Jade Dixon (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
leasspell_dael) wrote2011-07-17 05:45 pm
leasspell_dael) wrote2011-07-17 05:45 pm
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[Essay][Chrono Trigger] The Importance of Family in Chrono Trigger
Title: The Importance of Family in Chrono Trigger
Last Revised: 2006/06/02
Word Count: 4000
Status: Complete.
Disclaimer: I don't own Chrono Trigger, nor do I pretend that I do. Even if I did, the army of lawyers that would come after me would make me change my mind. Chrono Trigger is the property of Square-Enix.
Spoiler: This essay addresses plot points throughout the entirety of Chrono Trigger. It does not reference Radical Dreamers or Chrono Cross.
The Importance of Family in Chrono Trigger
An Essay by Jade Dixon
One of the greatest influences in a person's life is their family, whether by blood or honourary. For some reason, however, video games often gloss over or overlook family completely. This is far from true in the 1995 Super Nintendo RPG "Chrono Trigger", where family plays an important role for each and every playable character within the game. Some of these families have troublesome relations; some are merely the bonds of friendship grown so much as to be considered family. No matter the situation, they contribute significantly to characterization and even the plot of the game. A chronological look at the various bonds that exist will show that not only are they important individually, but as overreaching influences over the entire timeline of the game.
In the Prehistoric Age, family seems to have the "least" importance. With the exception of non-player characters, there are initially no familial relations shown. In fact, the first hint of the importance of family to Ayla is indirect. At the end of the game, Marle admonishes Kino to have strong children so that her own family line will be strong (as it has just been revealed that he is her ancestor). Kino cheekily responds that there is no need to worry, "Ayla VERY strong". Here, Ayla is immediately connected to being both a lover and a mother. In addition, as one of the last humans born before the arrival of Lavos, she is in some ways the mother of the new human race (as Lavos manipulated the evolution of all living things on the planet), nurturing their growth in her role as Chief of Ioka. She is definitely the mother of Marle's family line, the only direct familial link between playable characters.
The fact that her connection to family is so weak can be interpreted in a couple of ways. One way is that before Lavos came and evolved humans, they were too "primitive" to form strong familial bonds; that such a thing was a luxury they could not afford. Another is that they didn't want to dilute the impact of the "mother of humanity" theory. The second is more likely given the nature of the themes of prejudice and equality that run throughout the game.
In the Dark Ages, the characters demonstrate the most complicated representation of family in the entire game. The family unit in question is Queen Zeal, Schala, Janus, and Magus (he is included separately for a reason). We, unfortunately, do not know much about how they interacted with each other prior to Lavos' influence. The closest thing we have is that Janus tells Schala that the Queen is "not our mother anymore!" This implies that even young Janus can remember a time when their mother was different, perhaps even loving. This is the complete opposite of the Queen's current actions. We never get to see her interact with Janus; although he is her son, she ignores his existence because he is not useful. Schala on the other hand gets too much attention from the queen, who sees her merely as a tool to further her own aims towards immortality.
While Janus has obviously accepted that his mother has changed for the worst and turned his back on her, Schala cannot do the same. Being older, she probably has more memories from when her mother was more loving, and has difficulty reconciling this new persona with the woman who raised her. This is the crux of Schala's dilemma: should she fight for what she knows is right, or for the chance of helping her family? Unfortunately, Schala cannot make a choice and tries to do both. In trying to liberate the Earthbound while bringing the Queen to her senses, she fails to do both, and winds up with no strength to fight her mother's will in the end.
The relationship between Schala and Janus is simultaneously easier to define, and harder. Their exact blood relation is difficult to determine due to ambiguous translation (or perhaps ambiguity in the original). One NPC labels them as step-siblings, yet Janus refers to the queen as "our" mother and another NPC describes the queen as having two heirs. Many have chosen to interpret this as them being half-siblings, although this may not be correct. Whether or not they are connected by blood, they certainly care about each other. Schala is described as Janus' only friend outside of his cat, and they try to protect each other any way they can. Schala gives her younger brother an amulet for protection when she begins to sense that she might not always be around to protect him. Meanwhile, it is implied that Janus has been advising her to turn against the queen. After he defines her as no longer being their mother, Schala says "Still I can't..." as if replying to a request for action. Advice is not the end of Janus’ attempts to help his sister, though. At the end of the Zeal arc of the story, when Schala has been kidnapped and taken to the Ocean palace, Janus travels by himself--with no magical assistance--through the storms to the Skyway, and then through the Ocean Palace, all in hopes of saving his sister, despite the fact that he is just a child. This is perhaps the ultimate proof of the bond between them.
But how does Magus feel? While he is "technically" Janus, his reactions are very different. He works with the queen, and hurts Schala to reach his goals. How much is part of his act, and how much is how he really feels? He works with and acts subservient to his mother, although it is obvious that his subservience is simply to allow him to reach Lavos. But how does he feel about her? Does he hate or dislike her, as he did when he was Janus? Or does he merely see her as a puppet or tool (whether of himself or Lavos could be another interesting question)? It is hard to tell. He is so focused on Lavos that when he finally drops his act he pretty much ignores the queen. All that we can know for sure is that by the end of the game he thinks of her as a "pitiful woman" who was "duped by Lavos". There is no talk of family.
And what of Schala, the sister he risked his life to save when he was just a child? Now that he is grown up, and can see things from another perspective, how does he feel about her? It is not as clear-cut as it might seem. First of all, he torments and threatens her when Crono and company show up, along with his toadying to the queen. Also, although he seems to acquiesce to Schala's request to release the prisoners, it is only after Janus and Alfador pipe up that he actually agrees, not when she asks. He does take a step towards her when she is wracked by the Ocean Palace's energy, but doesn't actually do or say anything besides a singular utterance of her name just before Lavos shows up. Similarly, when Schala teleports them away, he steps towards her, but is ultimately silent. Perhaps the most curious instance is Marle's question to him at the end of the game: "So…you’re going to search for Schala?" Again, he remains silent. Going through time in the Epoch during the ending, Magus is seen flying through some mountains. Whether he is searching for her or not is unclear.
Many of his "negative" actions towards Schala can be seen as just a part of his act so he can get revenge on Lavos. However, it can also be interpreted as disgust for her weakness that contributed to the ruination of his life. As Magus tells Crono after Death Peak, "You got wacked cuz you were weak."* The Mystic lord has neither time nor patience for weakness. The strongest pieces of evidence against this theory, and that help to prove the possibility that he does still care for her are remarkably easy to miss. From the point where Schala begins activating the Mammon Machine until she sends the party to safety after Crono’s death, he only speaks to her once: a call of her name as the machine overloads. It is not so much the fact that he is silent that proves anything, but rather that the writers make sure that the player is aware of this silence through the use of ellipses. The initial silence was possibly so he would not blow his cover by showing he cared. The second was possibly shame for his actions, or an attempt to preserve the timeline (as Janus has not been sent to the Middle Ages yet), despite his desire to speak to her one last time. Of course, it is impossible to know for certain, but even the programmers strongly imply that he cares with Marle's question at the end. While it is arguable that he despises her, it is far more likely that he still loves his older sister. After all, he keeps the amulet he gave her through everything, and still has it equipped when he joins your party (or your party receives it upon his death). That has to count for something.
But how do the rest of his family think of him? Schala likely fears Magus because of his guise as the "Prophet" who had the power to hurt her. That she includes him with the rest of your party when sending them to safety indicates that she at the very least doesn’t hate him. As for his mother, the fact that she feels betrayed enough to remember his backstabbing at the end of the game indicates that she truly did trust the “Prophet”. In the end, though, he is merely a tool to be discarded once he has outlived his usefulness. Janus never interacts or really mentions the Prophet except for the jailbreak scene. All we know is that he acknowledges the fact that his counterpart has power and authority (seen by the younger version’s plea to let your party go). Most likely he feels the same disgust for the “Prophet” that he feels for his mother. Similarly, Magus does not interact with or talk about his past self much, except in his flashback when he acknowledges he was a "different person then".
The Zeal family is practically the definition of dysfunctional. Yet even as some bonds have been shattered beyond belief, others are hanging on by a thread, and some are so strong they resulted in tragedy, there is hope that the memory of the caring between Janus and Schala will result in Magus eventually finding his sister and recreating a healthy family relationship, perhaps redeeming the former villain.
Moving on, the Middle Ages pose a curious look on family. First of all, the main character from that time period, Frog, is never shown to have any. This could be because he is supposed to represent a purified form of friendship, through his dedication to Cyrus' memory. We never see or hear mention of parents, siblings, children, or partners (unless you count his dedication to Queen Leene as being a sign of his love for her). The closest we get within the main game is the flashback that shows Cyrus chasing off bullies from picking on a young Glenn. It is an "older brother" sort of act, and perhaps it is supposed to show Glenn as an adoptive member of Cyrus' family. Outside of the main game is the gag ending where Leene marries Frog and Marle is their descendent, proving that they had kids. Since it is not a part of the main story, it will not be counted. This leaves the possibility of adoptive family through friendship as what they are trying to demonstrate; a contrast to the lack of bonds found between blood relations in the previous age, with the strong bonds without blood here.
The other instance of family in the Middle Ages connects with family in the Present, and that is of course through the royal family. Marle's exacting resemblance to her ancestor Queen Leene perhaps ties in to the theme of appearance versus reality (which can also be seen through the corruption of the Kingdom of Zeal versus its outside beauty). Although Marle passes for the woman's twin, she seems to channel more of the spirit of her other female ancestor in the game: Ayla. Both Marle and Ayla share a free spirit, and a desire to protect the entirety of humankind, not just their own people.
Continuing with family in the Present, there is also Marle's relationship with her immediate family: her father. Without the mediating influence of her mother (who passed away when Marle was young) a tempestuous interaction has arisen between the remaining members of the royal family. The king is protective and duty bound, while Marle is more of a free spirit who wants to explore and interact with the outside world, and doesn't agree with all of her father's royal decisions. Within the trial of Crono we once again see a princess torn between family loyalty and what she knows is right.
At first, it seems she will parallel Schala's failure of action. When Crono is declared guilty she protests, yet makes not active resistance to her father's will; it is Lucca who attempts a breakout. However, because of Crono and Lucca's actions, she is able to aid and then join in their escape. The following journey allows her to grow, as well as for circumstances to allow a safe middle ground to resolve her personal conflict. When the fake chancellor attempts to incarcerate the king, Marle is able to both fight for what is right, as well as support her family by providing evidence of her father's innocence and the "chancellor's" guilt. In this way, Marle and her father repair the family bonds that were broken in Zeal, and Marle redeems Schala's failure.
Marle's role as a parallel to Schala can also be given more significance by the possibility of Schala being her ancestor. The event that starts the whole journey through time is the reaction of Marle's pendant with the Telepod, opening the first Gate. Later in the game, we see the origins of the pendant in Zeal, where it was the possession of Schala. The fact that NPCs identified Marle's pendant as looking exactly like Schala's, or even mistaking it for Schala's, is strong indication that the pendant is unique. The last time we see Schala in the game, the pendant is still in her possession, albeit drained of the last of its powers (much like Marle's pendant is powerless until it is charged in Zeal). This means that (assuming Schala lives) it is quite possible that Schala passed her pendant down through her own family line, until it reached Marle who claims the jewellery has great sentimental value. Of course, it is equally probable that the pendant was found and sold by some random treasure hunter, leaving this as only a possibility.
Of an interesting note, Marle is "possibly" related to the most characters in the game. Although it is earlier mentioned as a given that Ayla is Marle's ancestor, it is perfectly possible that upon stepping out of the Gate at the end of the game Ayla will be struck by lightning and Kino will sire his heirs with another woman. As a given she is related to Queen Leene, but depending on whether you are going by the "real" or "gag" ending, she is also either related to King Guardia XXI or Frog. From their connection with the pendant, there is the possibility of her being related to Schala, through which there is the possibility of being related to Janus/Magus and Queen Zeal (depending on whether Queen Zeal is mother to both of them, and if not, which is her blood relation). Given the rather large possibilities for her family tree, it is fitting that she should be the one to reconcile symbolically the conflict within the family across time.
It is important not to forget the importance of family to the other members of the Present either. This can be seen quite clearly with Lucca. The first time we see her she is with her dad, both of them working with the science they love. While their relationship was not always so smooth, after the (near-)accident with Lara and the conveyor belt, Lucca turns away from the outdoors activities she preferred at the time to learn more of her father's trade, creating a common interest between the two of them.
Lucca's love for her mother, however, is actively demonstrated in a side-quest after restoring Fiona's forest. In the "original" timeline, Lucca's mother was caught in one of her husband's inventions and had her legs maimed. Lucca's desire to prevent such an accident from happening led her to learn about machines and science from her father, but left her mother in the lurch. Unable to move of her own accord, and unable to share her family's passions, she slowly stews in bitterness. Lucca is given an opportunity to go into her own past, however, and stop the machine before it can chew up her mother's legs, resulting in a much happier and content Lara. It is strongly implied that it was only Lucca's strong regrets and feelings for this event that caused the anomalous red Gate to appear. In Chrono Trigger, feelings of love for your family can give you a second chance, not just for the future, but for the past as well.
In the family tree aspect, there is a brief cameo in the past of what are quite likely to be Lucca's ancestors. Banta (an anagram of her father Taban's name) is the smith who creates the Leene Bell; an occupation parallel to his descendant's creative inventor role (and Taban is also the creator of the Nadia Bell). In case you missed out on this huge clue though, Banta's wife wishes for a daughter who is both beautiful and smart. Lucca anyone? Although we do not know if the woman gets her wish directly, it certainly manifests itself in the form of her ancestors.
Finally, for the Present, there is Crono's family. Crono's father is never mentioned, but his mother is an ever present figure. In fact, she's actually the first person to speak in the game! While she doesn't play a large role, it is nevertheless extremely important. First of all, her actions are the only ones that imply just how young our protagonists from the present are. In the beginning of the game, Crono is shown as being dependent on her. He needs her to wake him up and give him allowance. He is shown to still be a child by his excitement over the Millennium Fair causing him to lose sleep and the fact that he is no stranger to neglecting his chores (such as feeding the cat). He is obviously old enough to be a bit independent, as she does not worry excessively over his constant absences, but there is a touching scene while Crono is dead if you visit his mother. She expresses a concern over his well-being, as if she knows what has happened. Your party, of course, lies outrageously to her. Nevertheless, her "knowledge" of his bad fortune, without any evidence (except perhaps the first time his friends visited without him) shows the strength of family bonds and the deep love of a mother who might otherwise have seemed neglectful. She trusts her son to keep safe while he is out "exploring", and gives him the unconditional freedom to do so, but still can't help worrying about him when she hasn't seen him for a while.
Of course, the ending of the game has her chase Crono's poor starved cat into a Gate just as it closes for the final time. Crono's action of panic shows that he also cares a lot about her, even if he doesn't say much. There's never a chance of him just thinking "Well, I hope she's alright wherever she is" and moving on. He immediately starts his quest to find her.
Crono lack of any but the most ambiguous of familial bonds and relations probably relates to his figure as the silent protagonist and player avatar. It is up to the player to decide the true nature of his family.
The final character and time period to be explored is Robo in the Future. His is perhaps the saddest of all the families, because there is no hint of past affection, and no hope for future reconciliation except through a complete rewriting of his past. The first time we meet any of his family are his brothers/friends of the R-series. While he greets them happily and with obvious joy, their first action is to try and terminate him. If not for Lucca's interference they would have succeeded. Similarly, his reunion with his mother "Mother Brain" also results in a fight, after he refuses to be reprogrammed. Even Atropos, his feminine counter-part/girlfriend rejects him in his new identity as Robo instead of Prometheus (due to tampering done to her by Mother Brain). While it may appear that he once had a loving family that only rejected him for his later actions, do not forget that Lucca didn't know exactly what she was doing when she was initially fixing Robo. His personality, his individual identity as we know it, may have only started upon reactivation. Even the “real” Atropos may not have recognized him if they had had a chance to converse. If Atropos is any indication, at some point he was likely a mindless drone, a tool for Mother Brain to use to exterminate humanity, after an “upgrade” of some sort. Robo, another character in the family versus morality conflict, chooses to terminate both his former partner and mother when it becomes clear that he cannot reason with them. While he has made a definitive choice, it still causes him grief, as Atropos came back to herself in her last moments.
Lucca is a possible supplement for Mother Brain's role as Robo’s mother, as she essentially recreated/reprogrammed him when he was first found. Throughout the game she is constantly tending to his "wounds" like a mother would dote on the scraped knee of their child. Unlike Mother Brain's controlling and using nature, Lucca as a mother figure gives him the freedom and opportunity to create a life for himself, even if it is one where he may not exist. Perceiving their relation in this light, it makes their tearful separation at the end of the game even more poignant.
There is no doubt that family is important; even the villains think so! When exploring Magus’ Castle, the hallway leading to Flea’s lair is occupied by illusions of your party members’ loved ones. Crono, Marle, and Lucca have one of their parents appear, while Frog sees Queen Leene and Robo sees Lucca herself. Starting off with concerned or comforting words, the images quickly move on to desiring harm for their ‘family member’ or ‘loved one’. It is psychological warfare, pure and simple; haunting, chilling, and only effective because of the bonds between the person being imitated and the party member they are aimed at.**
The words "blood is thicker than water" have no weight in Chrono Trigger. While blood may be important, it is the emotional bonds, whether supplemented by blood ties or not, that carry the true meaning. People such as Schala who blindly follow based on blood alone only wind up destroyed. Meanwhile, people such as Robo, who break away from ties of "blood" to follow their heart, gain what their heart desires, but at great cost. It is truly those such as Crono, Lucca, and Marle who have complete happiness; for their families are bound by blood and feeling. For good or ill, it is impossible to deny that family has a huge impact on all of the characters in this game.
*If nothing else, this line makes it clear I was using the SNES translation for this essay.
**Thanks to Recca on BlueKaffee for suggesting I include this. I completely forgot about this room.
Last Revised: 2006/06/02
Word Count: 4000
Status: Complete.
Disclaimer: I don't own Chrono Trigger, nor do I pretend that I do. Even if I did, the army of lawyers that would come after me would make me change my mind. Chrono Trigger is the property of Square-Enix.
Spoiler: This essay addresses plot points throughout the entirety of Chrono Trigger. It does not reference Radical Dreamers or Chrono Cross.
An Essay by Jade Dixon
One of the greatest influences in a person's life is their family, whether by blood or honourary. For some reason, however, video games often gloss over or overlook family completely. This is far from true in the 1995 Super Nintendo RPG "Chrono Trigger", where family plays an important role for each and every playable character within the game. Some of these families have troublesome relations; some are merely the bonds of friendship grown so much as to be considered family. No matter the situation, they contribute significantly to characterization and even the plot of the game. A chronological look at the various bonds that exist will show that not only are they important individually, but as overreaching influences over the entire timeline of the game.
In the Prehistoric Age, family seems to have the "least" importance. With the exception of non-player characters, there are initially no familial relations shown. In fact, the first hint of the importance of family to Ayla is indirect. At the end of the game, Marle admonishes Kino to have strong children so that her own family line will be strong (as it has just been revealed that he is her ancestor). Kino cheekily responds that there is no need to worry, "Ayla VERY strong". Here, Ayla is immediately connected to being both a lover and a mother. In addition, as one of the last humans born before the arrival of Lavos, she is in some ways the mother of the new human race (as Lavos manipulated the evolution of all living things on the planet), nurturing their growth in her role as Chief of Ioka. She is definitely the mother of Marle's family line, the only direct familial link between playable characters.
The fact that her connection to family is so weak can be interpreted in a couple of ways. One way is that before Lavos came and evolved humans, they were too "primitive" to form strong familial bonds; that such a thing was a luxury they could not afford. Another is that they didn't want to dilute the impact of the "mother of humanity" theory. The second is more likely given the nature of the themes of prejudice and equality that run throughout the game.
In the Dark Ages, the characters demonstrate the most complicated representation of family in the entire game. The family unit in question is Queen Zeal, Schala, Janus, and Magus (he is included separately for a reason). We, unfortunately, do not know much about how they interacted with each other prior to Lavos' influence. The closest thing we have is that Janus tells Schala that the Queen is "not our mother anymore!" This implies that even young Janus can remember a time when their mother was different, perhaps even loving. This is the complete opposite of the Queen's current actions. We never get to see her interact with Janus; although he is her son, she ignores his existence because he is not useful. Schala on the other hand gets too much attention from the queen, who sees her merely as a tool to further her own aims towards immortality.
While Janus has obviously accepted that his mother has changed for the worst and turned his back on her, Schala cannot do the same. Being older, she probably has more memories from when her mother was more loving, and has difficulty reconciling this new persona with the woman who raised her. This is the crux of Schala's dilemma: should she fight for what she knows is right, or for the chance of helping her family? Unfortunately, Schala cannot make a choice and tries to do both. In trying to liberate the Earthbound while bringing the Queen to her senses, she fails to do both, and winds up with no strength to fight her mother's will in the end.
The relationship between Schala and Janus is simultaneously easier to define, and harder. Their exact blood relation is difficult to determine due to ambiguous translation (or perhaps ambiguity in the original). One NPC labels them as step-siblings, yet Janus refers to the queen as "our" mother and another NPC describes the queen as having two heirs. Many have chosen to interpret this as them being half-siblings, although this may not be correct. Whether or not they are connected by blood, they certainly care about each other. Schala is described as Janus' only friend outside of his cat, and they try to protect each other any way they can. Schala gives her younger brother an amulet for protection when she begins to sense that she might not always be around to protect him. Meanwhile, it is implied that Janus has been advising her to turn against the queen. After he defines her as no longer being their mother, Schala says "Still I can't..." as if replying to a request for action. Advice is not the end of Janus’ attempts to help his sister, though. At the end of the Zeal arc of the story, when Schala has been kidnapped and taken to the Ocean palace, Janus travels by himself--with no magical assistance--through the storms to the Skyway, and then through the Ocean Palace, all in hopes of saving his sister, despite the fact that he is just a child. This is perhaps the ultimate proof of the bond between them.
But how does Magus feel? While he is "technically" Janus, his reactions are very different. He works with the queen, and hurts Schala to reach his goals. How much is part of his act, and how much is how he really feels? He works with and acts subservient to his mother, although it is obvious that his subservience is simply to allow him to reach Lavos. But how does he feel about her? Does he hate or dislike her, as he did when he was Janus? Or does he merely see her as a puppet or tool (whether of himself or Lavos could be another interesting question)? It is hard to tell. He is so focused on Lavos that when he finally drops his act he pretty much ignores the queen. All that we can know for sure is that by the end of the game he thinks of her as a "pitiful woman" who was "duped by Lavos". There is no talk of family.
And what of Schala, the sister he risked his life to save when he was just a child? Now that he is grown up, and can see things from another perspective, how does he feel about her? It is not as clear-cut as it might seem. First of all, he torments and threatens her when Crono and company show up, along with his toadying to the queen. Also, although he seems to acquiesce to Schala's request to release the prisoners, it is only after Janus and Alfador pipe up that he actually agrees, not when she asks. He does take a step towards her when she is wracked by the Ocean Palace's energy, but doesn't actually do or say anything besides a singular utterance of her name just before Lavos shows up. Similarly, when Schala teleports them away, he steps towards her, but is ultimately silent. Perhaps the most curious instance is Marle's question to him at the end of the game: "So…you’re going to search for Schala?" Again, he remains silent. Going through time in the Epoch during the ending, Magus is seen flying through some mountains. Whether he is searching for her or not is unclear.
Many of his "negative" actions towards Schala can be seen as just a part of his act so he can get revenge on Lavos. However, it can also be interpreted as disgust for her weakness that contributed to the ruination of his life. As Magus tells Crono after Death Peak, "You got wacked cuz you were weak."* The Mystic lord has neither time nor patience for weakness. The strongest pieces of evidence against this theory, and that help to prove the possibility that he does still care for her are remarkably easy to miss. From the point where Schala begins activating the Mammon Machine until she sends the party to safety after Crono’s death, he only speaks to her once: a call of her name as the machine overloads. It is not so much the fact that he is silent that proves anything, but rather that the writers make sure that the player is aware of this silence through the use of ellipses. The initial silence was possibly so he would not blow his cover by showing he cared. The second was possibly shame for his actions, or an attempt to preserve the timeline (as Janus has not been sent to the Middle Ages yet), despite his desire to speak to her one last time. Of course, it is impossible to know for certain, but even the programmers strongly imply that he cares with Marle's question at the end. While it is arguable that he despises her, it is far more likely that he still loves his older sister. After all, he keeps the amulet he gave her through everything, and still has it equipped when he joins your party (or your party receives it upon his death). That has to count for something.
But how do the rest of his family think of him? Schala likely fears Magus because of his guise as the "Prophet" who had the power to hurt her. That she includes him with the rest of your party when sending them to safety indicates that she at the very least doesn’t hate him. As for his mother, the fact that she feels betrayed enough to remember his backstabbing at the end of the game indicates that she truly did trust the “Prophet”. In the end, though, he is merely a tool to be discarded once he has outlived his usefulness. Janus never interacts or really mentions the Prophet except for the jailbreak scene. All we know is that he acknowledges the fact that his counterpart has power and authority (seen by the younger version’s plea to let your party go). Most likely he feels the same disgust for the “Prophet” that he feels for his mother. Similarly, Magus does not interact with or talk about his past self much, except in his flashback when he acknowledges he was a "different person then".
The Zeal family is practically the definition of dysfunctional. Yet even as some bonds have been shattered beyond belief, others are hanging on by a thread, and some are so strong they resulted in tragedy, there is hope that the memory of the caring between Janus and Schala will result in Magus eventually finding his sister and recreating a healthy family relationship, perhaps redeeming the former villain.
Moving on, the Middle Ages pose a curious look on family. First of all, the main character from that time period, Frog, is never shown to have any. This could be because he is supposed to represent a purified form of friendship, through his dedication to Cyrus' memory. We never see or hear mention of parents, siblings, children, or partners (unless you count his dedication to Queen Leene as being a sign of his love for her). The closest we get within the main game is the flashback that shows Cyrus chasing off bullies from picking on a young Glenn. It is an "older brother" sort of act, and perhaps it is supposed to show Glenn as an adoptive member of Cyrus' family. Outside of the main game is the gag ending where Leene marries Frog and Marle is their descendent, proving that they had kids. Since it is not a part of the main story, it will not be counted. This leaves the possibility of adoptive family through friendship as what they are trying to demonstrate; a contrast to the lack of bonds found between blood relations in the previous age, with the strong bonds without blood here.
The other instance of family in the Middle Ages connects with family in the Present, and that is of course through the royal family. Marle's exacting resemblance to her ancestor Queen Leene perhaps ties in to the theme of appearance versus reality (which can also be seen through the corruption of the Kingdom of Zeal versus its outside beauty). Although Marle passes for the woman's twin, she seems to channel more of the spirit of her other female ancestor in the game: Ayla. Both Marle and Ayla share a free spirit, and a desire to protect the entirety of humankind, not just their own people.
Continuing with family in the Present, there is also Marle's relationship with her immediate family: her father. Without the mediating influence of her mother (who passed away when Marle was young) a tempestuous interaction has arisen between the remaining members of the royal family. The king is protective and duty bound, while Marle is more of a free spirit who wants to explore and interact with the outside world, and doesn't agree with all of her father's royal decisions. Within the trial of Crono we once again see a princess torn between family loyalty and what she knows is right.
At first, it seems she will parallel Schala's failure of action. When Crono is declared guilty she protests, yet makes not active resistance to her father's will; it is Lucca who attempts a breakout. However, because of Crono and Lucca's actions, she is able to aid and then join in their escape. The following journey allows her to grow, as well as for circumstances to allow a safe middle ground to resolve her personal conflict. When the fake chancellor attempts to incarcerate the king, Marle is able to both fight for what is right, as well as support her family by providing evidence of her father's innocence and the "chancellor's" guilt. In this way, Marle and her father repair the family bonds that were broken in Zeal, and Marle redeems Schala's failure.
Marle's role as a parallel to Schala can also be given more significance by the possibility of Schala being her ancestor. The event that starts the whole journey through time is the reaction of Marle's pendant with the Telepod, opening the first Gate. Later in the game, we see the origins of the pendant in Zeal, where it was the possession of Schala. The fact that NPCs identified Marle's pendant as looking exactly like Schala's, or even mistaking it for Schala's, is strong indication that the pendant is unique. The last time we see Schala in the game, the pendant is still in her possession, albeit drained of the last of its powers (much like Marle's pendant is powerless until it is charged in Zeal). This means that (assuming Schala lives) it is quite possible that Schala passed her pendant down through her own family line, until it reached Marle who claims the jewellery has great sentimental value. Of course, it is equally probable that the pendant was found and sold by some random treasure hunter, leaving this as only a possibility.
Of an interesting note, Marle is "possibly" related to the most characters in the game. Although it is earlier mentioned as a given that Ayla is Marle's ancestor, it is perfectly possible that upon stepping out of the Gate at the end of the game Ayla will be struck by lightning and Kino will sire his heirs with another woman. As a given she is related to Queen Leene, but depending on whether you are going by the "real" or "gag" ending, she is also either related to King Guardia XXI or Frog. From their connection with the pendant, there is the possibility of her being related to Schala, through which there is the possibility of being related to Janus/Magus and Queen Zeal (depending on whether Queen Zeal is mother to both of them, and if not, which is her blood relation). Given the rather large possibilities for her family tree, it is fitting that she should be the one to reconcile symbolically the conflict within the family across time.
It is important not to forget the importance of family to the other members of the Present either. This can be seen quite clearly with Lucca. The first time we see her she is with her dad, both of them working with the science they love. While their relationship was not always so smooth, after the (near-)accident with Lara and the conveyor belt, Lucca turns away from the outdoors activities she preferred at the time to learn more of her father's trade, creating a common interest between the two of them.
Lucca's love for her mother, however, is actively demonstrated in a side-quest after restoring Fiona's forest. In the "original" timeline, Lucca's mother was caught in one of her husband's inventions and had her legs maimed. Lucca's desire to prevent such an accident from happening led her to learn about machines and science from her father, but left her mother in the lurch. Unable to move of her own accord, and unable to share her family's passions, she slowly stews in bitterness. Lucca is given an opportunity to go into her own past, however, and stop the machine before it can chew up her mother's legs, resulting in a much happier and content Lara. It is strongly implied that it was only Lucca's strong regrets and feelings for this event that caused the anomalous red Gate to appear. In Chrono Trigger, feelings of love for your family can give you a second chance, not just for the future, but for the past as well.
In the family tree aspect, there is a brief cameo in the past of what are quite likely to be Lucca's ancestors. Banta (an anagram of her father Taban's name) is the smith who creates the Leene Bell; an occupation parallel to his descendant's creative inventor role (and Taban is also the creator of the Nadia Bell). In case you missed out on this huge clue though, Banta's wife wishes for a daughter who is both beautiful and smart. Lucca anyone? Although we do not know if the woman gets her wish directly, it certainly manifests itself in the form of her ancestors.
Finally, for the Present, there is Crono's family. Crono's father is never mentioned, but his mother is an ever present figure. In fact, she's actually the first person to speak in the game! While she doesn't play a large role, it is nevertheless extremely important. First of all, her actions are the only ones that imply just how young our protagonists from the present are. In the beginning of the game, Crono is shown as being dependent on her. He needs her to wake him up and give him allowance. He is shown to still be a child by his excitement over the Millennium Fair causing him to lose sleep and the fact that he is no stranger to neglecting his chores (such as feeding the cat). He is obviously old enough to be a bit independent, as she does not worry excessively over his constant absences, but there is a touching scene while Crono is dead if you visit his mother. She expresses a concern over his well-being, as if she knows what has happened. Your party, of course, lies outrageously to her. Nevertheless, her "knowledge" of his bad fortune, without any evidence (except perhaps the first time his friends visited without him) shows the strength of family bonds and the deep love of a mother who might otherwise have seemed neglectful. She trusts her son to keep safe while he is out "exploring", and gives him the unconditional freedom to do so, but still can't help worrying about him when she hasn't seen him for a while.
Of course, the ending of the game has her chase Crono's poor starved cat into a Gate just as it closes for the final time. Crono's action of panic shows that he also cares a lot about her, even if he doesn't say much. There's never a chance of him just thinking "Well, I hope she's alright wherever she is" and moving on. He immediately starts his quest to find her.
Crono lack of any but the most ambiguous of familial bonds and relations probably relates to his figure as the silent protagonist and player avatar. It is up to the player to decide the true nature of his family.
The final character and time period to be explored is Robo in the Future. His is perhaps the saddest of all the families, because there is no hint of past affection, and no hope for future reconciliation except through a complete rewriting of his past. The first time we meet any of his family are his brothers/friends of the R-series. While he greets them happily and with obvious joy, their first action is to try and terminate him. If not for Lucca's interference they would have succeeded. Similarly, his reunion with his mother "Mother Brain" also results in a fight, after he refuses to be reprogrammed. Even Atropos, his feminine counter-part/girlfriend rejects him in his new identity as Robo instead of Prometheus (due to tampering done to her by Mother Brain). While it may appear that he once had a loving family that only rejected him for his later actions, do not forget that Lucca didn't know exactly what she was doing when she was initially fixing Robo. His personality, his individual identity as we know it, may have only started upon reactivation. Even the “real” Atropos may not have recognized him if they had had a chance to converse. If Atropos is any indication, at some point he was likely a mindless drone, a tool for Mother Brain to use to exterminate humanity, after an “upgrade” of some sort. Robo, another character in the family versus morality conflict, chooses to terminate both his former partner and mother when it becomes clear that he cannot reason with them. While he has made a definitive choice, it still causes him grief, as Atropos came back to herself in her last moments.
Lucca is a possible supplement for Mother Brain's role as Robo’s mother, as she essentially recreated/reprogrammed him when he was first found. Throughout the game she is constantly tending to his "wounds" like a mother would dote on the scraped knee of their child. Unlike Mother Brain's controlling and using nature, Lucca as a mother figure gives him the freedom and opportunity to create a life for himself, even if it is one where he may not exist. Perceiving their relation in this light, it makes their tearful separation at the end of the game even more poignant.
There is no doubt that family is important; even the villains think so! When exploring Magus’ Castle, the hallway leading to Flea’s lair is occupied by illusions of your party members’ loved ones. Crono, Marle, and Lucca have one of their parents appear, while Frog sees Queen Leene and Robo sees Lucca herself. Starting off with concerned or comforting words, the images quickly move on to desiring harm for their ‘family member’ or ‘loved one’. It is psychological warfare, pure and simple; haunting, chilling, and only effective because of the bonds between the person being imitated and the party member they are aimed at.**
The words "blood is thicker than water" have no weight in Chrono Trigger. While blood may be important, it is the emotional bonds, whether supplemented by blood ties or not, that carry the true meaning. People such as Schala who blindly follow based on blood alone only wind up destroyed. Meanwhile, people such as Robo, who break away from ties of "blood" to follow their heart, gain what their heart desires, but at great cost. It is truly those such as Crono, Lucca, and Marle who have complete happiness; for their families are bound by blood and feeling. For good or ill, it is impossible to deny that family has a huge impact on all of the characters in this game.
*If nothing else, this line makes it clear I was using the SNES translation for this essay.
**Thanks to Recca on BlueKaffee for suggesting I include this. I completely forgot about this room.