Berserk: The Kushan, Explained

Key points

• The Kushan Empire has a large and organized army with powerful magic users and supernatural creatures.
• The Bakiraka clan, former elite bodyguards of the Midland, sided with Emperor Ganishka to return to their lost homeland.
• The Kushans employ terrifying tactics such as mass slaughter and enslavement, using supernatural creatures and war machines in battle.

Furious is an extremely dark and graphic Seinen manga series that has had many emotional peaks and valleys over the years. However, none of the valleys were as brutal or infamous as the Eclipse, where Griffith lost all of his humanity by sacrificing the entire Band of the Hawk to become a mysterious member of the God Hand called Femto. From there he would found his kingdom under the name of Falconia.

However, despite bringing death and ruin to those closest to him to achieve his goals, Griffith disregarded the inclusion of the Kushans. These people had a presence in the world of Furious from the beginning, but now claim to be enemies of Griffith and his kingdom. So, let's look at who the Kushans are and their importance to the overall story.

Who are the Kushans?

Why are they so important?

The Kushan Empire is huge, far away from the country of Midland and far east of all the nations included under the banner of the Holy See. Due to the rapid expansion that Falconia was undertaking across much of the world, the Kushan Empire feared that they might be next, which prompted them to go to war against Griffith and all of his forces.

The Kushan Empire was first shown in the series during the reign of Emperor Ganishka who was also an apostle, although unlike others like him, he was in conflict with the God Hand, particularly Griffith, and sought to defeat him to exercise his control over everything. corner of the world. However, the ruling class of this Empire is made up of many clans fighting against each other for absolute power, the most notable of which are the Bakiraka. These powerful clans gather in a meeting called Kurultai where they discuss the country and its future.

The main reason why the Kushans are so incredibly powerful is due to their military system, which is incredibly large and well-organized, made up of many powerful magic users and supernatural creatures. Their force was so great that they declared war on the Holy See, leading them to invade and currently occupy much of the Midland.

Furthermore, they are extremely cunning and resourceful in how they approach war. Conquering much of the territory, they created large war machines and siege engines to use against their enemies, as well as having a vast array of slaves taken from the many lands they conquered for cheap and plentiful labor. as well as a way to continually swell your ranks of soldiers.

I control the largest territory in the world. I won't give it up. Even if it is bloodstained and contaminated, this world belongs to me.

One of their most effective warfare strategies is the Pishaca Gana; who are essentially dangerous supernatural creatures controlled by the various spellcasters within the ranks of the Kushan army, led by the infamous Daiba. They work with the military and are often accompanied by creatures called Daka, who themselves are a disgusting cross between a human fetus with a ton of evil sorcery. These create these huge half-human, half-demon creatures that are very powerful.

The fundamental essence of the entire structure of the Kushan Empire is that it is ruled by fear, reinforced by the horrific tactics employed once the Midland was invaded. They often massacred entire cities and kept the survivors as slaves or even livestock. However, they suffered a great loss against Griffith and his forces, leading to the collapse of most of the Empire's presence within the Midland.

The Bakiraka clan

A powerful force of Kushan warriors

The Bakiraka were once one of the most powerful clans of the Kushan Empire, but were driven out centuries ago, leading to their presence in the Midland. Because of this, they dealt a severe blow to their pride as they became known across the continent as nothing more than a clan of assassins for hire due to their otherworldly combat prowess. The clan always allied themselves with whoever they deemed strongest, which is why they were elite bodyguards of the Midland royal family.

To restore the clan to the days of its former glory, they sided with Emperor Ganishka in his war against Griffith because they saw that this was a way for them to return to their homeland. This clan, especially Silat, has had one of the most important roles of any major faction in the entire story, and they are currently playing a major role in whatever the future may hold for Guts and his companions.

Furious can be streamed on Crunchyroll and Amazon Prime.