- "I am Juza. You will never get near Zio - unless you defeat me!"
— Juza prior to confronting the party in battle
Juza (Japanese: ジュザ) is a minor antagonist in Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium. He is a dark priest and avid follower of the cult of Dark Falz. As Zio's second in command, he attempts to stop Alys Brangwin's party near the top of Zio's Fort.
Characteristics
Appearance
At first glance, Juza has the typical appearance of a human. He has fair skin and short, shoulder length gray hair slicked back. He wears a jet black robe with four large shoulder plates, two per shoulder, that jut out. Adorning his plate armor and his robe are yellow accents. A symbol of unknown meaning can be seen near his waist, possibly a reference to the Dark Falz religion or his status within it.
Perhaps as a consequence of making a pact with the devil itself, certain members of the dark religion undergo gruesome transformations. With Zio, his right hand was monsterized and he hides it beneath a gauntlet. In Juza's case, something can already be seen as amiss upon more closely inspecting his face. His eyes have pure white sclera with no visible pupil or iris. His body is also said to be that of a monster.[1] A very brief glimpse of his monstrous form can be seen when he casts spells against the party in his fight before he withdraws his arms beneath his robe once more.
During battle, Juza emits an aura of red and white around his upper body as he channels his dark powers. The color of his eyes matches this aura. Although there are no visible sleeves or arms on either his sprite or his artwork, Juza is able to materialize arms from beneath his robe and clawed silver arms from his back.
Personality
Juza has only a single line of dialogue in the game, so specific personality quirks are indeterminable. What can be said is that he is a fiercely loyal agent of Zio that stops at nothing to bring Alys and her companions' quest to an end in order to further the ambitions of his dark god.
Biography
Within the Motavian town of Kadary there is a church that teaches the word of a growing dark religion. This cult of extremists is led by Zio and his second in command, Juza. The false prophet Zio leads his followers to bring about the destruction of not only the planet, but of all life within the star system that they reside in so that the sins of the worlds may be cleansed with fire and blood. In the ruins would rise a utopian society made up of exclusively virtuous individuals who may live out their lives in peace. Stationed near the humble town is a fortress known as Zio's Fort that houses the madman himself and all of his most powerful followers.
Alys Brangwin leads her party into the fortress where they encounter Juza blocking the way to the top. He stands his ground against their onslaught, but ultimately falls. With his death the path forward is revealed, and the team continue ever onward toward a harsh turning point in both Alys and her apprentice Chaz Ashley's lives.
Game Data
Juza is a powerful foe and probably one of the first difficulty spikes in the game to an unprepared party. Two of his most deadly multi-target abilities are the powerful Zan technique, which can hurt every member of the party with a moderate amount of wind damage, and Forceflash, which hits every party member with heavy magic damage. Juza can also cast the spell Foi for medium fire damage and Wat for medium water damage against a single target.
As a follower of darkness, Juza is naturally weak to light-elemental attacks and is resistant to dark attacks.
References & Notes
- ↑ Phantasy Star Official Production Compendium, page 25
| Playable Characters | Chaz Ashley - Alys Brangwin - Hahn Mahlay - Rune Walsh - Gryz - Rika - Demi - Wren - Raja - Kyra Tierney - Seth |
|---|---|
| Major Antagonists | Zio - Dark Force - Lashiec - Profound Darkness |
| Minor Antagonists | Igglanova – Juza – Gy-Laguiah – Xe-A-Thoul – De-Vars – Sa-Lews – King Rappy – Re-Faze |
| Planets | Motavia - Dezolis - Rykros |
| Locations | Piata - Mile - Molcum - Krup - Tonoe - Zema - Nalya - Aiedo - Kadary - Monsen - Termi - Ryuon - Tyler Zosa - Reshel - Meese - Jut - Esper Mansion - Gumbious Temple - Uzo - Torinco - Silence Temple |
| Dungeons | Motavian Academy Basement - Birth Valley - Tonoe Warehouse Basement - Ladea Tower - Nurvus - Kuran - Myst Valley - Climate Center - Weapons Plant Garubek Tower - Air Castle - Courage Tower - Strength Tower - Anger Tower - The Edge |