Clyde Arrowny

## "Shadow" Clyde Arrowny

**Clyde Arrowny**,also referred to as "Johnny Zecht"*,* is a guest character in *Chrono Trigger: The Zodiac Era.* He is also a playable character in *Chrono Trigger: Age of Omen.* He is a playable character in *Final Fantasy VI: Presentiment Era**.*

## Appearance

### *Chrono Trigger: The Zodiac Era*

Johnny is clothed akin to Locke, wearing a vest over an off-white undershirt, gloves and pants that match his vest with blue lining. His concept art depicts him wearing a ring on his finger and has a distinctive Neubauten tattoo on his neck.

### *Chrono Trigger: Age of Omen*

Clyde wears a beige collared cape, shin-high boots, a two-tailed frontal indigo jacket, brown buckle trousers with a silver buckle belt across his waist, matching his sprite design from Presentiment Era.

## Story

**––—Spoiler warning: *Plot and/or ending details follow.––—***

### 706 Valendian

Johnny is a young man troubled by his past, one that he cannot easily let go. Despite attempts to continue on with his life, Johnny's remorse over his ill daughter's unheralded sickness never truly leaves him. He proves to be both noble and brave, and ultimately selfless in his sacrifice to save Dalmasca.

The ring which Johnny wears on his left finger, carries the name "Zecht Ring". The ring was said to be empowered by the love of a departed mother.

#### Time's Detriment

Before the party heads off to the emerged Dimensional Vortex anterior Sky Fortress Bahamut, they rendezvous at the Aerodrome at Port Balfonheim. There they are reunited with Johnny as he explains vaguely what has happened to him after the destruction of the Sun-Cryst. It was true he was sent to the Darkness Beyond Time where he witnessed the Dream Devourer with Schala bonded in its grasp. Unable to fully explain the experience, he notes he felt a strong aura of longing and loneliness, before having a part of his memory truncate and finds himself afoot the Cerobi Steppe. Weary the words Johnny speaks, Crono urges the party to enter the vortex with haste.

#### Illness in the Manse

The fourth scene in Veracity Kingsglaive Unveils, depicts a memory of Johnny. Within the manse of Balfonheim, his daughter is seen by a doctor to treat her condition. Seeing the severity of her illness, the doctor is uncertain about the chances of her survival. Hearing this upsets Johnny quite much as he becomes irate, claiming they're a doctor, its their job to heal people, and how they could just let her die. The doctor, asking Johnny to calm down, explains they will do what they can to treat his daughter, but there is still no effective treatment for her condition. Johnny, asking how long does his daughter have, is told she has three days at most to live, but they are unsure.

#### Identity

The fifth scene in Veracity Kingsglaive Unveils, Carrière asks how Johnny is doing; more specifically, how things have been faring with his child. Johnny states all has been well, seeing it is true he resists speaking of his personal life to anyone. This is the only point in the game's plot where Johnny's background is questioned, and gives hints about his true identity, and whether or not he is the man beneath the guise unveiled.

### Presentiment Era

When the party first visits Thamasa, Relm is not hesitate to not hesitant to recognize Clyde's appearance. Upon their short-lived reunion, she insists he'd come with her, for she as much to talk about. As the two walk out of the view, Strago points he never expected such a thing as this to happen. Moments later, they hear Clyde shout out *"You liar!"* in the room ahead, later Relm exclaims, *"Fine, don't believe me!"* and Clyde leaves the room as Relm angrily shuts the door behind him.

#### Ebot's Rock

At Ebot's Rock, north of Thamasa, Clyde and Relm search for Maya's whereabouts. They come up short and in this moment, Relm mentions a letter. To Clyde's surprise, Relm shows it to him and he is overwhelmed with memories of the past leading up to Maya's departure. He then gets a flashback of a conversation between Strago and himself. Strago asks one request, for him to show his face, stating if he is who he is to be, he has no intention on talking him into staying. Showing his face, Strago is thankful and they proceed to have a drink.

#### The Truth in Thamasa

In Thamasa sometime later, Relm questions Clyde if he's understood Maya's letter and if he's found her, to his reply, a long pause and melancholy response, *"Maya is gone, she's dead."* To Relm's surprise, she is in denial, calling him a liar, yet Clyde insists its truth. Relm then asks if Maya died because she was sick, to which Clyde affirms he killed her. Relm pauses momentarily, trying to piece together what she's heard before making biting remarks at Clyde following thereafter.

#### Fate

In the normal ending, just has Clyde decides to end his life by staying behind in Kefka's collapsing Tower, he his shrouded with a voice beckoning to him. Not knowing exactly whom speaks, the voice is heard telling him not to do this, to forge on as she needs him; referring to Relm in need of her father, and the emotional damage it would do to her if he were to be departed as well. Clyde then says, "*...You've been watching me this whole time, haven't you?"* and continues to live for Relm.

***––—Spoilers end here––—***

## Gameplay

Johnny wields the Oborozuki in battle. Alizarin Implode is Johnny's signature cinematic attack as it deals massive damage to all foes. He is equipped with twelve Explosion Materia.

### Abilities

DEFAULT
 Bubble

### Age of Omen abilities

 Frost
 Blitz
 Tremor
 Mirage

#### Age of Omen

In *Chrono Trigger: Age of Omen,* Johnny is situated to the Assassin board, focusing on taking out the target as quickly and efficiently as possible, sacrificing defense for movement, strength, and powerful debilitating abilities; wielding ninja swords and daggers with access to few ninjutsu skills. He also has access to the Zecht Armor and Zecht Ring.

#### Presentiment Era

Clyde is a stealthy mercenary haunted by mysterious dreams. Clyde joins the party whenever he feels like it, but can have a random chance of leaving after a battle. His dog, Interceptor, can attack for him in battle, and he can throw weapons, shuriken and scrolls.

Clyde's unique ability is Forlorn (**залишений "Abandoned", "Fool"** or **"Glum"** in beta releases), a devastating non-elemental attack to all enemies. It also removes the Invisible status if the monster(s) has this status applied to them. Its Spell Power is 80 and it cannot be dodged. Throw allows him throw a variety of weapons on the opponents. He can throw daggers, swords (except Ultima Weapon), spears, ninja daggers, katanas, rods (except for the Flame Rod, Ice Rod, and Thunder Rod), throwing weapons (including boomerangs and chakrams), gambler's items (except for the Dice and Fixed Dice), shurikens, and scrolls.

## Creation and development

### Creation

-An old long-time friend of mine from grade school. We were the best of friends—we did everything together.
-The Robo Gang Johnny from Chrono Trigger.
I initially gave him background of being a mercenary, however, it felt too concentrated, so I altered it. Seeing the personality of Johnny of the Robo gang, I decided to use that for his early-life background status in the Zodiac Era.

## Trivia

* Johnny's initial name, personality and background of being a 'biker' is a reference to Johnny of the Robo Gang. In the beta build, Johnny's theme was to be "Robo Gang Johnny" from the original Chrono Trigger soundtrack, but was scrapped in the final build, giving him his own personalized theme; seeing the lack of complete relations.
* The Zecht Ring is a possible allusion to the Memento Ring.
* The scene in Thamasa likely alludes to Time's Detriment, or Temporal finitism, a recurring theme of the Zodiac Trilogy.
* Clyde has a 1/16 chance to depart from the party in the Phantom Forest after a battle, unless he's the only character alive, KO'd, petrified, or has the Zombie status. It is possible to trigger the empty party glitch by having Clyde as the only party member, and having him leave the party. This will freeze the game.
* Clyde departing from the party in Phantom Forest before reaching the Phantom Train alludes to his memories of his wife, who is dead.
* Many of the scenes in Veracity Kingsglaive Unveils and *Final Fantasy VI: Presentiment Era* including Johnny were inspired by various elements from the survival horror game, *Silent Hill 2**.*
* Johnny has a gravely ill child, similar to James's ill wife.
* Clyde's unnamed wife was given a name in beta concepts of *Final Fantasy VI: Presentiment Era,* Mary. It was changed to Maya in the final build. However, the name, Mary was kept as the name of one of Maya's nurses.
* Maya's background is similar to Mary-Shepherd Sunderland. Clyde and herself vacation, and not long after, she fell ill to a terminal disease.
* In *Final Fantasy VI: Presentiment Era,* it is revealed that Clyde has murdered his wife due to his inability to deal with her growing illness and emotional volatile behavior. This is very similar to Mary's fate at the hands of James in Silent Hill 2.
* During the scene at the Ebot's Rock, Relm exhibits biting remarks at Clyde's persona when she discovers the truth about her mother; similar to Laura's remarks at James in the Lakeview Hotel.
* The fifth scene, *The Illness* in Veracity Kingsglaive Unveils, the script and performance between Johnny and the doctor are similar to Mary's doctor speaking with James during the scene in the Otherworld Lakeview Hotel.
* During Clyde's flashback at Ebot's Rock, it is a remake of the once-cut scene between Shadow and Strago during Final Fantasy VI's development.
* The last scene in Thamasa between Relm and Clyde performs a sudden fade-out just as Clyde affirms Relm the truth regrading her mother. However, the following text can be seen slightly just before, *"I... k—".*
* The first scene in Thamasa, where Terra and Clyde first meet Strago and Relm, Relm spoke of events likely involving her mother, to which Clyde is baffled. He shouts at her, believing what she said to be untruthful, showing Clyde has grown some form of amnesia or mind block to the events following his wife's whereabouts.
* It is unclear who the voice is in the normal ending of *Final Fantasy VI: Presentiment Era* that speaks to Clyde. Given Clyde's response, it could speculated either Baram or Carrière whom speaks to him. It is also unclear on the feelings Carrière had for Clyde during their interaction in Veracity Kingsglaive Unveils, as Clyde's questions to Carrière were left unanswered.
* If the player has competed the main game already, and gets the normal ending, Clyde will also say, *"...Maybe that means you and I can be together?",* possibly given an inclination of the connection between him and Carrière.
* Sometime after *The Truth* scene, Relm falls ill to the same disease her mother had, an allusion to Silent Hill 2's Maria Ending.
* Much like Shadow, *'Johnny'* is not his true name, only an alias. His real name is Clyde Arrowny.
* In The Zodiac Era, Clyde goes under an alias and is clothed differently to shroud his true nature, akin to Shadow.