Gilgamesh (Dissidia)

Gilgamesh is a secret playable character in Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy, representing Final Fantasy V. Though he is a villain, he is not aligned with Chaos, instead determined to find Bartz and challenge the traveler to a rematch. Introduced as Exdeath's most prominent lieutenant, he was ultimately banished to the Interdimensional Rift after repeatedly failing his assignments. Since then, he began traveling between worlds, sometimes appearing to the player party to battle them, making him unique as a recurring comic relief character. Although Gilgamesh has appeared more times in the entire series than any other character, whether as a boss, summon, or a normal NPC, his inclusion in Dissidia 012 marks his first truly playable appearance.

Appearance
Gilgamesh's appearance in Dissidia 012 is directly based on his original artwork by Yoshitaka Amano for Final Fantasy V, which in turn is based on a design by Tetsuya Nomura. He wears primarily red and gray armor with yellow accents, gray shorts with red polka-dots, and a horned hood.

Gilgamesh's first alternate outfit, "Special Red Cloak", is based on his Final Fantasy VIII appearance, where he has lighter armor and a red cloak that obscures most of his head and face. During EX Mode, his appearance is based on his Master Creatures figure.

Gilgamesh's second alternate outfit, "Special Steel Armor", is based on his recurring sprite appearance. Gilgamesh wears heavier full-plate armor on his torso and arms with a hornless helmet. The lower half of his head is partially covered by a golden neck guard. His EX Mode is recolored to match his morphed appearance in Final Fantasy V while in the Interdimensional Rift, giving him darker skin, purple wrist guards, and black and red armor with purple jewels.

Gilgamesh's Manikin, the Fallacious Giant, is turquoise.

Unlocking
Gilgamesh is not unlocked at the beginning of the game, similar to Gabranth and Shantotto in the original Dissidia.

In order to unlock him as a playable character, the player is first required to beat the entirety of the Dissidia 012 storyline, then complete the first chapter of the 013 story. After these two things have been accomplished the player will need to go to the Reports section and beat the sixth scenario in Report 8 with Bartz. It will unlock Gilgamesh in the PP Catalog as a purchasable character.

Story
Unlike the other characters, Gilgamesh was not summoned to the world in which the wars take place, but instead stumbles upon it by chance and retains his memories because of it. Wandering the depths of the Rift, Gilgamesh finds himself at Pandaemonium during the twelfth cycle of war. Sensing the presence of his old rival, Bartz, Gilgamesh suddenly hears someone coming up behind him. He turns around, announcing his return to Bartz, only for Squall, Zidane and Vaan to appear instead. Much to his confusion, not one of them remembers him from his visits to their respective original worlds, due to the memory loss caused by being summoned to the cycles of war. Realizing Bartz is not among them, Gilgamesh walks off, leaving the three thoroughly confused. Just after he disappears, however, Bartz arrives, asking if he missed anything. Zidane asks him if he knows Gilgamesh, describing the swordsman's appearance to Bartz. Also having the same memory loss as the others, Bartz doesn't recall Gilgamesh, and denies knowing such a person.

Later on, following his kidnapping at the hands of Kain, Bartz wakes up at the Rift. As he comes to his senses and begins to wander, trying to figure out where he is, a voice suddenly calls out to him from behind, saying "Well well, Bartz, we meet again!" Gilgamesh jumps from the portal, landing on the ground in front of Bartz, and assumes a kabuki pose as Bartz seems to begin remembering him. Deciding he doesn't recognize Gilgamesh after all, Bartz simply walks away, wondering aloud who Gilgamesh is. Crushed by his rival's nonchalance, Gilgamesh reintroduces himself, trying to figure out why Bartz doesn't remember him. He explains he had traveled to many worlds, and had finally come back from the Rift to get his promised rematch with Bartz. Still confused, Bartz ends up being persuaded into fighting Gilgamesh, in a battle he ultimately wins.

Surprised Bartz has also been honing his skills since their last meeting, Gilgamesh declares the battle is only beginning, only for Bartz to point out that he's fading. Much to Gilgamesh's surprise, he has been affected by the rules of the war, and, now defeated, must return to his original world (or rather, lack thereof). Much to his dismay, a portal opens beneath his feet and, despite his best attempts to resist being pulled in, Gilgamesh is sucked back into the Rift, swearing to return for a true rematch against Bartz someday.

Battle
Gilgamesh is described as a Frenzied Swordsman, where he picks a weapon at random when attacking. This makes the strength and effects of his attacks unpredictable. The weapons he may use when attacking are as follows:

Each weapon's special ability is listed below:
 * Excalibur - All Bravery damage dealt is doubled.
 * Excalipoor - All Bravery damage is reduced to 1.
 * Naginata - Attack has greater range.
 * Masamune - Generates more EX Force than usual.
 * Genji Blade - Depletes the opponent's EX Gauge.
 * Zantetsuken - Has a chance of inflicting Bravery Break.
 * Battle Axe - Attack does random damage.
 * Chicken Knife - The lower Gilgamesh's HP, the higher the Bravery damage done.

EX Mode
Ultimate Illusion N-gYSxkIUK4 Gilgamesh's EX Mode is Gilgamesh Morphing Time, in which he transforms into his true form as seen in Final Fantasy V, giving him eight arms, different armor and a more monstrous face. While in EX Mode Gilgamesh gains the ability "Octo-Break." This ability causes each arm to wield any of the eight weapons used by Gilgamesh in battle. Whatever weapon(s) Gilgamesh is holding, their relevant attacking bonus is applied to all his attacks. This makes the exact benefits of Gilgamesh's EX Mode impossible to predict. Gilgamesh's attacks are also augmented to fire more projectiles, hit over larger areas, and do more damage.

His EX Burst is called Strongest Sword, where seven blue Excalipoor and the red Excalibur rotate around in a circle in front of Gilgamesh. The player must press a button to select the Excalibur as it rotates around. Gilgamesh then performs several attacks with the blade and finishes the combo with Ultimate Illusion, an attack used by him in Final Fantasy XII, in which he jumps up and crashes down to the ground, striking the opponent with a shockwave to deal HP damage. If the Excalipoor is chosen, however, Gilgamesh will deal only one damage per hit, then he will look at the blade, realize it's not the Excalibur, and throw it away exasperatedly. The Excalipoor will fall on the enemy, dealing HP damage.

Equipment
Gilgamesh can equip Swords, Daggers, Greatswords, Katanas, Spears, Axes, Thrown Weapons, Parrying Weapons, Shields, Gauntlets, Great Shields, Helms, Breast Plates, Light Armor, and Heavy Armor.

Allusions

 * Gilgamesh's HP attacks are based on those he used against the party in several battles during the events of Final Fantasy V.
 * The weapons Gilgamesh carries during his EX Mode are references to weapons he has been seen wielding repeatedly throughout the series:
 * Masamune, Excalibur and Excalipoor are recurring abilities he may perform when summoned.
 * Excalibur, in particular, is the legendary blade Gilgamesh is seen searching for in several games. One of Gilgamesh's trademark weapons is Excalipoor: a false Excalibur found during his search. Both Excalibur and Excalipoor resemble the fake Tournesol he wields in Final Fantasy XII.
 * The Masamune has the appearance of Sephiroth's sword of the same name, albeit with a slightly shorter blade.
 * The Genji Blade alludes to the Genji equipment Gilgamesh carries in his various appearances and that can be stolen and dropped from him. In Dissidia 012, the Genji Blade appears as a fake of Auron's version of the sword from Final Fantasy X, much like the fake weapons Gilgamesh wielded in Final Fantasy XII.
 * Zantetsuken is Odin's weapon, which Gilgamesh takes after his defeat and uses as one of his four random abilities as a Guardian Force in Final Fantasy VIII. He also possesses the blade in Final Fantasy XII, although it is designed differently, and the Dissidia 012 design is different from both of its appearances.
 * The Naginata and the Battle Axe are present on his various sprites, with the Naginata usually appearing alongside Gilgamesh in his sprite-based appearances, and the Battle Axe appearing only while he is in his morphed form in Final Fantasy V. The Battle Axe's effect of dealing random damage is identical to how axe and hammer-type weapons function in Final Fantasy XII.
 * The Chicken Knife is a weapon in Final Fantasy V that increases in power when the party escapes a battle, and is potentially the strongest weapon in the game. Although Gilgamesh has never wielded it, he has a penchant for running from battle when he loses. In addition, Bartz wields the Chicken Knife's counterpart, the Brave Blade, during his EX Burst. Oddly, the Chicken Knife in Dissidia increases in power as Gilgamesh's HP drops, acting more like the Valiant Knife from Final Fantasy VI. Penelo alludes to this when describing the weapon.
 * At the beginning of a fight that features the extended introductory scene, Gilgamesh appears from an interdimensional portal on the ground, as an allusion to his travels through different dimensions following his banishment to the Rift by Exdeath. This portal, a black and grey circle in the ground, looks near-identical to the Banish spell's animation in Final Fantasy V, which is the same spell Exdeath used to cast Gilgamesh into the Rift in the first place. Furthermore, after losing to Bartz, Gilgamesh utters the same set of pleas when he tries to keep himself from being sent back to the Rift.
 * The name of Gilgamesh's EX Mode is a reference to his transformation quotation prior to assuming his multi-armed boss form in Final Fantasy V. The quote itself was a reference to Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.
 * Gilgamesh's perfect EX Burst, Ultimate Illusion, is one of the attacks he uses during the first battle with him in Final Fantasy XII, used after he draws all of the fake blades he uses in that battle. It is also a pun, as a synonym of 'Final Fantasy', and was a quote spoken by Exdeath as he is defeated in the end of Final Fantasy V by the party ('Is this my final fantasy?'). His cry of disappointment when failing his EX Burst, "This is far from the strongest of swords!" is what he says in Final Fantasy V when he attacks the party with Excalipoor and realizes it's a fake.
 * In Final Fantasy VI Advance, Blade Dance is an attack exclusive to Gilgamesh.
 * At the end of his failed EX Burst, Gilgamesh throws the Excalipoor away, hitting the opponent and dealing HP damage. Though it does only 1 damage, normally in other games, throwing the Excalipoor does high damage, as despite this handicap its attack power is usually high.
 * Another detail when Gilgamesh throws Excalipoor is that a speech bubble pops up with the Japanese equivalent of "Doink!", a sound associated with Tonberries stabbing a target. In the English version, this speech bubble instead has an exclamation point.
 * When Gilgamesh uses Jump, he shouts "Fell for it!" In several games, including his debut appearance, Gilgamesh feigns defeat, only to cast Shell, Haste, and Protect on himself and renew his assault with Jump, mocking the party for believing his act.
 * When Gilgamesh is searching for Bartz, he runs into Vaan, Zidane, and Squall, who don't seem to remember him, despite the fact he was in each of their games with a different appearance.
 * Zidane states he does not recognize Gilgamesh because he only has two arms, which is a reference to the fact that the Gilgamesh from Final Fantasy IX has four arms.
 * When battling Yuna, Gilgamesh says "Huh, I wouldn't mind being summoned by you." This is a reference to him being a summon in several games, including the first Dissidia: Final Fantasy.
 * His quotes when fighting both Zidane and Vaan allude to the fact they are both thieves, and that, when fought as a boss, he has Genji equipment and weapons which can be stolen from him.

Trivia

 * Gilgamesh's Excalibur is red and his Excalipoor is blue as they were in Final Fantasy VI. However, when he appeared with them as a summon in Final Fantasy VIII and Dissidia, Excalipoor was the red sword and Excalibur was blue.
 * Although Gilgamesh has been seen with multiple different weapons in his appearances, he is not entitled to use them all as equipment, as Firion does.
 * Kazuya Nakai, known for his work in anime including One Piece as Zoro, Samurai Champloo as Mugen and Sengoku Basara as Date Masamune (coincidentally, a warrior who wields multiple swords at once similar to Gilgamesh), took over the role of Gilgamesh's voice after, his Japanese voice actor from Final Fantasy XII, passed away on January 17, 2010 . This makes Gilgamesh, along with Vaan, the only characters not to have their original Japanese voice actors reprise their roles.
 * Additionally, Kazuya Nakai provided the voice of Wakka in Final Fantasy X. Gilgamesh's English voice actor in Final Fantasy XII, John DiMaggio, also voiced Wakka. With Keith Szarabajka taking over the role in Dissidia 012, Gilgamesh is the only character to have neither of his original voice actors reprise their role.
 * When Gilgamesh attacks with the Chicken Knife, clucking sounds can be heard.
 * Like Bartz, Gilgamesh summons his weapons in battle when he attacks and dismisses them afterward.
 * When Gilgamesh begins his EX Burst, he spins forward and crashes into the "screen", leaving a crack that breaks away to reveal the EX Burst background. This is a pun on the drama concept of "breaking the fourth wall," referring to when one acknowledges they are a character in a form of media.
 * In addition to this, his victory pose and FMV introduction hearkens to theater, which also features makeup similar to his red and white facial markings. His victory pose is also accompanied by a round of applause with confetti, giving him a theatrical theme in general.
 * If Gilgamesh wins through a HP attack in EX Mode, his extra arms will be holding the weapons he wielded while in his EX Mode during his victory pose. However, if he wins a fight through his EX Burst, his extra arms will not be holding any weapons since he disarmed himself during his EX Burst.
 * Due to the random nature of his EX Mode, there are 16,777,216 different combinations for Gilgamesh's benefits while in EX Mode.
 * When using Excalipoor, Gilgamesh is the only character with attacks that can deal a set amount of damage regardless of Attack or Defense values.
 * Technically, Gilgamesh isn't a Warrior of Chaos, as he was not summoned into the war by the god, but rather went of his own will.
 * Despite being a playable character now, the Gilgamesh summon from the previous Dissidia game is still available. In fact, he summons himself during the battle to unlock him.
 * During his encounter with Bartz, Gilgamesh mentions the last time Bartz saw him was when Exdeath banished him to the Rift. However, there are other instances in Final Fantasy V that could also have been the last time they saw each other: As the battle with Gilgamesh where he is exiled by Exdeath is optional, his last required appearance was at Xezat's Fleet. Additionally, he is encountered in the Rift if the player fought him in Castle Exdeath, and meeting him here will result in him showing up later during the battle with Necrophobe.
 * Humorously, Gilgamesh's encounter quotes with female Warriors of Cosmos hints that he is flirting with them, or is simply teasing them. Shantotto is an exception however.
 * When Gilgamesh is facing Kuja, he says "How about if I sing a little song for you?". This is because in Final Fantasy V, in the fourth time battle against him, one of his attacks is Frog Song.