Griffith emerged from childhood poverty and deprivation as a common street urchin, often lacking even bread. His ambition to possess his own kingdom ignited early, kindled by gazing at a sunlit castle from city alleyways. An old fortune teller provided a pivotal moment, gifting him a Crimson Beherit and prophesying his future conquest of the world, an artifact central to his destiny. During adolescence, Griffith established the mercenary Band of the Hawk, recruiting early members like the miner Pippin, former bandit Corkus, and tumbler Judeau. He encountered Casca while rescuing her from a predatory nobleman, slicing off the assailant's ear and instructing her to wield a sword for self-protection, leading her to join his ranks. Later, to secure funding for his fledgling band, Griffith entered a transactional relationship with the feudal lord Gennon, exchanging physical intimacy for financial support to ensure his comrades' survival. Leading the Band of the Hawk with extraordinary charisma and strategic brilliance, Griffith earned renown as the "White Falcon." He maintained refined, noble-like mannerisms that masked his humble origins, captivating followers who often felt intense loyalty or awe upon meeting him. His multifaceted personality blended moments of childlike playfulness with fierce combat intensity, attracting diverse recruits. Though expressing compassion for comrades—mourning their deaths and making personal sacrifices—he fundamentally viewed them as instruments for his dream, considering none his equal except Guts. Griffith defined friendship solely as requiring mutual pursuit of individual dreams, a standard met only by Guts. Guts uniquely disrupted Griffith's single-minded ambition, provoking deep emotional investment. Griffith repeatedly risked his life to save Guts, notably severing the immortal warrior Nosferatu Zodd's arm during a rescue. Zodd recognized Griffith's Beherit and delivered a cryptic warning about Guts' doomed fate should Griffith's dream collapse. Guts' departure after defeating Griffith in a duel triggered a profound psychological crisis. This loss led to a lapse in judgment, culminating in Griffith's impulsive seduction of Princess Charlotte, daughter of Midland's king. The act resulted in arrest for treason and a year-long imprisonment in the Tower of Rebirth, where systematic torture left him physically broken and mute. During isolation, his emotions toward Guts became a twisted source of sustenance. Rescued by the remnants of the Band of the Hawk, Griffith faced the irreversible ruin of his body and the apparent collapse of his ambition. In absolute despair, his Crimson Beherit activated, initiating the Eclipse—a convergence of realms where the God Hand offered godhood in exchange for sacrificing his comrades. Confronted with abandoning his dream or sacrificing his followers, Griffith acknowledged ceasing his pursuit would invalidate all prior sacrifices. He accepted the terms, trading the lives of the Band of the Hawk for ascension as Femto, the fifth God Hand. This transformation stripped him of human vulnerabilities and emotions, rendering him "free" from mortal constraints. As Femto, he coldly presided over the slaughter of his former allies and personally violated Casca before Guts, corrupting her unborn child. Residual traces of this child's emotions occasionally surfaced in Femto's consciousness as fleeting tears or contrary actions, dismissed by Griffith as inconsequential remnants.