#also it goes without saying but just in case note that idt education factors in

[bthump]

Is Guts smart? What can you say about his intelligence? From the male part of the fandom where I was, they called him a brilliant strategist and in general he is the smartest character in Berserk lol It's been a while since I read Berserk, but I feel like Guts was definitely doing something irrational.

He's not the smartest character in Berserk lol, but he's not dumb either.

He's good at like, analytical thinking in the middle of a fight, eg when he fights Silat and pinpoints his weapons' weaknesses despite never having seen them before, realizing he can't defeat Zodd in a contest of strength but he can break Zodd's sword, recognizing Serpico's advantages whenever they duel, etc.

He's also decent at putting two and two together when it comes to understanding people. Like when he realizes Farnese traded an engagement for a ship, or when he outmaneuvers the priest in the troll village in rhetoric and forces him to extend them hospitality lol. I think that he often doesn't give a shit about this kind of thing so he can come across as dumb (not knowing Griffith intends to marry Charlotte, not bowing to the king until Griffith makes him, etc) but I feel like it's a matter of priority. When it has an immediate impact on him, he can figure shit out, otherwise he doesn't bother.

But yeah I don't think he's one of the smartest characters in Berserk. He's average at best, with a talent wrt fighting tactics. Griffith, Serpico, Judeau, Casca, even Rickert are all smarter than him imo. He has a lot of blind spots that fuck him over and make him miss obvious things and act irrationally (must fight monsters, must earn Griffith's love, must get revenge). Godo even has a line in chapter 131 about Guts running towards something singlemindedly and nicking himself on something else because he misses everything he's not focused on.

And he's just not very mindful in general. He can use his brain but like, the big temptation of the Beast of Darkness/the armour is turning off his brain and acting on instinct lol. He doesn't demonstrate any interest in learning new things beyond fighting techniques, he's adequate at reading people but fails at it a lot too, he's cocky and headstrong, prone to ignoring his own vulnerabilites...

So yeah, that's my take. He's not stupid, he has some smart moments, and especially when it's applicable to fighting he's very capable of analytical thought, but intelligence isn't exactly his biggest asset, and plenty of other characters are smarter than him. Thanks for asking!