Exdeath or Zemus? - Page 2

T.G. Oskar · 06-28-2008, 05:41 PM

I'll have to give my vote for Zemus, rather than Exdeath. Though I must admit, it's a very close match.

Exdeath and Zemus both appear almost out of nowhere, from imposed periods of sleep, so they are similar in that regard. Aside from that, the mechanic of both villains are strikingly different.

Exdeath was not necessarily a manipulator, but rather someone that if necessary, he would stain his hands to achieve his goal. Sure, he manipulated some aspects to gain favor, but very few times does he resort to actual manipulation to acquire his goal. The battle against Galuf was pretty much an example of how much can Exdeath go to achieve his plans. However, I see Ex as a PC gone the way of evil, rather than a villain. Allow me to go further: Exdeath is a powergamer who wants to get even more power. If he has to use his powers to achieve his goal, he does. However, he seems to be a poor manipulator, given the more direct interaction between all of them. He had quite the chances of winning with his powers alone, given that he was an armored master mage (that's not something you see much) Also, kudos for being the first plant-based final boss ever. Since, as far as I remember, Ex is an evil tree mage. So, powerful character, lousy manipulator.

Zemus is the vast opposite of Exdeath, even to the point he's not a plant creature. Zemus is the ultimate manipulator, one that no conscious manipulator would dare to cross. He used everyone for his goals: Baron, Kain, Golbez, and pretty much everyone up to the Tower of Bab-il itself. The tally of the chaos caused in the world is quite vast: he caused at-time members of the party to die irreparably, be petrified, manipulated, severely wounded. Without saying how little regard did he had for the rest of the planet. And without mentioning his incredible mind powers. All around the Lunar Palace, his presence was met each time, right until the very end. His hatred and anger was such that he trascended death when the two most powerful magicians of the land casted the most powerful spell in the world (Meteor) in rapid succession. So not only he's a master manipulator, but a frickin' Houdini!! But, his mission isn't very clear.

So, what makes the difference? How Zemus makes Golbez look bad. REAL bad. You can say, Golbez is pretty much a villain as Zemus, and even when out of his control, Golbez has to realize he was as every bit as evil as Zemus was, which eased the mind control. So Zemus not only worked chaos in the world by means of dealing in the shadows, were he to work it a little bit better, and dealing with FuSoYa before, Zemus would have conquered the world...with a clean state. For, who would blame a guy from outer space? Ex? Well, Ex not only was notorious, but hated. In two worlds.

This also helped a bit:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frank White

I found that Exdeath... resembled Golbez from FFIV too closely for him to come off as original...

True. He seems to be a recycled concept, but reworked to be different.

So, why I chose Zemus over Exdeath? Simple. Zemus has Golbez and Kain in his team, and I believe manipulators are much cruel villains than direct working villains. Even though Exdeath could have much more success. Were Exdeath to actually succeed in making more of a disaster (say, teaching Kefka how it was done, instead of being taught by him how to ruin a world), he would have won.

bosola · 08-03-2008, 08:01 AM

To be honest, they both suck.

Exdeath: A person who was born out of a magic tree. Nuff said.

Zemus: A random cloud shaped person thing that turns into the love-child of something from Splatterhouse and Krang from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Nuff said.

If I was being forced into it, I'd probably have to back Exdeath. At least he seems to think vaguely rationally, and doesn't live on the frickin' moon.

chocoboboy · 08-03-2008, 04:55 PM

Zemus I dont know why but just because. I dont think much of Exdeath.

Calvan · 08-04-2008, 10:37 AM

Zemus. Lives on the moon. Mind controls his flunkies. And doesn't take any shit from nobody.

Quote:

Zemus: A random cloud shaped person thing that turns into the love-child of something from Splatterhouse and Krang from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Nuff said.

That about describes. ZEROMUS. XD

Thief · 08-04-2008, 10:46 AM

I gotta go with Zemus because it took me longer to beat him than it did with Exdeath. I mean, if you use if you use the Cannoneer's Combine ability one Exdeath and kill him with it, you don't even have to fight Neo Exdeath. I'm serious, it works!

Exxdeath666 · 10-12-2008, 02:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bosola

To be honest, they both suck.

Exdeath: A person who was born out of a magic tree. Nuff said.

Zemus: A random cloud shaped person thing that turns into the love-child of something from Splatterhouse and Krang from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Nuff said.

If I was being forced into it, I'd probably have to back Exdeath. At least he seems to think vaguely rationally, and doesn't live on the frickin' moon.

So, who do u like? Sephiroth?

T.G. Oskar · 10-12-2008, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Exxdeath666

So, who do u like? Sephiroth?

More like Golbez. Look at his sig very closely.

Still, there are a few things to point out. Exdeath and Zeromus are byproducts of two other beings; namely, Enuo and Zemus. Exdeath wasn't merely born out of a magic tree; he IS a magic-using tree. Which happens to harbor the worst out of Enuo the necromancer (remember how the game used to call Exdeath? The Black Mage Exdeath, or better exposed, the Necromancer Exdeath.

Zeromus, on the other part, was the manifestation of all the rage and hatred of Zemus for all living beings, frustration by the failure in conquering the world for his own race (lookie here, not only a manipulator but a racial supremacist? Talk about an...well, you get the idea), and a response to having the most powerful spell known by any race in the world cast TWICE. You really expected it to look humanoid or something? It looks as it should; one hideous alien.

And magic using trees aren't that bad. Just look at the other places where magic-using trees exist. If still curious, just Google "Great Druid Oelian" and see if it links you to Eberron; that's another badass magic tree, and a druid nonetheless. Which is pretty broken, thank you for asking. This magic-using tree (Ex) just happens to wear one nice suit of armor and use one heck of a suite of magic spells.

IRANianCha0s · 10-16-2008, 02:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T.G. Oskar

Zeromus, on the other part, was the manifestation of all the rage and hatred of Zemus for all living beings, frustration by the failure in conquering the world for his own race (lookie here, not only a manipulator but a racial supremacist? Talk about an...well, you get the idea), and a response to having the most powerful spell known by any race in the world cast TWICE. You really expected it to look humanoid or something? It looks as it should; one hideous alien.

^ what he said

Veal · 11-01-2008, 04:09 PM

I prefer Exdeath at the moment. He is pretty nasty after all.

Nocturne · 11-02-2008, 07:13 PM

I like Zemus better as of backstory, but that might be because V is one of my least favorite. Ex Death pissed me off lol.

But one day Im going to beat FFV

Exxdeath666 · 11-03-2008, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nocturne

I like Zemus better as of backstory, but that might be because V is one of my least favorite. Ex Death pissed me off lol.

But one day Im going to beat FFV

Exdeath is supposed to piss yoiu off. That's what villains do. Thus, Exdeath is a villain. Nuff said.

KTHXBYE

Nocturne · 11-03-2008, 09:33 PM

he didnt piss me off as a character. He pissed me off cause he kicked my ass lol.

T.G. Oskar · 11-03-2008, 09:44 PM

Being pissed off at a person does not make him a villain. It can be an anti-hero, as well. What makes a villain one is the capability of the character to develop scorn and spite to real world people, so that they identify the most hated aspects of their being into the character. In essence, it is meant to serve as a mirror of all that things you hate and despise. Not people, since that makes YOU a villain, but the vices that you despise.

In that sense, Exdeath is no less of a villain than Zemus. However, in the sense of who is actually a better villain, analyzing whom of both actually caused greater repulsion... my stand still is that Zemus trumps Exdeath, although it's a close match. Namely because of all the suffering both cause in the name of elitism or absolute power, but the fact that Zemus' acts of suffering are of a more personal bent than Exdeath's general acts of destruction gives the former an edge over the latter.

Hence, while game favoritism can be an aspect to consider, it is important to realize that there are more reasons why a villain can be better than another. In that sense, Nocturne provides a good reason why Zemus is good (s/he felt that Zemus' backstory was solid enough), but gives a poor reasoning of the contrary (s/he cannot support why Exdeath isn't the right choice) That by no means implies that his/her choice isn't correct; just that s/he gave a good reason to support his/her claim yet didn't gave a good reason to approve as to why the other isn't a good choice.

Oh, and sorry for the lack of definite gender pronouns. I usually don't know the gender of most people I speak to, and I usually don't refer to people directly.