Jessie Black

Jessie Black is a character from Xenogears. He is the father of Billy Lee Black.

Appearance and Personality
Despite being only 34 years old, Jessie looks considerably older. He has short gray hair and blue eyes. Due to plastic surgery, he has large scars across his face.

Jessie is an adventurous individual. He wears a trench coat and carries a shotgun around with him. When with friends he enjoys to drink alcohol and fool around. While Jessie cares deeply for his children he is also hesitant to reveal everything to them, permitting his son to hate him for a period of time as a result.

Story arc
Jessie was born in Solaris, and his real name is Jesiah Blanche. He was born to Abram and Mariah Blanche who were ordinary parents. At 13 years old he entered Jugend and was an excellent student. At the age of 18 he met and married fellow student Racquel and had a son with her, Billy. Jessie's high performance put him in line for command of Gebler at the age of 25, for which he competed with fellow student Stein. However as he learned more about Solaris doubts began to arise. During his time in Gebler, Jessie met several other characters in the game including Ramsus, Hyuga and Sigurd. He acted as a mentor for both Hyuga and Sigurd. Doubts began to arise in his mind due to the discrimination among the classes in Solaris. He investigated Solaris' M Plan and decided that he would flee Solaris with his wife and son. Jessie settled in the Aquvy region of the surface and 2 years later his daughter Primera was born.

Shortly after arriving on the surface Jessie met Gaspar, one of the sages of Shevat, and joined with Shevat's forces as part of an invasion by Solaris. During this battle he was able to drive back Gebler by using the Buntline, a Gear he had stolen from the enemy. Jessie became fearful that Solaris would attack not only him, but his family as well so he fled quite suddenly. Unfortunately his wife Racquel would be killed during his absence. His daughter Primera completely lost the ability to speak and his son grew to hate him greatly due to his absence. During Jessie's work with Shevat on the surface he met an engineer, Joshua Black. Joshua was killed by pursuers and he encouraged Jessie to take on his identity. Jessie proceeded to have major plastic surgery performed to make him look more like Joshua. This included having large scars across his face and even taking on his fingerprints. As a result when he finally returned to his children, his son Billy had a hard time believing it was even him.

Jessie first encounters the party aboard the Thames. When a pair of ruffians harass his daughter Primera and Elly saves her, he initially mistakes her for a kidnapper. Due to Hyuga (now called Citan) and Sigurd being there, he comes to his senses. He joins them aboard the Yggdrasil and reminisces about old times. Jessie encourages Billy to leave the Ethos, although he won't tell him the reasons why. Billy has a great distaste for his father and refuses to listen to him. Later, when Billy and the others return to the Ethos Headquarters, they find numerous individuals murdered. Billy initially fears his father was behind it, but it is revealed that the Ethos is in fact a cover organization for Solaris and Bishop Stone has led a purge of the Ethos leadership due to their goal to rebel from Solaris.

When Billy fights Stone in the Gear Alkanshel, Jessie appears to encourage Billy, both regarding his faith and his killing of Wels, Using the Buntline once again, Jessie is feared killed as the Gear is set up to use its pilot as a weapon. However due to adjustments made to the Gear, Jessie is revealed to have made it out alive. Afterwards he reveals to the group his investigation of Solaris' M Plan and that it leads to Shevat and a Gear located there. Jessie accompanies the group as they climb Babel Tower and eventually make it to Shevat. When Dominia infiltrates Shevat, Jessie appears and chases her off. Jessie accompanies the group when they head to Solaris and assists Citan in destroying the final gate located there.

Following the group's escape from Solaris and the end of disc 1, Jessie does not appear again the rest of the game.