| “ | Why were we born? For what reason do we exist? Answer me, Rubedo. You betrayed your comrades, you killed your brother. Why are you still alive? ...To keep your promise? You're still haunted by that woman's shadow. I pity you.
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” |
Citrine is a ginger-haired girl first seen in Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse.
She is U.R.T.V. unit 668; the missing U.R.T.V. unseen in Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht who falls between U.R.T.V.s #667 Albedo and #669 Nigredo (Gaignun Kukai) in the numerical sequence. She is a rare female-type U.R.T.V. These models were produced solely for maintaining the viability of the U.R.T.V. cell culture which degenerates after each successive round of cloning.
The true purpose of her creation was, like Nigredo, to destroy the Red Dragon, Rubedo (Jr.), in case his unstable powers flared out of control. Genetically XX (female), her physical capabilities are identical to those of her male counterpart, Nigredo, as a result of Salvator's genetic modification technology. They differ only in that she does not also function as a host for Dmitri Yuriev, her father.
Citrine is the younger sister of Jr. and Albedo, and the older sister of Nigredo/Gaignun.
Citrine is shown to have Dmitri Yuriev, her father, and those working for him. In the series, she keeps working for him even after the Miltian Conflict and his "death".
Personality
As a child, she talks with an elitist air of superiority to the other U.R.T.V.s, including Rubedo, Albedo and Nigredo. She seems to voluntarily isolate, which is likely due to the way she was raised. Revealed by one of the employees at the Yuriev Institute, Citrine has a hard time staying in one place.
As an adult, she follows Yuriev's orders, has kept her air of superiority, and an has apparently adopted a sadistic side when it comes to battle. She seems to be sure of what to do, claiming what she does is to fulfill her reason to exist, but the moment of her death she reveals that, in truth, she was unsure of her own purpose in life.
Background
Birth
Citrine's birth came after Albedo's, but before Nigredo's. She was created to be a U.R.T.V. variant, the head of the female U.R.T.V. unit. Female U.R.T.V.s are produced by inducing a mutation in the Y chromosome of a developing clone and changing it into a second X chromosome, thus turning a male U.R.T.V. into a female. Citrine is an X-type, designed to preserve the egg's mtDNA.
Because of a genetic instability brought about by the Y to X change, female U.R.T.V.s often suffer forms of congenital defects and die very quickly as their bodies fail them. Citrine, however, shows no sign of being affected by this instability, and is one of the only nine remaining female U.R.T.V.s.
Yuriev Institute
Female Supremacy
Citrine meets the other U.R.T.V. variants.
Citrine wasn't allowed to remain with male U.R.T.V.s, and was kept with the other female U.R.T.V.s in a separate ward. Citrine was the leader of the female types. The three male variants met her for the first time during one of the intervals in the mission to save Sakura Mizrahi's subconscious. This surprises them; Albedo having only heard of a girl's ward without having known if it actually existed. At this time, she presents herself with a very arrogant attitude and claims that the female U.R.T.V.s are theoretically superior to the male units. Rubedo looked irritated at her when she claimed the other females had been disposed of due to an instability and angrily asks, "Who do you think you are?" to which she replies, "And just who do you think you are, Rudedo?"
Xenosaga Episode II HD Cutscene 60 - Father and Son - ENGLISH
Citrine speaks to Nigredo about his role.
Citrine has a discussion with Nigredo later on, who originally thought the "missing" number, U.R.T.V. unit 668, was dead. In this discussion, she tells him that they were basically the same in powers and as to why they both didn't have anti-U-DO waves, in order to control the Red Dragon's ability.
Miltian Conflict and aftermath
Citrine is not shown anywhere during the Miltian Conflict, though there was originally a scene showing how she survived before it was deleted from the final release of the game. However, she hints to having been present that day in claiming Rubedo abandoned her on Miltia, fourteen years before the events of Xenosaga.
After the incident, her situation is unknown, though it is likely she was kept and raised by Yuriev's co-worker from the Institute, the Salvator Faction until his return, as hinted by her wearing the Institutes's outfit at the moment of Yuriev's return.
Xenosaga I & II
While she doesn't appear outside of the flashback in Episode II, Citrine returns in her adult form in the Episode II part of Xenosaga I & II. In this, she wears the Institute's outfit at this moment and is one of the first people to become aware of Yuriev's return after he takes over Gaignun's body. She then seems to take on the role of a special agent or bodyguard for him, carrying out his dirty work and protecting him when necessary.
Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse
Citrine appears in flashbacks during the Encephalon dive at the U.M.N. Control Center.
Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra
Xenosaga III HD Cutscene 243 - Canaan vs. Citrine (Durandal) - ENGLISH
Citrine attacks Canaan on the Durandal.
In Episode III, she acts as Yuriev's bodyguard as well as special agent. She receives orders from him, but stays in the shadow until the Durandal takeover where she helps him take over the bridge where she easily defeats Canaan. When Yuriev goes to take control of the Zohar Emulators, she stays at the last door just before the chamber to stand guard and prevent anyone from ruining his plans.
When Jr. and the team go to the bridge to stop Yuriev, they encounter her. At this point, she reveals that she is not following Yuriev's orders for his plan in itself, but in order to destroy U-DO; the reason that she was born, even if it threatens the existence of the universe. She shows a similarity with Albedo in that her main argument against Jr. is that he abandoned her.
Xenosaga Episode III - Citrine
Citrine boss battle.
Citrine then resorts to violence. Forced to fight her, Jr. and the others battle her. She has a tendency to use a spell which will reduce everyone's HP to 666 called "Seal of 666". If this occurs, it is imperative that the player heals immediately, or swap another character in battle or it she will soon insta-kill the entire team. She will then use a skill called "Red Dragon Killer" which hits everyone for 666. She is also weak to Beam damage.
After defeat, she then questions Jr., "Why were we born? For what reason do we exist? Answer me, Rubedo. You betrayed your comrades, you killed your brother. Why are you still alive?" to which Jr. replies, "To keep my promise," referring to his promise to Sakura. After this, she simply states that she pities him for still being haunted by "that woman's" (possibly referring to Juli) shadow, then collapses and dies.
Relationships
Nigredo/Gaignun
Nigredo was the only other U.R.T.V. that she had a personal relationship with, what with their powers and reason to exist being the same. She had told him about his purpose and powers, but never revealed if she knew what Yuriev really created him for. She never said her thoughts on Yuriev's using Gaignun's body.
After her death, Yuriev has a conversation with Gaignun's consciousness, where we learn that Gaignun is downtrodden to hear of her death and that he had a 'Connection' with her. The nature of this connection in unknown and is left up to imagination.
Rubedo/Jr.
Jr. feels remorse for Citrine due to how she is basically like Albedo in that he abandoned her on Miltia. She seems to bear a strong hatred for him when they meet on the Durandal, and claims that she has the powers to kill and defy him.
Dmitri Yuriev
Yuriev is her father, although he considers her as a mere unit, as he does for each U.R.T.V.s. She was raised to think his actions are right and followed him blindly in his efforts, though in the end she doesn't do it for him, but because it is her reason to exist and has nothing else left.
Etymology and inspirations
Citrine refers to citrinitas.
In the Jungian archetypal schema, citrinitas is the wise old man (or woman) archetype, a probable reference to Citrine being wise.
chaos made an allusion in Episode II, insinuating that the four variant U.R.T.V.s are the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in the Xenosaga universe. It is not known who Death is. Most assume that Citrine is the pale rider, Death, as she is the fourth U.R.T.V. variant. However, the horse of Death is pale green and not orange, unlike the three others variant whose symbolized horse has the same color than their name.
Quotes
- "Pleased to meet you, number 666 Rubedo. I am U.R.T.V. number 668. You may call me Citrine."
- "Unlike you male types, we have only nine female types remaining. It's a shame because, theoretically, we are superior."
- "We aren't normal children, you know. Even if we lost control of our waveform and died, we wouldn't have the luxury of complaining about it."
- "Codename: Red Dragon. A useful yet dangerous creature with the potential to lose control... That's right. Red Dragon. Red... and precious."
- "I'm so happy to see you. You're the only comrade I have left."
- "A failure who's forgotten his role as a weapon and abandoned his duty has no right to speak to me!"
- "I forgot to mention, but I have one more duty. I have the power to destroy the Red Dragon, just like Nigredo. Do you think you can defeat me?"
- "Take this!"
- "Learn some manners!"
- "Oh, you want me to step on you, too?"
- "Do you want more?"
- "Is that the extent of your power, Rubedo?"
- "Behold the hellfire of the abyss!"
- "I refuse... I refuse to accept this!"
Trivia
- Writings released by former Xenosaga writer, Soraya Saga revealed that in the original version of Episode II before her script was modified by Monolith Soft's new team of editors, an adult Citrine makes a brief appearance in the game's present-day timeframe where she reunites with her fellow U.R.T.V.s, Gaignun and a now physically mature Jr.
- Being an U.R.T.V. variant, it is assumed she is a Shining Will along her brothers, the heroes, Testaments and some others characters.
- After Citrine is defeated aboard the Durandal, she drops a key to the Weapons Development Area of the CAT Facility on Fifth Jerusalem, where the fight between KOS-MOS and Ω Res Novae was held. Revisiting the facility through the EVS, a player can enter the sealed-off section and fight both Ω Universitas and Ω Id.
Gallery
