Overview
The previous captain of the Order of the Knights of Dalmasca, Basch is falsely branded a traitor and held captive by the Archadian Empire. Freed by Vaan and his party, he now helps Ashe, the princess of Dalmasca, in a quest to regain her kingdom.
Final Fantasy XII
Basch is first introduced at the beginning of Final Fantasy XII, when Reks ( Vaan’s elder brother) appears to witness him kill the King of Dalmasca. We are later told that Basch was executed by Marquis Ondore and Ashe, the Dalmascan Princess, committed suicide in response to this event. It later transpires both Basch and Ashe are very much alive: Ashe secretly leading the rebels against the Arcadians, while Basch rots away in the dungeon of Nalbina.
Basch is eventually rescued by Vaan's party, but regarded by many as a traitor. From then on, he swears his allegiance to protect Ashe and support the resistance movement. However, it is later revealed that it was Basch’s twin brother Noah, now known as Judge Gabranth, who slew the king.
After the final battle, a dying Noah convinces Basch to take his place as Judge and act as protector for Larsa Solidor. The population at large still believes Basch is dead, so he takes on Noah's name and position.
In Revenant Wings, Larsa sends Basch to represent the Empire in dealing with the Judge of Wings.
Development
Square Enix producers revealed in interviews that Basch was originally envisaged as the main character for Final Fantasy XII. However, plans were altered after the poor sales performance of Vagrant Story, a game which also featured a strong older man in the lead. The character of Vaan, (a young boy very similar to previous Final Fantasy heroes such as Tidus) was developed in order to ease fears of rejection by their demographic.
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