Byakko

**Family:** Tiger
**Crystal:** **Lightning**
**Weak to:** **Dark**
**Notorious Monster**

* Beetle Blood
* Behemoth Hide
* Byakko's Axe
* Byakko's Haidate
* Damascus Ingot
* Divine Log
* Dryadic Abjuration: Legs
* Earthen Abjuration: Feet
* Malboro Fiber
* Neptunal Abjuration: Hands
* Oxblood
* Seal of Byakko (100%)
* Zephyr (100%)
 Shrine of Ru'Avitau

* **Tiger** job ablilities
* **Perfect Dodge**
* **Additional Effect:** **Light** **Damage**
* **Banish IV**
* **Banishga III**
* **Dia III**
* **Diaga III**
* **Holy**
* **Paralyga**

* To remove the Additional Effect, you can throw an East Wind dropped from Seiryu.

**Notes A:**

* Spawned from a ??? at E/F-5.
* Spawned by trading a Gem of the West and an Autumnstone to the ???.
* Can be respawned 15 minutes after the last Byakko was defeated.
* About 21,500 HP

**Notes B:**

* Summoned by Kirin.

## Dialogue

**Dialogue when appears**

Byakko: "I am Byakko, Divine Guardian of the West. You mortals are not worthy to feel my fangs, but perhaps you might provide a sparse few moments of entertainment."

**Dialogue when defeated**

Byakko: "I had not known that mortals of such strength and courage existed! I will remember your name, child of Vana'diel."

## Historical Background

**The Shijin**

In Eastern Asian mythological cosmology, the Shijin (also spelled Shishin; called the Ssu Ling or Si Ling in China) are 4 guardian beasts that guard the 4 cardinal directions (North, South, East, West). The 4 of them are associated with 4 of the 5 elements of Chinese philosophy (Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth). There is a 5th direction occasionally added (Center) and a 5th guardian beast. Chinese philosophy includes this guardian, but Japanese usually does not. They are independent of the Chinese Zodiac Animals and they each rule a quadrant of the night sky. They evidently originated during the Warring States Period of Chinese history (400s BCE- 221 BCE) and were frequently painted on the walls of tombs to ward off evil spirits. The Shijin have frequently been used in Animé programs (*Fushigi Yugi*, *Yu Yu Hakusho*, and *Digimon*) as well as some other video games, most notably *SaGa 1* (1989/1990, sold in the United States as *Final Fantasy Legend*, published by Square).

**Guardian of the West**

The Guardian of the West is the White Tiger. The White Tiger is connected with the direction West, the season Autumn, the element Metal, and the color white. The Guardian's Japanese name is Byakko, its Chinese name is Baihu (or Bai Hu), and its Korean name is Baekho. According to Chinese folklore, the emperor is buried with metal in his grave, which 3 days afterwards was supposed to assume the form of a white tiger which crouched over the grave, protecting it. Traditionally, the White Tiger was seen as a protector, a defender, not to mention the king of animals and lord of mountains. It would be associated with fighting enemies of the kingdom for the living and demons threatening the graves and spirits of the dead for the dead. In China, it was considered an emblem of the generals of the military. They often wore a tiger made from white jade. When translated into the 5 Japanese elements: Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Void, Byakko is assigned the element Wind.

The 7 Seishuku (constellations) of the White Tiger are: Tokaki Boshi ("foot stars"), Tatara Boshi ("lasso stars"), Ekie Boshi ("stomach stars"), Subaru Boshi ("unity stars"), Amefuri Boshi ("net stars"), Toroki Boshi ("snout stars"), Kagasuki Boshi ("visiting stars"). The lunar mansion (constellations the Moon passes through in Chinese & Vedic astrology) which is considered the center of this Shijin is the Subaru (known in the West as the Pleiades; a star cluster in Taurus). This sector of the sky contains the Western/Arabic constellations Aries, Taurus, Orion, Andromeda, and part of Pisces.

**The Gods of Tu'Lia**

Byakko is spawned using the Autumnstone and the Gem of the West, the season and direction it is associated with. Byakko appears on the Northwest island of Ru'Aun Gardens. The directions of the 4 islands the Gods of Tu'Lia spawn on are not at the cardinal directions, so the mythology cannot be represented in that regard. Byakko uses Light-element attacks, which can be considered the closest equivalent to the Metal-element (notice how many Arcana are machines and they are mostly Light-element). Byakko also drops Zephyr, which pertains to a wind from the West.