Sometimes, the greatest tragedy is seeing someone who was once looked up to as a hero become a villain. There is this great void in our hearts that makes us ask "why!?", a difficulty in comprehending just what could drive a person to fall so badly. Sometimes it's a personal tragedy, a catalyst towards cynicism. Other times it's a personal flaw that simply overtook whatever heroic qualities that former hero possessed. Today's villain is a fine example of the Fallen Hero: Ghaleon, from Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete.
Ghaleon was once the trusted friend of Dragonmaster Dyne. When the Goddess Althena was in peril, Dyne, Ghaleon, and their friends Mel and Lemia would rush in to save her. Unlike Dyne, whose job it was to protect the Goddess from the forces of darkness and evil, Ghaleon was helping Althena out of his own free will. It was all for his friend, Dyne. Together, the four heroes saved the world from various evil forces, and together came to be known as the Four Great Heroes.
(The following is true for Silver Star Story Complete, not the original Silver Star)
But the Goddess Althena felt the world did not need her, just her powers. Althena, then, decided to spread her power to the people of Lunar, whilst she herself would be reborn human. Dyne agreed to this plan, but Ghaleon did not. Believing humanity to be doomed without a divine being to guide them, Ghaleon begged Dyne not to go through with the plan. But, Dyne and Althena did, and when Dyne lost his own powers, he wandered the world, abandoning his old identity, letting the world believe him dead, including Ghaleon, his once most trusted friend.
Cold and morose over the loss of his friend, Ghaleon's heart became more and more wicked. All around him he saw not a happy world, but a lost world in need of guidance. Seeing Althena's choice as a betrayal, he decided that the world needed a God, and if Althena wasn't up to the task, he certainly was. He concocted a plan.
Years later, Ghaleon is the Premier of the Magic City of Vane, known far and wide as the world's absolute best mage. When the young adventurer, Alex (main hero of Lunar), is accused of wishing to destroy Althena, Lemia Ausa, head of the Magic Guild of Vane, throws the young man into the dungeon. Later, however, after Alex escapes and confronts Lemia, it turns out to be an impostor; the real Lemia was in the dungeon as well. The Impostor, a woman named Xenobia, reveals herself to be in league with a man calling himself the Magic Emperor, who wishes to subjugate humanity. Sensing that the world is in trouble, Ghaleon accepts the task of becoming the next Dragonmaster. He is to find all four of Althena's dragons, receive their power, and become Dragonmaster.
Though Alex also dreams of becoming a Dragonmaster, he still accompanies Ghaleon towards the White Dragon. Together with Alex's girlfriend, Luna, the trio head over to the White Dragon. There, Ghaleon asks the dragon, Quark, if Luna is the girl born on the same night Dyne died. Quark, hesitating, reveals that she is.
Ghaleon starts laughing maniacally. With a flash, he dons a new set of armor, and reveals himself as the Magic Emperor!
Ghaleon's characterization depends on which version of Lunar you're playing. If you're playing the Sega CD version, you'll find a tragic, yet evil figure who has already crossed the line between Good and Evil. In the Playstation version, on the other hand, you'll find hints of a hidden kindness to him, suggesting he isn't beyond saving. The only example, however, is the fact that he loves fairies, has a garden for them in his Grindery, and they speak highly of him.
However, there are many core aspects of his character that remain the same no matter what version you're playing: he used to be a good guy, he got mad with grief upon losing his best friend, and now he's evil. A memorable quote from the Sega CD version sums up his character nicely. "...(after talking about Dyne's death) A part of me died that black day, but now (Quark) things are changing again. I'll soon rule the world, but first you have to DIE!"
Ghaleon's plot has some minor changes depending on which version you play. In the original Sega CD game, he was killing the dragons. In every other version, he is merely capturing them. This is just one of the reasons why Ghaleon was more evil in the original version of the game, but with every remake, he was softened somewhat.
But is Ghaleon truly evil? Again, that depends on the version you're playing. I consider the PS1 version of the game to be the canonical version, and every other version a re-vision. However, this is me personally, and I'll admit a bias because the Playstation version was the first version I played. The short answer, however, is yes. Ghaleon is evil. How evil? Depends on the version.
Ghaleon's fall from grace may have been fueled by his sorrow from losing his friend. Perhaps he believed his friend, Dyne, gave his life for nothing. Perhaps, had Dyne remained alive, he would not have done what he did. Or perhaps Dyne's death was just the last straw, and it was Althena's sacrifice that set him down the dark path to become Magic Emperor.
However, Ghaleon had no faith in humanity. He saw humans as weak and in need of a guide, a protector of divine nature. He then saw himself as fit for this duty. By believing this, Ghaleon shows extreme arrogance and misanthropy.
What's worse is that the game, subtly, shows that Ghaleon is WRONG; humans manage just fine without their goddess. Thanks to Althena's power being spread across Lunar, humans can use magic to heal themselves. There is no war in Lunar, no nations, and soldiers protect the people from monsters, not enemy combatants. Are there thieves? Yes, an entire city full, with their own Guild and everything. But are there warlords destroying villages? No. Are there evil wizards? Just one: the Magic Emperor. Ironically, it is Ghaleon himself who proves to be the greatest threat to all of Lunar.
...and then Lunar 2 happened, but that's for another time.
Ghaleon's story is a tragedy, through and through. Once a hero, a personal loss proved to be the catalyst to becoming the greatest evil his world had ever seen. But it was his choice to become evil, his choice to terrorize the world. He held onto a toxic view of the world, and in his arrogance, he chose to become God. He was arrogant enough to not only see himself as superior to his fellow men, but to be fit enough to rule over them as a GOD. His fall was brought by his own choice; his death was well deserved. In the words of Dragonmaster Alex: "Those who underestimate the power of the human spirit are destined to fail."
It is for this reason Ghaleon is the eighth best video game villain. The summary:
Name: Ghaleon
Type of Villain: The God Complex, the Evil Sorcerer, the Fallen Hero.
Greatest Crime: Nearly destroying the world in his bid for godhood.
Current Status: Dead.
Though Alex also dreams of becoming a Dragonmaster, he still accompanies Ghaleon towards the White Dragon. Together with Alex's girlfriend, Luna, the trio head over to the White Dragon. There, Ghaleon asks the dragon, Quark, if Luna is the girl born on the same night Dyne died. Quark, hesitating, reveals that she is.
Ghaleon starts laughing maniacally. With a flash, he dons a new set of armor, and reveals himself as the Magic Emperor!
image taken from https://allthetropes.orain.org/wiki/Lunar:_The_Silver_Star/Characters
Ghaleon kidnaps Luna and captures Quark, setting Alex off on his own quest to become the next Dragonmaster and stop the Magic Emperor. Ghaleon, however, begins capturing the other three dragons, always remaining one step ahead of Alex. He also began kidnapping girls all over Lunar, in an attempt to find the goddess Althena's human reincarnation, all with the help of Xenobia and the citizens of the Vile Tribe, a group of creatures who were banished to the lifeless Frontier for opposing Althena.
Upon discovering that Luna is Althena in human flesh, Ghaleon brainwashes her and turns her into the Black Songstress, a witch whose singing voice can cause illness and death in all who hear it. Having kidnapped all four dragons, Ghaleon uses their life force as fuel for his super fortress, the Grindery. His plan: destroy Vane, which will bring back Althena's fortress. Once he's done that, he'll drain Lunar of all life and magic, focusing it on himself, and become Lunar's new God. With Luna as his slave, his victory is all but assured.
Alex, however, will not have this. Having become the new Dragonmaster, Alex flies towards Althena's temple. Together with his friends, they put an end to Ghaleon's life and machinations, saving Luna and Lunar from the Magic Emperor. From that moment on, however, Ghaleon's actions became known, and his name was forever tied to his actions as the Magic Emperor. Even a thousand years later, during Lunar 2, his name continues to inspire fear.
In Lunar 2, Ghaleon is brought back to life by the Evil God Zolphar, but that's for another time. Long story short, he learned his lesson, pretended to be loyal to Zolphar, and ended up giving his life so that Lunar could be in peace, earning his redemption.
Ghaleon's characterization depends on which version of Lunar you're playing. If you're playing the Sega CD version, you'll find a tragic, yet evil figure who has already crossed the line between Good and Evil. In the Playstation version, on the other hand, you'll find hints of a hidden kindness to him, suggesting he isn't beyond saving. The only example, however, is the fact that he loves fairies, has a garden for them in his Grindery, and they speak highly of him.
However, there are many core aspects of his character that remain the same no matter what version you're playing: he used to be a good guy, he got mad with grief upon losing his best friend, and now he's evil. A memorable quote from the Sega CD version sums up his character nicely. "...(after talking about Dyne's death) A part of me died that black day, but now (Quark) things are changing again. I'll soon rule the world, but first you have to DIE!"
Ghaleon's plot has some minor changes depending on which version you play. In the original Sega CD game, he was killing the dragons. In every other version, he is merely capturing them. This is just one of the reasons why Ghaleon was more evil in the original version of the game, but with every remake, he was softened somewhat.
But is Ghaleon truly evil? Again, that depends on the version you're playing. I consider the PS1 version of the game to be the canonical version, and every other version a re-vision. However, this is me personally, and I'll admit a bias because the Playstation version was the first version I played. The short answer, however, is yes. Ghaleon is evil. How evil? Depends on the version.
Ghaleon's fall from grace may have been fueled by his sorrow from losing his friend. Perhaps he believed his friend, Dyne, gave his life for nothing. Perhaps, had Dyne remained alive, he would not have done what he did. Or perhaps Dyne's death was just the last straw, and it was Althena's sacrifice that set him down the dark path to become Magic Emperor.
However, Ghaleon had no faith in humanity. He saw humans as weak and in need of a guide, a protector of divine nature. He then saw himself as fit for this duty. By believing this, Ghaleon shows extreme arrogance and misanthropy.
What's worse is that the game, subtly, shows that Ghaleon is WRONG; humans manage just fine without their goddess. Thanks to Althena's power being spread across Lunar, humans can use magic to heal themselves. There is no war in Lunar, no nations, and soldiers protect the people from monsters, not enemy combatants. Are there thieves? Yes, an entire city full, with their own Guild and everything. But are there warlords destroying villages? No. Are there evil wizards? Just one: the Magic Emperor. Ironically, it is Ghaleon himself who proves to be the greatest threat to all of Lunar.
...and then Lunar 2 happened, but that's for another time.
Ghaleon's story is a tragedy, through and through. Once a hero, a personal loss proved to be the catalyst to becoming the greatest evil his world had ever seen. But it was his choice to become evil, his choice to terrorize the world. He held onto a toxic view of the world, and in his arrogance, he chose to become God. He was arrogant enough to not only see himself as superior to his fellow men, but to be fit enough to rule over them as a GOD. His fall was brought by his own choice; his death was well deserved. In the words of Dragonmaster Alex: "Those who underestimate the power of the human spirit are destined to fail."
It is for this reason Ghaleon is the eighth best video game villain. The summary:
Name: Ghaleon
Type of Villain: The God Complex, the Evil Sorcerer, the Fallen Hero.
Greatest Crime: Nearly destroying the world in his bid for godhood.
Current Status: Dead.
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