Cause I'm an evil tree, you wann fight about it?

[Wolf Kanno]

You know, ExDeath is one of those FF villains I really like but it just doesn't seem like he gets the recognition that he deserves. So what are your thoughts on the first FF villain that is a tree?

[VeloZer0]

I thought it was great on SE for being creative with villain creation. On the flip side, ExDeath was never really all that memorable to me. For most of the game he just kind of seemed like a Golbez knock off.

[Skyblade]

Since my experience with V ends almost immediately after we meet him, I can't say a lot.

I do think that he is incredibly dull in Dissidia, though.

[Flying Arrow]

I fucking love Exdeath. There is literally nothing to not like about him, just like the rest of FFV. Eat it, FFIV.

[Elpizo]

He's great. He's like Kefka's blueprint in a lot of ways. Destroying the world? Check. Laughs a lot? Check. Lame jokes now and then (see Advance version)? Check. Lack of elaborate backstory? Check. You'd think he'd get some more recognition for this. He's also far from a Golbez knock-off, IMHO. They have nothing in common. Golbez was manipulated, and good at heart. Exdeath was the manipulator, and the essence of all evil.

He's also not really a tree. He's the evil that was sealed inside the tree and that took the tree as its physical body, as far as I remember. But he wasn't "born" a tree. We have no clue what Exdeath was before we was sealed in the tree.

He also takes part in the most kick-ass death scene ever, his battle music rocks everyone's socks, he looks cool, he merges worlds for fun and he never actually got beaten by the heroes. What's not to love?

[black orb]

"After the malicious warlock-king Enuo was defeated and the Void was sealed away, humans turned to an alternative solution to purge their land of corruption and terror. The Great Forest of Moore provided a solitary prison for these malevolent souls to inhabit. Eventually many other monsters were drawn to the forest, becoming easily the most dangerous place on Galuf's world, and sealed within a tree. The various souls residing within the tree eventually made it self-aware so it assumed a human-like form, as evil as the many souls that had spawned him. Thus, the monster Exdeath was born."

[Loony BoB]

The guy destroyed large places with extremely powerful magic on a whim. I thought he was fantastic as an all-powerful enemy who genuinely looked to destroy the world, rather than one who just wanted to take it over or even just to take over part of it, or enslave people... this guy was out to obliterate and he actually did cause severe damage to the world. Compare that to many of the later bosses who threaten to do things but never really get there... well, I would say that Exdeath is arguably the most "successful" and the most evil of all the FF bosses. And that's saying something. I don't know much about some of the main enemies (III, IV) but I imagine that Exdeath and Kefka would be the big debate over who was the most successful with what they set out to do.

[Elpizo]

I don't know much about some of the main enemies (III, IV) but I imagine that Exdeath and Kefka would be the big debate over who was the most successful with what they set out to do.

Well, there was always Xande (III) who managed to keep the entire world frozen in time and submerged under an ocean for Noah-knows-how-long. He's often overlooked, but IMHO, that's quite succesful. Sure, he didn't tear pieces out of the world (Exdeath), blasted it with magic to smithereens (Kefka, Kuja), but still, he held it in his grip for ages (I think, because III's timeline I find confusing, as much as I adore the story). And best of all, he held the whole world in his grip not for dominance, not to destroy it because that's fun, but simply because he didn't want to die. Selfish FTW!

[Loony BoB]

not for dominance, not to destroy it because that's fun, but simply because he didn't want to die. Selfish FTW!
I'd say that's actually the least evil reason of all. :p All reasons are selfish, though.

[Elpizo]

Well, yeah, but it's so petty! :p It's like Kuja (or rather, Kuja took it from Xande). "smurf the world! It's a small sacrifice for my life!" It's reasons like these that are both petty, and somewhere a bit sympathetic, that give evil both a humane face, and at the same time make them seem like total monsters with no grip on reality, an oversized ego and a total lack of empathy. In a way, that's more dangerous than straight-up pure evil villains like Exdeath or Kefka. At least in my opinion.

[Chris]

I never really considered Ex-Death to be the real villain of FFV - Gilgamesh was much more awsome and relevant. That being said, Ex-Death rates higher on my list of villains than any of the bossess from I-IV.

[Roogle]

"After the malicious warlock-king Enuo was defeated and the Void was sealed away..."

Exdeath makes a lot more sense when you put it like that. It would have been interesting to see the idea developed more, like different souls in control of the body from time to time, presenting a different perspective of the villain at times. It certainly could make scenes more dynamic.

[Darth Cid]

I never really considered Ex-Death to be the real villain of FFV - Gilgamesh was much more awsome and relevant. That being said, Ex-Death rates higher on my list of villains than any of the bossess from I-IV.

Gilgamesh was a side villain that's all you place him as even if he is awesome which he is, and I-IV villains were just as villainish as ExDeath.

[Wolf Kanno]

"After the malicious warlock-king Enuo was defeated and the Void was sealed away..."

Exdeath makes a lot more sense when you put it like that. It would have been interesting to see the idea developed more, like different souls in control of the body from time to time, presenting a different perspective of the villain at times. It certainly could make scenes more dynamic.

You partially get it with his final form as Neo ExDeath. Some fans speculate his bizarre form is simply the manifestation of the different demons and dark arts that were contained in his body trying to break free.

[The Crystal]

Ex-Death was badass, funny(sometimes), and disturbing(his castle being entirely made from the bodies of the people he killed, anyone?).
And his themes are awesome. Yes, all of them.



I don't know much about some of the main enemies (III, IV) but I imagine that Exdeath and Kefka would be the big debate over who was the most successful with what they set out to do.

Well, there was always Xande (III) who managed to keep the entire world frozen in time and submerged under an ocean for Noah-knows-how-long. He's often overlooked, but IMHO, that's quite succesful. Sure, he didn't tear pieces out of the world (Exdeath), blasted it with magic to smithereens (Kefka, Kuja), but still, he held it in his grip for ages (I think, because III's timeline I find confusing, as much as I adore the story). And best of all, he held the whole world in his grip not for dominance, not to destroy it because that's fun, but simply because he didn't want to die. Selfish FTW!

The Warriors of Darkness explain that Zande was being manipulated all along by the Cloud of Darkness. He, like Golbez, was just a puppet.

[Elpizo]

Ex-Death was badass, funny(sometimes), and disturbing(his castle being entirely made from the bodies of the people he killed, anyone?).
And his themes are awesome. Yes, all of them.



I don't know much about some of the main enemies (III, IV) but I imagine that Exdeath and Kefka would be the big debate over who was the most successful with what they set out to do.

Well, there was always Xande (III) who managed to keep the entire world frozen in time and submerged under an ocean for Noah-knows-how-long. He's often overlooked, but IMHO, that's quite succesful. Sure, he didn't tear pieces out of the world (Exdeath), blasted it with magic to smithereens (Kefka, Kuja), but still, he held it in his grip for ages (I think, because III's timeline I find confusing, as much as I adore the story). And best of all, he held the whole world in his grip not for dominance, not to destroy it because that's fun, but simply because he didn't want to die. Selfish FTW!

The Warriors of Darkness explain that Zande was being manipulated all along by the Cloud of Darkness. He, like Golbez, was just a puppet.

Not quite. Golbez was a puppet from the start and did Zemus' bidding. That's not how it went with Xande. Xande started the events by himself, by his own free will, because he felt betrayed by Noah and wanted to find a way to avoid his mortality. For this, he darkened two crystals and froze the world, but it was this imbalance that made him unknowingly summon the Cloud of Darkness, who then further manipulated him. But it wasn't the Cloud of Darkness who kicked events off. It's just a force of nature that only appears when there's imbalance between the Crystals, and aims to return the world to Void then. If there's no imbalance, there's no Cloud of Darkness. You need to have someone make imbalance first. Xande did that, for his own reasons, of his own free will. Not like Golbez, who was manipulated by Zemus from the start. Xande wasn't.


You partially get it with his final form as Neo ExDeath. Some fans speculate his bizarre form is simply the manifestation of the different demons and dark arts that were contained in his body trying to break free.

Personally, I always thought Neo ExDeath was the Void itself who used the bodies of all demons it had devoured over its existence to have a physical form. Just my idea, though. We'll probably never know. The radical change it motive between ExDeath and Neo Exdeath seems to point in that direction, though.

[The Crystal]

Ex-Death was badass, funny(sometimes), and disturbing(his castle being entirely made from the bodies of the people he killed, anyone?).
And his themes are awesome. Yes, all of them.



I don't know much about some of the main enemies (III, IV) but I imagine that Exdeath and Kefka would be the big debate over who was the most successful with what they set out to do.

Well, there was always Xande (III) who managed to keep the entire world frozen in time and submerged under an ocean for Noah-knows-how-long. He's often overlooked, but IMHO, that's quite succesful. Sure, he didn't tear pieces out of the world (Exdeath), blasted it with magic to smithereens (Kefka, Kuja), but still, he held it in his grip for ages (I think, because III's timeline I find confusing, as much as I adore the story). And best of all, he held the whole world in his grip not for dominance, not to destroy it because that's fun, but simply because he didn't want to die. Selfish FTW!

The Warriors of Darkness explain that Zande was being manipulated all along by the Cloud of Darkness. He, like Golbez, was just a puppet.

Not quite. Golbez was a puppet from the start and did Zemus' bidding. That's not how it went with Xande. Xande started the events by himself, by his own free will, because he felt betrayed by Noah and wanted to find a way to avoid his mortality. For this, he darkened two crystals and froze the world, but it was this imbalance that made him unknowingly summon the Cloud of Darkness, who then further manipulated him. But it wasn't the Cloud of Darkness who kicked events off. It's just a force of nature that only appears when there's imbalance between the Crystals, and aims to return the world to Void then. If there's no imbalance, there's no Cloud of Darkness. You need to have someone make imbalance first. Xande did that, for his own reasons, of his own free will. Not like Golbez, who was manipulated by Zemus from the start. Xande wasn't.

Okay, not exactly like Golbez, but very close. They both were puppets when the story of the game(s) started, anyway.


Personally, I always thought Neo ExDeath was the Void itself who used the bodies of all demons it had devoured over its existence to have a physical form. Just my idea, though. We'll probably never know. The radical change it motive between ExDeath and Neo Exdeath seems to point in that direction, though.

Actually, it was the demons forming Ex-Death's body.
His alternate costume in Dissidia Duodecim was based on one of Amano's arts, that showed Ex-Death without the blue armor.
Now, look at the Duodecim costume, and look at the demon 'leading' the other demons who form Neo Ex-Death's body:



http://images.wikia.com/finalfantasy/images/4/4d/ExdeathThirdEXMode.png



http://www.videogamesprites.net/FinalFantasy5/Bosses/NeoExdeath.gif

See the similarity?

[Elpizo]

Okay, not exactly like Golbez, but very close. They both were puppets when the story of the game(s) started, anyway.

Hate to be nitpicking but it's the other way around. Golbez was like Xande, since Xande came first. :p Of course, given III not being released here in the west until 2006, that only goes if you're Japanese. Or played the translated NES rom of III before you ever touched IV. Like I did. :D



Actually, it was the demons forming Ex-Death's body.
His alternate costume in Dissidia Duodecim was based on one of Amano's arts, that showed Ex-Death without the blue armor.
Now, look at the Duodecim costume, and look at the demon 'leading' the other demons who form Neo Ex-Death's body:



http://images.wikia.com/finalfantasy/images/4/4d/ExdeathThirdEXMode.png



http://www.videogamesprites.net/FinalFantasy5/Bosses/NeoExdeath.gif

See the similarity?

Well, I learn something new everyday! O.o I had no clue. Never seen this Amano artwork, or played Dissidia, so... But yeah, now it's kinda obvious you're right. That design is quite awesome, too, I might add. :)