Slavery

[BG-57]

I was originally going to title this Bondage, but I didn't want to give people the wrong idea.

I've noticed that there is a strong theme of slavery in this game, more so than others in the FF series. Not just in terms of plot with the enslavement of Dalmasca, but with the game's visual look.

Consider that many of the Espers are chained or bound. Some like Zalera and Mateus have taken others hostage as living shields.

Also many of the monsters are bound, both the collars that dragons wear to the chains around the feet of the giant turtles.

I first really noticed this theme of physically chaining monsters with Anima in FFX. Although enslaved kingdoms are nothing new.

What do you think of this? I find it gives the game a bit a of a creepy vibe, like elements of a horror movie creeping into the seams.

[Clawsze]

I was originally going to title this Bondage, but I didn't want to give people the wrong idea.

I've noticed that there is a strong theme of slavery in this game, more so than others in the FF series. Not just in terms of plot with the enslavement of Dalmasca, but with the game's visual look.

Consider that many of the Espers are chained or bound. Some like Zalera and Mateus have taken others hostage as living shields.

Also many of the monsters are bound, both the collars that dragons wear to the chains around the feet of the giant turtles.

I first really noticed this theme of physically chaining monsters with Anima in FFX. Although enslaved kingdoms are nothing new.

What do you think of this? I find it gives the game a bit a of a creepy vibe, like elements of a horror movie creeping into the seams.

OMG. I had never thought about it before, but you are right. Slavery is like...everywhere...FF XII now seems so different...and before I get a comment on how sarcastic I am being, i'm actualy not, I just can't be bothered to write out the things I noticed because I am tired.

ANyways, this makes me want to look at this more carefully now...

[Dynast-Kid]

Oh wow, I hadn't even noticed this before! You're right!

Hmm...

Belias = Tossed aside by his creators, he finds a new master in the Dynast-King.

Mateus = Captures and enslaves an ice goddess. After being defeated, he's imprisoned in the depths of Hell.

Shemhazai = Once served the gods as a guardian. After her betrayal, the gods seal her away in Giruvegan.

Hashaml = Given power by the gods to uphold the peace of the world. After joining in Ultima's rebellion, he is sentenced to a fate in Hell.

Famfrit = Considered an abomination, Famfrit is locked and sealed into an armor by the gods.

Adrammelech = Assigned to the position of Emperor of the scions. Seeking to quell the riots of demons in the Otherworld, they were convinced to join his side, and rebel against Adrammelech's masters. He was, of course, defeated.

Cúchulainn = Once a beautiful god of purity, he was tasked with swallowing all of the worlds impurities. However, after being infected by man's darkness, Cúchulainn becomes a deity of filth and rises against his creators.

Zalera = A heretic Esper tasked with judging men's souls. However, he seeks to control and posess the souls of all living things. In his rage against the gods, he kidnaps a shamaness as his captive.

Zeromus = Tasked with punishing criminals. However, he was overtaken by hatred and his power of condemnation, and attempted to condemn his masters. He was defeated.

Exodus = Tasked with overseeing and judging the value of all things. After his detachment to the world, he sought to make the world into nothing, and fell into war with the gods. His punishment was eternal prisonment.

Chaos = Tutelary deity of the sacred crystals. After an endless cycle of death and reincarnation, he sought to change his fate by challenging his makers.

Ultima = Most magnificent of all scions created by the gods. She was initially tasked with guiding souls to heaven and aiding in reincarnation, but was overtaken by hate. She was the mastermind behind the rebellion against the gods, and since her fall, has been imprisoned in the Great Crystal.

Zodiark = Strongest of all the scions, and second only to the gods themselves. He has the power to fashion and shape the laws of the universe to his will, and administers punishment in place of the gods. His authority is absolute.

Wow! Surprised this all didn't hit me before! All of the Espers have the themes of power/authority/punishment in their stories. Maybe the theme of the Espers (rebelling against their masters), is meant to parallel Ashe's rebellion against Archadia. Maybe that's why they aid her, because they've been in her position before.

[Big D]

Damn good thread, I like it

From the Espers to the great dragons, everything points toward Ivalice having been through a lot of immense and devastating wars in the past. There was the epic battle between the Espers and their Light counterparts, which was comparable to an angelic revolt against God or something like that.

The dragon's magical rings are described in the Bestiary - they are indeed containment devices, left over from the long-forgotten age when the dragons were used as weapons in some huge conflict. Considering the power of some of these creatures - Yiazmat, for instance - it must've been one hell of a war, with astounding weaponry and magical technology on all sides.

[Captain Maxx Power]

It's symbolic of the character's being trapped in a crappy game.

[Aerith's Knight]

bondage wouldve been a better title

you used slavery instead just because of me, didnt you?

[Wolf Kanno]

Don't forget that Vayne's ambition is to free mankind from the gods themselves. Mankinds destiny was controlled by the Occurians and they were a slave to their whims. It makes sense that slavery appears everywhere. XII theme is said to be Freedom

[Big D]

Don't forget that Vayne's ambition is to free mankind from the gods themselves.

And yet to accomplish this, he was being manipulated and empowered by another Occuria, albeit a rogue...

[LunarWeaver]

Dynast sure laid the smack on that situation.

I can see where you're coming from now that's it has been planted in my noggin'. Makes the game 1,000% more attractive if you ask me.

[PeneloRatsbane]

Poor Basch was all bondaged up for being a "traitor"
And Balthier and Fran are running from their "restrictive" life styles.
Ashe, in comparison, wants her responsibility to rule rabanastre (which is a refreshing change from the usual princess attitude of "i just want to be free to be me")

[Roogle]

Thank you for the analysis, Dynast-Kid. It appears that the demons fight alongside Ashe because of her power and her theme of rebellion. Did the characters ever establish a sense of uneasiness depending on the demons' powers? Was this addressed in the game at all?

[Bolivar]

Don't forget that Vayne's ambition is to free mankind from the gods themselves. Mankinds destiny was controlled by the Occurians and they were a slave to their whims. It makes sense that slavery appears everywhere. XII theme is said to be Freedom

And not just the main antagonist, but the protagonists as well. I just replayed the ending, and I noted Ashe says, when Vayne asks who she is "I am myself, and I wish to be free."

Both sides strive to be free of Occuria, the past, and their masters in Ivalice. That's the goal of the resistance, of Reddas, Vaan cherishes the sky because of the freedom it represents. Everyone, from the ruled, on up to the rulers themselves, are trying to be free of something.

[Quindiana Jones]

Esper-wise, it makes sense. They pissed off the gods and, as we know all to well, gods are right gits when you don't do what they want. COUGH. ADAM AND EVE. COUGH.

Monster-wise, it also makes sense, from what I can remember. The bigass monsters like the Wyrms, Dragons and Turtles (Turtles really ruins the impressiveness of that list ) were all captured or imprisoned or used as slaves by the gods or something. I forget. It's been a while.

So yeah, you're spot on. I hadn't noticed, but it definitely has some slave-related dooberies in it.


And a big lol for Maxx.