Dissidia - Shade Impulse 4 (English)

[@Drawxne]

"I've never heard a sadder laugh..." Firion sums up this scene perfectly.

[@TonRobo]

- I must keep moving forward! She looks backward and walks away.

[@poissony]

Sometimes moving forward means turning back to the right road...

[@calebkopp7636]

You sound like pages from a Self Help Book

[@Krazycutiegurlxxx]

Username and avatar check out. I presume you're the one who disliked the video.

[@perun1nj]

Psychotic villains are among the scariest kind of villain. But even worse is the villain who talks sense, and makes you see their point of view. Kefka is a little bit of both...

[@TheTruestZero]

Normally villains have a ton of good points, but they are to much "extremes" that we always think that they're worng.

[@raggarbergman]

A bit like Seymore Guado. What he wanted really was to stop all the pain in the world. And he thought the only way to do it was to kill everyone. And Necron in Final Fantasy IX did say something similar ablut that a world with nothing didn't have suffering either.

[@Delicashilous]

@@raggarbergman YEP, that's exactly a really good Reason for such Villians. Look at our World, pain, phisically, but especially in ERVERYONE'S soul. The thing is, only the fewest Open therself for this inner pain. Only this people can evolve.

[@Zellig]

Rorschach: I heard joke once: Man goes to doctor. Says he's depressed. Life seems harsh, and cruel. Says he feels all alone in threatening world. Doctor says: "Treatment is simple. The great clown - Pagliacci - is in town. Go see him. That should pick you up." Man bursts into tears. "But doctor..." he says "I am Pagliacci." Good joke. Everybody laugh. Roll on snare drum. Curtains. - The Watchmen

[@Aqua311]

@Lelouchthesilentone In the final battle against Kefka, I think he was secretly jealous of Terra's party because they all found their reasons to live, where as he found none. This fuelled his desire to destroy everything, to deny them what he could not feel.

[@TheTruestZero]

I imagined how the Life Dream Hope quote would be with voice actors... This is almost perfection to my ears, if they remake FFVI with voice actors, get this guys back as Kefka.

[@calebkopp7636]

Thats Kakashi from Naruto

[@TheTruestZero]

I understand Kefka, he is afraid of the fact of inescapable death, knowing this, nothing will make sense any more, have friends is useless because everyone die, build anything is useless because even non-living objects are bind by the same rule. What escape you have, thinking that the "lies" that kept you away from the "truth" for a long time, and see how desesperate you will become. This is what i see, from these cutscene. The fear of death from Kefka.

[@gijonah69]

it's not the fear of death. it's his understanding of death.

[@ChronoSoul]

Wittenburg is amazing. The way he gives Kefka's voice such longing when he speaks of hope and at his final laugh really make you feel how much Kefka wishes what he's saying weren't true, that life was full of meaning, hopes, dreams and passion, and how sorrowful it was that he never could find it.

[@metashadow]

i always felt Kefka's last laugh sounded liked a sigh of relief before he laughed, in his speech it seems like he's arguing more with himself than with terra. just kind of questioning everything up to this point and then going back to destruction being the only certainty in life, in the end it will all be destroyed

[@ARandomUser5]

Wow, this scene actually succeeds in making Kefka, KEFKA, the resident Omnicidal Manic of FF6 appear just as human as the rest of us. Excellent work with the writing here SE.

[@Ninetails2000]

Our time in this realm may be limited, but it's our time to spend. Our existence may be fleeting and ultimately forgotten, but why should that stop you from enjoying it while you're here? People have died to make sure that you can live, don't forsake that gift. The universe is going to come to an end, so why not make the best of it?

[@immortalfrieza]

If there's anybody in the world that could replace Mark Hamill as the Joker, Dave Wittenburg is the one.

[@milleniumfrisbee]

His final laugh nearly brings a tear to my eye.

[@Clymaxx]

@nothingespecial1 LOL Yep. Dave Wittenberg. If you listen to some of Kefka's lower toned lines you can hear that Kakashi sound. He's a great actor; talented to be able to a character like this as well as many others.

[@technopixie96]

In my honest opinion, both voice actors fit their rolls well. Wittenberg played Kefka beautifully and as geminidrake said, he needs to come back for any future remakes. But I also do like Terra's voice actress Natalie Lander, since she does capture the emotional side of Terra. Remember, Terra isn't strong physically, her emotions and magic drive her onward. I think this voice suits her.

[@Ashen_Hollow]

This is my favorite scene in the game. Just shows what really goes on in kefka's mind.

[@kanakaan777]

voice acting is next level here you can even feel the pain on his voice

[@anastogod]

never thought I'll feel sad for Kefka

[@spritekingdom2]

this scene can bring a tear to my eye because i played through FF6 and just, wow... this really captures his true self. its like the entire game was explained from his point of view. :') kefka is awesome

"I've never heard a sadder laugh..."

[@DenisK21]

That's exactly the point. He doesn't care about anything because he truly believes there's nothing TO care about. That's nihilism right there.

[@Pazuzu4All]

Damn Dave Wittenberg is talented. When he said, "None of that junk is enough to fill your hearts," you can actually hear the pain Kefka was feeling all the time. As geminidrake said, I hope one day Wittenberg can resume his role as Kefka in another game.

[@blackneos940]

1:16 Reminds me of part of a Zen Koan..... A Zen Master, on his deathbed, told his Student to write this poem: "I came from Light, and I return to Light. What is this...?" With the roar of a Lion, he shouted "KA!!", and was gone.

[@TonRobo]

Kefka died in an epic way. He exploded. (XD)

[@frillydress]

BOOM!

[@WillieManga]

Clowns seem to have a dark sense of wisdom. Compare this to the Bad Day speech in The Killing Joke, a Batman comic 1988. "All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy. That's how far the world is from where I am. Just one bad day. You had a bad day once, am I right? I know I am. I can tell. You had a bad day and everything changed. Why else would you dress up as a flying rat? You had a bad day, and it drove you as crazy as everybody else... Only you won't admit it! You have to keep pretending that life makes sense, that there's some point to all this struggling! God you make me want to puke. I mean, what is it with you? What made you what you are? Girlfriend killed by the mob, maybe? Brother carved up by some mugger? Something like that, I bet. Something like that... Something like that happened to me, you know. I... I'm not exactly sure what it was. Sometimes I remember it one way, sometimes another... If I'm going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice! Ha ha ha! But my point is... My point is, I went crazy. When I saw what a black, awful joke the world was, I went crazy as a coot! I admit it! Why can't you? I mean, you're not unintelligent! You must see the reality of the situation. Do you know how many times we've come close to world war three over a flock of geese on a computer screen? Do you know what triggered the last world war? An argument over how many telegraph poles Germany owed its war debt creditors! Telegraph poles! Ha ha ha ha HA! It's all a joke! Everything anybody ever valued or struggled for... it's all a monstrous, demented gag! So why can't you see the funny side? Why aren't you laughing?"

[@Vidiri]

Yeah, even Kefka had a bad day! He was infused with the power drained from a dying Esper (Magical extradimensional creature that when they die turn into a crystal called magesite, or one of the crystals that Terra has in this game) and became the first normal human that could naturally use magic without learning it from magisite. However, since the testing was not very developed back then, they mutated him too quickly, and he lost his sanity. However, he still remained loyal to his leader, Gestahl, until Celes (A former comrade of his, like Terra was) injures him. Then he looses it completely.

[@mattwo7]

@@Vidiri I hear Kefka might have been looking at Gestahl as a role model, that he thought the thing that he could find precious enough to hold onto in life was destruction but this scene proves that destruction ultimately didn't bring him the fulfillment he needed in life, maybe that has something to do with his loss of sanity? He knew it to be true but kept clinging onto it because he didn't know what else was worth living for, how could he at that point? He was already beyond redemption.

[@vaiyt]

The whole point of that scene is that the joker was wrong about people in general, he couldn't get Gordon to go crazy. He was right on the money about Batman though, and Batman knew it.

[@SteamBoy27]

God sometimes I wish they went through with making Kefka playable in FF6.

[@mrguy22494]

When will DC ever cast Dave Wittenberg as the Joker?

[@WillieManga]

Maybe when Mark Hamill isn't... available? Maybe in the upcoming Killing Joke film.

[@knightofanguish7399]

@@WillieManga ouchie ouch. Didn't happen.

[@anastogod]

his laugh in the end is something that can make someone cry

[@king_syu925]

I feel for kefka The music made me feel this way

[@ShadowCatGirl1]

1:23 *cough* Kindom Hearts *cough* Sorry Ma'am ,I had to it was to tempting. But anyways lovely little exsample of Kefka's wide range of insanity.

[@PanzerX7]

1:47 No, Terra, he was batshit insane to begin with. FFS, Kefka is the last villain anyone should be trying to make sympathetic.

[@vaiyt]

Terra is just an innocent bean

[@Delicashilous]

Someday, I will replace this rotten place with ruin & Destruction, that a knew world can create from this rotten ashes.

[@mattwo7]

I never played their game but I hear that this scene does showcase a side of Kefka you'd only really see coming if you played it and read between the lines a bit. That his character is a bit deeper than anyone who hasn't might realize.

[@kimyman]

Terra: "I must keep moving forward!" Then she turns around and starts walking backwards.

[@DevonCosmos]

The song playing is referred to as The Order That Must Be Protected in the JP version and Keeping the Peace in NA release. Not sure elsewhere. ^^

[@TonRobo]

As a baby, Kefka was abandoned by his family in an orphanage. There, he was bullied by the other kids as he was weaker. As he became an adult, he also became an Imperial Soldier. As the time passed he became the Right Hand of Gestahl, and the second in command of the empire. Began a relationship with Celes. Then, he participated in a project as the first Magitek Knight, what destroyed a little of his mind. As time passed he became insane, and his past revealed to be his new nihilistic philosofy.

[@GoldenJoe]

I think they do state it in-game. It's been a while, but I remember someone in Vector mentioning that he was the first magitek knight or whatever, and the infusion process was still expiramental, driving him insane. That's as far back as his known history goes, but I saw an interesting post suggesting that Kefka might be Baram, Shadow's old partner.

[@scorpmk]

@BeautyMilotic dissidia's own song its called "keeping the peace"

[@Darkstar263]

Dave Wittenberg did a damn good job voicing Kefka. The voice suits him perfectly.

[@VaatiOfDarkness]

I actually felt sorry for Kefka here...he truly is an amazing villain, one you can hate and still feel for.

[@curajacaster]

Only sweet Terra would have the patience to hear Kefka out. Despite the fact that he has ruined life and everything she still listens to his final words. Unlike Squal who doesn't have time for final words.

[@ColeCity]

@TheUnpromisedOne well in the snes with no voices we assume thatkefka was just like the joker but with the voice Kefka emtions are more clear. Playing 6 afther this scene makes you apreciate the game more

[@motina10]

This cut scene, and with Terra finishing at the end really show the extremity of Kefka. Emotionally. I guess when you think nothing has meaning, that this, sort of, makes a chaos out of everything. Did he go nutty, because some of the magic he got put into his being gave him incredible depth of knowledge? Thus being nihilistic. Knowledge is objective, meaning is subjective. The meaning is what ever you make it.

[@SoulboundNun]

Well, Terra was an important key in Onion Knight's storyline, and it's implied in the game that Terra was previously on the Chaos side (likely to have been controlled by the Slave Crown).

[@Teadermin]

"Kefka try to be the end of all things, to be something cannot be forgotten or replaced by something else.That give him pleasure, to be the last the only thing can win aganist life. " Huh. That does make sense, I think.

[@13JackDiamond]

what i like is how Kefka quotes some of his lines from the FF6 game. It is also a little sad from the music.

[@Kerrandrius]

The accessory Slave-Terra is wearing when you fight her is actually called "Slave Crown" in the Japanese version of the game.

[@pg40987]

Can I find the music somewhere?

[@matttrent946]

"Why create when it will only be destroyed? Why cling to life, knowing you have to die? None of it will have meant anything once you do." still waiting for a satisfying answer

[@kiraina25]

@Crok425 Yeah, I realized that as I watched DO cutscenes. x.x Still, play through as Zidane and you -should- encounter Kuja during SI. I think.

[@Uboichi]

Kefka's always been my favourite FF villain and Wittenburg's voice gives life to the character, which it deserves :).

[@Zellig]

The only 1 person who could have Disilked this was Kefka himself. He said it felt like he was watching a reenactment of a self-help booklet.

[@jenikatsuya]

Kefka is Dave Wittenberg?! Damn, I can't believe I missed that.

[@PanzerX7]

Well, I meant in context of the game itself. I really hadn't heard much of his backstory, and really I assumed most of it was just fan speculation. And really, I think Final Fantasy just needs some really bad people...like Golbez was pretty scary, but then he turns out to be a good guy in the end. It's kind of tough for me to empathize with the hero when I'm too busy listening to the villain's tragic story, so it was a lot more fun to just assume "Yep, he's a dick."

[@Atharkas]

@sssssz Except it did say that his personality changed after the Magitek Infusion.

[@vids050]

wow... that was pretty powerful scene IMO. i'm gonna watch the other shade impulse endings... the only one i ever saw previously was ultimecia's since i normally play squall

[@00VRV5F41070]

Some details that no fit in my previous post was that Kefka become famous for his victories was attracted to Celes and he was feared for his sadism and violent nature

[@RichardOnADragon]

Brilliant... Tearjerker Kefka is...wow. As another note, could someone please tell me the name of the piano soundtrack that starts at 0:21. Please.

[@erosannin22]

@Bowlingdan I've never experienced someone's phallic manhood slipping on the floor like one slips on a banana peel. Maybe I should have taken that anatomy course last year. Perhaps then I would be intelligent enough in the field to know what you're trying to have me understand.

[@EmoNekoChan]

Oh man, when I found out that Dave Wittenberg voiced Kefka after I was playing the game, his awesomeness went up.

[@00VRV5F41070]

According final fantasy wikkia & official sources Abandon at birth in a orphanage in Thamasa he was beaten by the orphanage head, he left Thamasa for Vector graduating at the top of his class from the Imperial academy, he agreed to be the first experimental for Magitek infusion, with the time he become insane once shy & reserved he dress in garish robes & wear make-up, he lost many memories remembering little more beyond his time with the Empire and his horrible childhood

[@rukia01wubbaduck]

When villians bloody do this to you and make you feel sorry for them and after trying to finally kill them in a game, you're just like ";___; Wait no, let me hug you!"

[@DullBones]

Jeez! Did he self-destruct!?

[@Dohati75]

terra's must have obviously lost her memory of when she learned from a man in vector that kefka's mind was snapped like a twig as a side effect of the yet unrefined process of magitek infusion. he doesn't act out of despair, he's just freaking insane.

[@Volviert]

If I remember he was supposed to be Shadow´s best friend, but was captured by Gestrah, and they did things with him. There´re lot of references of that. ( first battle with Sabin and Shadow, "this is my blood?" quote and other. ). Best villain in FF series, and maybe in videogame history.

[@Darkstar263]

Out of all the death scenes in Shade Impulse, I think Kefka had the best. As you get a glimpse of what goes on in his head before he dies. 2nd best goes to Ultimecia, I love how Squall finishes her off in mid sentence.

[@Rimethurse]

Every time I hear him say 'hope' so quietly makes me feel bad for him.

[@BixiTricks]

0:34 he actually has a point..even though hes insane (but u gotta love him =P) but he makes a good point n basically deals with to real life

[@ForbiddenFruit73]

Officially Kefka's reason for being what he is has always been that he was driven insane by magicite infusions, even if it was never directly stated in the game itself.

[@tbarry1303]

I think it was mentioned in an ultimania that he was an orphan, was bullied in the orphanage, and then was experimented on with teh espers like Terra and Celes were. This was something I heard, too lazy to verify :P It's interesting to see he has a backstory, but it hardly excuses what he does.

[@Marinanor]

@Testsubject909 He was not treated well as a child, If I remember correctly, and he went insane from the magic transfusion so he could use magic. It (Kefka) might not be a sympathetic villain, but it is still a tragic one.

[@Atharkas]

@avrilfantasyrin We know little of what happens in his past beside the fact he was the first test subject for the Magitek experiment. I remember a friend having found the "unnoficial Final Fantasy 3" book where it did say that Kefka had been raised at the vectorian orphanage or something. Alas I haven't seen that book in years.

[@Aqua311]

@Lelouchthesilentone I know he was the original knight and that's why I said the process was unrefined, not perfected yet, but that's all we know that drove him insane. My theory is the process, along with his upbringing as a solder for the Emperor, tuned his insanity as a form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Basically, he NEEDS to destroy! It's the only way he can find any sort of satisfaction.

[@PsychoWarden]

Well, pretty much this whole speech was taken directly from the end of FF6, so I'm not quite sure what the problem is. :P Terra's comment at the end is pretty pointless though, they should've just ended it after Kefka exploded.

[@808Echo]

Kefka: "Destruction isn't supposed to make sense! Its only fun when it's senseless!" ...y'know, he has a point....

[@darkservantofheaven]

I take it back, Kefka sees life as pointless because of death, The Joker sees life as a joke, a horrible demented gag and that he(joker) laughs at it. but the difrence is while kefka sees no meaning or pourpose in life, the joker found a pourpose for himself, to prove a point that all it takes is one bad day to make some one lose their mind and that anyone can become like him,

[@LEAFtea57]

Thanks I actually thought I should remove the comment because it doesnt really relate to the video, but all the other comments above where talking about people unable to see the point in living knowing death is inevitable (like Kefka) that I thought Id share my own expirence with those feelings. I think its fear we can all relate too at the end of the day.

[@MicolashHostOfTheNightmare531]

All of the Shade Impulse finale cutscenes are rips directly from every character's respective game.

[@00VRV5F41070]

I agree Kefka is the best character you can see his human part & his tragic life almost makes want to ;-( specially his sadder laughing

[@LEAFtea57]

Learning to accept death and yet still being able to move on and enjoy your life is not an easy thing to do. It took me over a year to come to terms with death after my friend passed away of cancer at the age of 16, as before that death wasnt real thing to me. I would worry about it every day and go over how many years i may have left in my head. But eventually saw no point in worry about the inevitable, after all death is simply natural part of life.

[@nothingespecial1]

@SpaceKingKiwi Remember what Zidane once said: Do you need a reason to help a friend? Thats the point of terra´s agruement

[@videogamenostalgia]

this is literally the only cutscene in which the voice acting for Kefka is good.

[@Zellig]

Willingly probably, but I doubt that "by the way, this might rip your mind into a million little pieces leaving you a depraved shell of a human being" was even written in the fine print.

[@pokeharvest1]

omg i love this cutscene!! my heart goes out to kefka!! i almost want to jump into the scene and help him!!!

[@gerubax]

1:38 should be Woooooop woop woop woooop wooop

[@ColeCity]

@RichardOnADragon I go by who reaches their main goal, the villan from 2 actully did that kefka is second (I don't cosider Kuja as a seccessful villan because he wanted to live forever) andI also consider the Villan from ff 1 successful because he was using his original plan over and over to begin with.

[@ColeCity]

if you lisen closly to Kefka last laugh it seemed liked he was about to weep :(

[@LegendofLegaia929]

I didn't say that it was. Still, Kefka probably had those experiments done on him knowing that there would be some sort of risk involved in doing so.

[@whiteraven1992]

Transcribe Audio: Amtrak advertisement at 2:00?

[@ZigTheHunter]

man, this scene is depressing, I don't think I've ever felt so bad for a villain before, poor guy, he sounds so miserable.

[@leafblight27]

@ElementalFAIL technically it was his experimenting with the espers and his constantly infusing himself with their magic that drove him insane... Kinda makes you wonder who he was before all that.

[@Sharavis]

I wonder if Kefka lost what he had to protect.... if you lose what you have to protect, or lose what you love, if you lose your reason for living, then destruction can look promising.

[@TheShaqDukes]

Is it just me or the words Kefka says Llife Dream Hope Where to they come from? and where do they go? Come from Final Fantasy 6

[@bja808]

I see, well in the end of day, I think we shouldn't think about the end of existence. We should just live life

[@cickmore12]

well if you hear his history its pretty sad the way he wound up like that

[@Gearheadmk2]

One of the best villans ever.

[@avrilfantasyrin]

@Atharkas ah,i'm really glad..

[@SalmonSongShow]

The Order that must be protected.

[@Zellig]

@SeraphimSwordmaster Most of us like it, actually. The basic idea behind the scene is that even if it's completely twisted and ethically unfounded, there are actual reasons that can push people over the edge like this. Evil isn't some malevolent spirit that just randomly possesses people and compels them to do bad things - the origins of one's cruelty are based in personal experience. This is ultimately an optimistic sentiment because it means that this kind of behavior can be avoided somehow.