Guts vs. Griffith: Who Won & Is He Really Stronger?

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One of the best manga runs in the last few decades is certainly Kentaro Miura’s Berserk. The manga gained a cult following over the years, and the medieval Europe-dark fantasy-inspired world is not very kind to people in need. One of them is Guts, the main protagonist, who had an extremely hard life. That didn’t stop him from becoming the best possible warrior he is today, but one man stands in his way of happiness – Griffith. Former friends, now foes, Guts, and Griffith, were at the center of many discussions on who was better or stronger. This article will discuss the battle between Guts and Griffith and see who is stronger.

Guts is stronger than Griffith. Guts and Griffith fought a few times in the Berserk series, and Griffith won most fights. Two wins occurred during Guts joining the Band of Falcons, and Guts won one fight when he decided to leave the Band of Falcons. After the Eclipse, Griffith sacrifices his Band of Falcons to become a demon known as Femto, a member of the God Hand and is vastly stronger than Guts. However, Guts has a trick up his sleeve, and with time, he will be equal to the former friend, now a demon who betrayed him.

We will discuss this topic by analyzing the encounters between former friends, now enemies, in the Berserk series and mention their abilities. Moreover, we will conclude the article by explaining who is stronger and if Guts has a chance against Griffith, a member of the God Hand. If you are interested in this topic, stay with us until the end of the article.

Guts vs. Griffith: encounters in the Berserk series and their relationship

Before we indulge fully in the topic, let’s set a stage for these two characters and discuss their encounters in the Berserk series. When it comes to their lives, both Guts and Griffith are “tortured souls.” Guts epitomized the word “tragic” in the Berserk series. He was born to a dead, lynched mother and, as an infant, was left for dead.

The bandits eventually found Guts, and one by the name of Gambino decided to take care of the baby orphan. Gambino taught Guts swordsmanship and other fighting skills. However, when Gambino gets disabled in the battle and loses the ability to fight, he loses his mind and starts hating the little boy. Guts doesn’t know that and continues to learn various fighting skills.

Guts vs Griffith: Who Won & Is He Really Stronger?
Guts and Griffith fought a few times in manga, and Griffith won most of the fights.

Things go from bad to worse when jealous Gambino sells Guts to a mercenary, Donovan, who eventually rapes him. Guts kills him and then realizes that he needs to kill Gambino, his only father figure, who sold him to the mercenary for three coins. Guts killed Gambino, his second kill, at only nine years of age.

On the other hand, a beautiful boy with big dreams, Griffith grew up in poverty, which fueled his desire to be on top of the world even more. Young Griffith realized it wouldn’t be easy to achieve this goal if he didn’t give pieces of himself to others. Specifically, Griffith’s path to his dream was marked by sleeping with ugly, old royal men who would give him something in return. The young man’s journey to greatness is tarnished by sacrifice, embarrassment, and sexual abuse.

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In the future, Guts continues to live his life full of violence and hardship until he meets Griffith and his Band of Falcons. Their first encounter is chaotic since Guts immediately attacks the group and almost defeats them until Griffith comes in and beats Guts convincingly with his swordsmanship.

Griffith proposes that Guts needs to win against him for the Band to let him go. Guts agrees, but Griffith once again beats a warrior, who reluctantly joins the Band of Falcons. Eventually, Guts started valuing his time in the Band of Falcons, where he met his friend and lover, Casca.

Guts vs Griffith: Who Won & Is He Really Stronger?
Griffith always had a strange obsession with Guts, which is prominent throughout the series.

He also followed Griffith’s dream – to rule his own kingdom. However, after some self-reflection, and an indirect push from Griffith, Guts decides to leave the Band of Falcons because he wants to find his own dream and fight for something that is his. Griffith and Guts fight once more; this time, Guts wins and leaves the Band of Falcons.

Guts and Griffith don’t see each other for a whole year, during which Griffith sleeps with Princess Charlotte and gets imprisoned by her father. Griffith is viciously tortured by Princess’s father for a year until the Band of Falcons, with the help of Guts, save their leader.

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The Eclipse is near, and dying Griffith chooses to destroy the Band of Falcons and his friend Guts – he activates Crimson Beherit, a stone object that will grant the bearer everything they want but will cost them the flesh and blood of most precious people. Griffith sacrifices his Band of Falcons and sexually abuses Casca in front of Guts, who is overwhelmingly beaten by a now God Hand member, a demon Femto. Guts and now a God Hand Griffith are enemies and want to kill each other, once and for all.

We finally pose a question – who is stronger, Guts or Griffith? Hundred percent Griffith since he is a literal demon. Or is he really? Let’s find out in the next section.

Who is stronger: Guts or Griffith?

Guts vs Griffith: Who Won & Is He Really Stronger?

Demon Griffith or Femto is an incredibly strong creature that gains the powers as a member of God Hand – a Nigh-Absoluteness, which means that a demon is invulnerable to mortal opposition. Kentaro Miura suggests that Femto “is akin to the story’s author – only he can play with his destiny.” Demon Femto can beat everyone in the mortal world, and automatically, Guts is inferior to Femto/Griffith.

After Eclipse, Guts cannot harm Femto and is constantly beaten by the demon. However, the story of Berserk isn’t over, and the death of Kentaro Miura stopped the development of the notable manga series. Because of that, we decided to speculate with the facts we already know from the series. Guts isn’t a weak warrior; indeed, he is a powerful mortal man who consistently slays apostles, powerful creatures under the regime of God Hand group.

Guts vs Griffith: Who Won & Is He Really Stronger?
Guts’ Dragon Slayer feeds with slayed entities – the more Guts kills with it, the more enhanced sword gets stronger.

How? Besides being extremely strong, Guts has an enhanced sword called Dragon Slayer, which is measured by the number of entities Guts kills. We know that Guts slays many creatures on his journey, which means that Dragon Slayer will become an extremely powerful weapon even against demon Griffith. Guts also hold the famous Berserker Armor, an extremely durable weaponry that gives the wearer superhuman strength and inhuman ferocity. It also regenerates the injuries one can get during fights, which alone is a plus against Griffith.

Ultimately, we can conclude that Griffith, as demon Femto is more powerful than Guts, which the manga confirmed multiple times. However, it also confirmed that with his ferocity and enhanced weaponry, Guts could and probably will be equal to Griffith. Unfortunately, with author Kentaro Miura passing, we won’t know what will happen to former Band of Falcons teammates. 

For now, we can hope that we will get the ending of Griffith and Guts finally fighting as equals and deciding who is, ultimately, stronger.

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