Galenth Dysley



Galenth Dysley [daɪsli] (ガレンス・ダイスリー, Garensu Daisurī) is the main antagonist in Final Fantasy XIII. He is often seen with an owl-like familiar called Menrva, which is actually an extension of his power. Voted into the position by Cocoon's citizens, Dysley is the leading figure of the Sanctum. Though appearing a well-respected man of the people, promising their continued peace, this is actually a mask which Dysley assumes to hide a darker element of his true nature. He is voiced by Masaru Shinozuka in the Japanese version and S. Scott Bullock in the English version.

Story
Though appearing human, Dysley is actually Barthandelus, a fal'Cie who sought to bring back the Maker via the destruction of Cocoon. Centuries after Ragnarok failed to destroy Cocoon, Dysley secretly brought the crystallized Vanille and Fang to Cocoon in order to have them lay waste to it.

He soon revealed his true nature on the Palamecia upon killing off Jihl Nabaat and the crew maintaining it, stating that Cocoon is an ideal haven for the evils of humanity before Lightning accuses him of being the one who entices it. Seeing them to believe him to be a l'Cie, Dysley assumes his true form and battles them in an epic boss fight before he leaves, revealing the existence of Orphan and that their Focus is to use Ragnarok to destroy it so Cocoon can be destroyed. He then provides Minerva for the protagonists to arrive the Fifth Ark, where the l'Cie would be trained.

At Gran Pulse's Oerba Village, Dysley assumes Serah's form to mess with Lightning's head before revealing that he retired as Primarch to have Raines take his place in order to set up a back-up plan to ensure Coccon's fall. Soon after fighting them, Dysley leaves Minerva behind to give the party the means to return to Cocoon if they wish to defeat Orphan themselves. Meeting them on Eden during the chaos, Dysley expresses his enjoyment on preparations being complete, willing them to continue. When the party reached the innermost depths of Orphan's Cradle, Dysley appeared in a throne overlooking a pool concealing the sleeping Orphan, with the crystals of Dajh Katzroy and Serah Farron in front of him, shattering them to break the heroes' spirit and comply to their fate. But seeing that they still refused to help him in his plan to destroy Cocoon, Dysley assumes his true form in a final confrontation. Defeated, Barthandelus sinks into Orphan's pool, becoming a shell for Orphan as it awakens from its rest.

Personality
Like all fal'Cie, Dysley views humans as tools to achieve his ends and uses propagandic charisma to cover it. He is also a ruthless nihlist in personality as he tells the party his intent to kill everyone dear to them and later carrying the deed out by shattering the crystallized Serah and Dajh in front of them. But ultimately, Dysley's goal is his own destruction which he achieved by becoming a part of Orphan.

Music
Dysley has his own theme simply called Primarch Dysley. When fighting Dysley in his fal'Cie form the theme Fighting Fate plays.

Battle
Barthandelus is fought as a boss three times in the game; first upon the airship Palamecia as boss of Chapter 9, then at the outskirts of Oerba Village as the boss of Chapter 11. He then withdraws to Orphan's Cradle, where he is fought one last time in Chapter 13 before being assimilated into Orphan itself.

Etymology

 * Dysley's true form, Barthandelus, is based on the Germanic literary shape-shifter Baldanders that is conceived by Hans Sachs from the Greek god Proteus as described in Homer's epic Odyssey.

Trivia

 * Dysley is 185 cm tall, according to the Ultimania guide.
 * Dysley was designed by Tetsuya Nomura. This makes him one of only two antagonists of Final Fantasy XIII (along with Cid Raines) designed by him.