Griffith

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Griffith is the main antagonist of the series. He is the founder and leader of the mercenary army Band of the Hawk. Extraordinarily charismatic and handsome, his tactical skill gave him and his army the reputation of invincibility, and the favor of the King of Midland, who was locked in a century-old war with the Empire of Tudor. Due to his many important victories in this war, he is made Lord Protector of Midland by the king, despite his common ancestry.

Griffith was willing to sacrifice everything for the dream of his own kingdom, believing that he is destined for things greater than the average man. Early in his career, he won Guts' service in a duel and Guts became his sword in both the battlefield and in his political fight with disgruntled Midland nobles. A large part of his success was due to Guts' fighting ability and Griffith grew to be dependent on Guts, although their relationship was not exactly friendship.

After the assassination of General Julius, Guts heard Griffith saying to Princess Charlotte that a friend must be someone he considers his equal. Guts reflected upon this and decided he would live his own dream rather than Griffith's, so that one day they could be equal friends. After winning the war for Midland, Griffith loses to Guts in a duel which stipulates that Guts remain in his service should he lose and freed if he wins. This loss results in Guts' desertion from the Hawks. Stunned and feeling betrayed, Griffith sought comfort in a one-night stand with the king's daughter, and sole heir to the throne, Princess Charlotte. The affair was discovered, after which Griffith was imprisoned and tortured for a year.

He was rescued by Guts along with the primary members of the Hawks, but was already physically crippled with the tendons in his wrists and ankles cut, his tongue cut out, and mentally broken. See Guts and Caska loving each other finally drove him insane (in his final moments before the Eclipse, he dreamed of a normal life, with children and Caska as his wife). Despairing the loss of his dream at Guts' influence, his state of madness that coincided with both the reappearance of his lost Behelit

, and a solar eclipse.The God Hand appeared, and he sacrificed the Band of the Hawk to them to become the fifth and final God Hand: Femto. Only Caska, Guts and Rickert, who was outside the area influenced by the Eclipse, survived, all having been rescued by the Skull Knight.

Two years later, Griffith was reincarnated as a human in the city of Albion, where he now leads a newly formed Band of the Hawk, still in pursuit of his dream to obtain a kingdom, only now he has sanction from 'God'. The body used for his incarnation was that of Guts and Casca tainted Child. This resulted in Griffith protecting Casca, as the Child has always been watching over her, from the flying debris caused by Zodd fighting with Guts at the Hill of Swords.

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