Zondark

Zondark was the captain of the Count's Guards.^[1] He was later transformed into a pseudo-apostle by the Count when his rage and desire to kill Guts left him deranged and fixated on revenge.^[2] He is the very first pseudo-apostle that Guts fights in the series.

Quick Answers

Who is the first pseudo-apostle that Guts fights?

Zondark's combat with Guts is his first on-panel clash with a pseudo-apostle.

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What transformation does Zondark undergo?

Zondark becomes a pseudo-apostle when the Count inserts a slug-like creature down his throat. His teeth became sharph and his eyes shone brightly, his pupils disappearing entirely. When hacked by Guts, he displays growths that replace lost limbs with tentacle-like extensions, The slug is seen emerging from a wound on his head, mirroring its parent's form.

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What kind of armor does Zondark wear during his first encounter with Guts?

Zondark dons a large set of plated armor. This includes a unique face guard, fashioned to resemble a male face with intricate details of the nose, mouth, and bone structure. Eye holes are incorporated into the guard for clear vision within the armor.

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How does Zondark's obsession with revenge impact his character development?

After his defeat to Guts his obsession led to accepting his transformation into a pseudo-apostle, reducing his mind to a mindless brute with only a desire to kill. His previous traits, such as his strength and warrior skills, were overshadowed by this obsession.

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In which chapter of Berserk does Guts first meet Zondark?

In Berserk's Black Swordsman Arc (which is not divided into chapters), Guts has his initial encounter with Zondark.

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Appearance

During his first encounter with Guts, he wore a set of large plated armor and a personalized face guard in the shape of a male face, complete with detailed nose, mouth, and bone structure; holes were present on the guard in place of eyes, allowing for clear visibility inside the armor.

His actual face was somewhat brutish with short, scraggly black hair. Without his armor on, he wore a white sleeveless undershirt and dark pants with boots, and upon his transformation into a pseudo-apostle, his teeth became sharp and demonic, and his eyes shone brightly, his pupils disappearing entirely.

Possessing regenerative abilities, Zondark's body changed drastically as a result of the injuries sustained in his battles against Guts. Multiple growths sprouted out from the wounds inflicted by the swordsman, which even replaced lost limbs upon their amputation; both of his arms were eventually reconstituted as tentacle-like protrusions. After a portion of his head was sliced off mid-battle, the Count's parasitic offshoot emerged from the laceration, resembling its parent.^[2]

Personality

Zondark displayed overconfidence in his abilities during his first confrontation with Guts, belittling his opponent and proudly challenging him to a fight, even after witnessing the swordsman lay waste to several of his guards. He also seemed to enjoy a challenge, pitting his war hammer against Guts' Dragon Slayer to see how it would fare in combat. Ultimately, his boasting did not amount to victory, and following his loss to the swordsman, Zondark was completely consumed with a need for revenge, utterly unhinged.^[1]

In his pseudo-apostle form, Zondark was a puppet for the Count; his mind was reduced to that of a mindless brute, with only his desire to kill remaining.^[2]

Abilities

As a human, Zondark was a very strong and skilled warrior, though no match for Guts. He was capable of wielding both a war hammer and a battleaxe.

As a pseudo-apostle, he was even stronger, and gained regeneration and the ability to grow tentacles.

Story

Black Swordsman Arc

Upon their initial encounter, Zondark confronts and quickly attacks Guts, but the swordsman easily dodges, causing Zondark to mistakenly kill several of his own unwitting soldiers. Nevertheless, he continues his assault. Eventually, Zondark manages to trap Guts between himself and a brick wall. He swings his hammer to deal the final blow, but Guts intercepts it with a strike from the Dragon Slayer. Guts' weapon proves to be stronger; the shaft of Zondark's hammer is bent and the head is reduced to shrapnel, which flies into its wielder's face. Zondark then falls to the ground in pain and receives a kick to the face from Guts, thoroughly defeated. Subsequently, Guts escapes into the sewers under the direction of Vargas, and Zondark orders his men to pursue and kill the fleeing victor.^[1]

Transported inside the castle to have his injuries tended to, Zondark is driven mad with desire to kill the Black Swordsman. Suddenly, the Count appears and orders everyone else to leave the room, excluding Zondark. Now insane, Zondark smashes his head repeatedly against a stone pillar, the Count strangling his captain from behind to stop the frenzy. Zondark exclaims that he will do anything for vengeance against Guts, and in response, the Count produces a large slug-like creature from his mouth, which crawls down the captain's throat, siring him into a pseudo-apostle When the Count declares that the now blank-faced Zondark will be in charge of killing the Black Swordsman, Zondark begins to laugh at the prospect of killing him.

Later on, Zondark appears outside Vargas' lab and destroys the door, stepping in to exact his revenge upon Guts. The swordsman draws his weapon and engages the pseudo-apostle in combat. Zondark charges toward the swordsman, but he dodges and slices off Zondark's right arm; the amputated limb is promptly replaced, tentacles emerging from the stump. Using his new tentacles to grasp his battleaxe, Zondark once again attempts to kill Guts, and with his greatly increased speed, his axe cleaves through the supports around Vargas' lab. Consequently, the ceiling begins to cave in. The two still exchanging blows, Guts blocks Zondark's whip-like strikes; he uses his cloak to disorient Zondark, and capitalizes on the pseudo-apostle's confusion by dealing a quick blow to his head, slicing it off from the left temple to the cranium.

However, Zondark still stands as a slug-like creature emerges from the laceration, the Count speaking through it to praise the Black Swordsman's skills. Before they can resume their battle, the ceiling caves in completely and Zondark's body is crushed.^[2] Nonetheless, Zondark survives, his body monstrous by the time they cross paths again; he attacks Guts when the swordsman infiltrates the Count's castle. Although Guts triumphs over his opponent, the Count's offshoot survives and leaves Zondark's corpse, attempting to assimilate itself into Guts' body. Before it can succeed in doing so, the swordsman smashes it against a wall, destroying it.^[3]

Reference

Appendices