Gaia

Name: Gaia

Weapon: Armour Bastar (broadsword)

Nationality: Japan

Sex: Male

Height: 2.1m (3.6m with armour)

Weight: 91 kg (100 kg with armour)

Age: Over 40 years old

Blood Type: O

Occupation: Monk

Family:

Ellis (daughter)

Kaede (wife, deceased)

Unnamed son (deceased)

Appears in:

Battle Arena Toshinden

Battle Arena Toshinden Remix

Battle Arena Toshinden 2

Battle Arena Toshinden 3

Description

Gaia is a character from the Battle Arena Toshinden video game series. Serving as the main antagonist and an unlockable character in the first game, he becomes one of the protagonists and a regular playable character in the later games. In the first Toshinden, Gaia was the monstrous final boss (except on the harder difficulty settings where Sho Shinjo was fought as the true final boss if the player beat every other character without losing). Wearing his armour, he took on the appearance of a Japanese warlord except for the 2 huge extra arms coming from his shoulders and ending in yellow claws. He would have been an extremely cheap character except for his one glaring weakness: Gaia is the second slowest character in the games. His jump, which launched him so high it gave both players time to think about their next few attacks before he landed, almost made up for it though.

In the second Toshinden, Gaia has cast away his armour and is revealed to have middle-back length silver hair and brown eyes. He wears gold-with-black-trim chest and shoulder armour, baggy red pants, and black and metal knee-length boots. His attacks had been toned down substantially from the first game; he could no longer kill in 4 hits. Also, he no longer had his impossible high jump. In return, he was made slightly faster and easier to use.

Character History

Gaia and his wife Kaede were both part of the Himitsu Kessha that sponsored the Toshindaibukai tournaments. His wife was at that time the Uranus of the organization, making up part of the "Divine Four" (the four highest positions in the organization under the leader). Gaia himself was practically a member, but the one who would become the next Uranus thought that it was too dangerous to have them both in the Divine Four. Gaia, Kaede, their unnamed son, and their daughter Ellis were driving in the family vehicle when it spun out of control and exploded. Gaia and Ellis miraculously survived, but Kaede and their son were not as lucky.

Gaia knew it had been no accident, and he left Ellis in the care of an orphanage in Turkey so that he could pursue his family's assailiant without any hindrance. Gaia was promoted into the Divine Four, and he eventually learned that the woman who had become Uranus in Kaede's stead had masterminded what had happened. Filled with hatred for the new Uranus, Gaia had illegally held the Toshindaibukai in search of strong warriors to aid him in his attack against her. Gaia met Eiji Shinjo at the tournament while searching for his older brother Sho. Gaia announced his proposition to Eiji, but before Eiji could accept or refuse, Chaos: another member of the Divine Four, intervened and stopped the fight. Chaos told Gaia that he had been labelled as a traitor and marked for death. Gaia knew he had no other choice but to flee, for if Chaos had found him, Uranus couldn't be far behind, and he could not take her down on his own.

One year later, while still on the run, Gaia received an invitation to participate in the upcoming second Toshindaibukai tournament. Gaia realized that he could run all he wanted, but Uranus had an easier time finding him than she did breathing. He cast off his armour, and holding back nothing, fought against Uranus with everything he had and this time, he was fighting on Eiji's side. Gaia fought his way to the organization's headquarters, meeting up with his daughter Ellis there. After telling her his true story, he went further into the tower and fought with Chaos. The fight ended in a draw, and after Gaia discovered that Uranus and Master had already been killed by someone else (Sho Shinjo), he walked out of the tower, half-fulfilled, half-revenge starved.

Upon learning that himself, his daughter, and the rest of his friends were targeted to be blood sacrifices for Agon Teos, Gaia had decided to enter into the third Toshindaibukai in order to stop Abel and his evil plan to bring back Agon Teos. While his daughter had fought against a tribal boy named Atahua, Gaia had found himself fighting against a tribal giant named Tau. After a fierce fight, Gaia was surprised to see that Tau had forfeited the match to him and that Atahua had done the same thing for Ellis. In the end, Gaia and the rest of the Toshinden fighters were successful in defeating the Soshiki, thus stopping their evil plan to bring back Agon Teos to the Earth.

Since then, Gaia has gone back home to be with Ellis and the two of them have retired from the sport of fighting.

BATTLE ARENA TOSHINDEN (ENDING)

Is there no one that can defeat me?

Is there not a worthy opponent among you?

Come, you who dares to challenge me!

BATTLE ARENA TOSHINDEN 2 (ENDING)

Gaia was sure it was Uranus who had led the secret Organization into evil.

But it was too late to do anything - The Master had already started out on his path of destruction.

Now Gaia has triumphed; the Organization is defeated and the Master destroyed.

But as he looks at the fallen Master, he remembers Ellis, and his victory suddenly seems hollow and meaningless...

BATTLE ARENA TOSHINDEN 3 (ENDING)

GAIA

Gaia's ambitions ended up causing tragedy, but he put his life on the line and fought to save the fighters he had led into disaster.

The battle was like none ever seen before, but Gaia had steeled himself for anything and in the face of his power and resolve the evil plot was foiled. It was his courageous stand that saved the fighters who had been targeted by the Organization.

Having established peace and triumphed over evil Gaia can finally sheath his weapon and lead a life of solitude.

Voice Actors

Daisuke Gouri (games) (Japanese)
J.S. Gilbert (Toshinden Remix) (English)
Bin Shimada (OVA) (Japanese)
Alfred DeButler (OVA) (English)

Trivia

In comparision with Street Fighter, Gaia, at least in the first game, is the equivalent of M. Bison, who also wears a dark red uniform, is the host of the tournament and who uses incredibly powerful fighting techniques.
Gaia likes tuna dishes.
His pastimes include horseback riding and training.
Gaia is skilled at performing magic.
His most treasured thing is the picture of his family years ago before that fateful calamity, kept in a locket.
Gaia's favorite color is metallic silver.