Kuja
| File:Kuja.JPG | |
| Kuja | |
| Age | 24 |
| Home | Bran Bal, Terra - also owns an auction house in Treno |
| Occupation | Red Mage |
| Skill | Black & White magic |
| Weapon | None |
"Peace is but a shadow of death, desperate to forget its painful past." — Kuja
Kuja is a video game character from the PlayStation RPG, Final Fantasy IX. Introduced through his initial support for Queen Brahne's conquest of Gaia, he is the primary antagonist. Kuja’s most notable characteristic concerns his appearance, which is extremely delicate and effeminate. This particular choice of attire is worn primarily because of Kuja's highly narcissistic tenancies.
Being adept in both black and white magic, he is undoubtedly an exceptionally powerful mage. Kuja’s intellect and sophistication also become clear through his adoration for classical literature, such as Lord Avon's "I Want to be Your Canary." Carrying himself with great theatrical flair, such is his arrogance that he often mimics the behaviour of traditional stage villains. Yet this does nothing to detract from his debonair charm, which complements his supreme ego, massive self-interests and overwhelming desire to be in control.
The Determined Soul
"The weak lose their freedom to the strong. And it is the providence of nature that only the strong survive." — Kuja
Upon the decaying world of Terra, Kuja was created as a Genome by its ruler, Garland. Yet unlike the other soulless inhabitants, Kuja was the first version for an "Angel Of Death" design. Realising the inevitable collapse of his world, Garland’s intention was to use these beings for the assimilation of Gaia. In doing so, Terra’s lifespan would thereby be prolonged. However, all did not proceed as planned.
After Kuja was granted a soul, he began to construct thoughts and opinions of his own. As he gazed upon the empty members of the Genome race, Kuja simply refused to believe he was one of them. He also abhorred the fact that he was built for only one reason alone. Kuja’s ego demanded that his life was worth more than that. And once more, he wanted to control his own destiny.
As such beliefs circulated within Kuja, his deficiency grew ever stronger. It came to such a point that Garland even considered discarding his creation, but then a purpose became clear. Garland reconsidered and chose to provide the freedom Kuja desired, but on one condition. He tasked him to disrupt the flow of souls on Gaia, to speed up its assimilation for Terra. Kuja agreed to these terms.
But this was not enough for Garland. Seeing his first version as a failure, he constructed a second named, Zidane Tribal. Garland designed him as such that once matured, the successor would surpass the predecessor in terms of power. This would thereby render Kuja obsolete, a matter which he understood all too cruelly. The mere possibility of another besting, let alone surpassing him, was unacceptable. So he determined to kidnap Zidane and to ensure his dominance, cast him down into Gaia, the very world he had been sent to assimilate.
From that moment on, Kuja vowed to plunge the kingdoms of Gaia into war. By doing so he would create an irregular influx of souls, just as Garland wished. In his mind, this would not only prove to his creator that Zidane was the superfluous version, but it would also demonstrate to his loathsome rival the superiority of the “failure.”
The Black Mages
"I find this rain quite pleasant... It feels as though the raindrops are blessing our victory..." — Kuja
To initiate war throughout Gaia, Kuja first set about the creation of highly destructive magical weapons. He did so by siphoning Mist, a mysterious fog drawn from the stagnant souls of Gaia, ejected by the Iifa Tree to create Black Mages. Kuja successfully formed an entire army of these soulless dolls, whom all possessed incredibly potent magic. After this accomplishment, Kuja set up an underground production plant in Dali to create these weapons on an even grander scale. The only matter that remained was in finding someone power-hungry enough to use them. Kuja found that person in the recently widowed monarch of Alexandria, Queen Brahne.
During one of his first encounters with Brahne, Kuja detailed the history of the jewel she possessed, along with its three sister jewels held by Alexandria's neighbouring countries. He explained that if combined, they could form a gem that could be used to summon Alexander, the most powerful of all the Eidolons. Kuja proposed that with such power, Brahne could rule all of Gaia. This prospect whetted the appetite of Brahne, and she soon fell under the influence of the charismatic mage.
Brahne immediately set about the mobilisation of her kingdom’s military as well as the Black Mages gifted from her new supporter. Commanding these troops was the legendary General Beatrix, and under her leadership many kingdoms fell under cold Alexandrian occupation.
Waiting patiently within the shadows, Kuja remained behind the scenes to observe the spreading conflict. Garland’s assignment was progressing well, but Kuja understood that once it was completed, his soul would be forfeit. Thus he resolved to overthrow his master before that happened, but to do so would require great power. Kuja found what he vied for in Brahne’s adopted daughter, Garnet.
The Eidolons
"Oh, how I’ve longed for this day…the day I might finally cast away this mask to reveal my true self." — Kuja
The power he craved was held within Eidolons. Kuja understood the threat and might these creatures could wield, since it was Garland that had attacked and destroyed the summoner village of Madain Sari to prevent them being used against him. Kuja knew that Garnet was really a survivor from that village and possessed the power to summon Eidolons. Garland’s bane had been discovered.
Previously detailing select information about the Eidolons, Kuja unveiled to Brahne the truth entire of her daughter and the potential to be harvested. In this knowledge, she permitted him to forcefully extract the power from Garnet's body with the assistance of his subordinates, Zorn and Thorn.
Having already acquired the service of some Eidolons already from her conquests, Brahne eventually conquered the Mist Continent. Upon achieving this, she determined Kuja had no more use and thus sort to dispose of him. Kuja anticipated, indeed predetermined such a betrayal, since Brahne was but a pawn of his. Summoning Bahamut at the Iifa Tree, she commanded the dragon to destroy her previous ally.
Demonstrating his arrogance, Kuja merely smiled before such a danger, and allowed the Eidolon to attack him. Revealing its destructive power, Bahamut releases a devastating assault upon the mage. The attack had hit its mark, but the only damage it afflicted caused a single trickle of blood to fall. Having demonstrated its power by simply harming him, however little, Kuja looked towards the sky. He called forth an airship, the Invincible, and used it to seize control of the Eidolon. Watching with glee, he then observed sadistically as it destroyed Brahne along with the rest of her fleet.
Despite this victory, Kuja was still not satisfied. He wanted to control Alexander, the most powerful Eidolon. So, appearing again, once the city of Alexandria was adjusting to its new queen, Garnet, he ordered Bahamut to attack. Kuja knew that in the country's weakened state, such a direct assault would be the first step in bringing forth Alexander. Indeed, the threat was able to draw out the hidden temple of the castle, where Garnet and Eiko met. They then both summoned Alexander.
Anticipating victory, Kuja relished this final stage of his plan. However, his master Garland realised what his creation sort to accomplish. Retaking control of the Invincible, Garland destroyed Alexander and released Bahamut from Kuja’s control. He then commanded the airship to deal a ruinous attack upon Alexandria. Kuja only just managed to evade death.
The Desperate Ploy
“For a moment, I thought I was… Hahahahaha! What am I thinking!” — Kuja
Retreating to his secret stronghold, the Desert Palace, he was closely pursued by Zidane and his party. Viewing these set of events as an opportunity, Kuja captured Zidane and his group. Considering another alternative to gaining power, Kuja tasked his rival to retrieve the Gulug Stone for him in exchange for his friends' lives. Intending to use the stone in opening the ancient Mount Gulug, a place with much hidden power.
Zidane agreed to the terms without any choice in the matter. Upon leaving however, Kuja attempted to kill his friends anyway, by sending them plummeting though trapdoors to their deaths. This was bit one example of utmost cruelty and ruthlessness Kuja used against others. His ploy however, was foiled by Regent Cid.
Understanding failure was imminent; Kuja showed Zidane a false vision of his captured friends, to fool him into providing the Gulug Stone. Once in his possession, Zidane's friends arrived. But before he retreated, Kuja captured the only other surviving summoner, Eiko Carol. Kuja then desperately attempted to extract another Eidolon from her body, one in his mind, possibly even more powerful than Alexander in Mount Gulug. The process could have potentially killed her, but this concerned Kuja little. His soul was at risk and his will to overcome all odds numbed him to such moral considerations.
Even so, Eiko's best friend Mog intervened and entered Trance to defend her. In doing so the Moogle revealed herself to be an Eidolon. Kuja was completely taken aback by the simple fact even a weak Moogle could use Trance to reach obscene levels of power. Understanding the possibilities of this, and realising the Eidolons were now out of reach, Kuja had discovered the power he needed to topple Garland once and for all.
The Cruel Revelation
"...I won't let it happen. I won't...I won't let this world exist without me!" — Kuja
Following Zidane's party back to Terra, Kuja hijacked the Invincible. He then proceeded to the fuel room, which was a place filled with wretched souls collected during the Invincible attacks. Previously, Kuja had determined that what induced Trance was an eruption of intense anger. In this knowledge, he knew that nowhere was more filled with concentrated hatred than where he now stood. Fusing with all of the souls at once, Kuja finally had ultimate power. All that remained was for someone to activate it.
Arriving after Zidane defeated had Garland, Kuja engaged Zidane in battle. Demonstrating his powers in a battle of epic proportions, Kuja was eventually overcome. However, this had been a part of his plan. The rage and hatred of almost being defeated, transformed Kuja into a being of absolute power, Trance Kuja.
Showing his newfound powers with one spell, he succeeded in bringing Zidane's party to its knees. Gloating over the power he now wielded, he then cast Garland from grace. In defeating both his creator and supposed superior, Kuja now felt he had finally proven that his life was with substance. Believing his purpose had been finally realised and that his existence was not empty. But more importantly, he now knew the power needed to successfully rule over all of Gaia and Terra was his own. Tragically though, this sense of fulfilment was blighted by a cruel revelation.
Kuja discovered through the spirit of Garland, that because he had always been planned to be replaced by Zidane, there was a deliberate time limit on his life. Regardless of how much power Kuja possessed, eventually he would expire just like the Black Mages he had created. Laughing at the prospect of this, Kuja attempted to convince himself Garland was lying. But he could not deny the truth.
The revelation threw Kuja into the depths of insanity and despair. He could not accept his imminent destruction or embrace the idea that he would die without ever leaving his mark on the world. But ultimately, Kuja truly realised that he held no more authority over his final fate than any other creature. In his anger and sorrow, Kuja used his powers to destroy Terra and reduced it world to a state of utter ruin. Kuja concluded that if his life was to end, so too would all existence.
On returning to Gaia, he accelerated the soul-dividing process of the Iifa Tree, thus starting a chain reaction that would lead to the complete assimilation of Gaia by Terra. He then used his power to create Memoria, where he found passage to the Crystal World (a place that had existed before the formation of the known universe). He did this because the Crystal World was also the holding place to the source of the universe and all life, the Original Crystal.
And there, at the heart of the Crystal World, Kuja waited. He knew that Zidane survived his rage within the burning world of Terra, and expected his arrival. Kuja believed Zidane would be no match of him in his current state, and wanted to prove, before he himself died, that he was the most powerful. Once Zidane fell before him, he then resolved to smash the Original Crystal and cause all life to cease.
The Lament of Kuja
"I single-handedly brought chaos into Gaia, but in the end, I'm nothing but a worthless doll!" — Kuja
As Kuja expected, Zidane and his friends arrived. Realising that his death was imminent anyway, and hating all life, Kuja fought with everything at his disposal. The two Genomes clashed and battled brutally. But even with all the power Kuja had acquired, he still could not withstand Zidane. Understanding that Zidane had truly surpassed him in terms of power, and on the verge of defeat, he unleashed a desperate Ultima spell. He sought to destroy Zidane’s party and the Original Crystal, even as he fell into darkness.
The apparent death of Zidane and the others brought them before Necron. A mechanism of the Iifa Tree, which had its own personality and held a desire to undo all of existence. From Kuja's actions, it had judged that all life desired destruction and would thus grant such a wish.
Having lost his Trance powers and pride to Zidane, Kuja finally realised that the purpose of life is to help rather than destroy. With the last of his powers, he helped Zidane's party escape from Memoria as it exploded after Necron's demise. He did so by teleporting them out of danger as the Iifa Tree began to collapse. Despite this, Zidane refused to leave his "brother" alone to die, and so went back inside to find Kuja.
Zidane, even after everything Kuja had done, sat with his “brother” and comforted him. The world had dealt him a cruel hand of fate, but Zidane saw this. He knew that no matter how ruthless Kuja was or cruel, it was not his fault. But despite Zidane's understanding, Kuja himself still could not grasp the concept of compassion.
As Kuja’s life slowly came to an end, he spent his last few moments expressing regret to Zidane for not realising the true purpose of life sooner. Then, he died.
While he laid within the Iifa Tree defeated, broken and crestfallen, Kuja still believed he was worthless. It is tragic to believe even after so much suffering and conflict, Kuja could not view himself as anything of worth. However the ultimate irony of Kuja’s fate is that even though he believed his death would mark his utter end and defeat, in actuality it preserved him within the memories of all. His suffering and will to defy fate, life, and the world would never be forgotten by the people of Gaia.