Gilgamesh (Server)

***Gilgamesh** has an identical name. If an internal link incorrectly referred you to this page, please change the link to point directly to Gilgamesh.*

This is one of the many worlds of FFXI. It was one of 20 servers activated upon the original release of FFXI in Japan.

ID Number: 18

Activation Date: May 16, 2002

## History in the FF Series

Gilgamesh was most famously the lieutenant who was second-in-command of Xdeath's forces in *Final Fantasy V*. He was a recurring boss who each time he was fought, a different piece of Genji equipment could be stolen off of him. This boss inspired the Demi-GF (Summon) in *Final Fantasy VIII*, Gilgamesh. The original version of Gilgamesh also inspired the use of Gilgamesh as a powerful optional boss in *Final Fantasy XII*, wielding several famous swords from the *Final Fantasy* & *Dragon Quest* series. Gilgamesh was also the name of the leader of the Norg pirates in FFXI.

Gilgamesh was a Summon who took Odin's place after he was slain by Seifer wielding Hyperion in Lunatic Pandora. Gilgamesh appears, inquiring about the "dimensional interval", and defeats Seifer. Gilgamesh appeared as a figure enshrouded in a blood red hooded cloak with most of his face covered. He had gray skin, white pupil-less eyes with red stripes painted on his face. He had 4 arms wearing blue gauntlets on his left side and his cloak covered his right side, but there were 3 wooden planks carved in the shape of human arms with an outline of an arm and fist painted in gold (implying he had 8 arms, but lost 3 of them). He wore baggy gray pants with red markings and had black and yellow boots. On his head he had black horns and a white feathered plume. His attack consisted of randomly selecting 1 of 4 swords, a jagged dark metal blade (Zantetsuken), an elaborate blue blade (Excalibur), another elaborate blue blade (Excalipoor), or a katana with a red hilt (Masamune).

In FFVIII, he randomly appeared in battle after being obtained and would randomly perform 1 of 4 attacks. He had better odds of appearing than Odin. He could not be summoned in a controlled manner. Unlike Odin, Gilgamesh could appear during boss battles.

* In FFVIII, Gilgamesh is obtained as a Demi-GF who randomly appears during battle after he defeats Seifer in Lunatic Pandora after the ex-SeeD kills Odin in battle.

Moves:

"Zantetsuken"- instant-death attack on all enemies (FF8)

"Excalipoor"- deals 1 dmg to all enemies (FF8)

"Excalibur"- deals damage to all enemies (FF8)

"Masamune"- deals high damage to all enemies (FF8)

Attributes:

N/A

* In FF8, his attack power depends on the average Level of the party. His chances of appearing depended on the average of the Luck stats of all party members.

## Historical Background

In Mesopotamian mythology, Gilgamesh was a legendary king of the city of Uruk who was 2/3 divine and 1/3 mortal, making him a demigod who was considered the strongest man who ever existed (similar to the Greek Hercules, but Hercules was 1/2 god 1/2 mortal). He was a cultural hero most known for his exploits in the *Epic of Gilgamesh*, a story written on several clay tablets.

The story starts out with the king being considered too harsh by his people, so Anu (god of the heavens) creates the wild man Enkidu to be Gilgamesh's opponent. After being tamed by a priestess/temple-prostitute, Enkidu is brought from the world of the wild into the world of civilization and fights Gilgamesh, who decides the fight is a draw. Before leaving, Gilgamesh orders the people of Uruk to build giant walls around the city.

Gilgamesh and Enkidu travel together to the Cedar Forest and slay a demon, Humbaba/Huwawa, chop down some cedar trees to make a raft to return to Uruk. This act enrages Enlil (god of the sky/wind), who had sent Humbaba/Huwawa to guard the sacred forest. Ishtar (goddess of love, fertility, war) tries to seduce Gilgamesh, but he rejects her advances, enraging her. She petitions Anu to send the Bull of Heaven after Gilgamesh & Enkidu. The duo manage to slay the mighty bull, a sacred creature. The gods rule that punishment must be meted for such an act of sacrilege and chose to inflict Enkidu with an illness, which kills him.

The loss of Enkidu devastates Gilgamesh and drives him to take a perilous journey across the Waters of Death to meet with Utnapishtim, 1 of only 2 humans to survive the Great Flood (and as a result were given immortality), in order to avoid Enkidu's fate and become immortal. Utnapishtim gives him a test, stay awake for 6 days and 7 nights, and he will be made immortal. Gilgamesh fails. Gilgamesh was given a second chance, that of a plant at the bottom of the sea which when eaten will revert Gilgamesh to a young, vital age. Gilgamesh obtains the plant, but leaves it laying on the beach, where a snake steals it. Having failed at his quest for immortality, he returns to Uruk, where he sees the giant walls which he had ordered to be built. Gilgamesh realizes this is the way mortals can achieve immortality, through building civilization. He was buried on the riverbed of the Euphrates River. The Sumerians list him as a historical king, the 5th King of Uruk, ruling sometime in the 26th century BCE. Scholars do not dispute Gilgamesh may have been real, but his exploits were most certainly fiction.