When I first started reading the Berserk manga, a few weeks ago (LOL! living under a rock, much?), Griffith was possibly the character who impressed me the least.
I remember thinking to myself:"bah! another Gary Stu. booooring" and usualy being midly uninterested with him. but as I kept reading further and further I was quit literally blown away at his amazing character development, his incredible depth and his painfuly human side. honestly, no other fictional character have ever fascinate me as much as he did.
This will be my humble attempt at trying to analyze him based on my own personal interpretation of his character. Since I'm only a newbie I'm not sure if I can do him justice.. especialy that he's one of the most complex 'villains' I've ever seen in any work of fiction.
if any of my points left you screaming your lungs out: "WTF? that no0b totaly mis-interpretated this scene!" or "are you sure we're talking about the same Griffith?" don't hesitate to tell me so, and if you feel that they were terribly repetitive, feel free to ignore me and pretend this tediously long post never happened >_>
A-AHEM!... ok, here it goes...
''The Fallen Hawk''
“I was once too poor to buy a slice of bread. And now I’m able to speak to a Princess like you.” Griffith, Vol. 6 Ch. 6
All we know of Griffith's past is that he was born into poverty and lived his whole childhood as an orphan (I can only assume he was because, unlike other character backstories, there was no parental figures mentioned).
As a young boy running through the streets of that seedy part of town, the noonday sun could not reach his eyes past the cramped buildings.
The brightest thing he ever knew was light reflecting off the castle that towered overhead a top a steep cliff.
“I made up my mind, that was what I was going to win – by any means necessary.” Griffith, Vol. 10 Ch. 2
though he humored his friends by playing war on the streets for cheap trinkets, Griffith had much bigger plans for his future.
He was too proud to tolerate being looked down upon, and too stubborn to let societal limitations hold him back.
He knew he was born different... smarter, stronger and better than the masses who submit to the laws of man and are content to simply live another day.
He was determined to rise above them and forge a life worthy of him.
What do you get when you try to squeeze the spirit of a great man into the body of a peasant? Perhaps it was a spirit too great to be contained in any human body, for that matter.
Griffith was larger than life. He had the looks, the brains, the charisma, and most importantly the will to get anything he wanted.
Griffith wanted his own Kingdom even though he was just a commoner. That way he could be sure that his life wasn’t just something controlled by the upper-class, the only way he could feel in control of his life and know that he truly exists. He gave himself a purpose more important than anything that anyone else could try to assign him to do.
But I don't think he went after his dream out of a selfish need for his own happiness (on the contrary he sacrificed much of himself and his happiness for it). logicaky, he might be much happier with a normal and quite life... but it would have been a life fashioned for him in a world ruled by nobles, something he was given, allowed to have. something he didn't MADE for himself.
His sole goal in life was to get his very own kingdom, and his devouted his entire life for it. Little did he know that 'fate' had something bigger in store for him.
“A mere jumping fish cannot change the course of fate. Nothing can make the river of fate return to its course. Nothing can prevent us.” Slan, Vol. 13 Ch. 8
'Fate' in Berserk can be thought of as a river, and Slan here likens a person fighting the natural flow of destiny to a jumping fish. It might briefly escape the current, but it cannot change it, and inevitably plunges back in.
Technically, someone may be able to end the analysis of Griffith right here: he literally had no choice or control over his own destiny. But it's a little more complicated than that. so Moving on...
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To call Griffith charismatic is an understatement. He shone with a supernatural aura that beguiled men and women alike. He was very beautiful, and he certainly knew how to use his physical assets to his advantage, but it went beyond than that.
He was nothing short of a savior to his men and inspired worship.
“Everyone gathered around Griffith.” Judeau, Vol. 5 Ch. 2
Griffith’s spirit was a beacon to all the lesser beings fumbling in the dark, and they were drawn to him like moths to a flame.
Though the Hawks were average in their own right, under Griffith’s command they transformed into an invincible force nicknamed 'the Grim Reapers of the Battlefield' for their flawless strategy. But that was not their only way they differed from other armies.
The Hawks were very human. Despite the fact that they came from all walks of life, and many different backgrounds, they remained a family of good friends that cared about one another. More than anything, they were bound by a shared belief in Griffith’s dream and the promise of a better life.
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“Just because you were born a noble, you act like a God?” Griffith, Vol. 6 Ch. 10
Griffith stood for equality. Although his crusade was his own, he served as a living example that if you want something badly enough, you can be delivered from social injustice. Griffith did not discriminate between rich and poor, young and old, men and women. He used everyone equally!
He gave every individual the opportunity to prove their worth. Griffith was perhaps the only one in all of Midland to have a woman in his army. And not just in his army, but as his second in command. (Besides, if he saw women as helpless, he would have rescued Casca from the noble that tried to rape her himself instead of throwing her a sword).
“Whether you follow me or not, that’s your choice.” Griffith, Vol. 6 Ch. 10
Unlike the fear-driven minions of standard armies, the Band of the Hawk followed Griffith out of love and admiration. Every single one of them chose to be there. He did not need to use force to implement his commands because they trusted him completely – with their lives, with their hopes, with their futures.
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“The thing that killed this child could have been my dream.” Griffith, Vol. 7 Ch. 1
Griffith’s private world was a lot more turbulent than the perfect persona he projected to his soldiers. He took time to get to know each of his soldiers, but that was sometimes too much to bear.
A particularly poignant moment came when he found the body of a young boy on the battlefield. Few people would think much of a nameless corpse, but not Griffith. He recalled that this boy joined the Hawks half a year ago to train, and idolized Griffith as if he was the hero of an epic story.
Now he was dead. Did he dream of becoming a knight? Was he living these dreams in death? Was his death Griffith’s fault?
As battles escalated and the stakes got higher, Griffith had to remodel his thoughts.
“While I tried to avoid confronting my pain, I became cold-hearted.” Griffith, Vol. 13 Ch. 3
He realized that in order to preserve his own sanity he must keep an emotional distance with his soldiers. He could not let himself feel guilty for their deaths. After all, he was not responsible for lives given freely to his cause.
It could be said that Griffith cared by not caring.
A leader distracted by sentimental anxiety would cost more lives than one guided by a clear vision to victory. Griffith’s single-minded pursuit of his dream was the reason why so many followed him. They looked up to him and piled upon him impossible expectations that he was under constant pressure to meet.
The only way to do that was to keep on winning. The only way to keep on winning was to stay detached.
Facing death on the battlefield is the definition of war. There is no way around this.
The only difference between Griffith and the other Commanders was that those who fought for Griffith did so eagerly and of their own free will.
In return, he gave them a life more glorious than they could ever have imagined. They went from the dusty streets to the glamour of the palace! They were greeted by cheering crowds and danced at royal parties.
And what could he do for the dead? The only thing he could do to justify their sacrifice was to keep on reaching for his dream as hard as he could, by any means necessary, so that they would not have died in vain.
Griffith actively worked to suppress his emotions in favor of cold logic.
Though it was possible to raise money for supplies through raids, those cost precious lives. Griffith found a less risky way to raise funds by selling his body to an old perverted Baron for one night.
This was a very rational thing to do in theory, and it certainly helped acquire money, but it wreaked havoc on his mind. He denied that it had any effect on him, and insisted it was just a mutually beneficial business agreement, but the image of Griffith obsessively trying to wash himself clean the next morning before clawing his arms to blood is worth a thousand words.
He rose to power at a very young age and had a lot resting on his shoulders. Stuffing his feelings deeper into his subconscious didn’t come without a price. It is quit possibly that while his intellect soared, his emotional growth was stunted... that he simply never had the chance to properly socialize and develop it past the ego of a child!
“A friend would not just follow another’s dream. A friend would find his own reason to live. And if someone were to destroy his dream, he would fight back, even if that someone were me. A friend, in my mind, is someone that is my equal.” Griffith, Vol. 6 Ch. 6
Another transformation in Griffith’s thoughts was more subtle, but much more profound. He could no longer afford to see his soldiers as “friends” in the true sense of the word.
The way he figured, the world was driven by the extraordinary wills of special people. Special people like him, who thought for themselves, fought for themselves, and worked to establish their own identity. These were the only people that mattered, and everyone else were willing pawns in the games played by these great beings.
Yes, to a force such as Griffith, this whole undertaking was a game and the entire world his playground.
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Death was the great equalizer. Griffith was inspired by the impartiality of death in war, and took that mentality with him to the upscale arena of political intrigue. Since he was born a commoner, Griffith was often underestimated by the upper class, and he took full advantage of this fact.
It is important to note that Griffith never initiated violence, only exacted revenge. It was simply not worth his energy to do otherwise.
Humble and sweet as his public face was, there was no doubt in Griffith’s mind that he was superior in every way to the overdressed monkeys that called themselves aristocrats. But when one stepped out of line, he would make sure they knew their place.
Nobody could withstand the true intensity of Griffith’s gaze. It stripped away the masks of etiquette and let him see a person’s underlying motives.
He liked to test people from time to time, and if he sensed foul play, he moved quickly to sabotage any developing conspiracy. He would scout the terrain by gathering evidence, close in by enlisting turncoats or spies, and strike at the most opportune moment. It was very much like setting up a battlefield, except that afterwards there’d be no trace of his involvement.
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Just when Griffith believed he had all his thoughts in order, enter Guts.
The moment Griffith saw Guts, he instinctively knew that he found someone who approached his ideal of an equal. He would never admit this, of course, and insist he was only interested in gaining a powerful addition to his army, but his actions spoke louder than words.
Griffith also felt that it was worth his while to convince Guts to join the Hawks by force. Guts’ initial refusal intrigued him almost as much as Guts’ peculiar immunity to his charm, but what really endeared him to Griffith was his innovative fighting tactics and ability to catch him off-guard.
Griffith strove to be the best and did not tolerate defeat, so while he made sure to drive his superiority home, he was also thrilled at the prospect of sharpening his skills against a worthy opponent.
Moreover, it convinced him that Guts was someone who would not go down easily. In a career with such a high turnover rate, here was someone he could depend on to stick around... someone who was safe to get close to without fear of abandonment through death.
“I want you, Guts.” Griffith, Vol. 4 Ch. 4
Griffith has never said that to anyone before.
Yes, Griffith’s relationship with Guts was different from any he ever felt before. It changed him and made him act irrationally.
Time and time again Griffith went out of his way to make exceptions for Guts, even when it would have been more advantageous for him not to.
“I finally got hold of something excellent. I wasn’t going to lose it in a petty battle.” Griffith, Vol. 5 Ch. 2
Yet the logic of wanting to save an exceptionally powerful soldier broke down when doing so endangered the rest of the army, and especially its precious Commander.
Guts himself recognized that Griffith was acting above and beyond any reasonable sense of strategy by knowingly throwing himself into a hopeless situation.
When confronted about it, Griffith became increasingly evasive. “You keep bringing up that topic. There’s no reason. No reason at all.” He’d stare off into space and turn the question back on Guts, “Is it necessary? A reason... A reason for me to help you. Do I need a reason for that?”
“You are the first person I talk like this to.” Griffith, Vol. 3 Ch. 3
Griffith liked spending time with Guts. Guts took Casca’s place as Griffith’s closest confidant, and spent more time alone with him than anyone. But Griffith talked with Guts... well, at Guts... about topics he never felt comfortable talking with anyone else. He shared his deepest thoughts on destiny, morality, and the nature of reality.
“This is so not you. Don’t make it so complicated. Just order me like you usually do.” Guts, Vol. 6 Ch. 4
This was Guts’ response to Griffith pulling him aside and actually giving him an option on whether or not to participate in an assassination plot that he was apparently concerned might infringe on Guts’ morals.
“Can you help me?” he asked. A most unusual choice of words for Griffith, both in terms of effectively admitting he needs help and in leaving the decision up to an underling.
It was almost as if he was asking for Guts opinion, or even approval.
Griffith hadn’t told anyone else about this mission, yet took the time to explain the reasoning for the assassination to Guts. If he meant for it to stay top secret, wouldn’t he keep those reasons classified, no questions asked?
“Do you think it’s terrible? These filthy methods, and not even dirtying my hands. You did all the dirty work. Do you think I’m a terrible person?” Griffith, Vol. 8 Ch. 6
This is a more blatant example of Griffith asking for Guts’ opinion/approval.
His elaborate plan was kept secret from the rest of the Hawks, his most trusted soldires.
“It’s not that I don’t trust them. The Band of the Hawk has been through so much with me. I don’t want them to know the bad things about me. I want to leave them with only good feelings.” Griffith, Vol. 8 Ch. 8
Was this statement a case of genuine concern? Or a ploy to preserve his image among the Hawks? A bit of both, I’d say.
Though he trusted the Hawks fully in battle, he did not trust them with the depths of his soul. He trusted Guts on a different level and treated him differently. He felt safe leaving himself completely vulnerable with Guts. He let him see his darker side, and exposed his secrets, believing that Guts would understand and accept him for who he was.
Guts’ feelings, opinions, and input were very important to Griffith. He even looked relaxed after hearing Guts answer to his quistion.
Did this mean he already saw him as an equal?
“Every man, within his lifetime, should at least hope for a life he can sacrifice to the god of dreams. The life that seeks just to live another day... Is unacceptable!” Griffith, Vol. 6 Ch. 6
Griffith valued ideas more than people, and his most sacred principle was that life had no purpose without a dream to guide it.
So powerful was his dream that it overcame obstacles insurmountable for lesser wills and drove him forward. It was his greatest form of self-expression. It was also something that Guts sorely lacked, which is why Griffith’s speech about dreams and friendship made such a huge impact on Guts.
The main difference between Golden Age!Griffith and Golden Age!Guts: when Guts received love and friendship he didn't fight it.. he fights FOR it, and he allows it to make him stronger. (This also was because Guts wasn't a man who dreamed of bigger things, so he never had to put himself in that position).
Griffith is someone who received idolization, admiration, and love but used it as means to be stronger and get what he desired, rather than something to be cherished.. and saw any emotional attachments to them as weakness.
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Guts realized that despite all he had accomplished, and everything he had done for Griffith, it only amounted to glorifying somebody else’s existence.
Guts could never hope to stand beside Griffith as an equal until he found his own reason for living. It ate away at him ever since, but he was not the type to run off on a whim. The Hawks were his family and Griffith was still his best friend.
He would stick around through the end of the war. After Griffith was awarded the highest rank in the Midland army – White Hawk General – and the rest of the Hawks were promoted to nobles, Guts waited about a month for everyone to settle into their new roles before breaking the news: he was leaving to find himself.
Griffith, however, was definitly NOT pleased.
“Do you really want to leave? This badly… You want to get out of my hands!? No way. There’s no way!! I’ll not permit it. I will not let you go!!!” Griffith, Vol. 8 Ch. 10
Of course, he wouldn’t actually say that out loud. This was the first time (and one of the very rare moments in the series) that we started seeing inside Griffith’s head, and sometimes it wasn’t pretty.
He thought he had everything firmly in his grasp, he believed he could anticipate every possible outcome, yet Guts’ announcement took him by surprise.
Griffith quickly analyzed his environment and debated several strategies that would help him overcome Guts’ advantage of a much larger, much heavier weapon.
He found one he thought would work, but it had a chance of killing Guts in the process.
This worried him for a moment, “But... If I can’t keep him here... It doesn’t matter!!”. Yes, Griffith was in ‘if I can’t have him no one can!’ mode.
I don’t even think it was even a matter of possessiveness, this was pure and utter desperation.
He charged in with perfect technique, and would have won, but Guts’ sword cut clean through his blade. Though Guts stopped short of actually injuring Griffith, it was an enormous blow to his pride – in front of his men, no less.
Guts believed that Griffith was so strong, so determined, so inspired by his goals, that he couldn’t truly hurt him. But Guts was wrong. Griffith’s iron will was founded on denial of his feelings, and now that false sense of strength was about to unravel. The world of emotion was uncharted territory for him.
Guts didn’t know how much he meant to Griffith because even Griffith didn’t know how much he meant to Griffith.
All Griffith knew was that the only person he believed he could trust with his innermost thoughts, insecurities, and darkest secrets was leaving. He felt abandoned and betrayed.
It is here that the logic of keeping Guts around as a military asset fails completely. The war was over and the only path to claiming his own kingdom was through Princess Charlotte, not Guts. Griffith’s reasons for wanting Guts to stay were 100% personal.
In many ways, Guts was Griffith’s anchor to sanity. While everybody else held him to the standard of an infallible god, he felt he could relax and be himself around Guts. Although Guts knew that Griffith was very special, he was also able to accept him as a human being, with mortal weaknesses and flaws.
Guts was always outspoken, but never judgmental, and truly the closest thing Griffith ever had to a friend. More than that, Guts was the only person Griffith ever truly cared about. “Why do I always realize it when I’ve already lost it.”
Griffith had no clue how to deal with the torrent of emotions that assaulted his painfully rational mind.
What the hell happened? Things were going so well. Why would he want to leave? Did he do something to drive Guts away? How could he not foresee this? Should he be feeling angry, sad, or bitter? Why did he care so much?
He could manipulate his surroundings better than anyone, but he could not handle losing control over himself.
This lead him to a reckless self-destructive act when he slept with princess Charlotte, not out of lust or to speed up the process of becoming royalty.. but as a way to release all the pain and sadness that ate him inside when he lost Guts.
after Charlotte fell fast asleep, he sat restless on the bed nursing the mark left by Guts’s sword and then curled up in a fetus position and cried... apparently longing for someone else.
That didn't end up well, of course. He was cought and locked up in the lowest level of the Tower of Rebirth.
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Griffith was stuck there for a whole year, drifting in darkness, with time measured only by pain of torture.
Or did he even care about that? Griffith seems to have a very high resistance to physical pain. The only things that really troubled him were his thoughts and his eroding sanity. He was losing touch with reality, his identity, and his memories.
“Amongst all the images that rise in my mind, only one comes out clear. That ‘thing.’ At night, it feels like thunder inside my brain; moving around, trying to burst free. It follows me, again and again. It feels like the waves of the ocean crashing onto my brain, and all my affection goes along with it. Frustration, friendship, envy, emptiness, unhappiness, pity, unbearable, hunger. I want to go back to that old thing I felt affection for.” Griffith, Vol. 10 Ch. 2
More than anything, Griffith missed Guts.
Through the jumble of fragmented memories, Guts was the single spark of coherency. His image was seared into Griffith’s brain, reinforced by a storm of conflicted emotions. Their power was overwhelming.
“But not just the one thing. I want back everything that I used to feel affection for. Because now I feel nothing for any of those things, even though their images are clear in my head, crystal clear. I want to keep the feelings of those things with me...” Griffith, Vol. 10, Ch. 2
In truth, Guts was the only thing Griffith felt anything towards anymore. He had vague recollections of his old life, his army, his comrades, but the substance behind those memories was rapidly fading. He knew they were important to him, and he tried very hard to cling to these shattered pieces of his humanity, but it was getting progressively more difficult.
The fact that Griffith lasted as long as he did, and held onto his memories for as long as he did, is a great testament to his inner strength, and perhaps even his goodness.
He had a lot of time to reminisce about Guts in the prison.
He could no longer deny that his feelings about Guts were very different from any he’s encountered before.
He did not know when the balance of power shifted, but he resigned to the fact that Guts had somehow usurped control of their relationship.
These realizations did not come without a sharp stab of pain, however. Griffith blamed Guts for his predicament. But how much, and in what way? Was it love or hatred that was keeping him alive? Was it his inability to answer that question that was driving him insane?
Griffith also blames Guts for bringing down his dream. No, overpowering his dream. All his talk of life purpose and equals pales in comparison to his feelings towards this one man he once considered his inferior.
On the one hand, these feelings were a weakness that he violently opposed. On the other hand, they were a warmth that he desperately longed for.
How could he allow himself to get so close to someone who could so easily walk out on their friendship? Of course the tragic irony was that Guts left in order to strengthen their friendship.
Just a couple of volumes ago, it was Guts gushing over how grateful he was to have found someone to watch over him, and that despite Griffith’s harsh standards, “in my eyes, he’s even brighter.”
Now their roles were reversed. It was Guts’ turn to watch over Griffith, and Griffith’s turn to be blinded by Guts’ glory.
When the Hawks’ rescue party broke into his cell, Guts was the only thing Griffith responded to.
At first he reached for Guts’ throat – whether out of tenderness or malice was unclear.
But when Guts broke down sobbing and embraced him, any bitterness Griffith clung to seemed to melt away. His beloved friend had come back for him, and he was relieved to simply hold his hand.
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“.............” Griffith, Vol. 10
It is fascinating that Griffith is robbed of his power to speak just when his input would be the most telling about his mental state. Frankly, for someone who just survived a year of unspeakable torture, he seemed a little... normal. That’s kind of creepy in itself.
What’s more, he seemed strangly softer and genuinely grateful at being rescued (He convinced the Princess to leave for safety by mouthing the words “I will come back for you.” True, he could’ve simply realized that she was slowing them down, but it was nevertheless a sweet gesture).
He was also vigilant as ever and was very perceptive of his surroundings (He managed to alert the team of an exit they have overlooked. He noticed right away the chemistry between Guts and Casca, and was concerned that Guts appeared to be enjoying her touch).
As time went by.. Griffith quickly realized that a lot had happened while he was gone, and it took him some time to figure out how would he fit again into this new world.
Nobody yet realized the true damage done to their flawless leader in that dungeon. They thought it was only a matter of time before he returned to his former glory, and encouraged him by saying he would soon get better.
Griffith was even inclined to believe them. Being crippled certainly didn’t diminish his warrior instincts. When Guts or Casca were fighting Wyald, he did everything in his power to help them.
He tried grasping his sword, but all he managed to do was knock it over.
He tried breaking free of his human crutches, but only fell down.
It made him so aggravated to watch helplessly from the sidelines that he clenched his teeth to blood.
“You guys thought you could rise to the top again by following him. Sorry, but it’s all over. This guy’s fighting days are over. He can’t even talk. Swinging a sword is way beyond him! No, he isn’t even able to stand on his own! Crawling around like a bug... From now on he can’t live on his own.” Wyald, Vol. 11 Ch. 10
Judeau and Casca knew the dark truth of Griffith’s injuries, but they wanted to break the news gently to Griffith and the rest of the Hawks.
Now all hope for that was gone. Wyald tore off Griffith’s bandages and revealed to his troops everything Judeau and Casca were trying to hide.
This stripped away any illusions Griffith had about his condition, and the gravity of the situation finally sank in. Furthermore, he was humiliated in front of his entire army in the worst possible way.
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“Griffith... You were always looking up, climbing higher and higher. That was all you cared about. Rising up to the top, like a lone hawk. Yes, you never lowered yourself to our level. Us lowly mortals who are bound to the earth.” Guts, Vol. 10 Ch. 3
No analysis of Griffith would be complete without discussing his icy sense of pride. He was always above everyone and held the whole world in his hands. He came from nothing and soared to unimaginable heights, only to drop down lower than he started with.
He was an inch away from achieving his ultimate goal, but one mistake was enough to take away not only his accomplishments, but also his dignity.
All the people he towered over in his prime, who loved and admired him as a living god, now looked down on him with pity.
He was deeply frustrated and lonely. at one point he even was desperate to 'cling' to his most loyal soldier.. the one who always showed him, like the princess, her unconditional love and admiration... Casca.
In his mind Guts had already taken away everything that made him a strong and a 'happy' individual, so he wanted to have what was rightfully his. I believe his 'lunging' at Casca could have just been a desperate attempt to claim ownership of her.
But now his whole existence was at the whim of others. Many of his remaining soldiers gave up on him, until only the most loyal were left.
But at least he still had Guts ...?
“If you’re Griffith’s friend, you must go. You... must go... Alone.” Casca, Vol. 12 Ch. 2
... and now Guts was leaving him – again!
Casca reminded Guts of Griffith’s speech about dreams and friendship back at the Prom Rose Palace, and told him that if he truly considered himself Griffith’s friend and equal, he had to follow his own dream.
“Yes... I’ve rested long enough. I have to go. This playing hasn’t ended yet. ” Griffith, Vol. 12 Ch. 3
Griffith snapped – again – and when Griffith snaps and does something stupid, bad things happen!
It was bad enough for him that he lost his good looks, his fighting prowess, his reputation, his army, and his ability to do basic tasks, but he was also being abandoned by the person he cared about most in the world. A person whose undivided attention he no longer had, because he was in love with Griffith’s second favorite person in the world, and this effectively took both of them out of his reach.
Griffith’s fall from grace was now complete. He had nothing else to hold onto, not even his sanity. Everyone had forsaken him, so he would forsake them to pursue his ambition.
Stranded in the middle of nowhere, with no horses, no wagon, and newly broken bones, Griffith couldn’t help but to laugh, in a fit of madness, at how utterly weak and pathetic he’d become.
His first impulse was suicide, but no, that didn’t quite work out. He was still terrified of death. He missed his throat and only accomplished a stream of blood trickling down his arm... and left trembling and crying with utter despair.
“You thought of killing yourself to escape from your hopelessness... But, in that hopeless moment, was under the wheel of destiny.” Ubik, Vol. 3 Ch. 2
Even though this line isn’t about Griffith, but it certainly applies to him just the same.
His Beherit was lost in the prison, carried away by an underground river. But as fate would have it – literally – his splashing about in the lake brought it back into his hands.
“Griffith...!! Was it me? That pushed you over the edge... Was it me that changed you!? What should I do...!? Why’d you want me!?” Guts, Vol. 12 Ch. 4
Somewhere, deep down, Guts felt responsible for all this. Now, it's completly unfair saying the ensuing carnage was Guts’ fault. But the facts still remain... if Guts hadn’t left, none of it would’ve happened. Casca certainly thought so..
.. and so did Griffith.
But luckly she had her chance to fully forgive Guts... Griffith, however, did not.
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Durning the eclipse Griffith was as confused as everyone else because he didn’t plan for this to happen. He had no clue how the Beherit worked.
Wyald did mentioned something about summoning some “guardian angels,” but Griffith didn’t know who they were or how to do that.
“Stay back... Stay back!!!” Griffith, Vol. 12 Ch. 4
When Griffith heard Guts calling his name, with the other Hawks not far behind, he did not want him to approach.
Did somehow realized the event was centered around him, and (despite being highly unstable at that moment) didn’t want his friend getting hurt?
or was it something else?
most likely, Griffith didn't want Guts to take 'care' of him any longer. Griffith desires to be in control of his own destiny, and not be treated as a helpless cripple. If Guts would bear him on his shoulder, Griffith would lose his free will; turned into someone cared after.
And then, that final warning before everything went to Hell:
“I’ll never again forgive...” Griffith, Vol. 12 Ch. 4
Forgive what? Forgive Guts for leaving? “Again”? Would that mean that the first time Griffith forgave Guts was during the reunion in the dungeon?
Despite what he wanted to beilive, Griffith had feelings.. and he certinaly had his limits. He would not tolerate his heart being broken twice.
“I bid thee all welcome to this time and place. O, ye’ lambs who hath created God! Welcome thee hither and partake in the Holy Festival! The Honorable Child, chosen by the Law of Causality, the Hawk. You are the Chosen One. This time and place has been chosen just for you. We are kindred. The blessed Kings for which they crave.” Void, Vol. 12 Ch. 6
A lot of Berserk truths squeezed into a very cryptic paragraph. Void started off by welcoming the humans to this realm, addressing them as beings who have created God – the Idea of Evil spawned from the darkness of humanity’s unconscious.
He then turned his attention to Griffith, the chosen one through whom the infallible Law of Causality brought this time and place into being.
He was one of them – a mighty Demon King ready to claim his throne.
Of course none of this made any sense to the Hawks except for Griffith, who was slowly beginning to connect it to his demonic visions in the dungeon.
He’s had a wide-eyed deer-caught-in-headlights look on his face ever since the eclipse. Was it fear, denial, doubt, guilt, or a mix of all of them?
Trembling, he started to ‘say’ something, but was cut off by Guts.
Guts would not be intimidated by them! He jumped right in to defend his best friend’s innocence, drawing some softer glances from Griffith.
“Such a beautiful friendship. I’m sure you’d make a wonderful sacrifice. A precious sacrifice, in order to become a Demon King.” Slan, Vol. 12 Ch. 6
Guts immediately assumed it was these monsters who wanted to change Griffith by killing the rest of them, but Slan assured him this was not the case. “This is his will. Griffith has offered you all as a sacrifice.”
This was news to Griffith, and he was as shocked as anybody, but that didn’t matter. The God Hand spoke in past tense because fate was absolute, determined the moment Griffith first acquired the Beherit.
“Everything is within the flow of Causality. All has been decided. Your lives were woven to meet this point. So we shall hold the ‘Ceremony of the Coming Lord.’” Void, Vol. 12 Ch. 7
The ground shook and a huge pillar rose under Griffith and Guts. They tried to hold on, but Guts fell on the way up, and only Griffith was taken to the very top of what grew into the huge Hand altar of the God Hand. This was significant because Griffith was now alone in the grips of the God Hand, isolated from the only humanizing influence in his life.
*********
“Are you frightened? Does one such as you even feel such things!? Do you fear higher beings such as we? Or do you fear to tread into the future?” Void, Vol. 12 Ch. 8
Unlike the rest of the world, they did not talk down to him or pity him. He was their guest of honor, and their equal.
They surrounded him with great anticipation, because they were eager to become whole again, like a spine-chilling family reunion. Ubrik explained to Griffith that “before going into the future, you may once again return to the past, and know what kind of person you are.”
The God Hand gave him a symbolic vision of his past, and though they claimed that “this is no illusion, this is the reality of your conscious world,” they also guided the experience for their own purposes.
“Excuse me, granny, which way’s the castle?” Griffith, Vol. 12 Ch. 8
It is interesting to note that in his mind’s eye, Griffith reverted to his childhood persona.
Aside from the fact that these early years were the decisive crossroads of fate, was it also reflective of his core inner self? Was this the point at which his emotional development shut down and he dedicated himself entirely to his dream, setting in motion a chain of events that would make him incapable of dealing with feelings beyond his control?
Or was it simply a longing for more innocent times, when things weren’t so complicated, and the consequences for actions weren’t so severe?
“This is the only way to reach that castle. There is no other path.” Granny, Vol. 12 Ch. 8
This was, indeed, the only road to the castle. It was paved with the bodies of thousands of comrades, tens of thousands of enemies, and even nameless bystanders. The more bodies he piled up, the closer he would get to the castle, and if he stopped, he may join them.
Yes, the only way to the castle was through dead bodies, but That is the nature of war! Every King, every Baron, every General in history traveled that road to claim their rank. They taxed and bullied their subjects, and obligated them to die for politics they cared nothing about. Compared to them, Griffith may considered a saint!
Though he was ruthless, he never destroyed more than he had to.
Even after scoring a decisive victory against a most hated enemy, his orders were to : “Let them flee!! But exterminate any who oppose us!!”
He never struck first, but if somebody did oppose him, his vengeance was undeniably swift, brutal, and cruel.
None of these things made him a monster.
Was he selfish? yes.
Arrogent? maybe.
Emotionless and naturaly evil? NO!
“They are willing to sacrifice their lives for my dream.” Griffith, Vol. 6 Ch. 6
Griffith never took anything that wasn’t his. He had never lied about his intentions, or the lengths to which he would go to see them done. His men admired him for that. All the Hawks swore to die for his dream.
No matter how selfish his dream was, it didn’t make him evil to ask of his troops that which they would freely give him: their loyalty and their lives.
“It was you who made them like this in the first place, was it not?” Granny, Vol. 12 Ch. 8
hmmm.. so You’re going to guilt trip Griffith about dead people now? Dead people who chose to follow him?
The first to emerge from his subconscious was the little boy whose death drove Griffith to seek financial help from a Baron by questionable means.
The fact that this memory came up at all proves that Griffith was capable of feeling remorse.
But it didn’t end there. More dead soldiers came out of the mists, demanding to be taken to the castle. Griffith didn’t know what to tell them besides stating the obvious: “You can’t go with me...!! You’ve all died...!! You’re not alive anymore!! So I can’t take you to the castle... I can’t do it!! Sorry... I’m sorry...”
Granny scolded him for being so mean to his friends: “Everyone came to follow you. If you hadn’t said that you were going there, things would not have happened this way.”
“Why couldn’t you be satisfied with looking at the castle from below!?” Granny, Vol. 12 Ch. 8
Why should he be?! Why should anyone?!
Even those who followed him weren’t satisfied with their quality of life either!
they chose to follow Griffith of their own free will, for their own reasons.
Yes, they believed in his dream, but more importantly, they believed he could lead them to a better life for themselves along the way.
And Griffith delivered. They went from being beggars and thieves to heroes and nobility! They knew what they were getting themselves into, and it could be said that they used him as much as he used them.
Most of them left the moment they saw he could no longer provide for them.
The only person Griffith ever forced to join the Hawks was Guts.
“If you wish to charge further to that castle, you must pile up many more bodies. What’s wrong? Are you frightened? Do you want to return!? It’s no good!! You must not think it over!! The next time you’ll join your comrades’ bodies!! Look!! Look at your own hands!!” Granny, Vol. 12 Ch. 8
Ahh, and now comes the manipulative fear-mongering. Little Griffith’s body began to waste away – a poignant reminder of the older Griffith’s physical deterioration. It was either him or them, and he had to choose fast!
From fear-mongering, granny progressed to outright coercion: “It’s not too late! Pile these bodies before anything else!! This is the only thing you could do now!!”
We finally see that the granny is a puppet controlled by Ubrik and Conrad.
Ok... now don't tell me that the God Hand didn't have a bias they wanted to impose on Griffith’s subconscious.
“No use in regretting now. What can I say to the dead now? No use in regretting my crimes. I can’t apologize for what I’ve done. This is the road I came for myself for the sake of taking hold of my desire. I cannot apologize. No, I will not apologize...!! If I apologize, or feel regret, everything will be over. I’ll never be able to reach that place.” Griffith, Vol. 12 Ch. 8
He could not let himself feel responsible for those who chose to fight his battles. He had done all he could for them, but he could not turn back. He had gone too far, climbed too high to let it all end now.
The twisted flashback reminded him how much he hurt and why he cut off his feelings in the first place.
It started as a way to avoid emotional instability in battle, which divorced him from his humanity, and mutated to rationalize pursuing his dream over the lives of others. Finally, it evolved to protect the only thing he had left – himself.
*********
“Make a single chant, ‘This I sacrifice.’ Then shall you receive wings of jet-black, so that you may be carried to heaven.” Void, Vol. 12 Ch. 9
The Hawks that followed Griffith to this place were his most loyal soldiers. They loved and trusted him as a person, and would stand by him even if the dream they fought so hard for was in shambles.
They weeded themselves out from the rest as unknowing but willing sacrifices through whom Griffith could truly live again. Each of them would become a feather in the wings of the hawk reborn. It was a great honor to nourish the birth of a god!
The God Hand insinuated that his soldiers would forgive him, and would welcome his transformation. When they saw Griffith was still having trouble coming to terms with all this, Void gave him an ultimatum.
“If that castle is the most radiant thing in your eyes, continue to build, use all you have left.” Void, Vol. 12 Ch. 9
There is a running theme of “brightness” in Berserk. Brightness symbolized the intensity of a thought, desire, or concept in one’s mind.
About Griffith, Guts once said “in my eyes, he’s even brighter.” About Guts, Griffith said “his brightness hurts my eyes,” when he realized that his desire for Guts was overriding his own dreams.
The brighter the thought/desire/concept, the more power it had over the psyche. Now Void was asking Griffith to decide once and for all what was brightest in his mind, what was more important to him, Guts or his dream?
*******
“Aim for that castle in the sky. Continue to pile upon those bodies. That is who you are.” Void, Vol. 12 Ch. 9
Notice one VERY important thing... the God Hand didn't say to Griffith:"here's our offer.. now take your time and think about it carefully". NO.. what they told him was basically: "there is no time left! you should DO this or else you shall join the dead. do it.. do it for the sake of your dream and for thoes who died BECAUSE of you! oh, and don't worry.. your friends will surely forgive you in the end!.. and besides.. this IS your destiny".
.. and he eventualy beilived them. forget the fact that he was entirly unstable at the moment.. those were GODS, infinite and all-knowing beings, helping him rationalize this decision by re framing the scenario into one where sacrificing everyone was the noble thing to do.
The God Hand did not lie to Griffith or brainwashed him, but there was definitely an overwhelming sense of 'manipulation', or to put it more correctly: 'convincing'.
if Griffith was 'evil' all along then they wouldn't even bother to convice him that this was the right thing to do, insteed they would just simply remind of his dream and nothing else.
“Return everything from the past. Bury them in the ruins of your dream.” Slan, Vol. 12 Ch. 9
The God Hand were essentially giving Griffith the chance to start over.
They could take all his pain and despair, and make this whole nightmare go away.
But first he had to choose between the pursuit of his dream and the lives of his comrades. This was a choice he made many times before, although it was never presented quite so literally.
Would've he said: 'yes' if he have been just severely injured (like Gambino)?...
No one really knows.
Personaly, I think he would never have sacrificed his men before the prison incident – Not because he's too noble to do such a thing.. but because he had far too much pride and confidence in himself to accept the offer of the God Hand!
But with EVERYTHING else taken away from him, they were his last trump card, and he was willing to use it.
This may raise the question of whether he cared about his soldiers at all, or merely saw them as stepping stones on his path to glory.
Let's see...
the reason he gave himself to the Baron at all was because he wanted to lower the death toll of his troops, inspired by his sympathy for a little boy that died under his command. This could be interpreted in either a purely caring or a purely rational way, but that boy’s appearance in Griffith’s guilty conscience showed it was at least both.
“A sacrifice can’t just be any flesh and blood. It has to be someone dear to you... Someone who’s part of your heart.” Slan, Vol. 3 Ch. 2
Ironically, it is the fact that the Hawks qualified as sacrifices that proves how much he cared about them. You NEED people you care about for the ritual to work! There absolutely no way around this.
However, the only person that Griffith truly loved was Guts. And Guts was the only person on Griffith's mind as he finaly uttered the words: 'I sacrefies'.
*********
“You'll be cut from humanity, and the evilness will possess your mind.” Ubrik, Vol. 3 Ch. 2
The real meaning of the ritual is less about the physical act of sacrifice, and more about the symbolic sacrifice of your own humanity.
It serves to sever ties with the human race. Of course, in order to sacrifice your humanity, you must first have it, and once you lose it, you’re not completly yourself anymore. You're an empty vessel which, according to Ubrik, gets taken over by "evilness."
Everything that was human about Griffith’s human soul disintegrated during the transformation.
However, Femto at his core IS STILL Griffith (only that he his ego has been tainted by being infused with the negative flow of the abyss.. which what turned him into a demon).
they are very different yet they are still the same.
Saying that Femto and Griffith are two separate entities is just as absurd as sating that Femto and Griffith are EXACTLY the same.
I don't think Griffith would have raped Casca, sane or not. indeed, He was at some point so consumed with anger and hatred towards Guts but I beilive he would never hurt him and Casca like that... because Griffith was a human being, a twisted human being, but Femto was a Demon...
yet a Demon who commited an act that is so personal and human (in all of its inhumanity) while staring at Guts in spite the entire time. A demon who was full of all the negative feelings that ate Griffith-the human- alive inside... a manifestation of the 'evilness' and the darkness in Grifith's heart..
but now he was finally free.. free to take his reveng and do 'what ever he wishes' without any pity thoughts or emotions such 'regret'.
It's so very ironic because for being the most surreal-like godly character in the manga for so long, so much of what Griffith did was painfully human.. even when he was no longer human.
“Everyone’s dead. I’m through it... I want... to die... Never to think... Never to feel.” Griffith, Vol. 13 Ch. 3
Griffith was tricked into believing his choice would make him feel better, but it only made things worse... much worse.
He was confronted by the tears he froze to protect himself, and how meaningless it was now. He didn't like seeing his 'friends' slaughtered.
I can't say if he regretted his decision, but he didn't want to deal with it anymore. He couldn't face their pity before, and he couldn't stomach their horror now. He just wanted to die. To shut off his mind and his heart, close his eyes and never wake up.
and now Femto became the sterile, callous personification of not his dream, but his ambition.
"Violence and loneliness... This place is filled with all kinds of blurred negative feelings. It is truly the will that defines human nature." Idea of Evil, Ch. 83
The Idea of Evil was created by humans, for humans. It existed to explain all the misery, suffering, and absurdities in the world.
It was willed into existence by humanity, and shaped destiny to reflect the desires of humanity as a whole.
These were not necessarily conscious wishes. The power of the rational mind is weak compared to the irrational force of feelings.
Feelings of vengeance, hatred, and despair that most people try to hide. But they don't go away, they fuel the Idea of Evil, and create a world that reflects them.
It was a swirling mass of every negative emotion that cried out for meaning. Those feelings ran deep, deeper than joy and happiness, deep enough to create this great being. It was the collective unconscious of the species, and as such it was a very human place.
By this logic, maybe the sacrificial ceremony wasn't about severing ties with humanity at all. Rather, severing the superficial ties and developing a stronger connection to the mass consciousness in order to see the bigger picture.
"Everyone is trying to survive this big river called destiny, and everyone vanishes. When one reaches the last moment of life, s/he won't even know who s/he is." Griffith, Vol. 3 Ch. 3
Griffith was always fascinated by the whole "destiny" idea. He knew he was special, but he was afraid he would disappear before he ever truly understood who he was, just like everybody else. He had a dream, and he wanted to make that his destiny, but he still longed for confirmation.
But after that dream crashed and burned to the ground, he thought he was lost. Was he following the wrong path all along? Would he die ignorant like all the rest he crushed along the way? He thought he would. For a little while, he even wanted to.
"...The destiny... My... God! What do you want from me?!" Griffith, Ch. 83
Yet here was God itself! He could ask these questions straight to its face! It gave him hope, and the will to live.
"Be as you will... Do as you will, Chosen One." Idea of Evil, Ch. 83
Mmmm... "Chosen One." Griffith likes being chosen. Griffith likes being special.
Apparently, his destiny wasn't just to become King, but to become a god! And here was THE God basically telling him that, since he was also A god, he could create his own destiny!
"I dwell deep in your heart, I am a part of you. You are part of your kind's consciousness, a part of me. Your desire is my desire as well." Idea of Evil, Ch. 83
Not only was God telling him all this, but a God speaking for the will of humanity. It was humans who elected Griffith to become one of their five immortal Kings!
"Change this physical field that is your body into a shape suitable for your task." Idea of Evil, Ch. 83
Here we have a much more assertive Griffith. He's ready to OWN this whole choose-your-destiny thing! His body is not disintegrating. On the contrary, it is fully formed... and he wants wings, damnit!
This would mean that Griffith is very much conscious as himself as Femto, so Griffith = Femto? True, but keep in mind that this is a Griffith who has not only went through hell on earth, but also the literal hell of the Idea of Evil.
It taught him to stop running away from his pain and embrace it as the driving force in the universe. It became a source of power! His mind had definitely mutated. It was infused with the mass consciousness of the world and now had a transcendent perspective on life.
Griffith has found his calling in life, and it was greater than he ever dreamed of. His delusions of grandeur have become a reality.
As for reborn Griffith? Well, currently he is nothing short of an enigma who's definitely set up to do great things in the future of the manga.
There was too much effort put into the development of Griffith's personality, his history, and his relationship with Guts and Casca to have him flatline into just another purely evil character.
There is still struggle inside him, and I believe his dual nature will decide the fate of the Berserk universe.
********
Griffith's downfall, his betrayal and his raise again from the ashes was the most compelling case for turning to the 'Dark Side' that I have ever seen in any work of fiction!
It was the story of a street urchin who, inspired by a beautiful dream, took himself and those who followed him all the way to the top.
And just when his dream was within reach, he was torn from it in the cruelest way imaginable. After being mutilated and tortured for a year, he lost not only his reputation, his friends, and his freedom, but also such basic human dignities as talking, walking, and feeding himself.
With his sanity hanging by a thread, he even came close to losing himself, but he would not let that happen.
They say the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. Just as Lucifer was once the most radiant angel in Heaven, so too was Griffith’s rise and fall a result of his enormous pride.
It is people like this who make or break the world. But how far would you go? How far should you go? At what point do the ends not justify the means?
It’s not that Griffith didn’t care about others, he just cared about himself more.
When it came to Guts, he sometimes cared about himself less.
"Every man, within his lifetime, should at least hope for a life he can sacrifice to the god of dreams." Griffith, Vol. 6 Ch. 6
I remember thinking to myself:"bah! another Gary Stu. booooring" and usualy being midly uninterested with him. but as I kept reading further and further I was quit literally blown away at his amazing character development, his incredible depth and his painfuly human side. honestly, no other fictional character have ever fascinate me as much as he did.
This will be my humble attempt at trying to analyze him based on my own personal interpretation of his character. Since I'm only a newbie I'm not sure if I can do him justice.. especialy that he's one of the most complex 'villains' I've ever seen in any work of fiction.
if any of my points left you screaming your lungs out: "WTF? that no0b totaly mis-interpretated this scene!" or "are you sure we're talking about the same Griffith?" don't hesitate to tell me so, and if you feel that they were terribly repetitive, feel free to ignore me and pretend this tediously long post never happened >_>
A-AHEM!... ok, here it goes...
''The Fallen Hawk''
“I was once too poor to buy a slice of bread. And now I’m able to speak to a Princess like you.” Griffith, Vol. 6 Ch. 6
All we know of Griffith's past is that he was born into poverty and lived his whole childhood as an orphan (I can only assume he was because, unlike other character backstories, there was no parental figures mentioned).
As a young boy running through the streets of that seedy part of town, the noonday sun could not reach his eyes past the cramped buildings.
The brightest thing he ever knew was light reflecting off the castle that towered overhead a top a steep cliff.
“I made up my mind, that was what I was going to win – by any means necessary.” Griffith, Vol. 10 Ch. 2
though he humored his friends by playing war on the streets for cheap trinkets, Griffith had much bigger plans for his future.
He was too proud to tolerate being looked down upon, and too stubborn to let societal limitations hold him back.
He knew he was born different... smarter, stronger and better than the masses who submit to the laws of man and are content to simply live another day.
He was determined to rise above them and forge a life worthy of him.
What do you get when you try to squeeze the spirit of a great man into the body of a peasant? Perhaps it was a spirit too great to be contained in any human body, for that matter.
Griffith was larger than life. He had the looks, the brains, the charisma, and most importantly the will to get anything he wanted.
Griffith wanted his own Kingdom even though he was just a commoner. That way he could be sure that his life wasn’t just something controlled by the upper-class, the only way he could feel in control of his life and know that he truly exists. He gave himself a purpose more important than anything that anyone else could try to assign him to do.
But I don't think he went after his dream out of a selfish need for his own happiness (on the contrary he sacrificed much of himself and his happiness for it). logicaky, he might be much happier with a normal and quite life... but it would have been a life fashioned for him in a world ruled by nobles, something he was given, allowed to have. something he didn't MADE for himself.
His sole goal in life was to get his very own kingdom, and his devouted his entire life for it. Little did he know that 'fate' had something bigger in store for him.
“A mere jumping fish cannot change the course of fate. Nothing can make the river of fate return to its course. Nothing can prevent us.” Slan, Vol. 13 Ch. 8
'Fate' in Berserk can be thought of as a river, and Slan here likens a person fighting the natural flow of destiny to a jumping fish. It might briefly escape the current, but it cannot change it, and inevitably plunges back in.
Technically, someone may be able to end the analysis of Griffith right here: he literally had no choice or control over his own destiny. But it's a little more complicated than that. so Moving on...
*********
To call Griffith charismatic is an understatement. He shone with a supernatural aura that beguiled men and women alike. He was very beautiful, and he certainly knew how to use his physical assets to his advantage, but it went beyond than that.
He was nothing short of a savior to his men and inspired worship.
“Everyone gathered around Griffith.” Judeau, Vol. 5 Ch. 2
Griffith’s spirit was a beacon to all the lesser beings fumbling in the dark, and they were drawn to him like moths to a flame.
Though the Hawks were average in their own right, under Griffith’s command they transformed into an invincible force nicknamed 'the Grim Reapers of the Battlefield' for their flawless strategy. But that was not their only way they differed from other armies.
The Hawks were very human. Despite the fact that they came from all walks of life, and many different backgrounds, they remained a family of good friends that cared about one another. More than anything, they were bound by a shared belief in Griffith’s dream and the promise of a better life.
*********
“Just because you were born a noble, you act like a God?” Griffith, Vol. 6 Ch. 10
Griffith stood for equality. Although his crusade was his own, he served as a living example that if you want something badly enough, you can be delivered from social injustice. Griffith did not discriminate between rich and poor, young and old, men and women. He used everyone equally!
He gave every individual the opportunity to prove their worth. Griffith was perhaps the only one in all of Midland to have a woman in his army. And not just in his army, but as his second in command. (Besides, if he saw women as helpless, he would have rescued Casca from the noble that tried to rape her himself instead of throwing her a sword).
“Whether you follow me or not, that’s your choice.” Griffith, Vol. 6 Ch. 10
Unlike the fear-driven minions of standard armies, the Band of the Hawk followed Griffith out of love and admiration. Every single one of them chose to be there. He did not need to use force to implement his commands because they trusted him completely – with their lives, with their hopes, with their futures.
*********
“The thing that killed this child could have been my dream.” Griffith, Vol. 7 Ch. 1
Griffith’s private world was a lot more turbulent than the perfect persona he projected to his soldiers. He took time to get to know each of his soldiers, but that was sometimes too much to bear.
A particularly poignant moment came when he found the body of a young boy on the battlefield. Few people would think much of a nameless corpse, but not Griffith. He recalled that this boy joined the Hawks half a year ago to train, and idolized Griffith as if he was the hero of an epic story.
Now he was dead. Did he dream of becoming a knight? Was he living these dreams in death? Was his death Griffith’s fault?
As battles escalated and the stakes got higher, Griffith had to remodel his thoughts.
“While I tried to avoid confronting my pain, I became cold-hearted.” Griffith, Vol. 13 Ch. 3
He realized that in order to preserve his own sanity he must keep an emotional distance with his soldiers. He could not let himself feel guilty for their deaths. After all, he was not responsible for lives given freely to his cause.
It could be said that Griffith cared by not caring.
A leader distracted by sentimental anxiety would cost more lives than one guided by a clear vision to victory. Griffith’s single-minded pursuit of his dream was the reason why so many followed him. They looked up to him and piled upon him impossible expectations that he was under constant pressure to meet.
The only way to do that was to keep on winning. The only way to keep on winning was to stay detached.
Facing death on the battlefield is the definition of war. There is no way around this.
The only difference between Griffith and the other Commanders was that those who fought for Griffith did so eagerly and of their own free will.
In return, he gave them a life more glorious than they could ever have imagined. They went from the dusty streets to the glamour of the palace! They were greeted by cheering crowds and danced at royal parties.
And what could he do for the dead? The only thing he could do to justify their sacrifice was to keep on reaching for his dream as hard as he could, by any means necessary, so that they would not have died in vain.
Griffith actively worked to suppress his emotions in favor of cold logic.
Though it was possible to raise money for supplies through raids, those cost precious lives. Griffith found a less risky way to raise funds by selling his body to an old perverted Baron for one night.
This was a very rational thing to do in theory, and it certainly helped acquire money, but it wreaked havoc on his mind. He denied that it had any effect on him, and insisted it was just a mutually beneficial business agreement, but the image of Griffith obsessively trying to wash himself clean the next morning before clawing his arms to blood is worth a thousand words.
He rose to power at a very young age and had a lot resting on his shoulders. Stuffing his feelings deeper into his subconscious didn’t come without a price. It is quit possibly that while his intellect soared, his emotional growth was stunted... that he simply never had the chance to properly socialize and develop it past the ego of a child!
“A friend would not just follow another’s dream. A friend would find his own reason to live. And if someone were to destroy his dream, he would fight back, even if that someone were me. A friend, in my mind, is someone that is my equal.” Griffith, Vol. 6 Ch. 6
Another transformation in Griffith’s thoughts was more subtle, but much more profound. He could no longer afford to see his soldiers as “friends” in the true sense of the word.
The way he figured, the world was driven by the extraordinary wills of special people. Special people like him, who thought for themselves, fought for themselves, and worked to establish their own identity. These were the only people that mattered, and everyone else were willing pawns in the games played by these great beings.
Yes, to a force such as Griffith, this whole undertaking was a game and the entire world his playground.
*********
Death was the great equalizer. Griffith was inspired by the impartiality of death in war, and took that mentality with him to the upscale arena of political intrigue. Since he was born a commoner, Griffith was often underestimated by the upper class, and he took full advantage of this fact.
It is important to note that Griffith never initiated violence, only exacted revenge. It was simply not worth his energy to do otherwise.
Humble and sweet as his public face was, there was no doubt in Griffith’s mind that he was superior in every way to the overdressed monkeys that called themselves aristocrats. But when one stepped out of line, he would make sure they knew their place.
Nobody could withstand the true intensity of Griffith’s gaze. It stripped away the masks of etiquette and let him see a person’s underlying motives.
He liked to test people from time to time, and if he sensed foul play, he moved quickly to sabotage any developing conspiracy. He would scout the terrain by gathering evidence, close in by enlisting turncoats or spies, and strike at the most opportune moment. It was very much like setting up a battlefield, except that afterwards there’d be no trace of his involvement.
*********
Just when Griffith believed he had all his thoughts in order, enter Guts.
The moment Griffith saw Guts, he instinctively knew that he found someone who approached his ideal of an equal. He would never admit this, of course, and insist he was only interested in gaining a powerful addition to his army, but his actions spoke louder than words.
Griffith also felt that it was worth his while to convince Guts to join the Hawks by force. Guts’ initial refusal intrigued him almost as much as Guts’ peculiar immunity to his charm, but what really endeared him to Griffith was his innovative fighting tactics and ability to catch him off-guard.
Griffith strove to be the best and did not tolerate defeat, so while he made sure to drive his superiority home, he was also thrilled at the prospect of sharpening his skills against a worthy opponent.
Moreover, it convinced him that Guts was someone who would not go down easily. In a career with such a high turnover rate, here was someone he could depend on to stick around... someone who was safe to get close to without fear of abandonment through death.
“I want you, Guts.” Griffith, Vol. 4 Ch. 4
Griffith has never said that to anyone before.
Yes, Griffith’s relationship with Guts was different from any he ever felt before. It changed him and made him act irrationally.
Time and time again Griffith went out of his way to make exceptions for Guts, even when it would have been more advantageous for him not to.
“I finally got hold of something excellent. I wasn’t going to lose it in a petty battle.” Griffith, Vol. 5 Ch. 2
Yet the logic of wanting to save an exceptionally powerful soldier broke down when doing so endangered the rest of the army, and especially its precious Commander.
Guts himself recognized that Griffith was acting above and beyond any reasonable sense of strategy by knowingly throwing himself into a hopeless situation.
When confronted about it, Griffith became increasingly evasive. “You keep bringing up that topic. There’s no reason. No reason at all.” He’d stare off into space and turn the question back on Guts, “Is it necessary? A reason... A reason for me to help you. Do I need a reason for that?”
“You are the first person I talk like this to.” Griffith, Vol. 3 Ch. 3
Griffith liked spending time with Guts. Guts took Casca’s place as Griffith’s closest confidant, and spent more time alone with him than anyone. But Griffith talked with Guts... well, at Guts... about topics he never felt comfortable talking with anyone else. He shared his deepest thoughts on destiny, morality, and the nature of reality.
“This is so not you. Don’t make it so complicated. Just order me like you usually do.” Guts, Vol. 6 Ch. 4
This was Guts’ response to Griffith pulling him aside and actually giving him an option on whether or not to participate in an assassination plot that he was apparently concerned might infringe on Guts’ morals.
“Can you help me?” he asked. A most unusual choice of words for Griffith, both in terms of effectively admitting he needs help and in leaving the decision up to an underling.
It was almost as if he was asking for Guts opinion, or even approval.
Griffith hadn’t told anyone else about this mission, yet took the time to explain the reasoning for the assassination to Guts. If he meant for it to stay top secret, wouldn’t he keep those reasons classified, no questions asked?
“Do you think it’s terrible? These filthy methods, and not even dirtying my hands. You did all the dirty work. Do you think I’m a terrible person?” Griffith, Vol. 8 Ch. 6
This is a more blatant example of Griffith asking for Guts’ opinion/approval.
His elaborate plan was kept secret from the rest of the Hawks, his most trusted soldires.
“It’s not that I don’t trust them. The Band of the Hawk has been through so much with me. I don’t want them to know the bad things about me. I want to leave them with only good feelings.” Griffith, Vol. 8 Ch. 8
Was this statement a case of genuine concern? Or a ploy to preserve his image among the Hawks? A bit of both, I’d say.
Though he trusted the Hawks fully in battle, he did not trust them with the depths of his soul. He trusted Guts on a different level and treated him differently. He felt safe leaving himself completely vulnerable with Guts. He let him see his darker side, and exposed his secrets, believing that Guts would understand and accept him for who he was.
Guts’ feelings, opinions, and input were very important to Griffith. He even looked relaxed after hearing Guts answer to his quistion.
Did this mean he already saw him as an equal?
“Every man, within his lifetime, should at least hope for a life he can sacrifice to the god of dreams. The life that seeks just to live another day... Is unacceptable!” Griffith, Vol. 6 Ch. 6
Griffith valued ideas more than people, and his most sacred principle was that life had no purpose without a dream to guide it.
So powerful was his dream that it overcame obstacles insurmountable for lesser wills and drove him forward. It was his greatest form of self-expression. It was also something that Guts sorely lacked, which is why Griffith’s speech about dreams and friendship made such a huge impact on Guts.
The main difference between Golden Age!Griffith and Golden Age!Guts: when Guts received love and friendship he didn't fight it.. he fights FOR it, and he allows it to make him stronger. (This also was because Guts wasn't a man who dreamed of bigger things, so he never had to put himself in that position).
Griffith is someone who received idolization, admiration, and love but used it as means to be stronger and get what he desired, rather than something to be cherished.. and saw any emotional attachments to them as weakness.
*********
Guts realized that despite all he had accomplished, and everything he had done for Griffith, it only amounted to glorifying somebody else’s existence.
Guts could never hope to stand beside Griffith as an equal until he found his own reason for living. It ate away at him ever since, but he was not the type to run off on a whim. The Hawks were his family and Griffith was still his best friend.
He would stick around through the end of the war. After Griffith was awarded the highest rank in the Midland army – White Hawk General – and the rest of the Hawks were promoted to nobles, Guts waited about a month for everyone to settle into their new roles before breaking the news: he was leaving to find himself.
Griffith, however, was definitly NOT pleased.
“Do you really want to leave? This badly… You want to get out of my hands!? No way. There’s no way!! I’ll not permit it. I will not let you go!!!” Griffith, Vol. 8 Ch. 10
Of course, he wouldn’t actually say that out loud. This was the first time (and one of the very rare moments in the series) that we started seeing inside Griffith’s head, and sometimes it wasn’t pretty.
He thought he had everything firmly in his grasp, he believed he could anticipate every possible outcome, yet Guts’ announcement took him by surprise.
Griffith quickly analyzed his environment and debated several strategies that would help him overcome Guts’ advantage of a much larger, much heavier weapon.
He found one he thought would work, but it had a chance of killing Guts in the process.
This worried him for a moment, “But... If I can’t keep him here... It doesn’t matter!!”. Yes, Griffith was in ‘if I can’t have him no one can!’ mode.
I don’t even think it was even a matter of possessiveness, this was pure and utter desperation.
He charged in with perfect technique, and would have won, but Guts’ sword cut clean through his blade. Though Guts stopped short of actually injuring Griffith, it was an enormous blow to his pride – in front of his men, no less.
Guts believed that Griffith was so strong, so determined, so inspired by his goals, that he couldn’t truly hurt him. But Guts was wrong. Griffith’s iron will was founded on denial of his feelings, and now that false sense of strength was about to unravel. The world of emotion was uncharted territory for him.
Guts didn’t know how much he meant to Griffith because even Griffith didn’t know how much he meant to Griffith.
All Griffith knew was that the only person he believed he could trust with his innermost thoughts, insecurities, and darkest secrets was leaving. He felt abandoned and betrayed.
It is here that the logic of keeping Guts around as a military asset fails completely. The war was over and the only path to claiming his own kingdom was through Princess Charlotte, not Guts. Griffith’s reasons for wanting Guts to stay were 100% personal.
In many ways, Guts was Griffith’s anchor to sanity. While everybody else held him to the standard of an infallible god, he felt he could relax and be himself around Guts. Although Guts knew that Griffith was very special, he was also able to accept him as a human being, with mortal weaknesses and flaws.
Guts was always outspoken, but never judgmental, and truly the closest thing Griffith ever had to a friend. More than that, Guts was the only person Griffith ever truly cared about. “Why do I always realize it when I’ve already lost it.”
Griffith had no clue how to deal with the torrent of emotions that assaulted his painfully rational mind.
What the hell happened? Things were going so well. Why would he want to leave? Did he do something to drive Guts away? How could he not foresee this? Should he be feeling angry, sad, or bitter? Why did he care so much?
He could manipulate his surroundings better than anyone, but he could not handle losing control over himself.
This lead him to a reckless self-destructive act when he slept with princess Charlotte, not out of lust or to speed up the process of becoming royalty.. but as a way to release all the pain and sadness that ate him inside when he lost Guts.
after Charlotte fell fast asleep, he sat restless on the bed nursing the mark left by Guts’s sword and then curled up in a fetus position and cried... apparently longing for someone else.
That didn't end up well, of course. He was cought and locked up in the lowest level of the Tower of Rebirth.
*********
Griffith was stuck there for a whole year, drifting in darkness, with time measured only by pain of torture.
Or did he even care about that? Griffith seems to have a very high resistance to physical pain. The only things that really troubled him were his thoughts and his eroding sanity. He was losing touch with reality, his identity, and his memories.
“Amongst all the images that rise in my mind, only one comes out clear. That ‘thing.’ At night, it feels like thunder inside my brain; moving around, trying to burst free. It follows me, again and again. It feels like the waves of the ocean crashing onto my brain, and all my affection goes along with it. Frustration, friendship, envy, emptiness, unhappiness, pity, unbearable, hunger. I want to go back to that old thing I felt affection for.” Griffith, Vol. 10 Ch. 2
More than anything, Griffith missed Guts.
Through the jumble of fragmented memories, Guts was the single spark of coherency. His image was seared into Griffith’s brain, reinforced by a storm of conflicted emotions. Their power was overwhelming.
“But not just the one thing. I want back everything that I used to feel affection for. Because now I feel nothing for any of those things, even though their images are clear in my head, crystal clear. I want to keep the feelings of those things with me...” Griffith, Vol. 10, Ch. 2
In truth, Guts was the only thing Griffith felt anything towards anymore. He had vague recollections of his old life, his army, his comrades, but the substance behind those memories was rapidly fading. He knew they were important to him, and he tried very hard to cling to these shattered pieces of his humanity, but it was getting progressively more difficult.
The fact that Griffith lasted as long as he did, and held onto his memories for as long as he did, is a great testament to his inner strength, and perhaps even his goodness.
He had a lot of time to reminisce about Guts in the prison.
He could no longer deny that his feelings about Guts were very different from any he’s encountered before.
He did not know when the balance of power shifted, but he resigned to the fact that Guts had somehow usurped control of their relationship.
These realizations did not come without a sharp stab of pain, however. Griffith blamed Guts for his predicament. But how much, and in what way? Was it love or hatred that was keeping him alive? Was it his inability to answer that question that was driving him insane?
Griffith also blames Guts for bringing down his dream. No, overpowering his dream. All his talk of life purpose and equals pales in comparison to his feelings towards this one man he once considered his inferior.
On the one hand, these feelings were a weakness that he violently opposed. On the other hand, they were a warmth that he desperately longed for.
How could he allow himself to get so close to someone who could so easily walk out on their friendship? Of course the tragic irony was that Guts left in order to strengthen their friendship.
Just a couple of volumes ago, it was Guts gushing over how grateful he was to have found someone to watch over him, and that despite Griffith’s harsh standards, “in my eyes, he’s even brighter.”
Now their roles were reversed. It was Guts’ turn to watch over Griffith, and Griffith’s turn to be blinded by Guts’ glory.
When the Hawks’ rescue party broke into his cell, Guts was the only thing Griffith responded to.
At first he reached for Guts’ throat – whether out of tenderness or malice was unclear.
But when Guts broke down sobbing and embraced him, any bitterness Griffith clung to seemed to melt away. His beloved friend had come back for him, and he was relieved to simply hold his hand.
*********
“.............” Griffith, Vol. 10
It is fascinating that Griffith is robbed of his power to speak just when his input would be the most telling about his mental state. Frankly, for someone who just survived a year of unspeakable torture, he seemed a little... normal. That’s kind of creepy in itself.
What’s more, he seemed strangly softer and genuinely grateful at being rescued (He convinced the Princess to leave for safety by mouthing the words “I will come back for you.” True, he could’ve simply realized that she was slowing them down, but it was nevertheless a sweet gesture).
He was also vigilant as ever and was very perceptive of his surroundings (He managed to alert the team of an exit they have overlooked. He noticed right away the chemistry between Guts and Casca, and was concerned that Guts appeared to be enjoying her touch).
As time went by.. Griffith quickly realized that a lot had happened while he was gone, and it took him some time to figure out how would he fit again into this new world.
Nobody yet realized the true damage done to their flawless leader in that dungeon. They thought it was only a matter of time before he returned to his former glory, and encouraged him by saying he would soon get better.
Griffith was even inclined to believe them. Being crippled certainly didn’t diminish his warrior instincts. When Guts or Casca were fighting Wyald, he did everything in his power to help them.
He tried grasping his sword, but all he managed to do was knock it over.
He tried breaking free of his human crutches, but only fell down.
It made him so aggravated to watch helplessly from the sidelines that he clenched his teeth to blood.
“You guys thought you could rise to the top again by following him. Sorry, but it’s all over. This guy’s fighting days are over. He can’t even talk. Swinging a sword is way beyond him! No, he isn’t even able to stand on his own! Crawling around like a bug... From now on he can’t live on his own.” Wyald, Vol. 11 Ch. 10
Judeau and Casca knew the dark truth of Griffith’s injuries, but they wanted to break the news gently to Griffith and the rest of the Hawks.
Now all hope for that was gone. Wyald tore off Griffith’s bandages and revealed to his troops everything Judeau and Casca were trying to hide.
This stripped away any illusions Griffith had about his condition, and the gravity of the situation finally sank in. Furthermore, he was humiliated in front of his entire army in the worst possible way.
*********
“Griffith... You were always looking up, climbing higher and higher. That was all you cared about. Rising up to the top, like a lone hawk. Yes, you never lowered yourself to our level. Us lowly mortals who are bound to the earth.” Guts, Vol. 10 Ch. 3
No analysis of Griffith would be complete without discussing his icy sense of pride. He was always above everyone and held the whole world in his hands. He came from nothing and soared to unimaginable heights, only to drop down lower than he started with.
He was an inch away from achieving his ultimate goal, but one mistake was enough to take away not only his accomplishments, but also his dignity.
All the people he towered over in his prime, who loved and admired him as a living god, now looked down on him with pity.
He was deeply frustrated and lonely. at one point he even was desperate to 'cling' to his most loyal soldier.. the one who always showed him, like the princess, her unconditional love and admiration... Casca.
In his mind Guts had already taken away everything that made him a strong and a 'happy' individual, so he wanted to have what was rightfully his. I believe his 'lunging' at Casca could have just been a desperate attempt to claim ownership of her.
But now his whole existence was at the whim of others. Many of his remaining soldiers gave up on him, until only the most loyal were left.
But at least he still had Guts ...?
“If you’re Griffith’s friend, you must go. You... must go... Alone.” Casca, Vol. 12 Ch. 2
... and now Guts was leaving him – again!
Casca reminded Guts of Griffith’s speech about dreams and friendship back at the Prom Rose Palace, and told him that if he truly considered himself Griffith’s friend and equal, he had to follow his own dream.
“Yes... I’ve rested long enough. I have to go. This playing hasn’t ended yet. ” Griffith, Vol. 12 Ch. 3
Griffith snapped – again – and when Griffith snaps and does something stupid, bad things happen!
It was bad enough for him that he lost his good looks, his fighting prowess, his reputation, his army, and his ability to do basic tasks, but he was also being abandoned by the person he cared about most in the world. A person whose undivided attention he no longer had, because he was in love with Griffith’s second favorite person in the world, and this effectively took both of them out of his reach.
Griffith’s fall from grace was now complete. He had nothing else to hold onto, not even his sanity. Everyone had forsaken him, so he would forsake them to pursue his ambition.
Stranded in the middle of nowhere, with no horses, no wagon, and newly broken bones, Griffith couldn’t help but to laugh, in a fit of madness, at how utterly weak and pathetic he’d become.
His first impulse was suicide, but no, that didn’t quite work out. He was still terrified of death. He missed his throat and only accomplished a stream of blood trickling down his arm... and left trembling and crying with utter despair.
“You thought of killing yourself to escape from your hopelessness... But, in that hopeless moment, was under the wheel of destiny.” Ubik, Vol. 3 Ch. 2
Even though this line isn’t about Griffith, but it certainly applies to him just the same.
His Beherit was lost in the prison, carried away by an underground river. But as fate would have it – literally – his splashing about in the lake brought it back into his hands.
“Griffith...!! Was it me? That pushed you over the edge... Was it me that changed you!? What should I do...!? Why’d you want me!?” Guts, Vol. 12 Ch. 4
Somewhere, deep down, Guts felt responsible for all this. Now, it's completly unfair saying the ensuing carnage was Guts’ fault. But the facts still remain... if Guts hadn’t left, none of it would’ve happened. Casca certainly thought so..
.. and so did Griffith.
But luckly she had her chance to fully forgive Guts... Griffith, however, did not.
*********
Durning the eclipse Griffith was as confused as everyone else because he didn’t plan for this to happen. He had no clue how the Beherit worked.
Wyald did mentioned something about summoning some “guardian angels,” but Griffith didn’t know who they were or how to do that.
“Stay back... Stay back!!!” Griffith, Vol. 12 Ch. 4
When Griffith heard Guts calling his name, with the other Hawks not far behind, he did not want him to approach.
Did somehow realized the event was centered around him, and (despite being highly unstable at that moment) didn’t want his friend getting hurt?
or was it something else?
most likely, Griffith didn't want Guts to take 'care' of him any longer. Griffith desires to be in control of his own destiny, and not be treated as a helpless cripple. If Guts would bear him on his shoulder, Griffith would lose his free will; turned into someone cared after.
And then, that final warning before everything went to Hell:
“I’ll never again forgive...” Griffith, Vol. 12 Ch. 4
Forgive what? Forgive Guts for leaving? “Again”? Would that mean that the first time Griffith forgave Guts was during the reunion in the dungeon?
Despite what he wanted to beilive, Griffith had feelings.. and he certinaly had his limits. He would not tolerate his heart being broken twice.
“I bid thee all welcome to this time and place. O, ye’ lambs who hath created God! Welcome thee hither and partake in the Holy Festival! The Honorable Child, chosen by the Law of Causality, the Hawk. You are the Chosen One. This time and place has been chosen just for you. We are kindred. The blessed Kings for which they crave.” Void, Vol. 12 Ch. 6
A lot of Berserk truths squeezed into a very cryptic paragraph. Void started off by welcoming the humans to this realm, addressing them as beings who have created God – the Idea of Evil spawned from the darkness of humanity’s unconscious.
He then turned his attention to Griffith, the chosen one through whom the infallible Law of Causality brought this time and place into being.
He was one of them – a mighty Demon King ready to claim his throne.
Of course none of this made any sense to the Hawks except for Griffith, who was slowly beginning to connect it to his demonic visions in the dungeon.
He’s had a wide-eyed deer-caught-in-headlights look on his face ever since the eclipse. Was it fear, denial, doubt, guilt, or a mix of all of them?
Trembling, he started to ‘say’ something, but was cut off by Guts.
Guts would not be intimidated by them! He jumped right in to defend his best friend’s innocence, drawing some softer glances from Griffith.
“Such a beautiful friendship. I’m sure you’d make a wonderful sacrifice. A precious sacrifice, in order to become a Demon King.” Slan, Vol. 12 Ch. 6
Guts immediately assumed it was these monsters who wanted to change Griffith by killing the rest of them, but Slan assured him this was not the case. “This is his will. Griffith has offered you all as a sacrifice.”
This was news to Griffith, and he was as shocked as anybody, but that didn’t matter. The God Hand spoke in past tense because fate was absolute, determined the moment Griffith first acquired the Beherit.
“Everything is within the flow of Causality. All has been decided. Your lives were woven to meet this point. So we shall hold the ‘Ceremony of the Coming Lord.’” Void, Vol. 12 Ch. 7
The ground shook and a huge pillar rose under Griffith and Guts. They tried to hold on, but Guts fell on the way up, and only Griffith was taken to the very top of what grew into the huge Hand altar of the God Hand. This was significant because Griffith was now alone in the grips of the God Hand, isolated from the only humanizing influence in his life.
*********
“Are you frightened? Does one such as you even feel such things!? Do you fear higher beings such as we? Or do you fear to tread into the future?” Void, Vol. 12 Ch. 8
Unlike the rest of the world, they did not talk down to him or pity him. He was their guest of honor, and their equal.
They surrounded him with great anticipation, because they were eager to become whole again, like a spine-chilling family reunion. Ubrik explained to Griffith that “before going into the future, you may once again return to the past, and know what kind of person you are.”
The God Hand gave him a symbolic vision of his past, and though they claimed that “this is no illusion, this is the reality of your conscious world,” they also guided the experience for their own purposes.
“Excuse me, granny, which way’s the castle?” Griffith, Vol. 12 Ch. 8
It is interesting to note that in his mind’s eye, Griffith reverted to his childhood persona.
Aside from the fact that these early years were the decisive crossroads of fate, was it also reflective of his core inner self? Was this the point at which his emotional development shut down and he dedicated himself entirely to his dream, setting in motion a chain of events that would make him incapable of dealing with feelings beyond his control?
Or was it simply a longing for more innocent times, when things weren’t so complicated, and the consequences for actions weren’t so severe?
“This is the only way to reach that castle. There is no other path.” Granny, Vol. 12 Ch. 8
This was, indeed, the only road to the castle. It was paved with the bodies of thousands of comrades, tens of thousands of enemies, and even nameless bystanders. The more bodies he piled up, the closer he would get to the castle, and if he stopped, he may join them.
Yes, the only way to the castle was through dead bodies, but That is the nature of war! Every King, every Baron, every General in history traveled that road to claim their rank. They taxed and bullied their subjects, and obligated them to die for politics they cared nothing about. Compared to them, Griffith may considered a saint!
Though he was ruthless, he never destroyed more than he had to.
Even after scoring a decisive victory against a most hated enemy, his orders were to : “Let them flee!! But exterminate any who oppose us!!”
He never struck first, but if somebody did oppose him, his vengeance was undeniably swift, brutal, and cruel.
None of these things made him a monster.
Was he selfish? yes.
Arrogent? maybe.
Emotionless and naturaly evil? NO!
“They are willing to sacrifice their lives for my dream.” Griffith, Vol. 6 Ch. 6
Griffith never took anything that wasn’t his. He had never lied about his intentions, or the lengths to which he would go to see them done. His men admired him for that. All the Hawks swore to die for his dream.
No matter how selfish his dream was, it didn’t make him evil to ask of his troops that which they would freely give him: their loyalty and their lives.
“It was you who made them like this in the first place, was it not?” Granny, Vol. 12 Ch. 8
hmmm.. so You’re going to guilt trip Griffith about dead people now? Dead people who chose to follow him?
The first to emerge from his subconscious was the little boy whose death drove Griffith to seek financial help from a Baron by questionable means.
The fact that this memory came up at all proves that Griffith was capable of feeling remorse.
But it didn’t end there. More dead soldiers came out of the mists, demanding to be taken to the castle. Griffith didn’t know what to tell them besides stating the obvious: “You can’t go with me...!! You’ve all died...!! You’re not alive anymore!! So I can’t take you to the castle... I can’t do it!! Sorry... I’m sorry...”
Granny scolded him for being so mean to his friends: “Everyone came to follow you. If you hadn’t said that you were going there, things would not have happened this way.”
“Why couldn’t you be satisfied with looking at the castle from below!?” Granny, Vol. 12 Ch. 8
Why should he be?! Why should anyone?!
Even those who followed him weren’t satisfied with their quality of life either!
they chose to follow Griffith of their own free will, for their own reasons.
Yes, they believed in his dream, but more importantly, they believed he could lead them to a better life for themselves along the way.
And Griffith delivered. They went from being beggars and thieves to heroes and nobility! They knew what they were getting themselves into, and it could be said that they used him as much as he used them.
Most of them left the moment they saw he could no longer provide for them.
The only person Griffith ever forced to join the Hawks was Guts.
“If you wish to charge further to that castle, you must pile up many more bodies. What’s wrong? Are you frightened? Do you want to return!? It’s no good!! You must not think it over!! The next time you’ll join your comrades’ bodies!! Look!! Look at your own hands!!” Granny, Vol. 12 Ch. 8
Ahh, and now comes the manipulative fear-mongering. Little Griffith’s body began to waste away – a poignant reminder of the older Griffith’s physical deterioration. It was either him or them, and he had to choose fast!
From fear-mongering, granny progressed to outright coercion: “It’s not too late! Pile these bodies before anything else!! This is the only thing you could do now!!”
We finally see that the granny is a puppet controlled by Ubrik and Conrad.
Ok... now don't tell me that the God Hand didn't have a bias they wanted to impose on Griffith’s subconscious.
“No use in regretting now. What can I say to the dead now? No use in regretting my crimes. I can’t apologize for what I’ve done. This is the road I came for myself for the sake of taking hold of my desire. I cannot apologize. No, I will not apologize...!! If I apologize, or feel regret, everything will be over. I’ll never be able to reach that place.” Griffith, Vol. 12 Ch. 8
He could not let himself feel responsible for those who chose to fight his battles. He had done all he could for them, but he could not turn back. He had gone too far, climbed too high to let it all end now.
The twisted flashback reminded him how much he hurt and why he cut off his feelings in the first place.
It started as a way to avoid emotional instability in battle, which divorced him from his humanity, and mutated to rationalize pursuing his dream over the lives of others. Finally, it evolved to protect the only thing he had left – himself.
*********
“Make a single chant, ‘This I sacrifice.’ Then shall you receive wings of jet-black, so that you may be carried to heaven.” Void, Vol. 12 Ch. 9
The Hawks that followed Griffith to this place were his most loyal soldiers. They loved and trusted him as a person, and would stand by him even if the dream they fought so hard for was in shambles.
They weeded themselves out from the rest as unknowing but willing sacrifices through whom Griffith could truly live again. Each of them would become a feather in the wings of the hawk reborn. It was a great honor to nourish the birth of a god!
The God Hand insinuated that his soldiers would forgive him, and would welcome his transformation. When they saw Griffith was still having trouble coming to terms with all this, Void gave him an ultimatum.
“If that castle is the most radiant thing in your eyes, continue to build, use all you have left.” Void, Vol. 12 Ch. 9
There is a running theme of “brightness” in Berserk. Brightness symbolized the intensity of a thought, desire, or concept in one’s mind.
About Griffith, Guts once said “in my eyes, he’s even brighter.” About Guts, Griffith said “his brightness hurts my eyes,” when he realized that his desire for Guts was overriding his own dreams.
The brighter the thought/desire/concept, the more power it had over the psyche. Now Void was asking Griffith to decide once and for all what was brightest in his mind, what was more important to him, Guts or his dream?
*******
“Aim for that castle in the sky. Continue to pile upon those bodies. That is who you are.” Void, Vol. 12 Ch. 9
Notice one VERY important thing... the God Hand didn't say to Griffith:"here's our offer.. now take your time and think about it carefully". NO.. what they told him was basically: "there is no time left! you should DO this or else you shall join the dead. do it.. do it for the sake of your dream and for thoes who died BECAUSE of you! oh, and don't worry.. your friends will surely forgive you in the end!.. and besides.. this IS your destiny".
.. and he eventualy beilived them. forget the fact that he was entirly unstable at the moment.. those were GODS, infinite and all-knowing beings, helping him rationalize this decision by re framing the scenario into one where sacrificing everyone was the noble thing to do.
The God Hand did not lie to Griffith or brainwashed him, but there was definitely an overwhelming sense of 'manipulation', or to put it more correctly: 'convincing'.
if Griffith was 'evil' all along then they wouldn't even bother to convice him that this was the right thing to do, insteed they would just simply remind of his dream and nothing else.
“Return everything from the past. Bury them in the ruins of your dream.” Slan, Vol. 12 Ch. 9
The God Hand were essentially giving Griffith the chance to start over.
They could take all his pain and despair, and make this whole nightmare go away.
But first he had to choose between the pursuit of his dream and the lives of his comrades. This was a choice he made many times before, although it was never presented quite so literally.
Would've he said: 'yes' if he have been just severely injured (like Gambino)?...
No one really knows.
Personaly, I think he would never have sacrificed his men before the prison incident – Not because he's too noble to do such a thing.. but because he had far too much pride and confidence in himself to accept the offer of the God Hand!
But with EVERYTHING else taken away from him, they were his last trump card, and he was willing to use it.
This may raise the question of whether he cared about his soldiers at all, or merely saw them as stepping stones on his path to glory.
Let's see...
the reason he gave himself to the Baron at all was because he wanted to lower the death toll of his troops, inspired by his sympathy for a little boy that died under his command. This could be interpreted in either a purely caring or a purely rational way, but that boy’s appearance in Griffith’s guilty conscience showed it was at least both.
“A sacrifice can’t just be any flesh and blood. It has to be someone dear to you... Someone who’s part of your heart.” Slan, Vol. 3 Ch. 2
Ironically, it is the fact that the Hawks qualified as sacrifices that proves how much he cared about them. You NEED people you care about for the ritual to work! There absolutely no way around this.
However, the only person that Griffith truly loved was Guts. And Guts was the only person on Griffith's mind as he finaly uttered the words: 'I sacrefies'.
*********
“You'll be cut from humanity, and the evilness will possess your mind.” Ubrik, Vol. 3 Ch. 2
The real meaning of the ritual is less about the physical act of sacrifice, and more about the symbolic sacrifice of your own humanity.
It serves to sever ties with the human race. Of course, in order to sacrifice your humanity, you must first have it, and once you lose it, you’re not completly yourself anymore. You're an empty vessel which, according to Ubrik, gets taken over by "evilness."
Everything that was human about Griffith’s human soul disintegrated during the transformation.
However, Femto at his core IS STILL Griffith (only that he his ego has been tainted by being infused with the negative flow of the abyss.. which what turned him into a demon).
they are very different yet they are still the same.
Saying that Femto and Griffith are two separate entities is just as absurd as sating that Femto and Griffith are EXACTLY the same.
I don't think Griffith would have raped Casca, sane or not. indeed, He was at some point so consumed with anger and hatred towards Guts but I beilive he would never hurt him and Casca like that... because Griffith was a human being, a twisted human being, but Femto was a Demon...
yet a Demon who commited an act that is so personal and human (in all of its inhumanity) while staring at Guts in spite the entire time. A demon who was full of all the negative feelings that ate Griffith-the human- alive inside... a manifestation of the 'evilness' and the darkness in Grifith's heart..
but now he was finally free.. free to take his reveng and do 'what ever he wishes' without any pity thoughts or emotions such 'regret'.
It's so very ironic because for being the most surreal-like godly character in the manga for so long, so much of what Griffith did was painfully human.. even when he was no longer human.
“Everyone’s dead. I’m through it... I want... to die... Never to think... Never to feel.” Griffith, Vol. 13 Ch. 3
Griffith was tricked into believing his choice would make him feel better, but it only made things worse... much worse.
He was confronted by the tears he froze to protect himself, and how meaningless it was now. He didn't like seeing his 'friends' slaughtered.
I can't say if he regretted his decision, but he didn't want to deal with it anymore. He couldn't face their pity before, and he couldn't stomach their horror now. He just wanted to die. To shut off his mind and his heart, close his eyes and never wake up.
and now Femto became the sterile, callous personification of not his dream, but his ambition.
"Violence and loneliness... This place is filled with all kinds of blurred negative feelings. It is truly the will that defines human nature." Idea of Evil, Ch. 83
The Idea of Evil was created by humans, for humans. It existed to explain all the misery, suffering, and absurdities in the world.
It was willed into existence by humanity, and shaped destiny to reflect the desires of humanity as a whole.
These were not necessarily conscious wishes. The power of the rational mind is weak compared to the irrational force of feelings.
Feelings of vengeance, hatred, and despair that most people try to hide. But they don't go away, they fuel the Idea of Evil, and create a world that reflects them.
It was a swirling mass of every negative emotion that cried out for meaning. Those feelings ran deep, deeper than joy and happiness, deep enough to create this great being. It was the collective unconscious of the species, and as such it was a very human place.
By this logic, maybe the sacrificial ceremony wasn't about severing ties with humanity at all. Rather, severing the superficial ties and developing a stronger connection to the mass consciousness in order to see the bigger picture.
"Everyone is trying to survive this big river called destiny, and everyone vanishes. When one reaches the last moment of life, s/he won't even know who s/he is." Griffith, Vol. 3 Ch. 3
Griffith was always fascinated by the whole "destiny" idea. He knew he was special, but he was afraid he would disappear before he ever truly understood who he was, just like everybody else. He had a dream, and he wanted to make that his destiny, but he still longed for confirmation.
But after that dream crashed and burned to the ground, he thought he was lost. Was he following the wrong path all along? Would he die ignorant like all the rest he crushed along the way? He thought he would. For a little while, he even wanted to.
"...The destiny... My... God! What do you want from me?!" Griffith, Ch. 83
Yet here was God itself! He could ask these questions straight to its face! It gave him hope, and the will to live.
"Be as you will... Do as you will, Chosen One." Idea of Evil, Ch. 83
Mmmm... "Chosen One." Griffith likes being chosen. Griffith likes being special.
Apparently, his destiny wasn't just to become King, but to become a god! And here was THE God basically telling him that, since he was also A god, he could create his own destiny!
"I dwell deep in your heart, I am a part of you. You are part of your kind's consciousness, a part of me. Your desire is my desire as well." Idea of Evil, Ch. 83
Not only was God telling him all this, but a God speaking for the will of humanity. It was humans who elected Griffith to become one of their five immortal Kings!
"Change this physical field that is your body into a shape suitable for your task." Idea of Evil, Ch. 83
Here we have a much more assertive Griffith. He's ready to OWN this whole choose-your-destiny thing! His body is not disintegrating. On the contrary, it is fully formed... and he wants wings, damnit!
This would mean that Griffith is very much conscious as himself as Femto, so Griffith = Femto? True, but keep in mind that this is a Griffith who has not only went through hell on earth, but also the literal hell of the Idea of Evil.
It taught him to stop running away from his pain and embrace it as the driving force in the universe. It became a source of power! His mind had definitely mutated. It was infused with the mass consciousness of the world and now had a transcendent perspective on life.
Griffith has found his calling in life, and it was greater than he ever dreamed of. His delusions of grandeur have become a reality.
As for reborn Griffith? Well, currently he is nothing short of an enigma who's definitely set up to do great things in the future of the manga.
There was too much effort put into the development of Griffith's personality, his history, and his relationship with Guts and Casca to have him flatline into just another purely evil character.
There is still struggle inside him, and I believe his dual nature will decide the fate of the Berserk universe.
********
Griffith's downfall, his betrayal and his raise again from the ashes was the most compelling case for turning to the 'Dark Side' that I have ever seen in any work of fiction!
It was the story of a street urchin who, inspired by a beautiful dream, took himself and those who followed him all the way to the top.
And just when his dream was within reach, he was torn from it in the cruelest way imaginable. After being mutilated and tortured for a year, he lost not only his reputation, his friends, and his freedom, but also such basic human dignities as talking, walking, and feeding himself.
With his sanity hanging by a thread, he even came close to losing himself, but he would not let that happen.
They say the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. Just as Lucifer was once the most radiant angel in Heaven, so too was Griffith’s rise and fall a result of his enormous pride.
It is people like this who make or break the world. But how far would you go? How far should you go? At what point do the ends not justify the means?
It’s not that Griffith didn’t care about others, he just cared about himself more.
When it came to Guts, he sometimes cared about himself less.
"Every man, within his lifetime, should at least hope for a life he can sacrifice to the god of dreams." Griffith, Vol. 6 Ch. 6