Cupil

Appearances:
Skies of Arcadia (Dreamcast)
Skies of Arcadia: Legends (Gamecube)

Skies of Arcadia is a console role-playing game for the Sega Dreamcast. It was released in 2000 and an enhanced version of the game was released in 2002 for the Nintendo Gamecube. The game focused on three main characters: Vyse, a young sky pirate, his friend Aika and a mysterious “alien” named Fina. Along with a varied cast of secondary characters, Vyse and his friends travel the world attempting to stop the Valuan Empire from reviving ancient weapons capable of destroying the world.

As I mentioned earlier, one of the main characters is an “alien” named Fina. Her background is mysterious but is gradually revealed throughout the course of the game. Fina travels with a pet named Cupil, a silver ball-like creature that fights for her. Cupil can morph into various shapes, and gains power by eating Chams, Moon Stone shards that are hidden throughout the game. When not in battle, Cupil takes the form of a bracelet that Fina wears.

I always thought Cupil was a cool character. I enjoyed watching him evolve throughout the course of the game as I fed him more Chams, eventually leading to his final form. However, my most vivid memory of Cupil takes place during a movie after the game is over. Both Cupil and Fina impress Vyse and Aika by dressing as pirates, eye patches and all!