Berserk: 5 Worst Things Griffith Did (& 5 Best) - CBR

The dark fantasy manga/anime series Berserk became widely beloved for its interesting and memorable plot twists, especially the Golden Age arc's plot twists. Many fans had reservations about Griffith's disturbingly dark character in the middle of all those plot twists, though. The beautiful and charismatic man was extremely ambitious, though he often ended up making some of the worst decisions in anime history.

His glorious white hair and feminine looks were in contrast with his cruel personality. Throughout the series, Griffith was strong-willed and never hesitated in difficult situations. Despite coming from poverty, he achieved impossible goals and became a noble person and a leader in a new world order after the Great Roar of the Astral World. While most things Griffith did were irredeemable, he also had decisions that resulted in remarkable changes in the mortal realm.

Updated on March 22nd, 2025 by Louis Kemner: What did Griffith do in Berserk to make him such a controversial and compelling seinen character? New fans will soon find out when they begin the fantasy adventure of Berserk, and learn that there is more to Griffith than his antagonistic role in Kentaro Miura's masterpiece. Griffith's legacy is a complicated one, since he performed many vile deeds that harmed others, but also made a genuine effort to save people while glorifying himself as Midland's savior. So, this list of the best and worst things Griffith has done has been expanded again with five more entries to give Berserk fans a better-rounded image of what exactly Griffith is like.

The Worst Things Griffith Did in Berserk

Griffith Seduced Princess Charlotte

Image by Studio OLM.

One of Griffith’s most questionable decisions was engaging in sexual activities with Charlotte, the princess of Midland. True, princess Charlotte was enamored with Griffith, her personal hero, but that was no excuse for Griffith to take advantage of a teenage girl's trust. It was also the wrong way for Griffith to reciprocate Charlotte's passion for him.

During those times, especially in royal circles, sleeping with someone before getting married was an unforgivable act. Griffith paid dearly when the king's men captured him the next morning. Griffith likely did the deed so he could feel in control of his personal life after Guts abandoned the Band of the Hawk, but that's no excuse for the horrendous things he did.

Griffith Started Obsessing Over Guts

Image via OLM

Ever since their meeting, Griffith was obsessed with Guts, to the point Berserk fans speculate that Griffith was actually in love with Guts in some capacity. That was understandable to a point because Guts was indeed a great asset to the Band of the Hawk as a fierce swordsman and skilled leader.

At the time, Griffith's fixation on Guts seemed innocent, but there were personal consequences for Griffith choosing to exalt Guts over all other Band members. For one thing, Griffith's affection made Casca bitterly jealous, and it almost felt like a betrayal in Casca's eyes. For another thing, being so attached to Guts put Griffith in a position to panic and make foolish decisions when Guts left, such as seducing the princess.

He Got The King's Brother And His Son Killed

Image by studio OLM.

Fans had mixed feelings after the events in Episode 9 of the 1997 Berserk anime adaptation as part of the Golden Age story arc. Griffith and his crew went out on a hunt, and theb a stray arrow hit the leader. Soon after that, Griffith assumed the person behind the attempt on his life must have been Julius, the king’s brother.

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Although Griffith was outwardly humble and forgiving about the attack, he was eager to retaliate and thus eliminate an enemy, which speaks to Griffith's true nature. To that effect, Griffith sent Guts to avenge the deed by killing Julius in cold blood. As Guts was on his way out, he killed another person, whom he thought was a guard, but, in fact, it was Julius’ 13-year old son, Adonis. It was an accident that Guts regretted, but even so, it was still an innocent life lost on Griffith's account.

Griffith Sacrificed the Band of the Hawk to Become Femto

During the Eclipse, Griffith and his band were transported to another dimension after Griffith used his special behelit, the Egg of the King, to summon the God Hand. Four powerful demons explained who they were and invited Griffith to join them as the fifth God Hand. In exchange, he had to offer a sacrifice. For a few moments, Griffith went deep within his mind, going through a short soul-searching.

Griffith ended up brutally sacrificing his crew to achieve his dream. While Griffith transformed into Femto, his Band was tortured and murdered by countless Apostles, who feasted on Griffith's former comrades with ravenous hunger. That was the single biggest plot twist in all of Berserk, and it turned Guts from Griffith's friend to mortal enemy.

Griffith Violated Casca Before Guts' Eyes During the Eclipse

Image via Liden Films

It was already horrific enough that Griffith sacrificed the entire Band of the Hawk to buy power at a human price, but then he made it personal. Once Griffith was reborn as the winged being Femto, he found Casca, who was restrained by Apostles, and impulsively chose to violate her in the worst ways possible. It's largely left to fans' interpretation why exactly Griffith did that to Casca.

It was made even more personal when Casca's current lover, Guts himself, stumbled upon the scene and watched his lover suffer at Griffith/Femto's hands. An enraged Guts rushed to stop the act, but a few Apostles restrained him, forcing Guts to watch the nightmare unfold. After that, Griffith/Femto moved on, ready to join the God Hand and move on to his plan's next phase.

He Tainted Guts' and Casca's Baby

Image by Dark Horse.

During the Golden Age story arc, Guts and Casca ended up alone together during a battle, and they ended up having intimate relations before daybreak. Casca got pregnant, but when Griffith/Femto violated Casca during the eclipse, his essence tainted the unborn child. The end result was a misshapen creature known as the Demon Baby, a child Guts rejected at once.

Guts and Casca could have ended up as happy parents if it weren't for Griffith betraying the Band and tainting their unborn child. Instead, Griffith simply inflicted more horrors on Guts and Casca by giving them the company of such a creature, and it haunted Guts like nothing he had ever seen before. Eventually, the Demon Child was taken out of the picture as the Egg of the Perfect World.

He Had the Queen and Her Conspirators Killed in a Fire

Image by studio OLM.

The queen of Midland and her co-conspirators wanted Griffith dead at a time when he was the Midland Kingdom's best defender, but Berserk fans believe Griffith went too far to defend himself. He could have exposed the queen's ploy and had her entire group arrested, but instead, he took brutal justice into his own hands.

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With Guts to aid him, Griffith arranged to have the queen and her allies trapped in a tower as a fire was set. The queen and her co-conspirators were doomed to die an agonizing death in the flames, an unnecessarily harsh and slow way to execute the conspirators. Guts, however, had no serious qualms about roasting Griffith's worst enemies alive like that.

He Captured Casca at Skellig Island's Remains

Image via Hakusensha

Early in Berserk's story, Griffith had already done terrible things to both Guts and Casca just because he could. In more recent manga chapters, Griffith decided to torment his two former friends all over again. Near the end of the Fantasia story arc, Skellig Island fell into ruin, and that was when Griffith swooped in to capture the vulnerable Casca.

Casca had just regained her mind and memories, and she had taken a few tentative steps toward recovery and getting her life back together. Understandably, Guts was outraged, shouting in fury at Griffith as the leader of Falconia captured the woman whom he had already tortured so much. Now Guts has bigger stakes than ever as Berserk approaches its endgame.

The Best Things Griffith Did in Berserk

Griffith Declared His Intent to Get His Own Kingdom

Image by studio Millepensee and GEMBA.

Most Berserk fans thought Griffith was simply overly-ambitious, as per his ENTJ personality type, and that's why they often forgave his questionable actions or a least tried to balance them with Griffith's more constructive endeavors. His character was easy to relate to since he came from humble origins, yet he had almost unachievable aspirations.

Griffith's plans involved becoming the next king by marrying Charlotte, the current king’s daughter. To reach such heights, he had to be strong and often bold, otherwise he would never have been able to even meet the king. Griffith was a remarkably determined and charismatic person which made him a great leader and a fascinating character. Griffith's decision to seize his own kingdom was at least halfway innocent at the time, and it helped reshape Midland's history in both negative and positive ways.

Griffith Won the Hundred-Year War Against Tudor

Image by Studio Millepensee and GEMBA

At the beginning of Berserk, Griffith was already an established leader of the Band of Falcon. Fans grew fond of the strong commander, as he stood out of the mercenary crowd and powerful charisma that helped him win over many wealthy clients all over the continent. For example, the Midland king needed Griffith needed him to help fight back against Tudor.

Griffith won many battles on behalf of Midland, and his crowning achievement was the capture of Fort Doldrey, a Midland fortress that Tudor had seized some time ago. Against all odds, Griffith won against a massive Tudor army to retake the fortress, ending the war in a decisive victory for Midland and restoring the peace at long last.

Griffith Merged The Astral Plane & The Physical Plane

Image by Dark Horse.

It was an epic moment when Griffith and his army fought against the Kushan Empire in the Berserk manga's Falcon of the Millennium Empire story arc. It was visually amazing in and of itself, but the best moments were just about to come.

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Griffith, by then Femto, anticipated the Skull Knight’s move, a space-cleaving sword stroke, and averted it towards Ganishka. That triggered the Great Roar of the Astral World, which merged the two planes, creating Fantasia. It was exciting for fans to see what creatures would surface, including the arrival of unicorns, giants, hydras, and even dragons, so Guts' giant dragonslayer sword finally had a chance to live up to its grandiose name.

He Saved Midland From the Kushan Empire

Image by Dark Horse.

While Griffith had done some despicable things over the years, many human in Midland were grateful for his bravery. With his new Band of the Hawk supporting him, Griffith liberated Midland from the Kushan Empire’s occupation, and he and his comrades fought bravely to reclaim their lost territory. Many soldiers were terrified of the Apostles who served Griffith, but they were still grateful for the help.

That war was like the Midland-Tudor war all over again, with Griffith leading the charge with a small but elite army to take on a larger, clumsier enemy force and win stunning battles to restore the peace in Midland and beyond. And once again, even Griffith's skeptics were eventually forced to admire and support him as Griffith drove away the seemingly unstoppable Kushan Empire.

He Created A Utopian Society in Falconia

Image by Dark Horse.

After the Great Roar of the Astral World, a new city arose in the middle of Fantasia. This other-worldly city, named Falconia, served as a safe haven for humanity in this new uncertain environment. Fans found Falconia to be a fascinating place, which Femto ruled with a great vision.

He appointed it as Midland’s new capital and created a true utopia in his new kingdom, standing where the old capital of Windham had once proudly stood. While Griffith had to lose everything, he finally achieved his goals and was the ruler of a powerful and peaceful kingdom, one that everyone was overjoyed to live in. Falconia had it all, from protective walls and bountiful harvests to advanced utilities to make life easier and cleaner than ever.

He Gave Casca Safety and a Place to Belong in the Band of the Hawk

Years before Griffith shattered Casca's mind and violated her body, he showed her great kindness, at least on a practical level. Griffith never returned Casca's amorous feelings for him, but he did support her as a newly minted mercenary. As a youth, Casca was a vulnerable civilian, only for Griffith to help her fight back and become an empowered soldier.

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In the process, Griffith gave Casca a place to belong: the Band of the Hawk. Like Guts after her, Casca needed a found family to call her own, and Griffith made sure she had one. That gave Casca not only security and safety at the time, but also a sense of belonging and purpose, which she couldn't have gotten anywhere else at the time.

He Gave Princess Charlotte a New Life in Falconia

Image by studio OLM.

Griffith undeniably did a bad thing to princess Charlotte when he seduced her in her bedchambers one night in the Golden Age story arc. While Griffith's favors to Charlotte in later arcs didn't conveniently erase those past wrongdoings, those actions did prove Griffith saw Charlotte as more than a piece of meat. He saw her in a more complex way than that, which included some positive acts.

Charlotte suffered when her sexually abusive father tried to assault her, and that made her feel more alone than ever. Then, after Midland fell and Charlotte's world fell apart, Griffith swooped in to give her a second chance. Griffith rescued Charlotte with Nosferatu Zodd's help, taking he to Falconia and making her the princess of a miraculous new city-state. So far, Charlotte has been quite comfortable in that role by Griffith's side.

Berserk

Like Follow Followed TV-MA Animation Action Fantasy Release Date October 8, 1997 Directors Naohito Takahashi Writers Yasuhiro Imagawa Franchise(s) Berserk

Cast

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• Marc Diraison
• Kevin T. Collins

Genres Animation, Action, Fantasy Powered by

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