My last description ended in a whole misunderstanding, so I’m rewriting why did I choose this character and how does it relate to this contest.

Why Gilgamesh?
Gilgamesh is a character found on the Final Fantasy series. He is characteristic of fandom within the gaming community. However, whether you know him for stealing his Genji armour, or his ruses, I do not come towards you because of that.

While to any fan of the Final Fantasy series this seems implicit, for those who haven’t played the games, it’s not clear. But, as much as Gilgamesh is a video game character, he is foremost a character created by the one and only Yoshitaka Amano. So, what comes forth as my submission is this character, and why it is Buddhist art, made by Yoshitaka Amano.

Yoshitaka Amano is an artist well-versed and influenced by feudal art, or anything evocative of adventure, or that is intricate; and here is my explanation as to why his character, Gilgamesh, is Buddhist art. And, as being Buddhist Art, as well as my explanation why this character is as well the epitome of Japanese culture:

To me, Japanese culture is completely based on existence. Something by existing alone, is capable of everything and anything. An example of this existential potential is the tsukumogami, which is Japanese folklore that once an inanimate object reaches a 100 years of age, their 100th birthday, that they become animated. So, Japanese culture is very surreal.

Gilgamesh is depicted as someone who is human, yet as well as a God, and that down-to-earth divine vision is the common focus of Buddhist art as well.

This also brings to the etymology of the character:
Gil: currency from the dimensions this character travels around.

Game-sh: This is an allegory for Ganesha. The medium of exposure for most of the art by Yoshitaka Amano, and for this character, has been mostly through a video game. So, it is a mock, as well.

Esh: The world Ganesha comes from gana and isha, isha meaning master.

So with said, Gilgamesh is a god that steals money—a master thief. And a master thief is the idea that consolidates Buddhists art with the Japanese surrealism: Something bizarre (the down-to-earth characteristic) with a proficiency (godlike quality), these being the juxtapose carried in Buddhist interpretations.

Who is Gilgamesh?
Gilgamesh is quite frankly everything. You never know, he might surprise you. To beginners, he has four arms. And to advanced people, he can dimensional travel, has a brother, has the most powerful sword in the Universe and is a rightful man.

But, despite of all that, just like I had said, Gilgamesh means mastery in stealing, and that is his role, a quite literal one.

Here is a representation done by Amano of Gilgamesh: