An Evildoer's Mind: A Different Look at Kefka
             In the land of super villains, one never questions the motives of the 'bad guy.' It has always been assumed that evil ones in literature, television, and the gaming world had no motivation for their activities. It is simply something they did. However, something's got to be going on up there. In an attempt to explain why the bad guys do what they do, I decided to take a look at a decidedly evil character: Kefka from the hit game series Final Fantasy.
             Through careful study (and many hours of gameplay) of Kefka in various situations of the game, I have come to the conclusion that Kefka suffers from what psychology calls an antisocial disorder. In short, he is a major psychopath. He constantly lies to everyone (including his fellow officers), he kills without remorse, and manipulates anyone he can use to his advantage.
             At one point in the game, Kefka and General Leo (who work for the Empire) are attacking a rebel kingdom's castle. Both generals find that the castle is impenetrable to infantry attacks, so in an effort to route the enemy, Kefka suggests poison. General Leo remarks that the rebels hold Empire soldiers as captives, but Kefka insists. General Leo (in charge at the time) receives a 'summons' from the Emperor a short time later and leaves Kefka in charge of the attack. The summons was actually a ruse used by Kefka to gain control of the attack. He then proceeds to gas the inhabitants of the castle. Not only does he lie to General Leo, but he murders every person in the castle, including his own soldiers.
             The Empire's main goal in the game is to gain control of a set of three statues which are the source of all magical energy in the world. After the incident with Doma (the rebel castle), Gestahl (the emperor) has Kefka imprisoned, but Kefka uses his wit and charm to convince Gestahl that siding with the r...