The Royal Court Of Midland In Berserk

The King of Midland

The elderly ruler of Midland who had been fighting a century long war with the neighboring empire of Tudor. Burdened by the demands and responsibilities of his throne, the King's only comfort was his daughter Charlotte whom to him was the sole source of warmth in his existence. Due to the Band of the Hawk's victories on the battlefield, the King supported Griffith despite his common heritage and the disapproval of the nobility and eventually bestowed upon him command over all of Midland's armies. But upon learning that Griffith slept with Charlotte, the king became enraged and ordered Griffith be imprisoned and tortured while labeling the Band of the Hawk as outlaws. Combined with his attempt to rape Charlotte to regain her comfort, completely losing her as a consequence while using hired Bakiraka and the Black Dog Knights to kill Griffith after he was freed by his group, the king gradually loses his mind while his health deteriorates to the point of aging terribly. A few years after the eclipse, the King is bedridden and dying as his pleas for Charlotte to see him are refused. In the King's final moments, he sees a vision of Griffith returning to claim Charlotte and realizes that he supported Griffith to have someone to take his place and free him from the cold loneliness of the throne.

Charlotte

Formerly the princess of Midland, Charlotte had been in love with Griffith almost at first sight. After Guts defeated Griffith in their duel, the latter, psychologically damaged, seduced Charlotte and was imprisoned and tortured for a year as a result. During that time, she continued to pine for him, and was the one who provided the route for the Hawks to rescue him from prison. Two years after the Eclipse, Midland was conquered by the Kushans and she was taken prisoner by Ganishka to be his wife. While in captivity, Charlotte spent her time making embroidery portraits of Griffith, dreaming of his return. Soon after the events at Albion, Griffith did return for her and used Zodd to fly her out of captivity. She is currently residing in Falconia with the new Band of the Hawk alongside Griffith. She declared them to be Midland's Regular Army after their resounding victory against the Kushans in Vritannis, and has so far maintained her innocent nature throughout the series. Sonia, jealous of her betrothal to Griffith, once referred to her as the Queen of the Ducks.

Julius

Julius was the brother of the king and the leader of the White Dragon Knights. He resented the rise of Griffith and the Band of the Hawk in the favor of the king, especially given Griffith's common heritage. As a result, he plotted with Minister Foss to kill Griffith by arranging for a stray arrow to be fired during a hunt. The plan went awry when the arrow struck Griffith's Crimson Behelit and the king concluded that the attack was meant for Princess Charlotte, who was accompanying Griffith. In retaliation, Griffith sent Guts to assassinate Julius. Guts successfully completed his task, but as he was escaping, Julius' young son Adonis discovered him, forcing Guts to kill the boy before fleeing into the sewers.

The Queen of Midland

The queen was Charlotte's step mother. Her disapproval of Charlotte's interest in Griffith turned into hatred towards him for plotting the death of her secret lover Julius. She supported a plan conceived by Minister Foss to poison Griffith's wine at a royal party. However, due to the manipulations of Griffith, the minister betrayed her and used a nonlethal drug to make Griffith only appear dead. As the queen and a group of co-conspirators celebrated Griffith's death at the top of a tower, Foss suddenly left the gathering and silently locked the door. The queen and the others began to panic after discovering that the tower had been set on fire. Glancing out a window, she beheld Griffith alive and well, to her horror. The queen furiously declared that Griffith, a commoner, could not be allowed to kill royalty. Griffith replied that on the battlefield, heritage has no meaning, only who is defeated. She dies after being crushed by flaming debris.

Minister Foss

Minister Foss is a master of court intrigue. He conceived of plots with both Julius and the queen to kill Griffith. However, after the death of Julius, Griffith discovered Foss' involvement with the queen because he detected a hint of fear in the look of the minister's eyes. Griffith kidnapped Foss' daughter Elise in order to ensure the minister's cooperation. After Foss helped Griffith end the queen's life, Griffith returned the minister's daughter to him, declaring that there should be no more enmity between them. After the Eclipse, Foss predicted that the visions of the White Hawk signify that Griffith will return. More recently, he has been seen in the company of Laban, discussing Griffith's return and upcoming confrontation with Ganishka.

Laban

Laban was an early supporter of Griffith. He agreed with the king that Griffith should be judged on battlefield merit. After the Eclipse, he traveled about assisting victims of the plague. He is now assisting Griffith in his battle against Ganishka. Most recently, he led a rescue of a group of women who had been held prisoner by the emperor.

Owen

Owen believed that he could advance in the court by aligning himself with Griffith. On the eve of the king's death, Owen showed great concern about Charlotte's well-being, but he was denied permission to see her. At Vritanis, only Owen recognized Guts as the leader of the Hawk's Raiders. When Charlotte declared that the new Band of the Hawk was to be Midland's regular army, and Griffith Midland's general, Owen supported her, declaring to the other nobles that Griffith had a right to the position as Midland's former hero during the war with Tudor, and that Charlotte was well informed about Griffith's tactical ability.