From here, the people's faith in the Chosen begins to dwindle, but the group manages to stay strong, deciding to take Yggdrasil on again. However, they come to find out the real reason behind the need for the Chosen: Yggdrasil is actually Mithos from the legends of the Great Kharlan War. It was true that he managed to bring the conflict to an end 4,000 years ago with his allies—his sister Martel, her companion Yuan (both of them half-elves) and Mithos' teacher, Kratos—but Martel was killed after the war by humans for being a half-elf. As she was dying, she wished that there world would eventually become one where there would be no discrimination and all the people could live in harmony. Mithos, plagued with grief by his sister's loss, became obsessed with both that wish and her resurrection, eventually giving rise to the intricate system he devised through Cruxis, the Church of Martel and the Desians.
During the encounter, Colette actually manages to channel Martel through her body. Mithos is ecstatic at her return, but Martel has stern words for her brother, attempting to tell him that what he's done—causing so many people pain and suffering—is wrong. Mithos refuses to believe that his sister would actually say that and begins to refute her logic, saying that it was what she asked for. Martel then says it would have been better if the elves had never left Derris-Kharlan, the wandering comet from which elvenkind traveled through space to reach the planet. She then leaves, with Mithos distraught. He again misinterprets her wishes, believing that she merely wants to return to Derris-Kharlan and start again somewhere else. However, taking Derris-Kharlan from the two worlds now would leave it a dry and withered husk. Lloyd and the others decide that they have to stop Mithos' insane ambition and make their way to his base inside Derris-Kharlan.
After the resulting battle, Mithos is defeated, but there is still more trouble. The Great Seed, which housed Martel's spirit, is needed to reunite the two worlds, but will not sprout. Lloyd, channeling latent magical energy, and Colette, however, manage to bring the seed under control and cause it to sprout, reuniting the two worlds. In honor of Mithos' good intentions, Lloyd names the tree Yggdrasil.
Mythology is present in a few ways through Tales of Symphonia. Kosuke Fujishima, the creator and artist of the Tales series, is a known fan of Norse mythology and its references are constantly present in everything from character development to locations to weapons and items.
Lloyd, the main male protagonist of the game, is very similar to Sigurd from Norse myth. He presents a bold warrior figure that may not necessarily be the most intelligent man, but has a large amount of honor and valor in his heart. He also manages to save Colette, who can be seen as a Brunhilde-type figure (she is also a warrior-woman, though misfortune follows her a lot more closely than it did Brunhilde in her tale), from something similar to a "burning ring" at one point in the game when Colette was bound to a platform by her own mana (much like Brunhilde was placed inside the burning ring because of her defiant acts against Othín).
Kratos presents a similar figure to Othín, in that he provides quintessential wisdom to Lloyd and other members of the party along the way. Although he later proves himself to be a double agent and a traitor overall, he redeems himself through his actions and later repents for what he's done. While that may not exactly fit in with the Othín motif, he still presents a benevolent sense of character that fits with Othín's concept.
Zelos is yet another figure that has strong ties to prominent figures in Norse myth, most notably Loki. Zelos, much like Kratos, plays the role of a double agent during his entire time with the party. However, his treachery stems more from the circumstances of his birth and the fact that he is essentially trapped (or held hostage) by his bloodline. Zelos has no desire to be the Chosen and looks at his fate as a burden and a prison. Much of the traps that Zelos leads the group into are somewhat harmless, only meaning to capture, not kill. However, near the end of the game, Zelos betrays the party entirely, allowing Colette to be captured yet again (which will essentially bring about something resembling Ragnorok) and then attempts to kill the party itself in one of the branching storylines. He presents a complicated character that proves far deeper than he is originally presented.
