Zalbaag Beoulve

Zalbaag Beoulve
(ザルバッグ・ベオルブ, Zarubaggu Beorubu?) Alternate names: Zalbag Beoulve
Portraits
Sprites
Biographical information
Age	28 (born June 30 / Cancer 9)
Affiliation	Order of the Northern Sky
Zodiac sign	Cancer
Physical description
Race	Hume
Gender	Male
Gameplay details
Type	Guest character
Job class	Ark Knight
Behind the scenes information
Designer	Akihiko Yoshida
Japanese voice actor	Takuya Matsumoto
English voice actor	Peter Hannah

Zalbaag Beoulve, also known as Zalbag Beoulve, is a character in Final Fantasy Tactics. The leader of the Order of the Northern Sky is a stern believer in the Church of Glabados's teachings. He is the son of Barbaneth Beoulve and the middle son of the House Beoulve, with Dycedarg Beoulve his elder brother from the same mother, with Ramza and Alma Beoulve his younger siblings from a different mother.

Zalbaag's job the ark knight, capable of crippling enemies' body and mind.

History

Early history

During the Fifty Years' War, Zalbaag served under his father Barbaneth. He earned the title of knight devout and led Ivalice to countless victories against Ordallia, leading the late King Denamda IV to declare him the "savior of Ivalice". His elder brother, Dycedarg, ceded the title of commander of the Order of the Northern Sky, at their father's request, leading Dycedarg to become a strategist for Duke Larg while Zalbaag became the commander of the Northern Sky.

Role against the Corpse Brigade

During chapter 1, "The Meager", Zalbaag carried out many missions against the Corpse Brigade, but was unaware of his brother's scheming. After one of Ramza's successful missions against the brigands, Zalbaag praised him as having earned the right to call himself a Beoulve, as well as their ward, Delita Heiral, for his own role. Zalbaag, suspicious of the brigands' motives behind kidnapping Marquis Elmdore (and unaware of his elder brother's role in the plot), urged Ramza and Delita to investigate.

Zalbaag orders Argath to fire at Tietra and Gragoroth.

Zalbaag was defending Eagrose Castle when Dycedarg became the target of an assassination plot by brigand Gragoroth Levigne. Dycedarg tasked Zalbaag with pursuing the bandits while standing Ramza down, promising to not abandon Tietra Heiral who had been kidnapped during the failed assassination attempt. However, when Ramza and the others confronted Gragoroth and Ziekden Fortress, Zalbaag ordered their ally, Argath Thadalfus, to shoot Tietra to eliminate Gragoroth's leverage.

War of the Lions

Ramza tells Zalbaag of his suspicions.

During chapter 3, "The Valiant", Ramza reunited with Zalbaag in Lesalia. Ramza attempted to persuade Zalbaag that Dycedarg was behind the War of the Lions, in his failed plots to kidnap and to assassinate Princess Ovelia. Zalbaag at first was offended by the suggestion and by Ramza's lack of trust for his own family, declaring Ramza unfit for the name Beoulve, stained by his mother's common blood.

Later, during chapter 4, "In the Name of Love", Zalbaag began to believe Ramza after witnessing Dycedarg betray and assassinate Duke Larg. Larg accused Dycedarg of killing his own father as well, and when Dycedarg told Zalbaag to frame Southern Order assassins for the murder of Duke Larg, Zalbaag was left speechless. After overhearing a conversation between Dycedarg and Loffrey Wodring, Zalbaag had a herbalist confirm that Dycedarg had poisoned their father using mossfungus.

Zalbaag rushed back to Eagrose Castle to confront Dycedarg, just as Ramza arrived. Affirming that Ramza had been right all along, Zalbaag cursed Dycedarg's lust for power as sullying the Beoulve name, staying that Beoulves must raise their sword in justice's name. Ramza and Zalbaag killed Dycedarg, who triggered the Capricorn auracite and merged with the Lucavi demon Adrammelech, who killed Zalbaag before being defeated by Ramza. In The Ivalice Chronicles, Zalbaag finally learned about the true nature of his older brother's crimes and told Ramza they must kill him. Zalbaag greatly respected Count Cidolfus Orlandeau, seeing him sided with Ramza after faking his death. He told Orlandeau to take care of Ramza, and before being killed by Dycedarg, who transformed into Adrammelech, Zalbaag no longer saw him as his brother, but an abomination.

Folmarv Tengille, leader of the Knights Templar, brought Zalbaag back as a vampire and forced him to fight Ramza. Zalbaag, in agony and fear, could not see and had no control over his body and though he could not feel his limbs, he claimed they yet burned. With his memories fading and hope lost, he begged for Ramza and Orlandeau to strike him down, and after they reluctantly did so, Zalbaag—in his final words—apologized to his half-brother for causing him grief and pleaded for Ramza to protect Alma, leaving Ramza crushed by the loss.

In The Ivalice Chronicles, Folmarv's control and the powers of the Lucavi were rapidly brainwashing Zalbaag into joining them by constant whispering in his ears, Dycedarg among them. His mind and memories eroding, nearly driving him insane, Ramza was forced to kill him as he had no other choice.

Characteristics

You feast on power, Brother, but leave no place at table for justice. The name Beoulve befits brave men who raise their swords in justice's name. You are no Beoulve!

Zalbaag Beoulve, Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions § "Adrammelech, the Wroth"

Appearance

Zalbaag has short auburn hair with a full fringe, brown eyes, and a goatee. He wears a black high-neck short jacket with golden seams and armbands. Underneath he wears a gray loose turtleneck with white pineapple design at the center of the linings, black pants, and red and black boots with a large brown folded sleeves and white outlines. He wears red gauntlets with golden outlines and a golden mantle with white curly designs.

Personality

Zalbaag is calm, serious, warm, and dutiful. Proud of his Beoulve heritage, he treats his half siblings, Ramza and Alma, kindly, while revering Dycedarg to the point of taking offense to any suspicion toward him. He does not extend the same kindness to his family's wards, Delita and Tietra, choosing to allow Tietra to die in avenging Dycedarg's attempted killer, which is likely due to him viewing those with common blood as beneath him.

When realizing the true extent of Dycedarg's corruption, and discovering that his older brother killed their own father to take control of House Beoulve, Zalbaag becomes vengeful and filled with rage, sadness, and remorse, promising to uphold the Beoulve name as one of justice. After being reduced to an undead thrall by his own older brother turned Lucavi, Zalbaag begs Ramza to protect his half-sister Alma in his final words, filled with deep regret for his past actions and for not believing his younger brother's warnings. In The Ivalice Chronicles, Zalbaag has a great respect to Count Cidolfus Orlandeau, who has sided with Ramza's company, and he asks him to take care of his brother.

Gameplay

Zalbaag appears as a guest character during the battle at Eagrose Castle, and starts as a level 42 ark knight with 67 bravery and 72 faith, and comes equipped with the runeblade, a full set of crystal equipment, and the Germinas boots.

Zalbaag's ark knight job has different reaction and support abilities compared to all "basic" jobs. He can never learn Equip Axes, Beastmaster, Evasive Stance, and JP Boost because those were replaced with Counter, Concentration, Safeguard, and Swiftspell. Zalbaag and Elmdore share a job class but have different skillsets; Elmdore's job skills are based on samurai job while Zalbaag's is the knight job but magick-based, capable of reducing units' attributes at the expense of MP and charge time.

During Chapter 1, "The Meager", when Zalbaag kills one of the Corpse Brigade that drags Alma to his chocobo, the sword he wields is an Ancient Sword in the original and War of the Lions versions. In The Ivalice Chronicles, the Ancient Sword is replaced with Save the Queen. In Chapter IV "In the Name of Love" when he confronts Dycedarg, the sword he wields resembles a Rune Blade.

Boss

Zalbaag appears as a boss during the battle at Mullonde Cathedral. He is a level 47 Ark Knight with 33 Bravery and 72 Faith, and comes equipped with the same equipment as before. He now comes with the Vampire ability, as well as the Speed Surge, Defense Boost, and Lifefont abilities.

Rendezvous

When fought in the fourteenth Rendezvous battle, the fifth battle of the Brave Story, he is level 99 and starts with 75 bravery and 68 faith. He comes equipped with the Save the Queen, Protect ring, and his other equipment is randomized. He has access to the Blade of Ruin and Martial Arts commands, as well as the abilities Bonecrusher, Attack Boost, and Move +1. The player fights his zombie version at level 99 with 33 bravery and 77 faith in the seventh battle of Brave Story. He is equipped with the same equipment and abilities as in the main story.

Other appearances

Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade

Zalbaag appears as a Legend.

Powersap (SSR).

Powersap (SSR+).

Final Fantasy Record Keeper

This section about an enemy in Final Fantasy Record Keeper is empty or needs to be expanded. You can help the Final Fantasy Wiki by expanding it.

Final Fantasy Trading Card Game

Zalbaag [1-136C] Opus series card.

Zalbaag appears in Final Fantasy Trading Card Game as a Lightning-elemental forward card.

Final Fantasy Portal App

Zalbaag appears as a Triple Triad card.

Non-Final Fantasy guest appearances

Knights of the Crystals

Zalbag appears as a card in the Ivalice Special Arena has a limited-time special arena with eighteen floors.

Behind the scenes

Zalbaag is nicknamed "Monkey Bag" (猿袋) in the sound test mode due to the Japanese romanization of his name where Zaru sounds and is written like "Saru", which means "monkey".

Earlier artwork shared by Yasumi Matsuno on May 19, 2018 over livestream.

Voice

Zalbaag is given a voice in The Ivalice Chronicles. He is voiced by Takuya Matsumoto in Japanese and Peter Hannah in English. In the English version of the game, Zalbaag speaks in a British accent, though in his last appearance in the game, his voice is distorted.