I was bored and started doing some research for Ziggy's Flashback and stumbled upon this stuff, this guy had alot of time on his hands to come up with alot of this, we might as well discuss it, I think it would be fun XD.
Angels in Space
A collection of my crazy thoughts and random speculation on Monolith's Xenosaga series. Information will be updated as subsequent games are released.
By: Kevin Sung
Created: June 30, 2003
Why would I write a speculation guide for Xenosaga? It's simple. Basically, the guide is for my own benefit. By writing theories about the plot, I can organize my own thoughts and better understand the game. Keep in mind that for the most part, the information contained in this guide are unconfirmed. Most of it is derived from logic, others are purely hypothetical. In no way should my wild guessing be taken as any sort of "truth" or canon.
My goal is to update this guide as each game arrives on game shelves. Then I can see how close I was with my speculation. If you have theories about the game, feel free to send them to me. I'll gladly post them here.
Also, keep if you haven't played the game yet and wish to do so in the near future, don't read any further. I don't hold back when I write and you can be sure that the guide will be chock full of spoilers. If you want to find out for yourself, I suggest you leave and come back after you've completed the at least the first game in the series. Well, having said that, let's begin.
Shion Uzuki
Q: How was Shion able to survive the Gnosis' FAE attack?
A: Somehow, Shion remains intact even though mechs and Realians get blown to bits by the FAE. This may be because Shion is protected by an unknown force (Nephilim) or because she just happened to be at a non-lethal distance.
Q: Why didn't Shion become a Gnosis like Cherenkov?
A: Quite mysterious indeed... maybe it's because Nephilim is watching over her... it may also have to do with her virtually nonexistent exposure to Zohar. If you recall, Cherenkov spent a lot of time dealing with Zohar emulators.
Q: Why is Shion so "in love" with KOS-MOS?
A: KOS-MOS is the only thing remaining in her life that links her to Kevin, whom she still loves. Poor Allen, upstaged by both a robot girl and a dead guy.
Q: Shion tells Cherenkov that she knows someone who "always carries a sword around with a weird grin plastered on his face." Who is this person?
A: Her brother, Jin. The sword is probably a reference to Citan Uzuki, a Xenogears character whom he resembles greatly.
Q: Why do Shion's hands glow blue when the Gnosis are near, just like MOMO? And why is she the only human who can hear the Song of Nephilim?
A: When she came in contact with the Gnosis at the very beginning of the game, it probably did something wacky to her body. The intervention of Nephilim may also play a factor.
Q: How were Shion's parents killed?
A: From her flashback, it appears that some Gnosis suddenly showed up in the hospital where her mother was being treated and killed them. The Gnosis appeared most likely because of the hospital's close proximity to the Song of Nephilim. It was right outside the window, after all.
Q: What's the Zohar Project that Gaignun Kukai and Jr. mention on the Durandal?
A: The two of them suspect Shion knows about their psychic link because she's a part of "the same one Helmer's involved in." They are referring to the Zohar Project. However, Shion never mentions this at all, not even in her own thoughts. Perhaps, she doesn't even realize that she's involved in such a project.
Q: Why does Shion hate thunder?
A: Most likely it's because there was thunder when her parents were killed in the hospital.
Q: When Albedo tries to find information on Shion, why does the encryption in KOS-MOS appear as a naked Shion?
A: Kevin most likely implemented this. Kevin tampered with KOS-MOS is unknown ways and the naked Shion this might mean that the heroine has become involved in "projects" even she does not know about. After all, she might just be another variable in Kevin's experiment, whatever it may be.
Q: Why isn't Shion fired for violating company protocol, endangering fellow employees, running off with KOS-MOS, and giving away company secrets to strangers?
A: Wilhelm makes sure Shion's safe in her job because somehow, her survival is crucial for his plan to succeed.
KOS-MOS
Q: Why is KOS-MOS designed to look like a full-breasted 18-year-old girl?
A: Maybe Kevin had some sort of robot girl fetish.
Q: How come KOS-MOS has all these special attacks that Shion doesn't know about if she's the project's chief engineer?
A: Kevin secretly tampered with KOS-MOS and added a lot of hidden functions for his own malicious (or not...) purposes.
Q: If blue-haired KOS-MOS is programmed with the ability to choose who is expendable when she's blasting Gnosis everywhere, why is Virgil the only human she ever kills?
A: My theory is that KOS-MOS was programmed by Kevin to do this. This works with the theory that since Wilhelm and Kevin were in cahoots, Wilhelm had Virgil killed so he could be resurrected as the "Man in Blue." This coincides with the theory that Kevin is the "Man in Red."
Q: Why do KOS-MOS' eyes turn blue sometimes?
A: This seems to only happen when KOS-MOS decides to disobey the fundamental rules of robotics and "think for herself." Either she has a soul that only emerges when the eyes turn blue (Nephilim's doing), or the Man in Red is "taking control" of KOS-MOS from a remote location.
Q: Why does KOS-MOS absorb the Gnosis? How come she has such a function?
A: This is possibly just a way for her to store energy. If you recall, Proto Merkabah also has the ability to absorb the Gnosis. If Kevin was Joachim Mizrahi's assistant, he may have learned how to create such a device from studying the old man's records and implemented such a function on KOS-MOS.
Q: What's the abnormal pulse that Kevin says he found on KOS-MOS during Shion's flashback?
A: Kevin refers to KOS-MOS having "a heart." This abnormal pulse might be Nephilim, who seems to give KOS-MOS very human qualities, maybe.
Q: Why does KOS-MOS turn into chaos and sprout wings when she protects the Elsa at the end of Episode I?
A: I think chaos is a higher form of KOS-MOS. Early on, chaos asks a sleeping KOS-MOS: "where's the real you?" He could have been referring to her future transformation. Early on, KOS-MOS asks: "Shion... will feeling pain... make me... compete?" She later tells chaos "relinquish your pain unto me." This is followed by a scene in which chaos' hands glow and KOS-MOS becomes chaos for a brief moment. Could it be that chaos transferred his pain and the complete KOS-MOS is just another "chaos?"
chaos
Q: How does chaos freeze and kill the Gnosis with his hands?
A: Somehow, like KOS-MOS, he can activate the Hilbert Effect... maybe? That or he's a higher power like Nephilim who doesn't conform to the laws of the physical world.
Q: What is chaos' infatuation with KOS-MOS?
A: Maybe they're similar... KOS-MOS does manage to turn into chaos at the end of Episode I, after all.
Q: Who is chaos supposed to be?
A: Since KOS-MOS briefly turns into chaos, we know that he is not a unique character. Perhaps, chaos is merely the next stage in evolution for KOS-MOS. In that case, it is likely that chaos is the original KOS-MOS that Shion and Allen built. The game never specifies what happens to the original KOS-MOS after Shion blasts it. Furthermore, Vector could have tampered with it and turned it into chaos. Wilhelm seems to have the powers to change people and bring them to life. chaos never speaks to anyone about his own past (and probably can't remember details himself) yet he possesses KOS-MOS' anti-Gnosis powers. Lastly, like the original KOS-MOS, he has silver hair.
Q: What's Nephilim's secret connection to chaos?
A: Nephilim seems to be a subconscious entity inside KOS-MOS. She is also acquainted with chaos and speaks to him casually in more than one scene, probably because (if chaos was once KOS-MOS) she was inside him at one point. Maybe...
Ziggy
Q: Why did Jan Sauer (human Ziggy) commit suicide?
A: My guess is that his family was killed, or something to that extent. Ziggy's flashback of his son playing with the dog probably indicated that something happened later to his son. In any case, he no longer felt life was worth living. MOMO seems to have given him a new lease on life though as he never really talks about being a mindless robot after meeting her.
M.O.M.O.
Q: Why do the 100-series Realians look like little school girls?
A: Their creator, Joachim Mizrahi, modeled them after his deceased daughter, Sakura.
Q: If the "MOMO" at the entrance of the Song of Nephilim was a Kirschwasser all along, how did the real MOMO get all the experience and tech points that the fake obtained?
A: MOMO and her "sisters" were all linked as soon as she touched the dead Kirschwasser. Thus, the fake MOMO served as an extension of the one being held by Albedo. That's why when Jr. knocks back the fake MOMO, the real one regains consciousness.
Q: Why does the U-TIC organization want MOMO?
A: Actually, Wilhelm is behind this as well. He wants Albedo to get MOMO so he can extract Mizrahi's information and unlock Abel's Ark. When the U-TIC lost MOMO due to Ziggy, Albedo was unable to extract the information. Thus, Wilhelm had to pull strings and stage a Federation attack on the Kukai Foundation so Albedo could secretly plant the Song of Nephilim near the Durandal and cause some unrest. Then, Wilhelm made sure MOMO fell into Albedo's hands. After that, Wilhelm showed up in the Dammerung to stop the Gnosis before the damage became too widespread. All this was calculated by Wilhelm thanks to his "compass." Like Issac Asimov's Foundation series, this device allowed him to calculate possibilities in the future.
Jr.
Q: What happened to the planet Ariadne that Jr. was searching for?
A: It somehow became the Gnosis Cathedral Ship that Shion and the crew of the Elsa get trapped in. The Zohar emulator on the planet called Gnosis, which promptly devoured Ariadne. Somehow, Cherenkov was involved in this and he survived.
Q: What's the deal with that dead cat that Jr. hugs in one flashback?
A: The cat's name is Gaignun. Jr. used the cat's name to create his false identity: Gaignun Junior. When he wakes up, he sees the serial number on his hand (666), an indication that he's manufactured, a mutant, as Allen calls them.
Q: Who's the dead boy that Jr. carries in the same flashback?
A: Who knows... it might actually be Gaignun Kukai.
Q: How come both Gaignun and Albedo "grew up" but Jr. still looks like a little boy?
A: I dunno. Gaignun does mention that he's younger than Jr. though. Mary and Shelly also say that it's a shame "Little Master" has to stay in his size.
Q: What's Jr.'s connection with MOMO?
A: I'm pretty sure Jr. knows MOMO from a previous encounter. He even comes close to giving away some secrets in the presence of Albedo regarding MOMO's true purpose. But then he gets mad at Albedo for almost revealing the same information. I believe Jr. and the other U.R.T.V.s encountered MOMO as she was first being born and they know she is some sort of key to summoning U-DO. That's why all of them are so concerned about her.
Q: Is there any connection between Jr. and Billy Lee Black?
A: Most likely, no. They are both young gunslingers, but that's about it.
Allen Ridgely
Q: Was Allen the child assistant of Joachim Mizrahi?
A: The game seems to strongly hint in this direction. Mizrahi's wife mentions that the boy graduated from the University of Bormeo and most likely works for Vector. Sure enough, Allen fits the criteria. The only discrepancy is that Allen is 23 years old and the council says that the boy should be 28 years old. Then again, Allen never mentions his past so it is very possible that his "information" is inaccurate and that his goofy demeanor is to hide his past.
Q: Why does Allen show up as a ghost in the Pink Bug's picture of Shion?
A: Either Allen is actually undead... (not very likely!) or this is a joke to show that he is very devoted to Shion. The game may be alluding to astral projection; Allen's body is weak but his mind is strong enough to follow Shion around and protect her. Or it could be joking at the fact that Allen's dedication makes him out to be a stalker of sorts.
Q: Will Allen ever score with Shion?
A: Yes. chaos seems to think so. If there's anything that's certain, chaos is a genius and will be right about everything in the game.
Andrew Cherenkov
Q: What's that symbol that flashes on Cherenkov's head?
A: It's a sign of personality conditioning. When the sign flashes, it's supposed to warn other people that the patient has become unstable. The sign appears whenever Chernekov is about to go ballistic. For some reason, this emblem looks like the one on the Zohar.
Q: How come Cherenkov hallucinates inside the Cathedral Ship?
A: The ship is actually the planet Ariadne, or at least what's left of it. Cherenkov sees some familiar landmarks, which cause him to remember his abusive wife and his past crimes.
Q: Why does Cherenkov see his wife and the little girl as he takes off on the ship?
A: I believe this is just symbolism. Either he's metaphorically leaving behind his old murderous life (since he killed both his wife and that girl) or he's left the society where he was his wife's tool for a new life as Margulis' tool.
Albedo
Q: Was Albedo always evil?
A: The game doesn't go into detail, but it's my belief that the Song of Nephilim warped his mind. This happened when the U.R.T.V.s were on Miltia and Mizrahi met his end.
Q: Why does Albedo use the Song of Nephilim?
A: The hooded man tells Albedo that "the vermin have eluded the trap." He's referring to the attempt by the Federation to frame the Kukai Foundation and capture MOMO. The hooded man's actions are peculiar because Wilhelm and the Vector ship arrives to save the Kukai Foundation. However, it is very possible that Wilhelm planned this from the start for another purpose.
Q: What the heck was Albedo doing all along anyway?
A: Albedo was trying to "gain the door to another world" or increase his own power with U-DO. When the U.R.T.V.s fought on Miltia, many were infected by the Song of Nephilim. This caused Gaignun and Jr. to eradicate their own comrades. Somehow, Albedo escaped this and became crazed, seeking more of U-DO. However, it appears that Wilhelm is using the Man in Blue and the Man in Red to keep Albedo under control so that he can function as a "key" to Abel's Ark. Albedo doesn't know he's merely a key.
Q: How did Albedo find Simeon, the Song of Nephilim, and Proto Merkabah?
A: Vector controls EVERYTHING, from the Federation to the U-TIC organization. Although on the surface they seem like an innocent little company, in fact, securing such artifacts would be very easy thanks to Wilhelm's influence. Also, because Joachim Mizrahi founded the U-TIC organization, he was unknowingly working under Wilhelm and Vector Industries.
Margulis
Q: Who is the man with the shades that Margulis talks to?
A: He's most likely a U.R.T.V., one that survived the purge. This reminds me of the whole Solidus fiasco from Metal Gear Solid. It's also possible that the man is Gaignun all along, although I can't back it up. After all, everyone in the story has a complicated past with lots of deceit and betrayal. Gaignun should be no exception.
Virgil
Q: How did Virgil come back from the dead?
A: Two theories: either there's more to Virgil than it seems and he was invincible all along (it was an act...) or Wilhelm resurrected him and gave him super powers (the ability to transform into monsters and teleport). Most likely, it's the second scenario. The Man in Blue tells the Man in Red that he isn't "used to" psychic communication yet. This seems to imply that he was only recently resurrected. Also, the concept of coming back from the dead isn't so far fetched in the Xenosaga storyline. After all, Ziggy was resurrected.
Q: Why does the Man in Blue refer to chaos as boss?
A: chaos is a "higher power" much like Wilhelm, Febronia, and Nephilim. In other words, they've exceeded their worldly existence, so to speak. This might also mean that chaos unknowingly works for Wilhelm since he probably had a hand in his transformation from KOS-MOS to chaos.
Febronia
Q: Who is Febronia and why is she in Shion/Jr./KOS-MOS' memories?
A: Febronia appears in Shion's memories. Shion knows who she is, but doesn't care to share with the other members, or the player for that matter. There is a very brief flashback where monsters are eating Febronia. It happens really fast. The game doesn't care to elaborate. It's strange that Virgil also knows her though. Shion has a very shady past indeed.
Q: Who are the girls running around the tree?
A: They are named Cecily and Cathe. Febronia creates an illusion to keep these two kids happy when in fact, the world around them is dead and decrepit. Febronia's plea to "release the Realians" alludes to the fact that Realians have human souls. Since human souls can't go to heaven or hell when they're implanted into a Realian body, the tree is probably some kind of "afterlife" for the two of them.
Q: What is Febronia's relationship to Virgil?
A: Virgil sees Febronia and mutters "Feb..." as he is gunned down by KOS-MOS at the beginning of the game. I have no clue what this means. Maybe it's an omen that Virgil will come back as the Man in Blue. Perhaps Febronia really was involved with Virgil in the past. Virgil had some strange fascination with eating Realian flesh. This may have some bearing on why Virgil hates Realians so much. But in that case, why doesn't he know who Shion is until they meet on the Woglinde?
Pellegri
Q: What's her role in the story?
A: We see little of Pellegri in the game. However, like chaos, she has light hair and dark skin. She also seems to have different motives than her superior, Margulis. I suspect that she works for Vector and was sent to keep an eye on Margulis. We'll see...
Kevin
Q: Is Kevin the Man in Red?
A: Most likely, yes. When the heroes first arrive on the Elsa, the Man in Red reports to Wilhelm that he "got a report from KOS-MOS" about their location. KOS-MOS wouldn't report to some mysterious cloaked man unless it was preprogrammed. Kevin is the only one who could have implemented such functions. Also, the hooded man gives Cherenkov a U.M.N. to activate the original KOS-MOS in one flashback scene. Only Kevin would have access to such data. But why would Kevin sabotage his own project?
Q: So did Kevin really die two years ago?
A: If he is indeed the Man in Red, Kevin is alive and well. Kevin probably didn't undergo some resurrection after being "killed" by the original KOS-MOS. If you recall, the Man in Red was already around before the lab incident because he handed the U-TIC organization the data to make KOS-MOS go crazy. Perhaps Kevin knew the results would be devastating and planned this so he could "manipulate" Shion, turn the U-TIC into criminals, and fake his own death to avoid the limelight. So how did he survive being "punched through?" When in doubt, just say nanomachines. If that is the case, he did fake his own death though. Shion can be seen crying in front of Kevin's grave during Allen's flashback.
Q: Was Kevin the child assistant of Joachim Mizrahi?
A: The game never states whether Kevin graduated from Bormeo University, although he did work for Vector's R&D. If the assistant was Kevin, this would explain how he was able to tamper with KOS-MOS so effectively. Also, in Episode I, Kevin supposedly died "two years ago" at the age of 26. That would make him 28, the age the council believes the boy to be. If Kevin is the Man in Red, it means that Wilhelm undoubtedly has much of Joachim's research already in his hands. This might be how he knows about Abel's Ark.
Wilhelm
Q: Is Wilhelm a good guy or a bad guy?
A: I believe that Wilhelm is a good guy in the sense that he wants to prevent U-DO from awakening. On the other hand, he seems to be in search for some special power (Abel's Ark) and has manipulated EVERY single event in Episode I, even down to Albedo and the Kukai Foundation. He has otherworldly powers and possibly a connection to chaos. Their voices are very similar. Perhaps he is the reason for chaos' existence. That has to do with the "KOS-MOS equals chaos" theory though.
Q: How old is Wilhelm?
A: He's really old. Why he looks like a little boy is a mystery. Keep in mind that he's the founder of Vector Industries and the company's existence predates the Federation. For all we know, Wilhelm may be immortal... and may have existed back when the Zohar was first excavated on Earth. Vector also builds everything from medicine, nanomachines, and cities to battleships and A.G.W.S. They literally operate in every field. It takes many generations for a company to grow to such a state.
U-DO
Q: What is it?
A: U-DO is a beam of energy that can think on its own. U-DO destroyed a planet in the past. U-DO will also cause KOS-MOS to "destroy a planet" according to Nephilim. Currently, the only person who is doing all he can to prevent U-DO from reawakening is Wilhelm. It is also possible that U-DO is responsible for the Gnosis and that Mizrahi accidentally caused the Gnosis to appear when he was tapping into its power. The U.R.T.V.s were created to combat U-DO. The fact that the U.R.T.V.s were present when Mizrahi met his end seems to prove that U-DO was present in Labyrinthos.
Joachim Mizrahi
Q: Did Mizrahi really unleash the Gnosis upon the world?
A: Most likely, no. Even though everyone calls him a madman, when Albedo taps into MOMO's memory, there's a scene where Mizrahi laments that he's merely delaying the inevitable. He is probably talking about the incoming Gnosis invasions.
Q: Was Mizrahi a psycho like everyone thinks?
A: That depends on your definition of psycho. If standing on a skyscraper quoting random verses in the Bible, misunderstanding doctrine, and then leaping to your doom is crazy, then sure, the old man was whacked out.
Q: Why does Mizrahi tell MOMO that if she does good deeds, she can become a real person?
A: From the data screens in Proto Merkabah, it's pretty obvious that early Realians have a human consciousness. In other words, the minds of real people were implanted into the Realians' bodies. MOMO may actually have the mind of a real girl, which would somewhat explain Mizrahi's message. Also, MOMO may have been his key to unleashing U-DO. Maybe Mizrahi believed U-DO could stop the Gnosis. This also has a bearing on KOS-MOS since good deeds is usually synonymous with suffering. When KOS-MOS sacrifices herself to save the Elsa, she's both suffering and doing a "good deed." Consequently, she turns into chaos. She has a brief glimpse of humanity. Being a real person is akin to "salvation" for Realians and androids. The concept of "creator vs. created" seems to suggest that the created will enter the world of the creator. In other words, human salvation involves being with God and worshiping Him eternally. Realian salvation would be to enter the world of humans, since humans are essentially the creators of Realians. That's not to say that the Realians actually become human. After all, humans don't become gods. Realians become like chaos. Maybe...
Q: Are U.R.T.V.s supposed to be clones of Mizrahi?
A: This rumor comes from the mysterious conversation between Margulis and a man with shades about Albedo. The mysterious man states, "I do not like him. His eyes share the same look as Mizrahi's." Margulis responds: "The same as yours?" This means that man in shades is also a U.R.T.V. The comment that their eyes resemble Mizrahi's may be referring to the U.R.T.V.s physically resembling his. Or he meant that Albedo is a maniac, just like Mizrahi. The latter is unlikely because this would imply that since the man with shades shares the same eyes, he is also a maniac.
Q: Why did Mizrahi die when MOMO was born?
A: The scene inside the Encephalon in which Mizrahi falls from the building seems to suggest that he died willingly. However, Jr. and the other U.R.T.V.s "were present" at Mizrahi's death. It's very likely that Mizrahi somehow used MOMO's birth to summon U-DO just as the Gnosis were showing up. Although his intentions were good, Mizrahi died and his actions became associated with the appearance of the Gnosis.
Connections with Xenogears
They say that history repeats itself. Here are some characters that seem to be related.
Fei closely resembles the mysterious boy with the blocks at the end of XS1. It may be that the Mother created Abel (Fei's ancestor) based on the appearance of this strange little boy.
Elly looks very much like Nephilim. The latter is dressed like Sophia, Elly's ancestor, and even wears a cross around her neck. Curiously, both characters are voiced by the same seiyuu.
Ramsus, a clone of the Emperor Cain, looks a lot like Wilhelm, the CEO of Vector Industries. Both Cain and Wilhelm seem to have dangerous powers and the skills to manipulate others. The Mother may have designed Cain to resemble Wilhelm.
Citan Uzuki looks a lot like Jin Uzuki from Xenosaga. Although it may appear that their last names are the same, Citan's real name is Hyuga Ricdeau. Both characters enjoy reading books and carry around swords. They are both voiced by the same person.
Bart and Virgil are both blonde with green eyes, although Bart is missing one. Also, they are played by the same voice actor. Virgil will probably play a much larger role in the story than it seems.
Vanderkaum still looks the same, although he's called Vanderkam in XS1. It is unknown how these two characters are related to one another.
There are other connections between the two games as well. Proto Merkabah and Proto Dora appear in Xenogears. Proto Merkabah is known as Merkava and is the "throne" of System Deus. It is similar in appearance. Likewise, Proto Dora is known as Dora, and is piloted by Vanderkaum in Xenogears. Similar to the original, Dora attacks with two flailing claw-arms.
Here's another little interesting tidbit. In the Xenogears ending song "Small Two of Pieces" there's a line: And the girl of the dawn with eyes of blue, and angel wings. The songs of the season are her only crown. It's very far-fetched but KOS-MOS may have been designed with this in mind. After all, she sprouts wings like chaos at the end of Episode I and her eyes turn blue. I have no idea what this means, but it's worth pointing out. Also worthy to note is that the Japanese version of the song do not mention this. Like I said, it's just a theory.
Lastly, Shion's password to activate KOS-MOS is "Ye shall be as gods." In Xenogears, the words "You shall be as gods" can be seen over and over on the computer screens of the Eldridge right before System Deus awakens and overtakes it. Like Deus, KOS-MOS was designed as a weapon to combat other-worldly creatures. Both creations destroy a planet in the process. Both are designed as "evolving" entities. Maybe U-DO has some role to play in all this.
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