Nyx Ulric

ニックス・ウリック

**Nyx Ulric** *(ニックス・ウリック*) is the main protagonist of *Final Fantasy IX-0: Alexander Edition.* He was a playable character in *Chrono Trigger: The Zodiac Era.*

## Profile

### Personality

At first, Nyx is confused and unaware of where he is or what life he lives. He behaves as the member of the Tantalus Troupe once did, given his appearance in Holocene 1800. As time progress, Nyx's personality, from what one knows of him previously, begins to shape more into that of Zidane Tribal, until he meets with Rydia. Rydia, in the same situation as himself, ponders her existence and personality, wondering if it is her, herself who is really living time. Nyx begins to notice a dark silhouette of the late Princess Garnet overshadowing Rydia, becoming more visible as time progresses. As he travels with Rydia, reliving akin the spirits lives, he begins to understand their personality is morphing by the force of such spirits, as they desire to live their life again in their present era, following the apocalypse.

Although selfless, Nyx can be interpreted as arrogant.

### Appearance

Nyx is a young man with dark gray hair and blue eyes. He wears the black uniform typical of his fellow Glaives, but his is customized with a silver antler or horn on its hood, purple ribbons on its back, and pelts of blue-gray fur on its left sleeve.

Nyx's signature weapon is his pair of kukris, one originating from Galahd and the other having been forged in Insomnia, symbolizing both of his homelands.

Nyx has small and subtle tattoos. He has a "crow's foot" on his right cheek, and a line and a dot under his left eye. He has markings on his ears, a line down his neck, one around his right leg and a line down his middle finger of his left hand, and another down his forefinger on his right hand.

Nyx appears with a large feline in some illustrations. It is a Galahd-native coeurl and Nyx's image-motif. Horns and fur on his gear symbolize him being wild and also foreign, as he is an immigrant from Galahd in thus from a different culture compared to Insomnia. His theme color is blue to complement Regis, whose purple theme reflects his nobility and maturity. To show Nyx's youth and to make it in line with Regis's purple, blue was chosen to be Nyx's color.

## Story

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

### Gaia 1800

During Holocene 1800, few of the citizens around Gaia vaguely speak of Zidane and his allies, as Nyx's body is in their place. Usually only mourning over the loss, and/or showing gratitude for their heroic acts prior to the apocalypse, for once removing the Mist and restoring peace to the land.

Despite Zidane being a bit of a skirt-chaser. Nyx is of the contrary, making it clear to the allies that there is nothing between himself and Rydia. And, being in the same situation as himself, he will work with Rydia to see the problem to an end, if that alone is enough.

Later, Nyx and the party discover the presence of Lavos in Gaia by a bystander Magitek Elite. The discovery of Lavos' prompted his defeat in this time age before its early emergence to place the world into an apocalyptic state.

Carrière, led Nyx on the right path by praying to the Woman in Flight to open the Dimensional Vortex that appeared on the surface of Gaia 1800, after the defeat of Lavos there. This in turn, led Nyx to the Iifa Tree at year 1803, after the apocalypse hit Gaia during ascension. Here, where he hears and listens to the voice of the essence of the late Zeal, who, after the fall of the Black Omen, and her reversion, mourns at last for the loss of her daughter. Nyx is distinctly led deep in the Iifa Tree﻿, similar to Zidane after hearing voices. Near the bottom where he follows the voice of the daughter of Zeal, likely guiding him. As he approaches the bottom, the voice speaks to him of the events that happened after the Fall of Zeal, to give him a lead on the latter spawns of Lavos. Nyx questions the spirit guiding him if this will end it all, or send him through a paradox. The voice, fading from his ears, only deterrents him not to lean on the crutch of power.

### 706 Valendian

Nyx is a heroic individual and member of the eponymous Kingsglaive. He is confident in his abilities, but is haunted by the memory of his facsimile stemming from his appearance in Gaia. He grows arrogant in Ivalice as time seems to repeat itself for him in another era.

During his time in Ivalice, similar occurrence with his personality happens again. Only this time, he is more aware of it, claiming it is: *"Just part of the show".*

In the ending scene, Nyx's facsimile appears at an unknown time. As he speaks, it appears, he too, has returned to his time, the moment before his death, stating as time heals all wounds, but he hasn't done much healing. He states that it is just fine, time wasn't meant to be changed in such a way. To cater to one's personal whim, to move forward from the past in live in the present. Ending his monologue with *"Though, I too, will always remember him", likely referring to* Carrière*.*

***––—Spoilers end here––—***

## Gameplay

Nyx wields daggers in battle and has access to magic. Kuja's Ultima is an ability exclusive to Nyx in *Final Fantasy IX-0: Alexander Edition*. It is learned by equipping Nyx's Kukris for 250 AP and costs 254 MP to cast. In Chrono Trigger: The Zodiac Era, his skill set is Tech. Scan allows him to perceive more detailed info about foes, Halo of the Lucii bestows statuses to Nyx, at the cost of HP deterioration, Warp Strike, Darkja, Mesocyclone and Hero's Pride are among his physical, non-elemental damage skills which range from moderate to massive damage.

### Abilities

#### *Chrono Trigger: The Zodiac Era*

DEFAULT
 Shellga
 Fire
 Firaga
 Thunder
 Thundaga

## Other appearances

* *Veracity Kingsglaive Unveils*
* *The Zodiac Era Demo*

## Creation and development

Nyx was included in the Zodiac Era as an allude to the original project.

The likeness of Johan Akan (born and credited as Johan Picard), a French model, is used to portray Nyx. Neil Newbon is the character's motion capture artist.

### Zodiac Engine

The first model tested with the Zodiac Engine was Nyx. He has 300 bones in his model, six times more than the 39 bones of the original character placeholder, and 332 bones via high-model, ~fourteen times more than the 29 bones of the original character placeholder; better usage of hair cards and poly mesh hair strands, four times the amount of skinned meshes and greater character and facial shading, demonstrating the many additional features of the engine.

## Musical themes

"NYX" is a theme on the *Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV: Original Soundtrack,* it is Nyx's theme in Chrono Trigger: The Zodiac Era. It plays at Nalbina Dungeons.

"Irrevocable Will" the decisive battle theme in *Final Fantasy IX-0: Alexander Edition* is *"Those Who Fight"* from *Final Fantasy VII Remake*.

## Trivia

* In the alternate ending of *Final Fantasy IX-0: Alexander Edition,* Nyx's final words were, *"Insomnia... I'm coming back".* This was improper translation from the original game script where Nyx's final words are *"Libertus... I'm coming back."*
* This and many others have been fixed in *Final Fantasy IX-0: Alexander Edition.*
* The bug causing Kuja's Ultima to soft-lock the battle has been fixed via a workaround. However, it could not be used against scripted bosses as it would then yield the same result. The ability attacks all foes fifteen times, alluding the number *XV.*
* A version of Nyx's face were found in the game files of the demo, but are unused.