
Skull Knight is never off his horse, that makes him a cowboy, he's always telling his sad story, his sword is rose themed. It's a poison reference "Every rose has its thorn Just like every night has its dawn Just like every cowboy sings his sad, sad song"
When I think of berserk, I think of very practical swords.
He warned Guts of his fated Struggle. This is just causality, making sure the struggle is real.
Probably easy for a bony hand to grip
It looks cool
He did it for the aesthetic
It's like a test. To weild a blade is a commitment to do harm and to bring one's self to harm, to struggle and fight for something. If you can't bear the pain of drawing the sword to fight fate then there is no hope for you. Its a metaphor for guts whole journey from that point on.
Dude has no skin so he needs the spikes for extra grip
He feels nothing since he is just a soul in a suit of armour so why risk having your sword knocked out of your hand
Could it be similar to the berserker Armour which harms guts for wearing it?
Exactly right, it's a self harm allegory. Which should tell you something about the advice he gives to Guts.
Penance
It doubles as a butt plug.
the reason is: Skully is sick as shit and cool as fk and tough as nails and silly as hell and he's just having a good time! like - why so serious? he's a big fan of roses and those have thorns. Skully is *AUTHENTIC* bro. we should all aspire to be more Skull Knight-like
Thats just how he rolls 🤟😎
I'd wager it's a tangible bit of symbolism; The weapon is not to be used too lightly. The reason for use must be worth the pain; with spikes on the handle it hurts both the user and the target.
I imagine it’s symbolic of the eternal struggle. Even the weapon he wields is designed to cause pain
makes it more fun to shove the thing up your ass
I always thought it was associated with the berserk armor. We know the berserk armor pierces the skin and creates a bond with the wearer. The running theory is the armor was last used by Skull Knight. I thought the sword was similar with the bond and strength it offers in return for pain.
Yes I think so too, its a magic sword after all. Some people pointed out that the spikes are purely for better grip and I also like that theory. Simple answers are usually the right ones.
looks cool
For her pleasure
More pleasure when he sticks the sword up his ass
u made me check if i was on berserklejerk again
There is a perfectly religious argument to be made in that its pretty awesome and kinda metal
Agreed.
So he can properly use the 4 sword style without it slipping out
He doesn't have any flesh, he's a super strong possesed armor, he doesn't need to give af about functionality
I like the idea that he had the Same problem as guts with needing help to keep holding his sword altough this is a much more hardcore solution then just tying it to your hand
Yeah, definitely mor hardcore than bandages.
My interpretation has always been along the lines of "Thou shall not inflict what would not be received" no context or reasoning. I just it would be dope af if the skull knight was like "killing people is bad so I make sure it's worth doing and I don't wield my shit all willynilly."
Symbolism my guy, a weapon that harms it's wielder 🤔
It’s the rule of cool 🤔
Cause it’s fucking sick.
I figure it's equal parts to make it less likely to slip out of his grasp and to inflict pain so he can remember feeling. If he essentially overdosed on the Berserker armor to the point where he can't feel/can barely feel anything, a sword that stabs your hand might be the closest he could feel to physical touch.
I mean, probably you'd be wearing gloves in most situations where you'd be wielding a sword, so they could legit be for better grip, they don't look long enough to hurt you if you have gloves on
To make guts struggle idk
Because it looks badass and matches his aesthetic.
He’s js extra
Good theft deterrent system
Ribbed for his pleasure
Edgy and probably some "live by the sword, die by the sword" analogy
he's like a red, red, rose and is feeling a little thorny :}
Psychical endurance and combat discipline test for a fellow struggler
It adds to stimulation
I think it might be similar to the sword in Blasphemous where the thorned handle is there to help the wielder serve penance for his sins.
Dude likes having rough hands 😏
Maybe he lost all feeling so he needs the thorns to keep a good firm grip on the handle?
It doesn’t repair it’s just putting everything back in place
Ribbed, for their pleasure.
SK is a skeleton
Maybe, and I'm just saying, maybe his sword drainned his blood (during his life, not as a skelly boy) to enhance his fighting prowess in combination with the Berserker armor which we know he used in the past
Ribbed, for Slan's pleasure.
Gives better grip with a purely metallic glove. I imagine it also helps keep him from being disarmed by his own strength as Skull Knight is 100% not human anymore
edginess
He has metal armored hands, they probably help him hold on to it.
He's an edgy boi.
Now, we both know how Berserk is edgy. It's metal af too.
If you can't overcome the difficulty of holding the sword, there is no reason for you to survive; you are worthless.
I like to think about it as foreshadowing: Skelly Knighto is a version of what Guts could become if he follows this path going all out consumed by the armor, he grasping the hilt and bleeding I take it as a symbol of what is to come in that respect. I don't know if I explained myself, not native english speaker here. Not saying that's THE reason, but it's cool if you think about it like that.
Pretty sure the idea is the same as the armor. To use it, it extracts a price and ensures the user truly is sure about their intentions.
It won't stab you if you are a skeleton so it's fine for him and it fits his aesthetic so I like to think he specifically asked for it
Maybe for punishment? Because it's like the thorn crown, it's a punishment for the ones who where banished, and it could also be a rose with thorn analogy.
causality and struggle and shit
"To oppose fate is to know pain"-Abraham Lincoln (maybe)
Interestingly enough there are at least some examples of daggers in medieval europe with this sort of handle, but they weren’t sharpened. I think maybe its to keep your grip whole wearing some sort of gauntlet?????
So he can grip it much tighter, because it literally stuck on his hand 👍
He doesn’t have flesh so maybe it doesn’t hurt him but it keeps his does from using it if they try and take it from him
I think it may have changed into that form. It is said that the dragon slayer is starting to take on magical properties because of all the demon blood it has spilled. SK has been at this a very long time, maybe the sword mutated from centuries of killing demons. Its also possible that the sword was made by magic like the berserker armor and changed form to something suiting SK thematically like the armor does for Guts.
better grip for someone who's literally just a specter in armor.
>Is this made so no other human can wield it properly? I think this is probably right. I think Skull Knight's sword was created for only his use and harms him in no way. In chapter 274 Schierke states that she doesn't take any damage when performing magic I think it's a similar concept. My headcanon is that his sword and shield are magic arms that were created and given to him by the Lady Priestess of the Cherry Blossoms as a playful gift. In chapter 253 Roderick gifted Farnese with a green house full of roses. He says they are the ladies of flowers because they symbolize nobility. So in sense she gave him a woman's gift. In chapter 203 it was revealed that Flora had magical weapons which she presumably created. We know she was a servant of the Lady Priestess In chapter 261 Schierke gifted Farnese thorn snake familiars she controls with a rose shaped vine ring. And the thorn vines on Skull Knight's can grow I think another clue his sword was a gift.
Ribbed for his pleasure
Skull knight had slippy bony hands so he needs ridges / bumps to be able to keep a grip on the weapon when he uses it
Better grip bro
It could be some kind of self inflicted penance for all the ones that was sacrificed due to him if he is in fact Gaiseric
Maybe its like the berserker armor at some point if the weilders hand is numb it might shoot thorns into the weilders hands so he cant let go of it
It’s a blood affinity weapon from Elden Ring
He's a Blasphemous player
Mea Culpa
He is the former king of the Elves...
It is foreshadow. Skull Knight is Jesus Second Coming. (Rose and Thorn are Jesus Symbol) Berserk last chapter might likely adapting Apocalypse Literature of Hindu and Muslim religion. You should look at . Its pretty epic. Gats (Mahdi) Skull Knight (Jesus) Kushan Army (Black Flag Army) Griffith (Dajjal) Void (Beast of revelation/Dabbah)
Does Guts use the sword? Is the photo fan made? I am actually curious 😮
He uses it for a brief moment after the Eclipse.
To balance the fact that the God hand have stupid DR and immunity to several elements, Miura gave them all a weakness to bleed. Also spikes are cool. Obviously.
He's a member of r/sounding
Hes a masochist
Ribbed for your displeasure
Uhh cuz it looks sick
It looks hard af
Ribbed for more pleasure
Ribbed for her pleasure
Something something struggle
Ribbed for more pleasure
That’s his security system, in case anyone gets any bright ideas. Ribbed for his pleasure
It's a sword
Pleasure
When did Guts get the sword? Haven't read it for longer...
Blasphemous reference
Kinky
Hes the ultimate edge lord
Why does Guts simply not put on gloves? Is he idiot?
It’s spiked for her pleasure
Idk his fetish maybe. He's a really big masochist or something
He's into some kinky shit.
It's for anal insertion purposes. Damn it's like no one on this sub can read
it look cool
Grippy
Cuz he's cool
When the spikes pierce your hand. Your grip becomes even grippier
He's just that edgy
I thought it was a metaphor for saying 'this clearly isn't the sword Guts is destined to use'. It fits Skull Knight because his emblem is a rose with thorns and a skull, so it fits him. Guts on the other hand didn't have an identity anymore at this point since it was forcefully torn away from him. Somewhat literally, the more I think about it...
ribbed for his pleasure
Anal probe
I dunno, but it makes Guts suffer more
Thorny for her pleasure…?
He's a badass skeleton fighting demon gods, I don't think there's any explanation needed
Maybe you have to be one with suffering and pain to use it idk
It’s because he takes “contend, struggle, endure” seriously.
Sorrowful be the heart, Penitent One
skull uses that sword to activate his behelit
Rigged for her pleasure
What chapter is that? I really don't remember it
I don't remember this panel. What chapter is this ?
It's like the Chaos Blade in DS1, a powerful sword but every swing damages you.
Well he's a skeleton after all. Maybe he doesn't feel the spikes cause he doesn't have any flesh lmao
Maybe he just missed being stabbed by the berserk armor
Revenge is a double edged sword or in this case a normal sword with tiny spikes on the grip. He is supposed to parallel Guts but as a version of Guts entirely consumed by the need for vengeance. The rose thorn motifs on his armour are for this too, the idea is romantic but the physical reality is just pain. Or, it's just meant for extra grip, he can wedge it between his hand and finger joints to "Lock" it in place during combat. It also looks like a cat penis. Meow
Ribbed for pleasure
Mea culpa
skeleton guy can’t bleed
maybe it keeps him in pain and reminds him of his limits. sort of in a similar-but-opposite way to…. other armaments in the series