Manikin



Manikins are the main enemies encountered in Dissidia Final Fantasy and Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy. They appear as crystalline palette-swaps of the playable characters. In-game they are represented by various Battle Pieces on the map board.

Story
Dissidia Final Fantasy posits manikins were created by Cid to give physical form to the consciousnesses that came from other dimensions, after viewing how Chaos and Cosmos "acquired pawns". His failures became manikins, incomplete puppets, which were sealed in the Rift. The successes are implied to be some of the warriors of Chaos and Cosmos, as the "created pawns" "questioned their very reason for living", and after a purification began to remember things from "their previous lives". Who of the warriors are summoned or created is unknown, but it may be that the only summoned warriors are Garland, Gabranth, and Shantotto, while any of the other 19 may be created.

This is retconned in Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy, where it is told the nation of Onrac from World A discovered a door to the Rift and retrieved a sample of crystal ore for study. The ore acts similar to an organic lifeform and grows as a living creature. Research on the sample resulted in mass production of simulated lifeforms made from the crystal ore, the first manikins. They remained formless until approached in their containment cell, at which point they took on the forms of the researchers observing them. They were but mindless puppets, and Cid was recruited to transplant memories into them to give them a sense of self.

Though it proved impractical for widespread use, Cid could implant a manikin with memories of ten other individuals, resulting in a manikin that resembled a grotesque monster but was the size of, and acted like, a human child. The child was placed in Cid's care for observation, and would grow up to become Chaos. Research continued with the manikins, and eventually the successful transplant of a complete set of memories to one was successful. This manikin was named Cosmos, and took the image of Cid's wife.

Most of the manikins failed to take on memories and were sealed in the Rift. After Cosmos, Chaos and Cid were transported to World B, Cid resumed his attempts to implant manikins with memories. He created the Warrior of Light from an infusion of his own memories, and sent him to fight in the cycles of war to observe his growth. Cid's failures prior to the Warrior's creation were disposed of in the same location as the other manikins.

During the twelfth cycle of the war Exdeath releases the manikins as foot soldiers for Chaos. Due to their nature as mindless automatons, Garland remarks they will continue to fight even when their opponent is defeated and weak. Thus, if one is overwhelmed by manikins, they can be pushed to the brink of death and risk not having the strength to be revived in the next cycle. Though initially few in number, a massive horde of the creatures eventually sweeps across the land, separating the heroes as they fight to try and manifest their crystals, and their attention turns from the crystals to their concern for the deaths of their comrades at the hands of these new enemies.

After the Cloud of Darkness tells Laguna where and how the manikins have crossed over, he, along with Lightning, Kain, Tifa, Yuna, and Vaan, decide to track down the portal the manikins are using to enter the world and close it. An army of manikins marches on Order's Sanctuary to kill Cosmos, and save for the warriors seeking the portal, only the Warrior of Light remains to defend her.

Locating the portal in the Empyreal Paradox, the team defeats a few Warriors of Chaos who try to stop them, and engage the manikins in a final battle, ultimately fading away, presumably to their respective worlds, but successfully closing the portal to the Rift, preventing any more manikins from emerging. Cosmos uses her power to save the Warrior of Light from the manikin army sent to destroy her, weakening her, but drastically reducing the number of manikins left.

Some members of both the Warriors of Cosmos and Warriors of Chaos have suspected that they may be advanced manikins rather than the real deal during the twelfth cycle: Onion Knight and Zidane in particular discuss the possibility, and Sephiroth commits suicide to test whether he is indeed a manikin or the actual Sephiroth. It is unclear whether the various warriors are advanced manikins or not, although it was confirmed that at least the Warrior of Light is one.

Gameplay
Manikins are colored in a manner reflective of their original counterpart or their counterpart's game of origin—Terra's manikin is red, Kuja's is purple, Warrior of Light's is blue, and so forth. Some manikins, like The Emperor's, use two colors. Manikins of different characters from the same game are the same or almost a similar color. Their voices are garbled, distorted versions of their counterparts, and their icon is that of the Battle Piece icon that represents them on the board.

Their naming system consists of an adjective alluding to their nature as transitory imitations, and a noun that describes their counterpart—Cloud's manikin is "Imaginary Soldier", while Golbez's is "Delusory Warlock". The exceptions to this rule are Prishe, Shantotto and Gabranth, who have the naming system "[noun] of Antiquity". The adjectives that describe the manikins are synonymous and all manikins of characters from the same game share the same adjective, except for Final Fantasy XII, where Vaan's manikin has a different naming scheme to Gabranth's.

In battle, the manikin's power changes according to the type of Battle Piece that represents it. Manikins can perform any attack their original counterpart knows, but can execute them even if they are not a high-enough level to legitimately know them. The same goes for equipment: manikins may potentially equip any equipment piece they like regardless of its level requirement, even if their character counterpart cannot equip the item innately. They can also equip any number of the same accessory regardless of the accessory's rank, though they still may not equip more than ten. Manikins can equip support abilities, and all manikins have the basic Block, Dodge and Free Air Dash abilities.

Manikins can utilize EX Mode, and as such can pick up EX Cores and absorb EX Force. Manikins share a single EX Mode titled "Powered Up!" in which they gain the Regen effect and have a greater likelihood to score critical hits. They do not gain any special abilities or attacks usable by their counterparts, cannot use EX Bursts, and keep the same appearance as their normal mode save for a glowing aura. The sole exception is Gabranth's manikin, which changes its appearance while in EX Mode and gains a different moveset like Gabranth himself does, but its EX Mode is still called "Powered Up!" and it still cannot use Gabranth's EX Burst.

In Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy manikins use Assists, and are vulnerable to Assist Lock, Assist Break and EX Break. Manikins' Assists are other manikins, and in storyline battles Assists used by the Warriors of Chaos are manikins. Usually during the last battle of each Warrior of Cosmos, the ones that each Warrior of Chaos use, are manikins of their respective opposing Warrior of Cosmos.

In Dissidia Final Fantasy, some manikins give the player a chance to win a Destiny Point by fulfilling a requirement, such as scoring a critical hit within a time limit or preventing the opponent from picking up an EX Core. Manikins represented by Strange and Expert Battle Pieces always give the player a Destiny Point for winning in the Destiny Odyssey story modes, but in the other story modes they may not. In all story modes, defeating an Ultimate Battle Piece-level manikin awards two Destiny Points. In Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy, as Destiny Points are replaced by KP (Kupo), manikins allow the chance to win KP by fulfilling a preset requirement depending on the gateway shared across all manikins in this gateway.

In both games, depending on the stage, defeating a manikin may cause other items, including extra Battle Pieces, to appear on the stage. In Dissidia Final Fantasy defeating a manikin may unlock a locked area, while in Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy defeating them may cause previously vacant tiles on the board to appear and allow passage to new sections of the board.

Allusions in nomenclature

 * The overall use of adjectives for manikins is for opposing and derogatory meanings to that manikin's real counterpart, and on themes and elements from the installment which they came from.
 * The adjective of "False" for those of the original Final Fantasy refers to how those of World B of Dissidia are related to the experiments done by Cid of the Lufaine. It is likely in juxtaposition of how the true Warriors of Light come forward to fight evil and champion peace in their mission to save the world.
 * The Warrior of Light's manikin, the False Hero, alludes to how the four Warriors of Light from the original game are the first playable protagonists of the series.
 * Garland's manikin, the False Stalwart, alludes to Garland's unwavering loyalty to Chaos and the Great Will in the Dissidia series, and to the respect that he had gained for his strength and his loyalty to Cornelia before falling from grace in the original game.
 * Firion's manikin, the Imitation Liegeman, alludes to Firion's combat style in the Dissidia series in which he fights with multiple weapons.
 * The Emperor's manikin, the Imitation Despot, alludes to the Emperor's wishes to take over his home world and to hold absolute power over it in Final Fantasy II, and to his similar goals in regards to World B in the Dissidia series.
 * The Onion Knight's manikin, the Counterfeit Youth, alludes to the prophecy of the Gulgan that four youths will be blessed with light to stop a flood of darkness in Final Fantasy III.
 * The Cloud of Darkness's manikin, the Counterfeit Wraith, alludes to the Cloud of Darkness's role of bringing death and nothingness to the world in Final Fantasy III and to her resemblance to a specter in general.
 * The use of the adjective "Delusory" for the fighters from Final Fantasy IV refers to its story's theme of coming to a conscious decision to uncover the truth, including denouncing orders and allegiances from those who are not all that they seem to be.
 * Cecil Harvey's manikin, the Delusory Knight, alludes to Cecil's service as a knight to Baron.
 * Golbez's manikin, the Delusory Warlock, alludes to Golbez's powerful magical abilities, including teleportation, telepathy, high-level black magic, and summoning.
 * Kain Highwind's manikin, the Delusory Dragoon, alludes to the job class that Kain is associated with.
 * Edge Geraldine's manikin, the Delusory Prince, alludes to Edge being the prince of Eblan.
 * Yang Fang Leiden's manikin, the Delusory Monk, alludes to the job class that Yang is associated with.
 * Bartz Klauser's manikin, the Fallacious Wanderer, alludes to Bartz's ambition in Final Fantasy V before he is chosen as a Warrior of Light, which is to explore the world on his chocobo.
 * Exdeath's manikin, the Fallacious Tree, alludes to Exdeath being a tree from the Great Forest of Moore who harbors malevolent souls.
 * Gilgamesh's manikin, the Fallacious Giant, alludes to Gilgamesh's great size.
 * Galuf Halm Baldesion's manikin, the Fallacious Sage, alludes to Galuf's profound wisdom due to his age and of his past as a Warrior of Dawn.
 * The adjective of "Phantasmal" for manikins from Final Fantasy VI refers to its setting, including the Warring Triad and espers. At the end, the disappearance of magic makes the events of Final Fantasy VI seem but a fantastic dream.
 * Terra Branford's manikin, the Phantasmal Girl, alludes to her being the youngest female character of the eleven warriors of Cosmos in the original Dissidia Final Fantasy.
 * Kefka Palazzo's manikin, the Phantasmal Harlequin, alludes to Kefka's clown-like appearance, to his jokes, and to his role in both Final Fantasy VI and the Dissidia series as a source of comic relief.
 * Shadow's manikin, the Phantasmal Assassin, alludes to the job class that Shadow is associated with, and to his lack of affiliation towards anyone throughout most of Final Fantasy VI.
 * The adjective of "Imaginary" for manikins from Final Fantasy VII may refer to Cloud's use of lies and half truths to reinforce his surface persona.
 * Cloud Strife's manikin, the Imaginary Soldier, alludes to how Cloud had dreamed of joining Shinra's elite fighting force, SOLDIER, since he was a boy.
 * Sephiroth's manikin, the Imaginary Champion, alludes to Sephiroth being considered the most legendary fighter of Shinra's SOLDIER program, and was thus idolized by the public in Final Fantasy VII.
 * Tifa Lockhart's manikin, the Imaginary Brawler, alludes to Tifa's martial arts skills and to her tomboyish personality.
 * Yuffie Kisaragi's manikin, the Imaginary Ninja, alludes to the job class that Yuffie is associated with, and to the title that she bestowed upon herself, "Great Ninja Yuffie".
 * The adjective of "Transient" for manikins from Final Fantasy VIII has a temporal and time-related element to its use, making it relevant to those of the world of VIII. It is also relevant to the dualism of the fleeting past versus memories cherished by one in the course of life, a theme prevalent in Final Fantasy VIII.
 * Squall Leonhart's manikin, the Transient Lion, alludes to Squall's admiration of lions due to their courage and strength. Lions also serve as a recurring motif for him.
 * Ultimecia's manikin, the Transient Witch, alludes to Ultimecia being a sorceress, a human who can use magic naturally in the world of Final Fantasy VIII. The noun "witch" is a synonym of the noun "sorceress", and is what they were known as in the Japanese version.
 * Laguna Loire's manikin, the Transient Gunner, alludes to Laguna's musical theme and to the job class that he is associated with.
 * The adjective "Capricious" for manikins from Final Fantasy IX juxtaposes IX's emotional themes and core where its lighthearted nature remains even for scenarios of death and gloom, and to the convictions of its main characters, who continue fighting for what they believe in even in the face of change.
 * Zidane Tribal's manikin, the Capricious Thief, alludes to the job class that Zidane is associated with and to his occupation in the Tantalus Theater Troupe.
 * Kuja's manikin, the Capricious Reaper, alludes to him being the "Angel of Death" in Final Fantasy IX, whose job is to return Gaian souls to the planet.
 * Vivi's manikin, the Capricious Black Mage, alludes to the job class that Vivi is associated with, and to his race in Final Fantasy IX.
 * Adelbert Steiner's manikin, the Capricious Defender, alludes to Steiner's sworn duty to protect the princess of Alexandria in Final Fantasy IX.
 * The adjective "Ephemeral" for manikins from Final Fantasy X alludes to its theme being that of the phenomena of death and the presence of the spiritual throughout the world of Spira. It also likely refers to the negative aspects of ephemerality, including how peace makes way for future conflicts.
 * Tidus's and Jecht's manikins, the Ephemeral Vision and the Ephemeral Phantom, allude to them being dreams of the fayth.
 * Yuna's manikin, the Ephemeral Summoner, alludes to the job class she is associated with and to the key role her job plays in Spira.
 * Wakka's manikin, the Ephemeral Auroch, alludes to the blitzball team Wakka captains, the Besaid Aurochs.
 * Seymour Guado's manikin, the Ephemeral Nihilist, alludes to Seymour's opinion that death is a release from life, which he views as a time of sorrow and suffering.
 * Shantotto's manikin, the Lady of Antiquity, alludes to her being the oldest of the eleven warriors of Cosmos in the original Dissidia Final Fantasy, and to her status as a skilled mage in the world of Vana'diel.
 * Prishe's manikin, the Horror of Antiquity, alludes to how Prishe was referred to as the "Abhorrent One" in Final Fantasy XI.
 * Vaan's manikin, the Idle Sky Pirate, alludes to his dreams of becoming one himself.
 * Gabranth's manikin, the Warrior of Antiquity, alludes to Archadian Judges being considered "noble warriors" in Final Fantasy XII.
 * Penelo's manikin, the Idle Dancer, alludes to the job class she is associated with in the Ivalice Alliance.
 * Lightning's manikin, the Fleeting Flash, alludes to the conversation she had with Hope about her choice of name: "Lightning. It flashes bright, then fades away. It can't protect. It only destroys."
 * Hope's manikin, the Fleeting Esperance, alludes to the French word espérance, which means "hope".
 * Sazh's manikin, the Fleeting Pilot, alludes him having worked as a pilot in Final Fantasy XIII.
 * Y'shtola's manikin, the Conjurer of Obscurity, alludes to the job that Y'shtola is associated with in Final Fantasy XIV.
 * Yda's manikin, the Pugilist of Obscurity, alludes to the job that Yda is associated with in Final Fantasy XIV.
 * The adjective "Cursory" for manikins from Final Fantasy Type-0 alludes to the installment's pacing and storytelling methods, where answers may come without one's awareness of actions. It is also used in its themes of war, explored through the eyes of children forced into its unpredictability.
 * Rem's manikin, the Cursory Cadet, alludes to her being an Agito Cadet in Final Fantasy Type-0.
 * King's manikin, the Cursory Tredecimal, alludes to his assigned number (13) in Class Zero in Final Fantasy Type-0.

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call


Sephiroth's manikin, the Imaginary Champion appears as an enemy, mainly fought in Battle Music Sequence from Dissidia Final Fantasy and Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy.

Pictlogica Final Fantasy
The False Hero, Imitation Liegeman, Delusory Warlock, Phantasmal Harlequin and Transient Lion appear as enemies in the Dissidia Final Fantasy special events.

Final Fantasy Artniks
Manikins appear as character cards.

Final Fantasy Trading Card Game
Several manikins appear as trading cards. Reflecting their roles in Dissidia Final Fantasy, they act as support for Exdeath's cards, able to be summoned en masse by him and being powered up by him or vice versa, and they can bypass the standard rule that states only three copies of a single card can be in a deck. Many have abilities that mirror the effects of their original counterparts, but with less potency—for example, one of Bartz's cards makes all the player's Wind Forwards active when played, while the Fallacious Wanderer makes up to two Wind Forwards active.

The trading card for Fallacious Wanderer depicts it wielding the Brave Blade, but as manikins do not share their counterpart's EX Mode, there is no way for the Fallacious Wanderer to wield the weapon in-game.

Etymology
Manikin, also known as mannequin, is an articulated doll or dummy used mainly by artists, tailors, and dressmakers. The name is befitting to the role of these characters as crystal embodiments.

Trivia

 * The concept of living crystal is also seen in the Final Fantasy V Interdimensional Rift, where crystal enemies called Crystelles are common. It is also seen in the Final Fantasy IX Crystal World, where crystalline replicas of the four Guardians of Terra are fought as random encounters. Living crystal creatures also appear in Final Fantasy XIII-2 where two "crystalspawn" bosses (Pacos Luvulite and Pacos Amethyst) are fought.
 * Feral Chaos is the only playable character not to have a manikin counterpart. However, the weaker version of him encountered in the South Lufenia Gateway uses his alternate outfit, which gives it a somewhat manikin-like appearance, and is referred to as being similar to a manikin.
 * The manikins seen in cinematic sequences use different models from those normally encountered, and have smoother textures with duller coloring and a lower polygon count.
 * Vaan's and Lightning's manikins in Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy are the only ones with a unique adjective in their titles (Idle and Fleeting respectively).
 * It is possible to play as a manikin in Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy using CWCheat codes and CFW. These manikins cannot enter EX Mode.
 * Various manikin models include aspects of their original counterpart's EX Mode in their data files, many having their counterpart's EX Mode weapons despite manikins not gaining these weapons when entering EX Mode in battle. Said weapons are even being recolored to match the manikin's color scheme. Bartz's manikin, the Fallacious Wanderer, also has Bartz's EX Mode cape and the stars over its head.
 * In the | Dissidia Final Fantasy NT announcement trailer, of the game's fourteen original characters, half of which (Cecil Harvey, Bartz Klauser, Terra Branford, Cloud Strife, Squall Leonhart, Vaan, and Lightning) have their player names set by default as "Nameless" followed by their respective manikin nouns.
 * The noun used for the Warrior of Light's default player name is "Guardian" instead of "Hero".
 * The noun used for Firion's default player name is "Idealist" instead of "Liegeman".
 * The noun used for the Onion Knight's default player name is "Boy" instead of "Youth".
 * The noun used for Zidane Tribal's default player name is "Brigand" instead of "Thief".
 * The noun used for Tidus' default player name is "Dreamer" instead of "Vision".
 * The noun used for Shantotto's default player name is "Matron" instead of "Lady".
 * The noun used for Y'shtola's default player name is "Scion" instead of "Conjurer".

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