Terra Branford

Template:FFVI character

A mysterious young woman, controlled by the Empire, and born with the gift of magic...

SNES version

A mysterious young woman, born with the gift of magic, and enslaved by the Gestahlian Empire

GBA version

Terra Branford, named Tina in the Japanese version, is the main character in Final Fantasy VI. A half-human, half-Esper, Terra is one of the only humans able to naturally cast magic, and the only human-Esper hybrid in existence. Her unique abilities make her a key player in the war between the Gestahlian Empire and the rebel factions.

Terra is depicted in-game with mint green hair, but in all other appearances, she has blond hair. Terra also has the distinction of being the first central female lead in the series.

Development Information

The character that would become Terra Branford was originally a male half-Esper in his early 20s. His design was eventually changed to that of 18-year-old Terra. At the end of the game she was supposed to disappear with the Espers for good, but the development team decided that it would be "going too far" and so they made her stay alive, just without the magic part of her being.

Character and Appearance

Terra is a young woman, eighteen years old at the beginning of the game. In-game, Terra has mint green hair, a red top and skirt, red boots and purple shoulder-pads. In her concept artwork as well as Dissidia, Terra has blonde hair with a red top and skirt, flowered white leggings, red boots and a purple-pink cloak with the same flowered design as her leggings. Her hair, regardless of color, is always seen tied into a ponytail.

As a person, Terra is a very confused young woman. She often questions her emotions, or lack thereof, and early in Final Fantasy VI is easily confused and frightened. However, as Terra learns more about herself, she becomes more assertive and determined. Once she learns her true past, she is insecure about her unique heritage and questions if she can feel love. In the end, however, Terra is very brave and willing to fight for what she knows is right, especially in the second part of the game where she rejoins the party to help make the world a better place for others.

Story

Template:Spoilers Terra was born in the Land of Espers, to an Esper father (Maduin) and a human mother (Madeline). Two years after she was born, the Gestahlian Empire raided the Land of Espers and abducted Maduin. Madeline, with her last breath, told the Emperor Gestahl to keep away from her daughter; however, it was too late. Terra grew up in the custody of the Empire, and was raised as a weapon of mass destruction. The exact details of this part of her life are unknown, but she developed a fondness for Moogles during this time, and enjoyed fluffing their fur. Eventually, the Imperial general Kefka Palazzo took a keen interest in her and put a Slave Crown on her head, forcing her to obey Kefka's orders directly. Among them was to annihilate fifty of the Empire's finest soldiers, which she did with ease. Presumably this was a test of her loyalty and/or her ability to do so.

Sixteen years after the raid on the Land of Espers, Terra was assigned on a mission to Narshe, accompanied by two Imperial troopers: Biggs and Wedge. The mission was to do research on, and retrieve, the frozen Esper that was lying in the mines. The trio succeeded in reaching the Esper, but the sheer power of the Esper removed Biggs and Wedge from the area and knocked Terra clean out cold. Despite this, she had a bad case of amnesia. She was rescued by Arvis, a resident of Narshe, who removed the slave crown and nursed her back to health. However, the local police knew of her location and wanted her in custody due to her former control by the Empire. Arvis helped Terra escape, but the guards caught up to her in the mines. This forced Locke Cole to rescue her, along with eleven Moogles. They succeeded, and Locke took Terra away to Figaro.

File:TerraFMV.JPG

Terra in a FMV in the Anthology release of Final Fantasy VI.

Meanwhile, Kefka was worried that his weapon was taken away. He headed to Figaro (where Terra was being hidden by the king, Edgar Roni Figaro, and Locke), to ask about her whereabouts. Edgar lied and said he never knew of her. This did not stop Kefka from attempting to burn the castle down. Terra, Locke, and Edgar managed to escape riding Chocobos, while the Castle submerged under the desert. Edgar and Locke, knowing of Terra's power, took her to the Returner Hideout in the Sabre Mountains, where Terra met Edgar's twin brother, Sabin Rene Figaro. After passing the Sabre Mountains, the party met up with the leader of the Returners, Banon, who tried to convince Terra to join their cause. He did not want to force Terra to do so, because, as Edgar said, forcing her would make them "no different from the Empire", making her decision completely hers. Depending upon the player's actions, Terra eventually agrees to join. Banon then invited Terra to come to Narshe with him, Edgar and Sabin, and she accepted. On the way, the foursome was attacked by Ultros, an octopus inhabitant of the Lethe River. During the battle, Ultros latched onto Terra's leg using a tentacle, and while Edgar pulls Terra away, Sabin tries fighting it off with a Blitz. However, during the struggle, Sabin was thrown from the raft, and Terra, Edgar, and Banon had to reach Narshe alone. They eventually did so, and had to trek back through the mines to meet up with Arvis (the local police did not want Terra or the Returners in town).

Thereafter, everyone met up in Narshe. The Empire was staging an attack in order to get the Esper again, this time led by Kefka. Banon led the defense, which Terra participated in. The defense eventually won and Kefka was forced to retreat. After the battle, the group went to see the Esper, which reacted with Terra again. This time, Terra was transformed into an Esper, and flew away to a place unknown.

A search party was set up to look for Terra. She was eventually found in the city of Zozo, atop the tallest tower. She was being cared for by Ramuh, the Esper. Ramuh told the party that in order for Terra to recover, she had to meet with her father, who was still being held prisoner by the Empire. Celes Chere agreed to lead a party to attack the Empire, and Locke agreed to accompany her.

Terra in her Esper form

Locke eventually returned with Maduin, now a Magicite shard, and brought him to Terra. She regained her memory, and was able to control her transformations now. The party headed for Narshe to form a strategy to attack the Empire. Banon thought the best strategy would be to have the Espers attack from the east, and then a coalition of Returners and Narshe guards would attack the Imperial capital, Vector. Terra had to be the messenger to the Espers, since she was the only one who could communicate with them. She led a team through the Cave to the Sealed Gate, which led to the Land of Espers. She was ambushed by Kefka there, but was able to open the gate to the Land of Espers, and the army of Espers that emerged, led by Yura, attacked Kefka. Terra's group managed to escape to the party's airship, but the Espers were in hot pursuit, and attacked the ship, which was forced to land near Vector. The party agreed to enter Vector.

Once they arrived, they found the city up in flames, and Arvis and Banon were confused. Inside the castle, Emperor Gestahl appeared to have surrendered. He invited the Returners to a banquet during which he proposed peace. He then asked Terra to relay this message to the Espers, who were now hiding out on Crescent Island to the east. Locke agreed to accompany her, and General Leo Cristophe would act as the Imperial liaison. On the way there, Terra asked Leo about love, because it was an emotion that she had never felt before. She was worried that being half-Esper would prevent her from truly falling in love. Leo reassured her and said that it wouldn't.

Upon arriving at Crecent Island, Terra and Locke, now accompanied by Shadow, made their way to the remote village of Thamasa, to ask about Espers. They found the villagers to be very hostile to strangers, and they asked an old man named Strago Magus for help. Strago denied the existence of Espers, but was friendly nonetheless. That night, Terra, Locke, and Shadow were invited to stay for free at the inn. During the night, a building was caught on fire, and Strago's granddaughter, Relm Arrowny, was stuck inside. Strago asked Terra and Locke to help him rescue her, and they saw Strago's magical abilities in the process. As a result, Strago revealed the truth of his ancestry to Terra and Locke, and agreed to accompany them to the Espers' Gathering Place. Relm followed them, and caught up to them in a fight with Ultros. Eventually, the group reached the area where Yura was hiding with the rest of the Espers who attacked Vector. Terra convinced Yura to set up a conference with General Leo.

Terra's SD artwork

Back in Thamasa, Yura and Leo began peace negotiations. However, they were interrupted by Kefka, who revealed that this was a set up for him and Gestahl to retrieve more Espers to turn into Magicite. Kefka killed Yura and the other Espers and wounded everyone but Leo, who fought Kefka and died. Kefka then began to collect the remains of various Espers, and headed to the Sealed Gate to collect more. As a result, the Statues were restored and the Sealed Gate rose above the ground and became the Floating Continent. Afterward, Terra led a funeral service for Leo.

Terra losing her strength to fight

One year after Kefka destroyed the world, Terra found herself in the village of Mobliz, which was attacked by Kefka's "Light of Judgement." All the adults had died, and Terra felt a responsibility to take care of the kids. While doing so, she realized a new side of her was awakening, and thus she lost all her ability to fight. Celes and Sabin tried to convince her to take up arms again, but Terra refused, knowing that, as she was, she would only be a burden. She even proved her weakness when the town was attacked by Humbaba, a legendary beast. The second time Humbaba came, though, Terra realized what her feeling was, and it was love for the children. With this new-found knowledge, she defeated Humbaba and rejoined the battle.

After Kefka was finally defeated, Terra's friends, most noticeably Celes, were worried about her fate, as the Statues had died, and they were the source of Magic and allowed the survival of the Espers. Terra agreed to use the last of her power to help the party escape from Kefka's Tower. However, Maduin told her as he was about to shatter, that she would live on as a full human if she was attached to someone or something. Due to her love for the children of Mobliz, she was allowed to live, and the game ends with Terra standing at the bow of the Falcon releasing her ponytail and savoring freedom at last.

Spoilers end here.

Equipment and Stats

Terra's job class can best be described as a "Red Mage", as her stats are all-around good and her equipment is highly varied. She can equip all swords and shields, as well as all heavy armor. In addition, she can use female specifics and early game mage equipment such as the Silk Robe. This overall makes Terra one of the most customizable characters in the game and probably one of the most powerful. With proper customization, she has the potential to be powerful enough to fight superbosses alone and defeat them in seconds.

Starting Stats

• Strength 31
• Speed 33
• Stamina 28
• Magic 39

Starting equipment

• MithrilKnife
• Buckler
• Leather Hat
• LeatherArmor

Equipment list

Weapons

Dirks	Swords	Maces	Spears
Dagger Mythril Knife Man Eater Gladius	Mythril Sword Regal Cutlass Epee Flametongue Icebrand Thunder Blade Rune Blade Stoneblade Drainer Ultima Weapon Enhancer Soul Sabre Ogre Nix Crystal Falchion Scimitar Excalibur Ragnarok Lightbringer Apocalypse (GBA)	Chain Flail Morning Star	Impartisan

Armor

Shields	Helmets	Body Armor
Buckler Heavy Shield Mythril Shield Golden Shield Diamond Shield Crystal Shield Flame Shield Ice Shield Thunder Shield Aegis Shield Force Shield Genji Shield Cursed Shield Paladin Shield	Leather Cap Plumed Hat Magus Hat Bandana Priest's Miter Green Beret Hairband Iron Helm Mythril Helmet Tiara Golden Helm Mystery Veil Diamond Helmet Crystal Helmet Circlet Oath Veil Red Cap Thornlet Genji Helmet	White Dress Cotton Robe Leather Armor Silk Robe Iron Armor Mythril Vest Mythril Mail Gaia Gear Golden Armor Diamond Vest Diamond Armor Mirage Vest Crystal Mail Force Armor Genji Armor Minerva Bustier

Abilities

• Trance (Morph): During battle, Terra can transform into her Esper form for a limited time. This time is dependent upon the number of AP she has obtained after battle. While an Esper, all her stats are doubled.
• Like Celes, Terra can learn some Magic naturally. The spells she can learn include:

Magic Level Learned Cure 1 Fire 3 Poisona 6 Drain 12 Raise 18 Fira 22 Teleport 26 Cura 33

Magic Level Learned Dispel 37 Firaga 43 Arise 49 Holy 57 Break 68 Graviga 75 Meltdown 86 Ultima 99

• When Terra dons Magitek Armor, she has four extra abilities. They are: Bio Blast, Banisher, Magitek Missle, and Confuser.

Musical Themes

Main article: Terra (Main Theme)

"Terra" is the main theme of the game, and it is worked into the songs "Opening Theme," "Metamorphosis," "Save Them!" and "Ending Theme". The theme also plays on the overworld map in the first part of the game, but is replaced by "Dark World" and later "Searching for Friends" in the World of Ruin. Terra's theme is also a part of "Awakening", itself another theme closely associated with Terra that plays when she experiences a personal revelation, and most notably plays when Terra awakens in Arvis' house at the beginning of the game.

Other Appearances

Dissidia Final Fantasy

Main article: Terra Branford/Dissidia

Chaos has summoned a combined force of Final Fantasy's ultimate masters of evil. Cosmos, in an attempt to protect the Crystals, has summoned warriors to thwart their plans. Terra is one of these warriors, and stands as the heroine representing Final Fantasy VI, opposing Kefka Palazzo.

As a traveling companion to Onion Knight of Final Fantasy III, and later Cloud Strife of Final Fantasy VII, Terra once served Chaos and has lost many of her memories of this time. Compounding matters is her waning control over her powers, to the point she sometimes attacks her friends. Kefka appears to taunt Terra with the destructive nature of her abilities, attempting to sway her back to the side of Chaos. However, Terra rejects his offers, finding hope for a peaceful world where dreams can be fulfilled, including her desire to not have to fear her own abilities.

Secret of Evermore

Terra and others in Secret of Evermore

Terra appears among a crowd of people that includes Final Fantasy VI characters in the gladiator battle of Antiqua. She appears alongside Locke, Mog, Relm, Strago, and Umaro.

Etymology

Tina is a common western name. Terra is the Latin word for "earth", and was chosen for Tina's new localization name by Ted Woolsey, who could see the word "terra" on a billboard visible from his office window. This is because in Japan, "Tina" is considered an exotic name, much like Terra would be considered an exotic name in the west - thus, the creators wanted the character's name to reflect her "exotic" status as a half-Esper. Contrary to the belief of some, this is completely unrelated to the word "τέρας", (téras), a Greek word meaning "monster".

Interestingly, the other heroine is named Celes. The names "Celes" and "Tina" may be a reference to the famous Spanish Siglo de oro novel, "La Celestina".

Gallery

Artwork by Yoshitaka Amano

Artwork by Yoshitaka Amano

Artwork of Terra transforming

Artwork on Terra riding Magitek Armor

Artwork on Terra riding Magitek Armor

CG render of Terra from the Anthologies release

Artwork by Yoshita Amano, Terra riding Magitek Armor

Chibi sketches of Terra by Tetsuya Nomura

CG render of Terra from Dissidia Final Fantasy

Trivia

• Along with Faris, Terra was Yoshitaka Amano's favorite character to design.
• Terra appeared in the Final Fantasy VI: The Interactive CG Game along with Shadow and Locke.
• In Final Fantasy XII, there is a little girl in Giza Plains named Terra who watches the pet Cockatrices raised there.

External Links

• Terra at Caves of Narshe

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