Margie Fatima

Margie Fatima

The saying goes, “Behind every great man, there’s a great woman.” In the case of Xenogears videogame character Bart Fatima, that woman is a girl. Her name is Marguerite Fatima. She’s his cousin.

Margie isn’t any ordinary little girl. She’s the Nisan Mother, leader of the Nisan religion. Like Bart she’s the last living members of the Aveh monarchy (of which Bart is the deposed Crown Prince). She ascended to the position when her mother and grandmother were murdered during current despot Shakhan’s coup of the Aveh monarchy. Yet even at the tender age of ten, Margie handles her responsibility with astounding grace.

Margie’s one tough little girl. It is clear upon her return to Nisan (after being kidnapped by Shakhan’s forces) that she wants to break down and cry. Instead puts on a cheery front and teases Bart in front of main protagonist Fei Fong Wong. From that moment on, Margie becomes a member of the Xenogears team. She doesn’t fight in battle; instead she is the designated “party-changer.” The player has to talk to her to switch playable characters into the current battle party. This means the player will constantly interact with her, solidifying her position as a true ally.

Her relationship with Bart is more complex. In the days after Shakhan’s coup, Bart withstood torture to protect her. Thus, Margie constantly feels like she owes Bart for his protection, and bemoans the fact that she doesn’t have the strength to stand by his side and help him. Thus she often puts herself in danger in order to even the score. Her second kidnapping by Shakhan resulted from such a venture.

On the other hand, Margie is one of Bart’s true friends. Thanks to their responsibilities and social obligations, they’re uniquely suited to understand the other’s burdens. Their playful, almost bickering banter is an example of how relaxed they are in the other’s company. Margie’s always quick to point out Bart’s mistakes, and regularly admonishes him for his immaturity. Save for Bart’s minders Sigurd and Maison, Margie’s the only one to gets away with such chiding.

Margie also acts as Bart’s emotional mediator. Bart has a notable problem with expressing his emotions. Of particular note is his difficulty to apologize (something he does regularly due to his impulsive nature). Oftimes Margie explains Bart’s feelings to those he’s indirectly wronged.

For every great man, there is a great woman standing at his side. Margie Fatima is that woman. She shoulders the responsibility of being her religion’s leader with a maturity beyond her years. She has the incredible ability of being the Nisan Mother, yet is able to find friendship in her followers. To the nuns of Nisan, she is Margie first and the Nisan Mother second. Her responsibilities makes her the perfect person to understand Bart’s predicament as the Crown Prince, which is why the two are best friends. You can’t ask for a better friend than Margie Fatima. You just can’t.

Sigurd Harcount

Sigurd Harcourt

Of all the supporting characters in the Xenogears videogame, Sigurd Harcount carries a heavy role. Sigurd is the first mate of the sand cruiser Yggdrasil. But he’s also the minder and teacher of desert pirate Bart Fatima. But Bart isn’t any old desert pirate. He’s actually the Crown Prince of Aveh, deposed by Solaris (the game’s antagonistic empire) emissary Shakhan. Just like Bart, Sigurd has a few secrets of his own.

Like many other characters, Sigurd’s past involve Solarian machinations. Solaris has a habit to abduct the earthbound population for manual labor and various experiments. Sigurd was taken for the latter reason. Brainwashed into Solarian service, Sigurd made his way through Jugend, Solaris’ prestigious military academy. Together with fellow cadets Jesiah Black, Kahran Ramsus, and Hyuga Ricdeau, he creates the elite “Element” unit; the cream of the Jugend crop. He would have been Solaris’ rising star if it weren’t for one little thing: Shakhan’s coup of the Aveh nation.

News of Bart’s impeding fate at Shakhan’s hands breaks Sigurd’s brainwashing. He arrives to the surface world just in time to save Bart and his cousin Margie from a grisly death. From thereon he dedicates his life to free Aveh from Shakhan’s grasp and see Bart as the King Aveh deserves (a task made difficult because of Bart’s impulsive nature).

Fast forward several game hours. Sigurd and company escort Bart to the Nisan Mausoleum – the burial grounds for past Aveh kings – in order to retrieve the all-powerful Omnigear of ancient Aveh legend. Though regularly sealed by the Fatima Jasper (the retina imprints of the Aveh dynasty) Shakhan plans to use the eyes of Margie’s deceased mother to open the seal. Bart and company must race against time to keep the Omnigear from Shakhan’s hands.

Given that Bart only has one eye (due to an unexplained accident), he needs Margie to open the seals. But the worst happens: Shakhan has been waiting in secret, using the threat of his plan to trick Bart into opening the seals for him. Margie makes a beeline toward the hangar in order to operate the Omnigear. But the door is re-sealed before Bart can follow. Without Margie to provide the additional retina scan, the group is locked out of the hangar.

It’s then that Sigurd’s final secret comes to light. He volunteers to take Margie’s place at the retina scanner: and it works. The seal can only be unlocked with the eyes of the Aveh dynasty, and it works. Sigurd is more than Bart’s teacher. He’s his half-brother.

Sigurd’s had a torrid history: abduction, brainwashing, servitude. But his loyalty to Bart and his homeland was enough to break the brainwashing. It’s heartwarming, actually. If a videogame character was able to transcend a crippling tragedy, maybe it can inspire real people to do the same.