Lacking direct ties to the Dawnservant, this vainglorious two-headed claimant earned his place in the rite of succession by triumphing in a martial tournament. He is loudly contemptuous of other peoples—his derision of "inferior" one-heads extending even to his fellow Mamool Ja.
Official website description[1]
Bakool Ja Ja is a non-playable character in Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail. He serves as an antagonist for the first half of the story, and as a supporting character afterwards.
History[]
Bakool Ja Ja was born in Mamook to a Boonewa father Zereel Ja and Hoobigo mother Milaal Ja. For decades, the Mamool Ja living in Mamook have placed their hopes in the birth of two-headed blessed siblings due to their great strength both physical and magical. A successful birth of the blessed siblings is rare and many of the infants die. When Bakool Ja Ja's birth was a success, Zereel Ja in particular put all of his hopes on him, grooming him to become the future ruler of Tuliyollal so that the Mamool Ja could reclaim their position as the dominant race in Tural. When Gulool Ja Ja founded Tuliyollal, many Mamool Ja moved to live in the new capital, but those who remained in Mamook clung to the hope of the blessed siblings, which many Turali saw sickening.
When Gulool Ja Ja decided to hold a rite of succession for the throne of Tuliyollal, he named his three children as claimants, but to make the rite truly equal, he held a tournament whose the winner would be named as the fourth claimant. Bakool Ja Ja won the tournament and received the honor, although Gulool Ja Ja was not satisfied, knowing what the Mamool Ja of Mamook were really trying. Naturally, Bakool Ja Ja bears very few actual supporters for his bid for the throne, save for a few devoted Mamool Ja.
When the rite began, Bakool Ja Ja boasted about his superiority, claiming they were the only suitable claimant as blessed siblings. In his first feat with the Hanuhanu, which was to save their reed harvest, he attempted to sabotage Wuk Lamat's efforts, but was stopped. Though Alisaie Leveilleur branded the blessed siblings as cheats, he nevertheless completed the feat by acquiring a sample of an elixir Koana used on the reeds.
Heading towards the next feat with the Moblins in Earthenshire, Bakool Ja Ja crippled Wuk Lamat's vessel at Ihuykatyama, gaining a head start. During the actual feat, which was to find and bring an artisan as their potsworn, Bakool Ja Ja attempted steal the artisan Zoraal Ja had acquired, but Zoraal Ja beat him easily. Out of advice by Zoraal Ja's retainer, Sareel Ja, he spared Bakool Ja Ja and spurred him to capture Wuk Lamat and steal her keystones. Hiring local bandits, he had Wuk Lamat captured and taken to Ihuykatyama. Thanks to the efforts of Koana, the Warrior of Light, and their allies, Wuk Lamat was rescued, but Bakool Ja Ja was able to steal one of Wuk Lamat's keystones.
The rite continued to Urqopacha with the Yok Huy. When all three other claimants climbed atop Worqor Zormor, Bakool Ja Ja entered the prison of Valigarmanda, the Skyruin, frozen in its own ice, that Gulool Ja Ja and his companions had accomplished eighty years ago. To get an advantage, Bakool Ja Ja did the opposite, and launched a fire spell so hot it melted Valigarmanda's prison and it escaped. Other claimants and their allies eliminated the beast, this awarding Wuk Lamat, Koana, and Zoraal Ja keystones, something Bakool Ja Ja lacked. When his competition had completed five feats, he had completed only two plus the third keystone he stole from Wuk Lamat.
In the next rite Iq'Braax in Yak T'el, Bakool Ja Ja was paired with Zoraal Ja, much to his annoyance. The goal was to prepare xibruq pibil, a dish significant in its history. While Wuk Lamat and Koana succeeded with flying colors, Bakool Ja Ja and Zoraal Ja failed, since their creation lacked a key ingredient. Neither received a keystone.
Before the feat, Bakool Ja Ja had the path to Mamook blocked. After failing the feat, he had one of his underlings shadow the Warrior of Light, who overheard the elector Hunmu Rruk reveal that Wuk Lamat was his birth daughter, given to Gulool Ja Ja after an incident, where she was nearly killed, and the elector asked the Warrior to protect her. Using this information, Bakool Ja Ja kidnapped Hunmu Rruk, attempting to use him as a leverage to claim Wuk Lamat's keystones. Instead, Wuk Lamat and the Warrior aggravated Bakool Ja Ja into a fight, where Wuk Lamat defeated him and his lackeys single-handedly and reclaimed her stolen keystone. Bakool Ja Ja ran off in shame.
He appeared in Mamook, disappointed for having won only two keystones. His father Zareel Ja was annoyed but claimed he could easily take the other keystones. Bakool Ja Ja admitted he could not defeat Wuk Lamat, which caused Zereel Ja to angrily banish him.
Bakool Ja Ja retreated to the place where he had gone every time he cried. His mother, Milaal Ja, led Wuk Lamat and her retinue there. He thought Wuk Lamat had come to laugh at him, but Milaal Ja asked for their help to put a stop to Mamook's folly of relying on blessed siblings. Milaal Ja asked Bakool Ja Ja to tell them the price they paid to sire blessed siblings. Many of the siblings die as infants, only about one in a hundred survive. For Bakool Ja Ja, this had manifested as survivor's guilt, since so many siblings had died so that he might live. He wished he had never been born. Setting her anger against Bakool Ja Ja aside, Wuk Lamat said he was not to blame; rather, those who aimed their hopes on the blessed siblings were. Wuk Lamat asked Bakool Ja Ja what he really wanted, and he answered he wanted it to end, no more death. Wuk Lamat promised to help Mamook break this sickening tradition. Bakool Ja Ja gave her retinue his scales as a show of trust, since people of Mamook did not interact with outsiders. Wuk Lamat said that Bakool Ja Ja was not a full alpaca's arse, making him laugh.
Wuk Lamat and her retinue gathered people of Mamook and she recruited the help of Koana to solve the issue. All the people were putting their hopes on blessed siblings, since their homeland had problems considering the land itself: nothing except Ja Tiika bananas grew well enough. Putting the skills learned in Sharlayan to use, Koana and Alphinaud Leveilleur determined that the soil in Ja Tiika Heartland was abundantly fertile, but inhospitable to many plants. They had a simple solution: import suitable seeds from Sharlayan to be farmed in Mamook, providing better sustenance.
After Wuk Lamat won the rite and became the next Dawnservant, Bakool Ja Ja watched her ascension speech and how she named Koana as a second Dawnservant. He still refused to face Wuk Lamat, telling his parents he was not ready.
Bakool Ja Ja fought for Tuliyollal when Zoraal Ja attacked with Alexandrian armies, holding the fort while telling Wuk Lamat, the Warrior of Light, and others to go to the palace and help Gulool Ja Ja. Bakool Ja Ja was saddened to hear of Gulool Ja Ja's death at the hands of his son. He remained to defend Tuliyollal, while Wuk Lamat and the Warrior led the Turali against Zoraal Ja. He once again defended Tuliyollal with honor when Zoraal Ja resumed the invasion, and was instrumental in driving them back. Afterwards, he became a member of the Landsguard, applying his strengths to guard Tuliyollal.
Characteristics[]
Appearance[]
Personality[]
His right head, Bakool the Mighty, is the dominant half while the left head, Bakool the Mystic, is subservient to his brother. As a whole, Bakool Ja Ja views himself in high regard as per his kind's tradition that twin-headed Mamool Ja are "blessed siblings". Using his status as a two-headed Mamool Ja to elevate himself above others at every opportunity, he spurns any other faction or race, including his own kin, showing distaste for one-headed Mamool Ja. Bakool Ja Ja is arrogant and overconfident when facing his opponents, leading more skilled, level-headed, and experienced foes to easily defeat him, wounding his pride. He also shows some prejudice towards other races, having been constantly told that as blessed siblings, they were superior to everyone around him. This prejudice stems from his father, Zereel Ja, who aspires to see the Mamool Ja be the dominant race in Tural. Despite his arrogance, Bakool Ja Ja has enough perception to notice and acknowledge the threat of some of his opponents, such as the Warrior of Light, believing them to be more of a problem to his efforts than Wuk Lamat herself.
Relying on his brute strength and cheap tactics, he puts little thought into tasks for the keystones in the competition for the Rite of Succession, continuing with the knowledge that he could take the keystones from the other claimants by force. This makes him heavily disliked and viewed with contempt by the other claimants. Wuk Lamat observed that Bakool Ja Ja had enough skill to win the competition had he been more confident in his own skills rather than resorting to dirty tactics.
His obsession to claim the throne by any means necessary results in him breaking down when his tactics fail, as shown when he is thwarted by Wuk Lamat, which prompts him to run away in panic. This obsession stems from his circumstances as a two-headed Mamool Ja, with mounting pressure placed on him by the people of his home and their struggles. Bakool Ja Ja's efforts in the contest were merely a means for Bakool to prove his worth and validate his "blessed" status.
He is aware and remorseful towards the tragic nature of two-headed Mamool Ja, although the apparent dire circumstances of his home prevent him from seeing any other recourse. Bakool Ja Ja displays a strong level of survivor's guilt, not wanting to fail not only to help his people, but also ensure that his siblings' deaths were not in vain. When Wuk Lamat and her party confronts Bakool Ja Ja's truth, Bakool Ja Ja shows he is genuinely remorseful while also fully aware that it would be near impossible for anyone to forgive his actions. When Mamook is shown that they can still prosper in their environment, their opinions towards "blessed siblings" changes significantly, resulting in Bakool Ja Ja being more receptive to peace and understanding with his burden being lifted.
Etymology[]
Bakool Ja Ja is named after Strifelord Bakool Ja, a Notorious Monster from Final Fantasy XI.