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Yes... Of the thousands of comrades and the tens of thousands of enemies, you're the only one... who made me forget my dream... I sacrifice.
„
~ Griffith declares his sacrifice of the Band of the Hawk for his dream, as well as his most famous quote.noicon
“
Griffith: I came here to know for certain whether anything will shake my heart. While I stand before you in this new body of flesh...it seems...I am...free. Guts: You mean after what you did, after all those you betrayed, you don't feel anything!? Griffith: I'll not betray my dream. That is all.
„
~ Griffith to an enraged Guts, showing that he has absolutely no remorse for all that he's done.
Griffith, later known as Femto, is the main antagonist of the Berserk franchise.
Griffith is the founder and leader of the mercenary army known as the Band of the Hawk. He along with his army fought in the Hundred Year War and restored peace for the war-torn kingdom of Midland. However, upon being imprisoned, abandoned by one of his close friends, and being tortured for over a year by its own king after sleeping with Charlotte, Griffith used the eclipse to sacrifice his entire army and later was reborn as Femto, the fifth, newest, and final member of the God Hand.
He is the arch-nemesis of both Guts and Casca, who were among the only survivors of the Eclipse and have since then dedicated their lives to hunting him down and putting a stop to him for good.
What led Griffith to sacrifice his entire army in Berserk?
Griffith, the founder of the Band of the Hawk, sacrificed his army to fulfill his dream. Following a botched suicide attempt, he and his army were drawn into the God Hand's dimension. Coaxed by the God Hand members, Griffith consented to become their fifth member, offering the Band of the Hawk as a sacrifice to transform into Femto. His rebirth was marked by an act of violence.
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How did Griffith transform into Femto in the Berserk series?
In the Berserk series, Griffith, leader of the Band of the Hawk, becomes Femto by sacrificing his mercenary army, the Band of the Falcon. This transformation, part of his dream, results in a complete loss of his morality, emotions, and conscience. His first act as Femto is a horrific assault on Casca, forcing Guts to witness the act.
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What role does Griffith play in the Hundred Year War in Berserk?
In the Berserk series, Griffith, or Femto, is a pivotal character in the Hundred Year War. He leads the Band of the Hawk, a mercenary group, and significantly contributes to restoring peace in the war-ravaged kingdom of Midland. Despite his ambitious and manipulative nature, Griffith was once viewed as a trusted friend and ally.
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What are the ideals that drive Griffith's actions in Berserk?
In Berserk, Griffith is driven by ambition, power, and an opportunistic nature. He is prepared to sacrifice others for his aspirations, adhering to an ideal of never betraying his dream, irrespective of the moral cost. His transformation into Femto erases his morality and emotions, turning him into a remorseless entity who sees others as disposable tools.
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How does Griffith's character evolve from a mercenary leader to a villain in Berserk?
In Berserk, Griffith transforms from a semi-honorable mercenary leader to a villain, driven by extreme ambition and power-lust. His narcissistic, manipulative, and obsessive traits lead him to commit remorseless crimes. His relationship with Guts, whom he'd rather kill than let go, highlights his villainous change. Despite his heinous actions, Griffith remains unapologetically committed to his dream.
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Appearance[]
“
Long silver hair. He was so pretty... I could hardly tell he was a man. More like someone out of a fairy tale...
„
~ Erica upon seeing Griffith.
Griffith is a very handsome man, with flowing white hair and beautiful blue eyes. Many more masculine men often remark on his beauty and how he looks like he stepped from a painting. Some go so far as to lust over him, including a man who he later faces as an enemy. However, some people had resisted his charms such as Rickert, the former member of the Band of the Falcon, whom he slapped Griffith on the face and walked away.
Most of the time, Griffith uses his appearance to manipulate or make sure he gets ahead, such as with Charlotte for example. He makes the young girl fall in love with him and his beauty and also knowledge. Many characters, especially women, are drawn to him because of his angelic appearance.
Personality[]
“
I feel no responsibility to comrades who've lost lives under my command. Because they chose to fight in each battle.. Just as I chose this. But if there is something that... I can do for them. Something I can do for the dead... Then it is to win! I must keep winning to attain my dream. The same one they clung to, and risked their lives for!!! To realize my dream, I will perch on top of their corpses. It is a blood-smeared dream, after all. I don't regret or feel guilty about it.. But to risk thousands of lives while never getting myself dirty. It's not a dream that can be so easily realized!
„
~ Griffith when he was still a human.
Griffith was once a fair, semi honorable and straightforward man. However, as a mercenary, he is also extremely opportunistic, ambitious and power-hungry. Still, when not on the job, he does have a less serious, more playful and joking side. This side of him is usually reserved for Casca or Guts, especially the latter. However, Griffith is also quite possessive, egotistical, manipulative, vicious, and obsessive to the point that he was willing to strike Guts down than to let him go when the larger man muses about leaving.
Despite his pride, he was also deeply insecure, as he felt resentful at Guts for appearing to surpass him. In an attempt to sate his ego, he had sex with a princess, despite knowing how her father would react. After suffering intense torture, he felt self-pity, yet refused to accept responsibility for his actions, instead still blaming Guts and his men for "betraying" him. Thus he rationalised his subsequent betrayal of his loyal men and Guts, as he blamed them for his sorry state, and his hunger for hunger made him completely disregard their autonomy and lives.
“
Count: He is the one they call the Black Swordsman! The one who destroyed so many apostles of the God Hand... You should consider him a hated enemy! Femto: A few worthless servants killed is inconsequential to us. Black Swordsman, you say? His petty existence is beneath our notice.
„
~ Femto as the Count begs the God Hand to kill Guts.
After being reborn as Femto, all traces of his morality, emotions, and conscience have been completely erased. Griffith has now become a textbook example of a psychopath: extremely callous, pitiless, remorseless, uncaring, and sadistic monster, as he sees Guts and the Falcons as nothing but tools, and he discards them like garbage when they are no longer useful. He even went so far as to rape Casca purely out of revenge and did not show remorse or feeling ever since while also mocking Guts after seeing for the first time after the Eclipse.
Powers and Abilities[]
Powers[]
Telekinesis: Griffith is capable of manipulating matter. Right after his rebirth as Femto, he was able to crush a group of apostles into nothingness by just closing his hand, and when Guts tried to attack him after he and the rest of the God Hand were summoned by the Count, he sent Guts flying with just a glance. He also blocked a shot from Guts' cannon arm effortlessly.
Spatial Manipulation: When the Skull Knight tried to attack Griffith with his space-cutting Sword of Actuation, Griffith was able to warp space so that the attack wouldn't hit him.
Causality Manipulation and Perception: Being a member of the God Hand, Griffith is aware of the flow of causality and nudge it to further his goals.
Flight: As Femto, Griffith has wings that look like a cape when unused. Being wings, they can be used to fly. However, Griffith usually relies on Nosferatu Zodd for air travel, so his ability to fly may be limited.
Supernatural Charisma: Although he was already highly charismatic when he was human, after joining the God Hand, and after regaining his physical form, Griffith utilizes what is described as "an enormous flow of od that engulfs and charms people", making it very easy for him to charm people and rally them to his cause.
Teleportation: Griffith also seems to possess either super-speed or teleportation, since he managed to reach Casca in time to shield her from falling boulders, even though he was standing on top of a hill a fair distance away only a moment before, and he was also able to move past Silat and the Tapasa without them even noticing he had moved.
Reality Warping: As Femto, Griffith can become a reality warper.
Invulnerability: Even after regaining corporeal form, he can avoid being harmed by physical means. However, this ability appears not to be absolute, as Rickert was able to slap him in the face. When Griffith appeared in Elfhelm, the extent of the damage an enraged Guts could do was reduced to the severing of a single strand of hair and all attacks from the Dragonslayer sword had no effect whatsoever.
Abilities[]
“
He's something else. I know I could split steel with this sword, but he easily evades each blow and just uses one arm to handle his narrow blade. He is good.
„
~ Guts about Griffith's skill during their first duel
Master Swordsman: Griffith is a master swordsman. He has dispatched many enemies with merely one stab from his sword, capable of easily puncturing vitals if he so chooses. To combat larger swords, he uses the opponent's sword weight against them, deflecting the larger blade down the side of his narrow sabre to create openings for offensive strikes such as when he first dueled Guts. As a human, he is able to completely sever Zodd's arm in a pincer movement alongside Guts, making him the second man in 300 years to wound the apostle. During the Defense of Vritannis, he single-handedly eliminates Emperor Ganishka's imperial guard – numbering at least 12 – in rapid succession with his sabre alone.
Expert Hand to Hand Combatant: Griffith has also shown to be skilled in unarmed combat, managing to easily put Guts in an arm lock and dislocate his shoulder when the latter tried to punch him.
“
I suppose you're all used to sitting off to the side and thinking up your little plots, but this is war. There's nowhere to sit on the battlefield.
„
~ Griffith to the Queen and other nobles after trapping them in a fire
Genius-level Intellect: Griffith posses a genius intellect with knowledge in many fields. Aside from his battlefield strategics, he is also knowledgeable in history, religion, philosophy, chemistry, politics, art, cooking, makeup, and poisons most of which he gathered from reading various books.
Master Tactician/Strategist/Manipulator: His natural tactical genius is only enhanced by his keen perception of causality as a member of the God Hand. Furthermore, with Sonia's assistance, Griffith is able to discern the heart of enemy forces and fell enemy leaders in a single attack, sending his enemies into a panic and disarray. Griffith has used the tactic of striking the heart of an enemy force in several of his most prominent military engagements following his incarnation.
Leadership: As the leader of the original Band of the Falcon, Griffith lead his band of mercenaries to many storied victories during the Hundred-Year War, and is renowned across the continent for having never lost to his Tudor opponents. Following his incarnation, Griffith commands many of the most formidable known apostles, who are at his beck and call as his "beak and talons". Furthermore, Griffith is the supreme commander of the Midland Regular Army, and as such, commands all of the human soldiers serving in the military of Midland.
Charisma: Even prior to his rebirth, Griffith is a magnetic figure who easily reels in admiration and devotion. His vaunted physical appearance in conjunction with his allure and persuasiveness make his presence undeniable and his ambitious dream ever so captivating. The range of his charm is only enhanced by his legendary successes, with people of all walks of life admiring his high climb from nothing. Among even the Midland nobility, Griffith operates as efficiently as he does in battle, his illustriousness winning over the affection of nobles and commoners alike.
Peak Human Condition: Before his torture and incarnation, Griffith was at peak physical condition. He could dislocate Guts arm out of its socket despite the latter greater strength. He is fast enough to land multiple cuts faster than the eye can track, is agile enough to jump out of a sword's swing and land on top of it with perfect balance. His reflexes are honed to where he can dodge attacks even when temporarily blinded.
Equestrianism Skills: Griffith is highly skilled at riding on horseback, even managing to catch up to princess Charlotte's runaway horse. He can also effectively fight on the battlefield with his horse, even seemingly flying over towards a Kushan leader.
Indomitable Will: Griffith possess a near unshakeable will to do anything he needs to do in order to accomplish his dream, no matter how extreme or underhanded the methods maybe.
Equipment[]
Sabre: Griffith carries this curved one handed sword as his weapon of choice. He has wielded many different variations, usually with a cavalry style hand guard. His most recent version has a gold feathered hand guard in keeping with his hawk motif.
Spear: Griffith threw a spear by Guts to prevent him from killing Casca during their first encounter.
Crossbow: Griffith used a customized crossbow that can shoot two bolts when rescuing Guts from pursuing soldiers.
Armor: Griffith wears silver plate armor both as a human and after his reincarnation, with a helmet that resembles a hawk's head.
Crimson Behelit: Griffith was given this supernatural item which can transfer him to the Godhand's realm and is only given to those with traits worthy of becoming a member. It has a will of its own as even if separated will inevitably return to its owner at the proper time, which it did when Griffith was about to commit suicide, eventually turning him into Femto.
Quotes[]
“
I will get my own kingdom. You will fight for my cause, because you belong to me. I will decide the place where you die.
„
~ Griffith showing his possessive attitude to Guts.
“
In life, unrelated to one's social standing or class as determined by man, there are some people who, by nature, are keys that set the world in motion. They are the true elite, as dictated by the golden rule of the universe.
„
~ Griffith's elitist worldview.
“
It is my perception, that a true friend never relies on another's dream. A person with the potential to be my true friend, must be able to find his reason for life without my help. And, he would have to put his heart and soul into protecting his dream. He would never hesitate to fight for his dream, even against me. For me, a true friend is one who stands equal on those terms.
„
~ Griffith speaks to princess Charlotte about friendship.
“
I thought I told you then that you belongs to me. I won you with this. Your fight and your death, I hold both. If you want to leave my grasp, then it will be the same as that time. Wrest yourself away by your sword.
„
~ Griffith starts a duel when Guts decides to leave Band of the Hawk.
“
Yes... What good is regretting it now? What can I say to the dead now? What good is repenting my sins now? I can't so much as apologize. This is the path I have traveled to get what I wanted. I can't apologize. No, I won't apologize! If I apologize, if I repent... everything will come to an end. I'll never get to reach that place.
„
~ Griffith finally makes up his mind to sacrifice his comrades.
“
Still... Squirming around in your pitiful existence, I see.
„
~ Femto after seeing Guts when The Count summoned the God Hand.
“
You never change. You always swing first, talk later. You're the way you were when we first met.
„
~ Femto seeing Guts again in the hill of swords.
“
The princess who pricked her finger with the needle fell into a deep sleep. There was a story like that. Is this pain... a dream... or not?
I was dreaming. On nights of the full moon... I'd become a small child and find myself embraced by nostalgic warmth. But... when I wake from the dream... All that remains is a faint sense of loneliness... That too, soon fades away. Along with a single tear. Like morning dew.
„
~ Femto shed in tears when possessing the body of moonlight boy.
Theme[]
Hirasawa Sumusu - BEHELIT[]
Shirō Sagisu - Griffith's Dream[]
Trivia[]
According to this interview with Kentaro Miura, Griffith's appearance as Femto was inspired by Winslow Leach's costume in the 1974 film Phantom of the Paradise.
Griffith's character is likely partially inspired by Ryo Asuka from the Devilman series, which Miura was a huge fan of. Both characters are angelic-looking friends of the main protagonist of their respective series, with whom they share a deep affectionate bond with, and both of them go on to eventually betray them and become their sworn archenemies.
Interestingly enough, the two characters are heavily different from each other. Unlike Griffith, who no longer had any care and love for his former friend Guts, Ryo still genuinely cared about Akira even after their betrayal and wanted to share their remade world with him.
Femto's color changes in each adaptation: the 1997 anime made him crimson red, the Golden Age film series made him a darker shade of purple, and the 2016 anime gives him a more bluish shade of black.
Due to his similar appearance to Frikka from Berserk: The Prototype, it became a meme and some even genuinely theorize that Griffith was originally going to be a woman before Miura decided to make him a male character.
Femto's eyes have changed throughout the adaptation. While initially red with a line instead of a pupil, making him resemble a snake, in the 1997 anime, his eyes were blue.
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