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FFF Mythology Manual - Ixion: The Dark Horse of Djose!
Introduction: The Equine Experiment.

Within the pantheon of Final Fantasy’s summonable creatures Ixion does not often show himself (his first and most notable appearance being in Final Fantasy X); yet he’s clearly made an impression and maintains a modest fanbase. Unless specified, this article shall mainly be discussing the Final Fantasy X summon which set the standard on which other depictions of Ixion were based.

Ixion is presented as a robust unicorn possessing an elemental affiliation with lightning. When Ixion was introduced for the first time in Final Fantasy X he represented the element of lightning among the pantheon of Aeons (summons) which the summoner Yuna collected. Lined up next to popular fan favourites (Ifrit, fire; Shiva, ice; Bahamut, non-elemental) it becomes apparent that Ixion has replaced Final Fantasy’s staple lightning character: Ramuh. Ixion was used in his first appearance, it seems, as a trial seeing if fans would either warm to a new character or not notice the absence of an old favourite.

Why change? Could it be because Ramuh does not belong to a clear mythology of his own (except, perhaps, being indirectly or awkwardly based on Hindu mythology or other mythologies)? Ixion’s inclusion was not the first time that Square Enix had parted ways with Ramuh in a major Final Fantasy title; Final Fantasy VIII replaced Ramuh with the Mesoamerican winged serpent god Quetzalcoatl (named Quezacotl to fit the game’s character limit). It seems that Square Enix went through a phase of experimenting with new lightning based characters pulled from recognisable mythologies, which the enigmatic character of Ramuh lacks. Since Final Fantasy X marked the dawn of the PlayStation 2 era of Final Fantasy games, maybe the time had come to find a new thunderer.

The character which Square Enix selected to replace Ramuh was Ixion: a relatively obscure character plucked out of Greek mythology. As shall be seen in this article, the ways that the mythic material was adapted and the creative form which the Final Fantasy version of the Ixion character eventually took is unexpected.


Homicide and Horses: Ixion’s Place in Greek Mythology.

Rather than being a horse in Greek and Roman mythology, Ixion was instead a rather unsavoury human: a king of the Lapiths (a tribe of Thessaly). When Ixion refused to pay bridal gifts to his father-in-law (Deioneus), Deioneus stole some of Ixion’s horses. Enraged, Ixion then invited Deioneus to his home and threw him into a pit of fire (Diodorus Siculus, Library:4.69).

As a Greek parallel to the story of Cain and Abel, Ixion’s act as the first to kill kin and dishonour the appropriate guest-rights tainted Ixion, and his neighbours refused to perform cleansing rituals to salve his guilt. Zeus (the king of the gods) took pity; after purifying Ixion he invited him to dine with the gods on Mt. Olympus. Instead of being grateful and respecting his divine hosts, Ixion grew lustful towards Hera (Zeus’ wife) and intended to rape her. Noticing this, Zeus created a phantom image of Hera out of a cloud in order to test Ixion (Pindar, Pythian Odes:2.25-39; Apollodorus, Epitome:1.20.21). This cloud-Hera was named Nephele (literally ‘Cloud’).

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Nephelai (cloud nymphs) on a 5th Century BC red-figure vessel in the shape of an astragalos (knucklebone), from The British Museum.
The Nephele of Ixion’s story was a cloud-phantom of Hera created by Zeus and not a nymph, but she was not unique among personifications of clouds.


Nephele was raped by Ixion and consequently Zeus banished Ixion from Olympus and blasted him with his thunderbolt. Hermes was ordered by Zeus to bind Ixion to a wheel which was to spin for eternity. Such was the punishment of this murderer and rapist, but Ixion’s atmospheric amorous adventure would sire a burden to humanity: centaurs.

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A Roman wall painting from the House of the Vettii, Pompeii.
Left, Ixion and the wheel; Centre foreground, Nephele.


Sins of the Father: The Cloud-born Centaurs.

Following Ixion’s fornication in the firmament, the cloud-phantom Nephele fell pregnant and gave birth, leading to the line of the half-horse, half-man centaurs: one of the most iconic of Greek mythical monsters (Pindar, Pythian Odes:2.35-48; Hyginus, Fabulae:2.LXII). As is typical with Greek mythology, traditions vary, and Ixion and Nephele’s offspring are either the first centaurs directly, or a man named Centaurus who in turn mated with the wild Magnesian mares on Mt. Pelion to sire the race of centaurs. Regardless of the generation gap attested in some accounts, the centaurs were considered to be the direct result of Ixion’s actions.

Centaurs were notorious for their brutality and untamed lust (traits we can imagine they inherited from their ancestor). If we consider that Ixion was sometimes considered to be the son of the bloodthirsty war god, Ares, then Ixion can be imagined as inheriting some of these attributes (which include a degree of fierce madness less common in the more orderly Roman equivalent, Mars). Perhaps, in turn, the centaur offspring are explained as inheriting warlike brutality as well as Ixion’s tendency to rape.

Truly, the centaurs likely predated their Ixion ‘origin story’ in the Greek imagination; Ixion’s myth is an aetiological tale which helps to fit the centaurs into the mythological landscape and genealogical timeline. Although the idea is not always popular, some scholars suggest that the true origin of the centaur myth might lie with the moment when Greeks first started to encounter men riding horses (such as the Thessalians, Thracians, and Scythians). That these riders might appear, momentarily and from a distance, to be of one form might have struck early Greeks with horror was proposed as a theory for the centaur’s origin in antiquity (Diodorus Siculus, Library:4.70.1). In the wider context of Greek imagination though, centaurs represented the untamed, un-Greek ‘other’.

In mythology centaurs were often fighting, but the most popular incident for literature and art in antiquity was the Centauromachy (a brawl at a Lapith wedding which started when drunk centaur guests attempted to rape the bride and other Lapith women). Remembering Ixion as a previous king of the Lapiths, we are reminded that the centaurs are imitating their ancestor in slaying kin (Homer, Iliad:2.742-745, Odyssey:21.295-305; Pseudo-Apollodorus, Epitome:E1.21; Diodorus Siculus, Library:4.70.2ff; Ovid, Metamorphoses:12.210ff).

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Pair of Centaurs Fighting Wild Cats Mosaic from Hadrian’s Villa (c.130 AD),
Altes Museum Berlin. ©Carole Raddato.

Not all centaurs were bad; a handful of friendly centaurs (possessing more human wisdom than untempered animalistic urges) were imagined in mythology as tutors for heroes, and as doctors. Chiron (whose name means ‘handy’ in Greek) proved the most celebrated of friendly centaurs. Being the offspring of the Titan Cronus and Philyra, Chiron had a separate genealogy to Ixion’s brood (Pindar, Pythian Ode:3.1-5; Pseudo-Apollodorus, Library:1.2.4; Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica:2.1231). The centaurs who represent the actions of Ixion’s sin lacked Chiron’s wisdom, and the bestial nature of these marked them out as foes whose purpose it was to be slain by heroes.

With the centaurs and the story of Ixion considered together it becomes clear why Square Enix might have chosen to represent their own version of Ixion as a horse; it’s part of Ixion’s story. Yet why not go the distance and make Ixion a centaur in Final Fantasy X?

Centaurs are themselves not common in the Final Fantasy franchise. Centaurs or centaur-like creatures are used only a handful times as enemy monsters in Final Fantasy games (such as Final Fantasy IV’s Centaur Knight). Instead, our electric equine is sporting a horn, drawing associations with a completely separate sort of mythical steed than the centaur, and one which Final Fantasy uses more often: the unicorn.


Backing the Wrong Horse: Ixion as a Unicorn.

Final Fantasy X might be the first time that we see Ixion the thunder-horse, but it is not at all the first time that we see a unicorn in Final Fantasy. Since the series’ beginning unicorns have appeared as enemies (in Final Fantasy I), items, and mounts (Final Fantasy XIV), yet they are most notable as appearing as minor recurring summons (such as in Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy VI, and the Tactics franchise).


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The unicorn of Final Fantasy V
As a summon in Final Fantasy, Unicorn has healing abilities (either restoring HP and MP fully or removing harmful status ailments) reflecting directly on the unicorn’s place in mythology.

The unicorn’s origins appear to go back to ancient interpretations of natural history. Unicorns were considered by some ancient writers to be real creatures, often located in the vicinity of India (Ctesias, Indika; Aristotle, History of Animals:2.1; Pliny the Elder, Natural History:8.31). These natural history accounts may be garbled and misunderstood descriptions of rhinoceroses (animals which long suffered from both written and illustrative descriptive errors from antiquity onwards), although some scholars have started to doubt this hypothesis.

The popular folkloric image of a unicorn which is persistent today is the same image which later captured the imagination of European medieval bestiaries and illustrated manuscripts. Here, unicorns became increasingly white, graceful horses, but often located in wild woodlands. The unicorns became symbolic of purity, and they could only be tamed by a virgin (Physiologus: XXXVI; Isidore, Etymologies: XII.12-13). In folklore they sometimes had the ability to heal sickness and render poisoned waters safe to drink. Final Fantasy’s own use of the unicorn tends to draw from this pool.

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‘A Virgin with a Unicorn’ (1604-1605), by Domenichino.
Ixion, it must be stressed, makes quite a different unicorn, but the unicorn imagery helps to tone Ixion down, making him more familiar and less menacing to gamers as an ally. An angry centaur or a punished Ixion on a wheel might have distanced the player from the character, but anyone can get behind a unicorn. That considered, despite being a unicorn there are still numerous nods to the Ixion character from Greek mythology which did gain Square Enix’s stamp of approval.


Changeable Like the Weather: Granting Ixion His Elemental Powers.

Although perhaps not the most striking element of Ixion’s story in Greek mythology (Ixion’s torture on the fiery wheel being the pervasive image), weather does in fact play an important role. As seen, Ixion has coitus with a cloud, Nephele, who is often imagined as giving birth by ‘raining’ the centaurs onto Mt. Pelion. Even the wheel which Ixion was fixed to as punishment for his transgressions was in some versions placed in the air to be eternally turned by the wind (pseudo-Apollodorus, Epitome:E.1.20).

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Campanian amphora showing Ixion’s wheel, 4th Century BC;
From Сapua, The Provincial Museum of Campania.

The Ixion of mythology and the horse Aeon from Final Fantasy X share this relationship with weather, and Final Fantasy’s Ixion’s common attack ‘Aerospark’ is a move semantically linked with the sky. The most direct connection with the powers of our horse character would be that Zeus struck Ixion with his thunderbolt. Since the thunderbolt strike is not a unique or notable feature of Ixion’s myth (Zeus strikes many opponents in this way), it is necessary to recognise the other links to express the prevalence of weather in Ixion’s myth.


Shocking the Steed: Zeus and Ixion.

We might imagine that Zeus’ hurling of a thunderbolt at Ixion may have supercharged and energised the character with lightning based abilities. This is not the case in Greek mythology, but for the Final Fantasy character it does seem that Zeus’ thunderbolt explains that which otherwise would be mystifying. This electric connection to Zeus transcends the simply elemental affinity and reaches the character design itself.

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The unicorn Ixion’s horn doubles as an electrical conductor rod, and the creature uses it to charge energy for its attacks in battle and to channel the lightning element. Forming a zig-zag, the horn is also designed to physically resemble a bolt of lightning. Similar patterning is to be found on the body of the horse itself, cleverly disguised to resemble those of zebra or quagga, thus appearing natural on an equine body. Though the lightning shapes are to be expected given the choice to grant Ixion lightning abilities, they go far beyond aesthetics when we take a closer look at Ixion’s human Fayth form.

In Spiran lore (the world of Final Fantasy X), the Fayth are humans who have sacrificed their souls to be sealed up so that they can dream. These dreams can manifest in the form of Aeons (summons). There are actually two depictions of Ixion’s Fayth in Final Fantasy X. First, a ghostly character model who briefly speaks to the player appears to be dressed like a naval captain or admiral. This is irregular as Ixion lacks marine references other than the local Mushroom Rock geological formation being created by an ancient seabed, and perhaps the widespread general water themes of Spira as a whole.

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If not explained by a breakdown in communication between departments, this is possibly the consequence of recycling character models as Square Enix used various generic models for all Fayth (with the absence of Bahamut who plays a role in the story and can be considered a character in his own right, deserving his own model).

The second depiction of the Fayth is on the floor of the temple, and this depiction contains fascinating artistic choices by the developers which channel the myth of Ixion.

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It just so happens that Ixion’s human form resembles the very likeness of Zeus himself! Not only does Ixion’s cloud-like grey-white hair colour reflect ways Zeus is now popularly depicted, but the locks of hair of both the human and horse forms of Final Fantasy’s Ixion appear aesthetically authentic within an ancient Greek context. Although less popular by the classical period, men wearing long tresses of hair was fashionable in mythology and early Greek history, and cut locks were dedicated to gods or to honour the memory of fallen comrades (Homer, Iliad:23.141, Odyssey:24.43-46; Aeschylus, Libation Bearers:6-7).

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The hair of the Kouros statue of Biton, 580 BC.
Photograph by Stelios Zacharias.

The most important aspect of the Fayth image to highlight would be the thunderbolt itself: the weapon of choice for Zeus which was forged by the cyclopes and smote many of his enemies, including Ixion (Hesiod, Theogony:501-506; Pseudo-Apollodorus, Library:1.2). Although the design has been merged with striped seashells to fit with Spiran aquatic aesthetics, the practicalities of the design of the thunderbolt of the Fayth is itself surprisingly faithful to the thunderbolt of Zeus as depicted in Greek art. Zeus’ thunderbolt had varied designs but quite typically was represented as having prongs at each end, and with a narrowed middle section serving as a handle for ease of grip.

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Zeus’ thunderbolt on an Attic Red Figure amphora, ca 470-460 BC; from the Louvre, Paris.
The Fayth is shockingly like Zeus to the extent that it almost seems like Square Enix wanted Zeus to be the new lightning summon, but instead settled upon a more obscure (though related) character. Maybe Zeus would have been too famous for a Final Fantasy summon, or perhaps the choice was determined by Square Enix being able to manipulate the equine aspects of Ixion’s mythology to give us a non-human character as an Aeon.

Regrettably, Ixion does shed his Greek origins and experiences a mythological mismatch with his Overdrive (special attack): ‘Thor’s Hammer’. The battle animation has little to do with Mjolnir (Thor’s hammer) other than sharing Thor’s element of thunder. Maybe Thor’s connotations were thought to be easily and instantly recognisable by players, but by using this name they chose something with little to do with Ixion’s source material.


Punished Pony: Turning the Wheel.

With the Zeus-like elements brought to the fore alongside the more positive associations of unicorns, it can seem that the dark side of the character Ixion from mythology (the tortured murderer-rapist who refused reformation) is obscured. However, Ixion does rear up his true self occasionally.

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Depending on how you look at Ixion the mind can alternate between seeing positive and negative attributes. Though the Ixion unicorn’s well-built body and fluffy mane and tail make him look like a parade horse, there remains a malevolent look to the character. Ixion’s facial expression is one of angry brooding, and his thunderous, white eyes are featureless. This countenance befits a murderer jockeyed by the fury of Zeus. Also, the juxtaposition of the white mane and dark-blue body suggests the inner brewing of a stormy thundercloud. Final Fantasy X's Ixion could also resemble some of the stormier and celestial representations of the Asian kirin (a mythological creature, often shown as unicorn-like, from which we might trace the pedigree of some of the summon's judgmental traits and possibly also the more jagged, sickle-sword shaped style of horn). Even the lightning-themed zebra stripes, when glanced at in a different way, can appear to make the horse look skeletal: a character belonging in hellish Tartarus.

There were conflicting versions of Ixion’s myth regarding the placement of his punishment on the wheel. The cosmic interpretation placed his fiery wheel in the sky amongst the heavens where (as a celestial body) Ixion served as a reminder to all mortals to honour their benefactors (Pindar, Pythian Ode:2.20-30). The other popular version places Ixion and his wheel in the Underworld where several punished figures are tortured (or in Tartarus, the Hell-like pit which would eventually become associated with the Underworld).

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‘Ixion plunged into Hades’ (1876) by Jules-Elie Delaunay.
Djose Temple (which contains Ixion’s Fayth) is located near Mushroom Rock Road, and the geological formation that gives Mushroom Rock Road its name continues to encase the temple itself in a stony sepulchre. Whenever a summoner approaches the Fayth the rocks entombing the temple crack apart and hover suspended about the temple by sparks of lightning. This barren, hell-like landscape fits the image of the Underworld.

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Etruscan bronze mirror (460-450 BC) representing Ixion’s wheel from The British Museum.
The item under his feet is sometimes interpreted as a fungus: fitting biota for the Underworld.

Final Fantasy X’s Temple of Djose is verily a menacing place, and its interior also appears to share characteristics with the halls of Hades. The walls of Djose Temple’s ‘cloister of trials’ are easily overlooked, but they are painted with a fiery pattern. The walls of all temples have differences, so this appears to be a conscious design choice.

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Tartarus-like contraptions of torture may also be seen in the sharp-edged tangle of metal above the player’s head, which is used to conduct electricity into spheres to unlock the temple’s secrets doors.

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The wheel of Ixion itself might also be represented by the Fayth glyph of Ixion (each Aeon possesses different seals), which is in the form of a four-spoked wheel on fire with lightning bolts also protruding from it. Although many (not all) Fayth glyphs are circular there seems to be a logic behind their designs, drawing from the mythologies of the characters that they represent.

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The tortured character from mythology, receiving his just deserts, has therefore not been entirely whitewashed, and Ixion remains an imposing figure within a dark setting.



Robot Unicorn Attack: The Future of Ixion.

Beyond Final Fantasy X, although Ixion has been seldom used there have been a handful of further appearances of the character in minor roles and references in other games. In Final Fantasy X-2 the same exact Aeon appears as a boss, this time augmented with machina. This mecha-Ixion is almost entirely robotic and, one assumes, this makes the electrical energy within him more potent.

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In other Final Fantasy games he plays no role in the plot, but sometimes appears as elite marks or rare monsters (such as in Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XII). In Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings Ixion returns as a summonable entity and gets a slight redesign, losing his horn, and gaining a more tattoo-like form of lightning markings on his body. Surrounded by a sparky aura, this Ixion looks increasingly like a mythological kirin.

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Aside from a few additional references in Final Fantasy spin-off titles (such as Dissidia 012), the character has become obscure again. The standard lightning character Ramuh remains a far more popular choice. One might worry that, with Final Fantasy XIV’s Ramuh’s mount being Markab and not Ixion (a missed opportunity to reference the character), that Ixion has been forgotten. Ixion’s legacy has not entirely ended though, as Final Fantasy XV’s Ramuh’s staff resembles Ixion. This is a nice nod to Ramuh’s rival for the elemental affinity of lightning.

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Conclusion: Reining in.

In Final Fantasy’s representation of Ixion we see an interesting take on an obscure character from Greek mythology; combining a form of Ixion’s punishment (the thunderbolt) with the creatures he sired (the half-horse centaurs). Like the mythical centaurs there is a duality to the Final Fantasy character; Ixion is at one time a friendly ally (an interpretation which his unicorn associations and fluffy mane encourage), but on another level he is also heinous (being located in a hell-like landscape and possessing a menacing expression). It may be that this duality helped to decrease the malicious appearance of a character whose unrefined form may otherwise have too closely resembled Anima (another Final Fantasy X summon whose entire image hinged on being the manifestation of torture).

Square subverts Ixion’s myth, pulling the latent weather themes of his story to the fore, whilst pushing the prominent themes of Ixion’s torture to the rear. These references may not all have been intentional, but some of them must have been, and Square Enix is to be applauded for their creative experiment.


Have you any thoughts on Ixion? Are you glad that they chose to represent Ixion as a unicorn? Discuss! Earn Mako Points for your comments!


Final Fantasy XIV’s Shadowbringers expansion offers arguably the most interesting interpretation of Ixion so far.

During the Eden Trials questline the Scions conjure into existence a series of elemental primals from the memories of the player character through the powers of the Oracle of Light and the entity Eden. The plan is to defeat each elemental primal in order to restore the aetherial balance of elements in the ecosystem of the light-ravaged wastes of the Empty (the aptly named white desert, totally devoid of life, being what is left of the vast majority of the world known as the First).

When it comes to restoring the aetherial essence of lightning, the heroes naturally decide to recreate Ramuh: Final Fantasy’s staple lightning summon who is also the sagely primal already encountered by the player in Eorzea on the prime world known as the Source.

However, the summoning in the First takes an interesting turn. Through a combination of local interference from the land of the First as well as the mixture of memories within the mind of the player character at the time, when Ramuh manifests he is not the familiar Lord of Levin worshipped by the Sylphs. He may retain his wizardly beard and staff in his upper half, but below the waist he has the body of the horse Aeon Ixion as he appears in Final Fantasy X. In short, Ramuh has become a centaur.

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Ramuh does not take neigh for an answer in this shockingly intimidating interpretation of the character.

First and foremost, the significance of this is in how it fits Ixion’s origins as the villainous progenitor of the centaur race in Greek and Roman mythology (which is explained in detail in the core article). Secondly, the fact that the Ramuh-Ixion centaur is also winged is especially appropriate if we consider Pegasus’ role as the carrier of Zeus’ thunderbolts in some accounts (see Hesiod, Theogony:285-286).

The battle with Ramuh-Ixion itself casts some striking allusions. Alongside numerous anticipated references to atmospheric disturbances and lightning, some of the names of his move-set stand out. Centaur’s Charge doubles down on the centaur theme, whereas Fury’s Bolt and Fury’s Fourteen might recall the Furies or Erinyes of Greek mythology (female entities who pursued and punished murderers and oath breakers, alongside other crimes). That the mythical Ixion was a murderer purified by Zeus who then disrespected Zeus’ hospitality and tried to seduce his wife Hera, makes the presence of these attacks in the English localisation an appropriate reflection of the crimes of his mythical namesake.

We are clearly intended to think about Ixion beyond the visual references in Ramuh’s Eden Trial character design. During the battle, the hybrid Ramuh summons spectral projections of the equine Ixion (appearing as he does in Final Fantasy X and also in a FATE near Ala Mhigo in Final Fantasy XIV’s Stormblood expansion). These ‘Wills of Ixion’ routinely gallop across the arena to trample any unvigilant party members.

The arena in which the heroes choose to summon Ramuh is what remains of the Gandof Thunder Plains. In the years before the Flood of Light this area had surged with thunder, and thus was deemed to be the perfect conduit to facilitate the summoning of the Lord of Levin. The location is a reference to the Thunder Plains in Final Fantasy X where the High Summoner Gandof had sealed the pesky Qactuars up in stone. This serves as another reference to Spira, the world of Final Fantasy X, in which Square Enix first introduced their vision for Ixion.

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The Gandof Thunder Plains in Final Fantasy XIV is named after both the historical
High Summoner in Final Fantasy X and the Thunder Plains location in the same game.
Thankfully the party is not expected to dodge Ramuh-Ixion’s thunderbolts
two hundred times in this iteration!

Whilst the primal Ramuh on the Source had been largely disinterested in battle, possessing a kindlier, albeit judgemental, temperament, the Ramuh-Ixion of the First is an altogether different beast. This incarnation is fierce, aggressive and unrelenting. This is noticeably more in line with Ixion and, in particular, his mythical counterpart, the punished rapist and murderer. This considered, while the sagely aspects of Ramuh’s visage might make the Ramuh-Ixion resemble the friendly tutor centaur Chiron (referred to in the core article), in character this creature possesses the bestial brutishness of the bawdiest of his brethren during the Centauromachy: a fitting outlet for the mythical Ixion’s odious character.

Upon defeating the Ramuh-Ixion centaur and successfully restoring the lightning element to the aetherial balance of the Empty, the Scions immediately notice an atmospheric change as moisture is returned to the air. The noted reappearance of clouds in the area is critical to appreciating Square Enix’s reception of the classical myth of Ixion considering how the lusty Lapith king in Greek mythology had mated with the cloud Nephele (an eidolon or phantom in the image of Hera) and consequently became an ancestor to the cloud-born centaurs.

If Square Enix’s rationale for depicting Ixion as a horse/unicorn was unclear before (even after reading the core article), it should be much clearer now with their latest development of the character. Although Ramuh’s Eden Trial design is interpreted by many fans as a nice Easter egg reference to the Aeon from Final Fantasy X, it might also be the most apt interpretation of Ixion in the franchise to date.



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Credit goes to Six for designing the banner and for help in resizing images.

For other current articles in the FFFMM series see the Mythology Manual Hub (including bibliographies) or the Mythology Manual article category.
 
Dionysos

Dionysos

Nice article, Dan! Great job on this.

Few things:

I definitely appreciate Ixion more than I do Quezacotl. FFVIII's lightning serpent was an odd-looking one and it took me awhile to understand what exactly I was looking at when I first played the game. Ixion's speed attack...you can really feel that through the animation. He was one of my favorite aeons to use because of it.

As for the Greek origins behind Ixion, wow...interesting stuff. Disturbing, even. I hope I don't start having nightmares again tonight.

I'm surprised there was no mention of Pegasus though. As soon as you mentioned Zeus and Hera's involvement, I immediately anticipated a symbolism of Pegasus, the white winged-stallion. I know Ixion doesn't fly, but still...I figured there was probably some sort of relation in there somewhere due to that Pegaus carries the thunder and lightning for Zeus in Mt. Olympus.

I must also admit that for some time now I speculated Ixion was somewhat derived from Ramuh's horse, but I guess not. You're right, it was a missed opportunity to tie that in together; would've somewhat appeased fans who were disappointed of Ramuh's absence in FFX.

Seriously though, I'm impressed how you managed to tie in FFX's tiniest details to the Greek mythology.
 
Wow. Pegasus slipped my mind when writing this, but you’re right.

Pegasus was sometimes tasked with carrying Zeus’ thunderbolts… I guess if we use that as a link this can also form a connection between the FFX character’s Fayth and the sea, since Poseidon was Pegasus’ father. I’m not sure if that’s what they were going for (probably not), but it’s interesting that it fits anyway. The navy captain appearance of the generic-model Fayth appears more relevant in this light.

As a side note, I find it interesting that in Disney's Hercules I seem to remember Zeus and Hera creating Pegasus out of a cloud so that they can give him as a gift to the baby Hercules (Pegasus being born to the gorgon Medusa while having her head cut off wouldn't have been good for Disney...). I wonder if Disney had the Ixion myth in mind here, with Zeus creating the cloud-Hera Nephele who would eventually give birth to centaurs.
If so, it might not be the first time that someone has thought "Well, Greek mythology and horses... Let's remove the unsavoury aspects of a myth and replace it with a happy Pegasus/unicorn which everyone loves".
 
Haha, I totally had something written about Disney's version and Zeus creating Pegasus out of a cloud when you mentioned cloud-Hera Nephele...I thought, "Wait, why does this sound so familiar?" But then I figured it was all too uncanny, mixing Disney and talks of raping clouds.
 
Ixion Activity 1:

Complete the following crossword and send your entry by PM to Dionysos.
Save the image and work on it in an image editing program or on paper if you wish.

Reward for completion = 3 CT
Reward for near-completion = 2 CT
Reward for an attempt = 1 CT


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Crossword created with Puzzlemaker at DiscoveryEducation.com

Clues:
Across:

4. Wild mares live here
6. Binder of Ixion
7. The name of Ixion's victim translates into this familiar word
11. Tribe of Ixion
13. Mountain abode of Ixion's brood
14. Greek Hell
15. True name of a weapon which lends its name to an Ixion attack
17. Ixion's element
20. A more familiar ally


Down:
1. Father-in-Law of Ixion
2. Ixion's common attack
3. Feathered serpent
4. Geological formation where Ixion's temple is located
5. Ixion's punishment
7. Mythical hippo-hominids
8. Ixion's temple
9. Weather phenomenon which is sometimes imagined as the way certain equine monsters were born
10. Chiron's mother
12. Misidentified rhinoceros
16. All Fayths have these
18. Wife of Zeus
19. Cloud animated by Zeus


If you have any questions feel free to PM Dionysos.
 
Thank you for working with this article, it's absolutely well-written and shockingly detealed! I loved to see the differences between the mythological and the Final Fantasy version of Ixion, it show how creative and innovative FF game developers are. And by reading your article we are able to see this transformation from the ideas/basic to the final form which appears in the game. It's really brilliant, it is worth the time you spent researching this topic! Thank you again for sharing with us!
(Can I ask how long did you work on this article? It could have been a really hard task to learn this much about Ixion and create this article! And why did you choose Ixion as the topic of your article?:D)


I love Greek mythology so I'm glad that I was able to learn more about it. (Is there a person in this world who doesn't care about the strange relationships of Greek gods?xD For example I love the love-hate relationship of Zeus and Hera, and the simple face that Greek gods are anthropomorph gods and behave like we humans do. It's fun!)
To be honest, I didn't know that Ixion even exist (but I think it's normal due to that fact that I didn't learn more about Greek mythology than we did in high school and little in the university), but now I know who he is.


I think that Ixion's concept is absolutely gorgeous! I really like the way the character looks like, it seems robust and noble in the same time. So I think it was a great decision to represent Ixion as a unicorn. I can't wait to see Ixion "in real life" when I play FFX! It'll be more fun as I feel that I now understand this character more. ^^
 
(Can I ask how long did you work on this article? It could have been a really hard task to learn this much about Ixion and create this article! And why did you choose Ixion as the topic of your article?:D)

Thanks for your kind words!

I probably worked on the article on-and-off for a couple of weeks, but I had a lot of other stuff going on in life and on the forums too. I was actually working on drafts for two other articles for several months before Ixion. These drafts are still in progress as I’ve struggled to structure them properly so far and so they remain unpublished and half-written for now.

Since I was struggling with other articles, something (I can't remember what) reminded me of Ixion and then I thought I might as well write a quick article about Ixion…. Turns out that the article was quite long as the more I thought about the character and looked into it, the more I discovered.

It was fairly easy for me to write about the Greek mythology aspects because that is a part of what I studied at university. I’m quite familiar with it and I know where to find the sources to check out the details.
 
Hi, I'm embarrassingly here reading because I knew there would be information about Centaurs! :tearjoy: But I stayed for the entire article!

Interesting read Dan! Thanks for writing this one, despite it being up and posted for almost exactly 4 years now! I actually didn't know the entire history of Ixion (Aeon), let alone his mythological roots. Ixion seems like he doesn't have much to his backstory, other than the obvious things he's done to make him a rather unpleasant person!

Are you glad that they chose to represent Ixion as a unicorn?

After reading your article I think it's rather the opposite, that Ixion the unicorn shouldn't have been named Ixion at all. There are several allusions that you've pointed out, such as several references to Zeus' wrath, but just like Mitsuki pointed out above, I think it would have been more fitting if Ixion was named something more closely related to Zeus or Pegasus. Like you mentioned above, even Ixion's horn resembles that of a thunderbolt! I'd be curious what was the motivation on Square's part when naming Ixion because I feel like that it was a poor choice on their part.

Dionysos If Ixion had been named Pegasus, do you think you would have connected his Aeon to the Pegasus in mythology better than you did when writing the article for Ixion? I'm in no way well versed with Greek mythology like you are, so I'm curious! It just seems so fitting to me!


However, namesake aside, I personally find Ixion's name really cool and very satisfying to say. The cool factor really matches up with the Thunder-corn appearance as well! Unicorns are almost always held in such a positive light that it almost seems laughable to be ever fighting against/along side them in games, so I think a dark unicorn such as Ixion is fascinating and a lot more fitting for battle. I think in the future it would be really cool to see a white unicorn as a summon with updated graphics though :) Maybe in place of Carbuncle or something!
 
Hi, I'm embarrassingly here reading because I knew there would be information about Centaurs! :tearjoy: But I stayed for the entire article!

Interesting read Dan! Thanks for writing this one, despite it being up and posted for almost exactly 4 years now! I actually didn't know the entire history of Ixion (Aeon), let alone his mythological roots. Ixion seems like he doesn't have much to his backstory, other than the obvious things he's done to make him a rather unpleasant person!

I must have dreamt my reply to this (or maybe I was distracted by our Centaur Club).

Glad you enjoyed it! It really doesn't matter when with these things.

After reading your article I think it's rather the opposite, that Ixion the unicorn shouldn't have been named Ixion at all. There are several allusions that you've pointed out, such as several references to Zeus' wrath, but just like Mitsuki pointed out above, I think it would have been more fitting if Ixion was named something more closely related to Zeus or Pegasus. Like you mentioned above, even Ixion's horn resembles that of a thunderbolt! I'd be curious what was the motivation on Square's part when naming Ixion because I feel like that it was a poor choice on their part.

I think Ixion still works as a name for the creature, but you need to jump through a few hoops (or over a few fences…) in order to get there. The themes I discuss in the article are my own personal takes but there are various angles.

Dionysos If Ixion had been named Pegasus, do you think you would have connected his Aeon to the Pegasus in mythology better than you did when writing the article for Ixion? I'm in no way well versed with Greek mythology like you are, so I'm curious! It just seems so fitting to me!

Pegasus would maintain that connection to Zeus in a way which suits the Thunder/Lightning element more appropriately than Ixion did. After all, Pegasus was sometimes tasked with carrying Zeus’ thunderbolts in mythology. This role was granted to him as early as Hesiod (8th-7th Century BC), so those characteristics have a long heritage. Had Square Enix named 'Ixion' Pegasus instead, they would have preferably added wings to the design for extra authenticity as this is the key feature of Pegasus second only to his equine nature.

In a way though, I like that the associations of Ixion are imperfect. The associations are there, but they need to be uncovered through closer examination and it leads to a deeper discussion. I think it also suggests a few things about how Japan might connect with Greek mythology. Ixion wouldn’t be a very obvious reference to make here in the west in this context (Pegasus is much more popular and commonplace in art and popular culture). Square Enix’s inclusion of Ixion doesn’t appear to be catering to western expectations of Greek mythology and really does appear to selected almost at random (or they were scrolling through mythology/lore books and seeking ideas and upon selecting Ixion they built up their own version based on various loose strands of his myth).

However, namesake aside, I personally find Ixion's name really cool and very satisfying to say. The cool factor really matches up with the Thunder-corn appearance as well! Unicorns are almost always held in such a positive light that it almost seems laughable to be ever fighting against/along side them in games, so I think a dark unicorn such as Ixion is fascinating and a lot more fitting for battle. I think in the future it would be really cool to see a white unicorn as a summon with updated graphics though :) Maybe in place of Carbuncle or something!

You’ve got me interested in an interpretation of Pegasus now. I’d love a winged horse summon called Pegasus, perhaps combining some of the protective magic qualities of Carbuncle or Unicorn with the lightning element. That could be fun.

I’d be happy if they brought back the old summon ‘Unicorn’ too.

What about… a centaur summon? Yay or neigh?! :argor:
 
Ixion Mythology Manual Update (25/11/2020)
The patch content for Final Fantasy XIV’s Shadowbringers expansion offers arguably the most interesting interpretation of Ixion so far.

During the Eden Trials questline the Scions conjure into existence a series of elemental primals from the memories of the player character through the powers of the Oracle of Light and the entity Eden. The plan is to defeat each elemental primal in order to restore the aetherial balance of elements in the ecosystem of the light-ravaged wastes of the Empty (the aptly named white desert, totally devoid of life, being what is left of the vast majority of the world known as the First).

When it comes to restoring the aetherial essence of lightning, the heroes naturally decide to recreate Ramuh: Final Fantasy’s staple lightning summon who is also the sagely primal already encountered by the player in Eorzea on the prime world known as the Source.

However, the summoning in the First takes an interesting turn. Through a combination of local interference from the land of the First as well as the mixture of memories within the mind of the player character at the time, when Ramuh manifests he is not the familiar Lord of Levin worshipped by the Sylphs. He may retain his wizardly beard and staff in his upper half, but below the waist he has the body of the horse Aeon Ixion as he appears in Final Fantasy X. In short, Ramuh has become a centaur.

4S3SQee.jpg

Ramuh does not take neigh for an answer in this shockingly intimidating interpretation of the character.

First and foremost, the significance of this is in how it fits Ixion’s origins as the villainous progenitor of the centaur race in Greek and Roman mythology (which is explained in detail in the core article). Secondly, the fact that the Ramuh-Ixion centaur is also winged is especially appropriate if we consider Pegasus’ role as the carrier of Zeus’ thunderbolts in some accounts (see Hesiod, Theogony:285-286).

The battle with Ramuh-Ixion itself casts some striking allusions. Alongside numerous anticipated references to atmospheric disturbances and lightning, some of the names of his move-set stand out. Centaur’s Charge doubles down on the centaur theme, whereas Fury’s Bolt and Fury’s Fourteen might recall the Furies or Erinyes of Greek mythology (female entities who pursued and punished murderers and oath breakers, alongside other crimes). That the mythical Ixion was a murderer purified by Zeus who then disrespected Zeus’ hospitality and tried to seduce his wife Hera, makes the presence of these attacks in the English localisation an appropriate reflection of the crimes of his mythical namesake.

We are clearly intended to think about Ixion beyond the visual references in Ramuh’s Eden Trial character design. During the battle, the hybrid Ramuh summons spectral projections of the equine Ixion (appearing as he does in Final Fantasy X and also in a FATE near Ala Mhigo in Final Fantasy XIV’s Stormblood expansion). These ‘Wills of Ixion’ routinely gallop across the arena to trample any unvigilant party members.

The arena in which the heroes choose to summon Ramuh is what remains of the Gandof Thunder Plains. In the years before the Flood of Light this area had surged with thunder, and thus was deemed to be the perfect conduit to facilitate the summoning of the Lord of Levin. The location is a reference to the Thunder Plains in Final Fantasy X where the High Summoner Gandof had sealed the pesky Qactuars up in stone. This serves as another reference to Spira, the world of Final Fantasy X, in which Square Enix first introduced their vision for Ixion.


IFLdrs8.jpg

The Gandof Thunder Plains in Final Fantasy XIV is named after both the historical
High Summoner in Final Fantasy X and the Thunder Plains location in the same game.
Thankfully the party is not expected to dodge Ramuh-Ixion’s thunderbolts
two hundred times in this iteration!

Whilst the primal Ramuh on the Source had been largely disinterested in battle, possessing a kindlier, albeit judgemental, temperament, the Ramuh-Ixion of the First is an altogether different beast. This incarnation is fierce, aggressive and unrelenting. This is noticeably more in line with Ixion and, in particular, his mythical counterpart, the punished rapist and murderer. This considered, while the sagely aspects of Ramuh’s visage might make the Ramuh-Ixion resemble the friendly tutor centaur Chiron (referred to in the core article), in character this creature possesses the bestial brutishness of the bawdiest of his brethren during the Centauromachy: a fitting outlet for the mythical Ixion’s odious character.

Upon defeating the Ramuh-Ixion centaur and successfully restoring the lightning element to the aetherial balance of the Empty, the Scions immediately notice an atmospheric change as moisture is returned to the air. The noted reappearance of clouds in the area is critical to appreciating Square Enix’s reception of the classical myth of Ixion considering how the lusty Lapith king in Greek mythology had mated with the cloud Nephele (an eidolon or phantom in the image of Hera) and consequently became an ancestor to the cloud-born centaurs.

If Square Enix’s rationale for depicting Ixion as a horse/unicorn was unclear before (even after reading the core article), it should be much clearer now with their latest development of the character. Although Ramuh’s Eden Trial design is interpreted by many fans as a nice Easter egg reference to the Aeon from Final Fantasy X, it might also be the most apt interpretation of Ixion in the franchise to date.
 
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