Max Griffin

Max Griffin is a recurring villain that appears in the Amulet series in "The Cloud Searchers".

History
Max was shown to be an unusually skilled stonekeeper for his age. He had also befriended an elf girl named Layra. Max's father wanted Max to follow in his footsteps as much as possible.

After the elves declared war, his father captured Layra's parents and sent them to jail, suspecting them as war criminals. When Max confronted him about the issue, his father truthfully admitted that he believed her family would be much safer in Yarboro Prison.

Max secretly freed them, however, and aided in their escape by boarding them onto an airship headed to Frontera. The plan was for them to meet up in Gulfen at a later time. Another airship came into view and spotted the escapee ship. Max, trying to protect Layra and her family, responded by striking the other airship with the use of his stone and killed the four soldiers inside, but was unfortunately unable to save the elf family.

As a result, the Guardian Council sentenced Max to 50 years in the Ice Prison of Korthan, but before sending him away, asked if he had any last words to bid his farewell, to which he replied: "You will all regret this."

However, he later escaped the prison, although wounded, and struggled his way in the snow, leaving a trail of blood behind. When all hope was lost, his stone's voice emerged and urged Max to give into its power, guilting him with the thought of Layra dying without reason. Max gave in and used its powers to seek vengeance.

Though at first Max appears to be helping Emily and her friends, his true goal is realized while testing for a spot in the Guardian Council at the Academy. He is shown to have betrayed the other stonekeepers several times, but urges them to trust him and work together.

They manage to avoid numerous obstacles and reach the goal, however, the other stonekeepers turn to stone just before they are able to complete the test. Max tries to persuade Emily to join him in the finish and obtain the Mother Stone, but she refuses. When Emily's family appears, he threatens to kill them, but gives Emily a choice, leaving Max to escape unharmed.

Max Griffin, along with several elf troops, storm the Ice Prison of Korthan, leading the Elf King in a carriage. Per agreement between him and the Elf King, Max leads Kronos, a mountain giant, in order to defeat the first stonekeepers. Max is given orders to begin their march in the city of Frontera and to annihilate the commoners.

Max eventually meets up with the stonekeepers during airship travel, leading to a battle in the skies. The power of the amulets combined lead the stonekeepers, along with Max, to fall to their doom. He later awakens and has his bones mended by the stone's voice.