Gippal



Gippal is an Al Bhed and current leader of the Machine Faction in Final Fantasy X-2. He shares both English and Japanese voice actors with Zack Fair of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII; Rick Gomez and Kenichi Suzumura, respectively.

Appearance and Personality
Gippal is 18 years old, cocky and self-assured by nature. Like the rest of the Al Bhed, Gippal has the unique green eyes with spiral pupils, though an eye-patch covers his right eye. It isn't clarified whether or not he has lost his eye or it's just a fashion statement. He has short spiky blond hair, and wears clothes in blues and purples to contrast with Nooj who wears red, and Baralai who wears green. He wears armor over a blue jumpsuit and purple overalls and indigo boots. His wields a large machina gun with a rounded saw blade on one end.

Gippal has a devil-may-care attitude, and is quite a ladies' man, joking about him and Rikku being "quite the couple". He prizes himself on his skill with machinery, telling his comrades no one can use a machina weapon like an Al Bhed.

Final Fantasy X-2
Gippal had always wanted to be a Crusader, but being an Al Bhed, he was not eligible. When he heard the Crimson Squad accepted all comers he wasted no time in seizing the opportunity. On a training mission in the Sanubia Sands Gippal met his teammates: Nooj, an ex-Crusader; Baralai, a Yevonite, most likely an Acolyte; and their sphere recorder, Paine. Throughout their time as teammates the four learned much of each other, and shared many laughs and pondered over their futures.

On the final mission to become members of the Crimson Squad, they, and many other applicants, were required to enter the Den of Woe to investigate a strange happening. Inside the aspirants turned against each other and after a while, Shuyin, a spirit who possessed the entrants to the cave, took over Nooj and he pulled his gun on Baralai. Gippal raised his weapon to Nooj's head and Baralai raised his to Gippal's head as they were taken over by the spirit.

Paine broke apart the triangle and Shuyin's spirit left Gippal and Baralai, but secretly lay low inside of Nooj. They exited the Den and met up with the officials who told them they were official Crimson Squad members, their first mission being guard Maester Wen Kinoc during Operation Mi'ihen. As soon as they turned, however, the guards attempted to shoot them down.

They escaped and met up outside Rin's Travel Agency on the Mi'ihen Highroad. The four decided it would be best to split up. Paine, still recording, had her camera on as Nooj, again possessed, shot Baralai in the back. When Gippal heard the shot he turned and was shot in the chest. At last, Nooj turned fire on Paine. All of them survived but were separated thinking Nooj as a traitor.

Later, when Gippal pays a visit to Home, he is in the desert where he meets Auron and talks about rushing into the fight and being a "jackass". His partner gets radioed that the Guado are attacking Home, and they both run off. It is assumed Gippal evacuated on the Fahrenheit with the others.

After Yuna defeats Sin Gippal starts the Machine Faction in the abandoned Djose Temple with a connection on Bikanel Island where people can join and excavate in the desert. At the temple Gippal meets Yuna, Rikku and Paine who want to go digging at the desert, but Paine plays it off like they have never met. Nooj is now Meyvn of the Youth League, still under Shuyin's control, and Baralai is Praetor of New Yevon. Though he is neutral, Gippal provides his machines to both sides.

Gippal goes to the Bevelle Underground to seek out Vegnagun and meets up with Nooj and Baralai, finding the hole where Vegnagun used to be. Shuyin's spirit leaves Nooj and enters Baralai who jumps into the hole and the two follow him. When Yuna enters a connecting hole she meets with Shuyin on the Farplane, who is actually Baralai, and Gippal and Nooj tell her to keep care of things topside.

Soon after Yuna's fall, Rikku and Paine throw a CommSphere into the hole finding out it was of no use, but when Yuna returns to Celsius Shinra reports the CommSphere has been fixed. The video footage shows Gippal who states that whoever made the CommSphere is a genius, and claims he is also a "genius" for fixing it, although communication through the sphere wasn't working.

After Gippal and Nooj reach Vegnagun, YRP and the Leblanc Syndicate catch up with them, and they take on Vegnagun and Shuyin together. Baralai is released as Lenne has Shuyin rest in the Farplane. Afterward, the three factions join and forget their differences.

Battle
Gippal can be recruited as a party member Final Fantasy X-2: Last Mission through the Creature Capture system. To recruit Gippal, the player must defeat him in the Den of Woe and set up a Special Monster Pod in Djose Temple. Gippal wields his machina gun in battle and retains many of his moves from his boss battle. Like all monster allies, Gippal is controlled by the game's AI.

Boss
Gippal is fought in Final Fantasy X-2 as an illusion made by the pyreflies and Shuyin in the Den of Woe in Chapter 5, once all 10 Crimson Spheres are obtained during the previous chapters. Gippal can also be fought in the Fiend Arena in International and HD versions.

Final Fantasy Trading Card Game
Gippal appears as a card in the Final Fantasy Trading Card Game. It features his in-game render.

Trivia

 * In Paine's Sphere, Gippal refers to Paine as "Dr. P.", a nickname also used by Rikku, much to Paine's annoyance.
 * Although Rikku denies that she and Gippal were ever a couple, there are hints of a romantic pairing throughout the game. She flirts with him in Chapter 1 when the party visits Djose. She suggests offering him a discount for helping get rid of the fiends in Chapter 3 (and orders everyone to fly there when the temple is overrun). They are also seen leaving the Farplane together at the end.

Gippel Gippal