Ghido, also known as Gill,[1] is a character from Final Fantasy V. He is an ancient sentient turtle who lives in a cave on Galuf's world, and is a sage known for his wisdom. Ghido offers his wisdom to the Light Warriors in their quest against Exdeath, but mocks those who are slow to catch on. Despite his age, Ghido is a capable fighter.
History[]
Before Final Fantasy V[]
Ghido was born over 700 years before Final Fantasy V,[2] in Galuf's world. Ghido was aware of a legend that Galuf's world made up only one half of Planet R and that the worlds had split around 300 years before his birth to seal the Void created by Enuo, but did not believe it was true. He had also heard fables of the Library of the Ancients, but did not know it existed in Bartz's world.[3]
When Exdeath came to be 500 years before Final Fantasy V, as a tree in the Great Forest of Moore, Ghido kept Exdeath at bay for 470 years using a seal, before he broke free, at which point the Dawn Warriors sealed him away in Bartz's world.[4][note 1] Ghido prophesized that the crystals in Bartz's world would break and Exdeath would return,[2] prompting a few from Galuf's world to use meteorites to prevent it. One of these was Galuf Halm Baldesion, previously a Dawn Warrior, who the crystals selected as one of the Light Warriors.
Final Fantasy V[]
When the Light Warriors battled a returned Exdeath in Galuf's world, Ghido psychically called Krile Mayer Baldesion to relay to the Light Warriors to find Ghido. When they arrived, however, Exdeath sunk the island with Ghido's cave to make an example of him.[2]
The Light Warriors arrived after acquiring a submarine. When they met Ghido, Bartz Klauser poked Ghido and made fun of him, thinking him to be an ordinary turtle. Bartz, Lenna Charlotte Tycoon, and Faris Scherwiz were surprised to see Ghido respond and learn that he was a sentient turtle, while Galuf was embarassed. Ghido explained Exdeath's history and origins, and encouraged the warriors to travel to the Great Forest of Moore and intercept him.[4]
When Exdeath merged the world back into one, Bartz, Lenna, and Krile (now a Light Warrior in place of Galuf) found Ghido's cave once again. Ghido explained that the worlds merging confirmed true an ancient legend that the two worlds were once one in the same, and that the crystals of the world had been split in half, with the worlds split too to maintain balance, in order to seal the Void in the Interdimensional Rift between worlds. As he explained this, Exdeath appeared, having disguised himself as a splinter in Krile, and declared that his plan was to take the full power of the Void for himself, before sparring with Ghido. Ghido put up a good fight and held Exdeath off, before Exdeath left.[3]
Ghido and the three Light Warriors arrived outside of the Library of the Ancients, Ghido excited to discover it. He then entered and convened with both scholars from the Library of the Ancients and scholars from Surgate Castle who had come to the library, where they were able to piece together the pages of the Sealed Tome that had been split. Ghido told the Light Warriors that they were incapable of facing Exdeath or the sealed away demons of the Rift, before explaining the history of the twelve legendary weapons that had been used to defeat Enuo a thousand years ago. Using the Sealed Tome, Ghido deciphered that one of the tablets to unseal the legendary weapons was in the nearby Pyramid of Moore, and encouraged the warriors to obtain the weapons and destroy Exdeath for good.[5]
After the Light Warriors obtained the first tablet, Exdeath unleashed the power of the Void on the library to "take care of a turtle infestation", and engulfed it.[6] When the Light Warriors destroyed Exdeath, the library, along with Ghido and the scholars inside it, were restored.
Characteristics[]
Appearance[]
Ghido is a large green turtle with a light brown shell. In his Yoshitaka Amano artwork, Ghido is covered in moss or seaweed and has more of a blue hue to him.
Personality[]
Yes, the twelve legendary weapons. They are weapons. They are legendary. There are even twelve of them.
Ghido is a wise sage with a great degree of knowledge, respected by those in Galuf's world. He is also very irritable, disliking when others are slow on the uptake or interrupt him while explaining.[4] Ghido has a particular dislike of Bartz, stemming back to the first meeting when Bartz poked him before realizing he was no ordinary turtle, mocking him often with witty remarks[4][3] and being begrudging when entrusting him with tasks.[5]
Ghido feels a great sense of urgency, asking the warriors to hurry when giving them a task.[4][5] Though he believes the Light Warriors have no hope against the demons or Exdeath without the legendary weapons,[5] he still expresses confidence in them and sees their potential, believing they can surpass the Dawn Warriors and destroy Exdeath once and for all.[7]
Abilities[]
Beyond Ghido's knowledge and wisdom, Ghido appears to have many other powerful abilities, though the nature of them is not entirely clear. He is capable of psychically calling Krile across the world, though doing so gives her a migraine.[2][note 2] Given his ability to prophesize the crystals on Bartz's world being destroyed,[2] he appears to have some ability to either see the future or sense things in the other world.
In battle, Ghido is able to hold his own against Exdeath when Exdeath has some power over the Void but not full control.[3] Ghido was seen levitating in the air, spinning, and flinging himself at Exdeath, zipping around his cave.
Gameplay[]
Meeting with Ghido in the iOS version earns the player the achievement "Turtle!".
Other appearances[]
Final Fantasy XIV[]
Ghido appears as a Minion. It is a rare drop from the last treasure chest in The Sirensong Sea. There is also a Wind-Up Exdeath minion; if both minions are out and near each other, they will act out a short fight animation.[8]
Final Fantasy Trading Card Game[]
Ghido appears in Final Fantasy Trading Card Game as Water-elemental Backup cards.
Other media[]
In Dissidia Final Fantasy, one of Exdeath's exclusive weapons is known as Ghido's Whisker. Also in Dissidia Final Fantasy, upon reaching level 100 an extra voice sample for Exdeath will be available, featuring him yelling "Turtle!" in an angry and surprised tone, a line he uttered during his battle with the turtle sage Ghido. This line is sometimes randomly uttered at the beginning of his EX Burst once it has been unlocked.
In the GBA/PSP/iOS remakes of the original Final Fantasy, Gill is one of the automatic names the player can choose for the Red Mage Job.
Behind the scenes[]
In an early design draft for Final Fantasy V, Ghido was a tree instead of a turtle and was once Exdeath's master prior to guiding Bartz and his party.[9]
Ghido's line "You think I sat around seven centuries munching on pizza?"[3] in the Final Fantasy V Advance script is an allusion to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He also uses the line "Elementary, my dear Bartz" in an apparent reference to Sherlock Holmes.[5]
Notes[]
Annotations[]
- ↑ Exdeath was created 500 years prior to Final Fantasy V, and released 30 years before Final Fantasy V,[4] meaning Ghido sealed him for 470 years.
- ↑ It is unclear if Ghido has a specific reason for choosing Krile to contact. Given Krile's abilities to talk to animals, it is possible she can communicate telepathically and she was the only choice; however, it is also possible that Ghido can contact anyone and the same would occur, and thus he chose Krile so as not to harm the other warriors.
Citations[]
- ↑ Final Fantasy V (PlayStation)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Final Fantasy V Advance script § "Castle of Bal (after Drakenvale)"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Final Fantasy V Advance script § "Ghido's Cave 2"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Final Fantasy V Advance script § "Ghido's Cave"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Final Fantasy V Advance script § "Library of the Ancients 2"
- ↑ Final Fantasy V Advance script § "Guardian Tree (after Pyramid of Moore)"
- ↑ Final Fantasy V Advance script § "Library of the Ancients optional dialogue"
- ↑ (n.d.) . FFXIV: Wind-Up Exdeath and Ghido encountering each other [Video]. YouTube.
- ↑ Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive, Volume 1