Fate made us train together, and fate will send you to your doom!

Vargas

Vargas is a minor antagonist in Final Fantasy VI. He is the son of Duncan Harcourt, a famed martial arts instructor in Figaro. Vargas resents fellow pupil Sabin, believing that his father favors Sabin over his own kin.

History

Vargas met Sabin when the latter was seventeen years old. They trained under Vargas's father, Duncan Harcourt, for years at Duncan's home near South Figaro and Mt. Kolts. Duncan's wife lived in another house in South Figaro. Over time, the arrogant Vargas believed Duncan favored Sabin and intended to name him heir to the family dojo, which infuriated him. At one point, he did not make much progress in his lessons, something that his father was disappointed with. Believing his father had snubbed him, Vargas spontaneously attacked Duncan during a training trip one day and beat him to the brink of death.^[1] Vargas believed he had killed his father, a rumor that spread across the region for two to three days. During that period, he fled to Mt. Kolts. knowing the twenty-seven-year-old Sabin would seek him out.

While Terra, Locke, and Edgar climbed Mt. Kolts to reach the Returner Hideout, they ran across Vargas at the summit after chasing his shadow. Believing Sabin had sent them, Vargas attacked them and tried to kill them. He only used unarmed attacks and Gale Cut. Sabin interrupted the fight and confronted Vargas about Duncan's death, insisting Vargas had misunderstood everything and Duncan intended to name Vargas his heir. Vargas's arrogance made him refuse to listen and used a special technique, the Blizzard Fist, to blast the others but Sabin back, and the two engaged in a one-on-one duel. Vargas used his Doom Fist to force Sabin into a battle of the death, a battle Sabin won when he unleashed a Blitz technique Raging Fist, stunning Vargas that he had already learned such a skill.

After the duel, Vargas is never seen or mentioned again by Sabin or the survived Duncan. From the ending of the battle and the way Vargas's sprite vanishes, it is not clear if he fled or if Sabin killed him.

Characteristics

Appearance

Vargas is a barefoot, dark-skinned man who wears blue trousers with yellow sash around his waist and red sashes on his wrists. The yellow sash tapers off with red patterns, but a blue sash is worn underneath. He also wears yellow calf wraps that bind his trousers' ends. He wears a pair of red-yellow earrings and has red marks under his eyes. His general attire resembles Sabin's, who is depicted in concept arts as shirtless with colored trousers similar to Vargas's. Vargas's battle sprites depict him with long blue hair tied by a red-yellow ring ornament in a loose ponytail, but his field sprite gives him short, messy green hair.

Vargas's field sprite, with a different palette, is also used for Dadaluma.

Personality

Vargas is arrogant martial artist and proud of his skills, boasting of his superior abilities over Sabin and lack of desire to retreat in a fight. Vargas resents Sabin under the misbelief that his father favors his other pupil, which furthermore makes Vargas begrudge Duncan as well. His grudge is further amplified by his father's higher strictness upon him over Sabin. Once reached his mental threshold, he is quick to resort to violence when provoked and when things do not go his way, to the point he attacks his own father, causing everyone, including himself, to think he killed him. Vargas, despite his life training in martial arts, is bellicose and disrespectful.

Gameplay

Vargas is fought as a boss at Mt. Kolts with two Ipooh enemies. The second half of the battle becomes a scripted event, requiring the player to have Sabin use the Raging Fist ability to end the encounter.

Other appearances

Final Fantasy Record Keeper

Vargas appears along with two Ipoohs as the boss of the Record of Mt. Kolts. If Sabin is in the party, his dialogue with Vargas from Final Fantasy VI is reenacted.

Target Scores

• Exploit the Ipooh's weakness to Fire
• Defeat without being KO'd

Strategy

Vargas and his fighting bears could give even the most seasoned players fits, especially in Elite mode. Until the bears are down, Vargas is invincible but can still hit the party with punches and a Gale Cut. The player should use Fire-based abilities against the Ipoohs to drop them out of the battle fast, then go after Vargas. Power Break and Protect help soften his attacks, but they can't help the party avoid Blizzard Fist's inherent Doom status. The player needs to finish quickly if the clock starts ticking.

Sabin once joined the party upon completion of the Bonus Quest set in this Record.

Final Fantasy Trading Card Game

Vargas made an appearance and was designed by illustrator KINSHA creations/Accord Seven. This illustrator also drew card art for Leo Cristophe, Celes Chere and Kefka Palazzo.

Behind the Scenes

Character design

Vargas was designed by Sabin's character designer, Kaori Tanaka. The contrast of colors and possessing similar physiques, as well as being pupils under Duncan, set both characters as eventual "rivals" in their minor story.

Japanese moves

Vargas's Blizzard Fist (連風燕略拳, Ren Pū En Ryaku Ken?, lit. Continuous Wind Swallow Plunder Fist) is a scripted ability special attack that removed Edgar, Locke, and Terra from the battle between Vargas and Sabin. His special Doom Fist (終死拳, Shū Shi Ken?, lit. Certain Death Fist) is an absolute hit attack only for Sabin to establish a life-death battle.

Etymology

[view · edit · purge]Vargas is a Spanish and Portuguese surname.

Citations