
Originally Posted by
Shadotterdan
Echidna is also known as the mother of monsters in a lot of references I've seen.
Also, theory on how Ferdiad died. His hide may not be penetrated, but he could still be beaten to death.
Well, yes... Echidna was the mate of Typhon, a beast so terrible Zeus had to personally step in and defeat him. The two spawned many of Greek myth's horrible monsters.
As for Ferdiad... it's not that it's unknown, just kind of... err... takes context and is a bit gruesome.
In mythology, the Gae Bolg is super deadly not because of its quality as a weapon, but because it could kill from a single scratch. After piercing the opponent, the Gae Bolg would spread no less than thirty barbs through its victim, killing them instantly. (Could also only be thrown with the toes, but I digress.)
Since Ferdiad's hide was impenetrable, Cu Chulainn instead gave his foster brother an unwanted rectoscopy - he shoved the Gae Bolg up Ferdiad's ass, triggering its enchantment and killing him.
Let's continue, ehh...
PRIMALS
Ifrit: high-ranking, dangerous djinni from Arabian myth.
Titan: progenitors of the gods from Greek myth.
Garuda: avian creature (bird, birdlike creature, or humanoid bird) that serves as Vishnu's mount.
Leviathan: a sea monster from the Bible. Identified as the patron demon of the sin of Envy in some works.
Ramuh: unknown, possibly derived from Rama, hero of the Ramayana and incarnation of Vishnu.
Shiva: creator and destroyer deity of Hinduism.
Ravana: ten-headed demon king of Hindu myth. Could not be killed except by mortal hands, which is why Vishnu incarnated into Rama.
Bismarck: named after Otto von Bismarck, a Prussian statesman who was instrumental in unifying Germany, or the World War II era ship which bore his name and was sunk after only one offensive operation.
Lakshmi: Vishnu's wife in Hindu myth; goddess of wealth.
Susano (Susano'o, Susano-o): Japanese god of storms. Full name "Takehaya Susano'o no Mikoto." One of three gods born along with his sister Amaterasu and brother Tsukuyomi when Izanagi cleansed himself after journeying into Yomi, the underworld.
Manipulator: a robotics term for a device used to move things without direct contact.
Brute Justice and components: a big shout-out to Transformers, specifically the Decepticon combiner Bruticus. Each component of Brute Justice uses a slightly modified name of one of Bruticus' components and assembles exactly the same way (Onslaught is the head and torso of Bruticus, Onslaughter is the head and torso of Brute Justice, etc); Brute Justice is stated to "lack autonomy" by his Triple Triad card, much like Bruticus is very dumb.
Cruise Chaser: designation Blassty. A reference to an early and obscure Squaresoft game, Cruise Chaser Blassty, which was also the inspiration for IX's Ark summon, hence why the two share many moves.
Arrhidaeus: half-brother of Alexander the Great who went with him on his conquests. Became a figurehead king after Alexander's death.
Alexander: Macedonian king who conquered a massive empire, which largely fell apart after his death. Literally means "protector of man," which likely contributed to his depiction as the "Holy" summon in the franchise and status as the sole unambiguously benevolent primal in-story.
Sephirot: emanations of the Kabbalah.
Sophia: lit. "wisdom" in Greek.
Zurvan: creator god of an extinct branch of Zoroastrianism, who came before Angra Mainyu and Ahura Mazda.
Bahamut: gigantic fish that supports the Earth in Arabian myth.
Odin: a major deity of the Norse pantheon.
CRYSTAL TOWER
Thanatos: Greek god of death. Generally peaceful despite contemporary depictions.
(King) Behemoth: another gigantic monster from Christianity.
Acheron / Phlegethon: rivers that flowed into Hades, the Underworld, in Greek myth.
Scylla: a sea monster from Greek myth, situated opposite her counterpart Charybdis on a narrow naval channel, making approach extremely hazardous.
Glasya Labolas: one of the 72 demons from the Lesser Key of Solomon.
Amon: patron deity of Thebes, and a major god in Egyptian myth. Alternatively, another of the 72 demons from the Lesser Key.
Angra Mainyu: essentially the Zoroastrian equivalent to the Devil.
Cerberus: Hades' guard dog from Greek myth.
CELESTIAL DRAGONS
Midgardsormr: "Midgard Serpent." One of Loki's three children from Norse myth. A serpent so massive it is capable of encircling the Earth (Midgard) and biting its own tail; archenemy of Thor.
Hraesvelgr: "Corpse Swallower." A giant from Norse myth that took the form of an eagle, who caused the wind to blow when he beat his wings.
Nidhogg: "Malice Striker." A dragon from Norse myth who lives beneath Yggdrasill, the world tree, and gnaws at its roots.
Ratatoskr: "Drill Tooth." A squirrel from Norse myth that carries messages between Nidhogg and an eagle perched atop Yggdrasill.
Bahamut: see Primals.
Tiamat: a primordial sea goddess from Mesopotamian myth.
For a more general appearance...
Atomos: Greek for "undivided." Likely a reference to atoms, the building block of real-world matter.
Aether: the "fifth element" in some ancient alchemical beliefs. Believed to be the air the gods breathed, associated with the heavens and emptiness.
Einhander: German for "one-hander." A reference to a PS1 era Squaresoft game of the same name, this boss uses a gimmick similar to that game's.