Garland is a warrior of Spiritus in Dissidia Final Fantasy NT and its arcade version, representing the original Final Fantasy. He is a Vanguard-type character who wields a large sword. Garland returns from his original appearance in the 2008 Dissidia Final Fantasy and Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy, in which he had a very similar combat style.
Garland's default player name is Nameless Stalwart, and his manikin counterpart is renamed the False Heretic.
Profile[]
Appearance[]
Garland's default costume is the "Knight of the Cycle", a new appearance for Garland compared to previous Dissidia games. His horned helmet has a more monstrous design; his smaller horns are longer and pointed, and his longer horns have blue accents that replace the original silver base. The helmet reveals more of Garland's face and its eyes are more slit-shaped. His cape no longer covers his shoulders, and his pauldrons are larger and pointed. The first alternate coloration is identical to his "Stalwart's Armor" coloration from the PlayStation Portable Dissidia games. The second alternate coloration darkens his armor black and changes his cape purple, resembling Garland's 20th Anniversary battle sprite 
.
His first alternate costume, "Hardened Zealot", is an updated version of his original attire while in his "Class Change" EX Mode from the PSP Dissidia games. Garland's white armor and cape symbolizes his time as a heroic knight of Cornelia before his fall from grace. The first alternate coloration of this costume recolors his armor black, and his cape yellow. The cape has a unique pattern on its underside. The second recolors his armor bronze with black accents, and his horns are colored purple.
Personality[]
Garland stays rivals with the Warrior of Light, believing that fate demands that they do battle. He is nonetheless reasonable, accepting Noctis's offer for a truce to put a stop to the planesgorgers. Garland implies that he remembers the original time loop that he instigated by stating "Even though we are no longer bound by time, we are still bound by destiny to fight!"
Equipment[]
Garland wields greatswords. All of his weapons, bar Rebellion, which acts as Garland's signature weapon; recur throughout the series and are normally associated with the Dark Knight and Samurai job classes.
His default weapon, Rebellion, is a large decorated purple sword with golden ornaments and accents. Garland's first alternate weapon is the Chaosbringer, a crude black volcanic iron blade with glowing magma running along fissures on its body and surface. It originates from his "Cloudsea Djinn" attire while in EX Mode from Dissidia 012. His second alternate weapon is Balmung, an original sword for Garland said to be a holy knight sword once wielded by him during his days serving Cornelia. It is an enormous double-bladed broadsword accentuated with inlaid metal details, and has a wing-themed crossguard. Garland's third alternate weapon is Zanmato, which has another original design for Garland. The weapon itself resembles Spiritus's greatsword, with the blade featuring more inlaid edges. The wielding portion is decorated with a spiked guard fashioned in the motif of an oni, with the handle wrapped in the fashion of a katana and adorned with a knotted string at its pommel.
Garland has an extra alternate weapon, Claymore, his original weapon used in the PSP games. This was available to players who pre-ordered at GameStop in US territories or purchased Dissidia Final Fantasy NT on day one in European and Asian territories.
Story[]
Garland in Spiritus's tower.
Garland is summoned as a warrior of Spiritus to fight in the new war and is the first to arrive at his tower. When Spiritus communicates with Materia, Garland silently watches as Spiritus declares his intentions to rule World B.
Garland confronts the Warrior of Light in the gateway that resembles Cornelia, and challenges him to a fight. Despite being accompanied by two manikins, Garland is ultimately defeated by the Warrior, Cecil, and Noctis. After the battle, the Warrior of Light asks Garland whether Spiritus's true motive is to destroy the world, and Garland explains Spiritus does not desire that. After confirming that Spiritus is willing to overlook a grudge against Materia for the best interests of their respective worlds, Garland accompanies the three to the god's domain to establish communication with Materia.
Warrior of Light clashes against Garland.
Upon arrival, Shantotto initiates the discussion between the two gods. Once Materia and Spiritus come to a truce, the champions on both sides engage in a stage battle to lure out Shinryu, the source of the planesgorgers that threaten to eradicate the world. During the ensuing fight, Garland briefly duels with Noctis and Lightning, before taking up arms against the Warrior of Light. Once the battle energy summons Shinryu, Garland participates in a joint attack against the dragon, but is repelled as Shinryu reveals his true form in a potent burst of power. Once the warriors regain their composure, they work together to defeat Shinryu.
Afterwards, the moogles give Garland a crystal to host his memories for Spiritus to use in the new cycles of wars. With a crystal doppelgänger of himself to serve on Spiritus's behalf, Garland is sent home.
Gameplay[]
- Type: Vanguard - By hitting the opponent with consecutive attacks, Garland can receive a buff that stacks up to two times and enhances attack potency while extending the effect's duration.
Successfully landing repeated attacks on his enemies grants Garland a temporary buff called "Deranged Soul" that increases the speed and power of his Bravery attacks, and can stack up to two times for greater potency. This means Garland is an aggressive character who should not go long without landing hits to maintain his Deranged Soul buff. His Bravery attacks are slow but powerful, and often Wall Rush opponents to set them up for combos. He is most adept at close-range but has some charging attacks to close distance.
Abilities[]
| Move | Damage | Input | Type | Power | Frame Data | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round Edge | Bravery | 
|
Ground | 
| ||
| Swing around your sword while moving forward, then slice into your foe with an axe. | ||||||
| Reel | Bravery | 
|
Ground | 
| ||
| Shoot a chain forth from your sword that draws in your foe, and then send them flying with a sword blow. | ||||||
| Thundaga | Bravery | 
|
Ground | 
| ||
| Slam your axe into the earth and send a pillar of slow-moving lightning towards your opponent. | ||||||
| Twin Swords | Bravery |
|
Aerial | 
| ||
| Descend upon your foe with a flurry of blows from your two blades, and then finish them off with your axe. | ||||||
| Chain Cast | Bravery |
|
Aerial | 
| ||
| Send a chain flying forth from your sword and swing it up and down. | ||||||
| Flare | Bravery |
|
Aerial | 
| ||
| Ready your greatsword before setting off a series of explosions in the direction of your foe. | ||||||
| Lance Drill | Bravery |
|
Dash | 
| ||
Morph your greatsword into a spear and rush forward. Hold down  to increase how far forward you rush.
| ||||||
| Earthquake | HP | 
|
— | 
| ||
| Smash foes into the earth from above with this midrange attack. Damage increases based on falling height. | ||||||
| Tsunami | HP |
|
— | 
| ||
| Call forth a column of water that pursues the enemy. | ||||||
| Blaze | HP |
|
— | 
| ||
| Engulf all nearby enemies in a conflagration. | ||||||
| Cyclone | HP |
|
— | 
| ||
| Manifest a cyclone that pursues distant enemies. | ||||||
| Deranged Soul | EX Skill | 
|
— | 
| ||
Restrain your opponent and do continuous damage to them. Hold down  to maintain your grasp.
| ||||||
Gallery[]
Etymology[]
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), possible a reference to the original Garland being killed in the first dungeon the player completes in Final Fantasy. The name may also stem from a garland being something that forms a loop, alluding to the time loop in which the first Garland in Final Fantasy becomes involved.
Behind the scenes[]
Garland was redesigned from the original Dissidia, giving him a new helmet, additional gold plating on his armor, a new variant of his claymore, and facing to the left like the concept arts of the other Warriors of Chaos. He is the only returning character to have new concept art by Tetsuya Nomura for his base appearance, which has not been officially released, only shown in magazine articles.
Allusions[]
- When using Earthquake in the arcade version, Garland will declare that he will "knock you all down," a reference to his line before the player fights Garland for the first time in Final Fantasy.
- The music that plays during Garland's reveal trailer is the Dissidia Final Fantasy NT arrangement of "Chaos Shrine".
- The original Japanese name of Garland's EX Skill Deranged Soul is Soul of Chaos, the name of his EX Burst in the original Dissidia, which in turn takes its name from the four bonus dungeons added to the Gameboy Advance port of the original Final Fantasy.
- Many of Garland's custom dialogue lines are a combination of his dialogue from Final Fantasy and the PSP Dissidia.
- "This is the cycle of battle" is what he said to the Warrior of Light when fighting him at the end of the Warrior's storyline.
- "I, Garland, will knock you all down" is his famous quote before fighting the Warriors of Light in Final Fantasy.
- "Embrace the pleasures that combat has to offer" is a paraphrase of what he said to the Warrior of Light in Dissidia, "It is time for you to accept the cycle and embrace combat's grim pleasure!"
- "Even as you die again and again, I shall return" is what he said in Final Fantasy before transforming into Chaos.
- "No one touches my princess!" is what he said when the Warriors of Light arrived to rescue Princess Sarah in Final Fantasy.
- "You are me...and I...am you" is what he said to Chaos near the end of the original Dissidia.