Unbeknownst to the two factions, the wars are masterminded by Shinryu and Cid of the Lufaine, so that each time a faction wins the survivors are killed and everyone is revived to begin a new war. Cid wanted to refine Chaos into the ultimate weapon to take back to his original homeworld and seek vengeance on Onrac, the government that destroyed his family, while Shinryu would absorb the warriors' memories and experiences and become stronger. There have been twenty cycles seen or alluded to in the two games.