Undine

Undine
Information
Appearance	•Tales of Phantasia •Tales of Phantasia: Narikiri Dungeon (X) •Tales of Eternia •Tales of Symphonia •Tales of Vesperia •Tales of Xillia •Tales of Xillia 2
Race	Spirit
Occupation	•Spirit of Water •Primary Craymel of Inferia
Weapon	•Sword (ToP (ND), ToS) •Trident (ToD2, ToE, ToV) •Lance (ToP:NDX, ToX, TotR)
Japanese Voice Actor	•Mika Kanai (1998; ToP PSX) •Yuuko Sumitomo (2000-2010) •Yuuko Tsuga (2011; ToX)
English Voice Actor	Nika Futterman (ToS)

Undine (ウンディーネ, Undiine^?) is the Spirit of Water, also representing one of the four cardinal elements of the Tales games. Undine has appeared in several games of the series as characters and cameos, and she is able to be summoned through the Undine arte. Undine is opposed by Efreet, the Spirit of Fire, and in certain games, Volt, the Spirit of Lightning. In Tales of Rebirth, Undine is replaced by Shaorune, the Sacred Beast of Water. In Tales of Graces, she is replaced by the Spirit Cyandine. In Tales of Phantasia, she appeared as a sword-wielding sprite, but as the series progressed, her appearance became more toward that of a merperson. In early games, Undine was pronounced with an "e" at the end, but in more recent titles, the "e" became silent.

Appearances in Original Titles

Tales of Phantasia

Undine makes her first appearance in Tales of Phantasia as the Spirit of Water. In the original game, she appears as a tall woman with light blue hair, wearing a toga of the same color, wielding a sword.

In The Animation, her appearance is more detailed. She appears a tall woman with pale-green skin, cyan hair that reaches down the top of her legs. She wears a light blue headband with a red jewel in the center and wings on the sides. Covering her body is a series of purple straps resembling a unique swimsuit, with a breastplate and shoulder pads (both the same color as the headband) attached. She also wears purple boots that go above the kneecaps, and a bracelet with a pad covering the dorsal area on each hand.

Found in the Limestone Cave, she is one of the first four Spirits the party must face before they can meet Maxwell, the Lord of the Four Elements. She initially fights the party because they awoke her, though after defeat, she assents to making a pact. It is through her power that the party is able to reach the sunken city of Thor. Undine requires the Aquamarine Ring to forge a pact, granting Claus F. Lester with the power to summon her in battle with the Undine arte. When fought, Undine primarily acts as a caster. She brings into battle her various monsters and proceeds to cast various Water-element spells, such as Ice Needles, Ice Wall, and Ice Tornado. She can also strike enemies with her sword and send a slicing wave from her blade across the screen.

Tales of Phantasia: Narikiri Dungeon

Undine appears in Tales of Phantasia: Narikiri Dungeon as the Spirit of Water and one of the twelve Spirits that must be fought during the Ordeal of Spirits. She is found on the final level of the Cave of Water in AC. 4203 and is the boss of the dungeon. Upon defeat, she teaches Mel and Dio the heart of water: Presence of Mind (へいじょうしん, heijoushin^?).^[1]

Tales of Phantasia: Narikiri Dungeon X

Undine appears in Tales of Phantasia: Narikiri Dungeon X as the Spirit of Water. In this game, her appearance is heavily altered. She now has normal skin, cyan eyes, cyan ears in the shape of fish fins, and light-blue hair tied into a ponytail. She wears a mulled wine-colored leotard with a separate dull lavender-colored top, held up by a necklace adorned with a blue gem. On the bottom is a long loincloth the same color as the top, with two more in the back. Each leg has a blue shoe adorned with a blue gem, and a mulled wine-colored sock that goes up the leg. Each arm has an arm pad with a hole exposing the middle of the hand, and a ring for the middle finger.

In the story, Mel and Dio must collect her Atomism Core to save Vahalla City from the Prism Ring. Undine is found on the bottom floor of the Limestone Cave in AC. 4203 and is the boss of the dungeon. Upon defeat, Mel and Dio collect her Atomism Core. After completing the first quest of the game and obtaining the Aquamarine jewel in Euclid, she may be challenged again in order to allow Claus to summon her in battle, as well as allow him to use his mystic arte, Tetra Leader.

Tales of the World: Summoner's Lineage

Undine appears in Tales of the World: Summoner's Lineage as a unit Frayne K. Lester can summon.

Tales of Destiny

Undine appears in Tales of Destiny as a special attack that can only be summoned through the consumable item Wendiene, a clear mistranscription of Undine's own name, as it bears the same katakana in the Japanese version, which is described as an ancient weapon capable of calling forth the water spirit. Appearance-wise, this Wendiene has long blue hair, eyes, and fish ears, and is covered by a leotard and socks of the same color.

Tales of Destiny 2

Undine makes a cameo appearance in Tales of Destiny 2 in the mystic arte Aqua Rimms. In this game, she is given a more detailed appearance. She wears a white tunic and sandals, and wields a trident.

Tales of Eternia

Undine appears in Tales of Eternia as one of the Greater Craymels and one of the Primary Craymels of Inferia. The Water Craymel governs the use of all Water-elemental spells. Appearance-wise, Undine's body lacks a "human" form, being made purely of water. She has orange eyes, fish ears, and long blue hair reaching down her legs. She only wears shoulder pads, arm pads, and boots, all cyan, the same color of her trident.

Undine makes her home in Undine Stream. With her steely personality, she is the first Greater Craymel encountered and tests their will. It is her power which lets the party survive the intense heat of Efreet Gorge, and when Efreet refuses to help, she forces him inside the Craymel Cage. Undine can be summoned through the Undine arte. In battle, Undine fights using her trident. Her main attacks are her Spear of Baptism, which sends a stream of water across the screen if unblocked, and Subterranean Divide, in which she sends out a small-ranged projectile. She can also cast Spread, which, on higher difficulties, can extend into Maelstrom as her HP depletes.

Tales of Symphonia

Undine, the Maiden of the Mist, appears in Tales of Symphonia as one of the Sylvaranti Summon Spirits. In this game, her appearance is more amphibious-like. She has light blue skin, with markings around her breasts, on her collarbone, belly, and arms. On her head, she has purple hair that goes down her thighs, but levitates outward, red eyes, fish ears, and a dorsal fin. Undine also has a dark blue/purple "dress" where her legs should be. Undine wears green shoulder pads with metal on top, and a similar attire around her waist, adorned with a gem in the middle. In battle, she uses a scarf of water for casting spells. She can also produce a sword of water for physical attacks.

Residing on a small island known as Thoda, famous for its geyser, she is the Summon Spirit of Water. She is able to be summoned through the Summon: Water arte, which will display Undine's name after the arte's name. Undine's main method of fighting is casting Spread. She will also strike with her sword if possible, and she can cast Aqua Edge without a casting time.

Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World

Undine appears in a Hot Spring scene, where Sheena Fujibayashi summons her to send water toward Lloyd Irving and Emil Castagnier after they are tricked by Zelos Wilder. In reference to her position as the Summon Spirit of Water, her name is attached to monster grimoires that teach Water-elemental artes: Undine's Whisper, which teaches First Aid, Undine's Affection, which teaches Heal, Undine's Charity, which teaches Recover, and Undine's Tears, which teaches Splash.

Tales of the Abyss

Undine is mentioned in Tales of the Abyss as the aggregate sentience of the Fourth Fonon, the Fonon of Water. Her name is used to represent the fourth day of the week, Undineday, and the third and tenth months, Undine Decan and Undine Redecan respectively. In addition, Jade Curtiss can obtain a spear named Undine.

Tales of Vesperia

Undine appears in Tales of Vesperia as a Spirit. Appearance-wise, Undine has a voluptuous, pale-blue body, and light-blue hair in two locks on each side that go outward before curving backward to the waist. She wears multi-layered kimono, from the inside going outward, indigo-blue, yellow, and light turquoise. Topping it off with a blue vest with a large light-green pattern on the outline.

In this game, the Entelexeia, Belius, is inadvertently turned into a Spirit after Rita Mordio attempts to control Estelle's powers using Belius's apatheia. The Spirit has control of all waters, and asks Estelle to name her. Estelle promptly names the new spirit "Undine", meaning "Ruler of the Waters" (水を統べる^?). Much like Belius, Undine has much support for the humans and, when the four Spirits converse, speaks the most for them. In the PlayStation 3 and Definitive Edition ports of the game, Undine appears during Estelle's mystic arte, Ultimate Elementia, where after Sylph performs her cyclone, she unleashes a tidal wave that drowns her foes.

Tales of Xillia and Tales of Xillia 2

Undine appears in Tales of Xillia as one of the Four Great Spirits under the personal control of the Lord of Spirits, Milla Maxwell. She and the other three are eventually freed and rescue Milla's soul from reincarnation. However, as a result, Milla lost her memories. Surprised by the amnesiac Milla's kindness and wanting them around, they eventually assist her in defying Maxwell's orders. At the start of the events of the story, Undine is imprisoned within the Lance of Kresnik. She reappears in Tales of Xillia 2 as a helper of Milla, acting faithfully under her command.

Appearances in Crossover Titles

Tales of Crestoria

In both the Undine and Aqua Limit mystic artes in Tales of Crestoria, Undine takes her appearances from the game of origin the mystic artes originated from, Tales of Eternia and Tales of Destiny 2 respectively.

Gallery

Trivia

• In Latin, unda translates to "a wave".
• Undines, or ondines, are elementals associated with water. They are also referred to as water nymphs or spirits.
• In Tales of Phantasia: Narikiri Dungeon X, the weapon Undine uses shares a similar appearance to the in-game Aqua Trypia.
• In Tales of Berseria, there is an inn in Yseult called "Undine's Voice".

References