Why Did Griffith Sacrifice the Band of the Hawk? Berserk's Eclipse Explained

Major spoilers for Berserk's Golden Age arc follow. This article mentions sexual violence without describing it graphically. If you have not reached the Eclipse, consider experiencing the story first.

The Eclipse is the moment Berserk transforms the bond between Guts and Griffith into its defining betrayal. Griffith, once the charismatic commander of the Band of the Hawk, offers his comrades as sacrifices to the God Hand in exchange for supernatural rebirth. He becomes Femto, while Guts and Casca barely survive. Understanding why it happens requires looking at Griffith's dream, Guts's departure and the choice Griffith makes when his old life becomes impossible.

What is the Eclipse in Berserk?

The Eclipse is a supernatural sacrificial ceremony at the climax of the Golden Age arc. Griffith's Crimson Behelit activates at his lowest point, drawing the Hawks into a nightmarish realm where the God Hand appears. These entities offer Griffith a path beyond his ruined human existence, but demand the lives of people precious to him. It is not an ordinary astronomical eclipse, even though a darkened sun gives the event its name.

The main events unfold across Berserk manga volumes 12 and 13, with the aftermath continuing in volume 14. The 2022 Golden Age Arc Memorial Edition anime covers the turning point in episodes 11, The Eclipse, and 12, Storm of Death, before exploring the consequences in episode 13, Vow of Retaliation.

Why did Griffith sacrifice the Band of the Hawk?

Griffith's ambition was to obtain a kingdom. For years he built the Band of the Hawk into a formidable mercenary force, gathering followers who believed in him. Yet his vision required others to risk and lose their lives. The story repeatedly asks whether he sees these people as individuals or as steps toward his dream.

The crisis begins before the Eclipse. Guts, who has become essential to Griffith as both a fighter and a person, leaves the Hawks to find a purpose of his own. Griffith cannot stop him. His response exposes how much control and identity he has tied to Guts, despite presenting himself as a leader devoted only to ambition. Griffith then makes a reckless decision involving Princess Charlotte, is imprisoned and suffers prolonged torture.

When the Hawks rescue him, Griffith can no longer lead an army or wield a sword as before. The physical damage is devastating, but so is the loss of the future he imagined. The Crimson Behelit activates amid his despair. The God Hand frame the sacrifice as a continuation of the road Griffith has already taken, emphasizing the lives spent in pursuit of his kingdom.

Griffith accepts their bargain. The supernatural forces orchestrate the encounter and manipulate his sense of destiny, but the story treats his acceptance as morally consequential. His comrades are not volunteers. They have just risked their lives to rescue him, and he trades them for power. That is why the Eclipse is remembered as a betrayal, not simply a monster attack.

Did Guts cause Griffith's downfall?

Guts's departure is a catalyst, not a justification. Guts wants to become someone who can stand beside Griffith as an equal, rather than living only inside another person's dream. Griffith experiences the separation as a personal rupture, then makes choices with catastrophic consequences. Guts did not force Griffith to approach Charlotte or authorize the sacrifice.

This distinction matters because Berserk explores the difference between influence and responsibility. The Hawks' loyalty never gave Griffith ownership of their lives. Blaming Guts for leaving would turn a person's freedom to choose his future into an obligation to preserve another man's ambition at any cost.

There is a thematic parallel in our explanation of why Suguru Geto turned against jujutsu society, though the characters' circumstances differ. In Berserk, Griffith's bargain makes the cost of a destructive worldview immediate and deeply personal.

What is the Crimson Behelit?

A Behelit is a mysterious, face-like object associated with demonic bargains. Griffith carries a special red one, the Crimson Behelit or Egg of the King. At a moment of extreme despair, it opens the way for the God Hand's intervention. It is the trigger for the Eclipse, not a weapon Griffith can simply activate whenever he wants.

The God Hand offer a transformation in exchange for sacrificing what matters most. That demand explains why the Band of the Hawk, rather than strangers, becomes the offering. Their relationship to Griffith gives the sacrifice its weight. The supernatural bargain destroys meaningful bonds, not merely a large number of lives.

Berserk also explores causality, suggesting that events can be drawn toward larger patterns. The God Hand speak as though Griffith's arrival was destined. Yet the manga does not make this an uncomplicated excuse for his decision. Readers can debate how much freedom he possessed without denying the suffering he inflicted.

What happened to the Band of the Hawk?

Once Griffith accepts, the Hawks receive the Brand of Sacrifice. Monstrous apostles attack, and the band is almost entirely destroyed. Characters who made the Hawks feel like a family die in a sequence that overturns the camaraderie and battlefield victories of the Golden Age arc.

Guts and Casca survive, but both suffer severe injuries and trauma. Guts loses an arm and an eye while trying to protect Casca. After Griffith's transformation, Casca is subjected to sexual violence, which profoundly affects her later story. The Skull Knight intervenes and rescues them. Rickert also survives because he was not inside the sacrificial space with the main group.

The Brand continues to matter after the Eclipse. It identifies Guts and Casca as intended sacrifices and attracts dangerous supernatural beings. The event creates an ongoing threat that shapes Guts's life as the Black Swordsman and his attempts to protect Casca.

Who is Femto? Is he still Griffith?

Femto is Griffith's reborn identity as a member of the God Hand. His appearance and abilities change, but the transformation is the culmination of the choice he makes during the Eclipse. Femto is not a separate innocent character who can conveniently absorb all the blame for Griffith's actions.

Later developments complicate Griffith's public image, but they do not erase what happened to the Hawks. His charisma can coexist with extreme cruelty. That contradiction helps explain why fans continue to discuss his motives even though the harm he caused is explicit.

Was Griffith always evil, or did the God Hand make him evil?

The Golden Age arc does not depict Griffith as a cartoon villain from the beginning. He inspires devotion, reveals vulnerability and forms an intense bond with Guts. Those qualities make his decision more disturbing. They also coexist with signs that he is willing to treat other people as instruments of his ambition.

The God Hand exploit Griffith's despair and encourage him to see sacrifice as the only way forward. Their influence matters, but saying they simply made him evil removes the moral tension. A stronger interpretation is that the Eclipse exposes what happens when Griffith values his dream above everyone who helped build it.

For another story about ambition and terrible consequences, see why Eren started the Rumbling in Attack on Titan. The circumstances differ, but both works challenge the idea that understandable motivations automatically excuse devastating choices.

Why is the Eclipse Berserk's turning point?

Before the Eclipse, the Golden Age arc resembles a war epic about loyalty, status and friendship. Afterward, Guts's journey becomes inseparable from grief, trauma, survival and the possibility of finding meaning beyond revenge. The shift works because the story spends time making the Hawks feel real before taking them away.

The event also changes how readers understand Griffith's kingdom. His ambition once seemed like a recognizable human goal. The Eclipse asks what that dream is worth when achieving it destroys the relationships that gave it meaning. The question follows Griffith and Guts long after the ceremony ends.

Readers who enjoy emotionally consequential dark fantasy may appreciate our Made in Abyss analysis. For a different perspective on violence and moving beyond vengeance, our Vinland Saga guide explores an anime that approaches those questions in a very different way.

Where can you read or watch the Eclipse?

The most direct manga route is Berserk volumes 12 and 13, followed by volume 14 for the aftermath. Dark Horse publishes the English editions. Deluxe Volume 4 collects volumes 10–12, and Deluxe Volume 5 collects volumes 13–15. Starting the Golden Age arc earlier is strongly recommended because its relationships make the betrayal meaningful.

The Golden Age Arc Memorial Edition anime covers the Eclipse and aftermath in episodes 11–13. Streaming services and language options vary by country, so check official regional availability. The material contains graphic violence and sexual violence and is intended for mature audiences.

Frequently asked questions

Why did Griffith betray Guts?

Griffith chose his ambition over the lives of the Band of the Hawk, including Guts. Guts's departure contributed to Griffith's emotional collapse, but did not justify the sacrifice.

Did Griffith choose to sacrifice the Hawks?

Yes. The God Hand manipulated the circumstances, but Griffith accepted the offering that enabled his rebirth as Femto.

Who survived the Eclipse in Berserk?

Guts and Casca survived after the Skull Knight rescued them. Rickert survived because he was not present inside the main sacrificial event.

Which manga volumes cover the Eclipse?

Volumes 12 and 13 cover the main events, and volume 14 continues the aftermath.

Is Femto a different person from Griffith?

Femto is Griffith's transformed God Hand identity, not an unrelated replacement.