Item from Berserk by Kentaro Miura
The mark that condemns — a brand burned into sacrificial victims that draws evil spirits like blood draws sharks, ensuring the branded can never rest, never hide, never stop fighting.
The Brand of Sacrifice is the God Hand's mark of ownership — burned into anyone designated as a sacrifice during a beherit ceremony. It serves multiple functions: it marks the victim for consumption by apostles and evil spirits, it causes constant bleeding when powerful astral entities are near, and it places the branded in the Interstice — the boundary between the physical and astral worlds. For Guts and Casca, this means every night is a siege. Evil spirits are drawn to the brand like moths to flame, attacking relentlessly from sunset to sunrise. Flora's talismans could dampen the effect temporarily, and Elfhelm's protections shielded them, but in the open world the brand is a death sentence that never quite executes. The brand is also, paradoxically, what gives Guts his edge. Existing in the Interstice means he's half a step removed from causality — the God Hand's ability to predict and manipulate fate is slightly less effective on him. The Skull Knight calls this being a 'struggler' — someone whose existence is an anomaly in the flow of destiny.
A small, angular mark resembling intersecting lines — simple in design, devastating in function. It is burned into the flesh during the Invocation of Doom ritual, scarring permanently. The brand bleeds in the presence of God Hand members and other powerful astral entities. On Guts it sits on the back of his neck; on Casca it marks her chest.
Also known as: Mark of Sacrifice, The Brand, Sacrifice Brand