Idola

This page is about the gargantuan creatures in Idola: Phantasy Star Saga. For usage of the term IDOLA seen throughout the franchise, see IDOLA (disambiguation).

In Idola: Phantasy Star Saga, Idola (Japanese: イドラ) are gargantuan monsters that ravage the world of Vandor.

There are 2 types of Idola. Zodiac Idola are powerful creatures representing the Western Zodiac signs. Lesser Idola are creatures of a lower ranking than their Zodiac counterparts, based on general Western constellations.

The Aries Chivalric Order make it their mission to defend humanity from these aberrations who are regarded as spawns of Dark Falz.

The concept of idola has existed in many RPGs as summoned monsters, in turn taking different forms and different names based on the lore of a given world. The term idola may be derived from the Greek language that gives rise to the word eidolon, meaning an apparition or spirit of an entity whether living or dead, i.e. a ghost or an avatar.

Gameplay

Idola creatures generally act as the raid battles in Idola: Phantasy Star Saga, appearing both as major bosses in Story Quests and through the "Idola Challenge" raid battle mode.

Players join forces with each others in a concentrated effort to defeat them and reap great rewards through the Idola Challenge. The stronger the fallen Idola is, the bigger the reward will be. Players also advance through "Stages" as they fell other players' Idolas, allowing them to challenge even stronger ones. The player will then be rewarded with prizes depending on how many players they down in a session. Likewise, the players fighting the Idola will have a chance of receiving bonuses for successfully defeating the monster, which will appear through Idola Challenge.

The game also allows player parties to transform into an Idola through a process known as idolarization, which requires the player's entire party of eight units to join forces and assume the form of a creature with the combined strength of all members. Doing so also requires the use of crystals called Idola Cores, earned through normal combat. If a Zodiart is leader of the party that initiates battle, then the idola will be created as one of the twelve Western star signs; but if a non-Zodiart unit leads, an idola of a lesser creature will be created. Units from other worlds are assumed not to possess the genetics required and therefore cannot transform into idola as of Episode 2.

Idola versus Idola battles are also possible within the story and in-game quests. In many cases, the leader is determined by the events of the story and thus cannot be changed.

Idola

Lesser Idola

Image	Name	Information
	Cetus	Cetus, the Sea Devil, is a gigantic whale-like beast that roams both the lands and the seas of Vandor. It attacks its enemies with tackles, belly flops and devastating ray blasts.
	Chamaeleon	Chamaeleon, the Fake Beast, is a chameleon-like beast that roams the woods of Vandor. It confuses and outplays its enemies with the power to change its elemental attributes.
	Lupus	Lupus, the Lone Wolf, is a swift, agile fighter that can be a huge threat in the heat of battle. While it's strong enough in direct combat, it generally prefers to stalk its prey, and then swoops in for a fatal ambush before retreating into the depths of the woods if the target is somehow still alive.

Zodiac Idola

Image	Name	Information	Inheritors
	Aries	Aries, the White Ram, excels in defensive and recovery abilities, although it can also rain down stars from the heavens to punish enemies if needed. People who inherit the Aries gains a special ability to open the Star Gate, a gateway to other dimensions.	Stella Marie NR Stella [Arch] Anna Marie
	Leo	Leo, the Lion, is gifted with overwhelmingly destructive power. It can store up energy to empower itself, and then unleash it as fatal focused strikes against single targets.	Rosalinde Gelda Gustav Sigismund Gilberto [Dark] Elwin [Dark]
	Gemini	Gemini, the Twins, specializes in dual-sided combat to overwhelm and outsmart their foes. Gemini can switch between two forms of combat; α and β forms. Each form has different styles that complement the other; α form has weak offense, but can inflict disruptive ailments to their foes; meanwhile, β form has outstanding offense that becomes stronger when their foes are suffering from ailments. People who inherit the Gemini are blessed (or cursed) with a literal split personality that exists in their subconscious, called the β self. The owner (α) and the β share a single body, but different minds and can exchange turns in becoming the dominant personality.	Jasper Windis
	Scorpio	Scorpio, the Heavenly Scorpion, can burrow underground to hide from its enemies, preparing for a surprise ambush from the ground below. Additionally, its stinger also hides a potent poison that it can use to debilitate its enemies.	Messala
	Virgo	Virgo, the Maiden, has poor offenses. However, its true prowess comes from protection. It can erect a special shield that harshly reduce any damage taken from the enemies, and the only way to break it is by hitting Virgo with an elemental weakness, or by forcing it to expose its core.	Astraea
	Sagittarius		Meldor
	Libra		Clemens Mint
	Capricorn		Lindsey
	Cancer		Rockingham Irene

Celestial Idola

Image	Name	Information	Inheritors
	Polaris	An evil-repelling Idola with the power to destroy Dark Falz. Of the chosen few born with the potential to Idolarize into this form, only those that have lived a life of true neutrality are capable of summoning this legendary Idola that, according to legends, bears the power of the stars that once guided people traveling beyond the skies above.	Ulysses
	Polaris Nova	A mysterious Idola capable of purifying evil and eliminating Dark Falz. Summoned by the Warrior who hails from space, this Idola is very similar to Ulysses' Polaris. It is imbued with the power of the Nautical Star, which once hung in the skies above and guided people with its brilliant light.	The Warrior
	Andromeda/ Mechess	A man-made, mass-produced Idola developed by the Principality of Canseed as a tactical weapon. Powered by built-in energy units siphoned from the user and boasting a long battery life, this Idola is a suitable choice for various military operations.	Farley Melvi
	Andromeda G/ Mechess	A G-type Andromeda Idola. Man-made and fine-tuned for use by Giselle, this Idola resembles the mass-produced Andromeda at a glance except its crimson body and head ornaments. Further details are currently unknown.	Giselle

Story

Idola are said to be "the kin of Dark Falz", and it's suspected that their power came from the same source of Dark Falz', or originated from Dark Falz itself.

While Idola can be found roaming and causing havoc in the lands, there are certain people that have the ability to transform into Idola through a process known as Idolarization. Due to the power an Idola possesses, these people are either held in high regard or scorned down and avoided, with almost no in-between. People who can Idolarize usually become kings or tribe headsmen if they're of royal origin; otherwise, they usually ended up as rovers or travelers who roam the lands of Vandor. A number of these travelers ended up joining the Aries Chivalric Order to protect themselves or Vandor.

While Lesser Idola are hypothesized to have originated from a weakness in the Dark Falz' seal, the Zodiart Idola originated from the Star Lord Aquilo, who passed down his powers to his 12 children. These children would later become the kings and queens of the 12 great houses of Vandor. Additionally, Zodiart Idola are genetically passed, which means that only those with blood connection to the 12 houses can transform into Zodiart Idola.

There are also rumored to be people descended from beyond the stars, whose powers are said to awaken in times of greatest need. Such individuals can call forth one of the Celestial Idola, and are as such impervious to Dark Falz' weaker incarnations. They also become manyfold stronger by way of the bonds forged between them and their closest friends and allies. In some cases, the Celestial Idola are sealed deep within the soul of the person meant to summon them, and must not only be drawn out, but also become the summoner's ultimate trial of will; should they complete the trial, the Idola's powers and abilities will be theirs to freely call upon.

Trivia

• The word Idola as it is used in the franchise's lore refers to a Dark Falz aberration. Although it is not spoken within the game text, the word is usually part of the name of a Dark Falz associated creature's theme song.
• Cetus was the first Idola revealed on PSO2 Station #22. It was stated to be "one of the weaker types of Idola," among those known as Lesser Idola.^[1]

Gallery

References & Notes

Idola: Phantasy Star Saga
Races of Vandor	Human - Elf - Machina - Demonic - Lycan - Gnome
Character Classes	Archer - Assassin - Bard - Berserker - Brave - Dancer - Elementor - Emperor - Grappler - Guardian Joker - Knight - Paladin - Photoner - PR Agent - Ranger - Rappy - Saint - Soldier - Shooter - Striker Survey Corps - Valkyria - Wizard
Factions of Vandor
Aries Chivalric Order	Abeille - Anna Marie - Bernhardt - Emile - Giselle - Jasper - Killion - Nadia - Reiner - Rosalinde Stella Marie - Phuramy - Popona - Popopurin - Sasha - Ulysses - The Warrior
Forces of Law	Vindemia Forest	Astraea - Kira - Mirabelle - Totonott
	Leorian Empire	Barnabas - Elwin - Emma - Gelda - Gustav Kaempfer - Sigismund - Walther
	Roxanne - Tyrol - Wolff
Forces of Chaos
	Chertan Harbor	Boozer - Sandra
	Liberation Army	Kibaki - Madoc - Messala - Rachel - Theatre - Zola
	Lycan Village	Karin - Lycaon
	Praecipua Island	Liese - Neville - Windis
	Melissa - Schenk - Vanessa
Neutrals	Duncan - Knut - Lana - Rogia - Tanya
Principality of Canseed	Farley - Irene - Lambridge - Lindsey - Melvi - Rockingham - Victoria
Visitors from the Star Gate	Jeanne - Luther - Matoi - Risa - Quna - Eren - Levi - Mikasa - Selvaria
Idola
Lesser Idola	Andromeda (Andromeda G) - Cetus - Chamaelon Hydra (Diabolos) - Lupus (Fenrir) - Polaris (Polaris Nova)
Zodiart Idola	Aries (Arch Aries) - Gemini - Leo (Arch Leo - Dark Leo - Royal Leo) Libra - Sagittarius - Scorpio - Virgo
Gameplay
Quests	Side Story - Free Quest - Story Quest
Game Modes	Arena - Brigade - Idola Challenge (Idolarize)
Equipment	IdoMag - Symbol (Weapon - Soul)