Gestahlian Empire The Gestahlian Empire is a governmental organization in " Final Fantasy VI " . In the original Super Nintendo release , it was simply called The Empire , but it is named the Gestahlian Empire in the Game Boy Advance and following releases . The Empire and its officers serve as the primary antagonists for the first part of the game . It has been suggested that the symbol depicted on the Imperial banner is the mouth of a Magitek Armor . Story . The Empire was formed 685 years ago where it had declared its independence from the world as a military state and intended to create a global police force . Several decades ago Gestahl was born as heir to a military family . The empire experienced a military coup 13 years later . Little is known about the coup other than Gestahl ' s father being heavily involved . The Imperial Palace was constructed 21 years afterward , as the Emperor was facing increasing pressure to expand its armaments . Gestahl became Emperor 18 years later , and world peace was agreed upon although Narshe refused to sell coal to the invading Gestahlian Empire with armed resistance . Two years later , the Gestahlian Empire started its first military campaign , conquering the south continent . During this time Emperor Gestahl discovered the Esper World where he captured the espers that fuel Magitek with the Magitek Research Facility being developed shortly thereafter . The technology was developed by Cid Del Norte Marquez , the Empire ' s chief engineer , after Gestahl led a band of soldiers into the Esper World and brought back numerous espers to Vector , where Cid developed a technique for extracting the magic from them . He tested this technology on Kefka Palazzo , but the process was still in development and was rudimentary — it shattered Kefka ' s mind and left him a psychopath . Six years afterwards the military ' s command structure was restructured and the initial results of the research facility were published by the Empire . The Magitek process was refined and the Empire began to mass - produce Magitek weapons . Magic was granted to the Empire ' s elite soldiers , who became known as Magitek Knight s , including General Celes Chere . Four years after the initial results , the Empire commenced its second military campaign , conquering the Western continent due largely to the deployment of the experimental Magitek Armor s , the main Magitek weapon in use . Magitek Armor is a large armored machine piloted by an Imperial soldier who can channel beams of magical energy . Various other Magitek machines were created , including the Imperial Air Force , and the Empire ' s strongest weapon , the Guardian . Seven years on the Gestahlian Empire got into skirmishes with Doma , with the former pursuing a third military campaign a year later . With Magitek ' s unequaled power , the Gestahlian Empire began to conquer the entire world . The other nations on the southern continent where Vector is located — Tzen , Albrook and Maranda — were conquered one by one , and the Empire begins pushing into the north . Approximately twenty years after their initial invasion of the Esper World , the Empire dispatches Terra Branford with Biggs and Wedge to raid Narshe and capture the frozen esper the town had dug up in a new mine shaft . The raid fails , and the slave crown controlling Terra is damaged , allowing her to regains her free will and side with a rebel faction , the Returners . This marks the turning of the tide against the Empire . Doma sides with the Returners and is besieged by the Empire . The nation is wiped out when Kefka poisons Doma Castle ' s water supply leaving Cyan Garamonde and a Doma sentry as the only survivors . The Empire occupies South Figaro to use as a staging ground for a full - scale attack on Narshe , but the Returners repel the Empire ' s attack on the mining town in the Battle for the Frozen Esper . The Returners destroy the Magitek Research Facility , cutting off the Empire ' s supply of weaponry , but the attack teaches the Empire about magicite , which can transfer magical energy to the holder at a much higher rate than the Empire ' s extraction from espers . The Returners open the Sealed Gate to the Esper World to negotiate a coordinated attack on Vector between the espers and the Returners , but the espers go berserk and decimate Vector . The Empire calls a ceasefire and asks for the Returners to cooperate in extending the ceasefire to the rogue espers , but this is a ruse to draw the espers out of hiding . Kefka reduces the espers to magicite , and with their newfound powers Gestahl and Kefka raise the Floating Continent and find the Warring Triad , the petrified statues of the three gods of magic . At this point , the Empire as it was known is mostly gone . The Empire ' s forces in the conquered nations are withdrawn , and even Vector and the Imperial Palace are abandoned . The only sizeable force left is the Imperial Air Force , which is destroyed when the Returners attack the Floating Continent . Following Gestahl ' s death and the end of the world , the Empire falls apart , and Vector is destroyed to make way for Kefka ' s Tower . Only a single Imperial soldier remains , wandering the lobby of Dragon ' s Neck Colosseum , and a lone suit of Magitek Armor remains in South Figaro ' s streets as a " souvenir of the Empire . " Any other Imperial soldiers may have been press - ganged into Kefka ' s service , as modified Magitek machines are found in Kefka ' s Tower . Territories . At the height of their rule the Empire commanded the entire southern continent along with Doma and South Figaro . For the most part their rule is unopposed since 18 years prior to " Final Fantasy VI " , although some people secretly support the Returners . The Imperial capital is Vector , located at the heart of the southern continent . Vector is a city dominated by the Imperial Palace and the Magitek Research Facility looming over it . Tzen and Maranda are occupied by Imperial soldiers , and Albrook is used as a port city for the Empire ' s ships . South Figaro is occupied for a springboard attack on Narshe , and Doma is destroyed for being Returner sympathizers . In addition to their control over various towns , the Empire maintains an Imperial Observation Post near the Cave to the Sealed Gate . A few places have succeeded in remaining outside Imperial influence — Thamasa and Mobliz are neutral and likely avoided by the Empire as they are small villages isolated from the rest of civilization . Zozo may have been considered too uncivilized to target , and Jidoor was avoided for unknown reasons , though it is possible the town used its wealth to avoid attacks . It is mentioned that the Empire also attacked Kohlingen in the past , though neither the scope nor the motivation of the attack are specified . Finally , Narshe resists attacks from the Empire , including a full - scale invasion , being the only city to do so ; this is achieved partly with the help of the Returners . Structure . The Empire is ruled by Emperor Gestahl and his two highest - ranking generals : Celes Chere and Leo Cristophe . Leo led the attack on Doma , and Celes may have led the attack on South Figaro , as this is where she is held prisoner when she rebels . It is mentioned Celes is the one who attacked Maranda . Kefka Palazzo is Gestahl ' s ambassador and court mage who acts as a free - lance agent , pursuing the Empire ' s interests that for whatever reason Leo is not dispatched on . Terra Branford was an elite Magitek Knight due to her part - esper heritage , but lower in rank than Celes , Leo , and Kefka . Due to her unique abilities , Terra was commanded directly by the Emperor himself , and was only sent out on the most important missions . Various lesser - ranked officers lead the Empire ' s field skirmishes . Ground Army . Various armored soldiers make up the largest wing of the Empire ' s army . There are five known ranks of soldiers . Green - armored soldiers are the lowest rank in the Imperial army , they are cadets . Brown - armored soldiers comprise most of the Empire ' s forces , and come in several individual ranks of power , including Soldier , Imperial Soldier , Commander , Corporal , and Sergeant . Black - armored soldiers act as field commanders . Orange - armored ( Crimson - armored in the iOS version ) soldiers are under the command of Kefka and they accompanies him in both the Magitek Research Facility and Thamasa while piloting Magitek Armor . When spoken to in Thamasa , they are labeled as Magitek soldier . The fifth rank is Gestahl ' s personal guards , the Imperial Elite , only seen in the Imperial Palace wearing customized armor . Variation of them are the Templar , Officer , Captain , and General . These variants have the imperial symbol seen on the Imperial banner on their shields . Although they are weak in comparison to the Empire ' s mechanical forces , they are more numerous and often comprise the first wave of attacks in the Empire ' s sieges . Imperial Guard Dogs . Vector Hound , Doberman , Hunting Hound , Belzecue and the heavy armored dog Fidor all serve as guard dogs for the Imperial army . These dogs often accompany the empire ' s ground force and fight alongside the soldiers . Don is a hound that was created as a test of Magitek power . Magitek Armor . The most powerful wing of the Empire ' s army is the Magitek Armor division . Consisting of various armored machines , three variations of Armor are known ; Magitek Armor , Heavy Armor , and Mega Armor . Proto Armor appears in the Magitek Research Facility , but is never sent out to the field and is likely , as its name implies , a Magitek prototype kept in the factory . After the end of the world , Duel Armor and Fortis appear in Kefka ' s Tower and appear to be modified Magitek Armor . Imperial Maintenance Troops . The bestiary entry for Unseelie and Valeor claims this on the PlayStation One Bestiary entry . Both of them are known for throwing wrenches . Due to the title , it is assumed that they keep maintenance on imperial machinery . Scout Droids . These machines are used as scout droids for the Empire . The bestiary entry for Dropper claims this on the PlayStation One Bestiary entry . Trapper s are found in the Magitek Factory and later Junk inside Kefka ' s Tower . Satellites . Satellites will sound an alarm to summon allies during battle , they also have the ability to inflict various status ailments on their opponents . The Satellite is unique and can only be encountered once while Chaser appears outside the Magitek Research Facility after the Returners escape from it and InnoSent dwells inside Kefka ' s Tower . Imperial Air Force . The Empire ' s relatively small and weak air power , the Air Force , consists of Sky Armor and Spitfire . Although the " Final Fantasy Anthology " release shows the Air Force patrolling Vector , they are only ever fought in the battle over the Floating Continent . Like the Duel Armor , enhanced flying machines called Death Machines are found in Kefka ' s Tower . Other Military Assets . In addition to the above forces , several unique machines and soldiers are used by the Empire , as follows : As with the above mentioned Duel Armor and Death Machines , modified versions of the Magitek specialty forces are seen in Kefka ' s Tower — Inferno resembles Number 128 , and Prometheus resembles Tunnel Armor . Number 024 resembles the Magic Master that guards the Cultists ' Tower ' s highest chamber , but is is unknown if there is a connection as the Magic Master appears to be human , while Number 024 is a machine . Allusions . The Empire contains many allusions to the from the " " universe . Musical themes . The theme music for the Empire is " Troops March On " for the scenes with the soldiers , or " Empire Gestahl " for imperial territory . Etymology . The name Gestahl may derive from Gestalt psychology .