Character Analysis: The Judge

 "Hence nothing remains, except for our regrets."

Note: This character analysis will contain major spoilers for OFF, including it's ending. If you are at all interested in experiencing the game for yourself, please do so before reading this blog.

Terminology: Like many RPGs, OFF uses a system where one uses up a limited pool of "points" to perform more powerful abilities. In OFF, these are called competence points (CP), and will be referred to as such throughout this blog. There is also a statistic called "Espirit" in OFF, this refers to how effective a competence is (Higher Espirit = more damage and healing from competences).

OFF also has a multitude of status effects that one can utilize and defend against. These include:

• Mute: Disables use of the target's abilities
• Blind: Greatly reduces the target's accuracy
• Poison: Continuously damages a target in the following turns
• Palsy: Applies paralysis on a target, rendering them unable to perform attacks
• Sleep: Renders a target asleep
• Madness: Target attacks itself and other party members
• Furious: Target attacks at random and ignores input
• Hasty: Target's battle meter refills quicker (faster attacks)

Background

• Real Name: Pablo
• Height: Unknown
• Weight: Unknown
• Age: Unknown
• Guardian of Zone 0 (presumably)
• Guide for The Batter and The Puppeteer
• Final Boss in the canonical ending

Pablo, an enigmatic cat with little stated history and a wide grin, is the presumed guardian of Zone 0. He calls himself The Judge and is first seen approaching The Batter at the start of the game in Zone 0. The Judge introduces himself to not only The Batter, but The Player controlling him. A wise and laidback cat with a wide vocabulary, The Judge acts as the guide and tutorial for the game due to finding The Batter's mission commendable. Explaining the basics of how the world of OFF works, as well as it's combat system, The Batter explores and purifies the many zones of OFF, with The Judge usually appearing later throughout the exploration of Zone 1 in a variety of locations. 

Upon the exploration of Zone 2 though, more is learned about The Judge. He has a brother named Valerie, who he adores and has not seen in a very long time. The Judge asks The Batter to notify him if the latter ever finds his dear brother. Eventually, The Judge travels alongside The Batter when the puppet returns to the library for a second time. There, at the roof of the library, they encounter Pablo's brother Valerie. Pablo begs Valerie to come home with him, to Zone 0. Valerie denies, stating that he is not actually Valerie, but rather, the Zone Guardian of the second zone, Japhet. The Batter engages in combat with "Valerie", revealing that Valerie is already dead. Instead, his corpse is being possessed by the zone guardian Japhet, who slowly emerges from inside Valerie's mouth, eventually revealing his true form of a giant fire bird. Valerie's corpse remains on his head, used as a hat, all while Pablo watches in disbelief of the events unfolding, and the death of his brother. The Batter is eventually successful and kills Japhet, purifying zone 2. 

If The Player chooses to do so, they may return to the 2nd zone, now purified and devoid of any life and color. If The Batter returns to the roof of the library, they will see The Judge, meowing at the top of his lungs, begging for Valerie to come back, seemingly unable to comprehend the death of his dear brother. Beyond this point, The Judge is too distraught and in mourning to continue helping The Batter, in which Zacharie takes The Judge's place as the guide for Zone 3.

In the very finale of the game, when everyone is dead, including the 3 zone guardians, the population, The Queen, and Hugo, only a few remain. The Batter was about to complete his quest, and was standing in front of the switch. The Judge barges in, frustrated and furious at both The Batter, and The Player. The Judge realized too late that The Batter was not truly "purifying" the world of OFF, but rather, destroying it. Immersing it into a complete and utter nothingness. The Judge chastises both entities, and stands in the way as the final obstacle in The Batter's question. From this point, The Judge gives The Player two choices. Side with The Batter, helping him complete his question, and to fight against The Judge. Or, to side with The Judge and prevent The Batter from completing his quest.

The canonical ending of OFF follows the events of the first option. The Puppeteer sides with The Batter, facing off against The Judge in a final battle. Unfortunately, The Judge is unable to defeat The Batter, with the latter coming out on top. The Batter engrains some final words into Pablo's head. "ESCAPING FROM YOUR PURPOSE, IS IMPOSSIBLE." The Batter finishes The Judge off in a blood splatter, and turns to the switch. He flips it, and thus...

"THE SWITCH IS NOW OFF"

However, the game offers an ultimately futile, but still righteous second option. If The Player sides with The Judge, they will face off against The Batter instead. With Batter taking on a new form of a monster with an elongated face and huge limbs. In this ending, The Judge comes out on top. The Batter states that it's already too late and that everything is already lost. The Judge is aware and has already accepted this, but would rather prevent The Batter from ever completing his violent scheme. The Judge quickly kills The Batter, and thus, nothing remains except for The Judge's, and The Player's regrets. 

In the credits of the game, The Judge is seen traversing all of the purified zones. Everyone is dead and everything has lost color. The Judge simply continues on walking, as the world around him fades into an utterly sterile and pristine white.

Experience

The full extent of The Judge's experience both in and out of combat are unknown. However, The Judge shows a very fluent understanding in the world of OFF, seemingly being the only person (other than The Batter who he taught) who knows about and knows how to use the nothingness. It is also stated that The Judge is a formidable fighter. Combined with his combat prowess at the end of the game, it is likely that The Judge has far more experience than what is shown in the game, although once again, this is ultimately unknown.

Arsenal

Note: The Judge does not have any sort of arsenal throughout OFF, unless one were to go with the special ending where The Player sides with The Judge. In this ending, The Judge receives any items and equipment that was achieved by The Batter. Whether or not this is "standard", is arguable, but will be listed here for completions sake regardless.

Items

• Luck Ticket: Recovers a moderate amount of health (Restores 100 HP)
• Fortune Ticket: Recovers a large amount of health (Restores 1000 HP)
• Silver Flesh: Recovers a moderate amount of competence points (Restores 50 CP)
• Golden Flesh: Recovers a large amount of competence points (Restores 100 CP)
• Joker: Revives a character (Revives and restores 25% max HP)
• Moloch's Meat: Cures poison (Cures the poison condition)
• Belial's Meat: Cures all negative status alterations (Cures all conditions except death)
• Abaddon's Meat: Fully restores the team's HP and CP out of combat
• Inspiration: Object that's utilizable in combat (Deals 75 base damage to a single enemy, increasing with attack and espirit)
• Expiration: Object that's utilizable in combat (Deals 400 base damage to a single enemy, increasing with attack and espirit)
• Eye: Analyses target's characteristics and weaknesses

Equipment

• Auras: Defensive equipment that increases one's durability. They do not have any special side effects, with the strongest aura being the Aura of Power, which grants +59 defense.
• Tunics: Defensive equipment that increases one's durability. The strongest tunic is the Neil Tunic, which grants +29 defense. The Neil Tunic also grants increased evasion.
• Epidermides: Defensive equip that increases one's durability. The strong epidermis is the Femur Epidermis, which grants +21 defense. The Femur Epidermis also grants prevention against critical hits.
• Colours: Defensive equipment that increases one's durability. The strongest colour is The Eight Colour, which grants +50 defense with no side effects. 

• Monday: Equipment that protects the wearer from critical hits.
• Tuesday: Equipment that reduces the consumption of CP, halving the cost.
• Wednesday: Equipment that protects the wearer from terrain damage.
• Thursday: Equipment that increases one's attack by +5, as well as granting resistance to the Furious and Madness condition.
• Friday: Equipment that increases one's espirit by +7, as well as granting resistance to the Muted condition.
• Saturday: Equipment that increases one's agility by +15, as well as increasing one's own evasion.
• Sunday: Equipment that prevents the poison condition.
• Secret Day: Equipment that prevents the poison, blindness, and muted conditions.

Abilities

Fourth Wall Awareness

The Judge is aware of The Player's existence, referring to them as The Puppeteer. It is even stated that The Judge is aware of your presence even before the game is installed.

Teleportation

The Judge is seemingly able to teleport, going from one location to another in which normal travel is likely not a viable option without bumping into The Batter's path.

Non-Physical Interaction

The Judge is able to interact with and harm spiritual beings like The Batter's add-ons.

Perfect Accuracy

(Fan-made art, all credit belongs to Cryogenic-Heat on tumblr.)

All of The Judge's attacks have 100% accuracy, and can never miss once he initiates the attack.

Competences

In OFF, your abilities are referred to as "Competences". The Judge's competences revolve around the biological manipulation of the body, and somehow can work on even spiritual bodies.

• Conniving Aneurysm: Deals 70 damage while using up 5 CP
• Malignant Aneurysm: Deals 160 damage while using up 13 CP
• Critical Aneurysm: Deals 400 damage while using up 26 CP
• Aneurysm Rupture: Deals 950 damage while using up 25% of your CP
• Unknown Sclerosis: Deals 80 damage while using up 8 CP. Inflicts the Mute status effect
• Atypical Sclerosis: Deals 80 damage while using up 8 CP. Inflicts the Blind status effect
• Purulent Sclerosis: Deals 80 damage while using up 8 CP. Inflicts the Poison status effect
• Staggering Sclerosis: Deals 80 damage while using up 8 CP. Inflicts the Palsy status effect

Natural Resistances

• Resistance to Reality Warping and Existence Erasure: As the Guardian of Zone 0, he is it's living engine and is able to combat the effects of The Batter's purification. Unaffected by the purification of Zone 2. 
• Resistance to Information Analysis: The Eye item and Wide Eye competence gives unusually limited information against The Judge.

Feats/Scaling

Overall

• The Guardian of Zone 0
• Older brother to Valerie
• Mentor and guide to The Batter and The Player
• Defeats The Batter in the non-canonical special ending
• Prevents the absolute total destruction of the world of OFF in the special ending
• Feline Avenger

Strength

• Likely superior to the first zone guardian, Dedan. Who created a giant structure that is hundreds of thousands stories high.
• Likely superior to the second zone guardian, Japhet. Who was able to lift the third zone guardian Enoch, who is also an enormously fat man. (lol)
• Likely superior to the 3 zone guardians, who creates and sustains each of their respective zones, which are stated to be islets/countries.
• Can directly harm and kill The Batter and his add-ons.
• Comparable to The Queen and Hugo, who created and sustains The Room, a structure containing a star. (Possibly 3 due to The Room containing 3 save files). 
• Far superior to the specters, including giant whales and a burnt elsen who was able to stop a subway car.

Speed

• Comparable to The Batter, who was able to climb a huge chimney in a short amount of time.
• Far superior to The Specters, who can tag The Batter while he falls down a huge chimney.
• Is comparable to The Batter who is able to effectively use The Nothingness, a lieu of transition outside of space itself that allows one to travel at the speed of light. 
• The Judge himself is able to effectively use The Nothingness.
•  (Debatable) Comparable to The Batter and Hugo, both of which are able to travel to the Sun.

Durability

• Is able to take considerable amounts of punishment from The Batter and his add-ons.
• Comparable to The Batter and his add-ons, who can take punishment from Dedan, Japhet, Enoch, and The Queen.

Weaknesses

The Judge runs off of a limited pool of competence points to use his abilities. While he does have methods to reduce the use of CP, as well as it's recovery, it is ultimately not unlimited. Without competence points, The Judge is forced to use less effective basic attacks.

The Judge is also prone to being fooled, as he was unable to realize what The Batter's true goal was before it was too late. The trauma of losing his brother and those dear to him leaves The Judge devastated, and if were to somehow be utilized in a combat scenario, could be used to severely hamper his mentality.

Possible Opponents

Sans (Undertale)

Easily The Judge's most popular opponent, this is my personal favorite for both characters if they were to be introduced to Death Battle. The matchup itself excels mostly because of it's very strong theme and connections.

Originating from Indie RPGs, these two friendly companions wear a wide smile and initially seek to help the protagonist out (Frisk and The Batter). They appear through out the game in intermittent pace to give advice or tell a funny quip. Eventually, they find out that the player protagonist that they have shown kindness towards, has begun a genocidal spree and slowly destroy the very world that they reside on. Unfortunately, due to this genocidal spree, their younger brothers who they cherish, perish. (Frisk kills Papyrus, and Japhet kills Valerie in his fight with The Batter).

Due to these events, these two grow a hatred for the player protagonist, eventually acting as the final boss and obstacle in their mission to destroy the world they want to protect. In the end, they fail to overcome them and perish, and with nothing left to challenge the protagonist, their world is destroyed with nothing remaining. (Admittedly, the connections only fully work with the genocide route of Undertale, although that is also where all of Sans' fight potential comes from.)

Both have a variety of abilities to use against each other, and you could really have an emphasis on the bullet-hell aspect of Undertale's fighting system take place here. OFF in general has a ton of untapped animation potential, and it would be great to see how a show like Death Battle could utilize it and have interactions between both of their abilities. Overall, one of my most wanted matchups, and one that I very much hope Death Battle at least considers in the future.

God Cat (Homestuck)

The only other matchup I have heard for The Judge, God Cat from Homestuck.

I myself am not personally very acquainted with Homestuck, so do take my thoughts here with a grain of salt. To the extent of my knowledge, this matchup's theme is generally just "White cats who are powerful", in which case, eh? I do like to be more lenient on matchups, but personally speaking this doesn't appeal to me very much. Especially since (according to some friends I have who know Homestuck) God Cat is a minor character who's also a non-combatant, which does not help out with it's animation potential at all.