Books: Berserk Vol. #8

Lady Anne: Villain, thou know’st no law of God nor man:
No beast so fierce knows but a touch of pity.
Gloucester: But I know none, and therefore am no beast.
— Shakespeare, Richard III

Those words were tailor-made to describe Griffith, possibly the most pitiless and fascinating character in any manga currently running. He’s a good part of the reason why Berserk is, in turn, one of the most fascinating manga running, period. We have to know what he does next, and next, and next — and not just him but everyone else he’s gathered around him, too.

Throughout the eighth volume of Berserk, Griffith employs his friend and right-hand man, Guts — the seemingly unstoppable “Hero of a Hundred” — to destroy his opponents not only on the battlefield, but in the dark corridors of power. Griffith’s plans as a mercenary warlord are all just prelude to his even greater plans to create his own kingdom at any price, and anyone who has followed the series thus far will know in their bones that means, yes, any price. There’s very little that will give pause to a man who prostituted himself (to another man, no less) to pay for his own army’s rations and equipment.

Article originally written for AMN. Click here to read full text.