Final Boss - Religious Influences? Spoilers.

[TheAbominatrix]

Alright, so a lot of things in FF are related to myths, religious influences, etc etc. So I was wondering if there's any religious signifances... or any influences at all... to the last boss of FFVI. This is refering to the whole tower or scariness, as well as Kefka.

So the 'Fallen One' attack of Kefka's is rather obvious... but other than that, there's also that weird monster at the top of the tower, the pretty angelic looking face watching over and healing the prone image of a man. The woman always reminded me of Jesus' mother, Mary. Anyone else feel the same?

[DocFrance]

Nope. No religious references. Whatsoever.

[Big D]

Kefka himself has, obviously, the form of a six-winged angel. A very divine appearance - the Seraphim, the highest order of angels, are often depicted as having six wings.

Perhaps this refers to the fact that his powers all came from the Goddesses themselves. He actually has 'divine' powers, but none that he'd try to use for any good purposes. Rather like the sorceresses in FFVIII, whose abilities are said to be the last remnant of the powers of the evil creator deity, Hyne.

Kefka did become a kind of religious figure - his cult of brainwashed followers, for instance. This is understandable since he was the most powerful being on the planet. He had total control over the lives of many, but onyl because he had the power to cause harm. He's a kind of 'angel of death', existing only to destroy.

There's an interesting message there... once Kefka became all-powerful he saw no more reason to live. There was nothing more for him to gain, he was totally without peer - and without purpose.
To me, this suggests that progress is an essential part of life's purpose. When there's nothing more to learn, no new powers to unlock, our reason for existing begins to fade. By going straight to the source of all power - the Goddesses - he 'jumped the queue', immediately gaining strength and magic he never should have been able to acquire. He bypassed the process of learning and earning, so his powers were really without meaning.
Hence his desire to destroy.

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

I don't see six wings. The one on his left looks more like a demon wing than an angel wing, too.

[ThE dArK oNe]

There's an interesting message there... once Kefka became all-powerful he saw no more reason to live. There was nothing more for him to gain, he was totally without peer - and without purpose.

I think he sees himself as a "greater being" and that he has the right to mold this world as he sees fits. Obviiously his chatacter does not wish to make it better, but continue to treat it as a toy, for him to play with. He might want to destroy for your reasons but remember he is a mad- man who ENJOYS watching people suffer. I believe that he sees his purpose to bring upon suffering to amuse himself...

[BG-57]

Kefka reminds me of Caligula. Like him, he fancies himself a god, but his madness makes his (ab)use of power purely destructive.

All the same, the Cult of Kefka may have taken it upon themselves to worship him, even without his encouragement. Sort of the 'if you can't beat him, join him' mentality.

[Big D]

Originally posted by Kawaii Ryûkishi
I don't see six wings. The one on his left looks more like a demon wing than an angel wing, too.

In the ending FMV for the PlayStation re-release, he has six gold-feathered wings. Not exactly the same as the in-game image, then. My mistake.

Originally posted by ThE dArK oNeI think he sees himself as a "greater being" and that he has the right to mold this world as he sees fits. Obviiously his chatacter does not wish to make it better, but continue to treat it as a toy, for him to play with. He might want to destroy for your reasons but remember he is a mad- man who ENJOYS watching people suffer. I believe that he sees his purpose to bring upon suffering to amuse himself...

But he didn't really seem to enjoy it, toward the end -
"What do you think you've found?
Here... in this dying world?
Why do you rebuild, knowing destruction is enevitable?
Why do you yearn to live, knowing all things must die?"
He seemed to think that all life was ultimately pointless, because of the inevitablility of death. He hated the world, its inhabitants, and also himself.

[ThE dArK oNe]

I think he says that last part because he does not understand why all the living creatures under him seem to keep trying to live knowing that he has the power to easily destroy them. He does see life as pointless but i think it refers to us humans. He is above all living things, what other purpose does he have to complain about... Your observation is likely to be true, but he doesn't seem like a sad person... Mostly an insane person with power who just wants to use it as much as he can.

[Edgar]

Kefka does not know the power that most living things have and that is the "Will" to move forward. "Love" is one of the things that causes it. "Greed" is somehow another. "Courage" is also one. Kefka has that 'will' (you've seen how hard he tried to obtain power), but he does not uinderstand it and neither does he realize that he is no different from others.

People like Kefka just have such and awesome ego in them. You just can't blame 'em.

But whatever it is, he's still insane.

[Strider]

I'm pretty sure that the three bosses prior to Kefka (as you climb, that is) are like. . . second incarnations of the Three Statues, right? The first one is Doom, second is Poltergeist, and third is Goddess.

I could be wrong, it's just speculation.

[Shinrin]

or they might be people from Vector.. you notice that Vector isn't there anymore and that it's Kefka's tower.

[GogoTheMimic]

Actually, in the bestiary, the official names are Alpha, Beta, and Gamma, if my memory serves me correctly. I think they are reincarnations of the three Goddesses. I believe the first one being Poltergeist, second being Goddess, and the third as Doom. Of course, being that my memory sucks and I haven't played FFVI in so long(for shame!), I'm probably wrong. >.<

[Wightraven]

*sighs at the prior comment, wondering what strange metamorphoses his dear sweet FFVI has taken since it's "glorious" cartridge days...*

Alpha, Beta, and Gamma? It almost makes me want to fire up the old PSX and see if this sin you speak of is true...

... anyway, as I remember it, you fought the true Goddesses (who were violent and powerful to begin with; that's why they sealed themselves away), Doom, Poltergeist, and Goddess, then the Tower, then Keffy.

[Shinrin]

we'll never know what that thing before kefka really is. X_X

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

It says what it is in the bottom-left battle window. All of that is Kefka.