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I recently binged watched the 1997 anime series. Also, I have started reading the manga. In all my years reading manga or watching anime, I have never felt so strongly about a character as I have with Griffith.
Griffith is a beautiful demon in my eyes. On the surface he's innocent, charismatic, and alluring. He's the type of person everyone loves and admires tremendously. Spend two seconds in his presence and you'll completely fall for him. His charm is that powerful. However, beneath that superficial level there is something dark and ominous in his being.
From the very beginning, I could see why Griffith was quite the exceptional leader and fighter. His wisdom and judgement far exceeded his peers. He commanded great respect from most people. His followers were fiercely loyal and obedient. Casca once said his orders are absolute. In the eyes of many, Griffith was perfect. Some called him a prodigy. Some called him a god. I more or less thought of him as an angel in human flesh.
I found him compelling to watch as I went thru the episodes. His dream was grand and somewhat unrealistic. To rule a kingdom of his own. A man of common origin wanted to become one of the most powerful individuals in the entire land. The idea was laughable but the people around him believed he could achieve his goal. His loyal supporters rooted for him. I rooted for him too until I realized he was dangerous and immoral.
Driven by a desire to rule over other people, Griffith would do anything to serve his ambition. He had people assassinated. He slowly manipulated and seduced a young naive princess. He even prostituted himself at one point. As long as he cleared an obstacle or removed a pebble from his path, he didn't mind getting his hands dirty. His followers were simply pawns in a chess game. He didn't really cherish or love them. He used them to serve a specific purpose and nothing more. He cared solely for himself until he met a certain man.
Guts. Griffith would repeatedly lay his life on the line for Guts. Guts wasn't just a subordinate. He was a friend. A friend whom Griffith probably secretly loved from the bottom of his icy heart. Their relationship was sincere and strong. He needed Guts in his life for numerous reasons. When Guts finally left him, Griffith simply couldn't handle what happened. Thus, his downward spiral begun.
Up until this point, I still liked Griffith despite the fact that I had serious concerns about his willingness to do anything to achieve his goal. However, my feelings were to soon to change as I watched the final events of the Golden Age arc.
Griffith went thru a horrific ordeal as a prisoner. Tortured every single day. I felt sorry for him because his punishment was cruel and excessive. I looked at him differently because by the time he was rescued by his comrades, he was a shell of his former self. He was unrecognizable. He was no longer the man who captivated me at the beginning of the arc. Now all I feel for him is pity and sadness.
Then it happened. The dreadful eclipse. I watched in agony as Griffith descended further into darkness by making his selfish decision to sacrifice his comrades so he could transcend his human body and gain the power necessary to rule. The people who served him for several years. The people who risked their lives to save him. The people who loved Griffith the most. He betrayed them all. I was greatly upset. Seeing the Apostles shred his comrades to pieces was a tough scene to watch.
However, nothing compares to what happened next. Griffith reborn as Femto proceeded to do something so shocking, I couldn't stop myself from feeling disgusted. He raped his most loyal follower Casca in front of his former best friend Guts. Whether he did it to get back at Guts or some other reason is irrelevant. This scene made me livid because I could almost feel the mental anguish Guts was experiencing as he watched his lover getting violated by the man he trusted and looked up to the most. Anger, fury, sadness, bewilderment, hopelessness, unhappiness. I felt all of these emotions as I watched the sacrificial ceremony unfold. By the end I felt the same way as Guts. Just pure hatred for Griffith.
Fast forward a bit and we see that Griffith has no regrets about his past actions. No guilt felt or remorse shown. He's become even more detestable. There is no redemption for him. He achieved his dream but at great cost. I hate him now. Awesome antagonist nonetheless. Anyway, now I can't wait for Griffith to pay for everything he has done. I hope his demon nature is exposed. I hope he suffers. I hope...Guts kills him. I think it would be a fitting end for a beautiful demon.
Griffith is a beautiful demon in my eyes. On the surface he's innocent, charismatic, and alluring. He's the type of person everyone loves and admires tremendously. Spend two seconds in his presence and you'll completely fall for him. His charm is that powerful. However, beneath that superficial level there is something dark and ominous in his being.
From the very beginning, I could see why Griffith was quite the exceptional leader and fighter. His wisdom and judgement far exceeded his peers. He commanded great respect from most people. His followers were fiercely loyal and obedient. Casca once said his orders are absolute. In the eyes of many, Griffith was perfect. Some called him a prodigy. Some called him a god. I more or less thought of him as an angel in human flesh.
I found him compelling to watch as I went thru the episodes. His dream was grand and somewhat unrealistic. To rule a kingdom of his own. A man of common origin wanted to become one of the most powerful individuals in the entire land. The idea was laughable but the people around him believed he could achieve his goal. His loyal supporters rooted for him. I rooted for him too until I realized he was dangerous and immoral.
Driven by a desire to rule over other people, Griffith would do anything to serve his ambition. He had people assassinated. He slowly manipulated and seduced a young naive princess. He even prostituted himself at one point. As long as he cleared an obstacle or removed a pebble from his path, he didn't mind getting his hands dirty. His followers were simply pawns in a chess game. He didn't really cherish or love them. He used them to serve a specific purpose and nothing more. He cared solely for himself until he met a certain man.
Guts. Griffith would repeatedly lay his life on the line for Guts. Guts wasn't just a subordinate. He was a friend. A friend whom Griffith probably secretly loved from the bottom of his icy heart. Their relationship was sincere and strong. He needed Guts in his life for numerous reasons. When Guts finally left him, Griffith simply couldn't handle what happened. Thus, his downward spiral begun.
Up until this point, I still liked Griffith despite the fact that I had serious concerns about his willingness to do anything to achieve his goal. However, my feelings were to soon to change as I watched the final events of the Golden Age arc.
Griffith went thru a horrific ordeal as a prisoner. Tortured every single day. I felt sorry for him because his punishment was cruel and excessive. I looked at him differently because by the time he was rescued by his comrades, he was a shell of his former self. He was unrecognizable. He was no longer the man who captivated me at the beginning of the arc. Now all I feel for him is pity and sadness.
Then it happened. The dreadful eclipse. I watched in agony as Griffith descended further into darkness by making his selfish decision to sacrifice his comrades so he could transcend his human body and gain the power necessary to rule. The people who served him for several years. The people who risked their lives to save him. The people who loved Griffith the most. He betrayed them all. I was greatly upset. Seeing the Apostles shred his comrades to pieces was a tough scene to watch.
However, nothing compares to what happened next. Griffith reborn as Femto proceeded to do something so shocking, I couldn't stop myself from feeling disgusted. He raped his most loyal follower Casca in front of his former best friend Guts. Whether he did it to get back at Guts or some other reason is irrelevant. This scene made me livid because I could almost feel the mental anguish Guts was experiencing as he watched his lover getting violated by the man he trusted and looked up to the most. Anger, fury, sadness, bewilderment, hopelessness, unhappiness. I felt all of these emotions as I watched the sacrificial ceremony unfold. By the end I felt the same way as Guts. Just pure hatred for Griffith.
Fast forward a bit and we see that Griffith has no regrets about his past actions. No guilt felt or remorse shown. He's become even more detestable. There is no redemption for him. He achieved his dream but at great cost. I hate him now. Awesome antagonist nonetheless. Anyway, now I can't wait for Griffith to pay for everything he has done. I hope his demon nature is exposed. I hope he suffers. I hope...Guts kills him. I think it would be a fitting end for a beautiful demon.
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. It's like I can feel what the others feel in the manga when he appears. Miura is amazing for this.
! Not completely. I know what's going on right now because I read the latest chapters. However, there's more than a hundred chapters I have yet to look at it. Much to read. Much to learn. I really like it so far. I slept on Berserk in the past, but now I see why so many people love this manga. The story is gritty but it feels so unique and real. The characters are well written and fleshed out. The art is some of the best I have seen from any mangaka. I regret not picking up this manga sooner! 
