Will Guts and Casca get back together romantically? [Episode 359 Spoilers]

Do you think we’ll ever get another love scene between Guts and Casca? I hope they’re able to reconcile and heal from their trauma together. It seems like from the current episode (note: episode 359) that Casca isn’t consciously deciding to react like that to Guts (she very well may feel guilty for her ptsd, though she has nothing to apologize for as she is 100% the victim), more like a subconscious reaction due to deep-seated trauma. Feel so bad for both of them. 😦

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Hello and thanks for the ask!

It really really depends. Whether they end up being together romantically depends on many factors. I’m going to group them up as follows:

👍 = factors that already exist and work in favor of Guts and Casca
👎= factors that already exist and work against Guts and Casca
👏= factors that are neutral or still yet to be decided

Pros:

👍 Guts has matured a lot. He is more grateful, patient and understanding than ever before. He is not as stubborn anymore and listens to people. The newest chapter confirms this, given he had zero expectations from the begin with. For me this is a large green flag.

👍 The fact Guts has been through the same thing as Casca and is also further into the healing process than her may help her immensely on her recovery.

👍 This ^ will also help him create the necessary understanding to cope with her unable to see him because of her PTSD.

👍 The first thing Casca did in her new combat attire is to thank everyone for keeping her safe. She started how Guts has changed by accepting Isidro as his apprentice, and then her flashback got in the way of thanking him as well (or so I’d like to think). I have no doubt she does see and appreciates what Guts has done for her.

👍 The vibe I get from Casca as she is talking to Guts in Episode 359 appears to be soft and nostalgic. I am still under the impression that Casca still has feelings for him and I’ve had that impression ever since the Passage of Dreams.

👍 It is generally not impossible for people that are victims of sexual violence to experience intimacy (sex included).

👍 Farnese is already trying to bring them back together and started doing something that I think will resemble Prolonged Exposure Therapy – a way to cure PTSD.

Neutral:

👏 Casca will repeatedly have to decide to be together with Guts in a similar fashion like Guts repeatedly had to decide whether to avenge or save Casca throughout the manga. So far she has decided in his favor twice already (ep. 355, where she woke up wishing to see him, and ep 359 where Farny goes over to fetch her, too) but whether she will continue to do so is to be questioned.

👏 Guts has to understand and learn how to deal with Casca’s PTSD in practice: Not only how to deal with her in general, but also with her intimately/romantically/sexually. This could turn out to be a real challenge to him. At the same time – if he succeeds being this patient, gentle and understanding towards her, we will get some very very intimate and precious moments between them.

👏 A good first step would be that Casca communicates to him that she does not mean to harm him with her reactions. If she does, this would help Guts cope greatly. Likewise, it would be beneficial for her to know that Guts does not mean to trigger her. Honestly, I think somewhere they both know this already, but it would give them a bit more security in times of doubt.

Cons:

👎 Guts too will be faced with a lot of hurt and pain. There is a lot to unpack for him as well and it’s going to put him and his coping mechanisms (will he revert back to his old destructive self?) to the test.

👎 It is likely that Guts is going to have to deal with Casca’s frustration as her memories come back to her as well. E.g. she may have felt left behind during the eclipse, or she may not fully remember him forcing himself on her.

👎 It will take a lot of time for Casca to be able to look at Guts without getting triggered severely. Only when that happens, they can truly talk things out and find comfort or resolve – unless they find another solution for this (e.g. talking between two walls but hearing distance, Schierke’s telepathy…)

👎 Casca may feel absolutely horrible for being unable around Guts despite of fully knowing how much he has been through for her. She may want to thank him, but cannot. This works both ways too, by the way: he may want to apologize for leaving her so many times and (seemingly) always be the reason to bring her pain, but cannot.

Summary

• In my perspective, the chances that someday, we will get meaningful and nurturing Guts x Casca interactions (of mostly platonic nature) are high.
  
• I can see some romantic tension happening, if their relationship becomes stable enough. That also has an acceptable chance to happen.
  
• Whether they will make love is much much less likely, but still lays in the realm of possibility.