Rudolf Steiner

[Noahdesclian]

Hi Everyone,

I'm sorry if this has already been discussed in full, but I've not been able to find an answer online anywhere. I've always thought that "Rudo" was an odd name as a kid and Rudger (the Japanese version) is perhaps odder. But I went back to the game recently (due to the dearth of good RPGs coming out...) and realized that Rudo's full name in the English version is an actual historical person. Rudolf Steiner is the founder of the Anthroposophy movement, not only a biomonster Hunter. Oddly, I first came across the idea of Anthroposophy IN Japan while talking to a Japanese teacher of art (and a Buddhist monk at the same time). My question is: why? The name is different in Japanese (Rudger Steiner) but this still doesn't explain the English translation. Does anyone know anything more about Anthroposophy? Or maybe the creators simply liked Steiner's philosophy? Is it popular in Japan, or maybe I just slipped into a huge coincidence?

Who knows, but I thought I'd ask to see if anyone else has noticed this before.

[Black Sword]

First - howdy!

Second - it's entirely possible it was a deliberate act on the part of Sega's translators as a deliberate take that on Mother Brain's control and Mota society's decline into laziness and apathy. Very good find!

[BenoitRen]

On the topic of names, Rebecca Capowski had this to say:

As everyone knows, Sega of America played a lot of Three-Kana Monte with the PS names to get them to fit into the four-character-limit name spaces. As a result, some of the US names are abbreviated versions of the Japanese originals ("Alis" and "Rudo", for example, come from "Alisa" and "Rudger" ["Rudogaa" in katakana]), while others have been simply changed all together.

So it's likely just a coincidence.

[Tanith]

Total coincidence. Rudger shortens to Rudy, which is seen as a wimpy name by most North Americans. They did the same thing with Chaz, so I'd say SoA was pretty adamant about NOT using Rudy at all. As Benoit pointed out, Rudger is transliterated as Rudogaa, hence Rudo. It's my guess that someone thought Rudo needed a longer name, Rudogaa was seen as too unusual, and Rudolf fit the bill. I also assume they didn't want to spell it Rudolph, as the primary SoA audience would associate Rudolph with the reindeer.

They could have spelled Rudger "Rodger" (they're from the same root) with a nickname of Rod and still be in keeping with his Germanic name. They also could have nicknamed Rudger to Rud, though that doesn't really have a very nice sound to it. All that said, the name Rudolf has grown on me and I can't say I'm unhappy about the change. It's a nice name.

As an onomastics nerd, I'll take this opportunity to mention Rolf is a contraction of the name Rudolf, so that's certainly redundant. Rolf is still a million times better than Eusis.

[Noahdesclian]

I admit that it could be a coincidence, but it would certainly be an odd one if it were. The name change, I agree, is what makes me doubt any connection, and trying to make sense of the decisions of localizes is baffling in its impossibility (such as: why switch Anna and Amy's name, or why change Hugh's last name from Lean/Rean to Thompson?). Along with the plethora of folks with the name Steiner in the past (as well as the character in FFIX) and the rather gross inappropriateness of having the "tank" named after a philosopher who tried to merge science and mysticism, I'll have to agree with the last two posters. But it still seems so odd to trip upon a name like Rudolf Steiner. Maybe a translator was a follower? Who knows!