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Kefka revealed to be a Magitek knight.
Magitek Knights (魔導士, Madōshi?) are a group of warriors in Final Fantasy VI. A Magitek knight is a soldier of the Gestahlian Empire that has been infused with Magitek and given the ability to cast magic, much like Terra Branford is able to do naturally due to her half-esper heritage. The exact process for creating Magitek knights is unknown, but it apparently involves some sort of augmentation to the brain, and according to Celes Chere, the subject is asleep during the procedure. Kefka Palazzo was the first experimental Magitek knight, but the process wasn't perfected yet and it drove him insane. Later experiments refined the process to be more reliable. Kefka, however, was implied to be significantly stronger than Celes in terms of magical ability.
Both Celes and Terra eventually betray the Empire and join the Returners. Although Terra is considered an elite Magitek knight, she had natural magic not received from an infusion. General Leo Cristophe was also considered for the process of becoming a Magitek knight, but refused the infusion. It would not be unfounded to surmise that Magitek knights, given their considerable sword skills and magical powers, would have been among the elite troops of the Empire. However, as Kefka shows, not all Magitek knights are as proficient in physical combat as they are in magic.
Terra, Celes and Kefka are the only named Magitek knights named in the game. Leo's Shock ability is magic based, though he is not technically a Magitek knight. Emperor Gestahl himself also had access to magic, but he did not seem to possess any notable abilities in combat. Beyond this, Magitek knight seems to be a broad term for soldiers who can use magic, and thus, any soldier of the Empire who could cast magic could be considered one. It is also implied that two magitek knights of differing gender mating together would have progeny that would themselves be able to use magic naturally, as Gestahl, when trying to convince Celes Chere to return to the Empire, mentioned intentions of supplying she and Kefka with the task of creating magitek progeny for his new Magitek Empire.
Etymology
"Magitek" is a portmanteau of "magic" and "technology".
A knight is a mounted soldier in armor who served his sovereign or lord in the Middle Ages. The word comes from Old English cniht ("boy" or "servant"), a cognate of the German word Knecht ("servant, bondsman, vassal"). In most European languages (with the notable exception of English), the word for "knight" comes from "horse", thus implying that a knight is a "noble horseman" or a "horse-mounted nobleman". The English noun cavalier, an archaic term for a mounted soldier, traces its roots to Latin, and is closer in meaning to the "horseman" of Romance languages.
Trivia
- World of Final Fantasy has a trophy called Magitek Knight for felling enemies in Magitek Armor.
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