History Foil / Berserk

** In the anime and the films, Guts is portrayed as a GutturalGrowler while Griffith is a SoftSpokenSadist.

** There are even some interesting parallels between Guts' Beast of Darkness and Griffith's predicament of sharing a body with the Moonlight Boy: the Beast is ultimately Guts' worst aspects personified that goads him into indulging in his anger and lust, and Guts is in a near-constant battle for dominance over it; the Moonlight Boy is the lingering soul of Guts and Casca's child (which was born out of a loving, consensual relationship) and despite being tainted by Femto, the Boy is entirely innocent, is hinted to have a positive and humanizing influence on Griffith’s actions, and actually takes over his body once a month.

** Upon his reincarnation to the mortal plane, Griffith performs miracles for the people, such as reuniting them with their dead loved ones' souls for one final goodbye, reclaiming Midland from the mad king Ganishka, establishing a safe haven in a world of monsters, etc. Griffith is performing these miracles, however, to curry favor with the people--not necessarily to make the world a better place. In fact, his actions have doomed the world at large--those who do not live within Falconia's walls are essentially condemned to die in fear and agony. Griffith blinds people to the ugly truth of the world by dazzling them with miracles--distracting them, not ''helping'' them. Guts, on the other hand, despite being bloodthirsty enough to crush a man's skull and consider it an ordinary Tuesday, actively encourages people to see the ugliness of the world. He pushes for people to face cold, hard reality by the horns rather than have them ignore it or accept falsehoods. And so, on the surprising occassions when these two deeply flawed individuals do end up inspiring hope in others, it's clear that Griffith's hope is founded on an artifice while Guts' is founded on accepting reality for what it is--and dealing with it in your own way.

** Guts is a very capable warrior on the battlefield, and so is Griffith; but in their merc days, Griffith specialized in tactics and strategies while Guts relied on pure brute force.

** Guts is extremely passionate towards protecting those he cares about, even willing to risk his own life to ensure his friends' and loved ones' safety. Griffith cares about ''no one'' and only experiences passion when it's centered around his dream.

** In the anime and the films, Guts is portrayed as a a GutturalGrowler while Griffith is a SoftSpokenSadist.

** Guts is [[HiddenHeartOfGold capable of compassion and love beneath his cold and rough exterior]];[[FauxAffablyEvil Griffith seems affable and charming on the outside, but is very cold-blooded and ruthless when the chips are down]]. This has to do with their attitude toward other people. Guts' desire for human closeness remained under the surface after his traumatic experience with Gambino, and came out again when he was a member of the Hawks. While he buried those things very deeply in the two years after the Eclipse, he's made great strides in opening up again. He is also burdened and tormented by all of his past mistakes, from the knowledge that he originally ran away from his responsibility to Casca to the malevolent force of the Beast of Darkness which tempts him to return to his old ways. At one time Griffith was capable of empathy and caring about others, but this was precisely what he feared would hold him back from his dream, so he deliberately made himself cold and calculating. Guts was able to stir his heart, but Griffith couldn't deal with being that dependent on another person, and he sacrificed Guts along with all his followers in order to cut himself away from his human weaknesses. His transformation into Femto and rebirth into the physical world seemingly enabled him to become TheSociopath that he'd always wanted to be, charming his followers with outward concern for their well-being while feeling no pangs of remorse for his betrayal of the Hawks or for the crimes he's committed since. So you might say that both Guts and Griffith came to a similar crossroads where they wanted to throw away their attachments to others and become TheUnfettered: the difference is that Guts, unlike Griffith, turned back before it was too late.

** Casca and Charlotte. Casca was born into poverty and hunger, exposed to horrific things at a young age, and began learning at the age of twelve to defend herself with a sword. Meanwhile Charlotte was the only daughter of a king and brought up as a ShelteredAristocrat. In the Band of the Hawk, Casca became a tomboyish ActionGirl who is decisive, aggressive, and a hardass about enforcing the rules, while Charlotte is a feminine ShrinkingViolet and Fragile Flower. They both love Griffith, but mean something very different to him: he values Casca as his most loyal soldier and has been through more with him than Charlotte will ever understand, but he cannot marry her or see her as a woman because she lacks what Charlotte has: noble blood that would allow him to obtain his kingdom through marriage. On top of all this you could say they have inverse and complimentary HiddenDepths and CharacterDevelopment. Casca, who seems so tough and confident, reveals more of her inner vulnerability and insecurity over time, opening her heart to Guts while becoming less blindly dependent on Griffith. On the negative side she was progressively traumatized by the strain of holding the Hawks together as well as being torn between Guts and Griffith; the Eclipse was more than she could take and she reverted to the mind of a child, completely helpless and dependent on others. Meanwhile the seemingly meek Charlotte grew more brave and determined to stand up for herself. Creator/AkiToyosaki, while voicing Charlotte in ''Anime/BerserkTheGoldenAgeArc'', says she tried to keep in mind how Charlotte was the oppsite of Casca, and to show her maturing from a cute, innocent girl into a woman with strong convictions.

* Guts and Puck are both Foils to each other as well. Guts is a brooding TallDarkAndHandsome BloodKnight SociopathicHero with a massive sword and kill count to match, having been tempered from a life defined by constant conflict into one of the most proficient warriors in the Berserkerverse. Puck, on the other hand, is a {{Keet}} MotorMouth [[SmallAnnoyingCreature Small Annoying]] FairyCompanion who specializes in ''healing'' wounds and is defined by his remarkably upbeat nature through all the starkly depressing things he witnesses as Guts' first companion.

** Casca and Charlotte. Casca was born into poverty and hunger, exposed to horrific things at a young age, and began learning at the age of twelve to defend herself with a sword. Meanwhile Charlotte was the only daughter of a king and brought up as a ShelteredAristocrat. In the Band of the Hawk, Casca became a tomboyish ActionGirl who is decisive, aggressive, and a hardass about enforcing the rules, while Charlotte is a feminine ShrinkingViolet and Fragile Flower. They both love Griffith, but mean something very different to him: he values Casca as his most loyal soldier and has been through more with him than Charlotte will ever understand, but he cannot marry her or see her as a woman because she lacks what Charlotte has: noble blood that would allow him to obtain his kingdom through marriage. On top of all this you could say they have inverse and complimentary HiddenDepths and CharacterDevelopment. Casca, who seems so tough and confident, reveals more of her inner vulnerability and insecurity over time, opening her heart to Guts while becoming less blindly dependent on Griffith. On the negative side she was progressively traumatized by the strain of holding the Hawks together as well as being torn between Guts and Griffith; the Eclipse was more than she could take and she reverted to the mind of a child, completely helpless and dependent on others. Meanwhile the seemingly meek Charlotte grew more brave and determined to stand up for herself. Creator/AkiToyosaki, while voicing Charlotte in ''Anime/BerserkTheGoldenAgeArc'', says she tried to keep in mind how Charlotte was the oppsite of Casca, and to show her maturing from a cute, innocent girl into a woman with strong convictions.

** Guts dons [[BlackKnight black armor]] in his journeys as the Black Swordsman, while Griffith wears [[ManInWhite pure white gear]] (while not Femto, anyway).

** Guts dons black armor in his journeys as the Black Swordsman, while Griffith wears pure white gear (while not Femto, anyway).

*** Also, while Guts eventually experienced a ''lot'' of CharacterDevelopment, changing from a [[IWorkAlone anti-social nameless mercenary]] to a [[HiddenDepths reflective dreamer]] to a [[ThePowerOfLove devoted protector of his lover]], the only thing that really changed for Griffith is that he's become even ''more'' driven to get a kingdom.** Guts is [[HiddenHeartOfGold capable of compassion and love beneath his cold and rough exterior]];[[FauxAffablyEvil Griffith seems affable and charming on the outside, but is very cold-blooded and ruthless when the chips are down]]. This has to do with their attitude toward other people. Guts' desire for human closeness remained under the surface after his traumatic experience with Gambino, and came out again when he was a member of the Hawks. While he buried those things very deeply in the two years after the Eclipse, he's made great strides in opening up again. He is also burdened and tormented by all of his past mistakes, from the knowledge that he originally ran away from his responsibility to Casca to the malevolent force of the Beast of Darkness which tempts him to return to his old ways. At one time Griffith was capable of empathy and caring about others, but this was precisely what he feared would hold him back from his dream, so he deliberately made himself cold and calculating. Guts was able to stir his heart, but Griffith couldn't deal with being that dependent on another person, and he sacrificed Guts along with all his followers in order to cut himself away from his human weaknesses. His transformation into Femto and rebirth into the physical world seemingly enabled him to become TheSociopath that he'd always wanted to be, charming his followers with outward concern for their well-being while feeling no pangs of remorse for his betrayal of the Hawks or for the crimes he's committed since. So you might say that both Guts and Griffith came to a similar crossroads where they wanted to throw away their attachments to others and become TheUnfettered: the difference is that Guts, unlike Griffith, turned back before it was too late.

*** Also, while Guts eventually experienced a ''lot'' of CharacterDevelopment, changing from a [[IWorkAlone anti-social nameless mercenary]] to a [[HiddenDepths reflective dreamer]] to a [[ThePowerOfLove devoted protector of his lover]], the only thing that really changed for Griffith is that he's become even ''more'' driven to get a kingdom.
** Guts is capable of compassion and love beneath his cold and rough exterior; Griffith seems affable and charming on the outside, but is very cold-blooded and ruthless when the chips are down. This has to do with their attitude toward other people. Guts' desire for human closeness remained under the surface after his traumatic experience with Gambino, and came out again when he was a member of the Hawks. While he buried those things very deeply in the two years after the Eclipse, he's made great strides in opening up again. He is also burdened and tormented by all of his past mistakes, from the knowledge that he originally ran away from his responsibility to Casca to the malevolent force of the Beast of Darkness which tempts him to return to his old ways. At one time Griffith was capable of empathy and caring about others, but this was precisely what he feared would hold him back from his dream, so he deliberately made himself cold and calculating. Guts was able to stir his heart, but Griffith couldn't deal with being that dependent on another person, and he sacrificed Guts along with all his followers in order to cut himself away from his human weaknesses. His transformation into Femto and rebirth into the physical world seemingly enabled him to become TheSociopath that he'd always wanted to be, charming his followers with outward concern for their well-being while feeling no pangs of remorse for his betrayal of the Hawks or for the crimes he's committed since. So you might say that both Guts and Griffith came to a similar crossroads where they wanted to throw away their attachments to others and become TheUnfettered: the difference is that Guts, unlike Griffith, turned back before it was too late.

** Casca and Charlotte. Casca was born into poverty and hunger, exposed to horrific things at a young age, and began learning at the age of twelve to defend herself with a sword. Meanwhile Charlotte was the only daughter of a king and brought up as a SpoiledSweet ShelteredAristocrat. In the Band of the Hawk, Casca became a tomboyish ActionGirl who is decisive, aggressive, and a hardass about enforcing the rules, while Charlotte is a feminine ShrinkingViolet and Fragile Flower. They both love Griffith, but mean something very different to him: he values Casca as his most loyal soldier and has been through more with him than Charlotte will ever understand, but he cannot marry her or see her as a woman because she lacks what Charlotte has: noble blood that would allow him to obtain his kingdom through marriage. On top of all this you could say they have inverse and complimentary HiddenDepths and CharacterDevelopment. Casca, who seems so tough and confident, reveals more of her inner vulnerability and insecurity over time, opening her heart to Guts while becoming less blindly dependent on Griffith. On the negative side she was progressively traumatized by the strain of holding the Hawks together as well as being torn between Guts and Griffith; the Eclipse was more than she could take and she reverted to the mind of a child, completely helpless and dependent on others. Meanwhile the seemingly meek Charlotte grew more brave and determined to stand up for herself. Creator/AkiToyosaki, while voicing Charlotte in ''Anime/BerserkTheGoldenAgeArc'', says she tried to keep in mind how Charlotte was the oppsite of Casca, and to show her maturing from a cute, innocent girl into a woman with strong convictions.

** Guts [[spoiler:was raped as a child by the lowly mercenary Donovan]], while Griffith [[spoiler:sold himself to a pederast noble to get more weapons, rations, and soldiers for his mercenary band]].

** Guts has short, black hair while Griffith's hair is long and white.

** Guts [[spoiler:'''HATES''' rape and rapists in general, due to his very traumatic backstory]]. Griffith [[spoiler:is a rapist himself]].

** Guts is capable of compassion and love beneath his cold and rough exterior, while Griffith is really just a [[TheSociopath sociopath]] who hides behind kind words and fake smiles.

** Guts is capable of compassion and love beneath his cold and rough exterior, while Griffith is really just a {{Sociopath}} who hides behind kind words and fake smiles.

** Casca and Charlotte. Casca was born into poverty and hunger, exposed to horrific things at a young age, and began learning at the age of twelve to defend herself with a sword. Meanwhile Charlotte was the only daughter of a king and brought up as a SpoiledSweet ShelteredAristocrat. In the Band of the Hawk, Casca became a tomboyish ActionGirl who is decisive, aggressive, and a hardass about enforcing the rules, while Charlotte is a feminine ShrinkingViolet and Fragile Flower. They both love Griffith, but mean something very different to him: he values Casca as his most loyal soldier and has been through more with him than Charlotte will ever understand, but he cannot marry her or see her as a woman because she lacks what Charlotte has: noble blood that would allow him to obtain his kingdom through marriage. On top of all this you could say they have inverse and complimentary HiddenDepths and CharacterDevelopment. Casca, who seems so tough and confident, reveals more of her inner vulnerability and insecurity over time, opening her heart to Guts while becoming less blindly dependent on Griffith. On the negative side she was progressively traumatized by the strain of holding the Hawks together as well as being torn between Guts and Griffith; the Eclipse was more than she could take and she reverted to the mind of a child, completely helpless and dependent on others. Meanwhile the seemingly meek Charlotte grew more brave and determined to stand up for herself. Creator/AkiToyosaki, while voicing Charlotte in ''Anime/BerserkTheGoldenAgeArc'', says she tried to keep in mind how Charlotte was the oppsite of Casca, and to show her maturing from a cute, innocent girl to a woman with strong convictions.

** Casca and Charlotte. Casca was born into poverty and hunger, exposed to horrific things at a young age, and began learning at the age of twelve to defend herself with a sword. Meanwhile Charlotte was the only daughter of a king and brought up as a SpoiledSweet ShelteredAristocrat. In the Band of the Hawk, Casca became a tomboyish ActionGirl who is decisive, aggressive, and a hardass about enforcing the rules, while Charlotte is a feminine ShrinkingViolet and Fragile Flower. They both love Griffith, but mean something very different to him: he values Casca as his most loyal soldier and has been through more with him than Charlotte will ever understand, but he cannot marry her or see her as a woman because she lacks what Charlotte has: noble blood that would allow him to obtain his kingdom through marriage. On top of all this you could say they have inverse and complimentary HiddenDepths and CharacterDevelopment. Casca, who seems so tough and confident, reveals more of her inner vulnerability and insecurity over time, opening her heart to Guts while becoming less blindly dependent on Griffith. On the negative side she was progressively traumatized by the strain of holding the Hawks together as well as being torn between Guts and Griffith; the Eclipse was more than she could take and she reverted to the mind of a child, completely helpless and dependent on others. Meanwhile the seemingly meek Charlotte grew more brave and determined to stand up for herself. Creator/AkiToyosaki, while voicing Charlotte in ''Anime/BerserkTheGoldenAgeArc'', says she tried to keep in mind how Charlotte was the oppsite of Casca.

** Casca and Farnese. Both characters found themselves dealing with some severe self-worth issues before encountering a person who would help them both grow and become much more capable of surviving in the world. But Casca was raised in a poverty-stricken village while Farnese was raised in luxury. Casca found her inner strength when she encountered Griffith (and fell in love with him) while Farnese sought out Guts as a way to find her own inner strength (and in turn, ''also'' fell for him). And Farnese grew from an AxCrazy {{Pyromaniac}} into a kinder and more introspective person after meeting Guts, while Casca devolved from a capable warrior into an insane mute after her...experiences with Griffith.

** Guts is a lowly human who has had to [[EarnYourHappyEnding struggle]] in order to achieve ''anything'' in his [[TraumaCongaLine life]], while Griffith is literally a god whose successes have all been ordained by the forces of the universe.

* Guts and Puck are both Foils to each other as well. Guts is a brooding TallDarkAndHandsome BloodKnight SociopathicHero with a massive sword and kill count to match, having been tempered from a life defined by constant conflict into one of the most proficient warriors in the Berserkerverse. Puck, on the other hand, is a {{Keet}} MotorMouth [[SmallAnnoyingCreature Small Annoying]] FairyCompanion who specializes in ''healing'' wounds and is defined by his remarkably upbeat nature in a starkly depressing and even nightmarish world.
* Casca and Guts have a bit of this going on as well. Both once found themselves utterly enraptured by Griffith, and both were malignantly betrayed by him in the Eclipse. And, more tragically, [[spoiler:both of them are rape victims]]. But Guts' own traumatic experience had made him [[HatesBeingTouched hate being touched]] and [[IWorkAlone detest the idea of working with others]], while Casca couldn't bear her own suffering and became insane to escape the horrors of the world.
** Casca and Sonia. While Casca fell for Griffith because of his determination to fulfill his dream and how he managed to help her awaken her own inner strength, she, in the end, understood that she would never be his equal, since his dream is what he prioritizes above all (which is partly why she ended up falling for Guts, who did treat her as an equal). However, Sonia ''does'' believe herself to be Griffith's equal by virtue of him being a godlike figure and her being a psychic.

** The Eclipse was Griffith's [[TheBadGuyWins highest point in life]]. It was Guts' [[DespairEventHorizon lowest]].

** In their youth, Guts would use a massive, unwieldy sword to cleave through foes while Griffith would use a small but effective rapier. Nowadays, Guts uses an ''even bigger'' sword bathed in the blood of demons, while Griffith [[InvincibleVillain doesn't even need to use a sword anymore]].

In {{Manga/Berserk}}, there is an intense focus on character relationships, and one of the ways the manga allows for these relationships to be as enthralling and engaging as they are is to have the characters be complete opposites of one another.

** Guts values camaraderie and companionship ''so much'' it can be {{Berserk/Heartwarming adorable}}. Griffith used his companions to further his own goals, and now could care less about who wants to serve him so long as they serve him ''well''.