Vivi died!?

[Christmas]

garland couldn't supply kuja because zidane was suppose to take over kuja place and how could garland transport the supplies over and over agian from a different world? wouldn't the people c it?

What I was saying is, Garland taught Kuja how to make those black mage and Kuja proceed to make it together with that Queen.

Supply the technology and supply the black mages are different things.

[ThroneofDravaris]

Isn't Garland the one that created Genomes....?

Yeah, my message was kind of misleading.

I was saying that Kuja copied the method that Garland used to create the Genomes in order to create the Black Mages. However, Garland himself took no part in the creation of the Black Mages.

[Masamune·1600]

Actually, there are two speakers during the ending; the first half of the narration can be attributed to Mikoto, the second half to Vivi.

And, yes, Vivi does die. Vivi's final lines...

I'm so happy I met everyone... I wish we could've gone on more adventures. But I guess we all have to say goodbye someday. Everyone... Thank you. Farewell. My memories will be part of the sky...

...hint directly at the fact that he has stopped functioning; the critical fact that he does not appear during the final play scene, even though his "sons" are present, also attests to this. The inevitability of Vivi's death is further suggested by a conversation with Black Mage No. 288, whose response to Vivi's hesitant question concerning "stopping" is shown as extended ellipses.

Exactly how Vivi's "sons" came to be is not revealed during the ending, so one can only speculate on how his progeny came about.

[xX.Silver.Wings.Xx]

I never knew that Vivi died... *sniff*

[Trumpet Thief]

chaos: That's pretty depressing. He was my favorite character.

[Vaprice]

omg vivi isn't dead, he's on my bedroom pillows right now. ^^ hasn't moved out of his position for like a week!

[eestlinc]

everyone dies eventually, or turns into a russian mountain cat.

[ThroneofDravaris]

omg vivi isn't dead, he's on my bedroom pillows right now. ^^ hasn't moved out of his position for like a week!

Well, if he isn't moving...

[sub zero]

it also says in the game that after terra is destroyed or was it the wird theing the lifa tree did that the back mages stopped "stopping" and could now live a ripe and full exsistance. i recon it was KUJA who was nataring after mikoto as they are all realted i mean kuja was zidanes brother and mikoto was zidanes sister.

[GunbladeMaster]

i cant be Kuja
because he didnt travel with zidzane!

Vivi said: It has been great travelling with you

the same goes to Mikoto
never traveled with him

[Masamune·1600]

it also says in the game that after terra is destroyed or was it the wird theing the lifa tree did that the back mages stopped "stopping" and could now live a ripe and full exsistance. i recon it was KUJA who was nataring after mikoto as they are all realted i mean kuja was zidanes brother and mikoto was zidanes sister.

Ignoring the fact that Kuja died prior to the beginning of the narration, it doesn't make any sense at all for Kuja to have been responsible for any of those lines.

I'll address each segment of the narration, showing how it can be inferred that the speaker is Mikoto, and later on Vivi.

Kuja... What you did was wrong... But you gave us one
thing... Hope... We were all created for the wrong reason, but you alone
defied our fate. We do not want to forget this. We want your memory to
live on forever... ...to remind us that we were not created for the wrong
reason-that our life has meaning.

Here, while Mikoto condemns Kuja's actions throughout the game as "wrong," she states that he "gave us...hope." This refers, of course, to the Genomes, who were "created for the wrong reason." One could argue that the speaker could be any Black Mage or Genome (although direct reference to Kuja's "fate" implies a Genome), as all were made for the wrong reason, but it is Mikoto who appears during this scene (walking across the dead Iifa Tree). Moreover, Mikoto is naturally the best choice to convey this message, as she is the one who most visibly failed to understand it during the game.

Girl: They are my peers. We are Genomes. We live in this village.

Zidane: Genomes? Is that what they're called?

Girl: Not just them, but you and me, too. It is the name of the seed
given to all of us. Its name is Genome.

Zidane: Talk about a let-down. Who would've guessed that the home I've
yearned for would be a dump like this. No wonder I never found it. It's
not even on Gaia!

Girl: Why are you not happy? You have returned to the place of your
birth.

Zidane: Happy? You guys can process that emotion? Look at 'em! Look at
all their blank faces!

Girl: What can we do? After all, we are made that way. And we are built
to watch over each other and work together as soulless Genomes.

Zidane: What's it all for!? Get to the point already! How come I grew
up on Gaia if I was born here!? I'm alive! I have a soul! Why is
everyone here so...

Girl: Because you are...special.

Zidane: What!?

Girl: We are mere vessels. You have been given a greater purpose. The
will of Garland is absolute...

and...

Zidane: What are you still doing here!? We need to evacuate.

Girl: What's the point? They're only empty vessels...

Zidane: Stop talking like that! Do you really believe what you just
said!?

Girl: ...Unlike the rest of them, Garland gave me a soul, that I might
replace you and Kuja. But Garland is dead. Terra will soon be
destroyed. What's the point?

Zidane: I asked myself the same question...

Girl: Did you find an answer?

Zidane: No... But maybe the point is to just try. It's gonna be hard...but
I've got my friends. It isn't too bad.

Girl: ...

Mikoto, obviously, has difficulty thinking of herself, Zidane, Kuja, and the other Genomes as anything other than vessels, created to carry out specific purposes, without recourse to any sort of autonomy or free will. Kuja, however, sought to carve out his own fate, even if his means and motives were cruel. By living his own life, Kuja demonstrated that it had meaning, and, by extension, that all lives have meaning. Mikoto, prior to this narration, embodies the almost diffident acceptance of the Genomes as mere tools, and her realization of her own self-worth makes her lines very powerful.

Following Mikoto's lines, a period of time passes. While the length of this period goes unenumerated, the mere indication of a gap suggests that new ideas are to be addressed. This is important, as the beginning of the new narration addresses many of the same concepts as did Mikoto's speech. It goes off into territory of its own, of course, later on.

However, after the duration, but before the new narration starts, we're given a glimpse of Vivi's "sons." This attests to his upcoming role as narrator; we see that he himself has gone, and thus we will soon bear witness to his final message.

I always talked about you, Zidane. How you were a very
special person to us, because you taught us all how important life is.

This is the first part of the new narration. While this doesn't seem overly different from Mikoto's testimony, the continued message will deviate noticeably. "Us," in this segment, is also important, as we see that the Black Mages also learned of the value of life (just as, according to the previous narrator, the Genomes did).

You taught me that life doesn't last forever. That's
why we have to help each other and live life to the fullest.

Obviously, Vivi was fully aware that his life was finite, that he would eventually stop. More notable, however, is the second sentence. "Help each other" seems to imply a direct connection to Zidane; he, after all, is willing to help anyone, even Kuja. Vivi would have witnessed this selflessness throughout the game. Still, there is not yet conclusive evidence that the speaker is Vivi (it will become clear momentarily).

Even if you say goodbye, you'll always be in our
hearts. So, I know we're not alone anymore.

Obviously an important theme for Vivi.

Why I was born... How I wanted to live... Thanks for
giving me time to think.

Vivi's overriding characteristic, arguably, is uncertainty. Regardless of how it's manifesting itself at any point during the game, this ultimate theme is made very clear. Vivi did not know how or why he was born, and why and for what purpose he lived. However, in travelling with Zidane, and bearing witness to his example, Vivi came to an important revelation; that he himself had to decide how to live.

To keep doing what you set your heart on... It's a very
hard thing to do. We were all so courageous...

Here's where the narration begins to obviously emerge as Vivi's testimony. Note the reference to "we were so courageous." The "we" is suggestive of the speaker being a companion with Zidane; the reference to courage (which the party obviously displayed in abundance) also is indicative of this idea. Given the previously addressed themes, it now seems obvious that the speaker is Vivi.

What to do when I felt lonely... That was the only thing
you couldn't teach me. But we need to figure out the answer for
ourselves...

Again, important themes for Vivi are at play. Learning to "figure out the answer for [himself]" was something that built up the entire game.

I'm so happy I met everyone... I wish we could've gone
on more adventures. But I guess we all have to say goodbye someday.

Now it's obvious. "More adventures" clearly designates the speaker as a member of the party, and Vivi is the only one not present at the ending, hence the "goodbye."

Everyone... Thank you. Farewell. My memories will be
part of the sky...

Again, Vivi is notably absent during the ending. But, through his "sons," his memory indeed lives on.

Evaluating this narration in such fragmented form makes it difficult to appreciate the whole message. Viewing it at once, then, should make the matter entirely lucid.

I always talked about you, Zidane. How you were a very special person to us, because you taught us all how important life is. You taught me that life doesn't last forever. That's why we have to help each other and live life to the fullest. Even if you say goodbye, you'll always be in our hearts. So, I know we're not alone anymore. Why I was born... How I wanted to live... Thanks for giving me time to think. To keep doing what you set your heart on... It's a very hard thing to do. We were all so courageous... What to do when I felt lonely... That was the only thing you couldn't teach me. But we need to figure out the answer for ourselves... I'm so happy I met everyone... I wish we could've gone on more adventures. But I guess we all have to say goodbye someday. Everyone... Thank you. Farewell. My memories will be part of the sky...

When viewed as a coherent whole, the speech is unmistakably Vivi's. Hence, one can confidently conclude that the final narration was performed by two speakers, the first of whom was Mikoto and the second of whom was Vivi.

[Captain Maxx Power]

Masamune-1600 Wins

FLAWLESS VICTORY

[ThroneofDravaris]

Damn, he got to him before I did....