Gigas
Encyclopedia
Gigas is a popular term for races of giants in fantasy
games. Gigas is a Greek
word meaning "giant
", originally used to describe the race of Gigantes
in Greek mythology
and is used in the scientific name, as the specific epithet, of hundreds species of animals and dozens of plant species to denote their size.
The name was first used in this sense in the Square
game Final Fantasy I and was subsequently used in many other Square games, such as Secret of Mana
, often appearing as sub-bosses
. In Final Fantasy VI
the character Umaro is said to have the strength of a gigas, and in Final Fantasy VII
the character Vincent Valentine
has a Limit Break in which he transforms into a monster called the 'Death Gigas'. From its usage in Square games, the Gigas has spread to other video game series, such as Skies of Arcadia. The final Colossus in Sony
's Shadow of the Colossus
is known as Grand Gigas Malus. Gigas appear in Final Fantasy XI
as a race of Beastmen
who live in Northern regions of Vana'diel, the fictional world depicted in the game. The Beast Spirit of Earth in Digimon Frontier
is called Gigasmon. The alternate spelling Giygas
was used as the name of the final boss of EarthBound
. In the second series Yu-Gi-Oh!
anime the character Dartz
uses a monster known as Orichalcos Gigas, which is another giant. In Kingdom Hearts
Goofy has an attack called Gigas Fist. In the Pokémon
series, the name of the 486th Pokémon
is Regigigas, meaning royal giant.
The term has also been used to describe gigantic war constructs in the comic book Gold Digger by Fred Perry
, and was the name of a simian
monster from the Ultraman
television series.
Most recently, one of the Final Fantasy XII
Espers, magic beasts summoned by the player, is named "Belias, the Gigas." According to the in-game bestiary, Belias is classified as a fusion of man and beast and considered a mistake by the gods. In addition, a fiend that guards the Stilshrine of Miriam area is known as the Blood Gigas. According to the in-game bestiary, the Blood Gigas is "a cruel and headless giant, born from the spilled blood of a demon."
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
games. Gigas is a Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
word meaning "giant
Giant (mythology)
The mythology and legends of many different cultures include monsters of human appearance but prodigious size and strength. "Giant" is the English word commonly used for such beings, derived from one of the most famed examples: the gigantes of Greek mythology.In various Indo-European mythologies,...
", originally used to describe the race of Gigantes
Gigantes
In Greek mythology, the Giants were the children of Gaia, who was fertilized by the blood of Uranus, after Uranus was castrated by his son Cronus...
in Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
and is used in the scientific name, as the specific epithet, of hundreds species of animals and dozens of plant species to denote their size.
The name was first used in this sense in the Square
Square (company)
was a Japanese video game company founded in September 1983 by Masafumi Miyamoto. It merged with Enix in 2003 and became part of Square Enix...
game Final Fantasy I and was subsequently used in many other Square games, such as Secret of Mana
Secret of Mana
Secret of Mana is an action role-playing game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System developed and published by Square in 1993. The game was re-released for the Wii's Virtual Console in 2008, and was ported to Japanese mobile phones in 2009...
, often appearing as sub-bosses
Boss (video games)
A boss is an enemy-based challenge which is found in video games. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight...
. In Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy VI
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square , released in 1994 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as a part of the Final Fantasy series. Set in a fantasy world with a technology level equivalent to that of the Second Industrial Revolution, the game's story focuses on a...
the character Umaro is said to have the strength of a gigas, and in Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VII
is a role-playing video game developed by Square and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy series. It was originally released in 1997 for the Sony PlayStation and was re-released in 1998 for Microsoft Windows-based personal computers and in 2009...
the character Vincent Valentine
Vincent Valentine
is an optional player character in Square Enix's console role-playing game Final Fantasy VII. Designed by Tetsuya Nomura, he also appears in various titles from the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, a series of prequels of and sequels of Final Fantasy VII, and is the protagonist in the third-person...
has a Limit Break in which he transforms into a monster called the 'Death Gigas'. From its usage in Square games, the Gigas has spread to other video game series, such as Skies of Arcadia. The final Colossus in Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
's Shadow of the Colossus
Shadow of the Colossus
Shadow of the Colossus, released in Japan as , is an action-adventure game published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2. The game was released in North America and Japan in October 2005 and PAL territories in February 2006...
is known as Grand Gigas Malus. Gigas appear in Final Fantasy XI
Final Fantasy XI
, also known as Final Fantasy XI Online, is a MMORPG developed and published by Square as part of the Final Fantasy series. It was released in Japan on Sony's PlayStation 2 on May 16, 2002, and was released for Microsoft's Windows-based personal computers in November 2002...
as a race of Beastmen
Beastmen
Beastmen can refer to: -*Beastmen in Final Fantasy bestiary *Beastmen in the Warhammer Fantasy setting*A Beasts of Chaos army in the Warhammer setting*Beastmen in Dungeons & Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal Sun...
who live in Northern regions of Vana'diel, the fictional world depicted in the game. The Beast Spirit of Earth in Digimon Frontier
Digimon Frontier
is the 4th Digimon TV series first broadcast in 2002. After prompted to do so by unusual phone messages, the five main characters go to a subway station and take a train to the Digital World. Once there, they meet two secondary characters, Bokomon and Neemon, who act as guides, and tell the...
is called Gigasmon. The alternate spelling Giygas
Giygas
Giygas, known in Japan as or Giegue in the unreleased English translation of Mother, is the main antagonist of the video games Mother and EarthBound. He is an evil alien being bent on destroying the Earth, and is referred to by the titles "Universal Cosmic Destroyer" and "Embodiment of Evil"...
was used as the name of the final boss of EarthBound
EarthBound
EarthBound, also known as EarthBound: The War Against Giygas! and released as in Japan, is a role-playing video game co-developed by Ape and HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game console...
. In the second series Yu-Gi-Oh!
Yu-Gi-Oh! (second series anime)
Yu-Gi-Oh!, known in Japan and the rest of East Asia as is an anime based on the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga. It is produced by Studio Gallop and Nihon Ad Systems, and the English-language adaptation was distributed by 4Kids Entertainment until March 29, 2011 when TV Tokyo and Nihon Ad Systems sued 4Kids...
anime the character Dartz
Dartz
DARTZ is a Latvian manufacturer of armored vehicles. Based in the old Russo-Balt factory in Riga, Latvia, DARTZ has recently achieved notoriety for their line of luxury armored SUVs, the T-98 Kombat and the Prombron , the latter of which was originally available upholstered in leather made from...
uses a monster known as Orichalcos Gigas, which is another giant. In Kingdom Hearts
Kingdom Hearts
is an action role-playing game developed and published by Square in 2002 for the PlayStation 2 video game console. The first game in the Kingdom Hearts series, it is the result of a collaboration between Square Enix and The Walt Disney Company. The game combines characters and settings from Disney...
Goofy has an attack called Gigas Fist. In the Pokémon
Pokémon
is a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
series, the name of the 486th Pokémon
Pokémon
is a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
is Regigigas, meaning royal giant.
The term has also been used to describe gigantic war constructs in the comic book Gold Digger by Fred Perry
Fred Perry
Frederick John Perry was a championship-winning English tennis and table tennis player who won 10 Majors including eight Grand Slams and two Pro Slams. Perry won three consecutive Wimbledon Championships between 1934 and 1936 and was World No. 1 four years in a row...
, and was the name of a simian
Simian
The simians are the "higher primates" familiar to most people: the Old World monkeys and apes, including humans, , and the New World monkeys or platyrrhines. Simians tend to be larger than the "lower primates" or prosimians.- Classification and evolution :The simians are split into three groups...
monster from the Ultraman
Ultraman
is Japanese television series that first aired in 1966. Ultraman, the first and best-known of the "Ultra-Crusaders," made his debut in the tokusatsu SF/kaiju/superhero TV series, , a follow-up to the television series Ultra Q...
television series.
Most recently, one of the Final Fantasy XII
Final Fantasy XII
is a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 2. Released in 2006, it is the twelfth title in the Final Fantasy series and the last in the series to be released exclusively on the PlayStation platform...
Espers, magic beasts summoned by the player, is named "Belias, the Gigas." According to the in-game bestiary, Belias is classified as a fusion of man and beast and considered a mistake by the gods. In addition, a fiend that guards the Stilshrine of Miriam area is known as the Blood Gigas. According to the in-game bestiary, the Blood Gigas is "a cruel and headless giant, born from the spilled blood of a demon."