Enter Guts

The manga Berserk, an alternate history set in a medieval kingdom written by Kentaro Miura, introduced Griffith as its main antagonist in 1989, after being one of the main protagonists for the first 80 chapters. Originally seen, almost literally, as a white, shining hawk, Griffith took a major downfall due to feelings brought on by abandonment, loss of power, and torture, causing him to make the choice to betray his friends and become a demon lord. His dramatic choice and vague morals have caused him to become a classic debate for fans of the series, as well as fans of anime in general. While many people see Griffith as purely a good character or purely a bad character, after analyzing the events of Berserk, it becomes clear that Griffith is

Guts was an anomaly to Griffith. He was immune to Griffith’s charisma, and an incredible swordsman. It could be said, and take this as you will, that Griffith fell in love with Guts. As Guts and Griffith spent more time together, Griffith found himself enjoying his company, risking his life for him, and most importantly, opening up to him. Before Guts, Griffith felt he had no time for relaxation, but when he was with him, he found himself feeling happy. He enjoyed speaking to Guts so much, that when the two were together, Guts was the only thing able to take Griffith’s mind off his dream. This is why when Guts decided leave the Band, Griffith was so upset. His only escape from his responsibilities, his best friend, was leaving him. This would be the first time Griffith ever experienced abandonment. Never in his life had he ever had anything taken away from him. Griffith was shocked -- not only did his only friend leave him without reason, but he also did not understand why it mattered so much to him. Unable to understand what he was feeling, his impulsivity lead him to commit treason, an offense that would strip him of his army, his title, his position, his freedom, his happiness, his dream, and ultimately, all of his power. Griffith’s undisciplined actions led him to go from the king’s general, about to win the princess’ heart and assume the role of King, therefore successfully accomplishing his dream, to a prisoner to be

However, due to the vague way the manga is written, fans often doubt whether or not Griffith was as good as he was made out to be in the beginning of the manga, therefore leading them to think Griffith made the choice maliciously, but with analysis of his actions, it is clear that Griffith did not sacrifice his friends for vain reasons, such as gaining magical powers or revenge. This logic is further proved incorrect by the circumstances of which the sacrifice has to take place. In order for a human to ascend to demonhood, they must make a sacrifice of someone they love, therefore getting rid of their humanity, and becoming susceptible to evil. Griffith wouldn’t have even been able to become a demon if he had no one to care about or no good left in him to turn to evil. During the eclipse, it took a lot of convincing for the God Hand to get Griffith to agree to the sacrifice. The eclipse itself was a very shocking experience to everyone, including Griffith. With blood and demons abound, it would be enough to throw anyone into insanity in the first place. The entire time, the God Hand had the high ground over the humans, especially Griffith. Griffith, who had everything stripped away from him, was physically mutilated, and most likely confused beyond belief, was in an