Julius was brother to the King of Midland and was next in line as heir to the throne.[3]
Appearance[]
Julius was a tall and well-built man with long blonde hair.[3]
Personality[]
Julius was a brash and arrogant noble, who believed that commoners could never become generals and become equals to nobles.[3] This led to him trying to murder Griffith.[3] He also trained his son in the way of the sword so that he could become the leader of the White Dragon Knights and a suitable husband for the princess, feeling that the importance of said duty was fundamentally different from that befalling other men.[1] He was also an unfaithful brother, committing adultery with the queen, his brother's wife.[2] Despite these flaws, he was definitely no coward, as he defended his life against Guts when the latter came to murder him. Furthermore, he was not completely heartless toward his son, as he admitted to Hassan that his harsh training toward his son was the result of letting his frustrations get the best of him.[1]
Story[]
Golden Age Arc[]
As Hassan tells Adonis, the loss of his wife made Julius desperate to do all he could on his own to raise his son.[1]
Guts and Griffith first encounter Julius as he accompanies the King during one of his strolls through his castle. On this occasion, the King and Griffith have a little talk about war and mercenaries, whom Julius disapproves of as men of lower rank. Then, along comes Charlotte, the King's daughter, who missteps and is prevented from falling by Griffith, who is immediately slapped by Julius for laying a hand on the princess. Shortly afterwards, he feels discontent at the talk of several handmaidens about Griffith's feats. Foss, who was nearby, exploits Julius' hostility, commenting on having heard that Griffith might one day come to equate him in rank despite humble origins as well as the Band of the Falcon replacing Julius' White Dragon Knights during the yearly Autumn hunt as the king's guard and how this could be a sign of the king favoring Griffith's rising fame over a perceived fall of the White Dragon Knights. Foss then suggests using a poisoned arrow during the autumn hunt, as it could be easily mistaken for a stray arrow. Pleased, Julius leaves, concluding that it's "a fitting way for a commoner to die".[3]
During the Autumn Hunt, Julius instructs a man -the best bowman among the White Dragon Knights- to wait until Griffith's alone. The man attempts to have the mercenary killed with a poisoned arrow shortly after Griffith's attempts at helping Princess Charlotte dismount her startled horse.[4] However, the attempt fails. An angered Julius comments on how this accidentally gave Griffith more sway over the populace as well as the King, as he protected his daughter from what was seen as a move from a Tudor assassin. Reflecting on the young mercenary's eyes, he has a glint of doubt over whether Griffith actually knew the bolt was destined for him. He then dismisses it, as there wasn't any proof.[5] Griffith, tracing the poison back to Julius, orders Guts to assassinate his would-be murderer. After reaching Julius' manor, Guts sees the count harshly sparring with Adonis, his son. Later, Julius is being talked to by a man named Hassan, reasoning that frustration may have gotten the best of him. Left all alone Julius thinks about his failure to kill Griffith. Just then, Julius notices Guts hidden in the shadows. Though Julius attempts to defend himself, he is stabbed to death by Guts and recognizes him as Griffith's subordinate before dying.[1]
His death along his son's was announced at a dinner party hosted by Princess Charlotte at Promrose Hall, not long after causing a uproar among the people there.[6]
Notes[]
- In the anime, the sub-plot where Julius slept with the Queen of Midland was left out.
- While he is blonde in Berserk: The Golden Age Arc, his hair in the first anime series has a brown hue.
- In the first film, it is stated by some nobles that Julius was held for ransom by Tudor and the King of Midland had to pay for his brother's safe return. The ransom's cost played a role in Julius and his knights being replaced by the Band of the Falcon.