History Monster / Berserk

-->-- '''Void''' to the [[Characters/BerserkBandOfTheHawk Band of the Hawk]], [[Recap/BerserkGoldenAgeArc Chapter 79—"Feast"]]

** ''[[Recap/BerserkGoldenAgeArc Golden Age Arc]]'': [[PsychoForHire Wyald]] is one of the first Apostles encountered and one of the nastiest pieces of work that Guts and company meet before the Eclipse goes down. A depraved [[TheHedonist hedonist]], he works for the King of Midland and leads a band of mercenaries made up of the worst murderers, rapists and all around scum that Midland has to offer--and even they are terrified of him. His motto is "Excitement and Enjoyment", which translates to [[RapePillageAndBurn raping and murdering]] dozens, including children. He demonstrates [[BadBoss an utter disregard for his men's lives]], frequently triggering traps and getting them killed, solely so that he can laugh at their deaths. Taking his [[KillerGorilla true, massive, monstrous form]], Wyald states his abhorrent intent to brutally rape Casca to death.

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[[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOps https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kravchenko_cm.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:"I'm not a patient man, Belikov. Or a compassionate one."]]
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->''"This man Makarov is fighting his own war and he has no rules. No boundaries. He doesn't flinch at torture, human trafficking, or genocide. He's not loyal to a flag or a country or any set of ideals. He trades blood for money."''
-->-- '''General Shepherd''' on '''Vladimir Makarov''', ''[[VideoGame/CallOfDutyModernWarfare2 Modern Warfare 2]]''

[[VideoGame/CallOfDuty There's a soldier in all of us]]. And when facing [[CompleteMonster these evil bastards]], you better hope that soldier is badass.

[[foldercontrol]]

[[AC:''VideoGame/ModernWarfare'' series]]
[[folder: Examples]]
* Original trilogy & related works:
** [[RenegadeRussian Vladimir Makarov]], head of the [[Characters/ModernWarfareUltranationalistsAndOpFor Inner Circle Russian terrorist group]], was originally a soldier serving Imran Zakhaev and his Ultranationalists before [[FromNobodyToNightmare turning into something far worse]]. Makarov establishes himself in the second game when he and his men cold-heartedly slaughter an airport terminal full of Russian civilians. He then follows this by shooting American Pvt. Joseph Allen in the head so that [[FalseFlagOperation the massacre can be pinned on the CIA]], triggering WorldWarIII. In the third game, Makarov hijacks the Russian President's plane to derail his peace talk and get the nuclear launch codes so he can devastate and conquer Europe. When the President resists, Makarov targets his daughter to break him. Makarov then bombs major cities across Europe with chemical weapons before invading them, killing tens if not hundreds of thousands. In addition, it was Makarov who saved Zakhaev and eventually ordered the nuking in the first game, thus making him responsible, directly or indirectly, for all the events in the series, and the deaths of tens of millions.
** ''[[VideoGame/CallOfDutyModernWarfare2 Modern Warfare 2]]: Ghost'' comic book prequel miniseries: Manuel "[[FatBastard El Gordo]]" Roba is the leader of the Zaragoza Drug Cartel. A target of the United States due to his drug smuggling and HumanTrafficking activities, SAS operator Simon Riley was sent alongside a US squad to kill him. The entire squad was betrayed by their leader Vernon to Roba, who subjcted them to brutal brainwashing, torturing them under drug-induced insomnia, and [[InvoluntaryBattleToTheDeath forcing them to fight each other]] to [[MindRape break their minds]], once hanging Riley from a tree with hooks because he displayed resistance. Months later, Roba [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness kills Vernon]], one of his former brainwashed victims, and buries Riley alive with his corpse. After Riley escapes, Roba sent his successfully brainwashed soldiers to the UK to take care of him, murdering his family, his shrink and his superior officer before pinning all the murders on Riley to completely ruin his life.
** ''[[VideoGame/CallOfDutyModernWarfare3 Modern Warfare 3]]'': [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Viktor "Volk" Khristenko]] is Makarov's personal bomb maker, responsible for the creation of multiple chemical [[WeaponOfMassDestruction WMDs]]. Smuggling them throughout Europe, Volk has them [[DeadlyGas detonated]] in populated areas to grant Makarov the opportunity to initiate a bloody invasion of Europe.
* ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyModernWarfare2019'': [[NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist Roman Barkov]] is a [[InsaneAdmiral monstrously bigoted general]] from Russia who invades and conquers the country of Urzikstan by unleashing a [[DeadlyGas poisonous gas]] upon numerous cities, killing countless citizens of all ages. During the twenty years under Barkov's dictatorship, citizens are oppressed, imprisoned, tortured, and executed, including women and children. Siblings Farah and Hadir Karim, among the many victims of Barkov's cruelty, were imprisoned and tortured for a decade by him. When Captain Price and his men storm his prison, Barkov tries to burn the prisoners alive to destroy any trace of his brutal war crimes. Despite claiming to be protecting his country and people, Barkov [[BadBoss executes his men]] for incompetence, proving to be nothing more than a [[DirtyCoward cowardly]] psychopath only out for himself.
[[/folder]]

[[AC:''Black Ops'' series]]
[[folder: Examples]]
* ''[[VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOps Black Ops]]'' has a pair of DirtyCommunists and their [[CommieNazis ex-Nazi ally]]:
** [[BigBad General Nikita Dragovich]] is a sociopath who creates the "numbers" program that [[BrainwashedAndCrazy brainwashes captive American soldiers]] into sleeper agents to kill their own people. Dragovich first demonstrated his untrustworthy and callous nature at [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII Stalingrad]], when he deserted his own men and left them to be butchered by the German forces. After the war, Dragovich would lead an operation on the Arctic to retrieve the biochemical weapon, [[DeadlyGas Nova 6]], from the Germans. To test its effectiveness, Dragovich and Colonel Lev Krevchenko used it on Russian soldiers. Dragovich would later become one of the Soviet Union's most powerful members, where he would capture [[PlayerCharacter Alex Mason]] and brainwash him into becoming a presidential assassin. Dragovich's ultimate plan was to use his sleeper agents to release Nova 6 on the entire United States.
** [[TheDragon Colonel Lev Kravchenko]], the sadistic right-hand man to Nikita Dragovich, once mutilated and murdered his own sister when she rejected Dragovich's advances. Hunting down remaining German forces on the Arctic, Kravchenko would execute all the German prisoners before he and Dragovich use the lethal Nova 6 on the Russian soldiers. Kravchenko would later brainwash several American soldiers for Dragovich's "numbers" program and tortures Grigoi Weaver when he learns of his ties to the CIA, before [[EyeScream gouging one of his eyes out]]. Kravchenko would also subject numerous people to Nova 6 at Vietnam, including American [=POWs=], his own men, innocent women, and [[WouldHurtAChild children]]—even infants—and later sends Frank Woods to the Hanoi Hilton prison camp after surviving his attack. Appearing in [[VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOpsII the sequel]], Kravchenko becomes an ArmsDealer selling Soviet weaponry to the highest bidder, denouncing his allegiance to the Soviet Union and declaring loyalty only to himself.
** [[HerrDoktor Dr. Friedrich Steiner]] is an ex-Nazi [[MadScientist scientist]] responsible for the creation of Nova 6 who, like his two superiors, has no loyalty and only seeks self-preservation. Originally an officer in the [[StateSec SS,]] he immediately defects to the Soviets through secret radio contact with Dragovich once the [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII war in Europe]] is hopelessly lost to the Allies and Soviets. When the latter's troops arrive, he "helps" them by killing several of his own SS bodyguards, and later turns a blind eye to the rest of his surviving men being executed by Kravchenko. When Dragovich asks for a live test of the Nova 6, he complies without hesitation, and helps in the execution of Dimitri Petrenko. Years later, under Dragovich's command, he partakes in human experimentation and torture through the Numbers brainwashing program, with Alex Mason being one such guinea pig. When Dragovich comes close to pushing through with his plan to attack the US, he begins to see the German scientist as a liability for [[HeKnowsTooMuch knowing too much]], and so Steiner attempts to defect to the CIA to save his own skin.
* ''[[VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOpsIII Black Ops III]]'': [[EldritchAbomination Deimos]], the BigBad of the "Nightmares" campaign, is the demigod of [[CardCarryingVillain dread and terror]] who, along with his sister Dolos, was brought to Earth from Malum by the SP/CORVUS experiments conducted by Coalescence in Singapore. Upon arriving to Earth his first act was to [[DemonicPossession possess]] Taylor and his team via their [=DNIs=], attempt to kill Dolos, and massacre the SP/CORVUS headquarters in Singapore, mocking Dr. Salim for thinking that Deimos, a god, should thank a mere human for bringing him to Earth. He then modifies [[DeadlyGas Nova 6]] to cause zombie outbreaks, turning humanity into his undead army, and breaks them out of their quarantines so they can ravage the world, stating that humanity is his to rule and destroy. Deimos would later possess Hendricks after Taylor's death in Cairo, before attacking Zurich, planning to use their SP/CORVUS headquarters to open a portal where he would then have his undead army conquer Malum for, right after killing Dolos's vessel, Kane.
* ''[[VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOps4 Black Ops 4]]'': The HighPriest of Chaos, the BigBad of the "[[VideoGame/CallOfDutyZombies Chaos]]" story, plans to use the Prima Materia to control all of humanity and [[TakeOverTheWorld rule the world]]. Forming TheOrder by killing countless people before resurrecting and brainwashing them into becoming his followers with the Scepter of Ra, he would also use the Scepter of Ra to make himself immortal. Surviving into 1912, he has The Order pursue Alistair Rhodes, where he has all the people attending Alistair's mansion turned into zombies, creating mass carnage. When a group led by Alistair's daughter, Scarlett, travels to his time in AncientRome, he uses a Sentinel Artifact to turn all his slaves into zombies and forces the four to fend off the zombie hoard and complete the Trial of Ra before he attempts to execute them.
[[/folder]]

[[AC:''[[VideoGame/CallOfDutyInfiniteWarfare Infinite Warfare]]'']]
[[folder: Examples]]
* Main campaign: [[InsaneAdmiral Admiral Salen Kotch]] is the ruthless and single-minded [[BigBad leader]] of the [[MasterRace SDF]], and is devoted to the conquest of the Solar System, and the eradication of Earth-born bloodlines, [[ANaziByAnyOtherName which he sees as inferior and unworthy]]. Kotch [[EstablishingCharacterMoment introduces himself]] confronting wounded UNSA soldiers, briefly feigning sympathy before ordering their brutal execution. In that same scene, [[BadBoss he casually shoots one of his own soldiers]] to demonstrate that by not caring, he has what it takes to win the war. He would go on to orchestrate a terror attack on a city, causing wanton destruction and thousands of deliberate civilian casualties, before going on to destroy Tigris and killing all its personnel. Throughout the campaign, Kotch sends out broadcasts to the UNSA that their cause will fail and that they should accept surrender and execution. He also sent a spy on a suicide mission to activate a beacon to signal a full SDF invasion of Earth. When the invasion begins, Kotch has his flagship ''[[TheBattlestar Olympus Mons]]'' destroy the UNSA headquarters, killing Admiral Raines. When Reyes and his team board ''Olympus Mons'', Kotch [[TakingYouWithMe orders its self-destruction]] to wipe them out and to destroy the city beneath them in the process. Unscrupulous and fanatical to the bitter end, Kotch is willing to sacrifice civilians, his own men and ultimately his own life to the cause of Earth's devastation and further the power of SDF.
* ''[[Characters/InfiniteWarfareZombies Zombies]]'': {{Mephistopheles}} is a demon who manipulated [[TheHeavy Willard Wyler]] into accepting a {{deal|WithTheDevil}}, giving Wyler the power to [[TrappedInTVLand trap people in his horror films]] and have zombies and butchers slaughter them while Mephistopheles would [[SoulEating devour their souls]]; among the dozens of people killed were Wyler's pregnant daughter. When the four actors defeat Wyler, Mephistopheles himself battles them so that he may enslave them and force them to collect more souls for him to devour.
[[/folder]]

[[AC:''[[VideoGame/CallOfDutyWWII WWII]]'']]
[[folder: Examples]]
* Main campaign: [[BigBad Metz]] is the [[StateSec SS]] commandant in charge of sending hundreds of American [=POWs=] to [[POWCamp labor camps]] throughout Europe, where they would be worked and tortured to death. Trying to separate the Jews from his next batch of American [=POWs=], Metz shoots one [[ForTheEvulz for no reason]] and beats up Robert Zussman when he refuses to comply with his demands before sending him and the other [=POWs=] to his own labor camp; the 1st Infantry Division arrives there, discovering the numerous corpses caused by Metz's cruelty throughout the [[FieryCoverUp burned-down camp]], many of whom he starved and tortured to death. Metz is last seen executing his remaining prisoners before nearly executing Zussman.
* ''[[Characters/CallOfDutyWWIIZombies Nazi Zombies]]'':
** [[HerrDoktor Doctor Peter Glücksbringer Straub]] is a Nazi instructed by UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler himself to create a [[NaziZombies new type of soldier]] that doesn't rest or fear death. Finding a mystical sword hilt in Mittelburg, he used the energy from it to kill his own men, resulting in these soldiers becoming walking corpses. Believing he found his perfect soldiers, Straub would then use the sword hilt to turn the town's entire population into [[SlaveMooks undead abominations]], having a subordinate [[AndIMustScream sewn onto one of them alive]] when he learns of his ties to the Allies. Leaving Mittelburg, Straub goes to the island of Heligoland where he stored thousands of his creations and takes them to his Zeppelins. He then travels to Berlin so he can unleash them and kill off every human being in the city, allowing him to reclaim what's left of it for the Nazis, while he continues to take pride in creating what he believes to be the Devil.
** [[PhysicalGod The God-King]] was the ruler of the Thulian Civilization before he was slain by the Raven Lords to end his tyranny. However, his spirit continued to linger and [[GreaterScopeVillain influence events]] where through his mystical sword, he [[TheCorrupter corrupted]] Fredrick Barbarossa into becoming a ambitious tyrant like him and would give the Nazi scientist Peter Straub the knowledge on how to create his own zombified army, at the cost of thousands of innocent lives. When Straub gets killed, the God-King takes over Straub's army where he has them ravage the world and kill untold millions. He would go on to brainwash Vivian Harris into reviving him before killing her [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness once she served her purpose]] and would nearly kill her allies while declaring on his desire to [[TakeOverTheWorld rule over what's left of the world]].
[[/folder]]

[[AC:''[[VideoGame/CallOfDutyVanguard Vanguard]]'']]
[[folder: Examples]]
* Main campaign: [[GeneralRipper Leo Steiner]] is the [[InsaneAdmiral officer]] leading the [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII German invasion of Stalingrad]] and is characterized by his obsession with subjugating the city and its people. For over a year, Steiner conducts terror bombings and regular mass executions against civilian targets, [[DeadGuyOnDisplay hanging the bodies of his victims]] to break Stalingrad's morale. When hunted down by [[ActionGirl Polina Petrova]], Steiner cruelly mocks the deaths of her family during the invasion and promises that Hermann Freisinger will complete his mission to destroy the Soviet Union.
* ''[[VideoGame/CallOfDutyZombies Zombies]]'': [[GodOfEvil Kortifex the Deathless]] is a cruel entity originating from the Dark Aether, who wants to become the Construct's Archon and enslave the free wills of every being. Assassinating anyone who wanted to become the Archon, Kortifex also [[SelfMadeOrphan murdered his own parents]], yet erased the memories of his bride and enslaved her as a Sister of Agony because she bore a child who could depose him. His ambitions later fueled his attempt to conquer the Dark Aether and he conducted a litany of atrocities, including the [[BadBoss systematic execution of his men]] for [[YouHaveFailedMe failure]] and the genocide of an entire clan in the Wilds. Though defeated and imprisoned in his artifact, Kortifex would reemerge as Wolfram Von List's benefactor, raising an army of zombies under the promise that he would create a Thousand Year Reich and cleanse the world of anyone the Nazis deemed impure. Casually throwing away the lives of Die Warheit, Kortifex manipulates the Special Forces into freeing him and becomes the Archon, boasting that he will "thank" everyone by [[OmnicidalManiac wiping out the universe]], including Von List.
[[/folder]]

[[quoteright:300:[[Manga/{{Berserk}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wyald.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:300:"[[Recap/BerserkGoldenAgeArc Enjoyment and Excitement!]]"]]

->''"You have now been marked with the Brand of Sacrifice. The lives of those who bear the Brand, from the last drop of blood, to the last moment of your agonizing deaths, will feed life to the new Child of Darkness."''
-->-- '''Void''' to the [[Characters/BerserkBandOfTheHawk Band of the Hawk]], [[Recap/BerserkGoldenAgeArc Chapter 79—"Feast"]]

''Franchise/{{Berserk}}'' takes place in a CrapsackWorld, and [[Characters/BerserkGuts Guts]], [[Characters/BerserkCasca Casca]], and [[Characters/BerserkGutsCompanions their allies]] have faced [[Characters/BerserkAntagonists all manner of villains]]. Even so, a [[CompleteMonster select few]] manage to stand out.

[[AC:[[Characters/BerserkGriffithFemto Griffith/Femto]]]]
* [[Manga/{{Berserk}} Original manga]]: Griffith began life as a young man [[AmbitionIsEvil desiring his own kingdom]]. Willing to do anything to that end, Griffith displays a [[{{Narcissist}} ruthless narcissism]] in how he utilizes [[Characters/BerserkBandOfTheHawk his followers]], stating he will decide the place of their deaths, sending Guts to commit multiple political assassinations and eliminating any rivals. After his fall from grace, Griffith [[DespairEventHorizon succumbs to ultimate despair]] and summons the Godhand. In order to become the Fifth Angel of the [[Characters/BerserkGodhandAndApostles Godhand]], Femto, Griffith sacrifices the entire company, having his comrades butchered by demons during the Eclipse and damning their souls eternally as he feasts on their life force to emerge as a black-winged god of demons. With his newfound power, Griffith, as Femto, [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil rapes Casca]] while [[ForcedToWatch forcing Guts to watch]], her Brand of Sacrifice causing her so much pain from his action that she is [[RapeLeadsToInsanity driven comatose]]. Happily adopting a position among the Godhand to continue the sacrifices to demonkind, Femto displays no remorse for his deeds until he manipulates causality with his fellows to sacrifice every refugee at the city of Albion. Emerging as the [[DarkMessiah supposed messiah of light]] as Griffith once again, he assembles a new Band of the Hawk to challenge the monstrous Ganishka and the Kushan empire, only to utilize Ganishka's death to initiate the Great Roar of the Astral World, fusing the material with the supernatural. This unleashes countless monsters into the world to slaughter and destroy at will while Griffith claims his kingdom Falconia, only to seek ever more to [[ItsAllAboutMe feed his insatiable ego]]. When given a chance to finally see Guts again and the memorial to the people he sacrificed, Griffith declares he feels no regret or remorse, stating his only loyalty is to himself and his dream and views any goodness as weakness that he is now free of.
* [[Anime/Berserk1997 1997 series]]: Griffith was the [[FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon beautiful but ruthless]] leader of the [[Characters/BerserkBandOfTheHawk Band of the Hawk]]. Bringing many to his side through his charisma, Griffith sacrificed the lives of his followers and Midland's enemies for his {{ambition|Is Evil}}. When he is almost assassinated, Griffith has [[Characters/BerserkGuts Guts]] kill the man who hired the assassin, smiling wickedly even at the news the man's young son was killed as well. Blackmailing a minister by kidnapping his daughter, Griffith forces him to assist him in roasting his conspirators alive, then has Guts kill the kidnappers to keep them quiet. After Guts leaves the Hawk, Griffith forces himself on the princess of Midland in a desperate attempt to regain his feeling of control, only to end up imprisoned and tortured. Saved by the Band of the Hawk and a returning Guts, Griffith ungratefully has them butchered and damned by demons so he could join the [[Characters/BerserkGodhandAndApostles Godhand]], spitefully raping [[Characters/BerserkCasca Casca]] in front of Guts.
* ''[[Anime/BerserkTheGoldenAgeArc The Golden Age Arc]]'' trilogy: Griffith is a [[AmbitionIsEvil power-hungry]] warrior whose [[FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon physical beauty masks a monstrous inner self]]. Believing himself destined to reign over a land of his own, Griffith leads his [[Characters/BerserkBandOfTheHawk Band of the Hawk]] in countless bloody, successful campaigns to serve his ambitions, and goes so far as to dispatch [[Characters/BerserkGuts Guts]] as an assassin against political rivals, uncaring when a child is caught up in the crossfire. After forcefully seducing Princess Charlotte in a failed attempt to marry into power, Griffith is subjected to crippling torture by her horrified father; Griffith's only real concern is that he can no longer exert power and respect on those around him, and so when the opportunity arises, Griffith eagerly allies with the [[Characters/BerserkGodhandAndApostles Godhand]]. To complete his ascension to their monstrous ranks, Griffith condemns his entire Band to horrific deaths that damn their souls, while he personally [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil rapes]] and tortures the most loyal [[Characters/BerserkCasca Casca]] and [[ForcedToWatch forces her lover Guts to watch]] and be mutilated, out of nothing but spite at them for having independence from Griffith's control. [[ItsAllAboutMe Griffith]] openly proclaims he feels nothing for his supposed friends and the fates he bestows upon them, valuing his own godhood above all else.
* [[Anime/Berserk2016 2016 series]]: Griffith, the Hawk of {{Light|Is Not Good}}, was once the [[AmbitionIsEvil ambitious]] leader of the mercenary [[Characters/BerserkBandOfTheHawk Band of the Hawk]], obsessed with gaining a kingdom, and was [[Characters/BerserkGuts Guts]]'s best friend. Griffith sacrificed the whole Band of the Hawk to the demonic Godhand to join their ranks, with the only survivors being Guts and his lover [[Characters/BerserkCasca Casca]], whom Griffith has [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil raped]] to the point of insanity. Griffith and the rest of the Godhand manipulate a long-suffering man into becoming their servant and sacrificing the entire city of St. Albion so Griffith can be reborn on a material plane and usher in the Age of Darkness. The newly revived Griffith presents himself as a messiah to the invaded kingdom of Midland, gathering an army of humans and demonic Apostles to lead them to war against the Kushan Empire while sending his Apostle minions to kill the kindly witch Flora. When Griffith confronts Guts at the resting place of their fallen comrades, Griffith makes it clear that they mean nothing to him.

[[AC:Canon works]]
* [[Manga/{{Berserk}} Original manga]]:
** The [[Characters/BerserkGodhandAndApostles Godhand]] are the [[BigBadDuumvirate ultimate pinnacle of evil]] in Midland:
*** [[MyBrainIsBig Void]] is [[TheOlderImmortal the eldest]] of the Godhand and [[TheLeader first among equals]], having ascended over a thousand years ago via a great and terrible sacrifice. Forever hated by Guts's aloof ally the Skull Knight, Void has spent centuries sewing discord across Midland through his Apostle minions and presumably lulled the other members of the Godhand to [[DealWithTheDevil commit their own mass sacrifices to join him as gods]] amongst the demons. The chief representative of the eldritch [[GreaterScopeVillain Idea of Evil]], Void acts out its will upon the world and is also responsible for producing the Brand of Sacrifice, which transforms humans into Apostles and marks their chosen sacrifices to be killed and taken to hell as victims of Demonkind.
*** [[VillainsNeverLie Ubik]] is perhaps the most talkative of the Godhand and the member of the group who acts as TheCorrupter. Ubik is most responsible for [[ManipulativeBastard convincing others to forsake humanity]], using their lowest points against them and guiding them through their lives. Selectively revealing and editing the truth, Ubik [[BreakThemByTalking breaks]] every single Apostle before convincing them to embrace their monstrosity as a demon, whether he is attempting to convince the Apostle Count to sacrifice his young daughter Theresia or persuade Griffith to join the Godhand and discard the Band of the Falcon.
*** [[HotAsHell Slan]] is the only female member of the Godhand and the one most concerned with [[SexIsViolence dark carnality]]. [[NightmareFetishist Finding arousal in agony and rape]], Slan is worshiped by heretic cults and the "Goddess of the Flame" groups. Influencing Apostles and men alike to be the worst they can, Slan promotes twisted orgies marked by mass cannibalism and blood sacrifice and corrupts a forest to become Qliphoth, a twisted, deadly place home to demons she may manifest in. With her attachment to Guts [[InLoveWithYourCarnage for his capacity for violence]], Slan [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil attempts to molest him]] upon her manifestation and even offers him the chance to become an Apostle himself, using the promise of allowing him to kill Griffith should he sacrifice his companions to her.
*** [[FatBastard Conrad]], the [[TheQuietOne most silent]] and seldom-seen of the Godhand, is no less vile than his companions. Of all of them, Conrad's influence extends the most to the material plane, and his manifestations [[PestController bear with them plague-carrying rats]] that ravage Midland in addition to his normal duties as a demon god. Conrad [[{{Plaguemaster}} ensures the spread of the plague]] to drive refugees across to the city of Albion for the mass sacrifice and the manifestation of Femto into the material plane, with Conrad and the other Godhand watching with interest.
** ''[[Recap/BerserkGoldenAgeArc Golden Age Arc]]'': [[PsychoForHire Wyald]] is one of the first Apostles encountered and one of the nastiest pieces of work that Guts and company meet before the Eclipse goes down. A depraved [[TheHedonist hedonist]], he works for the King of Midland and leads a band of mercenaries made up of the worst murderers, rapists and all around scum that Midland has to offer--and even they are terrified of him. His motto is "Excitement and Enjoyment", which translates to [[RapePillageAndBurn raping and murdering]] dozens, including children. He demonstrates [[BadBoss an utter disregard for his men's lives]], frequently triggering traps and getting them killed, solely so that he can laugh at their deaths. Taking his [[KillerGorilla true, massive, monstrous form]], Wyald states his abhorrent intent to brutally rape Casca to death.
** ''[[Recap/BerserkFalconOfTheMillenniumEmpireArc Falcon of the Millennium Empire Arc]]'': [[TheCaligula Emperor Ganishka]] of the Kushan Empire became insanely paranoid when his mother tried to poison him for his younger brother to become the heir, prompting him to kill them both. Waging many wars in a quest to reign supreme over the world, Ganishka's paranoia made his own son so terrified that he tried to kill his own father out of fear he would see his son as a threat. Accepting the Godhand's offer and [[OffingTheOffspring letting his son be devoured]], Ganishka [[DrunkOnTheDarkSide used his power]] to become [[TheDreaded the most feared tyrant]] across the world, invading Midland and massacring thousands of innocent people, decorating the entire city with their corpses and body parts, [[FedToTheBeast feeding helpless women to his crocodile monsters]] and having his General Daiba create "Man-Made Beherit", the [[HumanArchitectureHorror womb-like construction]] made out of hundreds of Apostles, who are kept [[AndIMustScream alive and in a state of constant suffering]], while he has his men throw hundreds of thousands of pregnant women there, where their unborn children are filled with an evil essence that turn them into feral demons, who then tear apart the bodies of their mothers. Upon being easily defeated by Griffith, Ganishka turned himself into [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity Shiva]], gruesomely killing thousands of his own men and unleashing his monsters to devour everyone they see, endangering the whole world with his power.
* ''[[Literature/BerserkTheFlameDragonKnight The Flame Dragon Knight]]'': [[InsaneAdmiral General Abecassis]] of [[TheEmpire Tudor]] is the man in charge of Tudor's horrific loyalty programs. After having led the attack on Grant which sees innocents tortured, raped, and killed, Abecassis [[WouldHurtAChild murders a little boy]] just to prove a point to the prisoners, along with subjecting them to [[TrainingFromHell horrible conditions and training]]. Over 100 children die thanks to Abecassis, with girls who cannot handle the conditions raped, tortured, and killed. When Grunbeld defies Abecassis, the general [[IWillPunishYourFriendForYourFailure has his friend Sigur raped and tortured in his stead]]. As years pass, Abecassis decides to arrange a new attack on Grant to have it invaded and ravaged by Tudor.

[[AC:Adaptations & Other Works]]
* [[Anime/Berserk2016 2016 series]]: [[FauxAffablyEvil Slan]] is the only female member of the [[Characters/BerserkGodhandAndApostles Godhand]] and specialises in [[SexIsViolence carnal evil]]. While working with the rest of the Godhand to reincarnate Griffith, she creates a twisted orgy cult that promotes rape and mass cannibalism. Slan corrupts a forest into Qliphoth, a dark and depraved place from which monsters who slaughter villages and take women as {{sex slave}}s are created. [[InLoveWithYourCarnage Intrigued by Guts and his potential for violence]], Slan manifests in front of him before molesting him and attempting to make him give in to his worst impulses.
* ''[[Manga/BerserkThePrototype The Prototype]]'': [[UsefulNotes/VladTheImpaler Vlad Tepes]] is a [[AristocratsAreEvil monstrous tyrant]] who, during a war with a neighboring country, was ruthless enough to capture and {{impale|dWithExtremePrejudice}} 500 prisoners on stakes and [[DeadGuyOnDisplay leave their corpses to rot on the borders]] as a gruesome warning. After the war, Vlad decided to satiate his bloodlust on his own people by taking young girls as maidservants, only to slaughter them mercilessly. When Guts infiltrates Vlad's castle in order to rescue Fricka, Vlad is revealed to be a [[OneWingedAngel grotesque]], gluttonous Apostle who offered his humanity in exchange for inhuman powers, and then attempts to kill both Guts and Fricka, bragging about how a "mere human" is no match for him.

-->-- '''Void''' to the [[Characters/BerserkBandOfTheHawk Band of the Hawk]], [[Recap/BerserkGoldenAgeArc Chapter 79—"Feast"]]

[[AC:[[Manga/{{Berserk}} Original Manga]]]]
* The [[Characters/BerserkGodhandAndApostles Godhand]] are the [[BigBadDuumvirate ultimate pinnacle of evil]] in Midland:
** [[Characters/BerserkGriffithFemto Griffith]] began life as a young man [[AmbitionIsEvil desiring his own kingdom]]. Willing to do anything to that end, Griffith displays a [[{{Narcissist}} ruthless narcissism]] in how he utilizes [[Characters/BerserkBandOfTheHawk his followers]], stating he will decide the place of their deaths, sending Guts to commit multiple political assassinations and eliminating any rivals. After his fall from grace, Griffith [[DespairEventHorizon succumbs to ultimate despair]] and summons the Godhand. In order to become the Fifth Angel of the Godhand, Femto, Griffith sacrifices the entire company, having his comrades butchered by demons during the Eclipse and damning their souls eternally as he feasts on their life force to emerge as a black-winged god of demons. With his newfound power, Griffith, as Femto, [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil rapes Casca]] while [[ForcedToWatch forcing Guts to watch]], her Brand of Sacrifice causing her so much pain from his action that she is [[RapeLeadsToInsanity driven comatose]]. Happily adopting a position among the Godhand to continue the sacrifices to demonkind, Femto displays no remorse for his deeds until he manipulates causality with his fellows to sacrifice every refugee at the city of Albion. Emerging as the [[DarkMessiah supposed messiah of light]] as Griffith once again, he assembles a new Band of the Hawk to challenge the monstrous Ganishka and the Kushan empire, only to utilize Ganishka's death to initiate the Great Roar of the Astral World, fusing the material with the supernatural. This unleashes countless monsters into the world to slaughter and destroy at will while Griffith claims his kingdom Falconia, only to seek ever more to [[ItsAllAboutMe feed his insatiable ego]]. When given a chance to finally see Guts again and the memorial to the people he sacrificed, Griffith declares he feels no regret or remorse, stating his only loyalty is to himself and his dream and views any goodness as weakness that he is now free of.
** [[MyBrainIsBig Void]] is [[TheOlderImmortal the eldest]] of the Godhand and [[TheLeader first among equals]], having ascended over a thousand years ago via a great and terrible sacrifice. Forever hated by Guts's aloof ally the Skull Knight, Void has spent centuries sewing discord across Midland through his Apostle minions and presumably lulled the other members of the Godhand to [[DealWithTheDevil commit their own mass sacrifices to join him as gods]] amongst the demons. The chief representative of the eldritch [[GreaterScopeVillain Idea of Evil]], Void acts out its will upon the world and is also responsible for producing the Brand of Sacrifice, which transforms humans into Apostles and marks their chosen sacrifices to be killed and taken to hell as victims of Demonkind.
** [[VillainsNeverLie Ubik]] is perhaps the most talkative of the Godhand and the member of the group who acts as TheCorrupter. Ubik is most responsible for [[ManipulativeBastard convincing others to forsake humanity]], using their lowest points against them and guiding them through their lives. Selectively revealing and editing the truth, Ubik [[BreakThemByTalking breaks]] every single Apostle before convincing them to embrace their monstrosity as a demon, whether he is attempting to convince the Apostle Count to sacrifice his young daughter Theresia or persuade Griffith to join the Godhand and discard the Band of the Falcon.
** [[HotAsHell Slan]] is the only female member of the Godhand and the one most concerned with [[SexIsViolence dark carnality]]. [[NightmareFetishist Finding arousal in agony and rape]], Slan is worshiped by heretic cults and the "Goddess of the Flame" groups. Influencing Apostles and men alike to be the worst they can, Slan promotes twisted orgies marked by mass cannibalism and blood sacrifice and corrupts a forest to become Qliphoth, a twisted, deadly place home to demons she may manifest in. With her attachment to Guts [[InLoveWithYourCarnage for his capacity for violence]], Slan [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil attempts to molest him]] upon her manifestation and even offers him the chance to become an Apostle himself, using the promise of allowing him to kill Griffith should he sacrifice his companions to her.
** [[FatBastard Conrad]], the [[TheQuietOne most silent]] and seldom-seen of the Godhand, is no less vile than his companions. Of all of them, Conrad's influence extends the most to the material plane, and his manifestations [[PestController bear with them plague-carrying rats]] that ravage Midland in addition to his normal duties as a demon god. Conrad [[{{Plaguemaster}} ensures the spread of the plague]] to drive refugees across to the city of Albion for the mass sacrifice and the manifestation of Femto into the material plane, with Conrad and the other Godhand watching with interest.
* ''[[Recap/BerserkGoldenAgeArc Golden Age Arc]]'': [[PsychoForHire Wyald]] is one of the first Apostles encountered and one of the nastiest pieces of work that Guts and company meet before the Eclipse goes down. A depraved [[TheHedonist hedonist]], he works for the King of Midland and leads a band of mercenaries made up of the worst murderers, rapists and all around scum that Midland has to offer--and even they are terrified of him. His motto is "Excitement and Enjoyment", which translates to [[RapePillageAndBurn raping and murdering]] dozens, including children. He demonstrates [[BadBoss an utter disregard for his men's lives]], frequently triggering traps and getting them killed, solely so that he can laugh at their deaths. Taking his [[KillerGorilla true, massive, monstrous form]], Wyald states his abhorrent intent to brutally rape Casca to death.
* ''[[Recap/BerserkFalconOfTheMillenniumEmpireArc Falcon of the Millennium Empire Arc]]'': [[TheCaligula Emperor Ganishka]] of the Kushan Empire became insanely paranoid when his mother tried to poison him for his younger brother to become the heir, prompting him to kill them both. Waging many wars in a quest to reign supreme over the world, Ganishka's paranoia made his own son so terrified that he tried to kill his own father out of fear he would see his son as a threat. Accepting the Godhand's offer and [[OffingTheOffspring letting his son be devoured]], Ganishka [[DrunkOnTheDarkSide used his power]] to become [[TheDreaded the most feared tyrant]] across the world, invading Midland and massacring thousands of innocent people, decorating the entire city with their corpses and body parts, [[FedToTheBeast feeding helpless women to his crocodile monsters]] and having his General Daiba create "Man-Made Beherit", the [[HumanArchitectureHorror womb-like construction]] made out of hundreds of Apostles, who are kept [[AndIMustScream alive and in a state of constant suffering]], while he has his men throw hundreds of thousands of pregnant women there, where their unborn children are filled with an evil essence that turn them into feral demons, who then tear apart the bodies of their mothers. Upon being easily defeated by Griffith, Ganishka turned himself into [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity Shiva]], gruesomely killing thousands of his own men and unleashing his monsters to devour everyone they see, endangering the whole world with his power.

[[AC:Other Canon Works]]

[[AC:Adaptations]]
* ''[[Anime/BerserkTheGoldenAgeArc The Golden Age Arc]]'' trilogy: [[Characters/BerserkGriffithFemto Griffith]] is a [[AmbitionIsEvil power-hungry]] warrior whose [[FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon physical beauty masks a monstrous inner self]]. Believing himself destined to reign over a land of his own, Griffith leads his [[Characters/BerserkBandOfTheHawk Band of the Hawk]] in countless bloody, successful campaigns to serve his ambitions, and goes so far as to dispatch [[Characters/BerserkGuts Guts]] as an assassin against political rivals, uncaring when a child is caught up in the crossfire. After forcefully seducing Princess Charlotte in a failed attempt to marry into power, Griffith is subjected to crippling torture by her horrified father; Griffith's only real concern is that he can no longer exert power and respect on those around him, and so when the opportunity arises, Griffith eagerly allies with the [[Characters/BerserkGodhandAndApostles Godhand]]. To complete his ascension to their monstrous ranks, Griffith condemns his entire Band to horrific deaths that damn their souls, while he personally [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil rapes]] and tortures the most loyal [[Characters/BerserkCasca Casca]] and [[ForcedToWatch forces her lover Guts to watch]] and be mutilated, out of nothing but spite at them for having independence from Griffith's control. [[ItsAllAboutMe Griffith]] openly proclaims he feels nothing for his supposed friends and the fates he bestows upon them, valuing his own godhood above all else.
* [[Anime/Berserk2016 2016 series]]:
** [[Characters/BerserkGriffithFemto Griffith]], the Hawk of Light, was once the [[AmbitionIsEvil ambitious]] leader of the mercenary [[Characters/BerserkBandOfTheHawk Band of the Hawk]], obsessed with gaining a kingdom, and was [[Characters/BerserkGuts Guts]]'s best friend. Griffith sacrificed the whole Band of the Hawk to the demonic Godhand to join their ranks, with the only survivors being Guts and his lover [[Characters/BerserkCasca Casca]], whom Griffith has [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil raped]] to the point of insanity. Griffith and the rest of the Godhand manipulate a long-suffering man into becoming their servant and sacrificing the entire city of St. Albion so Griffith can be reborn on a material plane and usher in the Age of Darkness. The newly revived Griffith presents himself as a messiah to the invaded kingdom of Midland, gathering an army of humans and demonic Apostles to lead them to war against the Kushan Empire while sending his Apostle minions to kill the kindly witch Flora. He is a manipulative and power-hungry traitor whose beauty hides utter depravity. When Griffith confronts Guts at the resting place of their fallen comrades, Griffith makes it clear that they mean nothing to him.
** [[FauxAffablyEvil Slan]] is the only female member of the [[Characters/BerserkGodhandAndApostles Godhand]] and specialises in [[SexIsViolence carnal evil]]. While working with the rest of the Godhand to reincarnate Griffith, she creates a twisted orgy cult that promotes rape and mass cannibalism. Slan corrupts a forest into Qliphoth, a dark and depraved place from which monsters who slaughter villages and take women as {{sex slave}}s are created. [[InLoveWithYourCarnage Intrigued by Guts and his potential for violence]], Slan manifests in front of him before molesting him and attempting to make him give in to his worst impulses.

[[AC:Others]]

-->—'''Void''' to the [[Characters/BerserkBandOfTheHawk Band of the Hawk]], [[Recap/BerserkGoldenAgeArc Chapter 79—"Feast"]]

* ''[[Recap/BerserkGoldenAgeArc Golden Age Arc]]'': [[PsychoForHire Wyald]] is one of the first Apostles encountered and one of the nastiest pieces of work that Guts and company meet before the Eclipse goes down. A depraved [[TheHedonist hedonist]], he works for the King of Midland and leads a band of mercenaries made up of the worst murderers, rapists and all around scum that Midland has to offer—and even they are terrified of him. His motto is "Excitement and Enjoyment", which translates to [[RapePillageAndBurn raping and murdering]] dozens, including children. He demonstrates [[BadBoss an utter disregard for his men's lives]], frequently triggering traps and getting them killed, solely so that he can laugh at their deaths. Taking his [[KillerGorilla true, massive, monstrous form]], Wyald states his abhorrent intent to brutally rape Casca to death.

%% NOTE 2: A CompleteMonster is an individual character, not a collective. Therefore a faction cannot be listed as one. %% A faction can attract Complete Monsters and can have them among its members, but cannot be one in and of itself.

-->--'''Void''' to the [[Characters/BerserkBandOfTheHawk Band of the Hawk]], [[Recap/BerserkGoldenAgeArc Chapter 79—"Feast"]]

* [[Recap/BerserkGoldenAgeArc "Golden Age" arc]]: [[PsychoForHire Wyald]] is one of the first Apostles encountered and one of the nastiest pieces of work that Guts and company meet before the Eclipse goes down. A depraved [[TheHedonist hedonist]], he works for the King of Midland and leads a band of mercenaries made up of the worst murderers, rapists and all around scum that Midland has to offer--and even they are terrified of him. His motto is "Excitement and Enjoyment", which translates to [[RapePillageAndBurn raping and murdering]] dozens, including children. He demonstrates [[BadBoss an utter disregard for his men's lives]], frequently triggering traps and getting them killed, solely so that he can laugh at their deaths. Taking his [[KillerGorilla true, massive, monstrous form]], Wyald states his abhorrent intent to brutally rape Casca to death.
* [[Recap/BerserkFalconOfTheMillenniumEmpireArc "Falcon of the Millennium Empire" arc]]: [[TheCaligula Emperor Ganishka]] of the Kushan Empire became insanely paranoid when his mother tried to poison him for his younger brother to become the heir, prompting him to kill them both. Waging many wars in a quest to reign supreme over the world, Ganishka's paranoia made his own son so terrified that he tried to kill his own father out of fear he would see his son as a threat. Accepting the Godhand's offer and [[OffingTheOffspring letting his son be devoured]], Ganishka [[DrunkOnTheDarkSide used his power]] to become [[TheDreaded the most feared tyrant]] across the world, invading Midland and massacring thousands of innocent people, decorating the entire city with their corpses and body parts, [[FedToTheBeast feeding helpless women to his crocodile monsters]] and having his General Daiba create "Man-Made Beherit", the [[HumanArchitectureHorror womb-like construction]] made out of hundreds of Apostles, who are kept [[AndIMustScream alive and in a state of constant suffering]], while he has his men throw hundreds of thousands of pregnant women there, where their unborn children are filled with an evil essence that turn them into feral demons, who then tear apart the bodies of their mothers. Upon being easily defeated by Griffith, Ganishka turned himself into [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity Shiva]], gruesomely killing thousands of his own men and unleashing his monsters to devour everyone they see, endangering the whole world with his power.

* ''[[Manga/BerserkThePrototype The Prototype]]'': [[UsefulNotes/VladTheImpaler Vlad Tepes]] is a [[AristocratsAreEvil monstrous tyrant]] who, during a war with a neighboring country, was ruthless enough to capture and [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice impale]] 500 prisoners on stakes and [[DeadGuyOnDisplay leave their corpses to rot on the borders]] as a gruesome warning. After the war, Vlad decided to satiate his bloodlust on his own people by taking young girls as maidservants, only to slaughter them mercilessly. When Guts infiltrates Vlad's castle in order to rescue Fricka, Vlad is revealed to be a [[OneWingedAngel grotesque]], gluttonous Apostle who offered his humanity in exchange for inhuman powers, and then attempts to kill both Guts and Fricka, bragging about how a "mere human" is no match for him.

%% NOTE: Due to the controversial nature of this trope, any changes (additions, removals, edits) should be discussed [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=6vic3f9h1cy5qivsenw8llok here]].

[[quoteright:300:[[Recap/BerserkGoldenAgeArc https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wyald.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:300:"Enjoyment and Excitement!"]]

* "[[Recap/BerserkGoldenAgeArc Golden Age Arc]]": [[PsychoForHire Wyald]] is one of the first Apostles encountered and one of the nastiest pieces of work that Guts and company meet before the Eclipse goes down. A depraved [[TheHedonist hedonist]], he works for the King of Midland and leads a band of mercenaries made up of the worst murderers, rapists and all around scum that Midland has to offer--and even they are terrified of him. His motto is "Excitement and Enjoyment", which translates to [[RapePillageAndBurn raping and murdering]] dozens, including children. He demonstrates [[BadBoss an utter disregard for his men's lives]], frequently triggering traps and getting them killed, solely so that he can laugh at their deaths. Taking his [[KillerGorilla true, massive, monstrous form]], Wyald states his abhorrent intent to brutally rape Casca to death.
* "[[Recap/BerserkFalconOfTheMillenniumEmpireArc Falcon of the Millennium Empire Arc]]": [[TheCaligula Emperor Ganishka]] of the Kushan Empire became insanely paranoid when his mother tried to poison him for his younger brother to become the heir, prompting him to kill them both. Waging many wars in a quest to reign supreme over the world, Ganishka's paranoia made his own son so terrified that he tried to kill his own father out of fear he would see his son as a threat. Accepting the Godhand's offer and [[OffingTheOffspring letting his son be devoured]], Ganishka [[DrunkOnTheDarkSide used his power]] to become [[TheDreaded the most feared tyrant]] across the world, invading Midland and massacring thousands of innocent people, decorating the entire city with their corpses and body parts, [[FedToTheBeast feeding helpless women to his crocodile monsters]] and having his General Daiba create "Man-Made Beherit", the [[HumanArchitectureHorror womb-like construction]] made out of hundreds of Apostles, who are kept [[AndIMustScream alive and in a state of constant suffering]], while he has his men throw hundreds of thousands of pregnant women there, where their unborn children are filled with an evil essence that turn them into feral demons, who then tear apart the bodies of their mothers. Upon being easily defeated by Griffith, Ganishka turned himself into [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity Shiva]], gruesomely killing thousands of his own men and unleashing his monsters to devour everyone they see, endangering the whole world with his power.

* ''Literature/BerserkTheFlameDragonKnight'': [[InsaneAdmiral General Abecassis]] of [[TheEmpire Tudor]] is the man in charge of Tudor's horrific loyalty programs. After having led the attack on Grant which sees innocents tortured, raped, and killed, Abecassis [[WouldHurtAChild murders a little boy]] just to prove a point to the prisoners, along with subjecting them to [[TrainingFromHell horrible conditions and training]]. Over 100 children die thanks to Abecassis, with girls who cannot handle the conditions raped, tortured, and killed. When Grunbeld defies Abecassis, the general [[IWillPunishYourFriendForYourFailure has his friend Sigur raped and tortured in his stead]]. As years pass, Abecassis decides to arrange a new attack on Grant to have it invaded and ravaged by Tudor.

* ''The Prototype'': [[UsefulNotes/VladTheImpaler Vlad Tepes]] is a [[AristocratsAreEvil monstrous tyrant]] who, during a war with a neighboring country, was ruthless enough to capture and [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice impale]] 500 prisoners on stakes and [[DeadGuyOnDisplay leave their corpses to rot on the borders]] as a gruesome warning. After the war, Vlad decided to satiate his bloodlust on his own people by taking young girls as maidservants, only to slaughter them mercilessly. When Guts infiltrates Vlad's castle in order to rescue Fricka, Vlad is revealed to be a [[OneWingedAngel grotesque]], gluttonous Apostle who offered his humanity in exchange for inhuman powers, and then attempts to kill both Guts and Fricka, bragging about how a "mere human" is no match for him.

* ''[[LightNovel/BerserkTheFlameDragonKnight The Flame Dragon Knight]]'': [[InsaneAdmiral General Abecassis]] of [[TheEmpire Tudor]] is the man in charge of Tudor's horrific loyalty programs. After having led the attack on Grant which sees innocents tortured, raped, and killed, Abecassis [[WouldHurtAChild murders a little boy]] just to prove a point to the prisoners, along with subjecting them to [[TrainingFromHell horrible conditions and training]]. Over 100 children die thanks to Abecassis, with girls who cannot handle the conditions raped, tortured, and killed. When Grunbeld defies Abecassis, the general [[IWillPunishYourFriendForYourFailure has his friend Sigur raped and tortured in his stead]]. As years pass, Abecassis decides to arrange a new attack on Grant to have it invaded and ravaged by Tudor.

** [[HornyDevils Slan]] is the only female member of the Godhand and the one most concerned with [[SexIsViolence dark carnality]]. [[NightmareFetishist Finding arousal in agony and rape]], Slan is worshiped by heretic cults and the "Goddess of the Flame" groups. Influencing Apostles and men alike to be the worst they can, Slan promotes twisted orgies marked by mass cannibalism and blood sacrifice and corrupts a forest to become Qliphoth, a twisted, deadly place home to demons she may manifest in. With her attachment to Guts [[InLoveWithYourCarnage for his capacity for violence]], Slan [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil attempts to molest him]] upon her manifestation and even offers him the chance to become an Apostle himself, using the promise of allowing him to kill Griffith should he sacrifice his companions to her.

-->--'''Void'''

* [[Recap/BerserkGoldenAgeArc Golden Age Arc]]: [[PsychoForHire Wyald]] is one of the first Apostles encountered and one of the nastiest pieces of work that Guts and company meet before the Eclipse goes down. A depraved [[TheHedonist hedonist]], he works for the King of Midland and leads a band of mercenaries made up of the worst murderers, rapists and all around scum that Midland has to offer--and even they are terrified of him. His motto is "Excitement and Enjoyment", which translates to [[RapePillageAndBurn raping and murdering]] dozens, including children. He demonstrates [[BadBoss an utter disregard for his men's lives]], frequently triggering traps and getting them killed, solely so that he can laugh at their deaths. Taking his [[KillerGorilla true, massive, monstrous form]], Wyald states his abhorrent intent to brutally rape Casca to death.
* [[Recap/BerserkFalconOfTheMillenniumEmpireArc Falcon of the Millennium Empire Arc]]: [[TheCaligula Emperor Ganishka]] of the Kushan Empire became insanely paranoid when his mother tried to poison him for his younger brother to become the heir, prompting him to kill them both. Waging many wars in a quest to reign supreme over the world, Ganishka's paranoia made his own son so terrified that he tried to kill his own father out of fear he would see his son as a threat. Accepting the Godhand's offer and [[OffingTheOffspring letting his son be devoured]], Ganishka [[DrunkOnTheDarkSide used his power]] to become [[TheDreaded the most feared tyrant]] across the world, invading Midland and massacring thousands of innocent people, decorating the entire city with their corpses and body parts, [[FedToTheBeast feeding helpless women to his crocodile monsters]] and having his General Daiba create "Man-Made Beherit", the [[HumanArchitectureHorror womb-like construction]] made out of hundreds of Apostles, who are kept [[AndIMustScream alive and in a state of constant suffering]], while he has his men throw hundreds of thousands of pregnant women there, where their unborn children are filled with an evil essence that turn them into feral demons, who then tear apart the bodies of their mothers. Upon being easily defeated by Griffith, Ganishka turned himself into [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity Shiva]], gruesomely killing thousands of his own men and unleashing his monsters to devour everyone they see, endangering the whole world with his power.

* [[Recap/BerserkFalconOfTheMillenniumEmpireArc Falcon of the Millennium Empire Arc]] (aka Millennium Falcon Arc): [[TheCaligula Emperor Ganishka]] of the Kushan Empire became insanely paranoid when his mother tried to poison him for his younger brother to become the heir, prompting him to kill them both. Waging many wars in a quest to reign supreme over the world, Ganishka's paranoia made his own son so terrified that he tried to kill his own father out of fear he would see his son as a threat. Accepting the Godhand's offer and [[OffingTheOffspring letting his son be devoured]], Ganishka [[DrunkOnTheDarkSide used his power]] to become [[TheDreaded the most feared tyrant]] across the world, invading Midland and massacring thousands of innocent people, decorating the entire city with their corpses and body parts, [[FedToTheBeast feeding helpless women to his crocodile monsters]] and having his General Daiba create "Man-Made Beherit", the [[HumanArchitectureHorror womb-like construction]] made out of hundreds of Apostles, who are kept [[AndIMustScream alive and in a state of constant suffering]], while he has his men throw hundreds of thousands of pregnant women there, where their unborn children are filled with an evil essence that turn them into feral demons, who then tear apart the bodies of their mothers. Upon being easily defeated by Griffith, Ganishka turned himself into [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity Shiva]], gruesomely killing thousands of his own men and unleashing his monsters to devour everyone they see, endangering the whole world with his power.

* [[Characters/BerserkGriffithFemto Griffith]] began life as a young man [[AmbitionIsEvil desiring his own kingdom]]. Willing to do anything to that end, Griffith displays a [[{{Narcissist}} ruthless narcissism]] in how he utilizes [[Characters/BerserkBandOfTheHawk his followers]], stating he will decide the place of their deaths, sending Guts to commit multiple political assassinations and eliminating any rivals. After his fall from grace, Griffith [[DespairEventHorizon succumbs to ultimate despair]] and summons the Godhand. In order to become the Fifth Angel of the Godhand, Femto, Griffith sacrifices the entire company, having his comrades butchered by demons during the Eclipse and damning their souls eternally as he feasts on their life force to emerge as a black-winged god of demons. With his newfound power, Griffith, as Femto, [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil rapes Casca]] while [[ForcedToWatch forcing Guts to watch]], her Brand of Sacrifice causing her so much pain from his action that she is [[RapeLeadsToInsanity driven comatose]]. Happily adopting a position among the Godhand to continue the sacrifices to demonkind, Femto displays no remorse for his deeds until he manipulates causality with his fellows to sacrifice every refugee at the city of Albion. Emerging as the [[DarkMessiah supposed messiah of light]] as Griffith once again, he assembles a new Band of the Hawk to challenge the monstrous Ganishka and the Kushan empire, only to utilize Ganishka's death to initiate the Great Roar of the Astral World, fusing the material with the supernatural. This unleashes countless monsters into the world to slaughter and destroy at will while Griffith claims his kingdom Falconia, only to seek ever more to [[ItsAllAboutMe feed his insatiable ego]]. When given a chance to finally see Guts again and the memorial to the people he sacrificed, Griffith declares he feels no regret or remorse, stating his only loyalty is to himself and his dream and views any goodness as weakness that he is now free of.
* The [[Characters/BerserkGodhandAndApostles Godhand]] are the [[BigBadDuumvirate ultimate pinnacle of evil]] in the world of Midland. Each of them was once a human who made a [[DealWithTheDevil pact with the Crimson Beherit]] to [[DeityOfHumanOrigin become a god of demonkind]] by offering hundreds of sacrifices. The Godhand dwell in the Astral Plane, sowing misery and death through Midland to further the schemes of the [[GreaterScopeVillain Idea of Evil]], luring in multitudes of humans to sacrifice those precious to them and joining the ranks of Apostles to continue with misery and death. Introduced in the Golden Age with the group welcoming Griffith as their new "Wing of Darkness", Femto, and bidding him to sacrifice the Band of the Falcon to join them and plot the advent of the Age of Darkness, the Godhand are the direct or indirect cause of countless atrocities and tragedies throughout the world.
** [[MyBrainIsBig Void]], the apparent [[TheLeader leader]] of the Godhand and first among equals, evidently rose to claim his title with a great sacrifice over a thousand years ago. The [[ArchEnemy nemesis]] of the mysterious Skull Knight, Void is [[TheOlderImmortal the eldest of the Godhand]] and is [[ThePhilosopher the most contemplative over fate and darkness]] in his proclamations of the Godhand's ends. Void is also the member who produces the Brand of Sacrifice, transforming humans into Apostles and marking their sacrifices to be claimed and consumed by Demonkind.

** [[HornyDevils Slan]] is the only female member of the Godhand and the one most concerned with [[SexIsViolence dark carnality]]. [[NightmareFetishist Finding arousal in agony and rape]], Slan is worshiped by heretic cults and the "Goddess of the Flame" groups. Influencing Apostles and men alike to be the worst they can, Slan promotes twisted orgies marked by mass cannibalism and blood sacrifice. With her attachment to Guts [[InLoveWithYourCarnage for his capacity for violence]], Slan [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil attempts to molest him]] upon her manifestation and even offers him the chance to become an Apostle to kill Griffith should he sacrifice his companions.

[[redirect:Monster/AnimeAndManga]]

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%% Note: Due to the controversial nature of this trope, any changes (additions, removals, edits) should be discussed [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=6vic3f9h1cy5qivsenw8llok here]].
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%% Please read the discussion page first to see if your example or removal has already been brought up.
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The archenemies of Guts in ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'' perform extremely depraved deeds for their own amusement. This is without mentioning the fact that every demon was once a human, who then sacrificed something or someone dear to them to the Godhand, the primary main villains of the series in general, to become that way. Due to the [[GrimDark depressingly harsh]] nature of the setting, though, only a very few actually deserve to be on [[CompleteMonster this list]].
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* [[RapePillageAndBurn Wyald]] is one of the first Apostles encountered and one of the nastiest pieces of work that Guts and company meet before the Eclipse goes down. A depraved [[TheHedonist hedonist]], he [[PsychoForHire works for the King of Midland]] and leads a band of mercenaries made up of the worst murderers, rapists and all around scum that Midland has to offer. His motto is "Excitement and Enjoyment," which translates to [[SerialRapist raping]] and [[SerialKiller murdering]] dozens, including [[WouldHurtAChild children]]. He demonstrates [[BadBoss an utter disregard for his men's lives]], frequently triggering traps and getting them killed, [[ForTheEvulz solely so that he can laugh at their deaths]]. After transforming into his true shape, of a [[KillerGorilla fifty-foot tall gorilla]] with a three-foot thick spiky penis, he attempts to rape Casca with it, bragging that she'll "feel like a virgin again" as it rips her in two. Even his own men, the aforementioned worst scum of the kingdom, follow him mainly because they are ''utterly terrified'' of him.
* [[AdiposeRex Ganishka]], the Emperor of Kushan, became insanely paranoid when his mother tried to poison him for his younger brother to become the heir, only for the brother not to survive. His paranoia got to the point where his own son tried to kill him out of fear he would see his son as a threat. After accepting the Godhand's offer he has become a near-perfect example of TheCaligula, which shows in mass executions, ethnic cleansing, using conquered populations as human shields or cannon fodder for his armies, attempting to rape the captive princess Charlotte and suspending women over a pool filled with hungry crocodiles, dropping thousands of ''pregnant'' women into cauldrons with stitched-together Apostles to turn the unborn babies into half-human demons that rip apart their mothers upon birth. Grandiose, megalomaniacal, and obsessed with his position as TheEmperor, Ganishka revels in being as evil as he possibly can be.
* [[EvilFormerFriend Griffith]]/[[BigBad Femto]] is the Fifth Member of the [[DemonLordsAndArchdevils Godhand]]. When he was still human, he was a cold blooded {{narcissist}} who dreamed of ruling his own kingdom no matter what it took, was willing to use his friends to commit political assassinations for him, and displayed intensely [[{{yandere}} jealous behaviour]] towards Casca and Guts. When he realizes that his TrueCompanions no longer need him to lead them and care more about each other than they do about him, he crosses the DespairEventHorizon and the MoralEventHorizon in a single go, summoning the Godhand, sacrificing his friends in [[CruelAndUnusualDeath an incredibly gruesome manner]], and damning their souls to an eternity in {{Hell}} so that he [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence can become Femto]]. As Femto, his first act is to [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil rape Casca]] while [[ForcedToWatch forcing Guts to watch]], [[ColdBloodedTorture causing her intense agony through her Brand of Sacrifice]] (which bleeds whenever a demon, let alone a Godhand is close), [[RapeLeadsToInsanity driving her insane]], and leaving her in a permanent AngstComa. This act also corrupts her child, turning it into a warped FetusTerrible, which Femto eventually [[GrandTheftMe bodyjacks]] so that he might be reincarnated into the world, setting himself up as a DarkMessiah. Femto later tops himself by [[TheMagicComesBack fusing the mundane world and the supernatural worlds together]], which, in a [[CrapsackWorld harsh world]] like that of Berserk, is [[FromBadToWorse a very horrible sign of things to come]]. Defined by his [[SelfishEvil selfishness]], and positive that DespotismJustifiesTheMeans, he is a figure of utter hatred to those who know his true nature.
----

* [[RapePillageAndBurn Wyald]] is the second Apostle encountered and one of the nastiest pieces of work that Guts and company meet before the Eclipse goes down. A depraved, [[TheHedonist hedonistic]] {{serial killer}}, he [[PsychoForHire works for the King of Midland]] and leads a band of mercenaries made up of the worst murderers, rapists and all around scum that Midland has to offer. His motto is "Excitement and Enjoyment," which translates to raping and murdering dozens, including children. He demonstrates [[BadBoss an utter disregard for his men's lives]], frequently triggering traps and getting them killed, [[ForTheEvulz solely so that he can laugh at their deaths]]. After transforming into his true shape, of a [[KillerGorilla fifty-foot tall gorilla]] with a three-foot thick spiky penis, he attempts to rape Casca with it, bragging that she'll "feel like a virgin again" as it rips her in two. Even his own men, the aforementioned worst scum of the kingdom, follow him mainly because they are ''utterly terrified'' of him.

%% '''Note: Due to the controversial nature of this trope, any changes (additions, removals, edits) should be discussed [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=6vic3f9h1cy5qivsenw8llok here]].'''

The archenemies of Guts in ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'' perform extremely depraved deeds for their own amusement. This is without mentioning the fact that every demon was once a human, who then sacrificed something or someone dear to them to the Godhand, the primary main villains of the series in general, to become that way. Due to the [[GrimDark depressingly harsh]] nature of the setting, though, only a very few actually deserve to be on this list.

* [[PsychoForHire Wyald]] is the second Apostle encountered and one of the nastiest pieces of work that Guts and company meet before the Eclipse goes down. A depraved [[TheHedonist hedonist]] and SerialKiller, he leads a band of mercenaries made up of the worst murderers, rapists and all around scum that Midland has to offer. Wyald is introduced in the midst of an orgy, having sex with several dozen women. As he finishes with each girl, he breaks her neck, hurls her onto a pile of bodies, and then moves onto the next one, gloating about how his motto is "Excitement and Enjoyment." This sets the tone for the rest of his appearances, which show him to be a walking, breathing, raping machine. When he and his knights come across a young family, including a mother and several children, that have aided the Band of the Hawk that they have been hired to track down, they proceed to rape and murder everyone, including the children. This is followed by [[DeadGuyOnDisplay dismembering their bodies and carrying them naked on poles into battle with the Hawks]], who are all horrified at the sight. He demonstrates [[BadBoss an utter disregard for his men's lives]], frequently triggering traps and getting them killed, solely so that he can laugh at their deaths. After transforming into his true shape, of a fifty foot tall gorilla with a three foot thick spiky penis, he attempts to rape Casca with it, bragging that she'll "feel like a virgin again" as it rips her in two. Even his own men, the aforementioned worst scum of the kingdom, follow him mainly because they are ''utterly terrified'' of him.
* Griffith/Femto, Guts' [[EvilFormerFriend ex-best friend]], is the BigBad, the Fifth Member of the [[DemonLordsAndArchdevils Godhand]] and the series' definitive monster. He first establishes his coldhearted nature after the Count, the second Apostle we see Guts encountering, calls forth the Godhand the second time. Femto orders the Count, who is dying after having been defeated by Guts, to sacrifice his daughter Theresia - the only person left who he truly loves - for the Count to be reborn as an Apostle and keep on living or else be sent to Hell like all Apostles when they die. In flashback we discover that, even when he and Guts were friends, he was a cold-blooded {{narcissist}}, who dreamed of ruling his own kingdom no matter what it took, was willing to use his friends to commit political assassinations for him, and displays intensely [[{{yandere}} jealous behaviour]] towards Casca and Guts. After making the mistake of sleeping with the King's daughter, he was imprisoned and tortuered for a full year, an ordeal [[BeingTorturedMakesYouEvil which destroyed whatever humanity he might have had left]]. Freed from prison by his TrueCompanions, Griffith, enraged that they no longer need him to be their leader, upset that Guts and Casca now care about one another more than they do him, and unable to take the way that everyone's admiration of him has turned to pity, crosses the DespairEventHorizon and the MoralEventHorizon in a single go, summoning the Godhand, sacrificing his friends in [[CruelAndUnusualDeath an incredibly gruesome manner]], and damning their souls to an eternity in {{Hell}} so that he [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence can become Femto]]. As Femto, his first act is to rape Casca while forcing Guts to watch, [[ColdBloodedTorture causing her intense agony through her Brand of Sacrifice]] (which bleeds whenever a demon, let alone a Godhand is close), [[RapeLeadsToInsanity driving her insane]], and leaving her in a permanent AngstComa. This act also corrupts her child, turning it into a warped FetusTerrible, which Femto eventually [[GrandTheftMe bodyjacks]] so that he might be reincarnated into the world, setting himself up as a DarkMessiah. Femto later tops himself by [[spoiler:[[TheMagicComesBack fusing the mundane world and the supernatural worlds together]]]], which, in a [[CrapsackWorld harsh world]] like that of Berserk, is [[FromBadToWorse a very horrible sign of things to come]]. Defined by his [[SelfishEvil selfishness]], and positive that DespotismJustifiesTheMeans, he is a figure of utter hatred to those who know his true nature.
* Ganishka, the Emperor of Kushan, [[spoiler: became insanely paranoid, when his mother tried to poison him for his younger brother to become the heir, only for the latter ones not to survive. His paranoia got to the point where his own son tried to kill him out of fear he would see his son as a threat]]. After accepting the Godhand's offer he has become a near-perfect example of TheCaligula, which shows in mass executions, ethnic cleansing, using conquered populations as human shields or cannon fodder for his armies, attempting to rape the captive princess Charlotte and suspending women over a pool filled with hungry crocodiles, dropping thousands of ''pregnant'' women into cauldrons with stitched-together Apostles to turn the unborn babies into half-human demons that rip apart their mothers upon birth. Grandiose, megalomaniacal, and obsessed with his position as TheEmperor, Ganishka revels in being as evil as he possibly can be.
----

The archenemies of Guts in ''{{Berserk}}'' perform extremely depraved deeds for their own amusement. This is without mentioning the fact that every demon was once a human, who then sacrificed something or someone dear to them to the Godhand, the primary main villains of the series in general, to become that way. Due to the [[GrimDark depressingly harsh]] nature of the setting, though, only a very few actually deserve to be on this list.

* Griffith/Femto, Guts' [[EvilFormerFriend ex-best friend]], is the BigBad, the Fifth Member of the [[DemonLordsAndArchdevils Godhand]] and the series' definitive monster. He first establishes his cold-hearted nature after the Count, the second Apostle we see Guts encountering, calls forth the Godhand for the second time. Femto orders the Count, who is dying after having been defeated by Guts, to sacrifice his daughter Theresia -- the only person left who he truly loves -- for the Count to be reborn as an Apostle and keep on living or else be sent to Hell like all Apostles when they die. In flashback we discover that, even when he and Guts were friends, he was a cold-blooded {{narcissist}}, who dreamed of ruling his own kingdom no matter what it took, was willing to use his friends to commit political assassinations for him, and displays intensely [[{{Yandere}} jealous behaviour]] towards Casca and Guts. After making the mistake of sleeping with the King's daughter, he was imprisoned and put to the torture for a full year, an ordeal [[BeingTorturedMakesYouEvil which destroyed whatever humanity he might have had left]]. Freed from prison by his TrueCompanions, Griffith, enraged that they no longer need him to be their leader, upset that Guts and Casca now care about one another more than they do him, and unable to take the way that everyone's admiration of him has turned to pity, crosses the DespairEventHorizon and the MoralEventHorizon in a single go -- he summons the Godhand and then sacrifices his entire army (which entails placing the Brand of Sacrifice on everyone he ever led, including Guts and Casca, so that they will be eaten alive by demons, and damning their souls to an eternity in {{Hell}} in the process) so that he [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence can become Femto]]. And ''then'', as Femto, his first act is to rape Casca while [[ForcedToWatch forcing Guts to watch]], [[ColdBloodedTorture causing her intense agony through her Brand of Sacrifice]] (which bleeds whenever a demon, let alone a Godhand is close), [[RapeLeadsToInsanity driving her insane]], and leaving her in a permanent AngstComa. This act also corrupts the child that she'd conceived with Guts, turning it into a warped FetusTerrible, which Femto eventually [[GrandTheftMe bodyjacks]] so that he might be reincarnated into the world, setting himself up as a DarkMessiah. Femto later tops himself by [[spoiler:[[TheMagicComesBack fusing the mundane world and the supernatural worlds together]]]], which, in a [[CrapsackWorld harsh world]] like that of ''Berserk'', is [[FromBadToWorse a very horrible sign of things to come]]. Defined by his [[SelfishEvil selfishness]], and positive that DespotismJustifiesTheMeans, he is a figure of utter hatred to those who know his true nature.

* The Beast of Darkness is Guts' [[TheHeartless accumulated rage, grief, hate and pain since the Eclipse]] manifested as a terrifying, wild, {{hell hound}}-like monster, portrayed in a convincingly nasty way. Craving murder and cruelty, it acts in synchrony with Guts back in his [[SociopathicHero Black Swordsman]] days. However, once Guts starts to care about something more than {{revenge}} against Griffith and killing Apostles, namely [[MoralityPet Casca]], the Beast does its best to coerce Guts back into his ferocious ways. It [[EnemyWithin takes over Guts' body]] and tries to force him to rape and eat Casca (with a gruesome image of the naked Casca being brutalized to death shown), while giving him a [[BreakingLecture speech invading his mind like a crowbar]] about how he secretly desires to be as bad as Femto. Guts is almost {{forced to watch}} the worst thing possible happen to the woman he loves [[spoiler: again]], this time by his own hands, unable to do anything, all because the Beast wants him for itself. Guts manages to fight it back, but unfortunately this instance also ruins whatever emotional bond was beginning to reform between Guts and Casca.

* The Beast of Darkness is Guts' [[SuperpoweredEvilSide accumulated rage, grief, hate and pain since the Eclipse]] manifested as a terrifying, wild, {{hell hound}}-like monster, portrayed in a convincingly nasty way. Craving murder and cruelty, it acts in synchrony with Guts back in his [[SociopathicHero Black Swordsman]] days. However, once Guts starts to care about something more than {{revenge}} against Griffith and killing Apostles, namely [[MoralityPet Casca]], the Beast does its best to coerce Guts back into his ferocious ways. It [[EnemyWithin takes over Guts' body]] and tries to force him to rape and eat Casca (with a gruesome image of the naked Casca being brutalized to death shown), while giving him a [[BreakingLecture speech invading his mind like a crowbar]] about how he secretly desires to be as bad as Femto. Guts is almost {{forced to watch}} the worst thing possible happen to the woman he loves [[spoiler: again]], this time by his own hands, unable to do anything, all because the Beast wants him for itself. Guts manages to fight it back, but unfortunately this instance also ruins whatever emotional bond was beginning to reform between Guts and Casca.

* [[PsychoForHire Wyald]] is the second Apostle encountered and one of the nastiest pieces of work that Guts and company meet before the Eclipse goes down. A depraved [[TheHedonist hedonist]] and SerialKiller, he leads a band of mercenaries made up of the worst murderers, rapists and all around scum that Midland has to offer. Wyald is introduced in the midst of an orgy, having sex with several dozen women. As he finishes with each girl, he breaks her neck, hurls her onto a pile of bodies, and then moves onto the next one, gloating about how his motto is "Excitement and Enjoyment." This sets the tone for the rest of his appearances, which show him to be a walking, breathing, raping machine.\\
When he and his knights come across a young family, including a mother and several children, that have aided the Band of the Hawk that they have been hired to track down, they proceed to rape and murder everyone, including the children. This is followed by [[DeadGuyOnDisplay dismembering their bodies and carrying them naked on poles into battle with the Hawks]], who are all horrified at the sight. He demonstrates [[BadBoss an utter disregard for his men's lives]], frequently triggering traps and getting them killed, solely so that he can laugh at their deaths. After transforming into his true shape, of a fifty foot tall gorilla with a three foot thick spiky penis, he attempts to rape Casca with it, bragging that she'll "feel like a virgin again" as it rips her in two. Even his own men, the aforementioned worst scum of the kingdom, follow him mainly because they are ''utterly terrified'' of him.
* Griffith/Femto, Guts' [[EvilFormerFriend ex-best friend]], is the BigBad, the Fifth Member of the [[DemonLordsAndArchdevils Godhand]] and the series' definitive monster. He first establishes his cold-hearted nature after the Count, the second Apostle we see Guts encountering, calls forth the Godhand for the second time. Femto orders the Count, who is dying after having been defeated by Guts, to sacrifice his daughter Theresia -- the only person left who he truly loves -- for the Count to be reborn as an Apostle and keep on living or else be sent to Hell like all Apostles when they die.\\
In flashback we discover that, even when he and Guts were friends, he was a cold-blooded {{narcissist}}, who dreamed of ruling his own kingdom no matter what it took, was willing to use his friends to commit political assassinations for him, and displays intensely [[{{yandere}} jealous behaviour]] towards Casca and Guts. After making the mistake of sleeping with the King's daughter, he was imprisoned and put to the torture for a full year, an ordeal [[BeingTorturedMakesYouEvil which destroyed whatever humanity he might have had left]]. Freed from prison by his TrueCompanions, Griffith, enraged that they no longer need him to be their leader, upset that Guts and Casca now care about one another more than they do him, and unable to take the way that everyone's admiration of him has turned to pity, crosses the DespairEventHorizon and the MoralEventHorizon in a single go -- he summons the Godhand and then sacrifices his entire army (which entails placing the Brand of Sacrifice on everyone he ever led, including Guts and Casca, so that they will be eaten alive by demons, and damning their souls to an eternity in {{Hell}} in the process) so that he [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence can become Femto]]. As Femto, his first act is to rape Casca while forcing Guts to watch, [[ColdBloodedTorture causing her intense agony through her Brand of Sacrifice]] (which bleeds whenever a demon, let alone a Godhand is close), [[RapeLeadsToInsanity driving her insane]], and leaving her in a permanent AngstComa. This act also corrupts the child that she'd conceived with Guts, turning it into a warped FetusTerrible, which Femto eventually [[GrandTheftMe bodyjacks]] so that he might be reincarnated into the world, setting himself up as a DarkMessiah. Femto later tops himself by [[spoiler:[[TheMagicComesBack fusing the mundane world and the supernatural worlds together]]]], which, in a [[CrapsackWorld harsh world]] like that of Berserk, is [[FromBadToWorse a very horrible sign of things to come]]. Defined by his [[SelfishEvil selfishness]], and positive that DespotismJustifiesTheMeans, he is a figure of utter hatred to those who know his true nature.
* Ganishka, the Emperor of Kushan, [[spoiler: became insanely paranoid, when his mother tried to poison him for his younger brother to become the heir, only for the latter ones not to survive. His paranoia got to the point, where his own son tried to kill him out of fear he would see his son as a threat]]. After accepting the Godhand's offer he has become a near-perfect example of TheCaligula, which shows in mass executions, ethnic cleansing, using conquered populations as human shields or cannon fodder for his armies, attempting to rape the captive princess Charlotte and suspending women over a pool filled with hungry crocodiles, dropping thousands of ''pregnant'' women into cauldrons with stitched-together Apostles to turn the unborn babies into half-human demons that rip apart their mothers upon birth. Grandiose, megalomaniacal, and obsessed with his position as TheEmperor, Ganishka revels in being as evil as he possibly can be.
* The Beast of Darkness is Guts' [[SuperpoweredEvilSide accumulated rage, grief, hate and pain]] manifested as a terrifying, wild, {{hell hound}}-like monster, portrayed in a convincingly nasty way. Craving murder and cruelty, it acts in synchrony with Guts back in his [[SociopathicHero Black Swordsman]] -days. However, once Guts starts to care about something more than {{revenge}} against Griffith and killing Apostles, namely [[MoralityPet Casca]], the Beast does its best to coerce Guts back into his ferocious ways. It [[EnemyWithin takes over Guts' body]] and tries to force him to rape and eat Casca(with a gruesome image of the naked Casca being brutalized to death shown), while giving him a [[HannibalLecture speech invading his mind like a crowbar]] about how he secretly desires to be as bad as Femto. Guts is almost {{forced to watch}} the worst thing possible happen to the woman he loves [[spoiler: again]], this time by his own hands, unable to do anything, all because the Beast wants him for itself. Guts manages to fight it back, but unfortunately this instance also ruins whatever emotional bond was beginning to reform between Guts and Casca.

* [[PsychoForHire Wyald]] is the second Apostle encountered and one of the nastiest pieces of work that Guts and company meet before the Eclipse goes down. A depraved [[TheHedonist hedonist]] and SerialKiller, he leads a band of mercenaries made up of the worst murderers, rapists and all around scum that Midland has to offer. Wyald is introduced in the midst of an orgy, having sex with several dozen women. As he finishes with each girl, he breaks her neck, hurls her onto a pile of bodies, and then moves onto the next one, gloating about how his motto is "Excitement and Enjoyment." This sets the tone for the rest of his appearances, which show him to a walking, breathing, raping machine. When he and his knights come across a young family, including a mother and several children, that have aided the Band of the Hawk that they have been hired to track down, they proceed to rape and murder everyone, including the children. This is followed by [[DeadGuyOnDisplay dismembering their bodies and carrying them naked on poles into battle with the Hawks]], who are all horrified at the sight. He demonstrates [[BadBoss an utter disregard for his men's lives]], frequently triggering traps and getting them killed, solely so that he can laugh at their deaths. After transforming into his true shape, of a fifty foot tall gorilla with a three foot thick spiky penis, he attempts to rape Casca with it, bragging that she'll "feel like a virgin again" as it rips her in two. Even his own men, the aforementioned worst scum of the kingdom, follow him mainly because they are ''utterly terrified'' of him.
* Griffith/Femto, Guts' [[EvilFormerFriend ex-best friend]], is the BigBad, the Fifth Member of the [[DemonLordsAndArchdevils Godhand]] and the series' definitive monster. He first establishes his coldhearted nature after the Count, the second Apostle we see Guts encountering, calls forth the Godhand the second time. Femto orders the Count, who is dying after having been defeated by Guts, to sacrifice his daughter Theresia - the only person left who he truly loves - for the Count to be reborn as an Apostle and keep on living or else be sent to Hell like all Apostles when they die. In flashback we discover that, even when he and Guts were friends, he was a cold-blooded {{narcissist}}, who dreamed of ruling his own kingdom no matter what it took, was willing to use his friends to commit political assassinations for him, and displays intensely [[{{yandere}} jealous behaviour]] towards Casca and Guts. After making the mistake of sleeping with the King's daughter, he was imprisoned and tortuered for a full year, an ordeal [[BeingTorturedMakesYouEvil which destroyed whatever humanity he might have had left]]. Freed from prison by his TrueCompanions, Griffith, enraged that they no longer need him to be their leader, upset that Guts and Casca now care about one another more than they do him, and unable to take the way that everyone's admiration of him has turned to pity, crosses the DespairEventHorizon and the MoralEventHorizon in a single go, summoning the Godhand, sacrificing his friends in [[CruelAndUnusualDeath an incredibly gruesome manner]], and damning their souls to an eternity in {{Hell}} so that he [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence can become Femto]]. As Femto, his first act is to rape Casca while forcing Guts to watch, [[ColdBloodedTorture causing her intense agony through her Brand of Sacrifice]] (which bleeds whenever a demon, let alone a Godhand is close), [[RapeLeadsToInsanity driving her insane]], and leaving her in a permanent AngstComa. This act also corrupts her child, turning it into a warped FetusTerrible, which Femto eventually [[GrandTheftMe bodyjacks]] so that he might be reincarnated into the world, setting himself up as a DarkMessiah. Femto later tops himself by [[spoiler:[[TheMagicComesBack fusing the mundane world and the supernatural worlds together]]]], which, in a [[CrapsackWorld harsh world]] like that of Berserk, is [[FromBadToWorse a very horrible sign of things to come]]. Defined by his [[SelfishEvil selfishness]], and positive that DespotismJustifiesTheMeans, he is a figure of utter hatred to those who know his true nature.