Garland (Final Fantasy)
From Final Fantasy Wiki
- "I, Garland, will knock you all down!"
- —Garland
Garland (ガーランド Gārando) is the primary antagonist in the original Final Fantasy. A knight who has fallen from grace, the Warriors of Light must fight him near the beginning of the game. Although easily dispatched, it is discovered that Garland has enacted a plan to create a time loop, allowing him to exist forever.
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[edit] Story
Once the greatest knight in the kingdom of Cornelia, he is corrupted by evil and kidnaps Princess Sarah. He wanted the king to give him his kingdom in exchange for Sarah's life. He is defeated by the four Warriors of Light. However, he is also part of a time loop created by himself and the four elemental Fiends. When the Warriors of Light travel to the past, they find him again, discovering that he engineered the majority of the game's events, and he transforms into Chaos to do battle with the heroes.
The exact backstory of Garland seems to be unexplored. One man in Castle Cornelia mentions that Garland "Didn't used to be bad...", as Garland was once one of the king's top knights. His horned helmet, while human, is a subtle hint to the monster he becomes.
Following the destruction of Chaos in the past, the time loop that sustained the troubles of the evil was broken. Garland remains waiting for the Warriors in the present, though his allegiance is unclear.
[edit] Backstory
Dissidia Final Fantasy adds to Garland's history extensively.
Garland was an orphan found in Lufenia, taken in by Cid and his wife as foster parents. He was raised as their own child, until he was taken away to a research laboratory. Experiments were performed upon him to enhance his abilities, and he was used to defeat Omega and the Summoned Beasts of this world. He then became non-responsive, so his captors cloned his foster mother to attempt to regain control of his powers. He was eventually rescued by his true foster mother, though he was twisted and thin from the experiments and warfare. On their way out, his mother was severely injured by a soldier who caught them escaping, which eventually led to Garland unconsciously summoning the Void which swallowed him into nothingness, leaving his adoptive mother alone in the decimated facility. What happens next is unclear, but Garland's fate becomes intertwined with Chaos. Near the end of the story, he also references being nearly killed once, after which he was sent two thousand years into the past to become Chaos.
[edit] Personality
In the original Final Fantasy, Garland's personality receives little in the way of development. In Dissidia Final Fantasy, however, he seems to have a direct and brutal personality with a love of war and conflict, which the other characters reference in their battle quotes. He also has an obsession with the concept of endless cycles, alluding to the Time Loop in the original game and a strong connection to Chaos.
[edit] Battle
- Main article: Garland (Final Fantasy Boss)
Being the first boss, Garland has only physical attacks. As such, the battle against him will be rather simple and straightforward. The player's physical attackers, if any, should attack each round, with their healer using their spells only when needed and their offensive mage attacking each round with whatever spells they have.
[edit] Other Appearances
[edit] Dissidia Final Fantasy
- Main article: Garland (Final Fantasy)/Dissidia
Chaos has summoned a combined force of Final Fantasy's ultimate villains in an attempt to gain control of a number of Crystals, resulting in total control of the Final Fantasy worlds. Garland is one of these villains, representing the original Final Fantasy and opposing Warrior of Light.
As Chaos' right-hand warrior, Garland knows above the other villains the true nature of the war and its endless cycle. Confident he will be reborn no matter how often he is struck down, he enjoys the battles of the war and appears to attack the heroes several times, and acts as counsel to the villains. However, Garland's true connection to Chaos and the cycle of war is not revealed until the game's final storyline, when the villains act of their own volition and desert Chaos. This leaves Garland as the only villain standing alongside the god of discord, when he reveals the truth to him.
[edit] Non Final Fantasy Appearances
[edit] Kingdom Hearts Mobile
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[edit] Appearances in Popular Culture
[edit] 8-Bit Theater
Garland is a primary villain in the webcomic 8-Bit Theater, where he is actually a good person, and serves the Light Warriors refreshments when they attack his lair. As the leader of the Dark Warriors, Garland is the longest-running enemy the Light Warriors have faced, although what few evil deeds he attempts usually don't pan out.
[edit] Gallery
 Garland, Princess Sarah, and the Warriors of Light |
 The battle against Garland (Spanish Dawn of Souls) |
 Garland's famous line from 20th Anniversary Edition |
 Garland in Dissidia Final Fantasy |
 Garland's famous line in the European version of Dawn of Souls |
