Albedo Piazzolla

Albedo Piazzolla is a major antagonist of the Xenosaga series and the primary antagonist of Xenosaga Episode I. He is an U.R.T.V. affiliated with the U-TIC Organization.

Appearance and personality
A fair skinned, white haired man who wears a black and white skin-tight combat suit with a white cape in the shape of wings, commonly seen with his E.S. Simeon and a Kirschwasser that helps pilot it. He looks strikingly similar to Gaignun Kukai and Gaignun Kukai Jr..

Albedo is a psychopath, lacking any sense of morality, he works with U-TIC to achieve his goals through any means possible, no matter how inhumane or gruesome. He takes great pleasure in making others uncomfortable and will take any chance he has to mess with Jr. and MOMO. A misanthropic loner, Albedo enjoys watching others suffer and die. He calls MOMO 'ma belle pêche', which when translated from French is 'my beautiful peach', indicating some special fixation on her in particular. Ultimately, Albedo has a nihilistic view on life and is sadistic to the point of madness. His insanity is motivated by his fear of loneliness after learning that he cannot die.

History
Albedo is one of the few remaining U.R.T.V.s. He was a designer child specifically designed along with the other U.R.T.V.s to be an anti-thesis to U-DO. Each of the U.R.T.V. variants have a special ability and Albedo's is to regenerate any parts of his body, including his head if it was destroyed.

Albedo was born as a conjoined twin with Rubedo and as such the two have a close connection to each other. Along with Nigredo they were involved in an experiment to access the subconscious domain of Sakura Mizrahi and were successfully able to interact with each other. After a training exercise that resulted in U.R.T.V. 623 getting badly injured, Albedo said all they had to do is regenerate, proving his point by destroying his head which regenerated almost immediately, shocking Nigredo and Rubedo. However, when Albedo learns that he is the only one who is immortal, he broke down in fear, scared of being alone.

Albedo took part in the operation when they tried to subdue U-DO on Old Miltia during the Miltian Conflict. However Rubedo panicked when witnessing the potential destruction of the planet and cut the link. This resulted in other U.R.T.V.s getting infected by U-DO and going out of control. This also happened to Albedo, who was never the same.

After the Miltian Conflict, he was found lying unconscious under the central shaft of the Song of Nephilim by Sellers, who had attempted to escape from Miltia by forcing the Song to surface. At that time, Albedo was half-dead, presumably as a result of being hit by waveforms which had been released by Nigredo, the U.R.T.V.s' failsafe and acting executioner. Once he finally recovered from the attack of his would-be executioner, Albedo allies himself with Margulis and the U-TIC Organization to obtain the Y-Data, in truth Albedo's real goal is to complete his link with U-DO as a means of death.

Episode I
Albedo is summoned by Margulis to come to Pleroma and provide assistance in the recovery of MOMO. Pellegri is concerned about them using him, but Margulis dismisses such claims. Albedo utilizes the Song of Nephilim, a giant structure that while remaining hidden from sight, causes a large amount of gnosis to gather in the area and attack the Kukai Foundation. During the confusion in evacuating the Foundation, Albedo kidnaps MOMO, tricking her into thinking he is Joachim Mizrahi.

Albedo brings her to the Song of Nephilim where he frightens her considerably, first by killing a Kirschwasser, then by ripping off his arm, which quickly regenerates to frighten MOMO. He then decapitates his own head, letting his own severed head continue to taunt MOMO before crushing it under his foot which quickly regenerates. Realizing that MOMO knows Junior, Albedo becomes pleased, but also more maniacal and MOMO passes out. Junior and the others are able to reveal the location of the Song of Nephilim and enter it to take on Albedo. Albedo has been drawing information from MOMO and taunts Junior. Any ability to defeat Albedo are fruitless due to his immortality. He fights the party in his E.S. Simeon, and afterwards he and Junior continue to confront each other until MOMO is able to reduce their power. The Blue Testament appears, enabling Albedo to escape.

Using the information he has drawn from MOMO and the Y data, he revives Proto Merkabah. He is unable to dive further into the Y Data due to protection that is on it. Using the Proto Merkabah, Albedo blasts away the Federation fleet. Junior and the others make their way into Proto Merkabah to stop him and confront him in the reactor room. After defeating him, Albedo departs, but not before unleashing Sophie Peithos, forcing the party to battle the giant gnosis. As the game ends, Albedo awaits for MOMO to link up with the U.M.N., believing his objective will be complete at that time.

Episode II
Although in far off locations from one another, Gaignun and Albedo are able to communicate with each other through their mind. Albedo says Gaignun's true form is an executioner and taunts him over hanging around Junior while waiting to carry out his mission. He claims he'll be borrowing Junior himself soon. Gaignun cuts the communication causing Albedo's arm to vanish, although he immediately regenerates it. When Helmer, Juli and the others try to access the Y-Data from MOMO on Second Miltia they realize that Albedo has laid a trap for them. MOMO cuts off her neural pathway in response to this and falls unconscious. Albedo contacts them, admitting he left a "gift" within MOMO. The party dives into the Subconscious Domain to help restore MOMO to normal and are confronted by Albedo while there. He goads Junior into getting angry and unleashing his energy. Fearing for Junior, MOMO awakens, enabling Albedo to seize what he needs from the Y-Data, the path to Old Miltia. He and his E.S. disappear. While far away Junior can sense the heartbeat of Albedo fading.

Albedo appears while the party is at the Ω System, telling Sergius XVII that the power he wields is his and he has no right to it. He offers to help Junior in fighting him, but Sergius reacts by firing the Proto Omega's cannon at him, disintegrating his body. When the Testaments appear and kill Sergius, they also revive Albedo. Waves from U-DO enter his body, to his excitement. As he links with U-DO, the Ω System disappears, to be replaced by the Space-Time Anomaly. Junior makes his way into the Space-Time Anomaly where a child version of Albedo goads him further. Junior finally comes across Albedo in the flesh. Junior does battle with Albedo once again, killing him and causing the Space-Time Anomaly to disappear. However it is revealed at the end of the game that Albedo has been revived once again, to become the fourth Testament.

Lore

 * Albedo can regenerate missing limbs, even his head through nanomachines, making suicide impossible for him.
 * He is immortal to the point that even his severed head is capable of speech.

Episode I

 * Albedo (XS1) (boss)

Episode II

 * Albedo (Subconscious Domain)
 * Albedo (Space-Time Anomaly)

Trivia

 * "Albedo" is the alchemical process of whitening.
 * In the Japanse version, the symbol on Albedo's chest is an "X". In the English release, it was changed to a "^". It is unknown why this change occurred.