History NightmareFuel / FinalFantasyXV

* The World of Ruin and everything in the story leading up to it. Right from the game's beginning when exploring the lore of Eos it's mentioned that nights are getting longer, but the player isn't likely to heed it much. Then, as you progress in the game from chapter to chapter, you gradually notice that you start waking up later than 6 AM, and the sun starts setting earlier in the evening than 7 PM, creating a much more oppressive feel as you have far less time to accomplish your tasks before Daemons come out. While a player may or may not realize this is directly connected to what was mentioned in the Lore section, it gets worse when starting in Chapters 10 onward the characters themselves notice this, and reason that eventually there will come a time when [[TheNightThatNeverEnds there's no daylight at all]] and Daemons roam free to cause mass death and mayhem with no limits whatsoever. When Noctis wakes up on Angelgard in Chapter 14, even before the player realizes that ten years have passed, it becomes clear immediately from the cloudy, blackened skies that this has exactly come to pass. When Noctis arrives in a [[SceneryGorn now-ruined Galdin Quay]], he even comments "Last man standing", implying he--and possibly the player as well--believes that he really may be [[LastOfHisKind the last human being alive after the rest of humanity has been wiped out by daemons]]. Fortunately, he's not, and as in [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI the namesake of the World of Ruin]], there ARE other survivors.
* The [[BrutalBonusLevel Pitioss Dungeon]] that you can unlock after beating the game, is pretty guaranteed to creep the ever-loving hell out of you. Why? [[NothingIsScarier Because the absolute lack of any sort of life in the labyrinth]]. There aren't even any Daemons, which're supposed to thrive in the darkness. Instead, it's a bloody marathon of puzzles involving [[MalevolentArchitecture perilous pathways of thin balancing struts, constantly moving architecture, and eternally red-hot spike panels galore]], with random demonic-looking statues to scare the hell out of you once you shine your flashlight on them.

'''As a Moments subpage, all spoilers are unmarked [[Administrivia/SpoilersOff as per policy.]] Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned.'''

** During the train ride to Niflheim, Ardyn takes on Prompto's appearance and makes Prompto take on his, tricking Noctis into attacking one of his best friends while also walking alongside Noctis able to engage him in open conversation. Then, after he's rozen by Shiva and Noctis shatters him, he reappears and explains that he's immortal, and mimes pointing Prompto's gun at Noctis and firing. In a few brief scenes, the full extent of Ardyn's powers become clear -- he can disguise himself flawlessly, shroud others in illusions, and is immune to any lasting harm. Noctis is almost speechless but to ask where Prompto is, and barely reacts beyond a growl when Ardyn pushes him aside to walk past him, because what else could he do? Between Ardyn's power within the Empire and his own personal abilities, he could have directly or indirectly sabotaged Noctis and his friends at any turn, killed any of them without effort, and there is nothing anyone can do to stop him. Ardyn has been calling the shots all along, and even if Noctis realizes it now, there's little he can do but keep playing the part Ardyn is forcing him into.

* From the "Dawn" trailer and its sequel, "Dawn 2.0": Luna as a child being [[AdultFear chased through a dark house during a storm]] [[WouldHurtAChild and attacked by a soldier]], Caligo Uldor. All the plot about it was deleted from the final game because it was judged too creepy by the development team.

** Anywhere at any time, even driving, you can hear a [[HellISThatNoise hellish sound]], a portal in the ground opens up and out crawls a Level 30 [[HumanoidAbomination Iron Giant]]--a giant, [[DarkIsEvil black]], metallic...''creature'' wielding a BFS. Early on in the game these monsters don't just ''look scary'', but they are so many levels above yours that they can give you an instant game over.

* The World of Ruin and everything in the story leading up to it. Right from the game's beginning when exploring the lore of Eos it's mentioned that nights are getting longer, but the player isn't likely to heed it much. Then, as you progress in the game from chapter to chapter, you gradually notice that you start waking up later than 6 AM, and the sun starts setting earlier in the evening than 7 PM, creating a much more oppressive feel as you have far more time to accomplish your tasks before Daemons come out. While a player may or may not realize this is directly connected to what was mentioned in the Lore section, it gets worse when starting in Chapters 10 onward the characters themselves notice this, and reason that eventually there will come a time when [[TheNightThatNeverEnds there's no daylight at all]] and Daemons roam free to cause mass death and mayhem with no limits whatsoever. When Noctis wakes up on Angelgard in Chapter 14, even before the player realizes that ten years have passed, it becomes clear immediately from the cloudy, blackened skies that this has exactly come to pass. When Noctis arrives in a [[SceneryGorn now-ruined Galdin Quay]], he even comments "Last man standing", implying he--and possibly the player as well--believes that he really may be [[LastOfHisKind the last human being alive after the rest of humanity has been wiped out by daemons]]. Fortunately, he's not, and as in [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI the namesake of the World of Ruin]], there ARE other survivors.

* The Crystal and/or gods must have gotten a real kick out of having Noctis awaken from his 10 year stupor in the cell that had imprisoned Ardyn for thousands of years. Of all places to make him come back, they made him rise in the place where his chosen nemesis got tortured to madness via solitude.

* The Crystal and/or gods must have gotten a real kick out of having Noctis awaken from his 10 year stupor in the cell that had imprisoned Ardyn for thousands of years. Of all places to make him come back, they made him rise in the place where his chosen nemesis got tortured to madness via solitude.

* The ending of ''Episode Ardyn.'' After being told by Bahamut that his fate is to be killed by Noctis for the Starscourge to truly end, Ardyn decides (or is forced to, depending on player choice) to go along with what fate has decreed for him. As he curses the world, he slowly advances towards apparitions of Aera and Somnus. And when he reaches them, he gives a horrifying SlasherSmile and ''stabs them to death,'' before covering the world in darkness while letting out the mother of all [[EvilLaugh Evil Laughs.]]

* From the "Dawn" trailer and its sequel, "Dawn 2.0": Luna as a child being [[AdultFear chased through a dark house during a storm]] [[WouldHurtAChild and attacked by a soldier]].
** Even worse when you realise that this soldier is Caligo and all the plot about it has been deleted because it was judged too creepy by the development team. Playing episode Ignis after knowing that is sure unsettling.
* Imagine wandering off a sunlit path and into a bog. About halfway through, you spot what appears to be a strange plant in the water [[TemptingFate and decide to take a closer look]] -- while your friends suddenly start shouting for you to get away from it. Except it's already too late. A [[DemonicSpider Malboro]] breaks the surface and proceeds to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txnngFuV_Ss kill all of you in horrific fashion.]]
** Malboros aren't daemons. That means that ''those things evolved naturally on Eos, are a normal part of its ecology, and will still be around after the cleansing of the Starscourge.''
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlHR0QztA9Q&t=3s This video]] involving a tiny Malboro. Ties in with Kingsglaive.
* The incident that rendered Noctis unconscious in the ''Platinum Demo''. Going by Regis's [[AdultFear horrified scream]], it could not have been anything good...
** ''Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV'' gives the answer: Noct was attacked by a ''Marilith''. When Regis arrived on the scene, Noct was lying in a pool of blood underneath a bodyguard. The attack nearly ''killed'' Noct, according to Ignis.
** This line from Carbuncle during the battle with the Iron Giant:
-->"Someone doesn't want you to wake up..."
* The InMediasRes opening of ''Final Fantasy XV'' shows an older-looking, weary, and exhausted Noctis who almost seems like he's dazed and weathered by everything he's been through, not helped by the fact that shortly thereafter he gets hit head-on with a large burst of flame. Considering the rest of the party looks like their normal selves, it's implied that the rapid aging that had happened to his father due to being a BarrierMaiden is going to happen to Noctis, too -- and the gameplay trailers imply we'll get to see this ourselves over the course of the game.
** The blow is lessened somewhat knowing that this scene takes place ten years into the future, with everyone more or less changed slightly, but the point about Noct could still hold weight.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vgjPTy3jnA The "Death" Spell]] is revamped from a random dice roll spell, to a gradually draining attack that slowly emaciates your target until they die. Their limbs gradually shrink into that of stick people until they simply cease to exist. It's a disturbing, [[BlackComedy if also kind of funny]] sight to see something like an Iron Giant or a Bandersnatch be drained of life force and just go poof.
** Then there is the Alterna spell, which create a giant crystal that sucks the enemies like a black hole before exploding, leaving nothing behind Like the death spell the surroundings are getting darker while the spell is used.

* The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZymd6r4wGg Omen trailer]]. Remember how one of the original selling points of the game was a prospective conflict between Noctis and his [[LoveInterest Love Interest]], and how some fans complained when that element seemed lost in the XV rebranding? Square finally brought it back, and [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor it's so much worse.]] Luna desperately trying to get through to a crazed Noctis as he overpowers her defenses is unsettling enough; watching her back away in terror before he impales her with her own trident is horrifying. The voiceover from their younger selves as this happens doesn't help.

** It gets worse. It's heavily implied that Regis is in contact with a malevolent entity that wants ''someone'' (seemingly Luna) dead, and it'll take over Noctis to do the deed if it has to. And even worse if you see the entire trailer as a prophetic dream of Regis', seeing the downfall of Noctis, Luna and the world.

** Him telling Noctis the most horrifying, murderous, and monstrous things with a smile and a very friendly and casual tone.
** The way he keeps screwing with Noctis' mind, making him attack his friends, and just appear out of nowhere in general.
** His backstory as a healer who got corrupted due to taking in the essence of the Starscourge, to give you an idea of just how he became so sick, twisted and corrupted.
** Gladiolus, Ignis, and Prompto tearing into him and seemingly killing him... only for him to stand up, smile, salute the three, and walk off like nothing happened.
** Him smiling as he stabs Luna to death.
*** The anime prologue to ''Episode Ardyn'' makes this moment worse because he's doing the same thing to Noct (killing Noct's beloved while he watches helplessly) that ''his own brother did to him'' two millenia ago. And in the prologue, the trauma of Aera dying in Ardyn's arms is what makes him give in to the Starscourge in the end. Ardyn hates Noct so much that he's perfectly happy to inflict the same pain that was dealt to him.

** [[ParanoiaFuel The fact that he can make himself and other people change appearances]], as he used it to trick Noctis into attacking Prompto and Ravus into thinking he's giving Regis's sword to Noctis before killing him.
* Poor, poor Ravus. He gets killed and brought back as an abomination begging to be killed by the party.
** The abomination in question isn't just a particularly ugly daemon. It looks like it belongs in a survival horror game -- its eyes and mouth are filled with black daemon blood that leaks down its face, the left side of its body is covered in skinless daemon flesh, and a visible heartbeat pulsates through its chest and a few exposed veins.
* Noctis putting on the Ring of the Lucii. The entire thing is akin to him cutting out his liver, from his uncontrollable trembling whenever he attempts to put it on to his scream of agony when he finally goes through with it. Using the Alterna spell shows part of his arm is being consumed by magic.
* A variety of events in the final portions of the game.
** As the story progresses after Luna's murder by Ardyn, it's revealed that daylight is beginning to disappear. By the time the party gets to Glacea, the whole sky is in a dusky hue, foreshadowing what's to come.
** [[FromBadToWorse It gets worse]] from there: After a TimeSkip, the ten years of perpetual darkness have not been kind to Eos: most of the world and its settlements are lost to daemons, with only Ignis, Gladiolus, Prompto, Cindy, Talcott, Iris, and presumably Aranea and Cor to lead the Hunters in humanity's survival from the service station-turned-outpost, Hammerhead, and the lone surviving city, Lestallum, which is only safe because of its power plant. If said power ever goes out, humanity is completely screwed. Needless to say, the final portion of the game is easily one of the more disquieting scenes from the series. Noctis is even more helpless here then when Ardyn stripped him off his gears until Talcott picks him up due to the sheer number of monsters swarming the world.
* The reveal that daemons are created by already existing daemons turning some of their victims into daemons themselves. We see this happen with a few characters, such as Ravus and the Emperor, and none of it is pleasant to behold.
** It's creepy enough wandering around the abandoned laboratory of Niflheim and seeing all the discarded clothes of the people who worked there that were turned into daemons, but it gets [[GutPunch much worse]] come Chapter 14. You see the same effect in Galdin Quay, with all the clothes of countless innocent people lying around the once peaceful resort that is now overrun with daemons. And the most [[TearJerker heartbreaking/shocking]] thing about this? You can find Dino and Coctura's clothes lying in their familiar spots. The two of them were rather sweet [=NPCs=] who wanted to help Noctis as well as everyone in need. Coctura can create a dish that Noctis and Ignis have pursued for a long time for Noctis and Luna's wedding. Dino was trying to start a business that would ''protect'' people from daemons. And then you discover that they've been [[KilledOffScreen unceremoniously turned into daemons.]] You might even have [[PlayerPunch killed them yourself.]]
*** Lessened drastically once you play ''Comrades'' and find out Dino and Coctura are alive and well and helping out the hunters.
* Daemons in general are this, incarnate. Unlike wild animals, who are either usually just hanging around minding their own business, or you can usually get some warning before they spring an attack, these creatures literally just appear out of nowhere. Perhaps more terrifying is the fact that, unlike other enemies, there is no limit to how many may appear, or a range for "aggro". Every second you are outside at night, a daemon can appear and attack, and they will spontaneously spawn even while you're already fighting daemons. It is possible to be caught in an extended battle that can involve half a dozen reapers and four iron giants spawning within a five minute time-frame. [[OhCrap And then a red giant can spawn within two minutes of having defeated the last one.]] There's a reason why NO ONE goes out at night, in-universe.
** Not to mention, it's dark in some places. But not the 'blue filter but you can still see everything' sort of dark. 'Dark' as in, if you're not near light, you can see maybe 10 feet in front of you with your flashlight and ''that's it.'' And a Daemon can easily materialize offscreen ''behind you'', and [[HellIsThatNoise all you might hear at first is the telltale sound.]] Not much better when it happens right in your path - bluish goop and then '''[[AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever MASSIVE IRON GIANT RIGHT IN YOUR FACE.]]''' And, yes, Imperial [=MTs=] ''can'' still drop on top of you mid-battle depending on where you are, and those guys are unsettling at best during the daytime.

* When you rescue Prompto in chapter 13, he's covered in bruises and has a scar on his temple. [[FridgeHorror It can only make you wonder what he's been going through during his captivity.]]
* Chapter 13 Verse 2 shows the full context of Ravus' death. Just as he encounters Noctis after asserting his turning against Niflheim and is presenting Regis' sword, "Noctis" [[HeelFaceDoorSlam kills Ravus on the spot]]. He then speaks in an all too familiar tone as "Noct" reveals himself to be [[BigBad Ardyn]]. Props especially go to the English version with Creator/RayChase able to perfectly capture Creator/DarinDePaul's accent for the scene, creating a chilling dissonance as you hear the tone of one character in the voice of another.
* ''Episode Prompto'' has finally shown what happened to Prompto after being thrown off the train.
** The opening scene where Prompto, all alone and likely freezing to death, tries to walk through a blizzard before collapsing.
** The scene where Prompto gets attacked by Noctis was finally shown in his perspective, then switching to first person view as he falls off the train.
** [[OffscreenTeleportation Ardyn appearing behind Prompto with no warning.]] Prompto tries to summon his gun with no avail, then having to back away in fear as Ardyn walks closer to him.
** The Prompto clones.
** Verstael becoming a daemon and grabbing onto Prompto as he slowly mutates, forcing him to shoot him in retaliation.
*** You get a very scary zoom on Vestael face followed by a game over if you don't shoot him.
** Prompto's nightmare of Noctis attacking him - with Prompto himself as an MT, what he fears is ''all'' he actually is - followed by having to flee from him and ''having no way of attacking back''.
* With the Beta release of the ''FFXV: Comrades'' multiplayer expansion, a quick look at the various details is enough to tell you that it takes place during the beginning of the 10-year disappearance of Noctis, as the sun's light is steadily fading away.
* The secret final boss fight in ''Episode Ignis''. Ignis finds the Crystal and looks upon it with awe. Cue [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j52BZWMOKeY this]] suddenly playing as the camera pans around to reveal none other than Ardyn, conveniently tipping his fedora towards it. Then he lifts it up, and you get an up-close-and-personal look at his true daemonic form as he gives Ignis, [[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou and the player by extension]], a SlasherSmile for the ages. His face then proceeds to eerily fade back into its more human form, further emphasizing that his appearance is nothing more than an illusion.
** The fight itself becomes more terrifying once Ignis puts on the Ring of the Lucii, which only allows the use of its power for a limited time before requiring you to either sacrifice your life or surrender. And should you fail to defeat Ardyn within that time limit, you die. Game Over. In the meantime, you get to look forward to Ignis being burned alive from the inside out, all with guttural screams and clear degradation of his skin and muscles.
** The bad ending, should you choose to give up. As Ignis lays dying, Ardyn taunts him about how he is ultimately powerless to avert Noctis's destiny and that he will savor every moment of seeing events pan out as they do in the main game, except now Noctis gets to be dealt the trauma of losing one of his best friends. Ardyn is overjoyed while describing the scenario, and he leaves Ignis to die while laughing to himself.
*** According to the Ultimania, this is totally intentional too. Ardyn planned to torture Ignis to death one way or another because he felt Noctis wasn't stepping up fast enough.
* The ending of ''Episode Ardyn.'' After being told by Bahamut that his fate is to be killed by Noctis for the Starscourge to truly end, Ardyn decides (or is forced to, depending on player choice) to go along with what fate has decreed for him...only for him to give this ''chilling'' speech:
--> '''Ardyn:''' Nothing matters- none of it. Not the ''blessed'' gods above or the accursed kings below...to hell with them all! All that matters is I have my revenge. I will spread this scourge across the earth, lure out this "King of Light", and kill him. Then, the entire world of Eos will be drenched in the darkness of despair for time ''eternal.''
** And while he's giving this speech in voice-over, Ardyn is slowly advancing towards apparitions of Aera and Somnus. And when he reaches them, he gives a horrifying SlasherSmile and ''stabs them to death,'' before covering the world in darkness while letting out the mother of all [[EvilLaugh Evil Laughs.]]
** Lets not overlook the fact that the entire episode is basically focused around genocide, revenge and destruction - and you're playing the root cause of it. Human deaths in this game are fairly tame, off-screen or filtered in some way, and this even carries over to how the Insomnia forces normally just get knocked to a knee and [[EverythingFades disappear.]] But Ardyn can outright ''daemonify'' people, causing them to scream in agony, gurgle in their demise, writhe on the ground, and even start snarling like monsters. You're not some edgy guy killing bad people or anything, either - you're the ''BigBad'' mass murdering innocent guards that are the heroes in every other part of the story, and the game doesn't even attempt to shy away from this.
*** And the worst part (from the POV of your victims)? ''You are completely unstoppable.'' You cut through the guards like a hot blade through butter while Ifrit (serving as your corrupted summon) burns innocent civilians to death, you destroy the magical reinforcements of the barrier in no time (giving the Niflheim forces the chance to invade Insomnia), ''Regis'' cannot stand against you and not even ''Somnus'' can put a stop to your rampant destruction. If Bahamut had not directly intervened at the last second, Ardyn would have skewered Regis on the spot ''and won.''
** What happens if Ardyn's HP gets to zero. Instead of staying dead, Ardyn rises and his body jerks violently as the Starscourge takes over. In this state, his movement speed is reduced but he makes up for it by dealing out ''lethal'' amounts of damage. And instead of taunting his enemies as he lands hits, Ardyn alternates between snarling ferociously, screaming threats and laughing in a deranged manner.
** Of course, Bahamut telling Ardyn his fate is a whole different kind of Nightmare Fuel. From the Prologue we know that Ardyn really was the kind and benevolent healer he claimed to be, and that his brother really did betray him, with Somnus murdering Aera as tipping point in Ardyn's transformation into the Starscourge's embodiment. The ending of this DLC has Bahamut telling Ardyn that unlike what he (and the player) believed, he wasn't usurped and pushed from his throne, he was ''always'' supposed to become the Immortal Accursed, while it has ''always'' been Noctis fate to sacrifice himself two thousand years late in order to finally destroy the Starscourge. He then presents Ardyn with the choice to submit or defy that fate, but as it turns out, ''[[YouCantFightFate there is nothing you can do about it.]]'' Ardyn can either (reluctantly) accept his fate, as it means the end of the line of Lucis, only to then break entirely as he screams into the void surrounding him whether Aera or Somnus were aware of this; or snarl at Bahamut that as he is no longer mortal, he isn't bound to Bahamut's proclamations of fate, only to be effortlessly restrained by dozens of swords, and then be repeatedly [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice stabbed]] by what is implied to be an illusion of Aera, who delivers him a chilling [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech dressing down.]] We then cut to the above mentioned scene, where Ardyn swears he will defy his fate either way, kill Noctis and destroy the world, all to spite the Gods, but whether he submits or defies his fate, this either means he is now completely, irrevocably broken; or that even if he refuses to do so, he still ends up doing exactly as he was told, remaining a tool of the gods until the bitter end.

** even worse when you realise that this soldier is Caligo and all the plot about it has been deleted because it was judged too creepy by the development team. Playing episode Ignis after knowing that is sure unsettling.

* Imagine wandering off a sunlit path and into a bog. About halfway through, you spot what appears to be a strange plant in the water [[TemptingFate and decide to take a closer look]] -- while your friends suddenly start shouting for you to get away from it. Except it's already too late. A [[spoiler: [[DemonicSpider Malboro]]]] breaks the surface and proceeds to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txnngFuV_Ss kill all of you in horrific fashion.]]

* The InMediasRes opening of ''Final Fantasy XV'' shows an older-looking, weary, and exhausted Noctis who almost seems like he's dazed and weathered by everything he's been through, not helped by the fact that shortly thereafter he gets hit head-on with a large burst of flame. [[spoiler: Considering the rest of the party looks like their normal selves, it's implied that the rapid aging that had happened to his father due to being a BarrierMaiden is going to happen to Noctis, too -- and the gameplay trailers imply we'll get to see this ourselves over the course of the game.]]
** The blow is lessened somewhat knowing that this scene [[spoiler:takes place ten years into the future, with everyone more or less changed slightly]], but the point about Noct could still hold weight.

* The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZymd6r4wGg Omen trailer]]. Remember how one of the original selling points of the game was a prospective conflict between Noctis and his [[LoveInterest Love Interest]], and how some fans complained when that element seemed lost in the XV rebranding? Square finally brought it back, and [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor it's so much worse.]] [[spoiler: Luna desperately trying to get through to a crazed Noctis as he overpowers her defenses is unsettling enough; watching her back away in terror before he impales her with her own trident is horrifying.]] The voiceover from their younger selves as this happens doesn't help.

** It gets worse. [[spoiler: It's heavily implied that Regis is in contact with a malevolent entity that wants ''someone'' (seemingly Luna) dead, and it'll take over Noctis to do the deed if it has to. And even worse if you see the entire trailer as a prophetic dream of Regis', seeing the downfall of Noctis, Luna and the world.]]
** The trailer scenes depicting Noctis' gradual degradation of strength. What seems like peaceful, thoughtful cruising at first turns into a car wreck before he [[ItMakesSenseInContext follows a mysterious dog,]] and then he's fighting swarms of Imperial Soldiers (and even a Behemoth, complete with splattering its blood onto a wall). All the while, his TrueCompanions are nowhere to be seen, and eventually [[spoiler: his magic even fades away entirely,]] forcing him to fight a small army with his bare hands and firearms. By the end, [[spoiler: ''something'' possessed Noctis to murder Luna as mentioned above, and he's surrounded by a hellish landscape and beasts frothing fire at the mouth that watched him do the deed.]] To say the anguish in his cry ''hurts'' is an understatement.
* The ambiance in most of the dungeons is much creepier, with daemons jumping on you frequently. [[spoiler: Chapter 13 takes it up to eleven and [[GenreShift shifts]] suddenly into horror, having you explore a daemon-filled fortress, alone and unarmed for the most part, and throwing [[JumpScare jumpscares]] at you at a sustained pace.]]

** [[spoiler:Him telling Noctis the most horrifying, murderous, and monstrous things with a smile and a very friendly and casual tone.]]
** [[spoiler:The way he keeps screwing with Noctis' mind, making him attack his friends, and just appear out of nowhere in general.]]
** [[spoiler:His backstory as a healer who got corrupted due to taking in the essence of the Starscourge, to give you an idea of just how he became so sick, twisted and corrupted.]]
** [[spoiler:Gladiolus, Ignis, and Prompto tearing into him and seemingly killing him... only for him to stand up, smile, salute the three, and walk off like nothing happened.]]
** [[spoiler:Him smiling as he stabs Luna to death.]]
*** The anime prologue to ''Episode Ardyn'' makes this moment worse because [[spoiler: He's doing the same thing to Noct (killing Noct's beloved while he watches helplessly) that ''his own brother did to him'' two millenia ago. And in the prologue, the trauma of Aera dying in Ardyn's arms is what makes him give in to the Starscourge in the end. Ardyn hates Noct so much that he's perfectly happy to inflict the same pain that was dealt to him.]]
** [[spoiler:While Bahamut tells his backstory, [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ardyn_nightmare_fuel.jpg Ardyn]] turns around and you can see his face turned into something pale and inhuman with unnatural eyes.]]
** [[spoiler:The decorations he's set up in the throne room to taunt Noctis when finally arrives, namely, the illusory corpses of Regis, Luna, Nyx, and Aldercapt hung from the ceiling by chains in degrading ways. To make matters worse, Regis and Aldercapt both have black daemon blood trailing down their faces from their eyes.]]
** [[spoiler:[[ParanoiaFuel The fact that he can make himself and other people change appearances]], as he used it to trick Noctis into attacking Prompto and Ravus into thinking he's giving Regis's sword to Noctis before killing him.]]
* Poor, poor [[spoiler:Ravus]]. He gets killed and brought back as an abomination begging to be killed by the party.
** The abomination in question isn't just a particularly ugly daemon. It looks like it belongs in a survival horror game -- [[spoiler:its eyes and mouth are filled with black daemon blood that leaks down its face, the left side of its body is covered in skinless daemon flesh, and a visible heartbeat pulsates through its chest and a few exposed veins.]]
* Noctis putting on the Ring of the Lucii. The entire thing is akin to him cutting out his liver, from [[spoiler:his uncontrollable trembling whenever he attempts to put it on to his scream of agony when he finally goes through with it]]. Using the Alterna spell shows part of his arm is being consumed by magic.

** As the story progresses after [[spoiler:Luna's murder by Ardyn, it's revealed that daylight is beginning to disappear. By the time the party gets to Glacea, the whole sky is in a dusky hue, foreshadowing what's to come.]]
** [[FromBadToWorse It gets worse]] from there: [[spoiler:After a TimeSkip, the ten years of perpetual darkness have not been kind to Eos: most of the world and its settlements are lost to daemons, with only Ignis, Gladiolus, Prompto, Cindy, Talcott, Iris, and presumably Aranea and Cor to lead the Hunters in humanity's survival from the service station-turned-outpost, Hammerhead, and the lone surviving city, Lestallum, which is only safe because of its power plant. If said power ever goes out, humanity is completely screwed. Needless to say, the final portion of the game is easily one of the more disquieting scenes from the series.]] Noctis is even more helpless here then when Ardyn stripped him off his gears [[spoiler:until Talcott picks him up]] due to the sheer number of monsters swarming the world.
* The reveal that [[spoiler:daemons are created by already existing daemons turning some of their victims into daemons themselves. We see this happen with a few characters, such as Ravus and the Emperor, and none of it is pleasant to behold.]]
** It's creepy enough wandering around the abandoned laboratory of Niflheim and seeing all the [[spoiler:discarded clothes of the people who worked there that were turned into daemons,]] but it gets [[GutPunch much worse]] come Chapter 14. You see the same effect in [[spoiler:Galdin Quay, with all the clothes of countless innocent people lying around the once peaceful resort that is now overrun with daemons.]] And the most [[TearJerker heartbreaking/shocking]] thing about this? [[spoiler:You can find Dino and Coctura's clothes lying in their familiar spots. The two of them were rather sweet [=NPCs=] who wanted to help Noctis as well as everyone in need. Coctura can create a dish that Noctis and Ignis have pursued for a long time for Noctis and Luna's wedding. Dino was trying to start a business that would ''protect'' people from daemons. And then you discover that they've been [[KilledOffScreen unceremoniously turned into daemons.]] You might even have [[PlayerPunch killed them yourself.]]]]
*** Lessened drastically once you play ''Comrades'' and find out [[spoiler:Dino and Coctura]] are alive and well and helping out the hunters.

** The Dungeon also shows that the devs made the Demon Wall's return come twofold. Along with the actual enemy you can encounter on a hunt [[spoiler: or more likely the darkness-ridden world in the ending]], the Pitioss pits you against one as an actual environmental hazard. Specifically, a gigantic freaking wall of rotating red-hot spikes, with a massive skull in the center, closing in and out on you. The worst part? [[ThisIsGonnaSuck This is only the midway point...]]
* When you rescue [[spoiler:Prompto]] in chapter 13, he's covered in bruises and has a scar on his temple. [[FridgeHorror It can only make you wonder what he's been going through during his captivity.]]
* Chapter 13 Verse 2 shows the full context of [[spoiler: Ravus' death. Just as he encounters Noctis after asserting his turning against Niflheim and is presenting Regis' sword, "Noctis" [[HeelFaceDoorSlam kills Ravus on the spot]]. He then speaks in an all too familiar tone as "Noct" reveals himself to be [[BigBad Ardyn]].]] Props especially go to the English version with [[spoiler: Creator/RayChase]] able to perfectly capture [[spoiler:Creator/DarinDePaul]]'s accent for the scene, creating a chilling dissonance as you hear the tone of one character in the voice of another.

** The opening scene where [[spoiler:Prompto, all alone and likely freezing to death, tries to walk through a blizzard before collapsing.]]
** The scene where [[spoiler:Prompto gets attacked by Noctis was finally shown in his perspective, then switching to first person view as he falls off the train.]]

** [[spoiler: The Prompto clones.]]
** [[spoiler:Verstael becoming a daemon and grabbing onto Prompto as he slowly mutates, forcing him to shoot him in retaliation.]]
** [[spoiler:Prompto's nightmare of Noctis attacking him - with Prompto himself as an MT, what he fears is ''all'' he actually is - followed by having to flee from him and ''having no way of attacking back''.]]
* With the Beta release of the ''FFXV: Comrades'' multiplayer expansion, a quick look at the various details is enough to tell you that it takes place [[spoiler: during the beginning of the 10-year disappearance of Noctis, as the sun's light is steadily fading away]].
* [[spoiler: The secret final boss fight in ''Episode Ignis''. Ignis finds the Crystal and looks upon it with awe. Cue [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j52BZWMOKeY this]] suddenly playing as the camera pans around to reveal none other than Ardyn, conveniently tipping his fedora towards it. Then he lifts it up, and you get an up-close-and-personal look at his true daemonic form as he gives Ignis, [[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou and the player by extension]], a SlasherSmile for the ages. His face then proceeds to eerily fade back into its more human form, further emphasizing that his appearance is nothing more than an illusion. ]]
** The fight itself becomes more terrifying [[spoiler: once Ignis puts on the Ring of the Lucii, which only allows the use of its power for a limited time before requiring you to either sacrifice your life or surrender. And should you fail to defeat Ardyn within that time limit, you die. Game Over. In the meantime, you get to look forward to Ignis being burned alive from the inside out, all with guttural screams and clear degradation of his skin and muscles.]]
** [[spoiler: The bad ending, should you choose to give up. As Ignis lays dying, Ardyn taunts him about how he is ultimately powerless to avert Noctis's destiny and that he will savor every moment of seeing events pan out as they do in the main game, except now Noctis gets to be dealt the trauma of losing one of his best friends. Ardyn is overjoyed while describing the scenario, and he leaves Ignis to die while laughing to himself.]]
*** According to the Ultimania, this is totally intentional too. [[spoiler: Ardyn planned to torture Ignis to death one way or another because he felt Noctis wasn't stepping up fast enough.]]
* The ending of ''Episode Ardyn.'' [[spoiler: After being told by Bahamut that his fate is to be killed by Noctis for the Starscourge to truly end, Ardyn decides (or is forced to, depending on player choice) to go along with what fate has decreed for him...only for him to give this ''chilling'' speech]]:

*** And the worst part (from the POV of your victims)? ''You are completely unstoppable.'' You cut through the guards like a hot blade through butter while Ifrit (serving as your corrupted summon) burns innocent civilians to death, you destroy the magical reinforcements of the barrier in no time (giving the Niflheim forces the chance to invade Insomnia), ''Regis'' cannot stand against you and not even [[spoiler: ''Somnus'' can put a stop to your rampant destruction. If Bahamut had not directly intervened at the last second, Ardyn would have skewered Regis on the spot ''and won.'']]

** It's creepy enough wandering around the abandoned laboratory of Niflheim and seeing all the [[spoiler:discarded clothes of the people who worked there that were turned into daemons,]] but it gets [[GutPunch much worse]] come Chapter 14. You see the same effect in [[spoiler:Galdin Quay, with all the clothes of countless innocent people lying around the once peaceful resort that is now overrun with daemons.]] And the most [[TearJerker heartbreaking/shocking]] thing about this? [[spoiler:You can find Dino and Coctura's clothes lying in their familiar spots. The two of them were rather sweet NPCs who wanted to help Noctis as well as everyone in need. Coctura can create a dish that Noctis and Ignis have pursued for a long time for Noctis and Luna's wedding. Dino was trying to start a business that would ''protect'' people from daemons. And then you discover that they've been [[KilledOffScreen unceremoniously turned into daemons.]] You might even have [[PlayerPunch killed them yourself.]]]]

** Not to mention, [[CaptainObvious it's dark in some places.]] But not the 'blue filter but you can still see everything' sort of dark. 'Dark' as in, if you're not near light, you can see maybe 10 feet in front of you with your flashlight and ''that's it.'' And a Daemon can easily materialize offscreen ''behind you'', and [[HellIsThatNoise all you might hear at first is the telltale sound.]] Not much better when it happens right in your path - bluish goop and then '''[[AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever MASSIVE IRON GIANT RIGHT IN YOUR FACE.]]''' And, yes, Imperial [=MTs=] ''can'' still drop on top of you mid-battle depending on where you are, and those guys are unsettling at best during the daytime.

** Of course, Bahamut telling Ardyn his fate is a whole different kind of Nightmare Fuel. From the Prologue we know that Ardyn really was the kind and benevolent healer he claimed to be, and that his brother really did betray him, with Somnus murdering Aera as tipping point in Ardyn's transformation into the Starscourge's embodiment. The ending of this DLC has Bahamut telling Ardyn that unlike what he (and the player) believed, he wasn't usurped and pushed from his throne, he was ''always'' supposed to become the Immortal Accursed, while it has ''always'' been Noctis fate to sacrifice himself two thousand years late in order to finally destroy the Starscourge. He then presents Ardyn with the choice to submit or defy that fate, but as it turns out, [[YouCantFightFate ''there is nothing you can do about it.'']] Ardyn can either (reluctantly) accept his fate, as it means the end of the line of Lucis, only to then break entirely as he screams into the void surrounding him whether Aera or Somnus were aware of this; or snarl at Bahamut that as he is no longer mortal, he isn't bound to Bahamut's proclamations of fate, only to be effortlessly restrained by dozens of swords, and then be repeatedly [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice stabbed]] by what is implied to be an illusion of Aera, who delivers him a chilling [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech dressing down.]] We then cut to the above mentioned scene, where Ardyn swears he will defy his fate either way, kill Noctis and destroy the world, all to spite the Gods, but whether he submits or defies his fate, this either means he is now completely, irrevocably broken; or that even if he refuses to do so, he still ends up doing exactly as he was told, remaining a tool of the gods until the bitter end.

*** And the worst part (from the POV of your victims)? ''You are completely unstoppable.'' You cut through the guards like warm butter while Ifrit (serving as your corrupted summon) burns innocent civilians to death, you destroy the magical reinforcements of the barrier in no time (giving the Nifleheim forces the chance to invade Insomnia), ''Regis'' cannot stand against you and not even [[spoiler: ''Somnus'' can put a stop to your rampant destruction. If Bahamut had not directly intervened at the last second, Ardyn would have skewered Regis on the spot ''and won.'']]

** Of course, Bahamut telling Ardyn his fate is a whole different kind of Nightmare Fuel. From the Prologue we know that Ardyn really was the kind and benevolent healer he claimed to be, and that his brother really did betray him, with Somnus murdering Aera as tipping point in Ardyn's transformation into the Starscourge's embodiment. The ending of this DLC has Bahamut telling Ardyn that unlike what he (and the player) believed, he wasn't usurped and pushed from his throne, he was ''always'' supposed to become the Immortal Accursed, while it has ''always'' been Noctis fate to sacrifice himself two thousand years late in order to finally destroy the Starscourge. He then presents Ardyn with the choice to submit or defy that fate, but as it turns out, [[YouCantFightFate ''there is nothing you can do about it.'']] Ardyn can either (reluctantly) accept his fate, as it means the end of the line of Lucis, only to then break entirely as he screams into the void surrounding him whether Aera or Somnus were aware of this; or snarl at Bahamut that as he is no longer mortal, he isn't bound to Bahamut's proclamations of fate, only to be effortlessly restrained by dozens of swords, and then be repeatedly [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice stabbed]] by what is implied to be an illusion of Aera, who delivers him a chilling [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech dressing down.]] We then cut to the above mentioned scene, where Ardyn swears he will defy his fate either way, kill Noctis and destroy the world, all to spite the Gods, but whether he submits or defies his fate, this either means he is now completely, irrevocably broken; or that even if he refuses to do so, he still ends up doing exactly as he was told, remaining a tool of the Five until the bitter end.

** Lessened drastically once you play ''Comrades'' and find out they're alive and well.

** Of course, Bahamut telling Ardyn his fate is a whole different kind of Nightmare Fuel. From the Prologue we know that Ardyn really was the kind and benevolent healer he claimed to be, and that his brother really did betray him, with Somnus murdering Aera as tipping point in Ardyn's transformation into the Starscourge's embodiment. The ending of this DLC has Bahamut telling Ardyn that unlike what he (and the player) believed, he wasn't usurped and pushed from his throne, he was ''always'' supposed to become the Immortal Accursed, while it has ''always'' been Noctis fate to sacrifice himself two thousand years late in order to finally destroy the Starscourge. He then presents Ardyn with the choice to submit or defy that fate, but as it turns out, [[YouCantFightFate ''there is nothing you can do about it.]] Ardyn can either (reluctantly) accept his fate, as it means the end of the line of Lucis, only to then break entirely as he screams into the void surrounding him whether Aera or Somnus were aware of this; or snarl at Bahamut that as he is no longer mortal, he isn't bound to Bahamut's proclamations of fate, only to be effortlessly restrained by dozens of swords, and then be repeatedly [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice stabbed]] by what is implied to be an illusion of Aera, who delivers him a chilling [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech dressing down.]]

** What happens if Ardyn's HP gets to zero. Instead of staying dead, Ardyn rises and his body jerks violently as the Starscourge takes over. In this state, his movement speed is reduced but he makes up for it by dealing out ''lethal'' amounts of damage. And instead of taunting his enemies as he lands hits, Ardyn alternates between snarling ferociously, screaming threats and laughing in a deranged manner.