Dist

Dr. Saphir Wyon Gneiss (or Saphir Ortion Gneiss in the English-language version of the game), also known as Dist the Reaper or by his self-conferred title Dist the Rose, is one of the six God-Generals and primary antagonists appearing in Tales of the Abyss. Dist is also called Dist the Runny, a title mockingly conferred upon him by Jade Curtiss in reference to the fact that Dist's nose supposedly runs when he is upset, which he is very easily made. Within the Order of Lorelei he holds the ranks of Conductor and Locrian Colonel and is the Commander of the 2nd Division. Dist is the only God General never to engage the party in direct combat, instead deploying large mechs called Kaiser Dists to fight the party.

Dist is a narcissist with a flamboyant sense of style, as is shown by his ostentatious chair and unique collar, and he possesses both an affectedly soft yet haughty voice to match his personality. His blind dedication to the cause of reviving his childhood teacher, professor Gelda Nebilim, illustrates a stubborn inability to let go of the past. It is possible that his inflated ego stems from feelings of inadequacy or loneliness, though whether or not this is the case is never directly revealed.

History
Dist was born and raised in Keterburg, the largest city upon the continent of Sylvana, which lies within the borders of the Malkuth Empire. During his youth, Dist (then known as Saphir) studied with his then-best friend Jade Curtiss (then known as Jade Balfour), Jade's sister Nephry Balfour (later Nephry Osborne), and the future emperor Peony IX under Professor Gelda Nebilim, a retired Oracle Knight researching the Planetary Fonic Arte.

When Jade tried and failed to use the Seventh Fonon while at Nebilim's home, the art went horribly awry, setting her house ablaze and nearly killing the professor in the process, though not before Jade and Saphir took her to the outskirts of town and attempted to make a replica using fonic artes. However, as the theory behind fomicry was imperfect then, the replica Nebilim was unstable, lacking the first and sixth fonons, and, seeking to become complete, went on a rampage, killing several Fonists to gather the fonons she lacked. She was eventually sealed away in Nebilim's Crag by a division of the Malkuth Military under the command of Field Marshall McGovern.

Following this event, Jade ordered that all research on fomicry be ceased, as he considered it both dangerous and unethical and feared that his mistakes might be repeated at some future time. Dist, however, had promised to himself that he would do anything to resurrect Nebilim, and, believing Jade to have abandoned her, did everything in his power, even switching alliances and working with Grand Maestro Mohs in a failed attempt to acquire Nebilim's replica data.

Rather surprisingly, he is the creator of Anise's fighting doll Tokunaga, which was apparently a gift given her once when she was nice to him. Anise later describes him as "a stupid, rotten, friendless, ugly, snotty, poor excuse for a human being" after she believes him to have died before facing replica Nebilim.

Due to his "tenacity of a cockroach" - Dist's ability to repeatedly escape death - Dist was the only God General to live through the entire game, reappearing in the Nebilim and Contamination sidequests, during the former of which he survives a direct assault from the replica Nebilim herself.

Role in the Plot
Dist serves as the comic relief villain, often throwing tantrums, and is responsible for speaking various outrageous quotes, many of which only seem to further expound upon his great personal vanity. He is a common fan favorite as he provides much to the plot in the form of both comedy and seriousness, and he is an integral character in several sidequests, including the battle against Replica Nebilim.

Dist also mentions once that he keeps a "revenge journal", in which he notes instances of what he perceives to be disrespect to be avenged at a later time, a time that can be presumed will never come. The other God-Generals tend to ignore him during such rants, inciting him to further anger and presumably leading him to make further notes in his journal.