In our second Dissidia: Final Fantasy character guide, we take a look at Garland, the legendary villain of Final Fantasy I, who was hunkering around in metal armour and looking generally imposing long before the likes of Golbez and ExDeath came on the scene.

 [Game of Origin] Final Fantasy I

 [Concept] Power Attacker

 [EX-Mode] Garland appears as the noble knight he
 once was; his cape turns a dazzling white, and his
 armour is adorned with bright, silver hight-lights. A
 far removal from the Garland we know.

 [EX-Mode Bonus] Removes knockback. This allows
 Garland to keep attacking even when hit, since hits
 on him will not trigger the usual flinching animations.

 [EX-Burst: Soul of Chaos] The player must constantly
 press the O button to build up Garland’s power gauge,
 making his attacks stronger and causing a different
 weapon transformation for his final blow.

 
[Garland - Gameplay Mechanics]

TIER RANKING: 71

If his general appearance (and that giant transforming sword he carries around) weren’t enough to give it away, Garland is a physical attack based character who relies entirely on brute force to take down his opponents. The benefits of this raw power come with some major drawbacks, however.

Garlands attacks take precise memorization and, in some cases, a bit of luck. At close range, his slow Brave Attacks means that he can be easily decimated by faster character. His HP Attacks are somewhat more user-friendly as a result, but his Ex-Mode bonus is his real trump card.

In Ex-Mode, his “flinch” (the animation that causes you to be knock out of your attack when someone hits you) is turned off. He still takes damage, but his sluggish moves can be completed without being interrupted by faster character’s counters. Use this every chance you get.

Garland posses a few basic magic attacks, such as Earthquake and Flame, but there usefulness is limited. A patient offensive approach is the best approach to take with this tin can giant.

 
[Background Story]

Recalling the classic “good vs. evil” nature of the original Final Fantasy, Garland stands tall as leader among the troops of Chaos, opposite the Warrior of Light, who stands as leader of the forces of Cosmo.

Once a famous knight in his own right, he now stands in eternal rivalry with the legendary hero.

Is he an old friend of Kuja's, or is FFIX's Garland only a namesake?

He believes deeply in the concept of “reincarnation”. As he leads Chaos’ troops, he stops at nothing to prevent the warriors of Cosmos from obtaining the Crystals, but he seems to be actively enjoying the fighting.

The whims of his “master” Chaos mean little to him, though he feigns interest. It’s obvious that he aims to serve only one person’s interests… his own.

 
[Personal Commentary]

Garland’s design is unique for one reason; no known concept art of him from the original game exists. As such, his appearance is vaguely inspired by the constantly evolving sprite of him used in the many remakes of Final Fantasy 1 over the years.

Hailing from the first game in the series, his characterisation was always going to locked into the classical role of pure evil, with little reasons to make his motives or desires any more complex.

That said, he shares an unique role in Dissidia due to his relation to Chaos, the “final boss” of FFI, and the main villain of Dissidia.

It’s also curious to note that he converses with Kuja in Dissidia. Many fans will recall that Kuja’s “mentor” of sorts in Final Fantasy IX was a man who also went by the name Garland; whether these two characters are one and the same has yet to be revealed.

Hopefully Dissidia will offer some answers.

 
[Garland Image Gallery]

 
Tomorrow, Tuesday, we move onto Final Fantasy II, and take a look at Firion, the orphaned hero of the game, searching for the “Wild Rose”, and a dream of his own.

Related Posts

• Dissidia: Focus on – Warrior of Light
• Dissidia: Focus on – Firion
• Dissidia Europe release date to be revealed “this month”
• Disiddia: Final Fantasy

In our first Dissidia: Final Fantasy character guide, we take a look at the character who jump started the franchise, the iconic Warrior of Light, who makes his appearance in Dissidia looking similar to how he was originally designed by Yoshitaka Amano, over 20 years ago.

 [Game of Origin] Final Fantasy I

 [Concept] All-Rounder

 [EX-Mode] The Warrior of Light changes into Amano’s
 rendition of the Knight class from the original NES
 box-art. His armor design is more complex, and the
 horns on his helmet point forward, instead of up.

 [EX-Mode Bonus] “Protect” Defence is increased.
 The Warrior of Light will also be able to defect his
 opponent’s magic attacks.

 [EX-Burst: Oversoul] 6 directional arrows will appear on
 screen. Correctly inputting all 6 of these will raise the
 power of his Ex-Burst attack, while missing will result
 in a weaker attack.

 
[Warrior of Light - Gameplay Mechanics]

TIER RANKING: 78

Although the Warrior of Light will likely be the first character that traditional Final Fantasy fans will want to play as first, he still requires some difficulty to master. Extended play will give you a better feel for the timing of his move.

His usefulness in battle relies heavily on you positing yourself above or below the opponent to take advantage of his best abilities. Placement is key with him.

His attacks tend to move in straight lines, and because of their general slow speed, it can be harder to land hits on opponents. Only with a lot of practise will you be able to accurately predict your opponent’s movements and place yourself accordingly to make hits count.

While the Warrior of Light might be the heart and soul of Dissidia’s story (and the Final Fantasy franchise itself), the rest of the cast tends to come across as godly in comparison to him, due to his limitations.

 
[Background Story]

The Warrior of Light stands at the heart of the warriors of Cosmos as their leader. A legendary knight blessed by the power of light, he cast off the darkness that gripped a world slowly tumbling towards ruin. While fostering the light of justice within himself, he dedicated himself to battle in order to rescue this world from chaos.

He is austere and honourable in dealing with himself and others, always remains composed, and harbours a strong sense of responsibility. His heart is deeply empathetic towards his companions, and he is every inch the hero one would wish to entrust with the world’s safety.

Under the guidance of the princess Cosmos, the Warrior of Light comes to learn of the state of the world, caught in the whirl of chaos. He sets out alone to find the one thing that can save the world… the Crystals.

But along the way, the troops of Chaos attempt to knock him from the noble path. If the “truth” they preach is correct, then how can the Warrior continue to believe in the “Light?” Can even the most noble of all heroes lose his way?

 
[Personal Commentary]

It’s interesting (and refreshing) to see that Square Enix choose to use the Warrior of Light as the “leading man” in Dissidia’s story, when they could have chosen one of the more recognisable characters in his place.

It’s an endearing nod to fans that the hero of Dissidia is the character who kicked off the franchise, and it seems only fitting for him to be so.

Seeing as your entire party of adventurers had a completely blank slate when it came to personality in the original title, this gave Square Enix the ability to retrofit Anamo’s classic design with the most noble of personalities for Dissidia’s story; a hero amongst heroes.

It may not be realistic characterisation, but it fits into the context of his character in the overall mythos of Final Fantasy; he was the first true hero.

 
[Warrior of Light Image Gallery]

 
On Monday, we will take a look at Garland, the original Final Fantasy villain, who stood in opposition of the Warrior of Light in the first game, and takes up the role as the leader of the forces of Chaos in Dissidia.

Related Posts

• Dissidia: Focus on – Garland
• Dissidia: Focus on – Firion
• Disiddia: Final Fantasy
• Dissidia Europe release date to be revealed “this month”