T w e n t y S i d e d

There are a few characters to whom I’d like to extend an honorable mention. Yes, there are a few characters in the plot that I find interestingly written, and, as I transition from talking about the cast to digging a little deeper, who have a little more going on under the dome. Strangely, all of them number among our enemies— or perhaps not so strangely, if you consider that proximity to our party bears an inverse relationship to being interesting and depthful.

Starting from the bottom and working our way up, I find myself oddly endeared by the Judges Magister, despite most of them appearing in three scenes or fewer. Aside from Gabranth, Judge Ghis is the most prominent in the story, and I think the game uses him well in a nuts-and-bolts sort of way to represent the Empire through the first act of the game before being sacrificed to demonstrate the fatal allure of the nethicite. But Ghis has no interaction with the rest of the Ministry and takes no part in what I consider their most interesting scenes in Archades. As Vayne plays Macbeth above, the Judges Magister find themselves playing a community park rendition of Julius Caesar.

In their introductory exchange they all wear their helmets, making it look and sound a bit silly, but it makes them seem more formal and impersonal, setting up a contrast for later. The looming succession occasions a show of their viewpoints: Drace is more concerned with virtue than with unblinking loyalty, Bergan is a malevolent voluptuary of power, and the elder Zargabaath naturally takes an institutionalist posture, respecting his duty despite his clear concern. Gabranth falls right in the center of these three. He capitulates to the Empire’s power and serves them after the fall of Landis, subverting Dalmasca and damning his brother through deception, finding purpose in life through the dogged fulfillment of his duty. Yet in spite of his misdeeds, his warmer exchange with Judge Drace reveal a sense of virtue that he hopes his duty to Larsa can fulfill.

This scene is paid off when Gramis is assassinated. None of the judges wear their helmets for this scene; in a literal and figurative sense, the masks come off, and their true selves are revealed. Drace rejects her duty for her sense of justice, and is laid low by Bergan, who is loyal to the most eminent person of Vayne, not the Law. Zargabaath does his best to restore order in spite of the travesty. Vayne forces Gabranth to capitulate to his power and choose duty over virtue, ending Drace’s life, leaving him disillusioned and embittered.
Continue reading ⟩⟩ “A Travelog of Ivalice, Conclusion: DUSK”

The Rocketeer —PLEASE—STAND—BY—

The basics of a character arc are these: you establish what a character is like, you develop some motivation for changing, and then you demonstrate this change. These can really be anything; the immature young man who overcomes a great challenge by learning to take responsibility for his actions, the big city office lady who learns to make time for herself with the help of a flannel-clad stud from her rural hometown, or, uh… alright, it’s usually one of these two things, but in theory a character arc can encompass any sort of character change you can imagine.

Character arcs can be useful tools for engaging the audience emotionally. We see a character struggling with their conscience, and the emotional stakes creates tension. Their vulnerability humanizes them, lends them depth, and engages our sympathy. There’s a part of us that yearns for them to succeed in their inner struggle even more strongly than we want them to overcome the physical threat presented by their enemies, and tying these struggles together lends urgency to the emotional stakes and poignancy to the mundane conflict. Creators also use these changes to teach the audience and convey a moral or message. We see the suffering characters endure and the mistakes that they make when their spirit is disordered, the power of the feelings and forces that clarify their conscience are proven, and we see the worth of their new values demonstrated through action, marshaling positive change within and without.

A conflict of character sits at the very heart of Final Fantasy XII, with the emotional and narrative tension of the whole story resting upon it: a young woman, gripped by bitterness and grief, risks cashiering her soul by giving in to vengeance and destruction. As the climax looms closer and closer, the minds of the audience are focused on this single looming question:

Why is Gabranth the only character in the game with a complete character arc?
Continue reading ⟩⟩ “A Travelog of Ivalice, Conclusion: MIDLIGHT”

The Rocketeer —PLEASE—STAND—BY—