Black Omen (Doppelgangers of)

Inquiry[edit]

What is the purpose of the Black Omen clones of the party seen in the hall of the Mammon Machine?

Answer[edit]

Psychological Warfare[edit]

The Japanese version is more specific in that Queen Zeal is talking about the clones when she notes that the characters' "futures" are sleeping there. The clones were apparently intended to dishearten Crono and his friends upon sight. A similar tactic was used by Magus in 600 A.D., suggesting the possibility that this craft is a tenet of Zeal's combative magical practices.

Pre-retranslation Theories[edit]

Study and Security[edit]

Legend of the Past

The clones were holograms studied by Queen Zeal prior to combat. As the Black Omen was the central headquarters, its security system was probably capable of generating such representations of intruders, allowing the boss at the back to know exactly what to expect. This does not explain why six clones of the party exist though only three are present in the omen.

Thematic Presentation[edit]

Lord J Esq

Going on my assumption that there is a purpose to the six doppelgangers, besides idle fancy, I would imagine that the doppelgangers and their limbo at the heart of the Black Omen represent the relationship between Lavos and humanity. It is a way of saying there’s a little Lavos in all of us, and that we have been corrupted from our true nature because of this. Thus, to defeat Lavos absolutely, we must not only destroy Lavos’ physical form, but also overcome the enemy within ourselves. I think the whole point of the doppelgangers is to show us that Lavos is a part of us, and we are a part of Lavos, and that we ourselves are therefore as much a part of the problem as of the solution.

Chrono Trigger and definitely Chrono Cross are steeped with motifs that link most of humanity’s highest creative achievements with Lavos’ destructive emanations, and I think seeing the six doppelgangers is supposed to cause the player a moment of soul-searching. Maybe call it the moral of the story: “Oh! Lavos isn’t truly foreign Lavos is inside us.” What was it that Masa said? “I guess it means that a Hero’s power comes from within.” Precisely! And, to put it all together, so too does a hero’s weakness also come from within. Are we merely pawns of Lavos, who controls our DNA and plans to rain destruction upon the world? No more than we are pawns of our own temptations for corruption. But there is an important difference! If we are not pawns of evil, if instead we are accomplices to it, then we can reform our own conduct.

From: Common Questions