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The weapon collecting, dimension hopping, self-proclaimed "legendary swordsman". Although possessing the body of a fiend, he holds a strong sense of loyalty and compassion.
Description
Gilgamesh is a secret playable character in Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy, representing Final Fantasy V. Introduced as Exdeath's most prominent lieutenant, he was banished to the Interdimensional Rift after repeatedly failing his assignments. Since then, he has been travelling between worlds collecting rare weapons and challenging worthy enemies to battle.
In Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy, Gilgamesh is seeking Bartz, wishing to challenge his old rival to their promised rematch. Though he is treated as a villain, Gilgamesh is an outsider to the cycles of war, and it is left ambiguous as to whether he was summoned by Chaos or just happened upon World B and the cycles of war by chance while traveling between worlds.
To unlock him as a playable character, the player must beat the Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy storyline, then complete the first chapter of the 013 story. The player will need to go to the Reports section and beat the sixth scenario in Report 8 with Bartz to unlock Gilgamesh in the PP Catalog as a purchasable character for 300 PP.
Profile
Appearance
Gilgamesh's appearance is based on his original artwork
by Yoshitaka Amano for Final Fantasy V, which, in turn, is based on a design
by Tetsuya Nomura who designed enemies for that game. He wears primarily red and gray armor with yellow accents, gray shorts with red polka-dots, and a horned hood.
Gilgamesh's first alternate outfit, "Special Red Cloak," is based on his Final Fantasy VIII appearance
, where he has lighter armor and a red cloak that obscures most of his head and face. During EX Mode, his appearance is stated to be based on his Final Fantasy XII design
, though it more so resembles his Master Creatures figure
.
Gilgamesh's second alternate outfit, "Special Steel Armor", is based on his recurringGilgamesh's sprite in Final Fantasy V sprite
appearance
. Gilgamesh wears heavier full-plate armor on his torso and arms with a hornless helmet. The lower half of his head is partially covered by a golden neck guard. His EX Mode is recolored to match his morphed appearanceGilgamesh's morphed appearance in Final Fantasy V in Final Fantasy V while in the Interdimensional Rift, giving him darker skin, purple wrist guards, and black and red armor with purple jewels.
Gilgamesh's DLC costume "Great Genji Armor" is taken from his appearance
in Final Fantasy Type-0. He wears black and red turtle-themed armor, with a black tunic flaring down from his waist. His helmet obscures most of his face, and lacks horns. His armor has a zipper on its back, which didn't appear in his Type-0 appearance. Gilgamesh's EX Mode is modeled after his True Gilgamesh
form from Final Fantasy Type-0.
Gilgamesh's manikin, the Fallacious Giant, is turquoise.
Personality
Gilgamesh does not have a role in the main story, but does appear in two Reports where he resembles his typical Final Fantasy V appearance: overconfident, clumsy yet an honorable fighter. Gilgamesh retains his love of swords and desires to collect all the characters' swords. He sees Bartz as his biggest rival whom he aims to overcome. Since he was not summoned to the world like the others, Gilgamesh retains all of his memories.
Gilgamesh's quotes directed towards other characters often portray his desire either to steal their weapon, or to have an enjoyable and even fight with them. His quotes directed at no one in particular are challenging and threatening towards his foe. The cowardly aspect of his personality is less represented, with the exception of one or two death quotes.
Story
Gilgamesh appears to Squall, Vaan and Zidane.
Gilgamesh was not summoned to World B, but instead stumbles upon it by chance and, in contrast with everyone else, retains his memories. Wandering the depths of the Rift, Gilgamesh finds himself at Pandaemonium. Sensing the presence of his old rival, Bartz, Gilgamesh hears someone coming up behind him. He turns around, announcing his return to Bartz, only for Squall, Zidane and Vaan to appear instead. Much to his confusion, not one of them remembers him from his visits to their respective worlds, due to the memory loss caused by being summoned to the cycles of war.
Realizing Bartz is not among them, Gilgamesh walks off, leaving the three confused. After he disappears, Bartz arrives, asking if he missed anything. Zidane asks if he knows Gilgamesh, describing the swordsman's appearance. Suffering from the same memory loss as the others, Bartz doesn't recall Gilgamesh, and denies knowing such a person.
Gilgamesh's battle stance against Bartz in FMV.
Some time later, a wandering Gilgamesh has a short fantasy of how his rematch will play out with Bartz once he finds him. In this fantasy, the rematch ends in his favor, with Bartz praising him while Gilgamesh enjoys his victory. Sensing Bartz shortly after, coming to at the Rift and confused how he got there, Gilgamesh emerges from a portal landing on the ground in front of Bartz. He assumes a kabuki pose as Bartz begins remembering him. Deciding he doesn't recognize Gilgamesh after all, Bartz walks off noting Gilgamesh as being "weird".
Crushed by his rival's nonchalance, Gilgamesh reintroduces himself, trying to figure out why Bartz doesn't remember him. Repeating the speech he had fantasized shortly before, he explains he has traveled to many worlds, and finally returned to get his promised rematch with Bartz. A confused Bartz is persuaded into fighting Gilgamesh, and wins.
Surprised Bartz has also been honing his skills since their last meeting, Gilgamesh declares the battle is only the beginning, for Bartz to point out he's fading. To Gilgamesh's dismay, a portal opens beneath his feet and Gilgamesh is sucked back into the Rift, swearing to return for a true rematch against Bartz someday. Bartz notes something familiar about Gilgamesh, and muses that they will probably meet again.
Official Quests
In two Official Quests, Gilgamesh finds his way back to World B to seek out Bartz. He finds Exdeath and mistakes him for Enkidu, much to Exdeath's irritation. Gilgamesh rejoices in being reunited with his "friend" and challenges him to a sparring match, but through the fighting regains his memories and realizes who Exdeath is. Shortly after, a portal to the Rift opens and consumes him.
In the second quest, Gilgamesh comes across Prishe on patrol. Prishe asks Gilgamesh if he is a warrior for Chaos or Cosmos, and Gilgamesh, unaware of what she means, declares himself a "chaos warrior" as a veteran of battle. Gilgamesh tells Prishe he is looking for his archrival, and Prishe assumes, as he is a warrior of Chaos, that he means her. The two do battle, and Gilgamesh is again pulled into the Rift. Prishe would report the sighting to Shantotto, which would inspire her to seek a way to enter the Rift to escape the cycles of war.
Gameplay
Gilgamesh is described as a Frenzied Swordsman, where he picks a weapon at random when attacking making the strength and effects of his attacks unpredictable. Whenever he attacks, there is a 15% chance of Gilgamesh using the Excalibur, Excalipoor, Zantetsuken or Genji Blade, and a 10% chance of him using the Masamune, Naginata, Chicken Knife and Battle Axe.
Gilgamesh is mostly a mid to melee-range fighter, with quick close-range attacks and slower charging mid-range attacks with a handful of magic attacks that have decent range. His ranged attacks in particular remain unaffected by his fighting style, as they do not require the use of any of his weapons. His HP attacks are versatile across range, but he moves slowly, and the unreliable nature of his fighting style means his attacks have inconsistent power and range.
The weapons and their special abilities are as follows:
- Excalibur - All Bravery damage dealt is doubled.
- Excalipoor - All Bravery damage is reduced to 1, and all Wall Rush damage is reduced to 0.
- Naginata - Attack has greater range.
- Masamune - Long range but shorter than Naginata, generates more EX Force on hit, 75% normal damage.
- Genji Blade - Depletes the opponent's EX Gauge with each hit. 75% normal damage.
- Zantetsuken - Has a chance of inflicting Bravery Break instantly.
- Battle Axe - Attack does random damage, from 25% to 175% normal damage.
- Chicken Knife - The lower Gilgamesh's HP, the higher the Bravery damage done, from normal damage at full HP to 220% damage at 1 HP.
Boss
Gilgamesh is fought as a boss in Report 8, Side Story: The Roving Swordsman. He must be fought using Bartz, and defeating him unlocks him as a playable character that can be purchased at the PP catalog.
Attacks
Bravery Attacks
| Move | Type | CP (Mastered) | AP | Priority | Effect | Damage type | Obtained | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cross Slash | Ground | 30 (15) | 100 | Melee Low | Wall Rush | Physical | Initial | 
|
| Cut the opponent with a single slash, then strike them two more times and knock them away. In EX Mode, deals more hits. | ||||||||
| Wind Slash | Ground | 30 (15) | 100 | Ranged Low | None | Magical | Initial | 
|
| Fire a wind projectile at the opponent. Has good tracking. | ||||||||
| Dual Thrust | Ground | 30 (15) | 120 | Melee Low | Chase | Physical | Level 3 | 
|
| Quickly stab forward, then swing weapons upwards to knock the opponent into the air. Short ranged, but quick strike. In EX Mode, deals more hits. | ||||||||
| Whirlwind Slash (ground) |
Ground | 30 (15) | 120 | Melee Low | Chase | Physical | Level 24 | 
|
| Charge at the opponent while spinning weapons, then turn and send them flying. Slow start-up but decent range. In EX Mode, deals more hits and has increased area of effect while charging. | ||||||||
| Tsubamegaeshi | Aerial | 30 (15) | 100 | Melee Low | Wall Rush | Physical | Initial | 
|
| Roll forward while slashing, then perform a series of attacks that knocks them downward. In EX Mode, deals more hits. | ||||||||
| Electrocute | Aerial | 30 (15) | 120 | Ranged Low | None | Magical | Initial | 
|
| Call forth a lightning strike that damages and knocks the opponent into the air. | ||||||||
| Double Trouble | Aerial | 30 (15) | 120 | Melee Low | Wall Rush | Physical | Level 16 | 
|
| Slash in a wide sweep, then slam the opponent away. Short ranged, but quick strike. In EX Mode, deals more hits. | ||||||||
| Whirlwind Slash (midair) |
Aerial | 30 (15) | 120 | Melee Low | Chase | Physical | Level 32 |
|
| Charge at the opponent while spinning weapons, then turn and send them flying. Slow start-up but decent range. In EX Mode, deals more hits and has increased area of effect while charging. | ||||||||
HP Attacks
| Move | Type | CP (Mastered) | AP | Priority | Effect | Damage type | Obtained | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Death Claw | Ground | 30 (15) | 130 | Melee High | Wall Rush | Physical | Initial | 
|
| Charge forward and slash the opponent twice. In EX Mode, has a larger area of effect. | ||||||||
| Jump | Ground | 30 (15) | 130 | Melee High | Dodge | Physical | Level 9 |   
|
| Launch self to the air and then descend headfirst. Can control the landing point with the analog stick. In EX Mode, has a larger area of impact. | ||||||||
| Rocket Punch | Ground | 30 (15) | 130 | Ranged High | Wall Rush | N/A | Level 28 | 
|
| Launch fists at the opponent. In EX Mode, fire multiple fists over a large area. Can fire on a slight angle up or down. | ||||||||
| Sword Dance | Aerial | 30 (15) | 130 | Melee High | Wall Rush | Physical | Initial | 
|
| Charge, then sweep towards the opponent while slashing. If it hits, perform a series of spinning slashes and knock them away. | ||||||||
| Hurricane | Aerial | 30 (15) | 130 | Melee High | None | Physical | Level 20 | 
|
| Spin weapons to create a whirlwind. Fast execution but low range. | ||||||||
| Missile | Aerial | 30 (15) | 130 | Ranged High | Wall Rush | N/A | Level 36 | 
|
| Launch a missile at the opponent. Slow movement, but large blast radius. In EX Mode, fire two missiles in sequence. | ||||||||
EX Mode
Gilgamesh's EX Mode is Gilgamesh Morphing Time, in which he transforms into his true formGilgamesh's true form in Final Fantasy V as seen in Final Fantasy V, giving him eight arms, different armor and a monstrous-looking helmet. While in EX Mode, Gilgamesh gains the ability "Octo-Break", which causes each arm to wield any of the eight weapons used by him in battle—he has a 45% chance of wielding eight of the same weapon, a 45% chance of using four weapons twice each, and a 10% chance of a random alternate combination.
Whatever weapon(s) Gilgamesh is holding, their relevant bonuses are applied to all his attacks, while weapons that affect his attack power alternatively activate their effects. Thus the benefits of Gilgamesh's EX Mode are impossible to predict, but his attacks are more reliable. Gilgamesh's melee Bravery attacks do more hits, and some of his HP attacks hit over larger areas.
Gilgamesh's EX Burst is Strongest Sword, where eight swords circle in front of him. The player has to select Excalibur, which is the red sword. If the player selects correctly, Gilgamesh attacks the opponent five times, then ends the EX Burst with Ultimate Illusion, where he leaps into the air and slams his sword down, creating a shock wave that deals HP damage. If the player selects Excalipoor, it will deal Bravery damage of 1 with Gilgamesh looking at the sword, realizing it is not Excalibur, and throwing it away, landing it onto the opponent dealing HP damage.
Equipment
Gilgamesh can equip Swords, Daggers, Greatswords, Katanas, Spears, Axes, Thrown Weapons, Parrying Weapons, Shields, Gauntlets, Large Shields, Helms, Light Armor, Heavy Armor, and Chestplates.
Exclusive weapons
| Name | Level | Stats | Effects | Obtained |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Osafune | 30 | BRV +41 ATK +40 DEF -2 |
EX Force Absorption +3% | Trade: 61000 gil, Uchigatana, Scarletite x1, Giant's Desire x5 |
| Kotetsu | 90 | BRV +34 ATK +63 DEF -1 |
EX Force Absorption +5% | Trade: 158,000 gil, Osafune, Electrum x1, Giant's Dream x5 |
| Yoshiyuki | 100 | BRV +39 ATK +68 DEF -1 |
EX Force Absorption +10% Riposte effect |
Trade: 182,800 gil, Kotetsu, Enkidu Feather x1, Giant's Hopes x5 |
Gallery
Allusions
- Gilgamesh's exclusive weapons are katana of varying strengths. They are obtained in their respective order of strength, with the Osafune being low-ranked, the Kotetsu being mid-ranked, while the Yoshiyuki (also known as the Mutsunokami) eclipses them both.
- Gilgamesh's HP attacks are based on those he used in several battles during Final Fantasy V.
- Gilgamesh's weapon arsenal refers to his weapons throughout the series, and have effects that also draw back to famous weapons:
- Masamune, Excalibur and Excalipoor are recurring abilities he may perform when summoned.
- Excalibur, in particular, is the legendary blade Gilgamesh is searching for in several games.
- One of Gilgamesh's trademark weapons is Excalipoor, a false Excalibur Gilgamesh mistook for the real one in Final Fantasy V. Both Excalibur and Excalipoor resemble the fake Tournesol he wields in Final Fantasy XII.
- The Masamune is Sephiroth's variation, albeit with a shorter blade.
- The Genji Blade alludes to the Genji equipment Gilgamesh carries in his appearances, which can be stolen or dropped from him. In Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy, the Genji Blade appears as a fake of Auron's version of the sword
from Final Fantasy X, much like the counterfeits Gilgamesh wields in Final Fantasy XII. It bears a Japanese character denoting it as fake, which echoes Gilgamesh's false Buster Sword. - Zantetsuken is Odin's weapon, which Gilgamesh is in possession of in Final Fantasy VIII and Final Fantasy XII. In Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy, its design is based on its appearance in Odin's Final Fantasy IV artwork.
- The Naginata and the Battle Axe are present on sprites in Final Fantasy V, with the Battle Axe only appearing in his morphed form in Final Fantasy V. The Battle Axe's effect of dealing random damage is similar to how axes and hammers function in Final Fantasy XII.
- The Chicken Knife in Final Fantasy V strengthens when the party escapes battles, and is potentially the strongest weapon in the game. Although Gilgamesh never wielded it, he has a penchant for running from battles he loses. Additionally, Bartz wields the Chicken Knife's counterpart, the Brave Blade, during his EX Burst. Contrarily, the Chicken Knife in Dissidia becomes stronger as Gilgamesh's HP drops, reflecting the Valiant Knife's function from Final Fantasy VI. Penelo alludes to this when describing it.
- Masamune, Excalibur and Excalipoor are recurring abilities he may perform when summoned.
- During his introductions before a fight, Gilgamesh emerges from an interdimensional portal, an allusion to his travels through different dimensions following his banishment to the Rift by Exdeath in Final Fantasy V. The portal resembles the Banish spell from Final Fantasy V, which Exdeath used to cast Gilgamesh into the Rift. After losing to Bartz in Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy, Gilgamesh utters the same set of pleas in his attempt to escape the Rift.
- The name of Gilgamesh's EX Mode alludes to his quotation prior to assuming his multi-armed boss form in Final Fantasy V. The quote itself refers to Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.
- Gilgamesh's perfect EX Burst, Ultimate Illusion, is an attack he uses during his first battle in Final Fantasy XII, performed after he draws all of his fake weapons. It is a synonym of "Final Fantasy", and a line of dialogue spoken by Exdeath after his defeat in Final Fantasy V ("Is this my final fantasy?"). His cry of disappointment after failing his EX Burst, "This is far from the strongest of swords!", mirrors what he says in Final Fantasy V after attacking the party with Excalipoor.
- In Final Fantasy VI Advance, Blade Dance is an attack exclusive to Gilgamesh.
- When Gilgamesh throws Excalipoor, a speech bubble pops up with the Japanese equivalent of "Doink!", a sound associated with Tonberries stabbing a target. The English version's speech bubble instead features an exclamation point.
- When using Jump, he shouts "Fell for it!" In several games, Gilgamesh feigns defeat, only to cast Shell, Haste, and Protect on himself and renew his assault with Jump, while mocking the party for being misled.
- When Gilgamesh searches for Bartz, he runs into Vaan, Zidane, and Squall who do not remember him, despite him appearing in each of their games with a different appearance.
- Zidane may not recognize Gilgamesh because he only has two arms, as Gilgamesh from Final Fantasy IX had four arms.
- Before fighting Yuna, Gilgamesh says "Huh, I wouldn't mind being summoned by you." This alludes to him being a summon in several games, including Dissidia Final Fantasy and Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy.
- When facing either Zidane or Vaan he alludes to them being thieves, and that weapons and Genji equipment can be stolen from him during boss encounters.
- Gabranth's dialogue when encountering Gilgamesh alludes to Gilgamesh being an Elite Mark in Ivalice.
- In Report 19 in the description of the scene in which Gilgamesh imagines his fight with Bartz reads "Not quite blue, blue skies and rolling seas, but a good day for fighting nonetheless". This refers to what Gilgamesh said before being fought on Xezat's fleet in Final Fantasy V, "Ahhh... blue, blue skies and the rolling sea!"
- In Gilgamesh's EX Burst, there are seven spinning Excalipoors and one Excalibur, making one sword for each of his appearances in the series at the time of Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy's release.
- An item needed to create the Yoshiyuki is the Enkidu Feather, an allusion to his companion, Enkidu.
- Although he isn't mentioned in the game, he is hinted at in the Japanese version's official quest where Gilgamesh has no memories of Exdeath's identity, and believes he was, in fact, his companion. This is shown when Gilgamesh is trying to identify Exdeath by trying to say his name, but the name he speaks is "E...En...Enn" instead of "Ekusu" in Japanese romaji before discarding it. He even reminisces over memories of the time he spent together with Enkidu from Final Fantasy V.
- Gilgamesh's Bravery attack, Tsubamegaeshi, is Cyan's Desperation Attack in Final Fantasy VI.
- Bartz's line when encountering Gilgamesh is "Don't go running off!", referring to how Gilgamesh escapes any battle he loses in Final Fantasy V.
- When seen from the side during fights, Gilgamesh has the same pose he assumes in his battle sprites.
- When Gilgamesh fights Prishe, he will say, "Ladies must act elegantly." This may refer to his advice to the tomboyish Faris Scherwiz before he sacrifices himself to defeat the Necrophobe in Final Fantasy V. In that battle, he tells her to "act like a lady every now and again".
- Oddly, Cecil's opening quote when facing Gilgamesh is "Malice? No, this feeling is..." in reference to Galuf's line in his final battle with Exdeath.
Etymology
Gilgamesh is the main character of the Epic of Gilgamesh, an Akkadian poem considered the first great work of literature. He is a demigod with superhuman strength who builds the walls of Uruk to defend his people and travels to meet the sage Utnapishtim, a survivor of the Great Flood.
Gilgamesh is believed to have actually existed by many scholars. It is estimated he lived sometime between 2800 and 2500 BC. The Sumerian King List claims Gilgamesh ruled the city of Uruk for 126 years.
Gilgamesh in Final Fantasy is also based on Benkei, a famous character in the Japanese mythologies and chronicles of the Genpei War. A powerful warrior monk said to have personally defeated 200 men in every battle he engaged in and said to have had the strength of demons, Benkei's introduction sees him set out to collect 1,000 weapons, and to this end he posted himself at Gōjō Bridge in Kyoto and challenged every warrior who attempted to cross. On his 1000th duel Benkei was defeated by Minamoto no Yoshitsune, the only defeat he had ever known, and became his faithful retainer throughout the rest of his life.
From the story of Benkei, Gilgamesh takes his preference for the naginata (Benkei's traditional weapon as a monk), his penchant for fighting on bridges, his collecting of weapons from enemies he defeats, and his friendship with the player's characters who defeat him. Benkei's devotion to Yoshitsune is the basis for Gilgamesh's association with Genji equipment—the Minamoto Clan is also called the Genji Clan, using the alternate pronunciation for the Chinese characters for mina and moto, gen and uji, respectively. Gilgamesh's face paint is based on traditional kabuki actors, for which Benkei is a popular character to portray.
Trivia
- Gilgamesh, along with Vaan and Firion, is the only character to not have his original Japanese voice actor reprise his role, due to Gilgamesh's Final Fantasy XII voice actor, Daisuke Gori, passing away.
- With Keith Szarabajka taking over the role in Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy from John DiMaggio in Final Fantasy XII, Gilgamesh is the only character to have neither of his original voice actors reprise their role.
- Gilgamesh and Jecht share a final blow quote.
- When Gilgamesh attacks, there are various sound and/or visual effects that occur depending on his weapon: the Chicken Knife creates clucking sounds, the Excalipoor has a "plink" sound, Zantetsuken creates lightning when it hits, and Excalibur creates a shockwave.
- When Gilgamesh begins his EX Burst, he spins forward and crashes into the "screen", leaving a crack that breaks away to reveal the EX Burst background. This is a play on the drama concept of "breaking the fourth wall", referring to when one acknowledges they are a character in a form of media.
- If Gilgamesh wins through an HP attack in EX Mode, his extra arms will be holding the weapons he wielded while in his EX Mode during his victory pose. If he wins through a properly executed EX Burst, he holds the Excalibur during the fight's slow-motion ending, but dismisses the sword at the start of his victory pose. If he wins through a failed EX Burst, he holds no weapon at all.
- Due to the random nature of his EX Mode, there are 6,435 different combinations for Gilgamesh's benefits while in EX Mode.
- When using Excalipoor, Gilgamesh is the only character with attacks that can deal a set amount of damage regardless of Attack or Defense values.
- When used as an Assist, Gilgamesh will always attack with either Excalibur or Excalipoor, making him do the most damage of any Assist when using Excalibur, and the weakest Assist with Excalipoor.
- Gilgamesh's perfect EX Burst has the highest base damage of any EX Burst.