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Providence's first form.
Providence is the main antagonist in Bravely Second: End Layer.
Profile[]
Appearance[]
In his first form, Providence resembles a magpie with a long black royal robe with white ribbons floating around it and white feathers collectively surrounding the rim and bottom of the robe. He also has fully functional arms instead of wings, and purple eyes. In his second form, he resembles a black, upside-down eye of providence pyramid with purple lines of energy going through it. It is unknown if this is his true form, or merely a form used to defeat the heroes of light.
Personality[]
Providence manipulates others to feed on their despair to become more powerful. Like Ouroboros, Providence is extremely self-centered, believing his divine status gives him ample authority to do as he pleases and toy with the lives of people while utterly disregarding the damage he does and, in fact, enjoying the despair he brings altogether.
He is disgusted with hope, as the lingering feelings of Vega towards Altair and Luxendarc repulsed him enough to cause him to destroy it in order to rid himself of that hope, even going as far as to call hope "stench". Due to this, Providence bears great hatred towards the people of the Moon for interfering with the Ba'als he sends to destroy Luxendarc.
Seemingly omniscient, he is able to sense the "other will" (the player) controlling the heroes, and begins to have them questioning their freedom before directly talking to the player. Then, in an extension of his ability to monopolize everything around him, Providence takes control of the Player and forces them to act against their wills to the point of nearly erasing themselves (deleting the game data).
By the end of the battle Providence is ironically given his own first taste of despair as he faces his death- in spite of the fact that he fed upon the despair of people, thus condensing his indifference towards other lives, the feeling was alien to him until now.
Story[]
Not much is known of Providence's past except that he is served by Anne, having taken the soul of the Celestial Being known as Vega to nourish himself on the feelings of despair she suffered from being left behind in the Celestial Realm. Though vexed by Vega's hope that that she would be reunited with Altair, Providence decides to destroy Luxendarc so he can plunge her into utter despair.
Providence sends Anne to Luxendarc to guide the Ba'als he created from Vega's memories to the world so they can ravage it in preparation for his coming. As time passed, Anne orchestrated the demise of the threat against him posed by Ouroboros. Providence's chance to enter Luxendarc presents itself when Anne finds the Great Chasm and recreates the link connecting the world to the Celestial Realm.
When confronted by Yew Geneolgia's group, Providence uses Vega's sorrow to replenish himself. The presence of Altair, Vega's lover and the Celestial Being trapped inside Tiz's body, causes Providence's hold over Vega to waver before he is defeated. With Vega unbound from him, Providence assumes his true form to face the group as they are about to leave. During this final battle, breaking the fourth wall, Providence reveals the actions of Yew's group were orchestrated by another being (the player) and attempts to erase it. Yew uses the SP hourglass to activate a Bravely Second to free the being from Providence's control before he and the others destroy Providence, who dies understanding the despair he thrived on firsthand.
Gameplay[]
Providence is the final boss and is fought in the final chapter.
Musical themes[]
Providence's theme is "Dark Aurora", which was originally the theme of Ouroboros and the Dark Aurora in Bravely Default. His boss theme is the "Battle with Providence."
Gallery[]
Etymology[]
Template:Etym This plays in Providence's ability to manipulate the actions of others to suit his needs.
Trivia[]
- Providence is heavily based on the Eye of Providence, the all-seeing eye.
- Both of Providence's forms resemble that of icons of American currency: the first form is a bird, and the second form is an all-seeing eye. Seeing how Providence himself is an evil being, this could be symbolizing that money is corrupting humanity.
- Also his second form seems to be based on the Illuminati. His attack New World Order seems to reinforce this idea.
- In the tale of Tanabata upon which much of Altair and Vega's backstory is built upon, they are reunited by a bridge of magpies across the star Deneb, which may explain Providence's first form.
- When Providence addresses the player directly during the final boss fight, he addresses them in the same speech box as tutorial pop-ups.