The guardian of the law who presides over judgments of life and death, his true strength is realized when he dons his helm.
Dissidia 012 Description
A warrior who swears his life to those he trusts.
Description
Gabranth is a warrior of Chaos and an extra character in Dissidia Final Fantasy and Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy. An Archadian Judge in service to the Empire, he took on the guise of his twin brother, Basch, and killed King Raminas of the Kingdom of Dalmasca, disgracing Basch and ensuring Archadia's dominance of the region. Chaos was impressed by Gabranth's crimes and summoned him to the wars to fight among his forces.
In battle, Gabranth uses his power to quickly charge his EX Gauge, and then crushes opponents with powerful attacks. As an extra character, Gabranth has little impact on the main storyline, although he has a long-standing rivalry with Shantotto, confronting her and Cosmos in an earlier cycle, intending to kill Cosmos to end the war. In Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy, though Vaan is also from Final Fantasy XII, the two never actually meet during the war.
In Dissidia Final Fantasy, Gabranth is unlockable by completing the Distant Glory - Redemption of the Warrior storyline and purchasing him as a playable character in the PP Catalog for 1,000 PP. In Dissidia 012, he is available as a purchasable character at the PP Catalog from the start and costs 100 PP.
Profile[]
Appearance[]
Gabranth's original outfit is based on his design in Final Fantasy XII. 
He wears gray and silver Judge's armor with a helmet with curved horns, and a black cape with the insignia of the Archadian Empire.
Gabranth's first alternate outfit, "Dark Steel Armor", colors his armor and weapons black, based on Yoshitaka Amano's artwork of the Archadian Judges. 
When in EX Mode, this outfit gives Gabranth a golden aura instead of red.
Gabranth's second alternate outfit "Captain's Gear", is the uniform of a Dalmascan soldier, which Gabranth wore in the introductory sequence of Final Fantasy XII to impersonate Basch. 
He wears a red and brown uniform with armored plates along the chest, steel gauntlets and boots, and longer hair.
Gabranth's manikin version, Warrior of Antiquity, is gold.
Equipment[]
Gabranth dual-wields two swords, the Chaos Blade and the Highway Star; the Chaos Blade is the longer sword and the Highway Star is the shorter. The two blades can be wielded separately or connected at the hilts to create a dual-bladed weapon. Gabranth wields the two swords in their combined form in his normal mode, and normally wields them disconnected in his EX Mode but will connect them when performing certain attacks. In his first alt outfit, the two swords take on a dark black color scheme to match the color of Gabranth's armor.
Personality[]
Hmph. Just another stray being played with by the gods. No matter. Choose the path you wish to take. All paths lead to the same end, anyway. You keep fighting...and die like a dog.
Gabranth
Gabranth is cruel and ruthless and looks down on the other warriors regardless of alignment. True to his original occupation, Gabranth sees himself as the one to pass judgment on the fates of his enemies, and declares himself to be driven by rage and hatred alone.
Gabranth is aware of his purpose as a tool in the conflict between Cosmos and Chaos and has become disillusioned. He holds a grudging respect for strength, as he recognized Shantotto's capacity as a powerful mage, and allows the player to exit his realm after testing their resolve. In parting, Gabranth tells the warrior that they will know loss and despair, but they should never lose hope and never become like him, indicating that however cruel Gabranth's fate may be, he does not desire for it to befall another warrior.
Story[]
Early cycles[]
Gabranth and Shantotto's confrontation.
In the earlier cycles of war, Gabranth fought loyally for Chaos. Seeking to end the cycles of war by killing Cosmos, he travels to Order's Sanctuary and battles Shantotto, Cosmos's bodyguard, but she emerges victorious. On another occasion Gabranth fights her again and asks if she remembers their previous fight, but she did not due to her purification. Seeing no point to the conflict, Gabranth ends the fight, telling her to ask Cosmos about the nature of the cycles and purification.
Garland and the Emperor confront Gabranth on his unwillingness to continue fighting, and the three come to blows when Gabranth declares he has no intent of serving Chaos in such a war. For this, Gabranth is cast out of the cycles into a hell dimension. He remains in the dimension outside the conflict, and occasionally rifts in space open allowing other warriors to find his domain.
On another occasion, Gabranth fights Prishe to distract her while Garland goes to Order's Sanctuary to kill Cosmos. Though Prishe defeats him, Gabranth tells her the loss means nothing and retreats, while Cosmos' warriors fade away with her death.
During an unspecified cycle, Vaan finds a mysterious gateway and enters it to find himself in the hell dimension Gabranth was banished to. Gabranth offers to show Vaan the exit if he fights him, and the two battle twice. Between battles Gabranth tells Vaan how he fought with pride but was discarded when he questioned his duties, and that fighting the war is a pointless struggle. Vaan defeats Gabranth a third time and is shown the way out, but when he asks if Gabranth intends to return as well, he declines, choosing to remain as a guardian to guide other wayward warriors who stumble upon him.
13th cycle[]
Gabranth's confrontation with Shantotto is seen in a flashback after the warriors of Cosmos have gathered their crystals.
In Dissidia's Distant Glory Redemption of the Warrior, and in Dissidia 012's Confessions of the Creator, at the Land of the Stolen Crown gateway, Gabranth is found in a hell dimension where those discarded from the cycles of war are sent. Questioning the player character's resolve and what they did to be sentenced here, Gabranth taunts them as they fight their way to the exit to return to the main world. At the exit, Gabranth battles them to judge if they deserve to live again.
Gameplay[]
Gabranth's fighter title is EXecutioner. Normally, Gabranth moves very slowly and his Bravery attacks are slow and weak, and he has no way to deal HP damage outside of Chase Sequences, which none of his Bravery attacks can initiate. Instead, his sole HP attack charges his EX Gauge, and once in EX Mode Gabranth gains a significant boost in movement speed and an entirely different moveset. In this state Gabranth attacks with fast, powerful Bravery attacks that have significant range even though they are melee strikes, and his HP attacks can be very difficult to avoid. In tandem with the standard EX Mode bonuses of Regen and increased critical hit rate, Gabranth becomes extremely dangerous.
The obvious downside is that he is very weak outside of EX Mode and must evade opponents while charging his EX Gauge, and should then go on the offensive once in EX Mode to deal as much damage as he can before the EX Gauge runs out. In Dissidia 012 he is particularly vulnerable to Assist attacks; while Gabranth has a unique ability to prevent the opponent from gaining a Bravery bonus for inflicting an EX Break on him, an Assist attack will still instantly deplete his EX Gauge and force him out of EX Mode. His reliance on his EX Charge attack also limits his equipment possibilities - accessories that lower EX Force Absorption will also decrease the rate at which EX Charge fills the EX Gauge, significantly hindering Gabranth.
Boss[]
In Dissidia, Gabranth is faced as a boss at the end of Distant Glory and Inward Chaos.
In Dissidia 012, he is faced at the bottom of the "Land of the Stolen Crown" gateway in Scenario 000, and fought by Shantotto during Report #8.
Attacks[]
Bravery Attacks: Normal Mode[]
| Move | Type | CP (Mastered) | AP | Priority | Effect | Damage type | Obtained | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sentence (ground) |
Ground | 20 (10) | 120 | Melee Low | None | Physical | Initial | 
|
| Rush forward and strike the opponent four times. | ||||||||
| Lunge | Ground | 20 (10) | 120 | Melee Low | None | Physical | Level 3 | 
|
| Charge forward and slam the opponent away. | ||||||||
| Circle of Judgement | Aerial | 20 (10) | 180 | Melee Low | None | Physical | Initial | 
|
| Spin around to draw in the opponent and then slash them away. | ||||||||
| Sentence (midair) |
Aerial | 20 (10) | 180 | Melee Low | None | Physical | Level 6 |
|
| Rush forward and strike the opponent four times. | ||||||||
| Move | Type | CP (Mastered) | AP | Priority | Effect | Damage type | Obtained | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sentence (ground) |
Ground | 20 (10) | 90 | Melee Low | None | Physical | Initial |
|
| Rush forward and strike the opponent four times. | ||||||||
| Lunge | Ground | 20 (10) | 90 | Melee Low | None | Physical | Level 3 |
|
| Charge forward and slam the opponent away. | ||||||||
| Circle of Judgement | Aerial | 20 (10) | 90 | Melee Low | None | Physical | Initial |
|
| Spin around to draw in the opponent and then slash them away. | ||||||||
| Sentence (midair) |
Aerial | 20 (10) | 90 | Melee Low | None | Physical | Level 6 |
|
| Rush forward and strike the opponent four times. | ||||||||
Bravery Attacks: EX Mode[]
| Move | Type | CP (Mastered) | AP | Priority | Effect | Damage type | Obtained | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enrage | Ground | 30 (15) | 140 | Melee Low | Wall Rush | Physical | Initial | 
|
| Charge forward and assault the opponent with a long, slow combo. Can combo without hitting. | ||||||||
| Aero (ground) |
Ground | 20 (10) | 140 | Ranged Low | Absorb Chase |
Magical | Initial | 
|
| Create a large tornado that slowly spins forward. | ||||||||
| Relentless Lunge | Ground | 30 (15) | 140 | Melee Low | Chase | Physical | Level 16 | 
|
| Charge forward and slam the opponent up to three times. Can combo without hitting. | ||||||||
| Vortex of Judgement | Aerial | 30 (15) | 140 | Melee Low | Absorb Magic Block Chase |
Physical | Initial | 
|
| Spin around up to three times, drawing in the opponent and slashing them away. Can combo without hitting. | ||||||||
| Aero (midair) |
Aerial | 20 (10) | 140 | Melee Low | Absorb Chase |
Magical | Initial |
|
| Create a large tornado that slowly spins forward. | ||||||||
| Rupture | Aerial | 30 (15) | 140 | Melee Low | Wall Rush | Physical | Level 11 | 
|
| Charge and perform a sword thrust to knock the opponent away. Depending on the opponent's position, Gabranth will either rise or fall. | ||||||||
| Dual Rend | Aerial | 30 (15) | 140 | Melee Low | Wall Rush | Physical | Level 30 | 
|
| Strike the opponent once, then quickly hit two more times and knock them away. | ||||||||
| Move | Type | CP (Mastered) | AP | Priority | Effect | Damage type | Obtained | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enrage | Ground | 20 (10) | 90 | Melee Low | Wall Rush | Physical | Initial |
|
| Charge forward and assault the opponent with a long, slow combo. Can combo without hitting. | ||||||||
| Aero (ground) |
Ground | 20 (10) | 90 | Ranged Low | Absorb Chase |
Magical | Initial |
|
| Create a large tornado that slowly spins forward. | ||||||||
| Relentless Lunge | Ground | 20 (10) | 120 | Melee Mid | Chase | Physical | Level 16 |
|
| Charge forward and slam the opponent up to three times. Can combo without hitting. | ||||||||
| Gaia Breach | Ground | 20 (10) | 120 | Ranged Low | Chase | Magical | Level 22 | 
|
| Slam swords to the ground, sending a wave of energy forward that homes in at the enemy, launching them into the air. | ||||||||
| Vortex of Judgement | Aerial | 20 (10) | 120 | Melee Mid | Absorb Magic Block Chase |
Physical | Initial |
|
| Spin around up to three times, drawing in the opponent and slashing them away. Can combo without hitting. | ||||||||
| Aero (midair) |
Aerial | 20 (10) | 90 | Melee Low | Absorb Chase |
Magical | Initial |
|
| Create a large tornado that slowly spins forward. | ||||||||
| Rupture | Aerial | 20 (10) | 90 | Melee Low | Wall Rush | Physical | Level 11 |
|
| Charge and perform a sword thrust to knock the opponent away. Depending on the opponent's position, Gabranth will either rise or fall. | ||||||||
| Dual Rend | Aerial | 20 (10) | 90 | Melee Low | Wall Rush | Physical | Level 31 |
|
| Strike the opponent once, then quickly hit two more times and knock them away. | ||||||||
HP Attacks: Normal Mode[]
| Move | Type | CP (Mastered) | AP | Priority | Effect | Damage type | Obtained | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EX Charge (ground) |
Ground | 20 (10) | 300 | N/A | None | N/A | Initial | 
|
Hold  to slowly charge EX Gauge.
| ||||||||
| EX Charge (midair) |
Aerial | 20 (10) | 300 | N/A | None | N/A | Initial |
|
| Hold to slowly charge EX Gauge. Automatically cancelled once you touch the ground.
| ||||||||
| Move | Type | CP (Mastered) | AP | Priority | Effect | Damage type | Obtained | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EX Charge (ground) |
Ground | 30 (15) | 150 | N/A | None | N/A | Initial |
|
| Hold to slowly charge EX Gauge. Charges up faster than the aerial version.
| ||||||||
| EX Charge (midair) |
Aerial | 30 (15) | 150 | N/A | None | N/A | Initial |
|
| Hold to slowly charge EX Gauge. Automatically cancelled once you touch the ground.
| ||||||||
HP Attacks: EX Mode[]
| Move | Type | CP (Mastered) | AP | Priority | Effect | Damage type | Obtained | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Innocence (ground) |
Ground | 40 (20) | 180 | Ranged High | Magic Block Wall Rush |
N/A | Initial | 
|
| Charge swords, then fire four crescent-shaped blades towards the opponent. The blades can arc up or down on a slight angle to track the opponent. | ||||||||
| Guilt | Ground | 40 (20) | 180 | Melee MidSword charge UnblockableExplosion |
Magic Block Absorb |
Physical | Level 38 | 
|
| Thrust forward to stun the opponent, then slice swords to cause a large explosion. | ||||||||
| Hatred | Aerial | 40 (20) | 180 | Melee High | Absorb Wall Rush |
N/A | Initial | 
|
| Conjure a sphere of energy around self as long as is held. Release button to unleash a blast in all directions. Short ranged, but has a large blast radius.
| ||||||||
| Innocence (midair) |
Aerial | 40 (20) | 180 | Ranged High | Magic Block Wall Rush |
N/A | Level 23 | 
|
| Charge swords, then fire four crescent-shaped blades towards the opponent. Unlike the ground version, Gabranth can move during the attack. The blades arc downward to track the opponent. | ||||||||
| Move | Type | CP (Mastered) | AP | Priority | Effect | Damage type | Obtained | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Innocence (ground) |
Ground | 30 (15) | 120 | Ranged High | Magic Block Wall Rush |
N/A | Initial |
|
| Charge swords, then fire four crescent-shaped blades towards the opponent. The blades can arc up or down on a slight angle to track the opponent. | ||||||||
| Execution | Ground | 30 (15) | 120 | Melee High | Magic Block Absorb |
Physical | Level 38 |
|
| Thrust forward to stun the opponent, then slice swords to cause a large explosion. | ||||||||
| Hatred | Aerial | 30 (15) | 120 | Melee High | Absorb Wall Rush |
N/A | Initial |
|
| Conjure a sphere of energy around self as long as is held. Release the button to unleash a blast in all directions. Short ranged, but has a large blast radius.
| ||||||||
| Innocence (midair) |
Aerial | 30 (15) | 120 | Ranged High | Magic Block Wall Rush |
N/A | Level 23 |
|
| Charge swords, then fire four crescent-shaped blades towards the opponent. Unlike the ground version, Gabranth can move during the attack. The blades arc downward to track the opponent. | ||||||||
EX Mode[]
Gabranth's EX Mode is Mist, where he dons his helmet, separates his swords, and glows with a red and black aura. While in EX Mode Gabranth gains the ability "Stray's Tenacity". This ability greatly boosts Gabranth's movement speed, increases his ATK by 4 and DEF by 3, and grants him a completely different set of attacks as listed above. In Dissidia 012, Gabranth also gains the ability "Jamming", which prevents the opponent from gaining Map Bravery when EX Break is inflicted on him.
Gabranth's EX Burst is Quickening, where he performs variations of his brother Basch's Quickenings from Final Fantasy XII. The player must press 
to cycle through a list of commands and input the next level Quickening with 
within a time limit. His Quickenings go in this order: Fulminating Oblivion (create a blast of energy that hits the opponent multiple times), Ruin Unflinching (punch three times to shatter the screen around the opponent), and Frost Purge (summon multiple swords that converge on and stab the opponent). Depending on how many Quickenings the player links together, Gabranth will end the EX Burst with one of the three Concurrences to deal HP damage: Inferno (a blast of fire), Ark Blast (a blast of electricity), or Black Hole (a blast of darkness).
Equipment[]
Gabranth can equip Swords, Daggers, Greatswords, Shields, Gauntlets, Helms, Light Armor, and Heavy Armor. In Dissidia 012, Gabranth can also equip Axes, Guns, and Large Shields.
Exclusive equipment[]
| Name | Level | Stats | Effects | Obtained |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demonsbane | 50 | ATK +36 | EX Mode Duration +20%. | Trade: 15460 gil, Rapier, Spirit Stone x3, Time Shard x2 |
| Deathbringer | 92 | ATK +63 | EX Mode Duration +30%. | Trade: 29570 gil, Demonsbane, Goddess's Magicite x5, Time Crystal x3 |
| Chaos Blade | 100 | ATK +68 | EX Mode Duration +40%. Minor Counterattack Effect. |
Trade: 31920 gil, Deathbringer, Gates of Judgement x5, Time Orb x5 |
| Highway Star | 100 | ATK+1 DEF +72 | EX Force Absorption +10% | Trade: 32750 gil, Deathbringer, Gates of Judgement x5, Time Orb x5 |
| Name | Level | Stats | Effects | Obtained |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demonsbane | 30 | ATK +40 | EX Mode Duration +10%. | Trade: 61000 gil, Rapier, Scarletite x1, Warrior's Desire x5 |
| Deathbringer | 90 | ATK +63 | EX Mode Duration +15%. | Trade: 158,000 gil, Demonsbane, Electrum x1, Warrior's Dream x5 |
| Chaos Blade | 100 | ATK +68 | EX Mode Duration +20%. Minor Counterattack Effect. |
Trade: 182,800 gil, Deathbringer, Gates of Judgement x1, Warrior's Hopes x5 |
| Highway Star | 100 | ATK +1 DEF +72 |
EX Force Absorption +10% | Trade: 182,800 gil, Deathbringer, Gates of Judgement x1, Warrior's Hopes x5 |
Gallery[]
Behind the scenes[]
Gabranth was the last character revealed for the original Dissidia: the final Japanese trailer for the game showed him at the end of the video, when he stepped into frame to confront Shantotto and Cosmos.
The Official Quests create a continuity snarl in regards to when Gabranth was ejected from the cycles. In his own quest "One Who Faces the Hell", Gabranth fights Garland and the Emperor before being exiled, and it is implied this occurs immediately after he leaves his fight with Shantotto. However, Gabranth is also present in Prishe's quest "The Death of Cosmos" when Cosmos was killed by Garland and her warriors disappeared, and it is stated none of them ever reappeared in later cycles except for the Warrior of Light. Since Gabranth's quest shows him fighting Shantotto, it must take place before Prishe's quest, but by the time of her quest he ought to no longer be present. The only possible way to reconcile this discrepency is to presume that the first scene of Gabranth's quest takes place in an earlier cycle than the rest of his quest, and Prishe's quest and the death of Cosmos occurs in-between them.
Vaan and Gabranth are the only characters of the same game to have different naming schemes for their manikins. His manikins use the "of Antiquity" naming scheme also used by Shantotto, because he and Shantotto had no counterparts from their own games in the first game and were depicted as each other's nemesis instead. In Dissidia 012 the two retained this naming scheme which is also shared by Prishe.
Gabranth is the only character whose manikin receives benefits beyond Regen and Critical Boost when it enters its EX Mode. Warriors of Antiquity receive the Stray's Tenacity effect when Powered Up, because otherwise they would not be able to properly fight.
Although Gabranth's status as the younger twin between himself and Basch was always stated in the Japanese versions of Final Fantasy XII, Dissidia was the first game to explicitly identify him as such for non-Japanese audiences.
Allusions[]
- Upon ending his EX Burst, entering battle, using the ability "Hatred" and in his victory pose, Gabranth assumes the same pose as his appearance on the logo of Final Fantasy XII. Gabranth's battle pose while standing still in EX Mode, and his board icon when used in storylines, are in the same pose depicted on his bestiary entry. His artwork pose is the same pose he makes in the Amano art of the Archadian Judges.
- Gabranth's Level 100 exclusive equipment, the Chaos Blade and the Highway Star, are the names of the two swords that make up his weapon. The Chaos Blade is the longer sword; the Highway Star is the shorter sword.
- The background music for Distant Glory [The Redeemed Warrior] is "Theme of the Empire" from Final Fantasy XII. The symbol of the storyline in the Storyline menu is the symbol of the Archadian Empire.
- Gabranth glows red when in EX Mode and using EX Charge, similar to how characters in Final Fantasy XII would glow when powered by manufacted nethicite.
Comparison of Gabranth's and Basch's Quickenings.
- Compared to Basch, Gabranth's Quickenings feature a few key differences in name and appearance:
- Basch's "Fulminating Darkness" is green-blue. Gabranth's "Fulminating Oblivion" is red-orange.
- Basch's "Ruin Impendent" consists of four punches cracking the screen to reveal a vortex that draws in the foe. Gabranth's "Ruin Unflinching" has only three punches that crack the screen, and does not include the vortex.
- Basch's "Flame Purge" has a longer sequence in which the swords twirl behind him before flying forward to stab the foe, and the final sword stabs the target in the middle vertically. Gabranth's "Frost Purge" does not include the twirling and the final sword does not stab the target in the middle vertically.
- Gabranth stands on the left side of the screen facing his opponent on the right. When performing his Quickenings, Basch is positioned on the right of the screen facing his opponent on the left.
- When performing Gabranth's EX Burst, the "Mist Charge" option may appear while shuffling commands. In Final Fantasy XII, using Quickenings consumed the user's Mist Charges, and using the Mist Charge command during a Quickening Chain would restore their charges. In Dissidia, Gabranth has no Mist Charges and so cannot use the command when it appears.
- Sentence, Enrage, Lunge, Circle of Judgment, Guilt and Innocence are attacks Gabranth uses when fought in Final Fantasy XII. Guilt and Innocence are cinematic attacks in Final Fantasy XII, reflected in Dissidia by being Gabranth's HP attacks. His Aero attack is taken from Judge Ghis.
- Although the English translation is different, "Gaia Breach" is a direct reference to the Monk ability, "Shockwave" or "Earth Render" (地烈斬 or 地裂斬), from the Final Fantasy Tactics series with similar graphic effect.
- Gabranth's dialogue to Shantotto in their flashback, "There is no future for the bystander. As there is naught he can defend", is based on what he says to Basch at the Pharos: "Without power, what future can you claim? What good a kingdom you cannot defend?" His introduction when facing Tidus, "One without strength has no future", is also based on this line. His introduction when facing himself, "There is no escaping the past," is taken from the Pharos scene, when he faces Reddas. One of Gabranth's victory lines is, "Even a stray has pride", which he said when he attacked Vayne.
- Gabranth's cry when using the aerial version of Innocence, "Your life ends here", and his line when beginning his EX Burst, "By my sword", are derived from what he says when using Innocence in Final Fantasy XII, "Your life ends at my blade!"
- Gabranth's fighting style, EXecutioner, refers to what Balthier says to Vaan when they spy on Gabranth at Nalbina Dungeons: "If you ask me, they're more executioners than judges". The unusual capitalization is a pun, placing emphasis on "EX", as Gabranth's fighting style revolves around his EX Mode.
- In Dissidia 012 when Gabranth confronts Shantotto, he says "You are a wielder of magicks", using the spelling of the word used in Final Fantasy XII. It is also used when facing Ultimecia, he says "No magick can overturn the past".
- Gabranth's introductory quote when facing Ultimecia, "No magick can overturn the past" alludes to what Ashe said during their confrontation atop the Pharos, "Even with power, we cannot change what is passed".