Emperor Mateus/Dissidia (PSP)

The Emperor is a Warrior of Chaos in the original Dissidia Final Fantasy and Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy. He also appears in Dissidia Final Fantasy NT and its arcade version. Representing Final Fantasy II, he performs powerful magic. With an iron fist, he will stop at nothing to achieve his objectives. He is one of the higher-ranked antagonists, outranked only by Garland and thus his second-in-command. The Emperor plots with Ultimecia to take control of the world, rather than most of the other antagonists, who seek to destroy it. His desire to rule all in a war-torn world stands in opposition to his nemesis, Firion, and his dream of a world free of war and oppression.

While Firion is his nemesis in the original Dissidia, the Emperor's main rival in the Dissidia 012 storyline is Yuna, whom he blames for meddling with Tidus's memories, and subsequently losing a warrior of Chaos. The Emperor fills the absence with Jecht.

He also appears in Dissidia Final Fantasy NT and its arcade version.

Dissidia Final Fantasy and Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
The Emperor's outfit is based on his Yoshitaka Amano for Final Fantasy II, which also matches his. He wears gold and purple armor decorated with small spikes, purple and white stripes, and demonic faces, including one on his back obscured by his hair. His gauntlets sport extended claws. He wears a purple crown with a snake head and he has a purple cape and long blond hair. He has four golden purple-tipped spikes atop his head implied to be part of his crown.

The Emperor's first alternate outfit, "Silver Despot," is a palette swap based on an of the Final Fantasy II cast, coloring his armor white, black and purple.

The Emperor's second alternate outfit, "Violet Robe," is based on in the Final Fantasy Origins FMV, giving him a primarily black robe with dark purple details, high shoulders, knee-high boots and a large purple sash around his waist. The Emperor's hair is styled differently, stylized to resemble a single larger pair of horns, and his hair is longer.

As a bonus downloadable outfit, "Arubboth" or "Emperor of Arubboth," the Emperor takes on the form of the as seen in the Soul of Rebirth bonus quest. The Emperor wears a pale yellow and gold robe with light purple linings that bares his upper torso and shoulders. He has a different hairstyle and several white wings. His eyes are perpetually closed. In EX Mode he does not become a demon like in his other outfits, a golden crest extends from behind his shoulders as seen in his Emperor of Heaven sprite, even though his EX Mode is still called "The Power of Hellfire."

The Emperor's manikin, Imitation Despot, is yellow with orange highlights.

Dissidia Final Fantasy NT

 * Default
 * Monarch of Palamecia I - default coloration. An updated version of his default attire. His armor has more metallic luster, including the horns on his head, to set them apart from his hair.
 * Monarch of Palamecia II - 1st alternate coloration. Identical to his "Silver Despot" coloration from the PlayStation Portable Dissidia games.
 * Monarch of Palamecia III - 2nd alternate coloration. The Emperor's hair and armor are colored copper, with red horns and cape, and ash white skin.


 * 1st Alternate Costume
 * Violet Robe I - 1st alternate costume, default coloration. An updated version of his 2nd alternate costume from Dissidia 012. His hair is slightly shorter and the metal head ornament is more visible, featuring additional spikes. His bots are now heeled.
 * Violet Robe II - 1st alternate coloration. Recolors his robe white with striped pants, his shoulder attachment brown, and his cape a gradient of purple and rose.
 * Violet Robe III - 2nd alternate coloration. Recolors his robe dark rose with white pants, his shoulder attachment black, and his cape a gradient of brown to yellow.

The Emperor wields rods:
 * Weapons
 * Demon's Rod - Default weapon. It is featured in Yoshitaka Amano's art of the Emperor.
 * Venom Rod - 1st alternate weapon. An original weapon for the Emperor: a spiked rod resembling a rose with demonic thorns.
 * Rod of Spite - 2nd alternate weapon. Another original weapon: a black rod with demonic and hellish motifs, including red wings and a purple spiked skull.
 * Rod of Censure - 3rd alternate weapon. Another original design: unlike his other weapons, the rod is lighter in coloration and design and is angelic in motif, featuring a orbed center, a golden crown at the tip, and white wings underneath.

The Emperor's alternate weapons, bar the Rod of Censure, have not appeared in any Final Fantasy game prior, and are newly designed for him in the Dissidia series. His first three weapons refer to his use of the powers of hell and his dominance to rule over all. The Rod of Censure alludes to the Emperor's Light form, and refers to passing judgment onto those considered impure or wicked.

The Emperor's default player name is Nameless Despot, and his manikin counterpart has been renamed Simulacrum of a Tyrant.

Personality
The Emperor is arrogant and frequently refers to the warriors of Cosmos, in particular Firion, as "insects" and other pejoratives. He is a megalomaniac, wanting to subjugate even gods under his rule and considers only himself fit to rule the world. Unlike in Final Fantasy II, the Emperor has no interest in destroying the world, solely to rule over it. He even takes offense at being compared to Kefka, someone who does want to destroy the world. He is calm and almost never loses control, as he believes his plan will succeed. The only time he loses control is upon being defeated by Firion late into the thirteenth cycle, where is shocked he could be beaten twice. Even then, the Emperor stands resolute that he would return from the dead so long as Chaos exists.

His intelligence is demonstrated when he formulates the plan to kill Cosmos for good and end the war in Chaos's favor using the Crystals. He seeks to kill Cosmos by attacking her directly believing it is more efficient compared to hunting down the various warriors of Cosmos one by one. Even earlier he deduces that the her warriors are throwing the fight to ensure Cosmos survives into the next cycle, and realizes the implication that someone within the warriors of Chaos had leaked the information relating to the past cycles to the warriors of Cosmos. His gift of strategy is likewise implied with his fighting style "Trap Master."

The Emperor is treacherous, creating dark crystals to ensure his own survival, having anticipated that Chaos would attempt to commit suicide. He is skilled at misleading even his allies, such as during the twelfth cycle when he suggests to Chaos that they should recruit the recently disabled Jecht into their ranks. The Emperor abhors nihilistic viewpoints, evidenced when Garland compares him to Kefka. He has an interest in Terra Branford, disappointed she would be commanded by Kefka again, and in the previous cycle, he offers to have her come under his command.

In Dissidia NT, while still arrogant and a megalomaniac (such as openly gloating that none of the Eidolons were too powerful for him to command immediately before attacking Terra and Zidane), the Emperor's overall disposition has softened, being irritated at the presence of the planesgorgers and also angered at Kuja's betrayal. In addition, unlike in the old cycles, the Emperor shows absolutely no desire of betraying Spiritus for his own plans. He agrees to a truce with the warriors of Materia to stop Shinryu.

Previous cycles
The Emperor served as a simple warrior, but grew tired of being used, and decided to overthrow Chaos and conquer the world. He realizes that challenging Chaos head-on would not benefit him due to the latter's status as a god, so he decides to put his machinations on hold until an opportunity would arise.

Treachery of the Gods
The Emperor aids Garland while fighting the Warrior of Light and Lightning. Later, the Emperor, alongside Ultimecia, works with Kefka to ruin Kuja's chances of defecting to the Warriors of Cosmos side. After Kuja is forced to attack the Warriors of Cosmos, the Emperor seemingly buys Kuja's fake defection to lure the Warriors of Cosmos into a trap. He nonetheless warns Kuja against angering the Warriors of Chaos, lest he ends up having his defeat arranged by them. Displeased Yuna awakens Tidus's memories, the Emperor attempts to kill her, but Tidus takes the blow meant for her.

Amid his battle with Yuna, the Emperor falls back after seeing Jecht's sacrifice and spirits him away. The Emperor meets with Golbez under the impression that someone in their camp mentioned the Crystals to Cosmos's warriors, who should not remember the events of a previous cycle. The Emperor dismisses the thought, thinking that Chaos's victory would come regardless. He plans exploit the dormant shard within Jecht and plans to eliminate the Warriors of Cosmos in one fell swoop by having the Warriors of Chaos attack Cosmos directly. Bringing the unconscious Jecht before Chaos, the Emperor offers to convert Jecht to their side despite Garland's belief the Emperor has ulterior motives. The Emperor joins the group under Garland to stop Lightning's team from advancing, battling Yuna before falling back.

Light to All
Allying himself with Ultimecia to destroy Cosmos and end the cycle of war in Chaos's favor, the Emperor convinces Jecht that he can return to his homeworld with Tidus if he helps him. He alongside Ultimecia then give a stump speech to their fellow Warriors of Chaos about how their plans are about to bear fruit regarding the ultimate mortal conflict and the absolute end of the world being near, and that the only thing still outside their reach is the whimsy of Chaos and Cosmos. The other antagonists follow the Emperor's plans, which include testing the heroes' resolve and eventually allowing them to claim their Crystals. After a fight with Golbez, the Emperor learns from Exdeath that Golbez has been exposed as a traitor, although he plans to wait it out.

The Emperor and Ultimecia approach Sephiroth and offer him a role in their alliance, but are rejected. The Emperor notices Bartz spying on them but allows him to escape, having sensed the Warrior of Light approaching, and instead dispatches Exdeath to pursue Bartz. Though the Emperor attempts to bribe his loyalty by presenting a fake Crystal, the Warrior of Light sees through the deception. After the Warrior claims the Crystals are not earned by mercy, but by strength, the Emperor attacks him.

He loses and disappears, but not before he questions the Warrior's resolve, telling him that he will know the whole truth of the battle soon enough. The Emperor later meets with Garland, discussing that Terra will end up back on Chaos's side, although he resents she would be at the hands of Kefka. When Garland compares the Emperor to Kefka in terms of scheming, the Emperor rebukes him, reminding him that unlike Kefka and his nihilistic motives, he wants to escape the cycles of conflict and "start anew."

Kefka meets with the Emperor about what Sephiroth is planning. Kefka does not care, but is surprised to learn Sephiroth killed himself in front of the Emperor in the last battle. They decide to keep an eye on him. Shortly after Garland falls to the Warrior of Light, the Emperor reports to Chaos, and ponders whether Chaos's full power has returned. Chaos asks about their ultimate plan relating to the Crystals. The Emperor, realizing Chaos now fully remembers the prior cycle, explains the plan hasn't been enacted yet. When Chaos questions him, the Emperor promises to end the cycle.

When Jecht and Tidus confront each other, the Emperor halts them and tells Jecht that Tidus wishes to fight him out of hatred, which goes against their plan. Jecht departs and the Emperor battles Tidus himself, telling him he cannot find his Crystal if he fights for hatred. Golbez speaks to Jecht and questions his role in the Emperor's plan, implying the Emperor will betray his trust. When Jecht learns the Emperor's true plan he refuses to assist him further, and attacks him. Tidus and Firion witness the fight, and Tidus leaves to follow Jecht and fight him.

Taking advantage of the lone Firion, the Emperor questions the youth's goal in comparison to his friends', who have abandoned him to fulfill their desires. When Firion says he wishes to end the war, the Emperor mocks him, and Ultimecia appears to battle Firion. Though she loses, both Ultimecia and the Emperor accuse Firion of being too weak to fulfill his dream, and tell him he is but Cosmos's tool.

In spite of the Emperor's words, Firion is newly inspired by Cosmos and continues on. The Emperor encounters Firion again at the Dimensional Fortress, claiming his dream is too foolish to realize. The Emperor subdues Firion, but Tidus and Cloud arrive to defend their comrade. The Emperor flees, inviting Firion to come battle him alone and prove himself.

The two meet in Pandaemonium, with the Emperor again trying to convince Firion that he's but a tool of war. Firion refuses, claiming he has friends who believe in his dream. They do battle and the Emperor uses Dreary Cell to trap Firion, taunting how he should have disposed his fantasy and accepted him as master. The Emperor is caught off-guard when Firion's weapons telekinetically blow through his Dreary Cell. After Firion reaffirms his conviction to pursue his dream despite the Emperor's derision, Firion is victorious and claims his Crystal. The Emperor begins to fade, but taunts Firion about his goal to end the war, and that Firion would yet be begging for the Emperor's rule.

After Chaos kills Cosmos, the Emperor reveals Jecht's true nature as a former Warrior of Cosmos, and that he manipulated Jecht to fight Tidus to create Crystals attuned to darkness that will allow him to survive after Chaos destroys existence, leaving him to reign over the remnants of reality and become the new god. The Emperor reveals himself to the other Warriors of Cosmos shortly after Exdeath's demise, explaining he returned from the afterworld, claiming the world is in dire need of a new ruler. Firion lashes that its because of fiends like the Emperor that conflict never fades.

The Emperor implies that things are going to get worse. He returns to the other Warriors of Chaos who are now striving for their individual goals, remarking that the future is not the Warriors of Cosmos to give or take. He is confronted by Golbez, both of their schemes exposed, who claims the Warriors of Cosmos have the power to destroy Chaos and restore the worlds to their former state.

After all but Garland are defeated, the Emperor meets the Warriors of Cosmos and reveals it was his plan that ensured they gathered the Crystals so Cosmos could be killed for the cycle to end and the Emperor to rule over existence after Chaos is destroyed. He underestimates the resolve of the Warriors of Cosmos, and is killed despite claiming he will return as long as Chaos exists.

The Emperor's plan to kill off everyone, including Chaos, ends the cycles of war in a comparatively peaceable manner, as an alternate reality of what would have happened reveals that had the Emperor not done this, the consequences would have been far more serious.

Official Quests
In "Tidus's Quest 012: A Dream in Chaos", the Emperor allows Tidus to battle him to recover some of his memories in the twelfth cycle, allowing Tidus to remember Jecht is his father whom he hates. He plays a small role in "Sephiroth's Quest 012: The Hero's Memory", being a witness to Sephiroth's suicide. In the thirteenth cycle quest "Sephiroth's Quest 013: Shape of the World", the Emperor witnesses Sephiroth's awakening with his memories of the twelfth cycle intact, and tells him Cloud is now a warrior of Cosmos.

Rebirth of the cycles
The Emperor is summoned back to World B by Spiritus to serve as one of his champions and fight against Materia's chosen warriors. While the Emperor is disinterested, he sets out to gain the support of the Eidolons.

On his travels, he crosses paths with Terra and Zidane in Midgar. He asks them which of the Eidolons they are looking for, and taunts them for not knowing them by name. He is soon joined by Sephiroth and together launch an attack against them, the Emperor going after Zidane. The Emperor quickly gains the upper hand and ensnares Zidane in one of his traps. As the Emperor tortures Zidane, he is ambushed by Kuja, and calls him out for being a traitor.

The Emperor and Sephiroth face off against Terra, Zidane, and Kuja, seeking the support of a nearby Manikin. After their battle, the Emperor and Sephiroth observe as the planesgorgers descend upon the arena, and speculate that their efforts have awakened the wrong force, before fleeing. Later, the Emperor participates in the final clash to awaken Shinryu, notably assisting Exdeath in his struggle against the Onion Knight and Zidane before being sidetracked by Firion. With Shinryu descending upon them, the Emperor aids in defeating him for good. With the threat eliminated, the Emperor departs with the other warriors after bestowing his essence to Spiritus in the form of a crystal.

Dissidia Final Fantasy and Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
The Emperor is described as a Trap Master, his arsenal consisting of various traps, such as exploding mines and crests of energy which can paralyze the opponent. Most of his attacks, including his Flare HP attacks, allow the Emperor to continue moving and attacking to pressure the opponent, or give him time to charge up his signature Starfall attack. As a downside, his victory largely depends on the terrain and plane: in smaller areas his traps are difficult to avoid, but in larger areas he has more room to lay said traps and for his Flare spell to track enemies. Most of his Bravery attacks can be blocked or dashed through, and some can be reflected to damage the Emperor. If the opponent uses a guard-crushing attack to reflect the Emperor's Flare, it will begin to track the Emperor himself instead.

Boss
In Dissidia, the Emperor is fought in Destiny Odyssey I, II, and X, Shade Impulse, Distant Glory, and Inward Chaos.

In Dissidia 012, the Emperor is fought in Where Memories Wait, An Undocumented Battle, Entrusted Power, Seeds of Hope, Champions of her Will, and Conclusion of the Cycle chapters of Story Mode.

Bravery Attacks

 * DFF2008
 * Dissidia 012

HP Attacks

 * DFF2008
 * Dissidia 012

EX Mode
The Emperor's EX Mode is Power of Hellfire, where he takes on the form of the Emperor of Hell, his form when faced as the final boss of Final Fantasy II. His body becomes bulkier, his clothing is darker with more pronounced spikes, and his face and crown become demonic in appearance. He gains the ability "Blood Magic," where the Emperor will heal an equivalent amount of HP whenever the opponent's HP is damaged. In his Arubboth costume, however, he instead gains his Light Emperor form.

The Emperor's EX Burst is Absolute Dominion. The player must enter the commands that appear on the screen as the Emperor charges with energy. Successfully entering the commands will have the Emperor end the EX Burst with Entice, where he enters his human form and shocks the enemy repeatedly before light gathers from all around to consume the two in a blast. Failing to enter the commands will have The Emperor end the EX Burst with Cyclone.

Equipment
The Emperor can equip swords, daggers, rods, staves, bangles, hats, hairpins, clothing, and robes. In Dissidia 012, the Emperor can no longer equip swords, but he can equip poles and headbands.

Exclusive weapons

 * DFF2008
 * Dissidia 012

Dissidia Final Fantasy NT

 * Type: Marksman - The Emperor can toy with his foes using magic that draws in surrounding enemies, in conjunction with an array of traps and homing spells. Some of his HP attacks can surprise foes by appearing suddenly at their position, and others remain on the stage for a long time.
 * EX Skill: Starfall - Rain meteors on the Emperor's target, freezing them in place on the last hit.

Voice
The Emperor is voiced in the Japanese versions by Kenyu Horiuchi.

He is voiced by Christopher Corey Smith in the English versions, who voices him with a deep, vaguely British accent with a bit of a dramatic flair. This is similar to British singer and actor David Bowie, in particular his role as Goblin King Jareth from the Jim Henson film Labyrinth (whom the Emperor coincidentally has some resemblance to).

Gallery

 * Dissidia Final Fantasy and Dissidia Final Fantasy 012

Allusions

 * The Emperor's regular EX Burst attack, Cyclone, refers to the Cyclone he used to destroy the Kingdom of Fynn in Final Fantasy II. His new move in the 2015 Dissidia arcade game, Evil Tornado, also alludes to the Cyclone.
 * In Shade Impulse C2-5, the Emperor’s exclaims, "How could I lose... not once but twice? Who ARE you?" These are his final words in Final Fantasy II. His dialogue in Shade Impulse C2-1, "I've come back from the afterworld," derives from when he returned from Hell.
 * When the Emperor battles a mirror match, his fight introduction is, "This world can have but one emperor!" He says this to Leon, who had declared himself the new emperor, in the remakes of Final Fantasy II. Similarly, he utters, "There can only be one ruler," in Dissidia 012, when fighting a mirror match.
 * The Emperor also gives a similar line prior to his fight in Shade Impulse: "For the only one suited to rule—is I!"
 * The Emperor's death cry, "Ungaahhhh!", is his trademark death wail from Final Fantasy II when defeated in battle and in a cutscene in Shade Impulse. As a reference to this, Tidus's fight introduction against the Emperor is, "What's this 'Ungaahh!' business?"
 * The Emperor's HP attacks Flare and Starfall refer to the Emperor's final form in Final Fantasy II, where Flare XVI and Starfall X were his sole offensive attacks besides physical blows. His Bravery attacks appear to be lightning-based, reflecting the boss battle with his human form, where Thunder X was his only offensive spell. In Final Fantasy II when fought as the final boss, the Emperor's physical attacks healed him, reflected in Dissidia by the Emperor's EX Mode bonus "Blood Magic."
 * The Emperor's ground Flare fires a blue fireball, while his midair Flare fires an orange fireball. In most Final Fantasy titles the animation for Flare is orange, but in Final Fantasy II its animation is blue.
 * In Shade Impulse, the Emperor says, "Death, life, even the divine shall come under my rule!" This may allude to the Soul of Rebirth quest in the Game Boy Advance and subsequent releases of Final Fantasy II, where the Emperor's dark side conquers hell, while his light side ascends to Heaven and becomes the lord of Arubboth. There is possibly a similar allusion in the Emperor's final death in Dissidia involving both darkness and a small amount of light emanating from his disappearing body. It also refers to the death animation of the Dark Emperor in the PS and GBA remakes.
 * When the Emperor faces Cecil he asks, "Ought you not be on our side?" It may refer to the empire converting Leon into a Dark Knight, Cecil's job before he became a Paladin.
 * When facing Prishe she says, "Straight back to hell for you!" This refers to the Emperor's visit to Hell before returning to life in Final Fantasy II.
 * The DLC costume's name, "Arubboth," refers to the plane of the afterlife the Emperor's light half took over.
 * His exclusive weapon, the Diamond Mace, is a weapon available in Final Fantasy II, while the Demon's Rod is a weapon exclusive to the Game Boy Advance and succeeding versions of Final Fantasy V.
 * His Dissidia 012 profile mentions that the Emperor recruited skilled warriors into his empire regardless of their origins and backgrounds, referring to his recruiting Leon into a Dark Knight despite being of the enemy camp.
 * The Emperor brandishes a staff in his human form, alluding to his original NES/DSOP sprite when battling him on the cyclone.
 * Similarly, his Dark Emperor form is a slightly bulkier version of his human form, possibly alluding to his Dark Emperor sprite in the GBA/PS1 remakes.
 * The opening scene of his debut trailer in the 2015 arcade game shows floating energy orbs in a dark environment that was part of the Emperor's Dreary Cell, which may allude to the opening FMV for the PS1 version of Final Fantasy II, which similarly opened with a floating energy orb cast by the Emperor.
 * Monarch of Palamecia C's colorization may be a reference to the coloring style for the party members and most other NPCs in the NES version of Final Fantasy II.
 * The Emperor's airborne attack Red Soul is a reference to the Final Fantasy II boss of the same name.

Trivia

 * The Emperor's Starfall attack has the longest charge time, requiring 521 frames, or over eight seconds, to execute.
 * In the original Japanese release, the Emperor had the fewest HP attacks, with only Flare and the ground and aerial versions of Starfall.
 * In a mirror match between two Emperors, if Flare is reflected, the original caster can use Flare again, resulting in possibly multiple Flares being present. If The Emperor were to cast Flare after reflecting the opponent's Flare, the opponent's Flare will vanish as though it were the Emperor's. He shares this trait with Lightning and her Watera spell.
 * Fully charged, the final hit of the Emperor's Dynamite attack has the highest base power of any single hit in the game, not counting EX Bursts or benefits from EX Mode. It has a power of 50, doing more damage in its final hit alone than many other full attacks. In Dissidia 012, its power has been reduced to 40, tying with Terra's Fire.
 * The Emperor's Dreary Cell attack in Dissidia 012 is taken from an attack he used in cutscenes in Dissidia to attack Terra and Firion, where he similarly surrounded them in explosive orbs of magic.
 * The opening for the Emperor's debut trailer in the 2015 arcade game features a similar depiction of Dreary Cell to the aforementioned cutscene in Dissidia, although the Emperor instead activates it remotely via his scepter.

Imperator Mateus (Dissidia) Emperador Mateus Palamecia/Dissidia Imperatore (Dissidia) Император Матеус/Dissidia