Bahamut
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Bahamut (Arabic بهموت Bahamūt) is originally a figure of Islamic mythology, though this figure has been significantly altered in the process of modernization, see also Behemoth.
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Bahamut in Modern Times
With the development of the fantasy genre throughout the 20th century, re-examination and modernization of ancient mythologies became commonplace, creating a "modern mythology" in the process. Bahamut has been one of the most significant changes and additions in this re-envisioning of the old myths.
Dungeons & Dragons
In the 1st Edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, and continuing into 2004's release of Complete Divine, Bahamut became the Platinum Dragon, and King of the Good Dragons, a deity of dragonkind.
Bahamoot.png
Final Fantasy Series
Bahamut also plays a significant role in the Final Fantasy RPG series. Again, he is frequently portrayed as the King of the Dragons, though in later installments this role has morphed somewhat into a "king of the summoned creatures." In several of the Final Fantasy entries, Bahamut will only grant his alliance after determining a player's worth in battle (e.g: Final Fantasy IV, Final Fantasy V, and Final Fantasy VIII), and after gaining this alliance, he is one of the most powerful summoned allies available.
He is known for his devastating battle technique called Mega Flare, where he exhales a powerful thermonuclear blast at all his opponents. In Final Fantasy VII, Bahamut is also accompanied by two more powerful versions: Neo Bahamut (Giga Flare) and Bahamut ZERO (Tera Flare). These attacks are named for the mathematical prefixes for ten to the power six, nine, and twelve; the latter of the three is commonly misread as "Terra Flare". Finally, in several instances, most notably Final Fantasy IX and Final Fantasy X / X-2, Bahamut plays a significant role in the storyline of the game.
Probably due to the successes of Dungeons & Dragons and the Final Fantasy series, the name Bahamut has become synonymous with dragons in general, even spinning off a series of games named Bahamut Lagoon. In the latest Final Fantasy (Final Fantasy XI), Bahamut is not a summon. Instead, Bahamut is introduced in the expansion Chains of Promathia as the wyrmking.
Tiamat & Bahamut
The same edition of Dungeons & Dragons that introduced Bahamut also introduced his antithesis. This opposite was named Tiamat, the Chromatic Dragon, and Queen of Evil Dragons, as well as the mother and deity of all evil dragons. This pairing features prominently in the deity lore of the game, with Tiamat even being featured in the short-lived television cartoon version of the game.
This pairing of Tiamat and Bahamut as antithesis of each other has since recurred in other fantasy settings, with the most notable recent example occurring in Final Fantasy VIII. In each instance, Bahamut is always portrayed as benevolent, while Tiamat is portrayed as malevolent, largely in keeping with their historical origins.
Other Uses of the Name
Bahamut is also the IRCd (Internet Relay Chat Daemon) used by the DALnet IRC network.
See also Behemoth.de:Bahamut ja:バハムート