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Spoiler warning! This article contains plot details of Ys: Memories of Celceta. Do not read it if you have not played the game and intend to do so in the future. |
Gruda (グルーダ) (3 BC - 19 AC) is a sharp-eyed man who came from the Romun Empire to serve as an assistant to Governor Griselda. He seems favorable to Adol but perhaps there is more to him than meets the eye... As the man responsible for most of the disasters that occur during the story, he is the main antagonist of Ys: Memories of Celceta.
History[]
He was once a member of the Clan of Darkness from the village of Danan. Unlike most members of the clan from that village who regret their ancestors' actions, he left with Ernst to the Romun Empire. During Ys: Memories of Celceta, he comes back, seeking the power of the Mask of the Sun for himself. To help him achieve his goal, he enlists the help of the sorceress Bami and the beast tamer Gadis and starts causing chaos around Celceta.
In Games[]
Ys: Memories of Celceta[]
Gruda appears in the game once Adol and Duren come back to Casnan after investigating the disasters at Comodo and Selray caused by Bami and Gadis. While he initially appears to be favorable to Adol, Gruda reveals his true colors when he bombards the village of Highland in the middle of the game. Later on, Gruda tricks Leeza into attacking the village of Danan by lying to her that the Mask of the Sun, which is stored in the village of Danan, can be used to turn Eldeel back to normal. After Leeza's dragon Sol-Galba breaks the seal on the mask, Gruda appears out of nowhere and steals the mask. He then gives it to Eldeel, who at this time is completely taken over by his dark persona, so that Eldeel may start rewriting reality.
Although Adol and his party defeat Bami and Gadis and use the mask of the moon to turn Eldeel back to normal, Gruda takes the mask of the sun in the middle of mayhem and goes inside the Akashic Records in order to start rewriting reality. Adol and his party follow him to the world of chronicles Iris inside the Akashic Records. Overcoming many trials, they manage to reach the center where Gruda is absorbing all the knowledge stored inside the Akashic Records. Claiming that people can only grow when faced with extreme danger, Gruda declares his intention to cause massive calamity in order to test humanity. He then proceeds to transform into the blue gigantic colossus in order to confront the party. In the ensuing battle, Adol and his party manage to defeat the colossus.
Nevertheless, the Akashic Records goes berserk and starts causing fractures in reality. In order to prevent the disaster from getting worse, Adol's party decides to shut down the Akashic Records permanently by destroying the mask of the sun. As Adol climbs to the summit of the volcano where the mask of the sun can be destroyed, Gruda's spirit, now called Phantom Gruda, appears in front of Adol and demands that he hand over the mask. In the final duel, Adol proves victorious and this time, Gruda is destroyed for good as Phantom Gruda disappears into light.
Gallery[]
Ys: Memories of Celceta[]
Ys IV: The Dawn of Ys[]
Ys IV: Mask of the Sun[]
Ys IV: Mask of the Sun: A New Theory[]
Trivia[]
- Ys: Memories of Celceta and Ys IV: Mask of the Sun: A New Theory are the only versions of Ys IV where he is the main villain. In Mask of the Sun and The Dawn of Ys, Gruda was a right-hand man to the main villains (Eldeel and Arem respectively) and was fought right before them.
- Gruda's final form (Phantom Gruda) is much weaker than his gigantic colossus form (Akasha-Glyph). This may be a nod to the final boss battle in The Dawn of Ys where the last form of the final boss Arem is much weaker than the previous two forms.
- In Ys IV: Mask of the Sun: A New Theory it is not known if Adol kills him after defeating him in battle.