Gray Edwards

✔

This Hero was proposed and approved by Heroes Wiki's Pure Good Proposals Thread. Any act of removing this hero from the category without a Removal Proposal shall be considered vandalism (or a "villainous" attempt to demonize said character) and the user will have a high chance of being smitten blocked. You cannot make said Removal Proposal without permission from an administrator first. Additional Notice: This template is meant for admin maintenance only. Users who misuse the template will be blocked for a week minimum.

Do-Gooder
Full Name	Gray Edwards
Alias(es)	Captain Edwards
Origin	Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
Occupation	Soldier Deep Eyes Captain
Powers / Skills	Intelligence Durability Marksmanship Leadership Strength Athleticism
Hobby	Unknown.
Goals	Defend Earth. Stop the Phantoms.
Family	Unnamed mother Unnamed father
Friends / Allies	Aki Ross (love interest) Dr. Sid Ryan Wittaker Jane Proudfoot Neil Flemming
Enemies	General Douglas Hein Phantoms Phantom Gaia
Type of Hero	Loyal Soldier

“	You've been trying to tell me death isn't the end, don't back out on me... now that I finally believe.	„
	~ Gray Edwards to Aki Ross

Captain Gray Edwards is the deuteragonist of the 2001 animated film Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. He is a Captain of the Deep Eyes squadron of the United States Military Force, battling to counter the alien Phantom threat.

He was voiced by Alec Baldwin, who also voiced Nicholas St. North in Rise of the Guardians, Boss Baby in the Boss Baby franchise, and portrayed Adam Maitland in Beetlejuice.

Biography

Years prior to Gray Edwards' birth, a meteor crashed in the Caspian Mountains. Unknown to humans at the time, the meteor was a piece of destroyed alien world, and housed remnants of the spirit of the alien world as well as the spirits of alien warriors that had died. These beings, which would be dubbed Phantoms, began killing people across the world. Through research of what was called bioetheric technology, these invisible threats were able to be perceived and fought against, but ultimately were unable to be stopped. The world fell into ruin, with the last civilizations being confined to barrier cities protected by bioetheric fields.

Aki was born in 2034, in the Chicago Barrier City. He was raised by a loving family and working to protect his community. Her was drafted into the military in 2050, and trained in Houston. There he entered a romantic relationship with fellow student Aki Ross. After graduating, Gray joined the Deep Eyes military unit. However, unbeknownst to Gray, Aki was infected by Phantom particles during an experiment. She cut off their relationship with no warning and left, with Gray unaware it was done for his safety.

Over the next few months, Gray rose to the rank of Captain and was put in charge of his own squad of Deep Eyes soldiers combating the Phantoms. While investigating the ruins of old New York, he comes across Aki and helps her escape, though he is bitter over her leaving without explanation. When they return to the barrier city, Gray is revealed to have been infected with Phantom particles. Aki is able to perform impromptu surgery and eradicate the infestation.

Later at a meeting, Gray watches as Aki and her mentor Dr. Sid explain their wave theory: all living things had a spirit, and each spirit possessed a wave pattern, including Phantom spirits, and Dr. Sid believed that if the right combination of Earthly wave patterns were combined, they would cancel out Phantom waves and bring about a non-violent way to combat the Phantoms, with six of the spirits having already been found.

However, the wave theory is being challenged by General Douglas Hein, who wants to use an orbital bioetheric laser cannon called the Zues to eraticate the Phantom crater. When Sid argues that the cannon will damage Gaia, he is questioned by the council. Aki steps in, revealing the Phantom particles within her as proof that their wave, even in its incomplete state, is capable of temporarily countering Phantoms. This earns the respect of the council, who agree to postpone the firing of the Zues cannon and allow Aki and Sid to continue. However, her infestation draws suspicion from General Hein, who orders Gray to watch her in case the Phantom particles effect her.

As Aki scans the city for the potential seventh spirit, she is confronted by Gray, who asks if her infection was why she shut him out. The two rekindle their relationship.

Aki's search takes her to the ruins of Tuscon, where large Phantoms are roaming. Gray and the Deep Eyes assist her, dropping buoys to distract them as Aki tracks the seventh spirit, revealing it to be a collection of single-celled organisms used in the bioetheric Ovo-pack of a dead soldier. However, the Phantoms begin to be drawn to Aki's infestation, chasing them down and knocking Aki unconscious. Gray and the Deep Eyes try to escape, but Phantoms and Hein's men try to stop them, with one shooting Aki in her chestplate when she momentarily awakens. They escape, but Aki's membrane is failing, and Sid is forced to reinforce the containment with the recently collected spirit. Gray acts as her spiritual support, joining with her in her dreams to ensure she is not overtaken by the Phantoms. As she dreams, Aki finally realizes what they mean.

However, upon awakening, Aki, Gray, Sid, and Gray's Deep Eyes unit are arrested, with Hein believing Aki's dreams are proof of her being controlled by the Phantoms. While incarcerated, Aki explains that the Phantoms are lost and vengeful ghosts, not an invading force. Hein attempts to open part of the city's barrier and let some Phantoms in as a way of convincing the council to side with him, but the breach grows beyond his control and Phantoms flood into the city, killing countless. The power goes out and Gary and his allies are freed from their imprisonment, fleeing to her ship. Gray attempts to hold back the Phantoms, but his troops are killed. When a massive Phantom attacks, Gray attempts to sacrifice himself so that Aki and Dr. Sid can get away. However, Aki returns for him, and Gray is able to leap onto her ship before the city falls. On her ship, Gary mourns the loss of the Deep Eyes and the city with Aki. They embrace and share a kiss before getting intimate with each other.

Sid tracks down the eighth and final spirit, discovering it to be a modified Phantom spirit on the outside of the Phantom Crater. Aki and Gray go down to the crater in a shielded vehicle, hoping to locate the final spirit and complete the wave there. However, Hein has gotten permission to use the Zues cannon and fires on the crater, destroying the eighth spirit and unleashing a Phantom Gaia from the meteor. Aki then discovers that they are between the Phantom Gaia and Earth's Gaia, and that the destroyed eighth spirit was a Phantom that came into contact with Earth's Gaia, giving it a different wave signature. Aki attempts to communicate with Hein and pleads with him to stop, but still believing she is under the control of Phantoms, Hein ignores her, unaware that each shot from the canon is weakening Earth's Gaia and allowing the Phantom Gaia to grow stronger.

As Gray holds back the growing Phantoms, Aki realizes that the Phantom particles within her have been touched by Gaia and now act as a comparable final spirit. Aki attempts to unleash the completed wave with the pod's shields, but another shot from the Zues destroys the pod and leaves Gray fatally injured. As the Zeus cannon explodes from overuse, Gray sacrifices himself by letting the Phantom Gaia take his spirit while taking the wave with it, cancelling out the Phantom Gaia's spirit and destroying it and all Phantoms. He confesses his love for Aki right before he dies.

With Gaia no longer attacked by the Phantoms, life begins to return to the Earth again. A mournful Aki cradles Gray's dead body as she watches a bird fly overhead.

Gallery

Gray's death.

Aki with Gray's body.

Trivia

• In early drafts, Aki would have become pregnant with Gray's child following their offscreen intimacy on board her ship, and the spirit of her unborn child would have been the eighth and final spirit. This plot point was negatively received by test audiences, leading to it being cut from the theatrical release.
• The scene depicting Aki and Gray's kiss is famous for its revolutionary use of computer graphics, with the most frames in the movie; 1,899 shots exactly.