The Eclipse in Berserk is a once‑in‑centuries demonic sacrificial ceremony where the God Hand are born a new member, and Griffith offers the Band of the Hawk to be slaughtered in exchange for transcendent power.

What Is the Eclipse in Berserk?

In the story, the Eclipse is a rare occult event that occurs every 216 years, triggered when someone with a special demonic item—the Crimson Beherit—reaches absolute despair and activates it. When this happens, reality is torn open and everyone nearby is pulled into a hellish interdimensional space, deep within the Astral World, where the ceremony takes place.

During Griffith’s Eclipse, the sun darkens, the world turns into a landscape of flesh and eyes, and countless demonic apostles gather like spectators at a feast. The God Hand then offer Griffith a choice: sacrifice his comrades, the Band of the Hawk, so they can be branded and devoured as offerings, and in return he will be reborn as the fifth God Hand member, Femto.

Key Details of the Eclipse

  • It is a sacrificial ceremony to create a new God Hand member.
  • It only happens when the owner of the Crimson Beherit activates it at the “promised time,” usually at the lowest point of their life.
  • Everyone sacrificed is marked with the Brand of Sacrifice and hunted, torn apart, and eaten by apostles.
  • In Griffith’s case, almost the entire Band of the Hawk is wiped out, with only Guts and Casca escaping alive (and deeply traumatized).

The scene is infamous because of its extreme violence, horror, and the betrayal at its core, and it’s widely considered one of the most shocking moments in manga and anime history. It also explains why Guts becomes so consumed by rage and revenge afterward, and why the Brand on him and Casca keeps attracting monsters.

Why Fans Call It So Traumatic

Many discussions and forum threads focus on how disturbing the Eclipse is, with people describing it as a “make‑or‑break” moment: you either stop reading there, or you’re hooked for life. The combination of:

  • Mass slaughter of beloved characters
  • The feeling of total helplessness
  • Griffith’s choice to betray everyone for his dream

is why the Eclipse is still a huge talking point and “trending” topic whenever Berserk comes up, even decades after it was first published.

If you haven’t reached the Eclipse yet in the manga or anime, most fan communities treat it as “fair game” for spoilers because it’s so central to the plot, so people often warn newcomers to avoid discussions until they’ve seen it.

TL;DR: The Eclipse in Berserk is a rare demonic ritual where Griffith uses the Crimson Beherit to sacrifice the Band of the Hawk, birthing himself as the God Hand Femto and plunging the story into its darkest era.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.