Once a kind and gentle soul, this mage's weaknesses in his heart lead to him being controlled by an evil being.
Dissidia 012 description
A figure clad in armor of deepest night who walks the path of darkness.
Dissidia Final Fantasy description
Golbez is a warrior of Chaos in Dissidia Final Fantasy and Dissidia 012. He comes to the cycle of wars as the antagonist representing Final Fantasy IV. He is a powerful spellcaster, and despite wearing a full suit of armor, remains agile. Golbez works behind the other villains' backs, attempting to assist the heroes while remaining their enemy. As Cecil's rival and older brother, Golbez considers himself stained with darkness beyond the point of salvation, and so walks the dark path he feels his brother should not.
Profile[]
Appearance[]
Golbez's default outfit is based on Amano's original artwork of him . He wears dark blue and black armor with gold details and a long cape. The shoulders of his armor are very large and spiked, and he has spikes along his gauntlets and legs. He wears a horned helmet with a thin visor. In his EX Mode, Golbez summons his Shadow Dragon which wraps around him and perches over his shoulder, and its body merges into his armor giving it swirls of black and purple along his body.
Golbez's first alternate outfit, "Cloak of Flame", is a composite of his 3D render for the DS release of Final Fantasy IV and his super-deformed art. He wears black armor accented in silver and gold, with a cape bearing a crimson lining. During EX Mode, the Shadow Dragon is gold, which may refer to the Gold Dragon, a palette swap of the Shadow Dragon from Final Fantasy IV.
Golbez's second alternate costume in Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy is his "Man in Black" attire from Final Fantasy IV: The After Years. Golbez wears no armor and is clad only in a dark brown kilt and cape with beads around his wrists and one of his ankles. Although he has no armor in this outfit, Golbez's eyes remain in shadow, and he has long, white hair. In his EX Mode, the Shadow Dragon still coils around him but there is no head or claws, making its appearance more resemble tattoos or body art.
Golbez's manikin, Delusory Warlock, has blue armor with a silver cape.
Personality[]
Enough. I am merely your shadow. I could not accept the darkness, yet I do not belong to the light.
Golbez
Golbez's actions are a combination of his appearance in Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy IV: The After Years but takes more from the latter. Golbez is still antagonistic and displays the dark side of Cecil, but is actually in control of his actions, displaying his more moderate and antihero like personality. Although Golbez sides with the forces of Chaos, he trusts the warriors of Cosmos and often visits them to divulge certain matters. While he represents the dark side of Cecil, he is not evil in his intentions or actions.
Golbez's battle lines represent him as an antihero rather than an antagonist. He is portrayed as a warrior who seeks an honorable and fair battle and looks forward to seeing the victor. He is confident in his own abilities, but when defeated, Golbez shows shame.
Story[]
12th cycle[]
At the start of the 12th cycle, Golbez arrived to aid Cloud in fighting Lightning and the Warrior of Light. Golbez deduces that Cloud is concerned for his enemies because he knew one of the warriors of Cosmos. After the fight, Golbez comments how well Cloud fought so soon after his awaking before teleporting away. He later observes the warriors of Cosmos returning to Order's Sanctuary after she calls them back, and engages Yuna and Lightning, musing about the power of the warriors Cosmos is entrusting her hopes to.
When the manikins attack, Golbez visits Kain and divulges on the war's cycle of death and rebirth: for the revival to work, their memories of the last war and their original homeworlds are erased. He mentions Kain fell in the previous cycle, but still retains memories of their world, and that he will recover more with every successful battle. Their conversation is interrupted by Cecil, who doesn't remember his older brother, forcing Golbez to teleport away. Noticing how much interest Golbez has in Cosmos's warriors, The Emperor and Ultimecia begin to suspect Golbez is acting against them, but he evades their inquiry.
Golbez joins Exdeath in confronting the gathered warriors, revealing the manikins are heading towards Cosmos. While the others rush to her aid, Kain fights Exdeath as Golbez assists him by nullifying Exdeath's control over the manikins. Following Exdeath's defeat, Golbez expresses gratitude to Kain, as his actions have given him a chance to stop the cycle and save Cecil. Although he pleads with him to consider resting for the next cycle, Golbez accepts Kain's decision and promises the next cycle will be the last.
As the final cycle begins, Golbez appears before the revived Cosmos and refreshes her memory of her plan for her warriors to obtain their Crystals. Seeing how weakened Cosmos is, Golbez questions whether she is willing to risk her life for her warriors, and is impressed by her resolve to resign herself to her fate. Golbez also leaves a wild rose next to Firion as a means to help him regain his memories.
13th cycle[]
Golbez appears before Onion Knight after Cloud of Darkness kidnaps Terra, telling him the Cloud of Darkness is too powerful for him to defeat and should avoid her. Onion Knight remains uncertain, and Golbez leaves telling him to look in his heart for answers if he cannot listen to reason. When Onion Knight defeats the Cloud of Darkness, Golbez reappears and tells him to support and protect Terra, which strengthens Onion Knight's resolve and manifests his Crystal before him.
Golbez meets with Cosmos again, discussing her plan to end the cycle. Golbez warns Cosmos of her dangerous gamble, and if it fails, her warriors will not be revived during the next cycle, losing the war.
Golbez visits Cecil, who doubts his path. He tells Cecil he cannot find his Crystal simply by looking for it, and advises Cecil to follow him to learn more. The Emperor congratulates Golbez on baiting Cecil. Following Tidus's advice, Cecil leaves his comrades and follows Golbez to the Planet's Core. Golbez wishes to see if Cecil has the strength of will to find the Crystal, before Exdeath appears and accuses Golbez of treachery. Cecil defeats Exdeath to defend his brother, with Golbez congratulating him on proving himself worthy enough to find the Crystal. Cecil begs Golbez to join him, but he refuses and leaves, telling Cecil he cannot find the Crystal as he currently is.
Golbez and Sephiroth briefly meet at Kefka's Tower, where Sephiroth asks if he misses the light. Golbez says he has duties to attend to, while Sephiroth warns that he will be scorched by the light if he gets too close.
Cecil returns to his comrades when Golbez visits him again. Golbez attacks Cecil for depending on his friends for strength, stating his friendships are nothing but illusions. Golbez departs and is confronted by Jecht, who tells Golbez fighting a family member is not easy if he keeps their bond. Golbez implies to Jecht that his serving the Emperor will result in the latter eliminating him when Jecht no longer serves any use. Later, as Bartz is exploring the antagonists' territory, Golbez attempts to warn him that the fake Crystal he found was made by Exdeath before entering battle with him. An earthquake caused by the the Warrior of Light's radiance allows Bartz to flee. Exdeath mocks Golbez for guiding the heroes.
Cecil arrives at the Moon Canyon, telling Golbez he fights with friends to give them strength as they give him strength. After Cecil is victorious, claiming his Crystal, Golbez compliments Cecil's strength before vanishing.
After Cosmos's death, Golbez is confronted by the Emperor for treason. Golbez reveals everything he did was to assist the heroes in claiming their Crystals, believing they will defeat Chaos to free the worlds from the cycle. He confronts the Emperor for using both parties to create dark crystals to survive and take over what remained of existence. Garland tells Golbez his actions led to Cosmos's death, ending the cycle. Golbez questions Garland's role in maintaining the cycle, to which Garland says he has no desires or any right to have one as a prisoner of time.
Being a minion of Chaos, Golbez battles Cecil a second time, who claims that only in a world full of disorder can his wish can be fulfilled. Upon his defeat, he acknowledges Cecil and his friends can destroy Chaos. As he departs, Golbez claims he has no right to fight beside Cecil and that his ties to Chaos are proof of his weak heart. Cecil says Golbez will overcome himself someday, asking him to join him when the day comes. Golbez says Cecil is too kindhearted to be a knight, but contemplates the possibility of joining his brother if the light shines upon him and walks away.
Gameplay[]
Golbez is a Thaumaturge. His moveset consists of two-part attacks that can hit at both close and long-ranges and may have different effects depending on which part hits the opponent, and several of them can chain into HP attacks. This gives Golbez a lot of combo potential and versatility, able to cancel and chain his attacks together in different ways. However, his attacks are much easier to avoid at long ranges due to being telegraphed, and they hit over small areas that they can easily miss if the opponent's is not in the right position relative to Golbez. He also moves a bit slowly and has a very large hitbox, being one of the largest characters in the game.
Boss[]
In Dissidia Final Fantasy, Golbez is fought in Destiny Odyssey IV, V, Shade Impulse, Distant Glory, and Inward Chaos.
In Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy, he is fought in Guidance of the Moon, A Treasure Hunt, and Conclusion of the Cycle chapters of Story Mode.
Attacks[]
Bravery Attacks[]
Move | Type | CP (Mastered) | AP | Priority | Effect | Damage type | Obtained | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rising Wave | Ground | 30 (15) | 180 | Melee Low Hand fling Ranged low energy blast Unblockable Energy plume |
Wall Rush | Magical | Initial | |
Fling hand at the opponent and summon a pillar of darkness, then fire an energy blast. If the opponent is hit by Golbez's hand, the blast will knock them back into the pillar and up into the air. | ||||||||
Attack System | Ground | 30 (15) | 180 | Melee Low Hand fling Ranged low Lasers |
None | Magical | Initial | |
Fling hand at the opponent and summon three nodes that fire lasers in all directions. If the opponent is hit by Golbez's hand, they will be knocked back. | ||||||||
Glare Hand | Ground | 30 (15) | 180 | Melee Low Hand fling Ranged low Energy wave |
Chase Hand fling Wall Rush Energy blast |
Magical | Level 33 | |
Swipe hand creating a spread of energy, then fire an energy blast. If the opponent is hit by the spread of energy, they will be knocked towards Golbez, who knocks them back. | ||||||||
Gravity Force | Aerial | 30 (15) | 120 | Melee Low Hand fling Ranged Low Energy orbs |
Absorb Wall Rush |
Magical | Initial | |
Fire a ball of dark energy, then teleport. If the opponent is close to Golbez, he'll appear behind the victim and shoot a second energy ball that knocks them towards the larger ball. If the opponent is far away from Golbez, he'll appear next to the victim and knocks them towards the ball with his hand. | ||||||||
Float System | Aerial | 30 (15) | 120 | Melee Low Hand fling Ranged Low Energy blast |
Chase Energy blast Wall Rush Explosion |
Magical | Level 8 | |
Fling hand upwards and summon three nodes that fire a laser downward. If the opponent is hit by the laser, fire a dark projectile to either begin Chase or cause an explosion that knocks the opponent back. | ||||||||
Gravity System | Aerial | 30 (15) | 180 | Melee Low Hand fling Ranged Low Energy blast |
Chase Energy blast Wall Rush Explosion |
Magical | Level 13 | |
Fling hand downwards and summon three nodes that fire a laser upward. If the opponent is hit by the laser, fire a dark projectile to either begin Chase or cause an explosion that knocks the opponent back. |
Move | Type | CP (Mastered) | AP | Priority | Effect | Damage type | Obtained | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rising Wave | Ground | 30 (15) | 70 | Melee Low Hand fling Ranged low energy blast Unblockable Energy plume |
Wall Rush | Magical | Initial | |
Fling hand at opponent and summon a plume of dark energy, then fire an energy blast. If opponent is hit by Golbez's hand, the energy blast knocks them back into the plume and up into the air. If the opponent is hit by the plume of energy, the energy blast knocks them backwards. The energy blast can be charged to teleport close to opponent before firing. Golbez moves towards the opponent to strike them with his hand if they are close enough on attack start-up. | ||||||||
Attack System (ground) |
Ground | 30 (15) | 120 | Melee Low Hand fling Ranged low Lasers |
None | Magical | Initial | |
Fling hand at opponent and summon three nodes that travel towards opponent and fire lasers in random directions. Knocks opponent back if the hand fling hits them. Golbez moves towards the opponent to strike them with his hand if they are close enough on attack start-up. | ||||||||
Glare Hand | Ground | 30 (15) | 140 | Melee Low Hand fling Ranged low Energy wave |
Chase Hand fling Wall Rush Energy blast |
Magical | Level 33 | |
Fling hand producing a line of dark energy, then fire an energy blast. If the opponent is hit with the line of energy, it knocks them closer to Golbez. The energy blast can be charged to teleport close to opponent before firing. Golbez moves towards the opponent to strike them with his hand if they are close enough on attack start-up. | ||||||||
Gravity Force | Aerial | 30 (15) | 120 | Ranged High Large energy orb Melee Mid Hang fling Ranged Mid Small energy orb |
Absorb Wall Rush |
Magical | Initial | |
Charge and shoot a ball of dark energy, then teleport. If Golbez teleports while close to the opponent, he'll reappear nearby and shoot a second energy orb that knocks them towards the larger orb. If Golbez teleports while further away from the opponent, he'll appear next to them and bat them towards the orb with his hands. | ||||||||
Attack System (midair) |
Aerial | 30 (15) | 120 | Melee Low Hand fling Ranged low Lasers |
None | Magical | Initial | |
Fling hand at opponent and summon three nodes that travel towards opponent and fire lasers in random directions. Knocks opponent back if the hand fling hits them. Golbez moves towards the opponent to strike them with his hand if they are close enough on attack start-up. | ||||||||
Float System | Aerial | 30 (15) | 60 | Melee Low Hand fling Ranged Low Energy blast |
Chase Energy blast Wall Rush Explosion |
Magical | Level 22 | |
Flings hand upwards and summon three nodes from above that fire a laser vertically downward. After connecting with the laser, fire an energy blast to either begin Chase, or cause an explosion that blasts opponent backwards. | ||||||||
Gravity System | Aerial | 30 (15) | 50 | Melee Low Hand fling Ranged Low Energy blast |
Chase Energy blast Wall Rush Explosion |
Magical | Level 13 | |
Flings hand downwards and summon three nodes from below that fire a laser vertically upward. After connecting with the laser, fire an energy blast to either begin Chase, or cause an explosion that blasts opponent backwards. |
HP Attacks[]
Move | Type | CP (Mastered) | AP | Priority | Effect | Damage type | Obtained | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nightglow | Ground | 40 (20) | 180 | Melee High Hand motions Ranged High Lightning blast |
Wall Rush | Magical | Initial | |
Create a circle of electric energy from underneath the opponent, then knock them high into the air with lightning strikes. Can stun the opponent at start-up. | ||||||||
Genesis Rock | Aerial | 40 (20) | 180 | Ranged High | Wall Rush | Magical | Initial | |
Summon four rocks from the ground that rise and spin around self, then spread out in four directions. Can drag the opponent into the air if the rocks hit them. |
Move | Type | CP (Mastered) | AP | Priority | Effect | Damage type | Obtained | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nightglow | Ground | 30 (15) | 130 | Melee High Hand motions Ranged High Lightning blast |
Wall Rush | Magical | Initial | |
Raise hands and conjure a circle of electricity beneath opponent, launching them upwards in a blast of lightning when Golbez brings down his hands. Golbez's hand motions will stun and damage the opponent if they are close enough. | ||||||||
Sector Ray (ground) |
Ground | 30 (15) | 150 | Ranged High | Wall Rush | Magical | Level 9 | |
Fling out hands to send out three large nodes that spread out and fire lasers that converge on opponent. The nodes will stop moving if they hit an obstacle or wall, but still fire lasers. | ||||||||
Genesis Rock | Aerial | 30 (15) | 130 | Ranged High | Wall Rush | Magical | Initial | |
Summon four rocks from below to rise and circle Golbez, then fire outwards in four directions. If the opponent is hit with one of the rocks as they rise into the air, they are dragged up in front of Golbez. | ||||||||
Sector Ray (midair) |
Aerial | 30 (15) | 150 | Ranged High | Wall Rush | Magical | Level 16 | |
Fling out hands to send out three large nodes that spread out and fire lasers that converge on opponent. The nodes will stop moving if they hit an obstacle or wall, but still fire lasers. |
Bravery to HP Attacks[]
EX Mode[]
Golbez's EX Mode is Summon Shadow Dragon, where he summons and fuses with his Shadow Dragon from Final Fantasy IV. Golbez gains the special attack "Black Fang" by holding and . It has a long charge time, which makes him vulnerable to attacks, but instantly Breaks the opponent if successful. The summon Phoenix is the only way to stop this; summons such as Alexander that freeze the opponent's Bravery will instantly cease their effects when Black Fang strikes, and the effects of Demon Wall and Mandragora will persist but will not block Black Fang. Black Fang will succeed even if Golbez is afflicted with Break when it executes.
Golbez's EX Burst is Twin Moon. The player must input three chains of commands within a time limit. If the player fails, Golbez crushes the opponent between four boulders. If all three commands are input successfully, the Shadow Dragon paralyzes the opponent with Binding Cold, followed by Golbez casting Twin Meteor, conjuring a barrage of meteorites to attack.
Equipment[]
Golbez can equip Greatswords, Spears, Axes, Rods, Shields, Gauntlets, Helms, Light Armor, and Heavy Armor. In Dissidia 012, Golbez can also equip Large Shields.
Exclusive weapons[]
Name | Level | Stats | Effects | Obtained |
---|---|---|---|---|
Lilith Rod | 53 | HP +185 ATK +35 DEF +1 |
Damage +5%. | Trade: 15460 gil, Wizard's Rod, Ruby x3, Destruction Shard x2 |
Asura's Rod | 95 | HP +290 ATK +62 DEF +1 |
Damage +10%. | Trade: 29570 gil, Lilith Rod, Lapis Lazuli x5, Destruction Crystal x3 |
Zeromus Shard | 100 | HP +307 ATK +67 DEF +1 |
Damage +15%. Back to the Wall Effect. |
Trade: 31920 gil, Asura's Rod, Lone Heart x5, Destruction Orb x5 |
- Dissidia 012
Name | Level | Stats | Effects | Obtained |
---|---|---|---|---|
Lilith Rod | 30 | HP +376 BRV -84 ATK +40 DEF +2 |
Damage +5%. | Trade: 61000 gil, Wizard's Rod, Scarletite x1, Warlock's Desire x5 |
Asura's Rod | 90 | HP +287 BRV -70 ATK +63 DEF +1 |
Damage +7%. | Trade: 158,000 gil, Lilith Rod, Electrum x1, Warlock's Dream x5 |
Zeromus Shard | 100 | HP +327 BRV -80 ATK +68 DEF +1 |
Damage +10%. Back to the Wall Effect. |
Trade: 182,800 gil, Asura's Rod, Lone Heart x1, Warlock's Hopes x5 |
Behind the scenes[]
The developers found Golbez's two-party attacks difficult to design, and nicknamed him "Double trouble-chan".
Allusions[]
- Golbez's battle stance mirrors his original artwork and battle sprite from Final Fantasy IV.
- When defeated in Shade Impulse, he says he might join Cecil once light shines on him, a reference to Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, where he joins forces with Cecil.
- Golbez's ultimate weapons are present in Final Fantasy IV: the Lilith Rod is dropped by Lilith and by Lamia Queen, and Asura's Rod can be obtained in Final Fantasy IV Advance and The Complete Collection. The Zeromus Shard refers to the crystal Golbez gives Cecil before their fight against Zeromus.
- Golbez is the only warrior of Chaos who does not disappear after his defeat in Shade Impulse by his Cosmos counterpart. This mirrors his fate in Final Fantasy IV, wherein he goes with Fusoya to join the sleeping Lunarians.
- In Shade Impulse II-4, when Golbez is defeated by any character but Cecil, his final words are "The flesh may rot, but the soul never perishes..." This is attributed to Zemus upon his transformation into Zeromus.
- Upon activating EX Mode, Golbez yells "My creature of shadow!", his line before calling upon the Dragon in Final Fantasy IV. His EX Mode's special attack, Black Fang, was an attack the Shadow Dragon used to instantly dispatch Cecil's allies. During Golbez's EX Burst, the dragon will use Binding Cold, which Golbez used in Final Fantasy IV to paralyze Cecil's party before summoning his dragon.
- Golbez's EX Burst, Twin Meteor, is named after the attack he and Fusoya used to destroy Zemus in Final Fantasy IV. If the player times Golbez's EX Burst correctly, a text box will appear of the Shadow Dragon saying "give your power to Meteor!", and Golbez replies "Very well" mirroring Golbez's exchange with Fusoya before they cast Twin Meteor. The player must input the button commands as Golbez says "shadow", "light", and "dark" to see this.
- When attacking with Gravity Force, Golbez sometimes says "Allow me to give you something", followed by "A gift!" when initiating the second part of Float System and Gravity System. The lines allude to his dialogue when meeting Cecil for the first time in Final Fantasy IV: "So, you are Cecil. Allow me to give you something—a gift to remember our meeting by".
- One of Golbez's lines on defeat is "Death... will not claim me". This refers to what he said in the Dwarven Castle in Final Fantasy IV.
- Golbez's victory pose is similar to the the logo of the 3D remake of Final Fantasy IV, only viewed at a frontal angle.
- Golbez's "Cosmic Ray" attack first appeared in Final Fantasy IV as Golbez attacked Fabul, where he halted all attempts to attack him with a blast of electricity from his palm, as he advanced on a wounded Cecil.
- The name of Golbez's first alternate costume, "Cloak of Flame", alludes to Rubicante's cloak from Final Fantasy IV.
- Golbez's intro line to Cecil in Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy, "There are greater callings than justice", is based on what the Dark Knight says to Cecil when he becomes a Paladin in the 3D release of Final Fantasy IV: "Justice and retribution are but trifling things. There are victories of greater worth."
Gallery[]
Etymology[]
Golbez's Genesis Rock attack alludes to the wikipedia:Genesis Rock, a sample of the original lunar crust recovered by Apollo 15.
Golbez's fighting style is "Thaumaturge". Thaumaturgy (Greek words θαῦμα thaûma, meaning "miracle" or "marvel" and ἔργον érgon, meaning "work") is the capability of a saint to work miracles. It is sometimes translated into English as wonderworking. A practitioner of thaumaturgy is a thaumaturge, thaumaturgist or miracle-worker.