Why does Griffith want a kingdom?

Hello everyone. Well, I was re-reading volume 10, and I began wondering: why does Griffith want a kingdom so bad? If you've read volume 10, then you of course know that he saw the castle on the horizon as a kid, sort of like a vision. He vowed that one day that would be his, that "The junk I would get for myself, would be that thing." My question is, why? What makes getting a kingdom so important to Griffith?

The most obvious idea would be for the wealth; the kings of kingdoms were always the wealthiest in the kingdom (right?). But that doesn't really fit Griffith's persona too well, I can't really imagine him being this determined just to get money.

Another possible reason would be that he just wants to govern people, sort of have this power over others. But he wouldn't really need a kingdom for that, he could just expand the Band of the Hawk if he wanted controll. On the other hand, being a king you would have a larger controll over the lives of the people then you would as the commander of a mercenary band, so I suppose this one is a possibility. But I can't see Griffith's personality going for this, either.

I'm sure there are more reasons out their, so that's why I've come to the good folks of Skullnight.net for answers. Griffith has already become a member of the Godhand.. If he was just seeking power from his kingdom, then wouldn't he be much more satisfied with being part of the godhand? I mean, that's pretty much as powerfull as one can get. Or does he want something more then just power?

Thanks everyone, and I am interested in the responses and ideas you all have on the subject. I haven't read too far into the series, so I apologize if this has been stated in one of the later volumes.

(a side question I have, on a very un-related note: when Casca is changing Griffith's bandages after they rescued him, and Griffith falls on casca.. What exactly is he trying to do? Make love to her? Tell her something? was he getting mad at her, or trying to comfort her? Or did he just fall? Sorry if it's obvious, but this scene has confused me for awhile.)

It's quite simple, actually: he gets what he wants, no matter what. He says this in volume 4, actually, right before he duels with Guts.

As for the Casca thing, he wanted Casca to care and stay for him so Guts would stay, I think .

Ahh, that makes sense. But I wonder why he wants it? I believe he wanted Guts because he saw something in him, he liked his unique brashness and how he intentionally puts himself in harms way in order to try to find his purpose (he describes this in Volume 4, page 172). But what does he like about a kingdom so much?

Well, I'm not really too sure of why he wants his own kingdom, but we know that is what he values the most and will do anything to get it. Also he values Guts so much and everything because "only he was able to skewer his dream" At least that what he says in the eclipse in the anime... but you get the idea of what he meant. As for when he falls on Casca, maybe he was just looking for reassurance or for someone to care for him and be by his side. I really don't think he did it in hope that Guts would stay but I agree about the caring part.

I don't think Griffith really has a set reason for why he wants what he wants. It is just his dream, I'm not even sure he knows the reason. There could be something behind it or it could just be a fantasy of his he will stop at nothing to get. We don't really know much of his past before the band of the hawk and when he found Casca.(Unless the manga has gone in depth with it in a later volume).

Zelz said:

I don't think Griffith really has a set reason for why he wants what he wants. It is just his dream, I'm not even sure he knows the reason.

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It's no mystery. Griffith desires sovereignty. The most obvious path to that position is to own a kingdom. He's fairly explicit about his reasoning for this motivation during Guts' flashback in volume 3:

He wants to realize his destiny in the world. And, in this age, as those in power are nobles, he wants to rise above their chains of manipulations, becoming his own power.

PS:
Translation courtesy of Ranemaka's Berserk Translation Database (Some sections were paraphrased for length)

Zelz said:

Well, I'm not really too sure of why he wants his own kingdom, but we know that is what he values the most and will do anything to get it. Also he values Guts so much and everything because "only he was able to skewer his dream" At least that what he says in the eclipse in the anime... but you get the idea of what he meant. As for when he falls on Casca

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I found that scene to be really ambiguous and oddly disturbing, it would seem most likely that he was asking her not to leave him the only way he could but there was obviously something else going on . . . He did rape her as Femto not long after and Casca was so distraught by the incident that she wouldn't tell Guts what was wrong.
Anyway, I feel as though Griffith is someone who puts on an infinite number of airs to hide their own insecurity. People like this struggle to gain power but no amount of power is ever enough because it does not grant power over themselves. It shows that Griffith is never satisfied in this regard. He was not satisfied with the power he had over Guts, Casca and The Band of the Hawk, he was not satisfied with having royal title appointed him and he was not satisfied with God-hood either; extenuating circumstances aside, we are shown that he is constantly affixed on gaining the pinnacle of power and we are hardly even shown anything else . . . I'm really looking forward to learning what growing up was like for him.
Although I think that it might be possible that he is now working as a member of the God-Hand to advance their agenda even though he only appears to still be working for his own.

Forest Wraith said:

I found that scene to be really ambiguous and oddly disturbing,

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I never thought it was ambiguous, given the context of he and Casca's relationship in the past. Before he was reduced to skin and bones, Griffith could have "taken" Casca at his choosing. Furthermore, the difference in Guts and Casca's relationship came as a blow to Griffith and his percieved control over his world. When he fell on her in the tent, it was an act of desperation to reclaim his old status as the chief desirable to Casca. At least, that's how I always thought of it

Although I think that it might be possible that he is now working as a member of the God-Hand to advance their agenda even though he only appears to still be working for his own.

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Griffith's dream never changed. Right now, God Hand's agenda is working hand in hand with Griffith's agenda. Whether that will change in the future is unknown.

Ahh, I see. I never thought about it that way, Walter. I can agree with that, but I still don't really get what appeals to him so much about a kingdom. I mean, he's achieved god-like powers, probably the most powerfull he can possibly get without becoming Idea itself (if that was even possible). Why does he still feel it necessary to achieve a kingdom? Does he just like power/superiority over others, to govern things? Because he can already do that with the apostles, which worship the god hand.. Of course, thats not the same as running a kingdom.

So he wants sovereignty, even as a member of the God hand, or does he seek something more, greater then even what he already is?

This is like asking why does Slan seem to want Guts? She is a Godhand member and controles plenty of creature but she still went out of her way to meet Guts, even without the other meaning it was simple out of her own desires(really can't say much more because we don't know why she became a GH member). Griffith is the same he's always wanted Midland so it's natural he still does and even more so because he has the power now to claim it(he sacrifed the BotH not his ambitions). Which is the argument that swayed him to make the sacrifice at the eclipse, remember all the stuff about you will never make it to the castle if you don't stuff. Godhand is good but he did it to get a castle and so far I haven't see any castles in Hell.

IsolatioN said:

...but I still don't really get what appeals to him so much about a kingdom.

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Causality.

I don't think you can look into Griffith's castle desire much farther than the replies given.

And I never interpretted Casca's crying by the wagon to be her distraught at what Griffith did. I think she was distraught because the incident made it very clear to her that she wouldn't be able to break herself away from Griffith and go with Guts. She realized she's a prisoner to her obsession and it would cost her the better relationship with Guts, but there's just nothing she can do about it. So I guess Griffith's little jump-on-Casca maneuver paid dividends.