Kefka Palazzo

""Why create, when it will only be destroyed? Why cling to life, knowing that you have to die?""

- Kefka Palazzo

""Life...Dreams...Hope...Where do they come from? And where do they go? None of that junk is enough to fulfill your hearts! Destruction...Destruction is what makes life worth living! Destroy! Destroy! Destroy! Let's destroy everything!""

- Kefka Palazzo

Kefka Palazzo is the main antagonist of Final Fantasy VI. Kefka acts as the court mage of Emperor Gestahl early in the game, and simply carries out his monarch's orders. However, behind Gestahl's back, Kefka attacks various towns and drains the power of Espers meant for Imperial usage. This gradual culmination in power leads Kefka to overthrow Gestahl and take control of the Warring Triad, effectively becoming the God of Magic itself. Infusions of Magitek power caused him to lose his sanity. At thirty-five years old, he is known for his high-pitched, maniacal laugh.



While previous villains in the Final Fantasy series were distant, cold, ruthless, and bent on their goals, Kefka is loud, short-tempered, maniacal, and destructive. He is possessed of a deep hatred of nearly everything in the world, and indeed, the world itself. He also possesses an infamous and sadistic sense of humor, finding joy in the deaths of innocents. As a result, Kefka's popularity as a villain outside of Japan is surpassed only by Sephiroth. Kefka is well-known for his many one-liners, his final appearance as an Angel of Death (which has become something of a tradition in the series), and his sociopathic hatred of virtually everything in existence. His dark humor and jester-like appearance have earned him the nickname "the Psycho Clown" among fans. Kefka's most defining character trait is debatably his laugh, a trademark high-pitched cackle that is repeated numerous times throughout the game.

The Fight With Kefka
Kefka is rather unique in the fact he is faced several times in the game and starts off as incredibly weak, even cowardly - yet as his madness grows (along with his influence) he gains ever more power and his battles become more intense - leading up to the final confrontation itself. The final battle with Kefka is arguably one of the more memorable moments in Final Fantasy, unlike many final bosses in the series Kefka was not able to be defeated alone - players were required to fight their way to the top of a tier that was inspired by the Divine Comedy and had Kefka's imagery warped with religious icons (censored in some versions of the game), showcasing his nihilism and madness as the player fights through symbolic representations of Hell, Purgatory and Heaven before finally ascending to the very top of the tier where they are greeted to the final confrontation: a godlike Kefka, who then proceeds to taunt the heroes by stating that life is meaningless - the heroes then engage the new god of magic to finally end his reign of terror.

Dissidia: Final Fantasy
In Final Fantasy: Dissidia, Kefka shows huge intrest in the powers of the character Terra, claiming that she wields power capable of destroying the world. On several occasions in the game, he tries to turn Terra over to Chaos' side, claiming that she would only hurt more people if she continued to lose control of her powers.

thumb|300px|right|Final Kefka Fight - Featuring the famous "Dancing Mad" Theme

Dissidia 012: Final Fantasy
Kefka's role in the soon-to-be-released prequel is so far unclear, yet his heroic counterpart, Terra, is shown wearing a headress resembling a Slave Crown, implying that Terra will fight for Chaos under Kefka's control.



Trivia

 * In Final Fantasy: Dissidia Kekfa breaks the fourth wall by humming the Final Fantasy Fanfare after winning a fight.
 * Kefka is one of the few characters in the Final Fantasy series to use the attack "Heartless Angel".
 * Kefka's final theme is "Dancing Mad" and is one of the longest Final Fantasy themes - starting off as an almost hymn-like tune complete with pipe-organs then breaking into an apocalyptic battle-tune: it is considered by many as one of the most popular Final Fantasy themes (rivalled by "One Winged Angel")
 * Kefka has some similiarities with another evil clown - namely The Joker.. both have a love of death and destuction and a macabre sense of humor, however Kefka differs from The Joker in the scale of his plan: seeking godhood and almost succeeding (while The Joker, by in large, is content with being human)
 * Kefka is the Second Final Fantasy boss to become a god after Garland who turns into Chaos.