I’ve searched around, but apparently my google-fu is weak, because I’m unable to find an answer.
What is the source of Orchid’s firecat? Is it a spiritual manifestation? Hard-light hologram? Nanotech? An actual cat that’s on fire just chilling off-screen until she calls for it?
I dont think there is or ever will be a definitive answer for this. I think it is her spirit animal (jaguar) like her brother jago using the tiger spirit.
TGZ Boss Wulf
I do not know BUT;
Omen’s ending speaks of corrupting many already, showing Shago and Wulf’ specifically linking their transformations.
But the overall montage of characters made it seem as though everyone’s use of the Shadow Meter is due to a connection to Gargos…
Jago does the Tiger Spirit thing because that was the belief he was focused on while training.
For Orchid, I suspect she’s under a separate influence from Gargos where he tricked her into believing she had the power of the Jaguar Spirit.
Its a manifestation of her spirit animal, She calls it and She even turns into it. If anything it’s connected to how the other human characters manifest their powers as well. I wouldn’t say its connected to Gargos, as we can see what happens when someone is influenced by Gargos in some way(Shago). Since there isn’t really a definition of what it is, we should just call it Life energy or something opposite of Shadow energy. Jago harnesses chi to do his energy stuff, its safe to say other characters can do so aswell…namely Ochid(Manifestation of Her spirit animal), Thunder (his lightning), Combo(manifestation of his will?).
Shago is Jago possesed by Omen, not influenced by Gargos. The Tiger Spirit Jago thought he was using to fight the great evil (that is Gargos) was in fact the great evil itself attempting to create the perfect vessel for his Omen.
Yea this is always how I’ve thought of it. It’s never mentioned in any of the bios or story, so there isn’t much but speculation to go off of though. It’s pretty awesome regardless lol 
I can buy it as a spirit animal, I suppose – similar to how Thunder and Maya have spiritual birds which fly off them during certain situations – but Orchid doesn’t strike me as being an overly spiritual character.
Obviously the story is somewhat limited in that respect, but Orchid’s is all about her effort to expose Ultratech. Just seems odd that she would be able to manifest a spirit animal given what little we know about her.
Yea I see what you mean, I’ve always just kind of attributed it to her being Jago’s sister. I suppose they didn’t grow up together, but something about their shared origin just makes it make sense that they both have spirit animal type things to me.
I will now say the Firecat is basically Orchid’s spiritual manifestation of that particular creature and overall her spirit animal. A pure and simple explanation too
Its like a holographic energy drone which is programed to use jaguar shape?! o_O
How fancy… ¬_¬
No one questions superman and wolverines healing factor, they just are.
Orchid can turn into a firecat just like aganos can create rock swords and present a flower from absolutely nowhere at all
Rare was known for just doing random, cool stuff and shoehorning it into their games (see: Blast Corps writeup at polygon.com)
It makes as much sense as a two-headed cyclops. If it’s cool, put it in the game, figure it out later.
Aganos is pulling a flower off of his body since he has vines, moss on him and that leads to growth of plants. I see it as it being hidden between the rocks and head portion, not a magician flower trick at all. Note: also you hear the snap of the stem as he pulls it out to place it.
If you think no one questions the physics of Superman’s powers, I’m going to guess you haven’t spent much time on comic book forums.
The lack of an explanation for the firecat isn’t a problem, per se. It just strikes me as out of place in a game where most of the extraordinary powers have a fairly obvious reason for being. If not for the fact that she transforms into it during some moves, I wouldn’t even question the firecat; I’d simply assume it was a hard-light hologram or something and continue on my way. However, given Orchid’s background and story, it’s kind of like watching an action movie and suddenly having the protagonist transform into a glowing animal spirit to take down the bad guy. Sure, it might be awesome of Bruce Willis turned into a giant glowing bear during the climactic fight at the end of the next movie where he needs to stop a bunch of terrorists, but you’d probably still have some questions as to the logistics of it.
And yeah, I’m fully aware that I’m overthinking it, but I’m fine with that.
“What exactly is the Firecat?”
Pure &$)@ing awesomeness.
Like her brother, Orchid too is probably in tuned with her spiritual side since birth. Orchid learned how to do her fire cat stuff as a Kid, she isn’t as adept when it comes to spiritual stuff due to not being raised where Jago was raised or outright left their home before learning to harness Spiritual energy due to lack of interest (maybe meditating 24/7 wasn’t her thing, you know that kinda spiritual stuff). However with what limited knowledge she had on harnessing spiritual energy she came up with the fire cat, Turning into a cat that is invulnerable can help if espionage goes south (stuck in ahail of gunfire or something) and summoning a sentient fire cat is useful in a lot of different scenarios regarding Agent work.
So if you think of Orchid being a spiritually adept person before becoming an agent which makes sense, then it isn’t Bruce Willice turning into a Bear to maul a guy.
I am disappointed the Luke & Leia connection is lost on many… But on the plus; new and young players confirmed!
I never heard of anyone confirming they are Luke and Leia inspired.
That’s left field city.
You clearly haven’t seen the alternate ending to Die Hard when he morphs into a goat and headbutts Hans Gruber off the top of Nakitomi tower.