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Legacy/A Realm Reborn - Heavensward - Stormblood - Shadowbringers - Endwalker
"As the chaos spread, the star seemed doomed to unravel. And yet... There were those who stood in defiance of that fate."
- The Benchmark trailer opens on a snowy battlefield in the dead of night, with remnants of Garlemald's forces fighting as hard as they can with blade and magitek alike against a legion of horrors brought forth by the second coming of the Final Days. The Warrior of Light then appears on the battlefield and leaps into the fray to aid them. As the monsters are pushed back, the Garleans regroup and rally behind the Warrior of Light as they form up for the next coming wave.
- If the first scene didn't sell someone on the Garleans' understanding of the circumstances, the second battle scene will. Another grueling battle against the monsters of the end of days in the middle of the ruins of Garlemald sets the stage. The Warrior of Light, the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, the Grand Companies, Ishgardian forces, the Doman and the Ala Mhigan armies, and the forces of Garlemald all stand together as they rage against the end of the world looming over them, and it's truly a thrill after a decade of Garlemald being the enemies of Eorzea to see them stand together for the common goal of saving their world from Zenos and Fandaniel.
- The final scene of the benchmark features an assault on one of the mysterious towers to have emerged across Eorzea, where the largest of the monstrosities within is dispatched by none other than Zenos himself. As the other adventurers hold the remaining monsters off, the Warrior of Light and Alisaie challenge Zenos together, with Alphinaud stepping in to help the Warrior of Light block what appears to be a Reaper's level three limit break. The entire encounter fades to white as the attack is deflected and the Warrior of Light charges Zenos head on.
- One of cinematic trailer's opening shots casts a cloaked and hooded Warrior of Light against a blinding white light which causes their silhouette to take the uncanny appearance of a robed Ascian, leaning into their original Ascian identity as Azem.
- The duty in "In from the Cold" may be Nightmare Fuel in many ways, but it also reaffirms just how strong the Warrior of Light can be. Even stuffed into a Garlean body incapable of manipulating aether, on the clock with Zenos going to murder their friends in their body, they're still able to overcome the odds. Helping some Garleans take down a mutated monstrosity ends with them blasted down and hurt to the point that they're all but dragging themselves toward Camp Broken Glass, yet they make it back just in time to stop Zenos with a thrown sword, especially awesome if your Warrior of Light is a caster or ranged job having to adapt to melee combat with a sword. Even Brought Down to Normal in the most harrowing of ways, the Warrior of Light is still a Determinator to the core.
- Due to the work of Nidhana and her alchemists, the other Scions can finally join you in fighting Primals. But as the Tower of Babil shows, they're not the only old friends that are along for the ride: Lyse, Pippin, Sadu, Magnai, and Cirina join you for parts of it, essentially turning the four man dungeon into a nine man dungeon.
- Even though it is still incomplete since not all of the Rejoinings had been done, the Warrior of Light is still forced to fight a freed Zodiark possessed by Fandaniel — and win, partly off of their own capability and partly from using the Azem summoning magick again. They may have been an Unwitting Instigator of Doom as this plays into Fandaniel's plans, but it highlights just how powerful the Warrior is yet again with their slaying of a supposed Top God. And keep in mind that this is the first Trial boss, clocking in after only two dungeons into the expansion: this is the real establishing component for the rest of the story going forwards.
- Zodiark being freed is the absolute worst case scenario, but the Warrior of Light doesn't give so much as a angry gritting of the teeth in response. There is no panic whatsoever, only knowledge of what needs to be done. Their reaction is to calmly and wordlessly activate Azem's crystal which lights up the pitch black around them revealing Zodiark. And the moment Fandaniel finishes with his threats the seven pillars of light ignite one by one in their spots within Azem's magic circle as if to tell him "So come get us then."
- As the Final Days begin, the situation in Radz-at-Han goes from bad to worse. When the satrap addresses a crowd to help calm fears, it goes horribly wrong, and more people begin to transform into Terminus Beasts. Panic overtakes the crowd, more people transform, the satrap is killed and the Scions are being overwhelmed, unable to protect the civilians with the panic spreading the change among them... until G'raha steps forward, slams his staff into the ground, and speaks with all the authority and presence gained in his century as the Crystal Exarch. Under his leadership, the Scions and the Radiant Host regain the advantage, and the civilians are safely evacuated from the battle.
- Additionally, Alisaie enters battle against the beasts and is injured in very similar motions to that of the Endwalker trailer, when hurt and the monster's tail coming toward her... then G'raha appears in place of the Warrior of Light, wielding an aetherial sword and shield before knocking the monster down to protect her. The young man had dreamed of being a hero like his idol and now he is literally in place where the Warrior of Light was depicted before.
- As the true scope of the horror that is the Final Days grips Thavnair, a young Arkasodara encountered earlier, Matsya, tries to run a baby - the only child of his two friends, who are now dead (one having been murdered in front of him) - to get medical attention, as the child had fallen to the bottom of a pool and was freezing in her swaddling. The child's cries register as despair to the onslaught and she starts to emit the black smoke of one turning into a monster, and Matsya tries to recite the litany of his faith to hold back child's change and his own (caused by the despair at potentially losing all that is left of his friends). His path is blocked by two Terminus beasts, and he keeps praying as the smoke grows thicker... only for a blaze of scarlet light to fill the night as Estinien dispatches one of the beasts with Stardiver. The second moves to attack, but we see it from above as a ball of fire comes down to immolate it - and Primogenitor, the musical theme associated with Midgardsormr and the First Brood, plays as Vrtra descends - the inspiration for and truth behind the myth of the island's most ancient and powerful god - inspiring hope in the young Arkasodara, especially as Vrtra lends his warmth to the child and brings a cheerful laugh from her.Matsya: The divinity?
Vrtra: Nay. But one who would deliver you all the same. - When Hermes flees into Ktisis Hyperboreia with his mind going astray the Warrior of Light, Emet-Selch, Hythlodaeus and Venat give chase. With its occupants forced outside, it falls to the Warrior of Light to enter and give chase to confront Hermes — but with the absence of the Scions, who would go with them via the Trust system? Well, your very allies at your side! You finally get to fight alongside Emet-Selch, Hythlodaeus, and a previous Azem, the one before the Warrior of Light's previous self took over the seat: Venat!
- Speaking of Venat in Elpis, there's the entire Duty battle with her in a story trial. Though it's just a sparring match, she goes full raid mode boss, and outright finishes the battle by delivering a powerful attack that would have defeated almost anyone but the Warrior of Light. It really highlights that she earned her position of Azem in the past, while also demonstrating that the variety of Jobs and abilities you can use were in part due to her training to your Azem in the far distant past.
- The quest "Thou Must Live, Die, and Know" is a string of awesome moments for Venat/Hydaelyn. The Warrior of Light is shown a flashback to the moment Hydaelyn chose to sunder the world; confronting a small group of despairing Amaurotines, she begs them to accept the pain and loss of the Final Days and move forward. Instead, they turn to offer themselves to Zodiark, desperate to bring back their lives free of anguish and suffering. With no choice but inevitable pain in the determined, if vague, hope that mankind will one day overcome Meteion's song of despair, she draws her sword, recounts her love for the world that she had previously told the Warrior, and then stares down her fellows.Hydaelyn: So let there be no way back. From that temptation I sunder us. No more shall man have wings to bear him to paradise! Henceforth, he shall walk!
- Then Venat as Hydaelyn had to wait, watch and listen through what would've felt like an endless eternity, seeing her people reborn as a fraction of themselves as they must suffer, die, and live in pain and conflict — with herself barely able to do anything about it. The Umbral Calamities and the gradual weakening of the world's aether slowly rot and decay her, the sheer agony she had to endure would've been enough to drive any of the Ascians to madness, and what remained of her own former people wanted her dead as a traitor for all the wrong reasons. Despite all of this, even to the end, she refused to give up so that the future the Warrior of Light told her about could reach the tomorrow her own time could not, even if she had to die at the long end of it all.
- In order to use the Sharlayan means to reach and talk to Hydaelyn, the Scions are charged with improving the aetherbooster used for the ark built to carry out the Homeworld Evacuation. The Lalafell in charge of this reckons that they need about 6% more efficiency and suggests they need more Allagan adamantite, a Lost Technology superconductor that can only be found in ruins such as the fallen shards of Dalamud and in certain old relics, the Sharlayans having salvaged just a little from a shard that landed near them during Bahamut's rampage. The Warrior of Light is prepared to go scour such ruins only for Alphinaud to stop them and instead use his linkpearl. In the course of a single call, the entire world moves to do as their beloved Scions ask from west to east, eventually landing such a haul of people and material in the Sharlayan harbor that Fourchenault is visibly shocked at the influence his son has amassed throughout his adventures and the smith concludes, utterly stunned, that they have enough adamantite to achieve 14% more efficiency.
- Even further beyond that, the smith in charge of the aetherburner also requests sacred relics loaded with aether, to help fuel the engine. Alphinaud promptly puts in a call to the Far East to Cirina, who in turn gets in contact with Hien, who then gets in contact with the Confederacy, to enlist their help in acquiring and purchasing artifacts. And just as they're leaving, who should appear but Soroban! With none other than Seiryu in tow! When the final tally is made at Sharlayan, not only have the Kojin—both of the Red and Blue most likely—opened their treasure vaults and shared their extremely sacred relics, which they revere as the vessels of the kami, but the Four Lords have even gone so far as to share Tenzen's very blade with the cause!
- Meanwhile, as the Ishgardians prepare to venture forth unto the Internment Hulk in their borders, the roar of a dragon sounds out across the realm. Fast-forwards to Sharlayan, and a party from Thavnair arrives, led by Vrtra in the guise of Varshahn. Once more, the puppet-body comes bearing dragon scales... but not his own. Rather, Vrtra inquired with his siblings if they would allow him to give aid, and both Hraesvelgr and Tiamat readily agreed to it. Even Midgardsormr woke from his slumber just long enough to give permission. Specifically, permission to take scales from his very corpse to aid the engine's aether-collection! Let it never be said that the dragons of Etheirys did not fight for their new home with mind, soul, and especially body!
- Meanwhile, in Mor Dhona, the second-stringers of the Scions are regrettably far from skilled enough to venture unto the Allagan ruins themselves... but luckily, they're not alone. Indeed, a supplementary army of adventurers and goblins, and especially their 'gobbie-booms', serves to even the odds quite well! Idyllshire remembers!
- And of course, who should arrive at the last moment but the engineers of Garlond Ironworks themselves, with Cid himself more than a little affronted that the WoL had a vessel fit to sail the stars in need of improvement, and didn't even deign to contact him!
- It cannot be understated just how many people answer the Scions' call for aid, even those who you might have only known for a short time, but still changed their lives forever. Cait Sith and the Redbills, Ejika Tsunjika, the Bozjan Resistance, the Four Lords, the Lexentale family and the crew of the Prima Vista, Slowfix and the goblins of Idyllshire, and so many more. All of them will never forget how the Warrior of Light helped them and they did not even hesitate to repay that kindness in full.
- The above named NPCs only show up if you completed the raid/trial series. It's also a moment of awesome for players who went out of their way to complete all the optional quests.
- Once you reach Hydaelyn, she decides to test your resolve by having you fight her. However, for the very first time in the game, you have the option to fight a true trial with the Scions, thanks to the Trust system. An entire battle fought against one of the most powerful primal in existence with the allies that followed you through thick and thin during countless hours.
- The Aitiascope, the dungeon prior to Hydealyn's trial, is designed in such a way that if the party's tank does wall-to-wall pull, the mobs will land right on the spot where spirits of past allies shows up to help you while letting the rest of your team spam area-of-effect attacks to their heart's content. This is truly the Scion's show of determination.
- To charge the Ragnarok before it leaves the planet, the beastmen tribes summon benevolent versions of their primals to power the ship using the stored power of Hydaelyn's Mothercrystal. The resulting cutscene becomes a direct recreation of the vision that the Player Character has at the end of the 1.0 trailer. The resulting dome of light from the summonings expands beyond the island Old Sharlayan is on.
- The Very Definitely Final Dungeon of Ultima Thule, a floating void of planet bits and memories at the edge of the universe overshadowed by a dying sun, starts off as Nightmare Fuel as you get a distorted ambient soundtrack and have to wander through the despaired shades of civilizations long dead. It's not helped by the fact that the Scions end up a Dwindling Party with each major bout of progress, literally giving up their physical forms so their emotions guide the way. But the further you progress, the more the song shifts into something more melancholy and solid. By the time it's just the Warrior of Light, Alphinaud and Alisaie left for closing the end of their trek towards Meteion, "Close in the Distance
" begins to play to really hammer in the finality of their long journey. - When the Warrior of Light finally reaches Meteion, things appear bleak as the rest of the Scions have sacrificed themselves, leaving the Warrior alone. Not to mention, Meteion gloats that the Warrior's entire journey was pointless, as there's no way for them to actually reach her sisters. The Warrior clutches Azem's crystal, but doesn't summon the Scions (as doing so at the time would deprive them of the protection granted by their allies' sacrifice), but Emet-Selch and Hythlodaeus in their original, pre-Zodiark forms with their memories fully restored. For a brief time, the inseparable trio of Emet-Selch, Hythlodaeus, and Azem are finally back together, and they do not disappoint, reviving the Scions and convincing Meteion to start believing in hope again.
- Emet-Selch's last words to the Warrior of Light, reminding the hero — and the player — that there are still countless stories to tell in the world... and encouraging them to seek them out.Emet-Selch: Tell me, have you been to the ruins beneath the waters of the Bounty?
Or the treasure islands beyond the frozen waters of Blindfrost, in Othard's north?
The fabled golden cities of the New World? The sacred sites of the forgotten people of the south sea isles?
What about Meracydia, the southern continent? Do you know aught of its present state of affairs?
... I thought not. Even of your little Eorzea, you know precious little. The true identities of the Twelve, for instance.
All of which is to say: Expand your horizons. Go forth and seek discovery. Some of the civilizations in the reflections will surprise you.
As the bearer of Azem's crystal, you may consider your duty to see at least that much.
I certainly did.
- Emet-Selch's last words to the Warrior of Light, reminding the hero — and the player — that there are still countless stories to tell in the world... and encouraging them to seek them out.
- Having traversed Meteion's nest and still refusing to give up, Meteion manifests their true form, the Endsinger. The Scions put up a valiant effort in resisting, but the Warrior of Light is forced to teleport them to safety, and are once again left alone to face a seemingly unstoppable threat. Suddenly, Shinryu bursts in out of nowhere and it's revealed it's none other than Zenos performing his own Big Damn Heroes moment to help the Warrior in their moment of need. The Warrior and their summoned companions then work together with Zenos to fight the Endsinger by standing on his back while he pursues her in his dragon form.Endsinger: You will never reach it. Will never reach the deliverance you seek.
Zenos: Our hunt ends this day. There is nowhere you can flee that we cannot follow.- The Endsinger recreates the death of planets and the anguish of dead worlds at you during the fight, but her greatest move, Ultimate Fate, can only be survived (barely) with a Tank LB3. You do so... and she just rewinds time and uses it again.Endsinger: Your time has come. It always does...
10 Seconds until oblivion is sealed... - Everything goes black... And yet...Comrades: Light the way!
- The Scions, praying for you, manifest a shield of light to protect you, much like Hydaelyn protected you from Ultima in ARR, causing the universe-sealing attack of the Endsinger to do absolutely nothing. The background of the trial's second phase is the very light of your hope and that of your allies eating away at the black despair bit by bit as you battle the Endsinger with everything you have and your friends giving a combined Shut Up, Hannibal! speech. During this speech, the Endsinger flails in desperation at the party and all but begs them to stop fighting, while trying to convince herself that the Warrior of Light cannot possibly be standing.Endsinger: What is this defiance? No! The hatred, the pain, the loss... We cannot suffer it again!
Alphinaud: We will stand against fate!
Alisaie: No matter the cost!
Thancred: We've been here before...
Urianger: Many a time.
Y'shtola: Thus do we know...
Estinien: To never give up!
G'raha Tia: For hope will shine again! - A slight special detail can be seen in Thancred and Y'shtola, they do the exact same prayer motion that they did in the FMV of the struggle against Bahamut Prime when they prayed to aid Louisoix. Meanwhile, G'raha is doing a similar motion as Papalymo, and Alisaie as Yda. This time however, they are praying for you and this time the music isn't one of resignation, but inspiration to fight on and win.Our song of hope, she dances on the wind higher, oh, higher
E'er our vows endure and remain forever strong
Standing tall in the dark do we carry on
On wings of hope, you rise up through the night higher, oh, higher
Carrying our song cradled fast within your arms
That its chorus might ring for all! - Speaking of said music, the second phase of the Endsinger's battle music ("With Hearts Aligned") is a combination of the above song (Footfalls) and a remix of The Maker's Ruin. Aka the theme that triumphantly plays when you first fight the Ultima Weapon, and which is most associated with the Warrior of Light themselves. That's right, we are the end boss now, and it's quite literally all the Endsinger can do but flail helplessly against the dynamis-empowered Warrior of Light's onslaught.
- To put it succinctly: The Scions cancelled the apocalypse.
- The Endsinger recreates the death of planets and the anguish of dead worlds at you during the fight, but her greatest move, Ultimate Fate, can only be survived (barely) with a Tank LB3. You do so... and she just rewinds time and uses it again.
- This is topped by the Post-Final Boss: one last dance with Zenos in the void you last fought Meteion. Zenos goads you into one last fight, thinking that you're just nothing more than the Blood Knight like he is. You can agree with him, blow off his accusations, or say to his face that you're sick of him, but one thing is clear: the Warrior of Light isn't letting Zenos leave this void. When you first defeat Zenos, he summons his Voidsent and performs a Fusion Dance that drops you to your last hit point, but you refuse to fall and get a Heroic Second Wind to keep fighting. When you defeat Zenos again, he refuses to fall until you do, too! The resulting Active Time Maneuver leads to a Combat Breakdown where their weapons are lost and they're just slugging it out against each other (doubly awesome if you're one of the healer classes). This leads to the Warrior of Light gathering all the light they can muster and slugging Zenos to put him down for the count.
- For players who have spent the last three expansions (Stormblood, Shadowbringers, Endwalker) wanting to face-punch Zenos for all the widespread misery and destruction caused by his private pissing-contest with the Warrior of Light, the ending cutscene of this fight is incredibly cathartic as you do exactly that, not once, not twice, but three times, with the last being a slow-motion windup and dead-on hit that lays the bastard out for the count.
- Just before the final clash, if you opt to not deny the claims of Zenos, the Warrior of Light gives off a unique expression of a knowing and confident smirk, showing that in spite of all of their heroism and kindness, they are still an adventurer deep in their heart and enjoy the thrill of their struggles much like Venat did, and just as Zenos does. This choice shows that they do indeed finally understand each other, and perhaps in another life, they could truly have been good friends.
- Alternatively, if you deny what Zenos claims, you essentially are pulling a Shut Up, Hannibal! and making it clear that, no, you truly are as heroic as you aim to be, and that Zenos is wrong. It makes the fight come across as two people battling over how they view the concept of heroism; one viewing it as a means for selfish glory, the other for true altruism.
- While also a Tear Jerker, Vrtra finally being roused back into combat once more after a 'thousand' years of remaining hidden and protecting his people from behind the curtain is nothing short of inspiring. A piece of Shiva's leitmotif plays as Estinien convinces Vrtra to take to the skies to defend his people. The power of even the youngest of Midgardsormr's brood is nothing short of spectacular.
- The Thirteenth has been terrorized by the conqueror Golbez and his lieutenants, the Four Archfiends, for untold years. Over the course of a single incursion into the world, with practically no foreknowledge of it or its inhabitants, the Warrior of Light and their allies permanently kill off two of the Archfiends—an especially notable feat in a world where ordinarily Death Is a Slap on the Wrist!
- The end of the Savage version of the battle against Hephaistos. Having mutated into a horrific monstrosity, Hephaistos simply cannot be killed in time before he wipes the party, at best being pushed below 40% of his total health. That is, unless the party uses his alchemy-based attacks immediately prior against him and manages to create a Phoenix at the eleventh hour. Should the party succeed, a few seconds after the wipe, fire will cover the screen as the party is revived with a massive damage buff. Hephaistos himself laughs and does nothing for a few seconds in a mixture of shock and respect before returning the favor in kind, unleashing devastatingly powerful attacks that steadily increase in power for every cast, leading to a roughly 90 second frenzy where both sides unleash absurd powerful attacks until only one side is left standing.
- Patch 6.35 gives us probably both the strangest and most awesome Promoted to Playable character yet: Playing as Godbert Manderville. Godbert and Hildebrand end up facing down Doctor Lugae, who has rather haphazardly integrated the remains of Barnabas to himself as "Suprae-Lugae", who attacks you with hired thugs. When that fails, he tries to blast Hildebrand with missiles, which Godbert needs to pummel back to him. Then, he unleashes a hoard of leftover Garlean warmachina. You and they are at level 90 and yet they are Cherry Tapping you, such is the strength of Godbert! When that fails, Lugae launches seven large missiles that could eradicate them both... and Godbert uses the "Manderville Sidestep" to catch and dampen the blow! At that point, Lugae challenges Godbert himself, also dealing pathetic damage to the man. When he tries to bring the entire building on top of them, the Manderville Men perform their Limit Break: The Manderville Generational Bonding Overdrive, a massive suplex that has Godbert riding all the way down on top of Hildebrand's feet!
- Despite this, Lugae is not defeated yet! Down to just a head, he fires a laser aimed the arriving Warrior of Light. At amazing speed, the digital construct Brandihild (a PS1-styled 3D construct of Hildibrand) finds a piece of metal strong enough to reflect the laser back at him, sending him flying towards Godbert, who headbutts it towards the Warrior of Light, who performs a Blitzball kick worthy of Tidus himself away from the group and allowing it to explode!
- At the end of Patch 6.4, it seems all hope is lost as Golbez is able to create the powerful Voidsent Zeromus, one that Zero is unable to even touch. However, Y'shtola knows exactly how to combat a beast of darkness: with a great amount of Light. The look on the Warrior of Light's face makes it easy to see that they know what Y'shtola's planning - she aims to bring help from the Thirteenth's mirror image, the First.
- The Moonfire Festival of 2023 brings us the tale of Lyonell, a nervous Adventurer's guild representative in charge of ensuring the safety of festival goers not just as the mascot of the festival giving safety advice, but as its primary bodyguard under the Tokusatsu-esque guise of the Sunshine Savior. He starts his patrol providing moral support, moves on to provide help to an injured attendee, then ends on a high note by briefly channeling fire magic to single-handedly bring down a shark monster with his bare hands after it tried to attack a child.
- 6.5 Part 1 is nothing short of a miracle. What proved to be an uphill battle had the tides turned in our favor, with Zero having successfully convinced Golbez that the world can yet be saved. With him fighting with us, Zeromus is repelled, giving Zero and Golbez the opening they need to fell the voidsent once and for all, backed by Zero's newfound power of light. Not only that, Azdaja's soul is still intact, with Vrtra able to call out to her and dispel the darkness. While she is now reduced to the form of a tiny dragonet, she survived.
- Thaleia, the third and final of the Myths of the Realm raids that have seen us battle against the Twelve Gods as raid bosses, concludes with a battle against all the Twelve combined in one called Eulogia who can use any of the mechanics from any of the Twelve!
