Will you always be left doubting me when I lay down my life for you?
All S1
S1 E15Unfinished Business
(Foss and Julius are both displeased by Griffith's appointment to the King's honor guard for the Fall Hunt)
FFoss
In the act of hunting, a little danger must always lie. You never know what beasts may lie in the woods...
JJulius
What are you trying to say to me?
FFoss
Of course, not only are the beasts dangerous, but also the stray arrows that may have been launched at the beast...
JJulius
A stray arrow?
FFoss
And a nastily poisoned stray arrow at that, Julius...
(after Griffith explains how he discovered Yurius was behind the attempt on his life and tells Guts to kill him) This is unlike you; You should just order me to do your bidding, without saying all that other crap.
One man's dream can hold dominion over the entire world, for one who dedicates his life to the forging of a single sword. While many can pursue their dreams in solitude, other dreams are like great storms blowing hundreds, even thousands of dreams apart in their wake. Dreams breathe life into men and can cage them in suffering. Men live and die by their dreams. But long after they have been abandoned, they still smoulder deep in men's hearts. Some see nothing more than life and death. They are dead, for they have no dreams.
In my mind, a true friend never relies on another's dream. The man who would be my friend must have his own reason for living, beyond me. And he should put his heart and soul into protecting his dream. He should never hesitate to defend it, even against me. For me to call a man my friend, he must be equal to me in all respects.
Lost your nerve?
I have not!
I dunno, you look pretty nervous to me, Corkus.
PPippin
You're shaking.
Shut up! It's because I'm excited, that's all.
(In a flashback, Casca finds Griffith mourning a dead squire)
He so badly wanted to be a knight. I remember this boy well; whenever he looked at me, his eyes filled with wonder, as though I were a hero. Was he happy, I wonder; he died pursuing his dream, but I think it was my dream that killed him.
Why would you do that with him?!
For the money. Maintaining an army is quite costly. Soldiers, horses, provisions and equipment - none of these are free. The Hawks will grow even larger, and so will their expenses. I must help my army grow, and that, I'm afraid, takes tremendous funds. So I found someone who is as interested in me as I am in his substantial fortune. So we have come to an agreement.
Even so, you can't! Why can't things just stay as they are? I know we could earn the money you need! We just have to keep winning!
That would take a tremendous amount of time, and... the more battles we fight, the more people we lose.
You're thinking about that boy, aren't you, Griffith?
I'm not. I came to this conclusion rationally. Which is the lesser risk for me? Losing hundreds of my men in tens of battles, or receiving what I need from some rich old man? Listen, Casca: I feel no responsibility to those comrades who've lost their lives in my service, because they chose to fight those battles... (grips his arms with his hands) just as you chose, just as I.
Griffith?
Just as I have chosen this, but... if there is one thing I can do for them, for the dead, it is to win, and keep winning until I obtain my dream. (his fingers start to tear bloody gashes in his arms.) A dream they clung to and risked their lives for.
Griffith, stop it!
I can't just step over the bones of the dead in order to realize it. My dream... my dream is already smeared with blood! I don't regret, I don't feel guilty, but I'd rather sacrifice myself than watch any more innocent children die in the name of my dream!
(running over and embracing him) Stop it... please, stop it...
Griffith has a dream he refuses to abandon, while most people have forgotten about their own dreams long ago. It is grand and it is pure, but it is a heavy weight for one man to carry, no matter how noble he is. And to make such dream a reality, one must inevitably endure terrible things. He wasn't born strong, but because of his dream, he knows that he must be. I want to be by his side during every last moment. If he dedicates himself entirely to his dream, if he has to fight to forge his dream, then I... I want to be a sword for him. His strength during battle. I want to play that important role in the fulfilment of his dream. (to Guts) And once, I believed my wish would be granted. But then, you arrived. Do you even remember, what he said that day on the hilltop when Griffith asked you to join us? The way he spoke - he had never given such high praises to anyone. I was overcome with envy that day. He barely knew you and yet he held you in such regard. I despised you. I tried to convince myself that Griffith wanted you solely for the strength you would add to the Hawks, but I see the way Griffith treats you differently. He becomes unnerved if you're in danger, and acts impulsively, as if, as if... Griffith puts his faith in you, but you, you can't appreciate the implications that that has! And I'll never forget that because of you, because of your recklessness and your selfishness, Griffith was nearly killed! I don't care if you drop dead in a field somewhere, but if you compromise Griffith's dream, if you ruin that, I will never forgive you! Do you hear me?! (breaks down) I can't forgive you for making Griffith change like he has! Why you?! Why did he choose you of all people?! Why you?
Women. You're entirely too weak, I mean just look at you; You have no endurance, you anger too easily, and you've got women troubles. Just more proof that women don't belong in a man's war.
You know nothing about women!
Of course not, I'm a man. How would I know? But what I do know is that we can't afford to be held up by your female problems, or anything else for that matter, understand? The enemy doesn't care what condition you're in, and they don't care that you're a woman. Actually, on second thought, they might be happy about that.
Do you really want to die in a place like this? Do you really want a meaningless place like this to be your grave? Is that dream in your head so dead? Every sword belongs in it's sheath. Go back to the sheath your master holds. Go back, back to Griffith.
You're messing with our only woman...You'll pay for that.
(after finding the remains of the hundred men he's slain, Casca finds Guts apparently lifeless body, and starts shaking it)
Please stop shaking me. It really isn't helping the pain.
You know, there's no need for you to worry yourself. It was for my own sake that I did all that. It wasn't for you in particular. It's just my nature. I'd rather fight with my sword than run away, that's all.
So that's the only reason? You fought a hundred men cause... It's not in your nature to run away?
Yeah, pretty much. Besides, I owed that bastard some payback. My memory of things is a bit unclear, I was lost in the swordplay. But to tell you the truth, there was something I just couldn't get out of my head. Compared to what you're trying to do, me fighting a hundred men means nothing, it has no purpose. I'm not talking about just you, I mean Griffith also. The two of you have something important that you can stake your lives on. I think it's great, I truly mean that. Compared to the strength of that purpose, whether I face a hundred men in battle or even a thousand, seems like nothing but a random act.
Guts, I...
Some view, huh?
Huh?
Gaston doesn't think he's very suited for army life. His intention is to start a tailoring business with the money he's earned when this war is over. He's very good with his hands, though he may not look it. Nikol had proposed to a woman who refused him once. Apparently she didn't want to marry a common soldier, so he declared he'd get promoted as soon as possible so that he could ask her again. That's why he tends to be so reckless and overextends himself in battle. It seems to me that everybody stakes their lives in a lost cause. Looking over them all from up here, I almost think I can see their hopes and dreams flickering in each little light.
Like a bonfire of dreams.
Well, that was beautiful. You sounded like the Princess talking.
Don't say that! But I understand; it's like each one of them has his own little light or small flame that he brings to the Band of the Hawk.
Yeah, and to ensure those weaker flames don't go out, each man casts his own into the strongest fire of them all: A raging fire, that is Griffith. But, my light isn't to be seen among them. Still, after all this time, it's seems I'm just someone who stopped to warm himself at the bonfire in passing.
Guts...
So long as I have my sword to fight with, I'm sure to survive. Year after year, I've proven it to be true. Before joining the Hawks, I've always survived, no matter the odds, no matter how hopeless a losing battle. This time was no different. In truth, I don't believe that's any way to live one's life. I've been fighting in battles for as long as I can remember. The mercenary leader who raised me taught me nothing except how to wield a sword. I've never had anything, except my sword. I don't want to die; for me that is the only reason for me I keep fighting. There is nothing to save myself for or give myself to. I fight because I know nothing else. Once I was willing, to do just that, to commit myself to fighting, and let anyone else find a reason for me.
Alright! Let's have a drink.
HRHawk Raider 1
Are you sure you should drink in your condition?
Ah shut up. The alcohol will disinfect me from the inside!
HRHawk Raider 2
Ha ha, that sounds like good medicine!
These quotes come from Wikiquote's Berserk pages and are available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.