Warning! Spoilers ahead for Berserk chapter 367!
Griffith‘s latest transgression in Berserk could threaten the powerful empire he’s been establishing for a reason similar to why he initially lost control during the Golden Age. And that reason just so happens to be Princess Charlotte.
At the height of the Golden Age before he fell from grace, Griffith positioned himself to possibly gain a seemingly unending stream of success and prosperity. He won the favor of the king of Midland, captured the heart of the king’s daughter Princess Charlotte and was regarded as Midland’s savior for almost single-handedly defeating the kingdom’s 100-year adversary, the Chudor Empire. But when Guts abandons Griffith to pursue his own dream, Griffith loses himself and foolishly tries to gain control of the situation by having intimate relations with Charlotte, an unfortunate development that leads to his immediate capture and torture.
But in chapter 367 of Berserk, which comes in the wake of the unfortunate passing of mangaka Kentaro Miura, Griffith appears to be setting himself up for a similar downfall. After infiltrating Skellig Island where Guts and his comrades have been resting, Griffith clashes with Guts and eventually manages to separate his opponent from Casca, all in an attempt to likely kidnap her. Although it’s clearly plausible that Griffith is hoping to antagonize his foe and cause Guts to once again have something important ripped away from him, his plan will undoubtedly backfire because of Princess Charlotte.
The princess is clearly unaware of Griffith’s past even though she’s seen him cavorting with monstrous creatures including Zodd the Immortal. Based on her later actions, she has undoubtedly come to accept Griffith’s association with these otherworldly beasts even though they appear inherently evil. But the same can’t be said if she discovers how he sacrificed all of his comrades and physically assaulted Casca. Griffith kidnapping the recently restored Casca could therefore serve to be quite disastrous for the Hawk of Light since it’s plausible that Princess Charlotte could later come in contact with her betrothed’s prisoner, which could only result in the princess learning that Griffith is truly a monster.
Although this could form a rift between Griffith and Charlotte, their ensuing separation would herald a slew of damning implications that could threaten everything Griffith has achieved. During Griffith’s reclaiming of the world after the Eclipse, a major piece of Griffith’s plan involved receiving validation from Princess Charlotte. Initially, Griffith tried to garner his new Band of the Hawk with an honor only bestowed on nobility, and it soon became apparent that he would need support of the noble family, which he receives when Charlotte proclaims her betrothal to Griffith and names him Supreme Commander of the Midland Regular Army. In other words, Griffith’s rise to power was wholly contingent on Charlotte’s support.
Even though Griffith is now essentially a god among men beloved by all, this doesn’t mean that the foundation he’s built and the bonds he’s forged with mankind are impenetrable. Losing Charlotte could prove to be instrumental in the eventual toppling of his kingdom and overall reign. The irony is that Griffith’s first fall from grace wasn’t Charlotte’s choice, even though she was indirectly involved. It was her father who condemned Griffith, for the princess was clearly smitten with him. But she would not longer be smitten if she learned the truth about Griffith from Casca. This not only further cements Griffith’s fate and alienation from the one person he needs most in Berserk, but the fragility of his pedestal confirms the sobering truth that Griffith was never meant to transcend his upbringing and status by gaining his own kingdom.
