Mary Magdalene
From Xenosaga Wiki
Mary Magdalene was a woman who lived about 6000 years before the event of Xenosaga.
She only appears briefly in Xenosaga Episode III even though she can be considered as having appeared before through KOS-MOS's blue eyed mode in every game prior. Her role is central to the story.
It is revealed near the end that KOS-MOS' true purpose was to be Mary through reviving her consciousness, even though it, in part, failed. She also shared a close relationship with Shion Uzuki, who was described as having been her Maiden in an ancient incarnation, and with chaos who incarnate the contrary of her power and possibly her lover.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] The power of Animus
The power of Animus is paired with the Power of Anima possessed by Yeshua, this power of Animus holds the function to control the power of Anima itself and it also can control the Relics of God. Animus is a necessary part of the universal function of failsafe and is also at the core of the Eternal Reccurence function.
Mary is the human incarnation in the real number domain of the Universe of the power of Animus existing in the imaginary number domain from the lower plan of the universe. Her existence is then similar to the one of Yeshua, Wilhelm, the Testaments, and by extension to the existence of the Gnosis. Both her and Yeshua appeared simultaneously in their current form, never having been children.
[edit] Lost Jerusalem Era
Mary and Yeshua on Earth in extremely ancient era worked as disciple for the one known as the Messiah. They were all, Mary, Yeshua, the Messiah and their followers persecuted by Wilhelm, who as Guardian of the Lower Domain, saw them and their power as a threat to the life of the lower domain. Indeed, Anima being the failsafe power which must destroy the lower domain, in order to protect the whole universe, considering the followers and Mary all had the ability to react with Anima (also similar to the capacity of the Testament and most Party Member), Wilhelm feared the failsafe's activation, he then persecuted the Messiah and all the others.
Mary is also the one behind the construction of Zarathustra, she wanted to use it in order to save the universe from destruction, in a similar way Yuriev will latter attempt to act with for his part selfish intentions, but she failed. Zarathustra ended up falling in Wilhelm's hands while the situation for the universe got worst.
Even though very little is known about her life, she was extremely close to the previous incarnation of Shion Uzuki, who was called the Maiden of Mary, and of chaos, at this time known as Yeshua. Shion is necessary for allowing to release the power of Animus, meaning both Mary and Shion need to exist for this power can be used at its full extent. Nevertheless, it's known that Shion died in front of Mary who at that moment had lost all of her power by dividing Yeshua's Anima, making her unable to help, and apparently is the biggest regret in Mary's life.
[edit] Death
In order to prevent the destruction of the lower domain by the power of Anima, Mary divided the power of Anima into 12 vessel, but doing this cost her life, but not before she saw Shion's death. Mary's death will cause her consciousness to be scattered across the UMN.
People who cared for Mary chosed Rennes-le-Chateau to hide the said vessel from their enemy, most likely Wilhelm. They also chose this place to keep Mary's body in a coffin full of flowers. 6000 years later her body would still be intact.
Even though Wilhelm could succeed to steal the Vessel of Anima later, he, for mysterious reasons, failed to take Mary's body and had to wait for Rennes-le-Chateau to appear in space to retrieve her body.
[edit] KOS-MOS's Project
Wilhelm, in order to start the Eternal Reccurence, needed the power of Animus. In order to do this, he needed two element: the body of Mary resting at Rennes-le-Château and the Maiden of Mary's reincarnation, Shion Uzuki, who is needed for Mary to fully use her power and to revive Mary's consciousness, as well as a body being needed for completing Mary's revival.
The body being impossible to reach, an artificial vessel is created for her consciousness, KOS-MOS. Her consciousness must progressively awake inside of her through her bond with Shion Uzuki, who is also the co-creator of KOS-MOS. For the bond between Shion and KOS-MOS to be greater, KOS-MOS' original creator, Kevin Winnicot, planned his death at the hand of the KOS-MOS's archetype, leaving to Shion the task of creating KOS-MOS' final form and making of KOS-MOS her only link to Kevin.
[edit] Awakenings
Mary's consciousness awakens sometimes, most of the time when it happens KOS-MOS's eyes turn Blue, similar to Mary's eyes color. During those moments KOS-MOS is emotional and has greater power than usual, but no one sees her eyes or human-like personality displayed during those moment before the final awakening in Michtam's underground.
Mary's consciousness awakened many times in the series, usually in an extreme situation where her power was needed. The first time was when the Elsa was attacked by Gnosis in Xenosaga I, KOS-MOS didn't understand what was happening to her and said "Will feeling pain make me complete?" and then used her X-Buster to absorb a whole Gnosis fleet, astonishing Shion and all those who saw it, as this ability was not in her original function. chaos in the Animation adaption of this part is shown as the one who allowed Mary to access her full power.
The second time was at the end of the same game, when she saved the Elsa from being incinerated. She met chaos before to turn into her blue-eyed state. He tells her to wait, but she answers "Relinquish your pain, unto me.", which chaos, surprised, recognizes immediately as being words Mary said him when she was still alive. He once more used his own power to fully awaken Mary's consciousness, protecting the Elsa from being destroyed and materializing gigantic ethereal wings on KOS-MOS.
She made only one appearance in Xenosaga II, hearing Shion calling for help and her power allowing KOS-MOS to activate even without any battery, she used her powers combined with those of ES Dinah to destroy the fleet attacking Shion and saved her from being destroyed by Voyager in his ES. After, Mary's consciousness didn't awake again until the first meeting with T-elos.
After retrieving Mary's body, Wilhelm feared Mary's consciousness had changed inside of KOS-MOS and was not the original Mary any more, he then ordered the creation of a "clean" vessel using Mary's body. T-elos was then created, with the purpose to destroy and absorb KOS-MOS, thus awakening as the true Mary.
T-elos confronted KOS-MOS at Rennes-le-Château and defeated her. At that moment, Shion had a vision of Mary appearing instead of T-elos, surrounded by a shining environment but with a sad face. When T-elos tried to destroy KOS-MOS, Shion intercepted her pendant glowing and awakening Mary's consciousness. Thus saving KOS-MOS and transporting them into Shion's subconscious. Mary's power latter allowed the fourth version of KOS-MOS to start when when Voyager threatened Shion.
[edit] Resurrection
In the underground of Michtam, Shion collapsed when they arrive at a sealed door before awakening at Rennes-le-Chateau, where she saw chaos with his clothes from the Ancient Time looking at Mary's casket. Shion opens it to see Mary, then has visions of Mary and Yeshua in the ancient time. First, both of them were listening to the Messiah with others disciple. Secondly, Mary on her knees behind Yeshua who was at a door and Shion felt Mary's sadness and anger. Then, Mary holding a dead body and at the end Mary crying. Shion hugs Mary, and wakes in Michtam with a blue-eyed KOS-MOS.
There, T-elos appeared and revealed KOS-MOS's true identity. She tried to destroy KOS-MOS to absorb her, but failed and was absorbed by KOS-MOS instead. At this point, KOS-MOS, was not Mary. Even though her blue-eyed form said to Shion just before attacking T-elos that she was Mary and not Mary at the same time. Kevin later stated that KOS-MOS was a failure, considering she didn't awake Mary's will like it was originally.
[edit] Rejection of the Reccurence
Mary/KOS-MOS rejected Wilhelm's will when she protected Allen from being killed by Kevin, claiming Wilhelm's will was irrelevant to her. Astonishing Kevin and bringing Shion to their side after she sided with Kevin. In Zarathustra's room, Mary/KOS-MOS was unable to disobey Wilhelm's order, and gave him the pendant he needed to give her for Shion to not suffer eternally. But, KOS-MOS destroyed the pendant before giving it to him, rejecting the Eternal Reccurence and stated that her name is not Mary, but KOS-MOS, her eyes becoming Red. At this point it's unknown if both Mary and KOS-MOS exist in the same body as two separate entities and KOS-MOS took over her body, if Mary gave her power over the body, or if KOS-MOS is Mary having renamed herself KOS-MOS having changed her personality and possibly having merged with KOS-MOS's OS.
Mary's will unified Anima and gave it back to chaos, then gave Animus power to Nephilim. KOS-MOS sacrificed herself in order to protect chaos and Nephilim while they worked. Her body was seen drifting near Lost Jerusalem at the end, hearing chaos to tell her to "Sleep well."
[edit] Appearance
Mary looks like a young woman between 18 or 21-years-old, and looks a little like KOS-MOS and T-elos, though arguably her facial features are more similar to KOS-MOS's. Like T-elos her skin is brown but her hair is brown which is an inversion of T-elos' white. Her eyes are blue which is her trademark when her consciousness awakes in KOS-MOS.
Mary always wears a clear blue gown, and is the only character from the scene of the old Lost Jerusalem to not wear the same things as Yeshua. Even though they come from the same place, her skin is slightly darker than his.
[edit] Relationship
[edit] Shion Uzuki
Shion is the Maiden of Mary. Nephilim states that her existence is vital to her during Xenosaga I, and latter speaks of how close they were, laughing and crying together. They were always together in Lost Jerusalem, and both of them are necessary to fully use the Animus, Shion being an Animus resonant consciousness. Sadly, Shion died in front of Mary and she couldn't do anything to save her. Mary still regrets this event even after her revival in KOS-MOS.
Shion was also necessary for Mary's consciousness to awaken inside of KOS-MOS, thus Wilhelm orchestrated the events leading up to Shion becoming the one in charge of the KOS-MOS Project to create a special link between herself and KOS-MOS. KOS-MOS always protected Shion during the game, it was the only thing that no order given to her could change, at first this was due to orders from Kevin, but eventually also due to Mary's consciousness.
[edit] Yeshua
Yeshua, the wielder of Anima, now known as chaos, was described as being close to Mary. There are many speculations on the nature of their relationship, the most common being that of a lover. Though there is also speculation that they were like siblings. Nephilim says Mary is vital not only to Shion, but to chaos as well when they dive in KOS-MOS's encephalon. Wilhelm, trying to get Mary's support after KOS-MOS destroyed the pendant, says that in refusing the recurrence even Yeshua will die and asks if she really wants that.
They both followed the man known as the Messiah in the ancient past, thinking his ideas were the best for humanity. Which was dangerous since it quickly activated Anima due to the Apostle. After failing with Zarathustra Mary divided Yeshua's power when they almost activated and destroyed the lower domain. As a result, she lost her powers and died shortly after having done this.
Yeshua immediately sees Mary in KOS-MOS the first time they met, while KOS-MOS notices he is not a human being. In the animation it is hinted he is the one allowing KOS-MOS to use her full power, Mary's Animus, to destroy the Gnosis. Right before she saves the Elsa from being burnt, she says to him in passing "Relinquish your pain, unto me", something that chaos recognizes as being Mary Magdalene's word.
[edit] Wilhelm
He is the one who persecuted her and her friends Lost Jerusalem. Even though they were enemies their purpose ultimately is the same and they don't seem to have hatred for each other. Wilhelm was convinced Mary would start Eternal Recurrence, likely based on her desire to protect the universe and the Recurrence being the only apparent way. But KOS-MOS stepped in and stopped the Recurrence from starting.
[edit] Personality
Little is known, but from what we can see, her personality is caring, nice, and gentle. She wants to protect those she loves and the universe above all. It is possibly why Wilhelm is convinced Mary will start the Eternal Reccurence, because he would think it's the only way to save the universe. Not doing it would lead to Shion and Yeshua's death.
[edit] Trivia
- The music heard during Mary's past is Hepatica #2 and is Hepatica (KOS-MOS) when T-elos is ultimately fought.
- The flowers surrounding her when Shion sees her crying are "Cosmos", the same flower having served to name KOS-MOS.
- Due to T-elos's inverted hair having the color of Mary's, she can be symbolism of an Anti-Mary.
