Garland (Final Fantasy)



Garland (ガーランド Gārando) is the primary antagonist in the original Final Fantasy. A knight who has fallen from grace, the Warriors of Light must fight him near the beginning of the game. Although easily dispatched, it is discovered that Garland has enacted a plan to create a time loop, allowing him to exist forever.

Story
Once the greatest knight in the kingdom of Cornelia, he is corrupted by evil and kidnaps Princess Sarah. He wanted the king to give him his kingdom in exchange for Sarah's life. He is defeated by the four Warriors of Light. However, he is also part of a time loop created by himself and the four elemental Fiends. When the Warriors of Light travel to the past, they find him again, discovering that he engineered the majority of the game's events, and he transforms into Chaos to do battle with the heroes.

The exact backstory of Garland seems to be unexplored. One man in Castle Cornelia mentions that Garland "Didn't used to be bad...", as Garland was once one of the king's top knights. His horned helmet, while human, is a subtle hint to the monster he becomes.

Following the destruction of Chaos in the past, the time loop that sustained the troubles of the evil was broken. Garland remains waiting for the Warriors in the present, though his allegiance is unclear.

Backstory
Dissidia Final Fantasy adds to Garland's history extensively.

Garland was an orphan found in Lufenia, taken in by Cid and his wife as foster parents. He was raised as their own child, until he was taken away to a research laboratory. Experiments were performed upon him to enhance his abilities, and he was used to defeat Omega and the Summoned Beasts of this world. He then became non-responsive, so his captors cloned his mother to attempt to regain control of his powers. He was eventually rescued by his true mother, though he was twisted and thin from the experiments and warfare. On the way out, the Void tore open a rift before the child Garland, taking him away through time and space, leaving his adoptive mother alone in the decimated facility. What happens next is unclear, but Garland's fate becomes intertwined with Chaos and the Four Fiends, eventually leading to the events of Final Fantasy. Near the end of the story, he also references being nearly killed once, after which he was sent two thousand years into the past to become Chaos.

Battle
Being the first boss, Garland has only physical attacks. As such, the battle against him will be rather simple and straightforward. The player's physical attackers if any, should attack each round, with their healer using their spells only when needed and their offensive mage attacking each round with whatever spells they have.

Dissidia Final Fantasy


Chaos has summoned a combined force of Final Fantasy's ultimate villains in an attempt to gain control of a number of Crystals, resulting in total control of the Final Fantasy worlds. Garland is one of these villains and he is the villain representing the original Final Fantasy, opposing Warrior of Light.

8-Bit Theater
Garland is a primary villain in the webcomic 8-Bit Theater, where he is actually a good person, and serves the Light Warriors refreshments when they attack his lair. As the leader of the Dark Warriors, Garland is the longest-running enemy the Light Warriors have faced, although what few evil deeds he attempts usually don't pan out.

Entomology
A garland is a wreath of flowers worn on the head, usually given to great military heroes in ancient Greece and Rome, not unlike the medals of today are. They were also sometimes left on the graves of fallen soldiers. In reference to Garland, the name may be symbolic, as he was a great hero who had "fallen" (corrupted by evil).

Gallery
Garland (FFI) Gárland (Final Fantasy)