Dark Force (Phantasy Star)
Encyclopedia
Dark Force is the major recurring villain and plot element in the Phantasy Star
series of video games. It is featured as a major boss in each game of the series, typically being discovered as the hidden source of recent calamities. Different games in the series give the entity different names, with Phantasy Star and Phantasy Star Online
referring to it as "Dark Falz" and Phantasy Star II
, Phantasy Star III and Phantasy Star IV referring to it as "Dark Force." In this article, Dark Force, the common name used by English speakers, will be used.
The Profound Darkness, the main antagonist of the original series, is a malevolent spiritual entity that was sealed away at the dawn of creation by a similar omnipotent being known as the Great Light. The Algol Solar System itself was created to act as a seal on the Profound Darkness' dimensional prison. Every 1000 years, when the seal on the Profound Darkness' dimensional prison is fluctuated, the most intense part of its hateful spirit escapes from imprisonment and terrorises Algo in physical form. This being became known as Dark Force.
Phantasy Star Online Series
In PSO Episode III, Dark Falz is revealed to be created by an entity called "The Great Shadow". When "The Great Shadow" absorbs photon and produces enough germ, Dark Falz is reborn after its previous defeat.
Phantasy Star Universe
In PSU, Dark Falz is an ancient god of destruction that happened to encounter Gurhal.
Early in the game, Alis Landale and her companions have a first glimpse at Dark Force in a nightmare, in the form of an enemy aptly named Nightmare (ナイトメア, "naitomea", renamed "Saccubus" in the American version). It is almost impossible to beat, and upon defeat of either side, the characters will believe it to be just a bad dream.
Dark Force is ultimately defeated by Alisa in AW 342. In AW 349, after conducting more research into the origins of Dark Force, Lutz (Noah) finds that the gate La Shiec opened cannot be completely sealed, and that the fluctuations in the seal will cause it to temporarily weaken 1000 years after it was sealed. Because of this, Lutz assembles the other Espers to what will come to be called the Esper Mansion on Dezolis. He enters into an artificial sleep, leaving instructions that allow the other Espers to create the Nei weapons (and Elsydeon) so that future generations will be able to effectively combat Dark Force when the seal is broken.
The game begins with Eusis (Rolf) describing his nightmare, in which Alis is seen battling Dark Force. In AW 1284, after a series of events that bring the characters to the Earthmen's space fortress, Noah, Eusis opens the Pandora's Box, where Dark Force has been residing so that it might influence the Earthmen (and with them, Mother Brain). Dark Force is defeated once again, but not before it succeeds in manipulating the Earthmen to destroy the planet Palma, greatly weakening the seal on the Profound Darkness.
After the events which resulted in the destruction of the planet Palma in AW 1284, it is discovered that the Palmans had evacuated their planet before it was destroyed. The population escaped in a fleet of 400 worldships, but Dark Force secretly pursued the fleet and destroyed all but three of the ships that didn't land on Motavia or Dezolis (the Alisa III, the Neo Palm, and an unnamed ship that malfunctioned while attempting to land on Motavia). When he boarded the Alisa III, he provoked a conflict between the Orakio and Laya clans. When Orakio and Laya realised that they had been manipulated by Dark Force, they joined forces and managed to trap Dark Force. However, the conflict continued for 1000 years.
In AW 2286, the Orakio and Laya clans finally put their differences aside, and learn that their true enemy is and always has been Dark Force. Dark Force is eventually found to be possessing Orakio's thousand-year-old twin brother, Rulakir, who is king of the hidden city of Lashute. After subduing Rulakir, the possession ends and, with his dying words, Rulakir tells the party to defeat Dark Force.
Taking advantage of the weakened seal that resulted from the destruction of Palma in AW 1284, the Profound Darkness manifests as Dark Force for the final time in AW 2284. This time, it attempts to break the seal and emerge from its prison, but its plans are thwarted when the fourth planet, Rykros, is rediscovered, along with the secrets to destroying the Profound Darkness.
The profound darkness incarnate
With the barrier between dimensions opened, a massive hole appears in the world, from which Dark Force's true form will emerge: the Profound Darkness. The party travels to this rip and encounters Dark Force's true form. Initially a shapeless mass of darkness, it first forms a hideous mass of eyes, teeth and limbs. It then becomes a nightmarish insect before assuming its final form, a vast and all-encompassing dark goddess. The party defeats this entity, resulting in the absolute destruction of the millennial cycle in which Dark Force makes its appearance.
In Phantasy Star Online, Dark Force appears by its original name, Dark Falz. It is originally encountered by Heathcliff Flowen and accidentally awakened by Rico Tyrell, who discovers it to be the god of death and destruction who is reborn at the end of every millennium. However, in order for it to be reborn, it must use a human as its host. Because of this it is sealed into an obelisk located at the end of the Ruins area on Ragol by inhabitants of distant planet, so that it would have not have access to humans to possess. However, Rico Tyrell accidentally comes in contact with it and ultimately becomes the host for its physical manifestation. It is eventually defeated by the players at the end of Episode 1, but greatly impacts the stories of Episodes 2 and 3.
Dark Force reappears near the end of the storyline for Ambition of the Illuminus as the leader of the SEED race, again under the name Dark Falz. When the GUARDIANS are setting up all the confinement systems around the Gurhal System to finally eradicate the SEED, one more appears on the newly appeared Rykros. Through the combined efforts of Ethan Waber, Karen Erra, and the player character, Dark Falz and the SEED race are defeated once and for all.
Dark Force (as Dark Falz) plays a more minor role, appearing as a manifested memory due to the actions of the main antagonist, Shizuru Shu. Much like in Phantasy Star Universe, he is once again defeated by the game's main characters and the player character.
ranked Dark Force as the 71st greatest video game villain, calling it "straight-up evil."
Phantasy Star
is the first installment in Sega's renowned series of the same name. It was released for the Sega Master System in Japan on December 20, 1987, and then in North America and Europe in 1988. It is considered one of the pioneers amongst console role-playing games, both for its advanced graphics...
series of video games. It is featured as a major boss in each game of the series, typically being discovered as the hidden source of recent calamities. Different games in the series give the entity different names, with Phantasy Star and Phantasy Star Online
Phantasy Star Online
Phantasy Star Online is an online multiplayer action RPG title, originally released for the Dreamcast in 2000, bundled with a demo of Sonic Adventure 2. Another edition, entitled Phantasy Star Online ver.2, was released for Dreamcast the following year...
referring to it as "Dark Falz" and Phantasy Star II
Phantasy Star II
Phantasy Star II is a console role-playing video game developed by Sega AM7 and released for the Sega Mega Drive in Japan in 1989. It was also released for the Mega Drive in Europe and the Genesis in America in 1990...
, Phantasy Star III and Phantasy Star IV referring to it as "Dark Force." In this article, Dark Force, the common name used by English speakers, will be used.
Origins
Original SeriesThe Profound Darkness, the main antagonist of the original series, is a malevolent spiritual entity that was sealed away at the dawn of creation by a similar omnipotent being known as the Great Light. The Algol Solar System itself was created to act as a seal on the Profound Darkness' dimensional prison. Every 1000 years, when the seal on the Profound Darkness' dimensional prison is fluctuated, the most intense part of its hateful spirit escapes from imprisonment and terrorises Algo in physical form. This being became known as Dark Force.
Phantasy Star Online Series
In PSO Episode III, Dark Falz is revealed to be created by an entity called "The Great Shadow". When "The Great Shadow" absorbs photon and produces enough germ, Dark Falz is reborn after its previous defeat.
Phantasy Star Universe
In PSU, Dark Falz is an ancient god of destruction that happened to encounter Gurhal.
Phantasy Star
StoryEarly in the game, Alis Landale and her companions have a first glimpse at Dark Force in a nightmare, in the form of an enemy aptly named Nightmare (ナイトメア, "naitomea", renamed "Saccubus" in the American version). It is almost impossible to beat, and upon defeat of either side, the characters will believe it to be just a bad dream.
Dark Force is ultimately defeated by Alisa in AW 342. In AW 349, after conducting more research into the origins of Dark Force, Lutz (Noah) finds that the gate La Shiec opened cannot be completely sealed, and that the fluctuations in the seal will cause it to temporarily weaken 1000 years after it was sealed. Because of this, Lutz assembles the other Espers to what will come to be called the Esper Mansion on Dezolis. He enters into an artificial sleep, leaving instructions that allow the other Espers to create the Nei weapons (and Elsydeon) so that future generations will be able to effectively combat Dark Force when the seal is broken.
Phantasy Star II
StoryThe game begins with Eusis (Rolf) describing his nightmare, in which Alis is seen battling Dark Force. In AW 1284, after a series of events that bring the characters to the Earthmen's space fortress, Noah, Eusis opens the Pandora's Box, where Dark Force has been residing so that it might influence the Earthmen (and with them, Mother Brain). Dark Force is defeated once again, but not before it succeeds in manipulating the Earthmen to destroy the planet Palma, greatly weakening the seal on the Profound Darkness.
Phantasy Star III
StoryAfter the events which resulted in the destruction of the planet Palma in AW 1284, it is discovered that the Palmans had evacuated their planet before it was destroyed. The population escaped in a fleet of 400 worldships, but Dark Force secretly pursued the fleet and destroyed all but three of the ships that didn't land on Motavia or Dezolis (the Alisa III, the Neo Palm, and an unnamed ship that malfunctioned while attempting to land on Motavia). When he boarded the Alisa III, he provoked a conflict between the Orakio and Laya clans. When Orakio and Laya realised that they had been manipulated by Dark Force, they joined forces and managed to trap Dark Force. However, the conflict continued for 1000 years.
In AW 2286, the Orakio and Laya clans finally put their differences aside, and learn that their true enemy is and always has been Dark Force. Dark Force is eventually found to be possessing Orakio's thousand-year-old twin brother, Rulakir, who is king of the hidden city of Lashute. After subduing Rulakir, the possession ends and, with his dying words, Rulakir tells the party to defeat Dark Force.
Phantasy Star IV
StoryTaking advantage of the weakened seal that resulted from the destruction of Palma in AW 1284, the Profound Darkness manifests as Dark Force for the final time in AW 2284. This time, it attempts to break the seal and emerge from its prison, but its plans are thwarted when the fourth planet, Rykros, is rediscovered, along with the secrets to destroying the Profound Darkness.
The profound darkness incarnate
With the barrier between dimensions opened, a massive hole appears in the world, from which Dark Force's true form will emerge: the Profound Darkness. The party travels to this rip and encounters Dark Force's true form. Initially a shapeless mass of darkness, it first forms a hideous mass of eyes, teeth and limbs. It then becomes a nightmarish insect before assuming its final form, a vast and all-encompassing dark goddess. The party defeats this entity, resulting in the absolute destruction of the millennial cycle in which Dark Force makes its appearance.
Phantasy Star Online
StoryIn Phantasy Star Online, Dark Force appears by its original name, Dark Falz. It is originally encountered by Heathcliff Flowen and accidentally awakened by Rico Tyrell, who discovers it to be the god of death and destruction who is reborn at the end of every millennium. However, in order for it to be reborn, it must use a human as its host. Because of this it is sealed into an obelisk located at the end of the Ruins area on Ragol by inhabitants of distant planet, so that it would have not have access to humans to possess. However, Rico Tyrell accidentally comes in contact with it and ultimately becomes the host for its physical manifestation. It is eventually defeated by the players at the end of Episode 1, but greatly impacts the stories of Episodes 2 and 3.
Phantasy Star Universe
StoryDark Force reappears near the end of the storyline for Ambition of the Illuminus as the leader of the SEED race, again under the name Dark Falz. When the GUARDIANS are setting up all the confinement systems around the Gurhal System to finally eradicate the SEED, one more appears on the newly appeared Rykros. Through the combined efforts of Ethan Waber, Karen Erra, and the player character, Dark Falz and the SEED race are defeated once and for all.
Phantasy Star Portable 2
StoryDark Force (as Dark Falz) plays a more minor role, appearing as a manifested memory due to the actions of the main antagonist, Shizuru Shu. Much like in Phantasy Star Universe, he is once again defeated by the game's main characters and the player character.
Critical reception
IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
ranked Dark Force as the 71st greatest video game villain, calling it "straight-up evil."