The Gospel According to Earthbound Ness who being both human and supernaturally powered humbled himself and became a robot for the purpose of defeating evil. He was willing to lay down his own life for the sake of delivering the world from the essence of evil known as Giygas. He was then brought “back to life” where he was then recognized as the savior of the world. When I hear about the story of Ness and all that takes place in Earthbound I can’t help but think about the “real life Earthbound” scenario that took place over 2000 years ago. Through the humility, sacrifice and courage of Ness the people of Earthbound were freed from the evil that has infected them. Through the humility, sacrifice and courage of Jesus Christ the people of Earth may have an opportunity to be freed from the evil that currently infects them. Christian influence isn’t new to the fantasy world, in fact The Lord of the Ring and the Narnia series are both inspired from the Bible. Like Tolkien and Lewis, perhaps Earthbound creator Shigesato Itoi wanted his epic masterpiece to be used to point people to Christ. It is plain to see that throughout the Mother series song, prayer and faith are used as channels to release power against darkness. On the other hand Itoi lived in a predominately Buddhist nation, possibly is a Buddhist and in fact Earthbound has elements that reflect Buddhism and Easter Mythology throughout its content. Shigesato Itoi being fond of American culture but also influenced by his surroundings in Japan possibly put elements of both Buddhism and Christianity into Earthbound. In this way a multifaceted audience could relate to its events in the game. Honestly, I don’t know enough about Itoi to say what his intentions were (if any at all) in putting elements of faith into his creation. And yes, absolutely there are many things in Earthbound that don’t reflect the way of Christ. One thing I am confident of though is that when I think about Earthbound I am reminded so much of the life of Jesus and his influence on the people of Earth. A couple disclaimers before we move on. First, I respect the fact that many readers of this might not be Christian. I am open to hear your thoughts on anything I have put in here or anything that I might have left out. Also I want to note that more than likely others have written about faith and Earthbound and I want to ask for forgiveness ahead of time if I took any of your ideas without your permission. If I have done so, know that it was not intentional as I have not done enough reading of other articles beforehand. Through reviewing parts of Earthbound and then comparing it to the life of Christ I am going to attempt to convey the similarities between the two. Before Ness even entered onto the scene “The Apple of Enlightenment” predicted that The Chosen Four would come and defeat Giygas which would save Earth from annihilation. In the beginning of Ness’s adventure a creature from afar by the name of Buzz Buzz came as a messenger announcing to Ness his destiny in defeating this evil. After much travel and adventure Ness pairs up with Paula and then Jeff. Before the fourth member of their team, Poo, can join he must undergo training where he must discern truth and deny any self-gratification. Once these series of temptations are over he then unites with his team. The Chosen Four deliver people from evil that has possessed them to do wicked acts. The team uses powers of physical healing and reviving the unconscious to aid them as they suffer damage. They tenaciously fight against evil minions in the form of demons, aliens and robots sent by Giygas. Throughout the journey The Chosen Four search out locations called “Your Sanctuary” where they find peace, quite, reflection and renewal after they defeat the evil that initially inhabits the location. Without going to locations the team would not have the power to defeat evil. After discovering all eight “Your Sanctuary” Ness then must go deep inside his mind into Magicant where he must face his worst fears. The very core of Magicant is the Sea of Eden. In the center of Eden lies an evil that no one can defeat but Ness. This evil has the appearance of the Mani Mani statue, the evil that resided since the near beginning of the game. Once Ness has faced and defeated his own nightmare he then reunites with his friends in order to defeat the very essence of evil, Giygas. Ness and his friends are not ordinary humans but are extraordinary with miraculous powers. They chose the route of courage and humility when they choose to become less than themselves taking the very appearance of metallic robots. Without the sacrifice of their human lives turning into robots they could not even enter into their final battle with “The Devil’s Machine.” Giygas was defeated by the willingness of The Chosen Four’s sacrifice and then also by prayers of the people around the world. Paula would pray, initiating with their friends and followers, who would then respond to this urge within them to pray. This unity in prayer brought a defeat to Giygas. People were no longer in bondage to the evil that once possessed them. The heroes were then resurrected and brought back to their Earthly bodies. The world had become a better place as Ness and friends became the savior of the world just as the prophecy had predicted. This story of The Chosen Four is familiar to most fans of Earthbound, the story of Jesus Christ might not be as familiar. Here are some similarities between the tale of The Chosen Four and of Jesus starting from the beginning. Many years before the respective protagonists walked the earth, Ness’s crew and Jesus both had fulfilled prophecies about how evil will be defeated by good. Just as the long journeyed traveler Buzz Buzz announced Ness’s destiny of savior of mankind so did the angel Gabriel announce that of Jesus to his mother Mary. Poo underwent trials and temptations where he was challenged with distraction and that of denying himself. The same was true for Jesus as he fasted for forty days without food or water in the desert. He, like Poo, could not give in to distractions, believe lies disguised as the truth nor give into what his flesh desired. He was tempted by Satan but never fell for the temptation. The Chosen Four helped people be tamed and delivered from the evil that possessed them. They also had the power to heal and revive those who were unconscious. Jesus did this and more as he cast out demons from people, healed the sick and raised the dead. Jesus, like Ness and his friends entering into sanctuary locations, would often pull away to be alone so that he could also find peace, quite, reflection and renewal as he talked to his father who is in Heaven. In fact Jesus said that apart from his father he can do nothing. I see a similarity in that while, Ness being apart from his sanctuary spots can do nothing in defeating Giygas. In Magicant Ness must face his biggest fears. Jesus had to face his greatest agony as he waited in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before his crucifixion. Note that both Ness and Jesus had to do this alone, with no one by their sides. Jesus being fully God and fully man knew that being killed was going to be painful. He faced and defeated this nightmare as he chose to accept what needed to be done without backing down. Remember what appeared to be in the center of the Sea of Eden? It was Mani Mani, a symbol of evil that existed since the near beginning of the game. It had wicked influence on people throughout Earthbound. In the Bible, sin and its evil influence on man began in the center of the Garden of Eden when man and woman chose to disobey God. Jesus came to destroy the origins of evil just as Ness also destroyed an icon that represents the origin of evil. Both of these evils have ties with the Garden and the Sea of Eden. Coincident? I think not. Ness and company went from super powered humans to super powered robots. This had to be painful and uncertain for them as they wondered if they will be resurrected into their human bodies. The Chosen Four doing this took much humility and tremendous courage. Jesus went from fully God seated in the Heavenly realms to fully God with the appearance of a man living on Earth. Going from the all powerful creator of the Universe to becoming a “seemingly” common everyday man takes much humility. Being put to death, defeating Satan and then being raised to life takes tremendous courage. Because of these attributes of character, The Chosen Four was able to enter into the battle against “The Devil’s Machine.” Likewise Jesus with humility and courage entered into the battle with the devil leading to Satan’s defeat. In Earthbound the prayers of the people around the world was the “final x-factor” leading to the defeat of Giygas. This caused the world to be free from its evil influence and the bondage it put on people’s lives. Everyone was able to get this free gift of deliverance whether they wanted it or not.