Recurring character names of Final Fantasy
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The following are character names in the Final Fantasy series of computer role-playing games that have appeared in more than two titles. Because each installment is generally set in a different fictional world, the characters are not the same, although they often share similar designs or treatments.
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[edit] Biggs and Wedge
The names Biggs and Wedge (ビッグス & ウェッジ Biggusu & Wejji?) are given to two related characters in several Final Fantasy games. They are a homage to the Star Wars characters Biggs Darklighter and Wedge Antilles.[1] Their first appearance is in Final Fantasy VI—with "Biggs" mistranslated to "Vicks (ビックス Bikkusu?)"—as a pair of Vector soldiers accompanying Terra Branford in an attack on Narshe to claim an Esper. They are playable for a short period, but are soon killed by the Esper.
Following their first appearance, Biggs and Wedge have appeared in five consecutive games. In Final Fantasy VII, Biggs and Wedge are members of AVALANCHE, an eco-warrior organization. They are killed while trying to prevent one of Midgar city's support pillars from being destroyed by Shinra Company. Final Fantasy Tactics features the names—mistranslated as "Viggs" and "Wezaleff"—as members of a raiding party, who have no speaking roles and die while descending Orbonne Monastery. In Final Fantasy VIII, Biggs and Wedge are Galbadian soldiers who engage in battle with the protagonists twice, (once in Dollet - Disc I, and again in D-District Prison - Disc II) providing comic relief. They eventually retire from the Galbadian forces in Disc III.
In Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2, Biggs and Wedge are guards at the Luca Blitzball stadium, and can be scouted by the player to participate in Blitzball. In Final Fantasy XII, two Archadian guards named Gibbs and Deweg (variation of Biggs, anagram of Wedge) stand at Nalbina Town, and appear as comic relief in several optional scenes in a sidequest. In the English translation of Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, Biggs is a former business subordinate of Cid; Biggs and Wedge also appear as random names for character units. In Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core, Biggs and Wedge are the names of two specific enemies in a sniping mini game.
Biggs and Wedge are common names in other video games by Square Co. and Square Enix. In Chrono Trigger, Vicks and Wedge, along with a third character named Piett (also a Star Wars character), are sideshow attractions at Norstein Bekkler's Lab at the Millennial Fair. In Kingdom Hearts II, Biggs and Wedge are storekeepers to armor shops. Lastly, Chocobo's Dungeon 2 features them as two Black Mages who may assist the player.
Biggs and Wedge also appears in Final Fantasy IV the After: Tsuki no Kikan as Red Wings soldiers who die protecting Prince Ceodore from an attack led by the Mysterious Woman. The game reveals that Biggs and Wedge were actually the two soldiers who questioned Cecil about stealing the Water Crystal of Mysidia at the beginning of Final Fantasy IV.
[edit] Boko
A chocobo named Boko or Boco (ボコ?) appears in several installments of the series. Boko appears in Final Fantasy V as Bartz Klauser's mount. Boco also appears in Final Fantasy Tactics as a chocobo owned by Wiegraf Folles, which is later encountered lost in a forest and can be saved and recruited by the protagonist Ramza Beoulve. A chicobo (young chocobo) named Boko appears in Final Fantasy VIII and can be obtained by Squall Leonhart; this chicobo possesses its own minigame with Chocobo World. Boko also appears in Final Fantasy VII as a chocobo in races. A chocobo named Bobby Corwen appears in Final Fantasy IX in the Black Mage Village; his initials in Japanese katakana characters form "Boko". In Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII, a pilot in the Shera airship mentions that she is raising a chocobo named Boco.
[edit] Chaos and Garland
Chaos (カオス Kaosu?) is the final boss in the first Final Fantasy game. He is a relatively large, winged demonic figure. His other form, Garland, is also a common recurring character. Chaos first exists as Garland, an evil knight who kidnaps the princess of Cornelia. His plot is foiled by the Warriors of Light, who supposedly kill him while rescuing the princess. Garland is resurrected by the power of the four Orbs, siphoned by the Four Elemental Fiends and is sent 2,000 years back in time, turning him into Chaos. From the past, they are sent into the present by Garland to cause mass destruction and will eventually be responsible for his resurrection. This pact creates a time-loop and allows Garland to live forever. The Warriors of Light return to the Chaos Shrine ruins to travel two thousand years into the past, where they meet a Garland who remembers them, and seeks revenge, having defeated them in previous/alternate time-lines. After the Warriors of Light somehow defeat Chaos, they return to their own time with the Garland of a new reality waiting for them .
The name "Chaos" appears in other Final Fantasy titles. In Final Fantasy VII, Vincent's fourth and final Limit Break causes him to take the form of a black, winged demon called Chaos; this concept is explored further in Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII. In Final Fantasy IX, Garland is the lord of planet Terra, the last of his dying world's people. In Final Fantasy XII, Chaos appears as an Esper within the game, obtained by defeating him first, and bearing the title "Walker of the Wheel". He is the summon of Wind. Also, the flagship of the anti-Imperial Resistance fleet bears the name Garland. In the anime series Final Fantasy: Unlimited, Chaos is an otherworldly being that consumes other worlds (similar to Lavos or Galactus), feeding on the negative energy of others. Lastly, Chaos will appear as the god of darkness in the upcoming game Dissidia: Final Fantasy for the PSP, while Garland will be a separate character voiced by Kenji Utsumi.
[edit] Cid
Cid (シド Shido?) is a character who appears, or is at least mentioned, in all Final Fantasy installments. Although he is rarely the same age, and never the same individual in each of the main series, he is usually presented as an owner, creator, and/or pilot of airships and provides transportation to the main characters and their party members at various points of the game. In the second game, he has a friendly relationship with a woman named Hilda; he also has a close relationship with a woman of the same name in the ninth and eleventh installments.
Cid does not appear in the original Final Fantasy I; however, he is mentioned in the subsequent re-releases on the PlayStation (Final Fantasy Origins) and the Game Boy Advance (Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls). In Final Fantasy II, Cid is a non-playable character and a freelance airship pilot. Cid reappears in the "Soul of Rebirth" subgame in Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls for the Game Boy Advance, which takes place during the final parts of the main game. Cid also appears in Final Fantasy III as Cid Haze, a non-playable character.
The Super Nintendo installments feature Cid in a greater role. In Final Fantasy IV, Cid Pollendina is a playable character, the first playable Cid in the Final Fantasy games. In Final Fantasy V, Cid Previa is a non-playable character and elderly inventor. In the original video animation sequel to Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals, the late Cid's brain has been stolen by Ra Devil to be used in the villain's plans. Lastly, in Final Fantasy VI, Cid del Norte Marguez is a non-player character who is a researcher for the Empire and the adoptive grandfather of playable character Celes Chere.
In Final Fantasy VII, Cid Highwind is a spear-wielding main character and an airship pilot. He also appears in the game's prequel Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII and the sequels Final Fantasy VII Advent Children and Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII. An alternate version of Highwind appears in Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II. A memory version appears in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories and its PS2 remake.
In Final Fantasy VIII, Cid Kramer is a non-playable character and the headmaster of Balamb Garden. He is the husband of Edea Kramer, who appears initially as the antagonist of the game.
In Final Fantasy IX Cid Fabool, is the ruler of Lindblum and is playable in a small sequence on Disc 3. He is also married to Hilda.
In Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2, Cid is the leader of the Al Bhed tribe, the father of Rikku and Brother, and Yuna's uncle.
In Final Fantasy XI, Cid is featured prominently in the world of Vana'diel as a non-playable character. He is the chief engineer of Bastok who created the airships.
Final Fantasy XII features Doctor Cidolfus Demen Bunansa is a non-playable character and, for the first time in any Final Fantasy game, a villain and an enemy boss. There is also a character by the name of Al-Cid Margrace, who is the heir of Rozarria and friend of Larsa.
The name Cid also appears in Final Fantasy games outside the main series. In Final Fantasy Tactics, Cidolfas Orlandu is a playable character, a powerful general described as the only man that Ramza Beoulve's father, Balbanes, could truly trust. His stat growth, in comparison to other characters in the game, is immense and often disproportionate. Meanwhile, an optional side task that can be taken by members of Ramza's party involves raising a sunken ship named the Highwind.
In Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, Cid Randell is the leader of the Judges who uphold law in the game's world Ivalice, and can be acquired as a player character. In the spin-off, Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, there is different playable character named Cid, who belongs to the race of Rebe (the first non-human Cid in the series) and is the leader of the Gari Clan.
Cid also appears in Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (as Dr. Sid), Final Fantasy: Unlimited, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King (as Mogcid) Chocobo Racing, Chocobo's Dungeon 2, Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales, Treasure of the Rudras, and Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime (as Ducktor Cid).
[edit] Gilgamesh
Gilgamesh (ギルガメッシュ Girugamesshu?)[2][3] is a character first introduced in Final Fantasy V. He is characterized by having grey complexion, flamboyantly colorful battle armor, and many arms wielding many weapons at once. He has a fierce façade, but this masks his own childlike personality. The name "Gilgamesh" comes from the Sumerian king Gilgamesh, the main character in the Epic of Gilgamesh. Unlike other recurring character names, the Gilgamesh who reappears in other installments seems to be the same person, though this may just be fan speculation. If so, then he is the only character ever to span Final Fantasy games. Gilgamesh's first appearance is in Final Fantasy V as a major villain, who the party encounters several times. He is one of the first engaging villains in the series.
Gilgamesh reappeares in Final Fantasy VI as one of 4 new Espers that have been added to the Game Boy Advance version of Final Fantasy VI. He appears if the player bets the rare sword Excalipoor in the Dragon Neck Colosseum. He will randomly use one out of four attacks if summoned, each with different levels of power: Excalipoor (weakest), Masamune, Excalibur, Enkidu (strongest). In Final Fantasy VIII, Gilgamesh is a randomly visiting Guardian Force who replaces Odin late in the game, if the player has already acquired Odin. He is depicted as an inter-dimensional traveler on a journey to collect swords (he refers to Odin's Zantetsuken as "the fourth one" upon retrieving it). In Final Fantasy IX, Gilgamesh is a four-armed self-proclaimed great treasure hunter known as Alleyway Jack; the player encounters this four-armed man multiple times during the journey. In Final Fantasy XI, the leader of the Tenshodo pirating organization in Norg is a man named Gilgamesh. Players will run into him while attempting missions from the first expansion pack, Rise of the Zilart. Gilgamesh is also the name of one of Final Fantasy XI's world servers. Gilgamesh shows up in the Dawn of Souls remake of Final Fantasy I, as a warrior boss exploring the undersea ruins of Lifespring Grotto, a secret dungeon available after defeating Kraken and getting the Water Crystal. In Final Fantasy XII, Gilgamesh returns as an optional boss under the Mark "Ancient Man of Mystery". He is fought two times, wielding a collection of signature swords from the Final Fantasy series; Cloud's Buster Sword from Final Fantasy VII, Squall's Revolver from Final Fantasy VIII, Zidane's "off-hand" dagger from Final Fantasy IX (though it is lengthened to be a sword), Tidus's Brotherhood from Final Fantasy X, Odin's Zantetsuken sword, two Tournesol swords from the game itself, and Loto's Sword from the Dragon Quest series (called the Wyrmhero Blade). However, these swords are generally fake since all have distinct differences to the original ones. For instance, the original Buster Sword contains no kanji character as shown in the picture above, and the one Gilgamesh wields has two extra materia holes further along the blade. Also, the original Revolver Gunblade displayed an image of a lionlike creature, whereas Gilgamesh's version features a picture of a chocobo. In contrast, a few Gilgamesh has legitimately acquired, such as the Zantetsuken from Odin in Final Fantasy VIII. It is also likely that one of the Tournesols is genuine due to it being an exact match to the one crafted in the game. In the sequel to Final Fantasy XII, Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings, Gilgamesh is yet again an optional boss, accompanied by his animal companion Enkidu. Upon defeating him, Gilgamesh becomes an allied Esper who can be summoned in battle. These latter two incarnations of Gilgamesh were voiced by veteran voice actor John DiMaggio in English language versions of the games.
Gilgamesh has been shown in both villain and hero positions. Through the actions of Final Fantasy V, he is shown to be good-natured, such as when he is seen to act sad when hearing of Galuf's death. However, his arrogance, occasional stupidity, and thirst for battle have generally pitted him against the party, usually leading to a difficult boss battle.
Gilgamesh is commonly known to carry the powerful Genji equipment set, consistently composed of the Genji Gauntlet, Genji Shield, Genji Helm, and Genji Armor.
[edit] Incorrect Appearances
In the Game Boy Advance remake of Final Fantasy IV, Gilgamesh's name appears on a turtle similar to Adamantoise. This is a mistranslation of the monster's actual name Gilgame, a portmanteau of "Gil", the currency of Final Fantasy, and "kame", the Japanese word for turtle (亀 kame?). However, the error was corrected in the European version, and the monster's name is properly translated as "Gil Turtle". This turtle also makes an appearance in Final Fantasy XII as the mark "Gil Snapper".
[edit] Mog
Moogles with the simple name Mog have appeared various times. Mog was a playable moogle character in Final Fantasy VI. His special technique was to cause various effects by dancing. He was temporarily playable in one of the opening battles of the game, along with many other moogles, and can be recruited again later by saving him from a thief, and later, regardless of the player's actions during the thief event. The dancing ability associated with Mog can be seen on display in Final Fantasy XII in Old Archades, where the player can see a band of dancing moogles. Other appearances include Final Fantasy IX; where a female moogle named Mog serves as Eiko Carol's guardian, though she proves not to be a moogle after all, Final Fantasy VII, where he appeared along with a Chocobo as a summon, and Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles as a chalice holder in single-player mode. Mog also appears as a Chocobo's rival moogle in Chocobo Racing. None of these appearances are the same individual, though often they have characteristics in common. A Moogle called Montblanc first appeared in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance as the leader of a clan Marche joined. Montblanc returns in Final Fantasy XII as the leader of Clan Centurio.
[edit] Sara
Sara or Sarah is the name of several princesses in the series. Sarah first appears in Final Fantasy as the princess of Cornelia and daughter of Queen Jayne. In Final Fantasy III, Sara Altney is the princess of Sasune. In Final Fantasy IX, a secret inscription in the village of Madain Sari reveals the princess of Alexandria Garnet Til Alexandros XVII's real name to be Sarah, and her biological mother's name to be Jane. Sara is also the name of Schala, Magus's sister, in the Japanese version of Chrono Trigger. In Final Fantasy Tactics Advance there is a character named Shara who becomes playable after finishing the main story. The choice of "Sara" or "Sarah" may be deliberate, as the name Sarah refers to a woman of high rank in Hebrew (often translated as "Princess")
[edit] References
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