Analyzing Evil: Kefka Palazzo From Final Fantasy VI 

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The villain who actually accomplished his goal...and did it halfway into the game.

A streamer I watch named A_Raving_Loon did a pretty good analysis of Kefka's breakdown at the end of the game when presented with the party's "chapters from a self-help booklet." Loon posits that Kefka sees life as a joke that he doesn't get the punchline to. Everyone else seems to be having a good time and he literally can't comprehend how they do that. The party makes their statements to him and he blows it off because he's heard it all and he knows it's bunk. He is a clown that is not having fun. He is the sad Pagliacci.

Kefka with voice acting is like a cross between Frieza and The Joker

Kefka is the object lesson in "your trauma is not your fault, but it is your responsibility."

Kefka is truly one of my favorite video game villains and one of the most pitiful. The cost of gaining his powers made I impossible for him to find joy in anything other than pain and destruction. He accomplished his goals halfway through the story and suffered an existential crisis because of it.

Kefka was indeed a monster. But a monster manufactured by the Gesthal Empire. It is similar to how Sephiroth was also manufactured by the Shin-ra Corporation. But unlike Kefka, Sephiroth was once admired and beloved. Only after he found out about his fabricated reality did he become a true monster. Both evil empires helped create two of the most iconic villains in the franchise.

I love Kefka a lot, he's not just the most insane bad guy in Final Fantasy he's also very tragic Terra points out that his laughter sounds like crying. Kefka is unable to comphrend or think beyond destruction and chaos and most likely he knows that which is why he hates heroes so much. If I'm not mistaken wasn't it mentioned that before the expriments Kefka was implied to be a timid man? which makes the transformation all the more depressing

Kefka saying to Ultimecia in Dissidia "Changing time to hide those wrinkles?" Is the ultimate smackdown and I love it.

Kefka is the only one that managed to pull off the villain end goal: destroying the world and remaking it in his own image.

Does anyone remember the dude who Cosplayed Kefka and just nailed the role perfectly? This vid was probably from 10+ years ago, but his mannerisms will always stick with me!!!

Another possible reason for Kefka waiting is becuase he views the entire thing as a grand performance, fitting with his theatrical nature: There must be a climactic showdown in the final act between the heroes and the villain for the fate of the world. That's simply how it is done.

I'd say, as far as the series is concerned, Kefka is hands down the greatest villain. He succeeded, he destroyed the world. No other big bad can make that claim.

Kefka's laugh is so good it was used in numerous memes. Including Sonic.exe.

Kefka is pure gold as a villain, thank you so much for making a video about him.

While Sephiroth is more iconic and excellent in his own right (and i hope he's covered one day), Kefka is easily the best villain the series has ever had. Nihilistic and crazy and he actually succeeded in his goals.

Kefka is such a classic villain.😺

His dissidia VA absolutely channeled Mark Hamill, and I'm all for it. It's perfect.

I was so happy to see this in my feed. I love Kekfa, and I love The Vile Eye. That's a double love combo.

In the last part of the song, he wanted to die, he wanted to be put out of his misery. Which is why someone with his powers was taken out easily. They didn’t defeat god Kefka, he lost the will to live. Every time I hear the last part, it make me question why the last part of the song is sad. And it quite tragic, he is tragic, but not redeemable. He didn’t die laughing, but in silence.

I think the scene with the guards cleaning Kefka’s boots is actually highly important for understanding his motivation and mentality. He never told them to clean his boots. He simply stated that they were dirty. They cleaned them without even being asked to do so. He hadn’t even considered ordering them to clean them. So, all he can do is laugh. And he laughs at how humans jump so quickly into subjugating themselves.

Amazing to finally hear Vile's take on the best villain in videogame's history. Agreed with the theory that part of him wished to be stopped in the end. That theory is backed by the last part of his final boss music, which is so full of sorrow and regret that I feel he finally realized how horrible what he did was. Or at least he respected the Returners enough to grant them one last chance to beat him before ending the world in a burst of laughter.

Kefka is one of the few characters to call out the heroes after doing the whole "I fight for love!" to tone down the cringe. Truly our guy.

Sephiroth, the king of being gaslit sounds like a promising continuation here.

I remember playing FF6 (FF3 in the States at the time) and being absolutely intimidated to raid Kefka's Tower that I stopped playing FF6... began playing Chrono Trigger. Finished all of Chrono Trigger. And then had the courage to go back and take on Kefka's Tower to finally finish FF6. That's how much of an impression Kefka's evil left on me. That little sprite and his terrifying laugh are videogame legend!

Finally! You showed Kefka in your first video, and I've had to wait through a hundred and eleven other villains for you to get to him!

The man. The myth. The legend.

His final battle theme also says a lot about his personality as well. It’s starts off in hell and the music that plays is full of anger, despair and hopelessness. The second part is fittingly called purgatory, which sounds very circus like, I believe it’s how he views humanity and life itself. Nothing more than a sad joke. The third part sounds like something that would be played in a church, signifying his ascension to divinity. However if you listen closely you can hear his main theme being played during the song. Obviously saying I’m still the same mad man I was from the start of the game. And then comes the final part, which fitting starts with the opening title theme. Like this is what the entire game was leading up too and I fucking love it. The final part is so chaotic but has tones of sadness and loneliness. And finally when he’s defeated he just fades away…after everything he did and said he just disappears into nothingness…which is very sad honestly Good video btw🫡

Fun fact: Kefka is based on a real life writer: Franz Kefka who then gave us the adjective: Kafkaesque: having a nightmarishly complex, bizarre, or illogical quality. How fitting!

Porky Minch would be a good video. And finally your voice gives this monster the respect and dread he deserves. Thank you.

I’ve never actually played Final Fantasy before, but I’ve heard of Kefka and how terrifying he is as a villain. He really is truly vile, and it surprised me how sadistic he is. Whenever you do the next tier list, he’s definitely got to be an S tier. Also, I know he is definitely a tad more comedic, but I think it would be really cool if you did a video on Aku from Samurai Jack. He’s one of my personal favorites and has so much personality.

One of the greatest villains of all time.

I love that you made a video on Kefka! I feel like many people mischaracterize him, so it's nice seeing such an in-depth analysis. I'd love to see you talk about Ex-Death/The Void at some point!

His fight in FF14's Omega raid tier was amazing too, genuinely good fight and the Savage Tier was incredible.

Fun fact: "Kefka" means "little brush" in Slovak, usually used for "toothbrush".

Dancing Mad is one of my favorite musical pieces ever. It captures the grandiosity of Kefka's position, the madness that drives him, and the pitiful nature of his empty existence. I'll always applaud Square for having Kefka succeed. Very rarely does any media allow that. Usually, they'll show enough to establish the villain as threatening but they're ultimately defeated in a easy and uncostly manner. But in real life, bad guys often win; they might face consequences at some point but that's not guaranteed. I wish more stories would allow that, especially kid's media. I think it's good to show kids that you will fail, that your heroes will let you down; but, that doesn't mean you should give up, or that success is impossible. It's all about how you bounce back.

The thing I love so much about this game above the other Final Fantasy games is the reason why the main characters fight against Kefka. They aren't just trying to reestablish the status quo, they aren't just trying to stop some generic baddie from destroying/taking over the world. They've all had to sort through a seemingly meaningless life brought about by Kefka's destruction of the world and struggle to find something that gives meaning to it. Contrast that with Kefka, who has the strongest, most sound reason for his villainy of any FF antagonist I've encountered. He isn't some embodiment of nothingness that acts basically on instinct to bring existence into oblivion, he's thought long and hard about it and concluded that life is meaningless using internally consistent logic (if someone like him is the most powerful being in existence, and nothing is above him, what meaning IS there to life?).

A psychology analysis of Kefka and his evil deeds, while his theme music plays, this is somehow so fitting for the moment .

At a glance, you might think that Kefka hates the sight of his own blood because it’s a reminder that at his core, he is just like those he means to destroy, but it’s more than that. His over the top reaction betrays something much deeper than disgust with his own biology, he’s subconsciously afraid of it. Afraid of his own mortality? Not consciously, no. Kefka’s programmed mind won’t allow him to contemplate such things, lest he should realize the truth. His programming compels him to be repulsed by anything that could bring him peace. That’s why he reacts similarly to emotions as he does to the sight of his own blood. Ironically the more power Kefka gains, the further he gets from the one thing that could bring him the peace he is searching for… his own death.

Glad to see more video game villains getting covered! I hope one day you cover Albert Wesker from Resident Evil as well.

_"Life... dreams... hope... Where'd they come from? And where are they headed? These things... I am going to destroy!"_ Kefka has always been my favorite Final Fantasy villain, due to one important fact. He actually achieved his goal. The heroes defeated him at the end, yes, but he had already turned the world upside down for good, not to mention that magic dies alongside him. There's no 100% happy ending at the end, as the damage he inflicted is permanent and will never heal. 9:50 - We actually see him before, when he commands an assault on Narshe and he's the final opponent during this battle.

There are two things I would like to add that helped me to form my opinion of Kefka. First, there is a theory that Kefka was once Baram, Shadow's partner when they were traveling thieves. One of Baram's final comments is eerily similar to something Kefka says when he's injured in a fight. Shadow also leaps into battle with Kefka when the party runs for safety, despite having no obligation to them. There are holes in this theory, that prevent it from being tied water tight, I'll admit, but there's still enough ambiguity to imply that Baram was taken alive by the Empire when Clyde abandoned him and was subsequently experimented on, which Kefka canonically was, potentially driving him mad and effectively killing Baram. The second is that I played Final Fantasy Dissidia before I played Final Fantasy VI. Completing Terra's quest and fighting Kefka in the Void, Kefka's final words and Terra's lament of him being broken-hearted and in pain made me consider his nihilism in a different light. Kefka truly seems to me as someone who finds mortality and inevitability to be terrifying and dehumanizing, to the point that he cannot function unless he is causing some manner of discomfort, either annoyance or atrocity, to drive these thoughts from his mind. I do believe Kefka to be tragic and sympathetic in spite of the undeniably evil and unforgivable things he does. In essence, he's like an incurable mad dog struck with rabies and won't stop until he infects everyone with his madness, pain and suffering. Kefka is a character I feel relatable to and it frightens me how much of what he says and does makes perfect sense to me.

My favorite FF villain. Him accomplishing his goal of conquering the world along with having one of the most awesome final boss themes in videogame history in Dancing Mad are two great reasons.

Probably the most evil Final Fantasy villain of all time!

MY GOD!! Kefka was one of my earliest suggestions for a villain on your channel and this showcases why he is one of the greatest villains in the FF series. He went from an experiment to the Mad Clown of an Empire to a God of Chaos and in the end he was made to be just that and his actions is what made him a patron of evil that needed to be stopped and he did the one thing that most villains failed countless times and that being he destroyed the world. My suggestions for your next video VE are as follows: -NFFA from the Purge Franchise -Handsome Jack from Borderlands -Obadiah Hakeswill from Sharpe

This is easily the most pleasant surprise I've seen from your series (which I LOVE in general). Thank you for this.

The greatest evil of all time is being analyzed by The Vile Eye.

Great villain, so glad you're covering video games. Would you ever do A.M. from I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream? (from both the short story and the game)

Nice to see more video game villains! Hope we get to see ones like Count Bleck, Dimentio, Volo, etc.

This was the first final fantasy game I'd ever attempted to play so I am not too familiar with the character, but I know he's considered one of the greatest villains in video game history and I majorly appreciate him being an inclusion to the series.

Analyzing Evil: The Crooked Man (The Wolf among us)

Thank you for this video. People always focus on Sephiroth, but he paled so badly in comparison (I actually played both 6 & 7 when they released) - even if Kefka’s archetype is ‘easy’ to categorize as an evil clown, he’s so well done & effective that it outclasses other, more ‘complex’ villains

I’ve been waiting for this one. Sabin and Edgar are underrated protagonists as well.

This was a pleasant surprise of a choice for one of your vile eye videos. Great content and diversity!

Amazing analysis. 'Why cling to life knowing everything must die?'

I love that you covered this man! Part of me hope this will send you on that path of more Videogame Villans like Handsome Jack from Borderlands or maybe the Tojo Clan from the Yakuza games

Ah yes, KEFKA. Loved your Yu Yevon video, this should be a banger. Hopefully you cover Sephiroth, Vayne, and Barthandelus some day also!

By far the best villian Final Fantasy has ever had.

I was watching Analyzing Evil: Tony Soprano when I thought, it would be cool if someone did that for Kefka. Lo and behold I see that you already had. Nice stuff here!

YES!!! I’ve been waiting to see this. This is my favorite Final Fantasy game of all time and yes, Kefka is my favorite FF villain of all time too, and it’s because there are thousands of Kefka’s out in the real world nowadays and they have always existed since the beginning of humanity’s time on this planet and that’s a very scary thought. Real psychotic people that just want to hurt people and enjoy watching them suffer, and they do what they do because they can, this needs to be addressed because villains like this need to highlighted so that people don’t fall victim to their plight.

I understand that Sephiroth is the most popular and Kuja is my personal favorite, but Kefka really is the BEST villain in FF If it weren't for the limitations of the SNES, they would have been able to paint a more vivid picture of just how DESTRUCTIVE and INSANE this man was Btw since we are doing remakes and all...

13:25 small correction. Kefka does destroy Mobliz with the light of judgment, but South Figaro is still standing, and wasn't destroyed. Though he doesn't turn the light onto Tzen when you first enter the town in the world of ruin.

Kefka’s character takes all of those classical tropes about villains like the tragic backstory and the morally ambiguous motive and throws them in the fire. And it’s beautiful.

Kefka is literaly the Joker of Final Fantasy I see Mark Hamil voicing him in a hd remake of FFVI

I've noticed that Kefka is the embodiment of nihilism and chaos While the heroes who defeat him hold ,ideals of hope and optimism. Through out the game we see all the heroes confront and face their trauma and past sins. From being abandoned as a child to losing their parents or loved ones to even watching their kingdoms and friends fall to the empire. They over came their sadness and even the end of the world to defeat Kefka who stayed stuck in a endless cycle of hopelessness and nihilism

I absolutely loved this. Big fan of your channel and as a lifelong gamer it's interesting to see analysts of villains across media, your work is greatly appreciated and often a topic of discussion amongst me and my fellow psych students thank you

Yes yes yes my role model. I now just need power...godly power . You may live, be grateful to your skill doing these videos.

Handsome Jack would make for a great episode. Also a Halo villain would be perfect for episode 117.

Kefka is what happens when the joker gets the infinite gauntlet with all the stones.

Nice! One of the best villains of all time from one of the best games of all time. When i saw this in my sub feed, i couldn't click this video fast enough!

Kefka is legitimately an *S TIER* villain.. omg 🤘

One of the best villains in video game history ! ❤

I have been waiting for this one. Kefka was always my fav FF villain

So happy to see this one, I've been waiting on it for a long time! Kefka's one of my favorite villains, and one of the all-time greatest video game villains of all time.

EP 111 wow, I remember when there was 16 episodes of this series. How the channel has grown, so awesome to see!

I really missed your series and I look forward to see your take on the Final Fantasy Villains.

Awesome. I always found Kefka to be very underrated. I loved that game as a kid. That was probably the first game I was ever emotionally invested in. I really hope they do a remake of some sort.

One of the best moments in the game is when Leo and the gang are laughing together, and then you hear Kefka's laugh before he appears on screen. Goosebumps.

Never expected this one but I'm very excited

Great antagonist! Kefka is one of the best kinds of villains: An uncomfortably human character, unable to let go of the past. I'd love to see more video game villains! Rafe Adler from Uncharted 4, Malefor from the Spyro games, or Saren from Mass Effect would be amazing!

So sad I can’t watch this one just yet, absolutely love your content and while I’ve watched this channel for content I haven’t seen before, I’ve sworn to not be spoiled on this game in particular. On that note, once I do beat the game, I will absolutely return to this review. I’m sure this one is an absolute banger so I’ll give this a like for insurance. All the love, Vile.

Great video. Kefka for me is the Joker of the Final fantasy universe. Would realy love a video about Sephiroth!

I'm so happy you did one on Kefka, this is a great series and Kefka is such a great villain. I have a five foot poster of the Tower of Gods in my bedroom, such great imagery!

Maybe I could learn a thing or two from Kefka in my quest to overthrow Megatron.

I hope he does more animated villains. Like Tighten from Megamind or something. That movie was the start of me realizing I was a "nice guy" and growing out of it.

Kefka is by far my favorite vilain in the FF franchise, i'm so glad you picked him, he is an amazing character !

YES! I have been waiting this for so long.

Never seen a villain like Kefka before

Kefka is to videogames what Frieza is to anime

Was not expecting this and it makes me happy to see it

my favorite ff game by far. its really cool that you did a video on this villian. i often wonder how you decide which character youre going to do a video on

Perhaps one of my favorite Final Fantasy villains who actually won in the end. Leaving the World of Balance into a World of Ruin...

Next you should analyze Handsome Jack from the Borderlands saga, he is a villain that at first only gives us reasons to hate him, but as we know his past and the context of the events of the game, the more we sympathize and understand why he is the way he is and why he wants to do his goal in the game.

I love that you’re doing Kefka

This is my favorite game ever, and that is completely because of when and where I was in life. That's kind of how favorites work. It's not because the game is amazing, but it was amazing to me at the time

Did not expect a Kefka video but I’ll take it because he’s one of my favorite villains of all time and a true Black Air Force in evil clowney besides the Joker

The only reason I was able to see Kefka in a different light where I would have never thought to before was funnily enough because of Onion Knight in FF:Dissidia. During one of the opening dialogues between Kefka and him is "You have such sad eyes" I cant put into words how much that short sentence makes me feel. There is a deep tragic sorrow of being too far gone to ever be saved I feel about him. Also hopefully this video is a clue about an upcoming video on a certain edgy mama's boy which I've been requesting for awhile now. Love the video and especially the series you've created, it's so cathartic hearing that restrained calculated tone going over some of the worst characters in media and their vile acts, I get the feeling you're like a shadow cloaked judge wearing a simple casual suit with some form of distortion or mask hiding your face and delivering the final verdict on the character in question bringing down a sentence based on their crimes and misdeeds befitting of their level of wickedness and their personal reasons for doing them.

This is so fantastic!! Thank you for making this!!

Since you've gotten into doing video games as well, I've got a few suggestions that could be interesting: Johnny Silverhand (Cyberpunk 2077) The Illusive Man (Mass Effect 2 & 3) Martin Walker (Spec Ops: The Line) And finally, Vaas (Far Cry 3 & Far Cry 6's DLC Vass: Insanity)

I love these video game villain episodes!! If you get a chance, you should check out Saren from Mass Effect, Gwyn from Dark Souls, or Challus Mercer from Dead Space!