Final Fantasy Wiki
Explore
Main Page
Discuss
All Pages
Community
Interactive Maps
VII Rebirth
Characters
Cloud Strife
Tifa Lockhart
Aerith Gainsborough
Barret Wallace
Red XIII
Yuffie Kisaragi
Cait Sith
Cid Highwind
Vincent Valentine
Zack Fair
Locations
Kalm
Junon
Costa del Sol
Gold Saucer
Gongaga
Cosmo Canyon
Nibelheim
Other latest & upcoming games
Final Fantasy XVI
Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail
Games
Final Fantasy I - VIII
Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy II
Final Fantasy III
Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy V
Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy IX - XVI
Final Fantasy IX
Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy XI
Final Fantasy XII
Final Fantasy XIII
Final Fantasy XIV
Final Fantasy XV
Final Fantasy XVI
Subseries
Contents
Characters
Jobs
Races
Locations
Gameplay
Items
Equipment
Abilities
Magic
Enemies
Bosses
Music
Walkthroughs
Community
Administrators & staff directory
Contact us
Wiki business and feedback
Discord chat
Staff Noticeboard
Wiki editor portal
Policies and guidelines
Scope
Recent Changes
All logs
Wiki projects
Maintenance
Create article
Upload files
Let's Play
Podcast
Social media
FANDOM
Fan Central
BETA
Games
Anime
Movies
TV
Video
Wikis
Explore Wikis
Community Central
Start a Wiki
Don't have an account?
Register
Sign In
Sign In
Register
Final Fantasy Wiki
49,209
pages
Explore
Main Page
Discuss
All Pages
Community
Interactive Maps
VII Rebirth
Characters
Cloud Strife
Tifa Lockhart
Aerith Gainsborough
Barret Wallace
Red XIII
Yuffie Kisaragi
Cait Sith
Cid Highwind
Vincent Valentine
Zack Fair
Locations
Kalm
Junon
Costa del Sol
Gold Saucer
Gongaga
Cosmo Canyon
Nibelheim
Other latest & upcoming games
Final Fantasy XVI
Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail
Games
Final Fantasy I - VIII
Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy II
Final Fantasy III
Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy V
Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy IX - XVI
Final Fantasy IX
Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy XI
Final Fantasy XII
Final Fantasy XIII
Final Fantasy XIV
Final Fantasy XV
Final Fantasy XVI
Subseries
Contents
Characters
Jobs
Races
Locations
Gameplay
Items
Equipment
Abilities
Magic
Enemies
Bosses
Music
Walkthroughs
Community
Administrators & staff directory
Contact us
Wiki business and feedback
Discord chat
Staff Noticeboard
Wiki editor portal
Policies and guidelines
Scope
Recent Changes
All logs
Wiki projects
Maintenance
Create article
Upload files
Let's Play
Podcast
Social media
Editing
Balthier
Back to page
Edit
Edit source
View history
Talk (123)
Edit Page
Balthier
Warning:
You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you
log in
or
create an account
, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
The edit appears to have already been undone.
Anti-spam check. Do
not
fill this in!
{{infobox character |name=Balthier |release=FFXII |japanese=バルフレア |romaji=Barufurea |lit=Balflear |aka=Ffamran mied Bunansa {{J|ファムラン・ミド・ブナンザ|Famuran mido Bunanza}} |image=Balthier-ffxii-render.png |portrait=[[File:FFXII Balthier Avatar.png|60px]] |sprite=[[File:Balthier Sprite.PNG|Sprite.]]<hr/>[[File:Mini Balthier.PNG|20px|Sprite from ''Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings''.]] [[File:Balthier ffxiirw.PNG|35px|Portrait from ''Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings''.]]<hr/>[[File:FFTS Balthier Sprite.png|35px|''FFTS'' sprite.]][[File:FFTS Balthier Portrait.png|50px|''FFTS'' icon.]] |home=[[Archades]] |age=22 (''Final Fantasy XII'')<br/>23 (''Revenant Wings'') |occupation=[[Sky pirate (Final Fantasy XII)|Sky Pirate]] |race=[[Human|Hume]] |gender=Male |eye=Hazel Green<ref name="xiiscenulti20">{{Refbook|[[Final Fantasy XII Scenario Ultimania]]|020}}</ref> |height=183cm (6'0")<ref name="xiiscenulti20"/><!--DO NOT CHANGE HEIGHTS WITHOUT PROOF. Always cite your reference(s)--> |footsize=28cm<ref>[[Final Fantasy XII Pin Collection]], No.005 Balflear</ref> |ffxii type=[playable=Player character guest=Guest character, npc=Non-player character, boss=Boss] |ffxii limit break=[[Fires of War (ability)|Fires of War]], [[Tides of Fate]], [[Element of Treachery]] |ffxii initial licenses= Steal, Guns 1, First Aid, Light Armor 1 (Zodiac Job System)<br>Guns 1 and 2, Steal, Shields 1, Light Armor 1 and 2, Heavy Armor 1 (original) |xiirw type=playable |xiirw job=[[Sky Pirate (job)|Sky Pirate]] |xiirw limit break=Element of Treachery |designer=[[Akihiko Yoshida]]<ref name="xiiscenulti20"/> |japanese voice actor=Hiroaki Hirata |english voice actor=[[Gideon Emery]] |motion capture=Sean Ryan |party member 1=Balthier (Final Fantasy XII party member) |party member game 1=FFXII |party member 2=Balthier (Revenant Wings gameplay) |party member game 2=XIIRW |other appearances=true |tactics=true |dffoo=true |theatrhythm=true |ffrk=true |ffbe=true |woff=true |gallery=true }} {{Quote|Princess! No need to worry. I hope you haven't forgotten my role in this little story. I'm the leading man. You know what they say about the leading man? He never dies.|Balthier to [[Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca|Ashe]]}} '''Balthier''', real name '''Ffamran mied Bunansa''',<ref name="Ultimania-p466">Final Fantasy 20th Anniversary Ultimania File 1: Character page 466</ref> is a playable character in ''[[Final Fantasy XII]]'' and ''[[Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings]]''. He is a [[Sky pirate (Final Fantasy XII)|sky pirate]] who globetrots [[Ivalice (Final Fantasy XII)|Ivalice]] on his [[Airship (term)|airship]], the ''[[Strahl]]'', with his partner [[Fran (Final Fantasy XII)|Fran]]. During an attempt to steal from the [[Royal Palace of Rabanastre]], Balthier encounters [[Vaan]] robbing the palace treasury. When his plan goes awry Balthier finds himself a part of a conflict between political forces that could lead to war. == Profile == === Appearance === [[File:Balthier and vaan in nalbina dungeons.png|thumb|left|Balthier and Vaan in the Nalbina Dungeons.]] Balthier is six feet tall and has short brown hair with blond highlights, sharply styled sideburns, and green eyes. He wears an embroidered golden and olive vest over a high-collared shirt and tight black leather trousers with leather shin pads, and steel, open-backed sandals. He wears two crossed, gold-buckled belts with two pouches attached to either side and a collection of brightly colored rings and bracelets on his left hand, and has a set of earrings in both ears. In his official render for ''Final Fantasy XII'', Balthier holds the [[:File:Betelgeuse-ffxii.png|Betelgeuse]]. Artwork and renders of Balthier for several spin-off appearances depict him with this gun. === Personality === {{Quote|Your mistakes were twofold, I'm afraid. You sprung your trap without looking to see if the game you hunted was the one you'd snare, and you sold me short. I'm no thief; I'm a sky pirate.|Balthier to a Brigand, ''Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions''}} Balthier is charming, dashing, cunning and cynical. He comes across as cocky and self-centered but his trust in Fran is complete. While the story is told from Vaan's perspective, Balthier certainly seems to think it is his story, referring to himself as "the leading man." Despite this, he is far from selfish, proving himself in the events aboard the [[Sky Fortress Bahamut|Sky Fortress ''Bahamut'']]. After he joins Vaan and the others Balthier comes to realize he has been running away from his past, and it is implied his theatrical personality exists in part to mask his vulnerabilities and to cast aside the person he used to be. == Story == {{spoiler}} === ''[[Final Fantasy XII]]'' === {{Quote|So I ran. Free at last... Then I met you. All that running and I got nowhere. It's time to end this—cut my ties to the past.|Balthier}} [[File:Dr. Cidolfus and Balthier (artwork).jpg|thumb|Baby Balthier with Dr. Cid.]] Born in 684 Old Valendian, Ffamran mied Bunansa is the son of [[Cidolfus Demen Bunansa]], the head of House Bunansa and a scientist in employ of the [[Archadia|Archadian Empire]]. He showed such promise at a young age he was made an [[Archadian Judges|Archadian Judge]] at only sixteen years old. In 700, after his father returned from [[Giruvegan]], Ffamran noticed Cid's sanity fading: he talked to someone who wasn't there, raving on about "bringing the reins of history back to the hands of man." This strained their relationship until Ffamran could not stand the sight of his father. Ffamran's falling out with his father, combined with Archadia's political maneuvers, made him decide to leave his post as Judge and flee [[Archades]], stealing a new prototype fighter ship. After going into hiding he upgraded the ship (so much it no longer resembles the original design) and named it the ''Strahl''. Ffamran took on the name "Balthier" as an alias to help cast aside his ties with Archades. Partnering with a [[viera]] companion named [[Fran (Final Fantasy XII)|Fran]], he flew the skies of Ivalice searching for treasure, gaining notoriety as a sky pirate, and increasing the bounty on his head. [[File:Fran and balthier.png|thumb|left|Balthier and Fran surprise Vaan in the Palace treasury.]] In 706 Old Valendian, Balthier and Fran head to the Royal Palace of Rabanastre's treasury where they find [[Vaan]] holding the [[Dusk Shard|Goddess's Magicite]]. Balthier demands he hand it over, but before he can retrieve the [[magicite]] the ''[[List of airships#Ifrit|Ifrit]]'' attacks the palace. Vaan escapes and Balthier reluctantly follows him. He chases Vaan out into the palace grounds, where amid the battle between the [[Resistance (Final Fantasy XII)|Resistance]] forces and the Imperials, Balthier throws Vaan onto his hovercraft, piloted by Fran. In [[Final Fantasy XII (manga)|the manga]], Vaan is accosted by [[Vayne Carudas Solidor]] and [[Archadian Judges|Judge Magister]] [[Judge Gabranth|Gabranth]] and is saved by Balthier. The Goddess's Magicite, really a piece of deifacted [[nethicite]], renders the hovercraft unresponsive, and the trio crashes into the [[Garamsythe Waterway (Final Fantasy XII)|Garamsythe Waterway]]. Balthier joins forces with Vaan to find a way out though Vaan is determined to keep the magicite. Balthier suspects the new consul, Vayne, deliberately lured the Resistance out of hiding to attack the palace. They encounter a Resistance fighter named Amalia who joins them despite her distaste of her "thieving" company. [[File:Balthier-gives-his-handkerchief.png|thumb|Balthier gives his handkerchief to Penelo]] After the party defeats the [[Firemane (Final Fantasy XII)|Firemane]], Vayne (in the game) or [[Ghis|Judge Ghis]] (in the manga) with a battalion of soldiers ambush the party. Despite Amalia's insistence that her company is innocent, they are taken captive. As they are marched out onto the streets of Rabanastre Balthier meets Vaan's friend [[Penelo]] who weeps at the sight of Vaan being led away. To avoid a scene, Balthier gives Penelo his handkerchief and assures her Vaan will be safe. Unknown to Balthier, the bounty hunter [[Ba'Gamnan (Final Fantasy XII)|Ba'Gamnan]] watches the exchange from the shadows. In the [[Nalbina Dungeons]], Balthier sends Fran to find an escape route. In the manga, Vaan intervenes when a [[seeq]] prisoner attacks a former [[Dalmasca (Final Fantasy XII)|Dalmasca]]n soldier and has the Goddess's Magicite seized from him. Balthier attempts to teach Vaan why he lost by challenging him to a coin toss game; Vaan must guess which hand he holds the coin in. If Vaan fails, he will turn over his chestpiece from his late brother [[Reks]] as a prize, but Vaan demands Balthier wager his airship. Vaan loses and Fran returns and reveals she has the coin and Balthier's hands are empty. Balthier had won using the magick spells [[Decoy]] and [[Vanish]] to distract Vaan, tossing a fake coin while throwing the invisible real coin to Fran, and Vaan lost because he was too naive to think of sneakier tactics and didn't watch his surroundings. Fran had found an exit and Balthier decides to make their move in two hours after investigating the Resistance. Vaan declares he will have recovered the Goddess's Magicite by that time. Vaan defies Balthier's lesson and reclaims the Goddess's Magicite without dirty tricks, and flees to reconvene with Balthier. In the game, Balthier finds Vaan in battle with three [[Daguza (Final Fantasy XII)|seeq dungeon masters]] and joins the fray. After their victory, Balthier and Vaan hide within the dungeon arena where Balthier overhears Ba'Gamnan, who has followed him to Nalbina, along with Judge Gabranth. With Fran they follow Gabranth into an Oubliette where they find an emaciated [[Basch fon Ronsenburg]] imprisoned. Following Gabranth's departure, Basch pleads with the party to set him free. Balthier is indifferent, but Vaan cannot control his rage at the King-Slayer, said to have also killed Vaan's brother Reks, and jumps atop Basch's cage, attracting the guards. Fran asks everyone to hold onto the cage and drops it to the [[Barheim Passage]], inadvertently freeing Basch. Balthier allows him to join the party as another sword arm, as they navigate their way to an exit. Basch explains it was his twin brother [[Judge Gabranth|Gabranth]] who killed the king and Vaan's brother in his guise; Balthier notes the two do have similar faces. Back in Rabanastre, the party disperses. While Vaan and Basch go meet the Resistance, Balthier and Fran retire to the Sandsea tavern. Balthier is accosted by the [[bangaa]] [[Migelo]], who claims Ba'Gamnan has kidnapped Penelo because he mistook her as someone close to Balthier. His act of kindness to Penelo, when he offered his handkerchief, has been repaid with trouble for them all. Balthier is initially unwilling to go to [[Bhujerba]] to rescue her, but Basch asks him to fly him there so he can meet [[Halim Ondore IV|Marquis Ondore]], and when Vaan promises Balthier the Goddess's Magicite in return, he agrees to fly them all to the sky city. [[File:Final-Fantasy-XII-The-Zodiac-Age Vaan, Balthier and Larsa.jpg|thumb|left|Balthier, "Lamont", and Vaan in Lhusu Mines]] In Bhujerba, the group meets a youth who introduces himself as Lamont. Balthier is suspicious, but allows the boy to accompany them to the [[Lhusu Mines]] where the Archadian Empire is mining magicite to be used in the [[Draklor Laboratory]] in Archades, and where Ba'Gamnan is said to be holding Penelo captive. Hearing about the magicite piques Balthier's interest, and he attempts to force the boy to reveal his true identity as [[Larsa Ferrinas Solidor|Larsa Solidor]], but Ba'Gamnan interrupts the group and they escape. On their way out, the party watches Larsa aid Penelo, who had been caught wandering the mines alone after being set free by Ba'Gamnan, and take her to Marquis Ondore's estate as his guest. Balthier suggests they attract the Resistance's attention to gain entrance into the estate. After Vaan spreads rumors of the supposedly executed Basch still being alive, the Resistance grants them an audience. To reunite Basch with Amalia, Ondore alerts Judge Ghis and has them arrested and taken aboard the Imperial flagship [[Dreadnought Leviathan|Dreadnought ''Leviathan'']]. Amalia's true identity is that of the reportedly dead Princess [[Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca]]. Judge Ghis takes the Goddess's Magicite from Vaan, and Amalia's accomplice in the Resistance, [[Vossler York Azelas|Vossler]], helps the party escape on an ''[[Atomos (Final Fantasy XII)|Atomos]]'' Imperial carrier ship back to Bhujerba. [[Ashe]] is advised to stay within Ondore's estate lest she undermine Ondore's plans, but Balthier finds her aboard the ''Strahl'', attempting to steal it. [[File:Balthier threatened.jpg|thumb|right|Balthier threatened by Judge Ghis onboard the ''Leviathan'']] She asks Balthier to "kidnap" her and take her to the [[Tomb of Raithwall]] where the proof of her royal lineage lies; with it she hopes to reclaim Dalmasca's throne. Balthier is reluctant yet tempted by Ashe's promise of King [[Raithwall]]'s treasure, and so Balthier, Fran, Basch, Vaan and Penelo accompany her across the [[Ogir-Yensa Sandsea|Ogir-Yensa]] and [[Nam-Yensa Sandsea|Nam-Yensa]] Sandseas to Raithwall's Tomb. Vossler, who accompanies the party, voices his disdain of traveling with sky pirates. After fighting the [[Esper (Final Fantasy XII)|Esper]] [[Belias (Final Fantasy XII boss)|Belias]], Ashe acquires a piece of deifacted nethicite, the [[Dawn Shard]]. Much to Balthier's disappointment, the treasure of Raithwall's Tomb turns out to be control of the Esper, and naught of monetary value. Ashe tells him the Dawn Shard is a prize of value "beyond measure". "Call me old-fashioned," replies Balthier, "but I was hoping for a treasure whose worth we '''''could''''' measure." Upon exiting the tomb, Ghis's [[Archadian Imperial Fleets|Imperial Fleet]] accosts them; it seems Vossler has betrayed them. Ghis takes the Dawn Shard and attempts to evaluate it; his experiment unleashes the nethicite's magick and destroys the entire 8th Archadian Fleet. Balthier pilots another carrier ship to escape with the others; spotting the Dawn Shard glinting in the sky after the explosion, he steers the ship to retrieve it before descending to Rabanastre. After witnessing the nethicite's power, Ashe decides to wield it as her weapon to restore Dalmasca, but does not know how to use it. She wants Balthier to accompany her to [[Jahara]] to ask the [[garif]]'s help, but Balthier is skeptical. As collateral, Balthier requests a ring on Ashe's finger. Leaving the ''Strahl'', damaged in the 8th Fleet's destruction, the group walks to Jahara, but the garif can not answer Ashe's questions. They meet up with Larsa who wishes for Ashe to become queen and ally with the Empire to quell the looming war with [[Rozarria]]. Basch questions Balthier's intentions, worried for Ashe's safety. Balthier accompanies the party through [[Golmore Jungle (Final Fantasy XII)|Golmore Jungle]] to [[Mt Bur-Omisace]], where they meet with Gran Kiltias [[Anastasis]]. They also learn the Emperor [[Gramis Gana Solidor]] has been murdered, with Vayne succeeding him, foiling their plan for a truce. Anastasis tells them of a sword that can cut through nethicite, and while Larsa remains behind, the rest of the group heads off to the [[Stilshrine of Miriam]] where Ashe retrieves the [[Sword of Kings (weapon)|Sword of Kings]]. With the sword, she vows to destroy the Empire's nethicite, and the party heads to Doctor Cid's laboratory in [[Archades]]. When they stop to rest in the [[Phon Coast]]'s Hunters' Camp, Balthier questions Ashe's intentions, comparing her drive to that of his father's. He reveals his Imperial past and his relation to Doctor Cid, as well as his suspicions about a creature his father spoke of named [[Venat (Final Fantasy XII)|Venat]]. He vows to persevere in their endeavor to cut the ties to his past, and implores Ashe to not allow the stone's power to consume her, as it did his father. [[File:Draklorlab.jpg|thumb|left|Balthier leads the way through his father's laboratory.]] In Archades, Balthier briefly splits from the party. They come across Balthier's old acquaintance, [[Jules (Final Fantasy XII)|Jules]], who embezzles the chops given to him by Balthier to give to Vaan and the others. They reconvene and head to the [[Draklor Laboratory]] in search of Cid, but find the lab suspiciously lacking in Imperial presence. On discovering Cid's ransacked office, Balthier inspects some old papers and questions what madness found him six years ago in the [[Jagd Difohr]]. On the 70th floor, they find [[Reddas]], a sky pirate; alone, he has cut his way through the guards and soldiers. They follow him to Cid, where Balthier demands he turn over the Dusk Shard, the very same Goddess's Magicite that Judge Ghis had taken from the party earlier. Balthier is forced to draw his weapon when Cid challenges the party, backed by the power of nethicite and his [[Occuria]]n ally, Venat. Balthier realizes Cid was never mad, and when he appeared to be speaking to thin air, he was actually conversing with Venat, a mysterious being who can make itself invisible to anyone it chooses. Cid retreats and claims to be heading out to the Ancient City of [[Giruvegan]] to gather more nethicite. The party heads for [[Balfonheim Port]] with their new ally, Reddas, where he explains the war is inevitable, with the Marquis and the Resistance ready to engage Vayne and the Imperial Forces. Now that it is Cid and not Vayne who holds the nethicite, the party sees the way to prevent the war is to follow him to Giruvegan. Balthier reveals he knows of Reddas's true identity by telling the story of a certain Judge Zecht, whose inadvertent use of the [[Midlight Shard]] in [[Necrohol of Nabudis|Nabudis]] two years ago destroyed the city. Invoking Reddas' past, Balthier warns Reddas against using the nethicite. Dr. Cid is not in Giruvegan, and the party realizes he had tricked them into going there. In the heart of the [[Great Crystal (Final Fantasy XII)|Great Crystal]], the party meets the [[Occuria]], who name Ashe as the new Dynast King and grant her the [[Treaty-Blade]] to carve out new shards of deifacted nethicite from the motherlode, the [[Sun-Cryst]]. The ''Strahl'' is finally fixed by Balthier's [[Moogle (race)|moogle]] mechanic, [[Nono]], while Reddas gives them a manufacted skystone that allows it to fly over [[Jagd]] and accompanies them to the [[Ridorana Cataract (Final Fantasy XII)|Ridorana Cataract]]. Balthier tells Vaan to take the ''Strahl'' should anything happen to him. Atop the [[Pharos (Final Fantasy XII)|Pharos]], the party finds the Sun-Cryst, but instead of using it to obtain more nethicite, Ashe attempts to destroy it. She is intercepted by Cid, and Balthier again fights his father, this time fatally wounding Cid. Balthier watches his father fade into [[Mist (Final Fantasy XII)|Mist]], and up to his dying breath, Cid believes what he was doing was best for mankind. The Sun-Cryst has awakened the Empire's ultimate weapon, the battleship Sky Fortress ''Bahamut'', and the Mist the Cryst seethes seems impossible to stop. Overwhelmed by Mist, Fran falls to the ground and insists they go without her, but Balthier vows to not leave her behind. Reddas sacrifices his life to destroy the Sun-Cryst while the others escape. [[File:Balthiersavesfran.jpg|thumb|Balthier saves Fran inside the ''Bahamut'']] As the [[Battle above Rabanastre]] is about to break out, Balthier pilots the group to infiltrate the Sky Fortress ''Bahamut'' where they confront Vayne, who merges with Venat to destroy them. Despite their allegiance, Vayne and Venat are defeated, and while the others escape the ''Bahamut'' on the ''Strahl'' piloted by Vaan, Balthier and Fran remain behind to repair the damaged engines and stop ''Bahamut'' from falling on Rabanastre. Balthier fixes the ''Bahamut's'' glossair rings in time, but he and Fran are stuck inside as the sky fortress crash-lands outside the city, the two seeming to have perished in the crash. A year later, Balthier and Fran reclaim the ''Strahl'' from Vaan and Penelo, who had been looking after it, leaving behind a note and Ashe's ring, signifying Balthier has found the treasure he was looking for. Balthier explains he is going for the [[Glabados Ruins|Cache of Glabados]] in [[Bervenia Region|Bervenia]], asking Vaan and Penelo to join in on the spoils. === ''[[Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings]]'' === [[File:Balthier RW.png|right|125px|Balthier as he appears in ''Revenant Wings''.]] {{Quote|Roses have thorns—this much I've come to expect. But you, my dear, poison yours. You've no sense of fair play.|Balthier to the Judge of Wings}} Vaan and Penelo arrive at the Glabados Ruins to meet Balthier and Fran who have made their way to the Cache chamber and defeated the [[Ifrit (Revenant Wings)|Ifrit]] guarding it. The foursome spy twin [[auracite]] crystals atop a pedestal and Balthier teases Vaan he's too young to partake in any treasure, and moves in to take both crystals. When Vaan protests, Balthier laughs and throws him the green crystal, taking the purple one for himself. The ruins begin to crumble and the sky pirates make their way to their respective airships, but the falling debris destroys Vaan's. Balthier returns Vaan and Penelo to [[Rabanastre (Final Fantasy XII)|Lowtown]]. Soon after, Balthier makes his way to [[Lemurés (Revenant Wings)|Lemurés]] to search for the [[auralith]]s and ends up confronting the [[Judge of Wings]] at the [[Fane of Tehp Qul]]. The Judge reveals what went on between her and Balthier by projecting her memories into Vaan and his allies' minds. In the flashback, Balthier is seen in the same Fane, with an unconscious Fran behind him. The Judge of Wings approaches him from the right, and the auralith is still intact between them. Balthier acknowledges the Judge's power, but says she has been holding on to her illusion of Eternity for too long. He throws the purple crystal he found in the Glabados Ruins in the air and shatters it with a gun blast before it reaches the Judge. [[File:XIIRW-SkyPirates.jpg|left|180px]] His auracite willingly destroyed, Balthier points his gun at the Judge, vowing to stop her from pursuing her goal of eternal life. Before he can fire, the Judge uses her own crystal to summon the [[Esper (Revenant Wings)|Esper]] [[Shiva (Revenant Wings)|Shiva]], who appears behind Balthier and uses [[Diamond Dust (ability)|Diamond Dust]] to render Balthier unconscious. He and Fran are left lying on the floor. The two escape this encounter, as Fran meets Vaan on the island of [[Lemurés (Revenant Wings)#Arda, Heaven's Pillar|Arda, Heaven's Pillar]], and leads them to the [[Ymir Qul Underground]], where Balthier waits. Ba'Gamnan interrupts the reunion and the party battles the group of [[bangaa]] before they reach Balthier. After Ba'Gamnan's defeat, Balthier shocks Vaan by moving to destroy the auralith. Fran defects to her partner's side, and the two summon a group of Yarhi for Vaan and his party to deal with. Though Balthier and Fran are defeated, Balthier starts up the machines flanking the second auralith, which is subsequently destroyed. The auralith's demise frees a great deal of [[aegyl]] [[Anima (Revenant Wings)|anima]]. Vaan, Penelo, [[Llyud]], [[Filo]], and [[Kytes]] are sent to [[Lemurés (Revenant Wings)#Lesrekta, Isle of Illusions|Lesrekta, Isle of Illusions]], while Balthier and Fran commandeer to Vaan's new airship, the ''[[Galbana]]''. After Vaan's return, Balthier explains he destroyed the auralith to restore the aegyls' souls; by releasing the anima, Balthier prevented the Judge of Wings from getting to the crystal first and stealing the anima within. The motivation behind the Judge's actions and the aegyl god, [[Feolthanos]], are finally understood, and Balthier and Fran join the allied party for good. {{endspoiler}} == Gameplay == [[File:FF12 Char Model - Balthier.png|100px|right|Character model.]] {{main|Balthier (Final Fantasy XII party member)|Balthier (Revenant Wings gameplay)}} In ''Final Fantasy XII'', Balthier has high [[Final Fantasy XII stats#Strength|Strength]] and the highest [[Final Fantasy XII stats#Speed|Speed]], but low [[Final Fantasy XII stats#MP|MP]] and [[Final Fantasy XII stats#Magick Power|Magick Power]]. He is best suited to equip [[Final Fantasy XII weapons|weapons]] with damage reliant on Strength and Speed. Balthier's default [[License Board|licenses]] differ based on releases. In the original release, he has Guns 1 and 2, Steal, Shields 1, Light Armor 1 and 2 and Heavy Armor 1 learned. In the Zodiac Job System releases, he has Steal, Guns 1, First Aid and Light Armor 1 learned. [[File:Balthier-ffxii-sprite.png|left]] Attacking 300 times adds Balthier's sprite to [[Sky Pirate's Den]] of ''Final Fantasy XII'' and grants the player the title of Assault Striker. In ''Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings'', Balthier equips [[Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings weapons#Balthier's guns|guns]]. His [[Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings armor#Balthier's tops|armor]] equips—sleeveless tops—all favor Defense over Magick Defense. His accessories are [[Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings accessories#Balthier's rings|rings]]. He takes on the role of a ranged fighter. His Quickening, Element of Treachery, deals heavy damage to one foe, and is learned after defeating the Esper [[Shemhazai (Revenant Wings)|Shemhazai]]. Balthier is fought as a [[Balthier (boss)|boss]] along with [[Fran (boss)|Fran]]. Only Balthier and Vaan retain their original Quickenings from ''Final Fantasy XII'' in ''Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings'': Element of Treachery for Balthier and Pyroclasm for Vaan. == Other appearances == {{main|/Other appearances|t1=Balthier other appearances}} Balthier has made appearances in the following games in the [[Final Fantasy series|''Final Fantasy'' series]]: * ''[[/Other appearances#Fortress|Fortress]]'' as a cameo (cancelled). * ''[[Balthier (Tactics)|Final Fantasy Tactics]]'' as a playable character. * ''[[/Other appearances#Final Fantasy Tactics S|Final Fantasy Tactics S]]'' as a playable character. * ''[[/Other appearances#Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy|Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy]]'' as a cameo. * ''[[Balthier (Opera Omnia)|Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia]]'' as a playable character. * ''[[Balthier (Theatrhythm)|Theatrhythm Final Fantasy]]'' as a playable character. * ''[[Balthier (Theatrhythm)|Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call]]'' as a playable character. * ''[[/Other appearances#Pictlogica Final Fantasy|Pictlogica Final Fantasy]]'' as a playable character. * ''[[/Other appearances#Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade|Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade]]'' as summonable [[Legend (Airborne Brigade)|Legend]]. * ''[[/Other appearances#Final Fantasy Artniks|Final Fantasy Artniks]]'' as a series of [[Final Fantasy Artniks cards|cards]]. * ''[[/Other appearances#Final Fantasy All the Bravest|Final Fantasy All the Bravest]]'' as a playable character. * ''[[Balthier (Record Keeper)|Final Fantasy Record Keeper]]'' as a playable character. * ''[[Balthier (Brave Exvius)|Final Fantasy Brave Exvius]]'' as a summonable vision. * ''[[Balthier (World of Final Fantasy)|World of Final Fantasy]]'' as a summonable DLC [[Champion]]. * ''[[/Other appearances#Final Fantasy Trading Card Game|Final Fantasy Trading Card Game]]'' as a series of [[Final Fantasy Trading Card Game cards|cards]]. * ''[[/Other appearances#Triple Triad|Triple Triad]]'' as a card. === Non-''Final Fantasy'' appearances === {{main|Balthier/Other appearances#Guest appearances|t1=Balthier non-Final Fantasy appearances}} Balthier has made key guest appearances in the following non-''Final Fantasy'' games: * ''[[/Other appearances#Itadaki Street|Itadaki Street]]'' as a playable character. == Other media == Users in Square Enix Members Virtual World community can make their character appear as Balthier. Balthier's hair costs 100 crystals and his clothes cost 480 crystals. Additionally, in ''[[wikipedia:Gunslinger Stratos 2|Gunslinger Stratos 2]]'', Balthier's costume was released on November 6, 2014. The Ivalician Sky Pirate gear set in ''[[Final Fantasy XIV]]'', obtained in [[The Orbonne Monastery (Final Fantasy XIV)|The Orbonne Monastery]], is based on Balthier's outfit. <gallery> FFXII Virtual World Balthier.png|An avatar dressed as Balthier from the Square-Enix Members Virtual World. GS2 Balthier.png|''Gunslinger Stratos 2'' costume. </gallery> == Musical themes == "The Fates" is Balthier's theme, though only vaguely in ''Final Fantasy XII,'' as it plays during cutscenes for many major character and the only hint of being his theme is the short appearance of the motif in "Balthier's Promise". ''Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings'' uses "The Fates" as specifically Balthier's theme. A remix of "The Fates" plays when summoning Balthier in ''[[World of Final Fantasy|World of Final Fantasy Maxima]]''. == Behind the scenes == [[File:BalthierUO.jpg|thumb|left|Concept art for a flashback scene.]] ''[[Final Fantasy XII Ultimania Omega]]'' details that a flashback scene to Balthier's younger days was planned for the game, and a character design was drawn for it. The render for young Balthier was finished, and his Yoshida especially noted that the glasses' texture was of good quality.<ref>{{Refwebsite| page url = http://iamfangu.tumblr.com/post/71949102751/so-tresdias-squall-of-seed-finished-the-page-3| page name = Balthier's Early Days from the FFXII Ultimania Omega translation| site url = http://iamfangu.tumblr.com/| site name = Rant by Fangu on Tumblr| access time = 20180821203859}} |</ref> The flashback scene was cut but his unused flashback attire resembles somewhat the one he wears in ''[[Final Fantasy Tactics|Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions]]''. Balthier has been called a "completely original character" by creator Akihiko Yoshida, having not used any previous ''Final Fantasy'' character as a reference.<ref>{{Refwebsite| page url = https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/05/12/e3-2006-interview-with-the-final-fantasy-xii-staff| page name = E3 2006: Interview with the Final Fantasy XII Staff| site url = https://www.ign.com/| access time = 20140714175542}}</ref> Balthier has been compared to other characters in fiction. Simon Wigham of Console Obsession called Balthier his "favorite by quite a wide margin", comparing him to James Bond due to his "humorous lines".<ref>{{Refwebsite| page url = http://www.consoleob.com/playstation/ps2/final-fantasy-xii-ps2-review/| page name = Final Fantasy XII PS2 Review| site url = http://www.consoleob.com/| site name = Console Obsession| access time = 20180821203229}}</ref> RPGFan editor Stephen Harris compared his voice to that of Ian Fleming's depiction of Bond.<ref>{{Refwebsite| page url = http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/finalfantasy12/index.html| page name = Final Fantasy XII review| site url = http://www.rpgfan.com/| site name = RPGFan| access time = 20180821203342}}</ref> 1UP.com editor Andrew Pfister compared the duo of Balthier and Fran to that of Han Solo and Chewbacca, two characters from the ''Star Wars'' franchise, adding that they are far more interesting than any other character in the "modern FF era".<ref>{{Refwebsitedead| page url = http://www.1up.com/reviews/final-fantasy-xii_4| page name = Final Fantasy XII Review for PS2| site url = http://www.1up.com/| site name = 1UP.com| access time = 20160617015023}}</ref> Balthier was originally considered to appear in ''[[Dissidia Final Fantasy (2008)|Dissidia Final Fantasy]]'', but was left out as he had recently appeared in ''Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions''. [[Vaan (Dissidia PSP)|Vaan]] was set to appear in his place, but was ultimately replaced by [[Gabranth (Dissidia PSP)|Judge Gabranth]]. Balthier's hair, sleeves, and earrings are static in the PlayStation 4 version of ''The Zodiac Age''. This has been fixed for the PC version, where they move in the wind. Balthier is currently the only Mid in the series to be a playable character. === Voice === {{audio|filename=BalthierVoice 1.ogg|dialogue=Princess! No need to worry. I hope you haven't forgotten my role in this little story. I'm the leading man. You know what they say about the leading man? He never dies!|title=Gideon Emery as Balthier}} In the English version of ''Final Fantasy XII'' and ''Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions'', Balthier is voiced by [[Gideon Emery]]. In the Japanese version, he is voiced by [[wikipedia:Hiroaki Hirata|Hiroaki Hirata]]. Coincidentally, given Balthier's status as a sky pirate, Hirata also provides the voice of the pirate [[wikipedia:Jack Sparrow|Jack Sparrow]] in ''{{KHWiki|Kingdom Hearts II}}'', and has also done Japanese dubbing of various other [[wikipedia:Johnny Depp|Johnny Depp]] roles. He is also the Japanese voice actor for [[w:c:onepiece:Sanji|Sanji]], pirate chef of the [[w:c:onepiece:Straw Hat Pirates|Straw Hat crew]] in ''[[w:c:onepiece:One Piece|One Piece]]''. Balthier, along with Basch and Ashe, speaks in formalized English in contrast to Vaan and Penelo's more casual style. In Japanese, Balthier, Ashe and Basch use an older, more formal form of Japanese than Vaan and Penelo. Both reflect his background of being Arcadian nobility and the son of a scholar. While the medieval tone comes from the original game, the localizers could decide on the specific accents the characters would use and voice models were used to guide the writing: Balthier was Aragorn from the ''Lord of the Rings''.<ref name=edge>EDGE #278 ''Tale of Tales Meet Alexander O Smith the translator who's brought some of Japan's biggest RPGs to the West'' p. 94</ref> When Gideon Emery came on the localization team's radar, the casting director Jack Fletcher thought he was perfect for the part. Emery wasn't previously familiar with the ''Final Fantasy'' series, which allowed him to escape any extra pressure. Back when the voices for ''Final Fantasy XII'' were recorded, the actor would go in to their voice agent's booth to record. Emery did a take or two with the in-house engineer and then forgot about it until he got the call. He got to use his own accent, a rarity then. Emery had around six recording sessions totaling around 24 hours of recording time. Up until that point he had never done more than one session for a specific game.<ref name="5do-tdOd">{{Refwebsite| page url = http://www.usgamer.net/articles/a-voice-for-ivalice-the-localization-and-voice-acting-of-final-fantasy-xii| page name = A Voice for Ivalice: The Localization and Voice Acting of Final Fantasy XII| site url = http://www.usgamer.net| site name = US Gamer| access time = 15:35, April 23, 2018 (UTC)}}</ref> {{clear}} == Merchandise == Balthier has a [[Play Arts]] action figure released as part of the ''Final Fantasy XII'' set. Play Arts released a new figure to commemorate the release of the ''Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age''. Balthier also has a miniature figure in the [[Final Fantasy Trading Arts Mini]] Vol. 3. Balthier in his ''Final Fantasy Tactics'' appearance is part of the Final Fantasy Tactics Trading Arts set. He appears alongside Fran and their hoverbike in a polystone Sculpture Arts statue. <gallery> FFXII Balthier Play Arts.jpg|Balthier's Play Arts figure. Balthier-Play-Arts-FFXII.png|Play Arts re-release figure. Trading-Arts-Mini.jpg|Balthier is part of the Trading Arts Mini series. FFT-Trading-Arts-Balthier.png|Tactics Trading Arts. Fran-Balthier-Hoverbike-Sculpture-FFXII.jpg|Final Fantasy Sculpture Arts. </gallery> == Gallery == {{Main|/Gallery|t1=Balthier gallery}} ==Etymology== Balthier's middle name "mied" {{J|ミド|Mido}} is a romanticized spelling of [[Mid]], a recurring name of characters related to [[Cid]]. Balthier shares his last name, Bunansa, with [[Mustadio Bunansa|Mustadio]] and [[Besrudio Bunansa]] from ''Final Fantasy Tactics''. It is unknown if there is any relation between the characters. == References == {{Reflist}} {{citations}} ==External links== *[[wikipedia:Balthier|Balthier at Wikipedia]] {{navbox characters FFXII}} {{navbox XIIRW}} [[de:Balthier]] [[pt-br:Balthier]] [[ru:Балфир]] [[Category:Characters in Final Fantasy XII]] [[Category:Characters in Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings]] [[Category:Gunners]] [[Category:Sky Pirates]] [[Category:Hume in Ivalice]] [[Category:Mid]]
Summary:
Please note that all contributions to the Final Fantasy Wiki are considered to be released under the CC-BY-SA
Cancel
Editing help
(opens in new window)
Templates used on this page:
Template:A
(
view source
)
Template:Audio
(
view source
)
Template:Citations
(
view source
)
Template:Clear
(
view source
) (semi-protected)
Template:Endspoiler
(
view source
)
Template:Infobox character
(
view source
)
Template:J
(
view source
)
Template:KHWiki
(
view source
)
Template:Main
(
view source
)
Template:Navbox
(
view source
)
Template:Navbox XIIRW
(
view source
)
Template:Navbox characters FFXII
(
view source
)
Template:Quote
(
view source
)
Template:Refbook
(
view source
)
Template:Reflist
(
view source
)
Template:Refwebsite
(
view source
)
Template:Refwebsitedead
(
view source
)
Template:SL
(
view source
)
Template:Spoiler
(
view source
)
Module:Codename
(
view source
) (semi-protected)
Module:Codename/data
(
view source
) (semi-protected)
Module:Codename/data/rel
(
edit
)
Module:Codename/data/rel/FFV
(
edit
)
Module:Codename/data/rel/FFVI
(
edit
)
Module:Codename/data/rel/FFVII
(
edit
)
Module:Codename/data/rel/FFVIII
(
edit
)
Module:Codename/data/rel/FFVIIR
(
edit
)
Module:Codename/data/rel/FFVIIR2
(
edit
)
Module:Codename/data/rel/FFXII
(
edit
)
Module:Codename/data/rel/FFXIV
(
edit
)
Module:Codename/data/ser
(
edit
)
Module:Context-link
(
edit
)
Module:Foot
(
edit
)
Module:Japanese
(
edit
)
Module:Navbox
(
edit
)
Module:Quote
(
edit
)
Module:Refs
(
edit
)
Module:Table
(
edit
)
Follow on IG
TikTok
Join Fan Lab