Track this topic | Email this topic | Print this topic

NOTICE: i did not play all final fantasies, so i may be wrong here...

Kefka, unlike other villians have had no super powers, he started as a simple man, gained people's trust, used them and then destroyed them. Let's compare him to other villians, take Seph for example, Seph is the child of Jenova, he has mental problems because of his uniqueness. Goblez, manipulated by Zemus, who is also quite a freak, a lunarian (alien) dominated by his own hatred. X-Death, a great wizard, a bad spirit (already not an ordinary human) that entered a tree or something like that. I don't know the other final fantasies, but i think that kefka is the only villian that seems to be a human gone wrong instead of some super naturl thingy, and that's why he's the best.




--------------------

"FLAELI!!!"
--- Rune Walsh

But he supposedly went nuts after an early, unrefined attempt at Magitek infusion. Maybe he was a pretty bad guy before that, but it was still effectively something supernatural that made him what he was. Certainly no less so than Sephiroth, though Sephiroth had no choice. (Leo refused infusion, so I guess we can assume that Gestahl's generals had some choice in the matter.)

(From Sky Render's translation of the Japanese manual: I didn't just make the backstory up, but I am making an assumption that this is an accurate translation.)

true, but think about, kefka manipulates the emperor, the troops, he may seem like an idiot but he's smart, he does not just go around using super natural powers to do his tricks. he's not super strong and can be stopped in half of the game, but he cheats the emperor, who could have easily killed him. he only shows his true intentions when he is near the statues and he's invincible.

Sephiroth and friends just used super natural powers and did not show hypocracy/manipulation, etc.

--------------------

"FLAELI!!!"
--- Rune Walsh

Quote (Black Mage @ 22nd October 2003 13:14)

Sephiroth ... just used super natural powers and did not show ... manipulation ...

Time to rethink that one, don't you agree?

--------------------

"To create something great, you need the means to make a lot of really bad crap." - Kevin Kelly

Why aren't you shopping AmaCoN?

I don't know about Kefka being the only manipulative one. Golbeze seemed pretty manipulative sneaking all his lackies into important places. Zemus used mind-control. Lugae and Rubicante really messed with Edge's family. Sorceress controlled Edea and Seifer fairly well. Kuja did a good job screwing with Brahne's head.
Who else am I missing?

--------------------

"I had to write four novels before they let me write comic books."
-Brad Meltzer

Tiddles: Kefka's going nuts due to a MagiTek infusion is in the game. It can be heard from a guy in the Vector cafe before the Magitek Factory raid.

--------------------

The Unoriginal White Sheet

-Master ZED

Or at least, Sephiroth (never played any of the other FFs, besides 1) never used anywhere near that amount of political acumen and manipulation to achieve his ends.

For me, Kefka was a brilliant villain because he was sociopathic, brilliant, dressed like a clown, bragged and had the power to back it up, and just plain threw his weight around to great effect. He was no-holds-barred, over-the-top villainy at its best, and he's an original character that stands out in my eyes among the pantheon of baddies everywhere. Palpatine himself might even respect such a mastermind.

--------------------

~Status Report~

* Completed... Dragon's Head
* Completed... Soldiers of the Empire: Disciples (release pending)
* In Progress/Undecided... Of Love and Betrayal
* Planning/Assembly... Where it all Began

Quote (Master ZED @ 23rd October 2003 00:18)

Tiddles: Kefka's going nuts due to a MagiTek infusion is in the game.  It can be heard from a guy in the Vector cafe before the Magitek Factory raid.

Thanks. I knew it had to be squeezed in there somewhere. Odd that it didn't get a bigger mention, being the backstory of a major villain.

But anyway, I do take your point, he does seem to use plain old deception a lot more. But let's not forget, when he

Possible spoilers: highlight to view

kills both Leo and Gestahl

he still seems to rely on magic to do so, so I think the tag of "just a normal man" is a massive stretch.

This post has been edited by Tiddles on 23rd October 2003 08:51

Quote (Tiddles @ 23rd October 2003 04:50)

But anyway, I do take your point, he does seem to use plain old deception a lot more.  But let's not forget, when he

Possible spoilers: highlight to view

kills both Leo and Gestahl

he still seems to rely on magic to do so, so I think the tag of "just a normal man" is a massive stretch.

Weren't both of those after

Possible spoilers: highlight to view

he killed the espers that joined up with Terra? That way, he had used the espers to gain magic, just as you did. Therefore, he was a "normal man" physically and ability-wise until that one point in the game

--------------------

"I had to write four novels before they let me write comic books."
-Brad Meltzer

Quote (Dark Paladin @ 23rd October 2003 11:09)

Weren't both of those after

Possible spoilers: highlight to view

he killed the espers that joined up with Terra? That way, he had used the espers to gain magic, just as you did. Therefore, he was a "normal man" physically and ability-wise until that one point in the game

Yes, I think that is true, but what you are forgetting is

Possible spoilers: highlight to view

He and Celes were infused with the power long before any of that happened. Yes, the power was taken from the Espers, but in a different way. Notice how Celes has innate magic learning? She doesn't have to have magicite to have some magical ability. Therefore, Kefka should be the same way. He could have some power sans magicite, and it is obviously of a greater level than Celes.

--------------------

"To create something great, you need the means to make a lot of really bad crap." - Kevin Kelly

Why aren't you shopping AmaCoN?

Quote (Rangers51 @ 23rd October 2003 12:22)

Yes, I think that is true, but what you are forgetting is

Possible spoilers: highlight to view

He and Celes were infused with the power long before any of that happened. Yes, the power was taken from the Espers, but in a different way. Notice how Celes has innate magic learning? She doesn't have to have magicite to have some magical ability. Therefore, Kefka should be the same way. He could have some power sans magicite, and it is obviously of a greater level than Celes.

Possible spoilers: highlight to view

Kefka was a failed attempt at infusion. His main source of power came from summoning Yura (?), doing that Light of whatever.

--------------------

"I had to write four novels before they let me write comic books."
-Brad Meltzer

kefka had powers, but he did not rely only on them, can you imagine goblez without hypnosis, no. can you imagine sephiroth without all of his "things", not.
can you imagine kefka without the statues, not. however, kefka took the statues for himself, i can imagine kefka doing lots of stuff without the infusion. the infusion was a tool he used, be he did not solely rely on it, he also manipulated, lied and backstabbed.

--------------------

"FLAELI!!!"
--- Rune Walsh

i'm not sure about kefka gaining his trust,
well that's an arguable statement, because i disagree O.o

--------------------

I will be there...

Kefka is definitely a one-of-a-kind villain. To my knowledge there has never been any other villain like him--insanity coupled with a wicked intelligence and a complete and destructive disregard for all other people. It has always intrigued me how Square developed his character. If you were to introduce Kefka's character to a person who doesn't know FF3/6j, they would think it was absurd (even if they believed in things like magic, espers, etc.), but let them play the game, and they will think it to be very believable.

I've always wondered if Kefka might be based on some real-life person(s). He seems to remind me of Hitler and Stalin (in a few ways). Any other suggestions?

--------------------

Check the "What games are you playing at the moment?" thread for updates on what I've been playing.

You can find me on the Fediverse! I use Mastodon, where I am @[email protected] ( https://sakurajima.moe/@glennmagusharvey )

Quote (Glenn Magus Harvey @ 31st October 2003 04:30)

Kefka is definitely a one-of-a-kind villain.  To my knowledge there has never been any other villain like him

Zorn & Thorn from IX were alot like him. Definitely just taken from him, but now he's no longer one-of-a-kind.

Quote (Glenn Magus Harvey @ 31st October 2003 04:30)

insanity coupled with a wicked intelligence

He doesn't really seem to come off as all that intelligent. Psychotic Clown is pretty much mutually exclusive from intelligent.

Quote (Glenn Magus Harvey @ 31st October 2003 04:30)

I've always wondered if Kefka might be based on some real-life person(s).  He seems to remind me of Hitler and Stalin (in a few ways).  Any other suggestions?

Other than having committed genocide, Kefka's not like those two at all.
He's probably based off of Stephen King's clown from It.

--------------------

"I had to write four novels before they let me write comic books."
-Brad Meltzer