Mary Magdalene
From Xenosaga Wiki
Mary Magdalene is 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 and 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 shares a close relationship with Shion Uzuki and chaos.
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[edit] Background
[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.
Mary is the human incarnation in the real number domain 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.
[edit] Lost Jerusalem Era
Mary and Yeshua went on Earth in extremely ancient era and worked as disciple for the one known as the Messiah. They were all, Mary, Yeshua, the Messiah and their follower 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.
Mary is also the one behind the construction of Zarathustra, she wanted to use it in order to save the universe from destruction, but she failed. Zarathustra ended up falling in Wilhelm's hands.
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. 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 was helpless to save Shion, 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. People who cared for Mary chose 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] In Xenosaga
Wilhelm, in order to start the Eternal Reccurence, needed the power of Animus. In order to do this, he needed two elements : the body of Mary resting at Rennes-le-Chateau and the Maiden of Mary's reincarnation. The reincarnation is Shion, she's needed for Mary to fully use her power and also so she would be able to revive Mary's consciousness after being scattered through the UMN. The body is needed for when she fully revives.
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, being the co creator of KOS-MOS. Mary's consciousness awakes sometime, and can be seen by KOS-MOS's eyes turning Blue, like Mary's eyes. During those moments KOS-MOS is emotional and has even greater power.
Although, 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, and then T-elos was created, with for purpose to destroy and absorb KOS-MOS, thus awakening as the true Mary.
Mary's consciousness awakened many times in the series. The first time is when the Elsa was attacked by Gnosis in Xenosaga I, KOS-MOS didn't understand what was happening to her and said the word "Will feeling pain make me complete?" and then used her X-Buster to absorb a whole Gnosis army. The second time is at the end of the same game, when she saves the Elsa from being incinerated. She makes only one apparition in Xenosaga II, saving Shion from being destroyed by Voyager in his ES. In Xenosaga III, the consciousness awakens when KOS-MOS is near destroyed by T-elos in Rennes-le-Chateau, saving her, then at Michtam before the second fight against T-elos.
There, T-elos tries to destroy KOS-MOS to absorb her, but fails and is absorbed by KOS-MOS instead. At this point, KOS-MOS, who was not Mary yet even though blue eyed said to Shion just before attacking T-elos that she is Mary and not Mary at the same time. Kevin will state that KOS-MOS is a failure, considering she didn't awake Mary's will like it was originally. Indeed, KOS-MOS' will rejects Eternal Reccurence and state that her name is not Mary, but KOS-MOS, her eyes becoming Red. It's at this point, unknown if both Mary and KOS-MOS exists in the same body, or if KOS-MOS is the merging of Mary and her original OS.
KOS-MOS sacrifices herself in order to protect chaos and Nephilim making their necessary work. Her body is seen deriving near Lost Jerusalem at the end, hearing chaos to tell her to "Sleep well."
[edit] Relationship
[edit] Shion Uzuki
Shion is the Maiden of Mary. Nephilim states that her existence is vital to her during Xenosaga I. They were always together at Lost Jerusalem era, also both of them are necessary to use the Animus. Sadly, Shion died in front of Mary and Mary could do nothing to save her. Mary still regret this event even after her death.
Shion was also necessary for Mary's consciousness to awake inside of KOS-MOS, thus Wilhelm has made what was needed for Shion become the one in charge of the KOS-MOS Project, and so a special link created between KOS-MOS and Shion. KOS-MOS always protected Shion during the game, it was the only thing that no order given to her could change.
[edit] Yeshua
Yeshua, the wielder of Anima, was described as being close to Mary. There is many speculation on the nature of their relationship, from a brother/sister relation to a lover one. They both followed the man known as the Messiah.
Yeshua's power being near to activate and destroy the lower domain, Mary divided his power and then died. Yeshua immediately sees Mary in KOS-MOS the first time they met, while KOS-MOS noticed he was not a human being. In the animation it is hinted he is the one allowing to KOS-MOS to use her full power to destroy the Gnosis when she is in blue eyed mode he first time. Right before she saves the Elsa from being burnt, she says to him in passing "Relinquish your pain, unto me", that chaos recognize as being Mary Magdalene's word.
[edit] Wilhelm
He is the one who persecuted her and her friends at Lost Jerusalem era. Even though they were enemy, Wilhelm was convinced Mary would start Eternal Reccurence, likely basing on her will to protect the universe and the reccurence being the only apparent way. But KOS-MOS stepped in and stopped the reccurence from starting.
[edit] Personality
Few is known, but from what we can see, her personality is caring, nice, gentle. She wants protect those she loves and the universe above all. It is possibly why Wilhelm is convinced Mary will start the Eternal Reccurence, because she would think it's the only way to save the universe, not doing it would lead to Shion and Yeshua's death, definitely.
