Anise

Anise is the primary villainess in both Dawn of Mana and Heroes of Mana, and a major villainess in the remake of Trials of Mana and Echoes of Mana. She debuted in the World History Books found in Legend of Mana, as a powerful witch whose experiments shaped history, and was later retooled into the greatest evil of all the Mana metaverse.

Dawn of Mana

Dawn of Mana artwork. Scan by Lunsel.

Anise was once a tree maiden like Ritzia. She was possessed by the The Echoes of Mavolia that had accumulated within the Mana Tree to open the door to Mavolia, at the same time her lover Granz became a chosen hero of the Mana Tree.

It is unclear how this conflict was resolved but Granz indicates that Anise had a change of heart during the end of the conflict. Either way Granz managed to reseal the door to Mavolia and seal Anise inside, be it with her consent or not.

Dawn of Mana artwork. Scan by Lunsel.

Many years later Ritzia is similarly compelled by Anise the Witch and Stroud to open the door to Mavolia.

Once she does so, Anise fully possesses her. Keldy, the game's protagonist, eventually faces her as the final boss of the game, where she takes a Medusa-like form and offers Keldy the choice to aid the Echoes possessing her or destroy them and Ritzia.

Keldy has no choice but to run his sword through Anise's and Ritzia's shared body, injuring Ritzia fatally. As they die Anise hears Granz's voice say that it is "time for her to go home" and she reaches out her hand as she fades away. Ritzia on the other hand becomes the new incarnation of the Mana Goddess together with Faye and the Mana Seed.

Heroes of Mana

In the world of Heroes of Mana, a prequel to Trials of Mana, legend has it that Anise was a witch that defied Mana out of envy and frustration about not being able to become a Goddess (a reference to the events of Dawn of Mana where the Mana Tree rejected her due to being possessed by the Echoes). It is also said that it was her curse on Mana that created the Mirror of Esina.

Anise possessing General Baxilios

Throughout the game the military of Pedda, led by Cecilia Baxilios, summons dark mirrors in each country they have conquered. It is later revealed that these mirrors are reflections of the Mirror of Esina, resting in the Mirage Palace in Pedda. Very late in the game, it is confirmed that Esina's Mirror is actually Anise's Mirror and that she is the source of power Pedda used for their war on the world.

This version of Anise's hatred not only attacked her own world, but spreads like a virus and attempts to destroy all realities where mana exists, with the worlds of Heroes of Mana (where it manifested as Anise's Mirror) and Echoes of Mana (where she struck a bargain with the Mana Goddess's Sister Dema who like Anise was denied the position of Mana Goddess) being just two examples of her endless war on Mana.

Anise' ultimate form

The Mirage Bishop had been deluded into believing that Anise had chosen him to create a new world, but her true goal was to use Baxillos to destroy his universe.

After Anise is summoned by Baxillos, she fully possesses the general and turns her into the Goddess of Doom. After a long battle, her mirror is destroyed and this version of Anise along with it. Ironically, this invasion had left the other versions of Anise with a new enemy: as Roget and his group vowed to travel through the countless other worlds and destroy every version of her.

Trials of Mana

See also: Anise (Trials of Mana)

Anise in the remake

She appears in the post game content of the Remake as appearing in the Trials/Heroes of Mana world to her own confusion before realizing her exact location followed by opening a portal to Mavolia with the ultimate goal of unleashing Mavolia's power on Fa'Diel to obliterate it.

She is mentioned as being nearly equal to the Mana Goddess and having come from the same world as her despite merely being referred to as a Witch.

Anise returns due to the Goddess of Mana's death at the hand of the main villain, being fought as the post game enemy after the heroes destroy the regular final boss. The Grimoire in which the Great Archmage Grand Croix infused a copy of his mind awakes in the royal library of Valsena, and warns them of her threat, but she is so powerful that they need to reach the fabled Four Class to stand a chance.

Anise's true demonic form

When the heroes fight her in her realm in Mavolia, she first appears assuming her Witch form at level 75. She teleports and unleashes powerful magic, and the heroes must destroy the four elemental crystals she conjures to protect herself before targeting her.

She then changes into Dragon Anise, at level 76. She is absolutely gigantic but very fast and has deadly physical attacks and spells, that can inflict status-altering effects. Upon being destroyed, Anise personally declares that she can never fully die and will be revived after the Heroes are long gone before dissipating.

Echoes of Mana

SPOILERS ENCLOSED! Click "show" to reveal, otherwise skip to the following section.

Anise tempting Nona from the shadows.

Anise is the overarching villainess of this mobile medley game, being revealed to be the one who tempted a young woman from the Mana Clan named Dema, after the Mana Tree chose her twin sister Nona as the next incarnation of the Mana Goddess instead of her. As Dema secluded herself, Anise's projected herself next to her, feigning concern and friendship to tempt her.

She offered her powers from Mavolia and planted her plan to replace her sister as the Goddess to erase and rewrite the metaverse. She offered a devastated world to recreate as her Sanctuary and even its two last survivors, dividing one soul between each of them. Dema later manipulated them to serve her cause, while Anise sent his younger brother Gossamare, to devour the Elemental Spirits.

Spoiler ends here.

Alternate Appearances

Legend of Mana

Anise never appears but technically debuts in this title as a minor character in the game's backstory. The Great Witch Anise was a human sorcerer who built her laboratory within the Mana Tree. There she created the Eye of Flame, an immensely powerful magical artifact, whose power was based off the Mana Stones given to the Moon Gods by the Mana Goddess.

The stone was said to have the power to bring out the evil within whoever touched it, and had powerful fire magic that was nearly uncontrollable. Other mages flocked to her to learn how to create their own stones, and these stones pulled the world out of balance, while ripping open holes to other worlds. The mages gained more power in this chaotic age and called it the Aeon of Uraklius.

Aion, the King of the Faeries, created an army and battled Anise and her mages. They were defeated and the survivors were forced to live in the realm of men. Though originally believing all humans to be evil, the Faeries soon learned that some men were good and could even see them. They banded together and again fought against Anise, which came to be known as the Holy War of the Mana Tree.

The Faeries prevailed with the good men, but the Mana Tree was burned to the ground. Aion was banished to the underworld, where he became the Lord of the Underworld because he refused to be reincarnated. Anise was slain by the power of the mysterious Seventh Stone the Faeries used. Her Eye of Flame became a much sought after artifact by wicked mages after the war and the stone led to much more suffering and hardship for the world.

Anise had a daughter named Elise (later known as Anuella), who inherited her talent. Anuella would become one of those who led the battle against Anise's and the mages' rule.

Quotes

"I have but one desire: use the portal to Mavolia to destroy the world!" -Anise to the Player Characters of Trials of Mana about her goals.

"I will ruin this realm with my own two hands! Ahahahahahaha!" -Anise to the Player Characters of Trials of Mana.

"Now! Behold my power and despair at your worthlessness!" -Anise to the Player Characters of Trials of Mana before beginning the fight.

"Writhe, worthless mana worms! Fall from the tower of your dreams and wallow in the pits of despair! Feed me with your pain!" -Anise to the Player Characters of Trials of Mana at the start of the fight.

"You will soon prostrate yourself at my feet as your friend did!" -Anise in the form of Medusa to Keldric upon his discovery of a hurt Buju.

"The Echoes are not yet completely free. They need the seed from your right hand and the aid of that spirit child. Even now, the Great Tree struggles to thwart the release of the Echoes. However I should be able to persuade it, once I have the seed the Tree spawned...and the Thanatos take you." -Anise in the form of Medusa informing Keldric about what she needs to completely free the Echoes.

"Yes. I forced the maiden to say all that for me. But I believe the girl was thinking of something else at the time. She realized the only way to revive the Great Tree, which had been accumulating Echoes for so many years, was to open the door once again. And in opening the door she learned one more thing: To revive the Great Tree, the keeper of the seed must become one with the liberator of the Echoes by piercing her through with his sword. That's why Ritzia is actually looking forward to being slain by you!" -Anise in the form of Medusa confirming that she was controlling Ritzia while Keldy was visiting her following the opening the door to Mavolia as well as confirming Ritzia's own desires.

"And now it is up to you, O keeper of the seed. Will you help me release the Echoes or will you destroy them...and Ritzia? Ah. Made up your mind already? Well then, I will drink a toast to the Echoes with a chalice of your blood!" -Anise in the form of Medusa right before deciding to kill Keldy.

Circle of Mana

Rank	Image				Classes	Quote
SUR					巫女を呼ぶもの 滅びの魔女 古の巫女 妖魔の巫女	「……待っていた。待っていたぞ巫女よ。いにしえの誓い。果たされる日がついに来たのだ。」
SSUR					巫女を呼ぶもの 滅びの魔女 古の巫女 妖魔の巫女	「そして今宵……真の滅びが始まる……。」
SSUR					巫女を呼ぶもの 滅びの魔女 古の巫女 妖魔の巫女	「さぁエルディ！おまえのしかばねから種子をえぐりだしてやろう！」

Trivia

• The Vandole of Sword of Mana like Anise states that he will return as long as Mana exists.
• Anise physically manifesting when Mana becomes low in Trials of Mana is similar to the Mana Beast manifesting when Mana became low in Secret of Mana.
• Anise is similar in motivation to her ally Dema in that both were denied the position of Mana Goddess with Anise backing the latter's own bid for the title of Mana Goddess with the plan being to have Dema succeed where she failed while erasing the Worlds created by all former Mana Goddesses out of spite. Anise even uses her own younger brother for this goal and doesn't lift a finger to save him when he fails.

See also

• Medusa
• Zable Fahr
• Mirage Bishop

References

v · e · d Dawn of Mana
Characters
Main characters
Keldric - Ritzia - Faye
Supporting characters
Buju - Village Elder - Lekius - Chobee - Treant - Gaia - Flammie - Watts
Elemental Spirits
Gnome - Jinn - Salamander - Undine - Wisp - Shade - Luna - Dryad
Villains
Stroud - Masked Guru - Anise
Enemies
Enemies - Bosses
Locations
Fa'Diel - Jadd - Topple - Wendell - Ishe - Lorimar - Illusia Isle - Treefolk Village
Dungeons
Tutorial Area - Great Tree (Chapter 1) - Wonderwood - Mortmont - Imperial Flagship - Jadd Castle - Beacon Tower - Great Tree (Chapter 7) - Nethermanse
Terms
Mana Tree - Mana Sword - Tree Maiden - Grimslie - Tree Folk - Guardian Beast - Echoes - Mavolia - Door to Mavolia - Thanatos - Mark II