Queen Brahne

[Wolf Kanno]

If there was ever one thing that has bugged me about FFIX, it was the fact the game never really explains how Kuja convinced Queen Brahne to go to war with the world, including her own royal kin, and try to exploit her adoptive daughter as a weapon for her military campaign. The game always describes Brahne before her husband's death as a very kind and loving person, and while certainly the tragedy of her husband's death would certainly mess with anyone's head, I can't quite make the logic leap from loving husband's death to "world domination and driving away all my family". So do you think Kuja just had that great of a silver tongue? or do you think some good old fashioned mind control magic was going on behind the scenes? or was Kuja simply taking advantage of a woman who honestly went completely mad?

[Pete for President]

I like to think Queen Brahne went a little mad because of her loss and Kuja 'chose' her as an easy target to steer her in some direction.

[Depression Moon]

I agree with Pete and I know there could've been more background info in there, but games have to be finished at one time. I wouldn't have mind seeing the whole actual process of her getting to that point.

[Jessweeee♪]

Yeah I don't think there was really a good reason, just "her husband died and that made her sad." And that's enough. I'm very forgiving when it comes to video games, at least up until I reach something like " you see it's like this, you're all just characters in an MMO that we in the 4-D world like to play!"

[Wolf Kanno]

And I just can't fathom how that is silly to you but being a dream from a bunch of 1000 year old dead people is brilliant

[Jiro]

The 4D beings left a sour taste in my mouth but it also made me hella excited.

On topic at least, I think Brahne would have been a little bit paranoid about everyone now that the King was gone. Despite her imposing nature, I reckon she was soft. So Kuja would've just convinced her everyone was out to get her and that the only way to save Alexandria etc was to do this this and this. Over time she would've lost focus anyway, hence the insane bitch we see.

Alternatively, Kuja cast a spell on 'er. Magic is always the right answer. Her sudden transformation back into a nice person (SPOILER)just before her death probably helps support that.

And don't give me that , some people might not have played yet

[Freya]

I think she got some good ol young scantly clad guy boinking that helped him get his point across.

[Flying Arrow]

Devil's advocate: Was she really all that kind before? Who actually says this? If it's NPCs, I'd just say they're naive about their leader. If it's Garnet, she might be naive about her mother from such a young age.

What I'm saying is that I actually don't think it's very much of a stretch to say that the 'she used to be so nice' is a clouded judgment from whoever made it and something the player should be skeptical about.

[Jessweeee♪]

And I just can't fathom how that is silly to you but being a dream from a bunch of 1000 year old dead people is brilliant

Sometimes you need to overlook silly things to enjoy the brilliant parts.

[Wolf Kanno]

Devil's advocate: Was she really all that kind before? Who actually says this? If it's NPCs, I'd just say they're naive about their leader. If it's Garnet, she might be naive about her mother from such a young age.

What I'm saying is that I actually don't think it's very much of a stretch to say that the 'she used to be so nice' is a clouded judgment from whoever made it and something the player should be skeptical about.

Well, it was from everyone really, Garnet, Cid, and the town people all said she radically changed after her husband's death and Kuja's arrival.

And I just can't fathom how that is silly to you but being a dream from a bunch of 1000 year old dead people is brilliant

Sometimes you need to overlook silly things to enjoy the brilliant parts.

Once again, says the person who can't get over the fact that only one person dies in FFIV and the game is filled with hilarious "deaths"

[Roogle]

I think there might have been some manipulation behind the scenes that we are not privy to. Did they ever say if Queen Brahne was human or not? Did she used to look different when she was loving and kind? I have seen some people in other media turn blue when they become antagonists, like the Gross Sisters on The Proud Family, or the enemies in towns in Earthbound!

[Jessweeee♪]

And I just can't fathom how that is silly to you but being a dream from a bunch of 1000 year old dead people is brilliant

Sometimes you need to overlook silly things to enjoy the brilliant parts.

Once again, says the person who can't get over the fact that only one person dies in FFIV and the game is filled with hilarious "deaths"

You know I think I would like FFIV better if I approached it as a parody.

[Heath]

I kinda bought the 'she lost her husband and was vulnerable and then got taken advantage of' because, as I recall, the game seems to stress how much she loved her husband and how lost she felt without him. Given that, it seemed to be that Kuja was able to take advantage of her and appeal to her greed to conquer neighbouring countries. I could imagine that, given her vulnerable state, she wouldn't have taken too much convincing and the fact that someone as manipulative as Kuja took an advantage of her and likely flattered her, made her particularly susceptible.

[Depression Moon]

I wondered how Kuja was able to even see her. Imagine just some random cross dressing man walks up to the castle and asks to see queen. I know had to be laughed at.

[Jiro]

He rode in on a white horse silver dragon