KOS-MOS

KOS-MOS
Xenosaga character
KOS-MOS Ver.3 in Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra
First game	Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht
Created by	Tetsuya Takahashi Soraya Saga
Voiced by (English)	Bridget Hoffman (Episode I, III) Colleen O'Shaughnessey (Episode II) Luci Christian (anime)
Voiced by (Japanese)	Mariko Suzuki

KOS-MOS (Japanese: コスモス) is a video game character from the Xenosaga role-playing video game series. She is an armored gynoid developed by the interstellar conglomerate Vector Industries. She is made entirely of mechanical parts and nanomachines.^[1] The basic tenet to which she adheres is based on logic, probability, and completion of her mission above all else. She also unconditionally protects Shion Uzuki, her co-creator. KOS-MOS is also a major character in the anime Xenosaga: The Animation and appears in several crossover video games.

Appearances

In the Xenosaga series

The name "KOS-MOS" is a recursive acronym used to denote an anti-Gnosis tactic system. It stands for "Kosmos Obey Strategical Multiple Operation Systems". Her development name is "KP-X", and she is self classified as a "Special Humanoid Anti-Gnosis Annihilation Weapon". Her serial number is "00-00-00-00-1". She appears to be emotionless, but throughout the series, evidence indicates that this is not true. She is equipped with a "Simulated Personality OS" to aid in communication, and though her speech conveys her role as an android in service to humans, her tendency to put logic and probability first makes her quite difficult to manage at times.

KOS-MOS was created by Kevin Winnicot to hold the soul of Mary Magdalene, who possesses the power of Animus. According to the Official Complete Guide, Mary was the human incarnation of Animus, a power that complements Anima. While KOS-MOS has Mary's soul, T-elos was built using Mary's body. In order for Mary to fully awaken, one must be absorbed by the other. Long ago, Mary had died in the act of "sealing" chaos' Anima power, separating it from him and dividing it into the twelve Anima Vessels. This also resulted in Mary's will being scattered across the U.M.N. It is stated that Shion, being the incarnation of the "Maiden of Mary", is needed in order to retrieve Mary's soul from the U.M.N. Mary awakens in KOS-MOS instead of T-elos, which results in the transformation of Mary's original memories and characteristics into an entirely new personality which is both Mary and not Mary at the same time. The game's database compares it to Sakura's transformation into MOMO, Wilhelm planned to use KOS-MOS' control of the Anima through her emotional bond with chaos to start Zarathustra. However, she rejects Wilhelm's plan and destroys the "Key" (Shion's pendant), saving Shion from Wilhelm's torture.

KOS-MOS has significant powers believed to be superior to all other party members. In addition to superhuman strength and speed, her body is formed from some sort of highly advanced nanomachines that allows her to morph parts of her body (specifically her arms) into various energy projectile and melee weapons. Her body is also able to self-repair and is very durable though not indestructible, and she is also protected by a force-shield. She also possesses the ability to summon weapons such as the F-GSHOT chainguns and her famous F-SCYTHE and equipment from another location via U.M.N. transport. She also has a long-range sensory array, the D.S.S.S. system and CPU that exceeds even those possessed by Observational Realians. She also possesses a Hilbert Effect projector whose power is thousands of times greater than that achieved by even the largest spaceships.

KOS-MOS possesses several black box components left behind by Kevin Winnicot. Each of these black box features are found in each of her skeletons, Version 1, Version 2, Version 3 and Version 4. One of these is her potent X-BUSTER weapon, a powerful burst of energy beams from her abdomen that absorb the Gnosis. Others are related to her "simulated personality" OS and her self-awareness which is more in fact Mary Magdalene resting inside of her. KOS-MOS also has some form of energy manipulation tied to the Zohar. The Red Testament, Kevin Winnicot, claimed that KOS-MOS's power came from "U-DO using the Zohar as a door". KOS-MOS has another weapon system called the Tertiary Weapon System, which is seen periodically throughout the series. They consist of a set of energy wings, a pair of energy cannons and other attachments meant to be fitted onto her. The wings and cannons are part of a Phase Transference Cannon. While wearing this gear she is shown in a premonition flying through space at sub-light speed and then confronting U-DO above an unknown planet. The exchange that follows destroys several galaxies. The "Third Armament" as its also known makes a real-time appearance in Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse on the Ω System. KOS-MOS uses this equipment to protect Shion and the party from U-DO. In Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra, KOS-MOS uses the tertiary weapon system to penetrate the barrier that surrounded Rennes-Les-Chateau in order to help the Elsa crew. The Tertiary Weapon System is really only compatible with her Version 2 and Version 3 skeletons.

While she is programmed to protect Vector personnel unconditionally, her highest priority is to protect Shion specifically.^[1] As seen early in Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht, she has the capacity to ignore Shion's orders if Kevin Winnicot (the Red Testament)'s pre-programmed directives supersede them. In Episode III, shortly after KOS-MOS is destroyed by T-elos and subsequently rebuilt she rejects the direct commands of Kevin Winnicot. She is rebuilt with some of the Professor's Erde Kaiser technology, which makes her much more powerful than before.

An almost human alternate persona tends to come out from time to time in the form of a blue-eyed KOS-MOS. This blue-eyed KOS-MOS is far more powerful than red-eyed KOS-MOS and talks in a more empathetic human-sounding voice. This alternate KOS-MOS is in fact KOS-MOS' true personality that partially awakens at times when Shion is in extreme danger. Her true identity is that of Mary Magdalene.

Mary makes several appearances in Xenosaga: wiping out a fleet of Gnosis surrounding the Cathedral Ship with her X-Buster attack, asking chaos to save the Elsa from burning up in the Second Militian atmosphere using his Anima power while providing 'cover' by seeming to protect the ship herself, and saving Shion and Allen from being killed by Voyager, the Black Testament, allowing the party's E.S.s to enter Rennes-le-Chateâu and at the end of Episode III. Mary also asked Shion during her first appearance in Episode I, "Will feeling pain make me complete?", though Shion could not give her an answer because she could not hear her voice in the vacuum of space. Shion at first had not directly seen KOS-MOS as Mary and was oblivious to her existence until the later chapters of Episode III.

After the defeat of Zarathustra, KOS-MOS stays behind with Nephilim, chaos, and Abel in order to assist in Nephilim's plan to send the collective unconsciousness of humanity to Lost Jerusalem. She parts ways with Shion in an emotional goodbye, promising that she will see her again; Shion tells her that it was nice to finally meet the "real you". KOS-MOS then transfers her Animus power into Nephilim (according to the database, this is the Animus power, not Mary's will), to enable her to carry the fractured wills (gnosis) that chaos guides into her with his power. She protects Nephilim and chaos from the invading Gnosis as they focus on completing the dimensional shift to Lost Jerusalem. In the last moments of the battle, KOS-MOS sacrifices herself to destroy a Carrier-type Gnosis (which resembles an enormous blue-colored sperm whale). According to the database, her last words referred to how she was unable to save Shion's past incarnation from dying in ancient times, but now in this lifetime she could save her. The battle ends with KOS-MOS being heavily damaged, losing an arm and both legs and being left behind after Abel's Ark, with Michtam inside it, is pulled into hyperspace. She then begins a long journey through space, chaos' spirit comforting her, and telling her to sleep until the time they are needed again. She is last seen silently floating towards a single blue planet with white rings before a rising sun. This planet is the restored Lost Jerusalem—Earth. This is the last scene of Episode III.

Other appearances

KOS-MOS is one of many playable characters in the 2005 tactical role-playing game Namco × Capcom, along with M.O.M.O. and Shion also from Xenosaga.^[2] In 2008, she appeared as one of playable characters in the role-playing game Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Endless Frontier.^[3][4] That same year, KOS-MOS made a cameo appearance in the role-playing game Tales of Hearts, where she is one of many supporting attack characters for the player.^[5] In 2010, she appeared as a playable character in Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Endless Frontier EXCEED. In 2012, she appeared as a playable character in the tactical role-playing game Project X Zone.^[6] She also appears as a collectible in Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean.^{[citation needed]}

In 2005, she was included in the PlayStation 2 version of the 2005 fighting game Soulcalibur III as a hidden playable character, available only if the player completes her costume and then creates a custom character.^[7] A KOS-MOS like character can be created in a similar way in the 2005 tactical role-playing game Tales of the World: Narikiri Dungeon 3, including her X-Buster attack,^[8] which is also featured a rare item in the 2005 role-playing game Tales of the Abyss. In the 2008 role-playing game Tales of Vesperia, KOS-MOS costume is available as a downloadable content for the character Judith in the PlayStation 3 version.^[9]

The limited edition of Xenosaga: Episode II includes an infamous "realistic" figure of KOS-MOS dubbed Jashin MOK-KOS ("Evil God MOK-KOS"^[10]). Numerous other figures and figurines of KOS-MOS in various scales have been released in Japan, most of them are produced by the company Bandai.^[11]

Reception

KOS-MOS was well received by media, in part due of her physically attractive design. In 2005, Chris Reiter of Gaming Target ranked her as the ninth best "PlayStation 2 babe".^[12] In 2009, GameDaily placed her 25th on their ranking of top video game robots, stating "KOS-MOS is quite a looker, but she needs a personality" and suggested her to "download some emotions."^[13] That same year, Manolith listed her among the 25 "hottest" female video game protagonists, stating that "never before had such a perfect, deadly, blue-haired android been so wonderfully rendered and let loose in a game environment."^[14] In 2010, UGO included her among the 76 "hottest sci-fi girls of all time", stating: "Huge boobs; long, blue hair and weapons that simply appear from various portions of her anatomy certainly make her hot enough for this list."^[15]

In 2008, IGN listed her as third top Soul series bonus character for her cameo appearance in Soulcalibur III.^[7] In 2010, she was included on UGO's list of top 25 Japanese RPG characters her for being "widely regarded as one of the most awesome characters to ever come out of Monolith's design department."^[1] Also in 2010, Game Informer chose KOS-MOS as one of the 20 Namco characters they would like to see in a rumored crossover fighting game Namco Vs Capcom, her Capcom side equivalent being Zero, stating: "There’s only one way to take down a nanomachine-enhanced cyber vixen that can sprout deadly melee weapons and chainguns on the fly, and that’s Zero. [...] We’re not sure who would win this one, but the world would probably explode as a result."^[16] In 2012, Complex included "Capcom vs. Namco" on the list of fighting game crossovers they would like to see the most, featuring KOS-MOS on Namco's side.^[17]

In 2011, UGO ranked KOS-MOS as the 14th best robot in video gaming, even as she "is less of an individual robot and more made up a bunch of tiny robots."^[18] That same year, The Escapist listed her among the top five robots in games.^[19] Game Informer ranked her as the third top AI character of the 2000s, stating she "rises above as a powerhouse that can’t be forgotten."^[20]

References