Golbez

[Sephex]

I remember making this thread at a different forum many years ago and it really took off. I want to see if EoFF can get into this idea as well!

What if Golbez was the one who went on the path of redemption and Cecil was the man who had his mind taken over by Zemus?

Based on what I learned from Golbez's character in The After Years, I actually think he would have been much more mature than Cecil. He would have resolved the plot a little faster too. Golbez has the advantage of knowing he has a brother, so if Cecil was disguised, he would have figured who he was as well!

However, with Zemus backing Cecil, there still would have been many struggles for Golbez and his party. I always got that vibe that Cecil was a better fighter than Golbez at the end of the day. Going with that train of thought, maybe Cecil would have pulled a Kefka and took Zemus out somehow! Assuming the mind control wouldn't sever (they never made it clear how that works), imagine Cecil as the last boss!

[Del Murder]

Isn't that pretty much the plot of The After Years? I think Golbez would have been able to resolve things more quickly, but it wouldn't have been as fun and wouldn't have involved all the the other characters who helped Cecil along the way. In the end it probably would have been just Golbez and Kain kicking Cecil's Dark Knight ass.

[Sephex]

Isn't that pretty much the plot of The After Years? I think Golbez would have been able to resolve things more quickly, but it wouldn't have been as fun and wouldn't have involved all the the other characters who helped Cecil along the way. In the end it probably would have been just Golbez and Kain kicking Cecil's Dark Knight ass.

I suppose you have a point, but I still maintain the Cecil would have one hell of an edge with Zemus backing him.

[Goldenboko]

I definitely thing there was a reason Zemus chose Golbez, why would he pick the troutter brother?

Ultimately I feel like Zemus would've given Cecil an upperhand somehow!

[Wolf Kanno]

Zemus picked up Golbez cause he was the easier brother to corrupt at the time, though Zemus may have tried to do the same to Cecil had he stayed on the path of a Dark Knight. It probably would have onyl taken the death of Rosa to make Cecil power hungry and easily swayed by the Dark Blade.

Yeah, Golbez would have probably had an easier time than Cecil, largely cause it was Golbez's intellect that allowed him to succeed whereas Golbez's strength rarely won him many battles in the game. Though it would be interesting to see what would have happened had Golbez had to try to do the Trial on Mt. Ordeals. I mean Golbez is definetly more of a mage-type character so would he have become a magic based Paladin, or would he have become a Sage like Tellah?

[Roogle]

Though it would be interesting to see what would have happened had Golbez had to try to do the Trial on Mt. Ordeals. I mean Golbez is definetly more of a mage-type character so would he have become a magic based Paladin, or would he have become a Sage like Tellah?

Golbez has a strange equipment pool in Final Fantasy IV: The After Years. If I remember correctly, he can equip almost any type of weapon aside from katanas and long range weaponry. This includes hammers that exclusive to Cid and Luca.

[Edge7]

What I would like to know is would Golbez even have the same allies? Sure, he might know Kain through the military, but would Golbez have even met Rosa. Would Golbez be a Red Wing?

[Wolf Kanno]

I could see him being a Red Wing as well, but part of me thinks Rosa would have wound up as Kain's love interest instead. So Rosa would still be in the party I feel, but Golbez's party may have avoided all the mind control shenanigans.

[Mercen-X]

But, let's say that in order to corrupt Cecil, Zemus first had to kill Rosa. Then he'd have control over both Cecil and Kain. Unlike in the game, Kain's feelings for the deceased Rosa would make it impossible for him to fight Zemus's mind control.

[ReloadPsi]

If you don't know what you're doing at Mt. Ordeals Dark Cecil hands your ass to you in ready-to-fry strips. He would've been an awesome villain

[Wolf Kanno]

But, let's say that in order to corrupt Cecil, Zemus first had to kill Rosa. Then he'd have control over both Cecil and Kain. Unlike in the game, Kain's feelings for the deceased Rosa would make it impossible for him to fight Zemus's mind control.

I'm assuming Zemus would control Cecil in in his youth like he did for Golbez though. So Cecil would most likely have never met Kain or Rosa, instead it would have been the older Golbez spending his childhood with them.

[Mercen-X]

It's likely enough then that due to a natural Lunarian charm, Rosa would have fallen in love with Golbez and Kain would still be jealous. The question then becomes whether Kain's friendship with Cecil was stronger than what he could have with Golbez because that may decide whether Kain's eventual mind control could be fought off (I'm telling you there's no stopping this event).

Also, why are we still calling him Golbez. His names Theodore, isn't it? What about Cecil, should he have a different name? Why was Theodore called Golbez?

[Roogle]

Also, why are we still calling him Golbez. His names Theodore, isn't it? What about Cecil, should he have a different name? Why was Theodore called Golbez?

Golbez was a name given to Theodore by Zemus. You can see some of this in the Nintendo DS version of the game. You can read about the etymology of the name at the article on Golbez on the Final Fantasy Wiki.

[Mercen-X]

So then, do you think Cecil would just be called Golbez had Zemus turned him instead?
Also, hey, do you think, had Theodore been the protagonist, his friends would have called him Theo?

[Roogle]

Judging from Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, they would have called him Theodore as the party makes no attempts to give anyone a nickname except for Edge, who introduces himself as such.