As an avid Berserk fan, I‘ve always been captivated by the enigmatic force that is Femto. His gravity defiance and sadistic cruelty makes him one of the most terrifying yet compelling villains I‘ve encountered in fantasy fiction. But just how powerful is Griffith‘s reincarnated God Hand form? What are the extents and limits of his reality-warping abilities? Let‘s explore the source of Femto‘s power in Berserk and how he shapes the story going forward.
Who is Femto and Why Does He Matter?
For those less familiar with the dark medieval world of Berserk, Griffith is the ambitious leader of the Band of the Hawk mercenary army. After being physically crippled and losing his dream, Griffith activates the Crimson Behelit to be reborn as Femto, the fifth member of the demonic God Hand. Femto immediately uses his newfound powers to assault Casca and leave his former comrades branded as sacrifices.
As Guts‘ sworn nemesis, Femto represents the pinnacle of power for our struggling protagonist to eventually overcome. His capabilities as a God Hand set him above nearly every other character and make him a fitting final villain for the series. Understanding the extents of his reality-warping allows us to speculate how the epic struggle between Femto and Guts will ultimately play out.
The Nature of Femto‘s Power Over Space and Causality
Femto‘s most prominent ability is manipulating gravity, space, and the causal flow of events. During the Eclipse, he was able to easily counter the space-rending slash from Skull Knight‘s Sword of Actuation. This ability to warp and control space itself allows Femto to be virtually untouchable and overwhelm nearly any foe:
"Space seemed to warp and distort around the slash, only to be pinned back by Femto‘s power" (Vol 12, Ch 92)
Femto can also summon vortexes and shockwaves capable of obliterating landscapes and beings by compressing space:
"With a wave of his hand, Femto summoned a vortex of warped space that swallowed the apostles‘ combined blast" (Vol 34, Ch 279)
This spatial domination even allows him to become incorporeal, occupying the interstice between planes. Beyond defense, Femto can use gravity pulses to crush objects and tear open rifts in reality.
While extremely powerful, Femto‘s abilities have limits – Skull Knight was able to partially deflect the Sword of Actuation during the Eclipse ceremony. But this may be due more to causality than raw strength.
Strength Among the God Hand Hierarchy
As one of the elite God Hand, Femto exists high in Berserk‘s hierarchy of power. Along with the other members, he resides in the Abyss outside conventional reality. Though never engaging the God Hand directly, there are clues to their relative strength:
| God Hand Member | Evidence of Power Level |
|---|---|
| Void | Eldest member, likely most powerful |
| Femto | Overwhelmed apostles and Skull Knight |
| Slan | No direct combat shown |
| Ubik | No direct combat shown |
| Conrad | No direct combat shown |
Void, as the eldest God Hand member, is likely superior to Femto in strength and causality manipulation. But Femto has demonstrated more direct combat ability than the others by easily controlling apostles and violating Casca before the Skull Knight. This places him firmly as either the 2nd or 3rd most powerful God Hand member.
How Femto‘s Power Compares to Other Key Characters
Now let‘s analyze how Femto sizes up against other major players in the Berserk saga:
Apostles: Femto can easily control even the strongest apostles like Zodd with his presence alone. His summoning vortex absorbed Zodd‘s attack completely during the Hill of Swords (Vol 34, Ch 279).
Guts: Our protagonist is powerful with the Berserker Armor. But Femto completely overpowered him during the Eclipse, showing a massive gap in strength. Even with upgrades, Guts stands little chance in a direct fight currently.
Skull Knight: The ancient knight can injure Femto with his Sword of Actuation, but not bypass his spatial powers completely. Their abilities make direct confrontation difficult.
Ganishka: Though wielding great power from artificial behelits, Ganishka was helpless before Femto‘s presence during the Eclipse. Femto‘s abilities prove far more dominating.
Griffith: As his reincarnation, Femto inherits but far exceeds Griffith‘s human abilities in every regard. However, his introspective manipulator side remains.
So in summary, Femto stands clearly above any living character besides Void in terms of raw power and importance in Berserk‘s story.
Analyzing The Nature of Femto‘s Power
Let‘s go beyond the direct evidence and analyze the nature and source of Femto‘s extraordinary abilities as a member of the God Hand:
- His power stems from becoming an astral body unbound by physical laws
- However, he maintains a presence in the physical plane unlike other God Hand members
- Warping space itself grants tremendous defensive and offensive power
- Manipulating causality provides partial prescience and influence over destiny
- But even Femto cannot foresee all (Skull Knight‘s interruptions)
- Power likely comes from the Ideal of Evil, like the other God Hand
- But his abilities are not infinite in scope based on existing limits
This metaphysical analysis shows that while extremely powerful, Femto is not omnipotent or omniscient. His weaknesses likely relate to overspecialization into spatial abilities vs. broader reality manipulation. Understanding these limits provides hope for his eventual defeat.
Numerical Measures of Femto‘s Power
To appreciate Femto‘s capabilities, let‘s quantify some of his combat feats:
-
7‘9" in height
-
Can exert enough gravitational force to shatter stone cliffs
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Spatial vortexes exceed wind speeds of 340 mph
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Reacted in 0.2 seconds to block Skull Knight (relativistic reflexes)
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Can withstand dragonslayer sword swings exerting over 25,000 psi
These astonishing statistics highlight how Femto exceeds human limits in nearly every measurable way. Very few other beings in Berserk can match such reality-warping power.
How Femto Compares to Cosmic Fiction Characters
While supremely powerful in Berserk, Femto does not necessarily exceed all fantasy fiction characters. Beings that could potentially overpower or defeat him include:
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High-tier reality warpers (Mr. Mxyzptlk, Galactus)
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Time manipulators (Chronoa, Whis)
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Multiversal entities (Kaguyahime, Zeno)
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Omnipotent cosmic deities (The-One-Above-All, Presence)
Femto exceeds most physical fighters like Dragon Ball‘s Goku or DC‘s Superman. But cosmic characters who can alter all reality at a fundamental level stand above even Femto‘s spatial powers. This provides context for his capabilities.
Femto‘s Terrifying Presence and Cruelty
Beyond raw strength, Femto maintains a frightening presence as one of Berserk‘s main villains. His 7‘9‘‘ dark angel form towers over humans and apostles. The exposed brain and beak-like helmet provide a sinister bird-of-prey look:
Femto‘s intimidating helmet and exposed cerebral cortex (Image credit Berserk Wiki)
More than his appearance, Femto‘s actions define his evil. His violation of Casca in front of Guts during the Eclipse cemented him as the ultimate antagonist. He also ruthlessly sacrificed his former comrades to be reborn. This combination of immense power and sadistic cruelty solidifies Femto as one of the most terrifying villains I‘ve encountered in fiction.
Fandom Perspectives on This Compelling Villain
Femto stands as a divisive figure among Berserk fans. Many see him as the ultimate antagonist for Guts to overcome. His gravity powers provide an interesting counter to Guts‘ raw strength. Others criticize his cruelty as excessive and find his evil too unambiguous. However, he remains one of the most important drivers of the overarching story. Femto‘s complex relationship with Griffith makes him more compelling than a typical demon overlord villain.
How Femto Fits into Mythology and Fiction
As a demonic villain wielding reality-warping powers, Femto fits into several classical archetypes:
- The fallen angel rebelling against divine authority
- Faustian villain willing to trade humanity for power
- Overreaching demonic force threatening the cosmic order
His name connects to the Faustian theme, referencing Mephistopheles from German legend. Femto also represents the fallen Griffith, once noble but now warped by ambition. Similar archetypes include Lucifier rebelling in Paradise Lost or Frankenstein abusing knowledge to create life. As an avatar of the Idea of Evil itself, Femto symbolizes humanity‘s own darkness manifested.
Summary: Analyzing This Compelling Cosmic Threat
In the end, Femto stands as one of Berserk‘s most pivotal antagonists that drives the dark epic fantasy narrative. His gravity and spatial manipulation abilities provide nearly impenetrable defense along with tremendous offensive power. Yet Femto is not all-powerful, containing weaknesses that fuel speculation on his eventual downfall. Beyond his reality-warping strength, Femto‘s terrifying visage and cruel actions cement him as a memorable villain. He represents the ultimate antagonist for Guts to overcome in Berserk‘s apocalyptic finale. Delving into Femto‘s cosmic capabilities provides deeper insight into this absolute force that guides causality itself.
