The dynamics of Guts, Griffith and Casca

[AyaNatsume]

Hello everyone! I'm new to the forums. I'm a new major fan ifBerserk only recently watched the anime and the movies and just started to read the manga. I have a few questions and if this topic has been brought up I'm genuinely sorry.

1) In my opinion Griffith values Guts far more than the rest of the hawks, when he sees Casca and Guts together this seems to drive him even more insane. Does Griffith have more feelings for Guts than just friendship?

2) With Guts, I am aware that he's had an extremely traumatic childhood and even in adulthood his life has been traumatic. His love for Casca has not been shaken even though she doesn't remember him nor can communicate with him. Is Guts only sexually attracted to Casca? I know he had sex with that apostle lady but my point is before Casca and now she's lost her mind he doesn't seem interested in other women. The only woman he's ever shown genuine interest is obviously Casca.

3) Casca if Griffith had got involved with her romantically do you think she'd of given Guts a second glance?

4) The hawk of darkness I'm assuming is really a reference to Griffith, so is Guts in that effect the hawk of light?

Sorry if these questions have been raised before

 

[Aazealh]

Hello everyone! I'm new to the forums. I'm a new major fan ifBerserk only recently watched the anime and the movies and just started to read the manga. I have a few questions and if this topic has been brought up I'm genuinely sorry.

Hello and welcome! All those questions have been brought up before and many times, but that's alright. However I cannot stress enough that your point of reference should really be the manga over the adaptations (TV series or movies). Those do not convey the full richness and complexity of Berserk's story or characters and may prove to be more confusing than anything else.

1) In my opinion Griffith values Guts far more than the rest of the hawks, when he sees Casca and Guts together this seems to drive him even more insane. Does Griffith have more feelings for Guts than just friendship?

Like Casca tells Guts in volume 9, Griffith was subject to an incredible pressure because of the size of his ambition and the risky gambles he took. Over the years, he had come to rely on Guts as not just his best soldier, but as the trump card that could pull him out of any trouble. He was the one he could ask anything of, even the dirty work, and he was also his confidant. So Guts served as a kind of mental crutch for him, a reassuring presence he knew he could always count on, no matter the situation. That being said, he was still ready to kill him rather than to let him go in volume 8, so his priorities were unchanged. Obviously his unexpected defeat (from his perspective) threw him off, and he took a big risk to further his plans (by sleeping with Charlotte) right after in order to reassure himself. Of course that went wrong and his sojourn in jail did a number on his sanity. Afterwards, seeing Casca, who used to be his number one fan, as Guts' lover, was insult added to injury. "Something" else Guts had "taken" from him, I guess. I know you're referring to the idea that Griffith may have had romantic feelings for Guts with that question. However while Griffith's feelings are kept ambiguous on purpose, nothing really supports that idea.

2) With Guts, I am aware that he's had an extremely traumatic childhood and even in adulthood his life has been traumatic. His love for Casca has not been shaken even though she doesn't remember him nor can communicate with him. Is Guts only sexually attracted to Casca? I know he had sex with that apostle lady but my point is before Casca and now she's lost her mind he doesn't seem interested in other women. The only woman he's ever shown genuine interest is obviously Casca.

I'm not sure we can really count that encounter with the female apostle in volume 1. Because it's the introductionary scene, it's light on details (that are meant to be revealed later), but from what we know of the Brand's reaction to apostles and Guts' general feelings towards them, it couldn't have possibly been pleasurable for Guts. He basically used himself as bait to take the monster out and "did whatever he had to" in the process. I like to think as this as his lowest moment, right before he met Puck and started on a path to salvation. Anyway, Guts loves Casca and is faithful to her. I'm sure he's physically attracted to other women, but as he told her at the ball, she's not like other women, she's a warrior, and that clearly played a big role in why he fell in love with her. All that aside, because he's the hero and has a will of iron, he has remained loyal to her in spite of her condition. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

3) Casca if Griffith had got involved with her romantically do you think she'd of given Guts a second glance?

I'd like to think so. Obviously this is a hypothetical scenario that will never happen, but keep in mind that Griffith kept certain things hidden from his men (Casca included) out of fear it'd tarnish their opinion of him. And I think it would have. The reason Casca was infatuated with Griffith is because she'd been idolizing him from a young age. He was the charming white knight to her, probably more so than to the others. Could that idyllic representation have withstood the realities of knowing him intimately? I'm not sure. Meanwhile, Guts' honesty and selfless actions speak for themselves and once Casca got past her resentment and preconceptions, she saw that in him. I think she would have too in the situation you propose. But then again, this hypothetical scenario has a problem because Griffith's very personality makes it so he would never have accepted her like that. So if you start changing core components of the characters, well, they're not really themselves anymore and it makes no sense.

4) The hawk of darkness I'm assuming is really a reference to Griffith, so is Guts in that effect the hawk of light?

Griffith is both the Falcon of Light and the Falcon of Darkness. Side note: Falcon is the preferred name over Hawk, as you'll learn by reading more of the story. Anyway, in Berserk the term "Falcon" is really reserved for Griffith. He was the White Falcon, and his army was known as the Band of the Falcon. When he became Femto, he fulfilled a prophecy about the coming of the Falcon of Darkness. And finally, the Falcon of Light is the nickname he currently bears and is a figure he has appeared as. Guts has some nicknames of his own, but none involve the word "Falcon".

 

[AyaNatsume]

Thank you so much Aazealh for your reply and my apologies for bringing up a post that has been discussed before. I shall try and keep that in mind when referencing the characters.


I only mentioned the female apostle as a reference of him having sexual intercourse with another female that we are aware of other than Casca. And how it came to me when reading he was just doing that to trick her into defeating her. And I like that he's remained faithful to her and that Guts is an incredibly loyal person. I personally feel (could be totally wrong) that it's all going to blow up in his face if Casca gets healed.

I do agree with you about Griffith and Casca and of course it's all hypothetical and wouldn't be true to the characters but I feel even if Griffith and Casca was to of come an "item" they would never have been equal. As I feel Griffith feels everyone is inferior to him but I could be wrong I never liked Griffith even from the beginning. Griffith fans don't hate me!

Thank you for explaining to me about the falcon of light and my apologies for using the wrong word.

One thing that I failed to understand I know Guts lost to Griffith when they first meet but why was the group so shocked when he lost to Guts the second time? I know they blindingly followed Griffith and was undeniably loyal towards him but after everyone Guts accomplished like defeating the 100 men soldiers etc I don't understand why they was shocked Griffith lost. Maybe I missed something

 

[Aazealh]

And I like that he's remained faithful to her and that Guts is an incredibly loyal person. I personally feel (could be totally wrong) that it's all going to blow up in his face if Casca gets healed.

Haha, I don't think so. There will be a period of adaptation for sure, but I don't think that love story will end badly.

I feel even if Griffith and Casca was to of come an "item" they would never have been equal. As I feel Griffith feels everyone is inferior to him but I could be wrong I never liked Griffith even from the beginning.

Oh for sure, I mean the very reason Guts decided to leave the Band of the Falcon was because he heard how Griffith felt about his subordinates when he was speaking with Charlotte at the fountain. Griffith was very single-minded about his dream, very driven, and that didn't leave him room for a real partner.

One thing that I failed to understand I know Guts lost to Griffith when they first meet but why was the group so shocked when he lost to Guts the second time? I know they blindingly followed Griffith and was undeniably loyal towards him but after everyone Guts accomplished like defeating the 100 men soldiers etc I don't understand why they was shocked Griffith lost. Maybe I missed something

The two duels take place in really different contexts, so in truth they can hardly be compared. But anyway, they were all used to the notion of Griffith being invincible. The glorious leader that nothing can touch. Even so, Judo knew that things wouldn't be simple, that Guts had become enormously strong. And if Casca hoped for his defeat, it's only because she wanted him to stay... And as Griffith lost, instead of comforting him, she screamed Guts' name...