Celes and 'Maria & Draco'

[Necronopticous]

There are spoilers in this post and thread, if you haven't played through Final Fantasy VI yet and you plan on it, I highly suggest against reading on.

The Maria & Draco sequence to this day is held to be one of the most important story scenes to ever grace a video game in the 16 bit era. Even today the "Opera scene" is held to be a driving force in what places the sixth installment of the Final Fantasy series as one of the best in the minds of many long-time fans. The scene featured a lengthy and bold memorization minigame as well as a score comprised of three of arguably the best Final Fantasy tunes ever composed, including a voice-like synth track to give a 16 bit interpretation of the vocal aspects of the opera. On top of being completely and totally innovative for the time on almost all levels, this sequence also served as, in my opinion, quite possibly the strongest and most well done character developmental medium in video games as we know them.

Most fans of the Final Fantasy series, and more particularly of Final Fantasy VI appreciate the Maria & Draco sequence. Oddly enough, I have found that it seems that many of those who do have very generic reasons and honestly almost feel as if they only do because it is held so highly by others. It is my intention to explain why this scene is so important to me personally and my hope that it will give at least someone a better understanding of what makes this small segment of Final Fantasy VI so charming.

Celes Chere is introduced to us in Final Fantasy VI in a manner that, shown in todays graphics, just might put a big fat M rating on the cover- chained to a wall being ruthlessly beaten by male soldiers. The rest of Celes' story before the actual events in the game aren't any less horrible than this, in fact, if Celes was meant to represent one simple idea, I would say that it is most certainly tragedy. For all intents and purposes, Celes is a monster. She is a living weapon, artifically altered to become a destructive killing tool. Her entire character seems to be this symbolic representation of artificiality and corruption. Upon meeting Locke and joining the group, like many others in the Final Fantasy VI cast, Celes is in a constant state and search of self-realization and overcoming. Though it is ongoing for Celes in particular, there is no time when it happens as rapid and effectively as I believe it does in the opera house when Celes is suddenly backed into a corner- this monster, this machine built and altered for killing and war must become Maria, a symbol for beauty, peace, and purity.

I believe that the Maria & Draco sequence is one of the most important moments in Celes' life as a character. In these moments she is forced to become something that is totally and completely opposite of herself, and in my opinion, she is able to identify and overcome more of the very corruption she symbolizes as a character than any other point in the Final Fantasy VI story.

I believe that Celes also becomes Maria one other time in the timeline of Final Fantasy VI, on the solitary island after Kefka's cataclysm and Cid's death. Draco, who was a symbol for everything that was anything to Maria, becomes everything and everyone Celes had come to finally understand that wasn't wicked and sinister being taken away from her by that which was. Celes then climbs the castle balcony once again and casts herself off as a tragic and beautiful bouquet.

Throughout the Final Fantasy series and each of its installments, Celes remains my absolute favorite character. I don't think that anyone, including Square themselves has come up with a more tragic and effective character with such perfect presentation and execution since her conception in Final Fantasy VI.

A lot of people seem to miss out on some of the details I've presented, and I think they're really essential and do their part in making the game what it is.

What do you think of Celes and 'Maria & Draco' in the context of Video Games, the Final Fantasy series, and Final Fantasy VI in particular? Why?

[Sasquatch]

Wow. That's deep.

You may be reading into it a bit too much...but I'll go with it.

[My name is...something..?]

I also believe Celes to be one of the most well done characters in a video game to date.
The turn around of here character in the story was really well done and just didn't happen suddenly as is the way with many other characters today. While the "opera scene" did speed up her change significantly,
it took her a long time to fully figure it out. She still thought of herself as a mere tool to be used but she had been given a taste of something greater than her current living style.

The first time we truly see an effect from this happening to her is when she turns on Kefka in the Esper restraining room. Her feelings finally show themselves and she "sacrifices" herself to save the others.
She finally saw that there were REASONS people fought other than being ordered to.

However her full turn over is finally culminated when she "becomes" a real life Maria. My thoughts on this are the same as Necro's so just read his analysis to have my thoughts.

[boys from the dwarf]

I also believe Celes to be one of the most well done characters in a video game to date.
The turn around of here character in the story was really well done and just didn't happen suddenly as is the way with many other characters today. While the "opera scene" did speed up her change significantly,
it took her a long time to fully figure it out. She still thought of herself as a mere tool to be used but she had been given a taste of something greater than her current living style.

The first time we truly see an effect from this happening to her is when she turns on Kefka in the Esper restraining room. Her feelings finally show themselves and she "sacrifices" herself to save the others.
She finally saw that there were REASONS people fought other than being ordered to.

However her full turn over is finally culminated when she "becomes" a real life Maria. My thoughts on this are the same as Necro's so just read his analysis to have my thoughts.

[nik0tine]

This makes me want to play Final Fantasy VI again.

[Necronopticous]

And that it should.

[tailz]

this is good this is real good never seen it that way but your right in every way good thinking here

[ThroneofDravaris]

Um, FFVI was supposed to be a comedy (more of a Shakespearian comedy but a comedy nonetheless). I really don’t think that square put anywhere NEAR the thought into Celes that you are implying. I can’t remember a single scene in the game that made me think “wow, now that’s dramatic!”

Meh, but I’ve seen Evangelion, and after that, everything seems funny…

[Necronopticous]

I can’t remember a single scene in the game that made me think “wow, now that’s dramatic!”

A lot of people don't simply because of the graphics in the game, but just because you didn't notice it doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. In some ways I think that Final Fantasy VI is one of the darkest games in the series, attempted suicide and a lunatic playing a murdering God is not meant to be funny.

[ThroneofDravaris]

A lot of people don't simply because of the graphics in the game, but just because you didn't notice it doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. In some ways I think that Final Fantasy VI is one of the darkest games in the series, attempted suicide and a lunatic playing a murdering God is not meant to be funny.

Errr, are you saying that Kefka wasn’t supposed to be entertaining? Hmm…

I must admit, I’ve never seen this suicide scene that everyone talks about. I actually made the effort to save Cid. As for FFVI being the darkest in the series, I really don’t see it. Quite a bit of game was PURE comedy, at least more than it was dark. And when you have FF games like FFVII to contend with, FFVI doesn’t really come up as dramatic.

Oh, and I think you’re assuming too much by saying that the 2D graphics turn people away from FFVI. Really, I don’t see how graphics affect the way people interpret the plot. I don’t consider FFVI very serious because the dialogue is very immature, in true Nintendo fashion. There is nothing wrong with this style, but it does mean that it’s harder to consider FFVI as seriously as some of the later FF games.

[The Man]

Um, FFVI was supposed to be a comedy (more of a Shakespearian comedy but a comedy nonetheless). I really don’t think that square put anywhere NEAR the thought into Celes that you are implying. I can’t remember a single scene in the game that made me think “wow, now that’s dramatic!”

Shakespeare put lots of deep issues into even his comedies (read Shylock's famous "Hath not a Jew eyes" soloiloquy in The Merchant of Venice for one example), so I'm going to have to disagree with this.

Nice assessment, Necronopticous.

[Sasquatch]

And when you have FF games like FFVII to contend with, FFVI doesn’t really come up as dramatic.

And this simple (in more ways than one) statement reflects why you don't see the complexity of FFVI.

First of all, the graphics do effect the interpretation of the plot. The newer games show it possible for characters to reflect emotion, whereas with the older 8- and 16-bit games, facial expressions--and even body gestures--are nearly impossible. I mean hell, they even use question marks and exclamation points above their head, for cryin' out loud.

Secondly, WAY too many people have been caught up in the newer games--because the newer games were marketed better, with better graphics, on "better" systems--and concentrate too much on simple things like graphics and not nearly enough on the complexities of sorted characters, deeper plot lines, twists, etc. etc.

General Leo's death was just as "dramatic" as Aeris' death, but nobody swoons over Leo.

There were rare segments of FFVI made to be "pure comedy"--such as the revelation that Cyan knows nothing about machines or that Gau is afraid of water--but those are few and far between, and the general line is much darker than many of the other Final Fantasy games.

Sure, Kefka was meant to be entertaining--his outfits, some of his dialog, etc. However, it was certainly not the primary objective of Square to make him funny--as Nec said, he's a lunatic, bent on world domination/destruction, with total disregard to human life. Not some schmuck who wants to save the world by destroying it, but somebody who wants to control the world by destroying it.

[nik0tine]

General Leo's death was just as "dramatic" as Aeris' death, but nobody swoons over Leo.

Thats because Leo is lacking in the vagina department.


I don't recall FFVI being very "comedic". In fact, I don't recall laughing once. Hows that for comedy? I do however, see lighthearted elements in the game, but they were mixed (and quite masterfully, I might add) with dark and sinister elements.

I don't think that Square put this much thought into Celes and the opera scene, but then again, I don't think Shakespeare put as much thought into his works either. I don't think ANYBODY does. However, that doesn't mean that we can't interpret it for what we want, and find the greatness in it that was never intended to be there in the first place.

[ThroneofDravaris]

And this simple (in more ways than one) statement reflects why you don't see the complexity of FFVI.

Why? Because I thought FFVII had a more dramatic story line? Let me just say that I played FFVI before FFVII, so my opinion wouldn’t be biased in that respect. Not sure what you were getting at with your “in more ways than one” statement, I don’t see the complexity of FFVI because IT WASN’T COMPLEX! Neither was FFVII, or FFVIII, in fact all FF games are rather easy to understand. If I didn’t see something, it was because o my lack of understanding of the Japanese culture, but I doubt many people hear have that…
If you want a REAL complex story line, watch Evangelion, it’s on a level much higher than any FF game.

First of all, the graphics do effect the interpretation of the plot. The newer games show it possible for characters to reflect emotion, whereas with the older 8- and 16-bit games, facial expressions--and even body gestures--are nearly impossible. I mean hell, they even use question marks and exclamation points above their head, for cryin' out loud.

Hmm, I didn’t think of that. I guess you have a point.

Secondly, WAY too many people have been caught up in the newer games--because the newer games were marketed better, with better graphics, on "better" systems--and concentrate too much on simple things like graphics and not nearly enough on the complexities of sorted characters, deeper plot lines, twists, etc. etc.

Now that is a very biased statement. I really don’t understand what makes people think that just because the graphics have considerable increased in quality over the years, it has been at the expense of story line. I think you’ll have a hard time debating that characters in FFVI were any better developed than those in any of the other FF games (well, with the exclusion of X-2), especially since most of the characters were abandoned towards then end in favour of Celes, Terra and Locke ( and you didn’t even need to reclaim Terra to complete the game, she was the closest thing the game had to a main character!). There is no basis to your statement other than personal opinion, which is fine, but you cannot state it as fact.

General Leo's death was just as "dramatic" as Aeris' death, but nobody swoons over Leo.

General Leo played an insignificant role in FFVI compared to Aeris in FFVII; Aeris at least was playable for more than one battle. If their death were just as dramatic (with, IMO, they weren’t), people cry over Aeris’ death to a greater degree because she had played a greater role in FFVII than Leo in FFVI. Remember, in the beginning Leo had been an antagonist of the sorts.

There were rare segments of FFVI made to be "pure comedy"--such as the revelation that Cyan knows nothing about machines or that Gau is afraid of water--but those are few and far between, and the general line is much darker than many of the other Final Fantasy games.

Really, I don’t see how FFVI was dark. I know, the world is destroyed, but that happens all the time in Video Games. I can’t really think of any scene in the game that I considered “Dark”, at least not at the level of the later FF games (namely FFVII, but also in FFX). The entire game had a very “light heated” or, dare I say, “immature” feel to it; It could have been due to the influence of Nintendo’s translation, but even so it was there.

Sure, Kefka was meant to be entertaining--his outfits, some of his dialog, etc. However, it was certainly not the primary objective of Square to make him funny--as Nec said, he's a lunatic, bent on world domination/destruction, with total disregard to human life. Not some schmuck who wants to save the world by destroying it, but somebody who wants to control the world by destroying it.

Bah, there was NOTHING serious about Kefka, everything he did was a riot! All of his dialogue was entertaining to some extent, as was the way he destroys the world simply because he gets pissed off at Celes. No, it was DEFINATELY Square’s aim to make him entertaining.

[nik0tine]

If you want a REAL complex story line, watch Evangelion, it’s on a level much higher than any FF game.

Or you could just play Xenogears.