Level 99 Trial Theme "Seeking Purpose" - FFXIV OST

Heavy AF
Full Dawntrail playlist here: • FFXIV Dawntrail OST
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[@Azdaja13]

After Athena won Mother of the Year last year, I'm proud to present the Father of the Year award to Zoraal Ja.

[@Guran.M]

Damn Zoraal Ja being a rather shit father but it gets even worse when *HE NAMED HIS SON AFTER HIS FATHER*. YOU IDIOT, YOU HAD NO REASON TO DO THAT!

[@ArCvnDnt]

Don't forget the Son of The Year: Asahi! Man, what a cursed family unit those three.

[@dood52751]

@@ArCvnDnt Zoraal can win all Father AND Son AND Brother of the years lol

[@rognartvedte7906]

A triple crown winner.

[@ampur2]

Friend of the year Zenos

[@BobsterLord]

he was so real for consuming the souls of his entire kingdom in response to being asked for to pay child support

[@jacobkern2060]

"But let me get one thing straight, Wuk Lamat. I will never pay." - Vergiil Ja

[@mikeyfisher4256]

Top g moment

[@charliemcmillan4561]

I will shred this world to its last soul before you see a cent of child support from me, Wuk Lamat

[@BobsterLord]

@@charliemcmillan4561 fr

[@aria1412]

Being a bad parent seems to come with banger music as a package

[@desubysnusnu]

Not the case for Varis 😂

[@Gaien_]

Vergil From DMC? 3 Banger Songs!

[@AtZ-2424]

​@@desubysnusnu Tho to be fair, Zenos did lend a hand to save the world, not that it justifies much, but at least a decent chunk

[@AdemirZX]

@@desubysnusnudoesn’t Insatiable plays during the varis trial? Thats a banger in my book.

[@blasterman1000]

"Out Getting the Milk" OST goes hard I guess.

[@silverhand9965]

Guys will literally take over a futuristic kingdom in a time compressed alternate dimension instead of going to therapy

[@KidultNPlay]

Alexandria wasn't futuristic. Zoraal Ja made it that way using the power by the joining of both worlds.

[@silverhand9965]

@@KidultNPlay The Endless far predate Zoraal Ja, which means they already mastered electrope and soul engineering before he ever made it to the city of gold. We also know for a fact that Everkeep and Solution Nine existed before that too, as we hear plenty about how he came in and changed things in there. The arcadion for example was fully functional until he came in and closed it

[@KidultNPlay]

​​​@silverhand9965 Ah I see. I thought Zoraal Ja made Solution 9 that way. I went back and looked to see. My point still stands though, Alexandria wasn't futuristic. ☺ What happens after the calamity created Solution 9, a separate place then Alexandria, as we see it's ruins outside the map area.

[@FlippyMcGiantDad]

@@KidultNPlay The ruins are only part of the larger city. You can see in the Alexandria dungeon that the people were rebuilding after the second boss and turning the palace in to Everkeep. It's the same place but they abandoned part of the city to focus on what would become Everkeep. During the beginning of the dungeon, before the Storm Surge, people had electrope devices attached to their houses that looked like generators.

[@Cue-Ball.]

@@KidultNPlay The super futuristic electrope gate beyond the Skydeep Cenote was there when Galuf, Galool Ja Ja and Ketenramm found it which predates Zoraal Ja arriving by a ton. As Flippy said, they were already in the progress of advancing to that futuristic look way before due to the electrope.

[@Reynsoon]

I Will Not Face Myself, In Fact, I Will Actively Make Myself Worse.

[@charliemcmillan4561]

Making a conscious decision to be my worst self

[@RobdeliaYT]

Becoming my own opp because none of you cowards are good enough

[@MarioSonic46]

"If I can't be the best, then I sure as hell can be the woooooorst!" -JonTron

[@ThatKirisame]

He can't face himself, he doesnt even have a second head.

[@kingnewgameplus6483]

His ass is NOT getting a persona

[@StmaclGaming]

I love how in the 2nd phase Zoraal Ja's body seems to have a spot for a 2nd head, which is missing. With what we know about his father and applying titles, Zoraal Ja had resolve, but he lacked all reason in his actions.

[@DigitalCoffee08]

The way it looks is like the head was ripped off too, like Zoraal Ja actively discarded Reason.

[@Auesis]

It's both the abandonment of reason and a perfect visual to show just how badly he wanted to be better than his father, his very form trying to replicate him

[@thecatboy7494]

He saw no miracle in who he was, only the shadow of who he wanted to be, makes sense his twisted final form would resemble a mangled version of his father.

[@azurekate_]

I was too busy having my ass whooped to notice this-glad I came for the music and saw your comment!!!

[@Invie4196]

I only noticed right before he died since I was so focused on not dying

[@TrionSopdet]

Zoraal Ja really did all of this instead of just going to therapy

[@charliemcmillan4561]

wins the blue ribbon for most self destructive mf to ever live

[@bellamango6708]

TRION LOL

[@TCChavez]

Betterhelp wouldve helped

[@mylesjackson801]

He had 30 whole years to do it too

[@solisimperium1203]

he doesn't believe in mental health, like umm certain types of people...

[@ApexGale]

"Lizard Who Says He Has Nothing To Lose Fails To Realize He Still Has Plenty To Lose"

[@charliemcmillan4561]

huuuge shoutout to zoraal ja's VA for a great performance

[@Naoto-kun1085]

I loved his voice omg

[@Thorn16]

Daisuke Ono (Jotaro) kills it also.

[@WrexsolToob]

@@Naoto-kun1085 Me too! A very rare case where the voice over elevates the song IMO

[@darickcastle5371]

SUCH MIGHT BEFITS A RULER, BEFITS *ME*

[@TriangularPrism]

MINE IS THE PATH

[@coyoterunner]

With so many FFXIV villains being morally complex and dubiously sympathetic, it was kind of refreshing to have a villain who is an absolute, irredeemable piece of shit.

[@spectreshadow]

Completely agree.

[@relaxedclaw]

So far we have 2 of them, Zenos and now Zoraal

[@Soooooooooooonicable]

Nah, he was redeemed a little in his dying moments when he finally acknowledges how awful he's been acting. Then he passes down the kingdom to his son.

[@Lyu-Phy]

@@Soooooooooooonicable Yeah but no one is purely evil. Zoraal Ja is probably the closest we got to that, besides Asahi. It's very rare to see. I'd say Asahi is even worse tho cuz he didn't even redeemed himself in any shape or form, but Zoraal Ja is basically on the same page.

[@Soooooooooooonicable]

@@Lyu-Phy Asahi was definitely the worst. Even Amon displayed some humility before he was taken away into the aethereal sea.

[@recuo55]

Love that if you're doing this fight with npc's, wuk lamat says she has no idea what to do for the 2nd phase mechanics, so she just stands there getting pummeled. In fact, many dungeons and solo duties in the expansion have a lot of funny npc interactions that i love.

[@SOCOM967]

Ikr! My fav is when Wuk Lamat saw the cris cross blade and just shouted WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO BE SEEING HERE?!?!

[@auroraboracat26]

No wonder I was dying I was following her 😂

[@ubermaster1]

A lot of mechanics that involve dodging, Wuk Lamat comments on it with a funny chide. Estinien also helps Alphinaud dodge some moves in this fight and Alisae will jokingly make fun of them for it.

[@almightyk-fish5272]

@@ubermaster1 Love how Estinien's out here doing raid callouts

[@nilzero5686]

Eventually she says "no more thinking i'm going with feeling" and that's how i raid savage

[@LordMoogi]

They really told Soken ‘make us a boss theme for an Aztec lizard that turns into cyberpunk Darth Vader’ and just let the man cook

[@burtwonk]

The intro sounded like Bowser’s theme from Mario 64 and I’m here for it

[@TheDarkFable]

@@burtwonkNah man you know what this is? This is a Command and Conquer: Red Alert theme

[@sophiemason8444]

Someone in the group my first clear, when he 'kills' Gurool Ja yelled out "NO ANAKIN NOT THE YOUNGLINGS"

[@ehibun]

@@TheDarkFable Wait, you're right, I can't unhear the Frank Klepacki crunch now

[@IvyTinwe]

@@TheDarkFable 00:56 is clearly from Tron: Legacy

[@elduardo2496]

"You WILL pay child support!"

[@nodot17]

I am the storm that is escaping EVADING parental obligations

[@jacobkern2060]

Wuk Lamat: "Tax evasion is a crime, Zoraal Ja!" Zoraal Ja: "IT'S AN OBLIGATION!"

[@OmegaGamer04]

@@jacobkern2060 They only made it a crime to catch a maffia boss because the government doesn't like competition

[@7evan]

He is the Vergil of this universe I knew it

[@RicardoSantos-oz3uj]

He gave his son a technological advance kingdom. What else you want him to do?

[@gackybass]

Blue? Deadbeat dad? Has a cool transformation? NEEDS MORE POWER!? Square enix: "We have vergil at home"

[@vyse_versa]

underrated comment

[@JBLZFTW]

You get to the throne and zoraal ja is just sitting on a plastic chair

[@Harrowing999]

I’m completely unable to see this now and the word shall be spread

[@paz306]

He literally had a kid with an unknown woman and just left him as well so yeah.

[@Loispealz34]

That means the Kid is about to become Nero. And considering his adoptive family he might well become a Nero alright.

[@LundisQuie]

I understand now why Zoraal Ja cut Gulool Ja Ja's throne in half. He just thought a plastic chair would've been better.

[@amoxcillicpsychosis2967]

See I knew someone would recognize Vergil!

[@raiya3721]

"It's Over Zorall, hand over the Yamato!"

[@LundisQuie]

@@raiya3721 "If you want it, then you'll have to take it"

[@WalterOfMikado]

​@@LundisQuieWuk Lamat: "Feeling accepting yet?" Zoraal Ja: "Of your new title, or your strength? Wuk Lamat: "Both you fucking asshole!"

[@chaos_blue1089]

​@@amoxcillicpsychosis2967Okay so let's run down the list · Eldest sibling that fights said siblings · Has abandoned and harmed his own son · Has a second, demonic-looking form · Fight him on top of a tower where he has a throne · Uses summoned floating swords · LITERALLY YELLS WORD FOR WORD "I NEED MORE POWER" Close enough hi lizard Vergil

[@hikarumikazuki2892]

So we can all agree he went Cyberpsycho right?

[@charliemcmillan4561]

Soulpsycho

[@RyoIsamuGaming]

​ Cyber Trigger.

[@asdfaaa1000]

took too much Prana like Ichiro 😂

[@ReveredDead]

I swear the developers played Cyberpunk 2077 and Phantom Liberty when they were making this expansion. Love to see it. CDProject Red and Square Enix. Imagine that as a collab. Even better. Bring Larian studios, Square Enix, and CDPR to the table. They would make an ungodly next level game.

[@the.duck.is.ronin.]

​@@ReveredDead After seeing the Arcadion plot, this absolutely seems correct

[@cotovantre]

Guys, the way my jaw DROPPED when I heard this theme. This had no business being such a banger. Even now I'm --- 👌😤

[@joelrussell8179]

I had the exact same reaction when I got to this part. I couldn't believe how epic the music was and I thought : Now that's my kind of boss music!

[@kotsounuknock4659]

goosebumps when the blaring started, steel-hardened goosebumps when the beat dropped

[@scw55]

The choir with electro shocked me.

[@saniwa]

this song is so good but the smn portrait has me in tears

[@JinTekyta]

It's a really good one. I use a portrait like that for SMN in PvP.

[@nenemeia90]

i had to pause the video to have a gooooooood look at that portrait. it's marvelous XD

[@LowIntSpecimen]

oh that is fantastic LMAO

[@invisibleseeker]

Is that a mask or something? 😂

[@_EricN]

@@invisibleseeker It's an ARR book.

[@BowledOats]

If your rival is blue, seeks power, tries to surpass his father, is fought on top of a tower, willingly harms his own son, and has a devil looking 2nd form. That's not Zoraal Ja, that's Vergil.

[@nenemeia90]

oh ffs, i totally lost it when i read this LOL IT MAKES SENSE NOW

[@소인호-q7x]

I definitely AGREE. Also his ost rocks

[@FrozenSolid90]

I have no counter-argument to this.

[@Heroisback92192]

Not only that but, the reason he seeks power is to surpass his family and mostly his father. I fucking love this game.

[@raiya3721]

Lizard Vergil.

[@VioletNightmare]

For Zoraal Ja it was the fight of his life. For The Warrior of Light? It was summer vacation.

[@Kekira]

In the words of Jesse Cox, "I'm on vacation!"

[@Eriqzzzz]

It was a tuesday.

[@Saihamaru]

WoL didn't even bother using azem's crystal until the 3rd trial...

[@VioletNightmare]

@@Eriqzzzz TACO Tuesday

[@zelohendricks51]

Idk. We do get the battle surge mech from the Zenos fight here (our hardest fight yet) iirc so that tells me the isn't so easy "lore wise"

[@dloveless3585]

Yakuza, SMT, Metal Gear music, all whilst fighting a Covenant-looking dude. I love Final Fantasy

[@RyoIsamuGaming]

Not to mention the Devil May Cry vibes as he transforms.

[@Nomadic_Gaming]

the track itself gives me undertale/terraria biblically accurate angel fight but also mechanized

[@dadkwashere]

All amazing soundtracks

[@12kidcat]

Don’t forget xenoblade a bit with the monado looking weapon and ouroboros looking form

[@charliemcmillan4561]

arbiter and vergil's child

[@kainerene9736]

You have to love that hes copied everything about his father on a face value. Strength, fighting style, appearance, and unweavering resolve. Though in the end, he continued to fall short in everything that truly mattered. In the end he became the shade of his father corrupting the teaching to fit his ambition.

[@sparthyslaysstuff2405]

He copies being the ruler of a nation and a father but badly. Most everyone dislikes him in comparison to Sphene and he abandons his child. Gulool Ja Ja is a battle maniac but he's got heart and that's what Zoraal Ja discards in singular pursuit of power. A ruler without compassion for their people is naught but a tyrant.

[@CallN0w]

Mf even copied having two heads in phase 2

[@SniperKing-O]

So he basically made himself an inferior primal version of his father. It's sad and ironic.

[@acgearsandarms1343]

Ironically enough, Gulool Ja is more the resilient son than the actual Resilient Son. He suffered a hard early childhood and at the end of it made it out with conviction and a family who cares for him. Same can’t be said for Zoraal Ja.

[@EmperorPylades]

I wish this concept had come through more in the actual story though. The idea is truly timeless and brilliant, a son obsessed with surpassing his father's legacy, while completely failing to understand WHAT that legacy actually is and means.

[@Celis.C]

This OST just _screams_ 'unhinged'. I couldn't think of a more suitable theme.

[@ReksNuadiah]

It absolutely is a different tone to madness, which is usually characterized by the string slide (glissando, from a quick search) But this? This is gritty. It's _frustrated,_ angry, bitter and unceasing, answering the almost praising choir and slower bridges with heavy clashing notes that, to me, sounds like a "HELL NO".

[@Lyu-Phy]

@@ReksNuadiah The DOOM vibe of the theme is very fitting. It basically just strenghtens Zoraal Ja's resolve to never bow, he would gladly die over and over for it.

[@mocmeo4425]

soundtrack is insane but even more insane is how you are able to see anything with all effect on

[@stormwings3236]

Madlad cleared dsr and top with full effect, his power is incomprehensible

[@NoName1462]

when you play actively with the effects on you just kinda get used to them and learn to look past them. I play and do everything with effects completely on aswell, I just hate how "empty" every group content feels with them gone.

[@Wintd1]

Your eyes adjust to it after a while.

[@hiddenmaster6062]

The effects are above ground. They do a very poor job at obscuring the ground, allowing us all to see what's coming.

[@Bezerker0]

First time on this one was all effects on. Definitely made for a harder fight.

[@ReksNuadiah]

I also just realized, the blue flames(?) on Zoraal on the first phase seem to mirror normal Viper's Reawaken state in appearance - but much darker. Wonder if that's a small touch of symbolism, even before he transforms.

[@legomaniac213]

Probably. He is listed as a Viper when he joins you for the Duty Support of the Valigarmanda fight. It makes sense he'd be strong enough in that class to have that power.

[@RichterfanReborn89]

WoL ; By a wide margin, you're packing a bigger wallop than daddy ever did.... however, you will never, ever beat me with that form. Zoraal Ja ; then what do you call the last five minutes? WoL ; pity Grrr!!!! Wol ; the worst part of it is, that form isn't even new , watch : - transforms into WoL incarnate - Hey im Zoraal Ja , please love me Dad!!! See anyone can do it.

[@zuzu2700]

Lol well done.

[@TheEmperorHyperion]

That's a terrible impression.

[@RichterfanReborn89]

@@TheEmperorHyperion Sphene ; But NOT inaccurate!!! Zoraal Ja ; why are you still here?!! For Hydaleyn's sake I bet even Bakool Ja could do it, he's just not stupid enough to try , and as we saw in the contest for the throne, that threshold is vast.

[@EinDahl]

No part of this trial had any right to go as hard as it did. Listening to the theme while waiting for the queue to pop, having the majority of the party be completely new to the fight, Zoraal Ja's VA knocking it out of the park, the fight itself...when I think back on Dawntrail, this trial experience is what I'm going to remember. Holy shit.

[@trustytrest]

Mood. I loved everything about this trial so much. Even the song's name, "Seeking Purpose". They did such a great job portraying both his inner turmoil and just how dangerous he is when on his rampage. A real "force of nature" kind of boss.

[@BrainiEpic]

IT HAD TO GO THAT HARD. ITS LITERALLY THEIR JOB.

[@charliemcmillan4561]

This was the peak

[@Osteichthyes]

Everything about this fight is just narrative perfection. The track is Seeking Purpose, his model is the two head but lacks any head of reason. The music is absolutely all of the place in a chaotic maelstrom of noise as it swings between violent and somber. He literally has no ability to reason, nor does he have a purpose. In the end....he ended up with absolutely nothing.

[@ZephWraen]

I love the detail in his transformation's design that his transformed state is a two-headed being but one of those heads is missing. It really fits his backstory of being the "miracle."

[@clintmatthews3500]

And of course he lacks reason

[@ProfessorHeavy1]

ZORAAL JA COMING IN WITH THE STEEL CHAIR

[@ngwoo]

Electrope chair

[@dragonmangames2523]

And here comes Wuk Lamat with the WoL! And here comes a second WoL with another WoL!

[@OmegaGamer04]

@@dragonmangames2523 WoL confirmed to be a self replicating eldritch horror.

[@dragonmangames2523]

@@OmegaGamer04 Thordan: WHAT are you?! WoL: fhgkgksjxmzmc f'tahgn

[@TheBonkleFox]

Plastic Lawn Chair

[@Invie4196]

Man when he pauses a second for his son that hit so hard.

[@Loispealz34]

Now the questions remain. How, who, when and why? I mean i do not mind, but the kid kinda came out of left field.

[@503leafy]

That was the point of no return.

[@darkuscarlet]

@@Loispealz34 I'm gonna assume futuristic clone technology. They have soul extraction and pseudo-eternal life, doesn't seem too unlikely.

[@Skijaramaz]

@@Loispealz34 Doesn't seem too unlikely that a handful of Zoraal Ja loyalist Mamool Ja were in Yyasulani (am I spelling that right?) when the Dome went up. Just because we don't see them in the MSQ doesn't mean they weren't there. We see plenty in Tuliyolal, after all, and Xak Tural is right there.

[@EdgeHeadFUHaters]

@@Loispealz34 Perhaps it will explained in post-Dawntrail MSQ.

[@Fidel_Cashflow]

you ask a lost man for the way

[@PapaDeusVult]

The screwed-up part of this theme is that it still has bits of the leitmotif of "Smile" in it. Particularly the part at 1:54 up to 2:12 sounds like the chorus of the song

[@wefeelgroove]

Solution Nine uses the Smile leitmotif too, so it's eerily appropriate that it appears here considering Zoraal just massacred S9's citizens

[@FatalFatalisFtFts]

LET THE VICTOR'S REIGN BE SANCTIONED BY THE BLOOD OF THE FALLEN.

[@shadowthehedgehog181]

"Foolishness, Wuk Lamat. Is rushing in blind all you can do?"

[@korygraves6739]

Give me the Yamato... Zarool Ja: If you want it...then you'll have to take it. But you already knew that.

[@AkuNoHana]

Underrated comment

[@rodrigosampaio1560]

The moment he slashed his son's image I realized he was beyond redemption

[@acgearsandarms1343]

If it makes you feel any better, I think he knew it as well. It was do or die. Literally.

[@StarshadowMelody]

@@acgearsandarms1343 "You ask a lost man for the way."

[@SyntaxL]

The new Warframe boss is looking pretty dope.

[@TotallyCreativeNameBtw]

Lol i was thinking it reminded me of something, the second is phase is zoraal ja prime🤣

[@dreamllusion8390]

More like Zoraal Ja Umbra xD

[@dragonmangames2523]

@@dreamllusion8390 Red Vay Hek finna say "HELLO" when the new field op rolls in.

[@Amenomihashira]

I love the message behind this being the Level 99 trial. The guy who throws everything away in pursuit of power has literally reached the level limit in most Final Fantasy games, and then loses to people who are higher level than he is.

[@EdgeKisaragi]

Bit of a reach tbh

[@saamjaza1742]

I think it's more an coincidence than anything. But it is still a cool interpretation.

[@Sassjor]

I was quite eager to beat this boss, much like the other characters I did wonder why he wanted violence and war so bad, but it’s sort of answered in his second forms design, two heads with one ripped off, he really is resolve without any reason. Perhaps he would of been a better man had he two heads.

[@1gunnerShock]

The only thing he ever was known for was to be the miricale child, so he felt compelled to live up to that lofty expectation without any knowledge as to how his father accomplished what he did, so he just resolved himself to be better, no matter the cost

[@kohlicoide2258]

"Our farming days are over Zoraal Ja, give me the Wings!"

[@Ra7eNzTH]

If you want it... then you'll have to take it, But you already knew that.

[@ladyopheliagames]

@@Ra7eNzTH *Gives Zoraal Ja the open palm then waves him over*

[@Nappa9000]

Between this and the dungeon before it, I'm thoroughly convinced Soken and his team have been playing a lot of Yakuza recently

[@daniel____4236]

Good. Those games have sick af music. Even the spinoff Judgment series has sick music. Kog and Fog are dope af tracks

[@icathianPLD]

This sounds exactly like something that would be in the newer yakuza games

[@victisomega4248]

I’m glad I wasn’t the only one who noticed that, and good on them. Those are great OSTs to pull inspiration from!

[@Starfang9922]

DUDE!!! I was just saying this to my partner, this bossfight for sure hits heavy Yakuza/Judgment vibes

[@trueaegisform6811]

This is not Soken tho, This is Takafumi Imamura, please stop sucking Soken off every time there is a song you like, he is not the only person in his team that makes songs. And majority of "good ones" these days are made by Takafumi Imamura and Daiki Ishikawa

[@SILVERONIN]

That industrial sound is FILTHYYYY!! I want more of this Soken!

[@Icedmindblow]

in terms of music, I dined divinely this expansion.

[@charliemcmillan4561]

For sure, the music’s been fucking unbelievable in quality, this might be the best soundtrack theyve done yet better than shadowbringers

[@TH_Zireael2077]

​@@charliemcmillan4561 Let's be real, it's Square Enix, they're basically incapable to many any music track that'd be at least below an 8.5/10 lmao

[@BlazeIgnitus]

The beginning of the song, with how it opens, gives me Dark Messenger vibes. Zoraal Ja reminds me of an expy of Kuja, in fact, albeit one who's a warrior instead of a powerful mage. A similar superiority-inferiority complex, a desire to be more than his creator/father, a complete descent into madness with the consumption of souls feeding into that final form, and then in his last, dying moments he does see reason and is... not so much friendly, per se, but is more open about his motivations than he ever was, and does give voice to his regrets. Even the arena makes me think of Memoria in FF9.

[@JinTekyta]

Not to mention that Zoraal Ja's rival is, much like Kuja, his sibling to whom he believes he is superior but is ultimately defeated by.

[@SweetyMiki]

The elements of his second form seem to take some minor inspirations from Necron. I like how both main antagonists of this expansion reference it. Zarool Ja taking elements from his design, while the final boss (Eternal Queen in Japanese) references Necron's Japanese name, the Eternal Darkness.

[@BlazeIgnitus]

@@SweetyMiki It actually has elements of both Trance Kuja and Necron, if you think of it. Zoraal Ja taking power to far transcend his limits and it causes a physical change, much like how Trance augments and changes the characters in FF9. It's actually kinda interesting.

[@SweetyMiki]

@@BlazeIgnitus Holy smokes! Yep! Good point you brought up! Kuja was only able to enter Trance by taking all the souls Garland had harvested from Gaia (which had a lot of souls from Alexandria's destruction in disc 3) that had been held within the Invincible. Zoraal Ja did the same in Dawntrail by harvesting all the souls within Alexandria.

[@Simmons101]

Was about to say I've been hearing more Dark Messenger, but I've gotten intense Necron vibes from the wails that come from the beginning of the song. Also like Necron's theme it has a very dark tone that hypes and speeds up as it progresses with electronic beats.

[@Wogle]

Yoshi-P: "So I've started playing Doom 2016-" Soken: "Say no more!"

[@nicholascipher916]

Lahabrea looks at this guy and says hey man chill out it's going to be OK

[@Sweatopod98]

If your sibling antagonist: Is blue, Summon a tower out of nowhere, Would not pay child support, Betray his assistant, Summon Swords, Kill a nation for power, Have a demonic silver/dark blue form Have daddy issues, That's not Vergil, that's Zoraal Ja

[@christranter2512]

You know...when I think of the music for a fight against a... Aztec lizard man who becomes a cyborg king of a dimension hopping civilization going through roid rage from absorbing too many souls I did not think this. But it's perfect.

[@ManeEdge]

Zoraal Ja's Japanese voice is Jotaro from JoJo's and Erwin from Attack on Titan, just think about how hard his voice acting goes

[@ovum]

Can't. The EN voice cooked way harder (and with accent)

[@ManeEdge]

@@ovum I respect your opinion (even if it's objectively wrong)

[@nararanaraiii2022]

​​@@ManeEdge I respect both of you guys opinions, both have merit, played in JP but I hella agree the English Zoraal Ja VA outclassed everyone in the expansion, even the main characters (in English)

[@charliemcmillan4561]

You could really hear the bitter hatred his english VA killed it

[@KogashiwaKai]

Eh he is a good VA but he really hammed it up in places to the point it was comical

[@viridiangreen2457]

3:55 - 4:14 Insanity Innocence from Shadowbringers!

[@iaxacs3801]

I was gonna say Deep Drive from Kingdom Hearts 2. But youre right as well

[@salomongilberto5347]

This ost goes hard af

[@SpaceManFive]

This is what we'd have if Virgil looked like a reptillian Galvatron.

[@clintmatthews3500]

Dawnservant Wuk Lamat? This is bad comedy.

[@SpaceManFive]

@@clintmatthews3500 Huh?? Zoraal Ja?

[@clintmatthews3500]

@@SpaceManFive Here's a hint!

[@CyberSoldier101]

I dont think a villain in XIV has made me so irrationally angry (Not in a badly written way). When he tried to harm his own son, I started seeing red and every fiber of my being wanted to skin him alive.

[@zanaduz2018]

When he *tried* to harm the kid?! My brother, he choked out the boy during the cutscenes before this trial, and then the phase shift has him slice through the image of the kid just before changing form… he already jumped past that barrier.

[@ExaltedUriel]

I felt a similar anger towards Zoraal Ja, one of the most infuriating types of villains to me (again, not in a badly written way) are ones like him where they'll go on about honor and surpassing someone in a "fair fight" while simultaneously using cowardly tactics and cheat powers. Like even after 30 YEARS to prepare, Gulool Ja Ja straight up beats him even in his old age, if it weren't for the regulator he'd be done right there.

[@kurosakikun96]

Pretty much, talking to friends in game I did nothing but talk down on him from the moment he killed Gulool Ja Ja, basically saying if he was going to act like a spoiled brat desperate for attention then that's how I was going to treat him ​@ExaltedUriel

[@GameShark9000]

​@kurosakikun96 Making best girl cry by killing their father was reason enough to burn him to the ground.

[@AshP210]

Had so much fun with this fight and thought "I'm so glad we've saved the day again and the post-expac stuff can be about helping Sphene" But I then realised this was only the lvl 99 fight and we still had one more area to go.

[@charliemcmillan4561]

Theyre both rotten and gotta be uprooted Also if you count the endless as people we totally committed genocide, but, I dont count them as people

[@NeroLucifarious]

Vergil: Dante...I made a scalie fursona.

[@galloviking4766]

Kudos to the boss for actually making you kneel.

[@trustytrest]

Bro did not sugarcoat it

[@charliemcmillan4561]

bro fucking launched you at terminal velocity and knocked you on your ass for a minute while you put your hat back on and dust yourself off

[@charliemcmillan4561]

I like to imagine that blast genuinely knocked the whole party on their ass for a good 30 seconds

[@crowdemon_archives]

Just to get obliterated anyway

[@Lukeormaybenath]

Vow of Unreasonable Lengths to Avoid Paying for Child Support 😮

[@msaag5490]

King of Resolving to never pay a single cent of child support

[@FalkRaegos]

The music, the gameplay, the ambience, THE LANDSCAPE, this fight had it all, it was purely fantastic.

[@StmaclGaming]

How I imagine the development of this expansion went; The rest of the team: Yeah let's have a lighthearted adventure with happy characters for once. Give the WOL a break. Soken: I have made a song for a boss fight! Yoshi.P: Cool let's hear it! Soken: *Blasts this song* Yoshi.P: ...fuck this song is too good... let's add the remnants of a long destroyed reflection trying to invade and kill everyone to fuel their immortality with technology that even the Allagans would do a double take at!!! The rest of the team: *sighs intensify as they open the trauma drawer once more.*

[@DanTalksGames]

Everyone is raiding Ishikawa's desk for notes.

[@chaptap8376]

"Let's have the WoL speak to Wuk Lamat during this quest." "You pointed at every single quest this expansion." "I didn't stutter."

[@Syogren]

Honestly even if this isn't how it went, I'm sure it's happened at least once in the development of this game and that's so funny to me.

[@charliemcmillan4561]

30 years of prep 600 years of prep no one outpizzas the hut (we’re the hut)

[@voistar5387]

I think I might rate this as my favorite second trial of any expansion MSQ. The build up to it was great, Zoraal Ja had interesting development with how we learned what his true goal/character flaw was (The Weight of Expectations), music is amazing, fight is amazing, and the fact that his transformed form shows he is all Resolve and no Reason (or he potential killed it since it looks severed) is just an amazing visual touch.

[@Kaptitanbear]

thank you for keeping things sapoiler free as can be my friend you are a godsend

[@TheBubbeloo]

Zoraal Ja was feeling MOTIVATED in this fight.

[@axelsdestiny5206]

In other duties I’m trying not to die by wiping the tears away from my eyes. In this one I was trying not to die by head banging so hard. This music is such a banger.

[@SneakyMuffin]

I can't get over his second phase look. Thematically it's so good with him lacking what was known as the head of Reason on his father. And it implies he somehow stole his Father's soul, or at least the Head of Resolve's, which could've also led to the incomplete transformation.

[@Kekira]

He lost his corporeal form. This form is completely a reflection of how he sees himself.

[@ahorseofcourse7283]

All because he couldn't find some banana leaves.

[@LightKeyDarkBlade]

This has to be Takafumi Imamura and it actually fits so well and perfectly portrays the power-hungry Zoraal Ja. The chaotic nature is also conveyed at 2:35 and it's pretty neat. It also seems like it's a pretty long track since it loops at 4:14.

[@catsubi_]

When I first heard this, my mind went straight to “The Black Wolf Stalks Again” (which he also arranged)

[@NoName-lf9fk]

SIKE! IT'S ISHIKAWA! (per ep credit) (honestly this is the most fuckery credit in this expansion i swear because this track has very similar energy to the black wolf stalks again)

[@LightKeyDarkBlade]

@@NoName-lf9fk Holy shit, this is completely unexpected. No one would've seen it coming. I know Ishikawa also did Pulse but this is way too different from what he usually does. It's amazing though.

[@YumiKoyomi]

My question the whole time was: who's zoraal ja's mother? And gulool ja's?

[@charliemcmillan4561]

What poor woman did gulool ja ja double dick down

[@MrDanios2]

4:32 "hey dad how was work-"

[@shadowthehedgehog181]

"Done. Like you!!"

[@poeticthief]

Close enough. Welcome back Vergil.

[@ninj0shikirei]

Bury the Light, oh wait 😂

[@msaag5490]

​@@ninj0shikirei It may not be bury the light, but Zoraal Ja definitely borrowed the energy used to make that song to make his own theme.

[@RatTalisman]

Battle enters second phase: "Now I'm motivated."

[@kai-spy4921]

My WOL Rosaline as Pictomancer: NO! NO! NOOOO! STAY. BACK! Zoraal Ja: Hey, where'd you get that piano? Rosie: *YEET* [BONK]

[@AraArandom]

You know, when I saw this fight I thought to myself "oh yeah, those first phase mechanics are sweet, hope they expand on those in the EX" And then I progged the EX. I regret it. Vollok will follow me in my nightmares

[@lordsaladito]

Bro did a 30yo plan just cause of pitynees due to not winning a tourney. What a chad

[@hideharu-xiii8852]

Zoraalgil from the hit game Dawn May Cry. Real talk though this fight is so sick. Love the transition scene showing how far Zoraal Ja has gone on his twisted path.

[@talonmarshal]

Command & Conquer: Red Alert, anyone? Because I am hearing all sorts of Frank Klepacki in this song.

[@Yuzo-Yrj]

Yea, the first thing that came to my mind was "Did they hire Frank Klepacki for this?"

[@gulusgammamon]

Still would. I can fix him.

[@marycervera8274]

I can make him worse

[@Graficcha]

Because this sounds so much like it's meant to have vocals in places I did a bit of digging. Lyrics mapped from 'Smile', this really seems to be the Angsty Version of the same vocal melody: 0:35 At the crossroads standing here Not a star in the sky to guide me tonight Ever lost in loss and fear Deep in darkness drown my cries 1:54 All this pain inside of me Don't know where it starts or when it'll end Try to tend the agony As I close my eyes and scream to the wind

[@_lizziee]

Literally cried whenever Gulool Ja was on screen, so for Zoraal Ja to nearly choke him THEN swipe him...absolute hatred 🤬 edit - Also thank you Shtola for guiding me through this fight npc mvp 🙏

[@wildheaven1827]

Ffxiv is a puzzle game

[@Reynsoon]

This comment knocked me all the way back to a YTP called 'Sentence Mixing about Sentence Mixing'

[@kaseyj979]

This has to be the heaviest FF track since Otherworld when you fight Sin in 10.

[@keeng]

Put some respect on Sephirot.

[@leon24832]

FF13 2 Chocobo theme (the red one)

[@filthycasual8093]

0:15 I remember when this was played I thought my PC is collasping again lol

[@extinctbaryonyx]

That gave me ptsd XD. My previous PC was so badly built that everytime it would BSOD it gave this SFX

[@SniperKing-O]

"I need more *power!* I need more... *rage!!!* I need more *SOULS!!!!* " - Zoraal Ja, the Resilient Nobody

[@shadowthehedgehog181]

I liked the part when he becomes Urizen Ja Ja

[@TheBonkleFox]

"Give me the key." "If you want it.... You'll have to take it."

[@Mexican_Sunbro]

I did this with Duty Support first and it was such an incredible fight. Then I got it on my first Trial Roulette at level 100, and now I'm scared of that Roulette.

[@balanceofjudgement4282]

Its like combining the Suiccide Mission from Mass Effect 2 with Doom , all in one vibe. Somebody check Soken for hacks. That man doesn't miss.

[@cobbil]

Note: In the second phase when he pulls us into that dimensional space for the platform mechanics, the skybox is the Historia Crux from XIII-2. It explains the key and the other plot relevant issues around it perfectly.

[@warmachine5835]

"Wake the fuck up, SAM. We have a city to burn."

[@nezrafallon4086]

When I was early on in the dawntrail MSQ, I for some reason kept thining of Saren from mass effect 1 when I saw Zoraal Ja When he showed up covered in cybernetics, beating the crap out of Gulool Ja Ja, I was surprised. When this music started playing in the trial, I became fully convinced that the devs/soken played mass effect 1 recently

[@crowdemon_archives]

Worst part is Zoraal Ja lost to Gulool Ja Ja in the first encounter lmao Only after he revived and caught Gulool Ja Ja off-guard then we managed to wound the old man.

[@5ulrich]

This electric guitar/drums drop at 1:00 hits sooooo hard

[@TH_Zireael2077]

1:34 always gets me lol

[@LettyWhiterock]

Funnily enough, I find the volok and blade warp segments to be harder in normal than in the EX

[@runarhrothgar]

They are tbh haha. A lot more happening

[@FrozenSolid90]

One thing I only noticed after the fight, but he has a stump of a second neck in his second form... To some extent, he's still trying to be Gajuul.

[@arthurmussi9897]

he also has resolve,but not reason

[@StarshadowMelody]

Zoraal Ja just being _ZORAAL JA_ in this trial makes it feel so unique compared to every other trial. Even Vauthry's titled "Innocence" in his trial. I wonder when we're gonna get a trial boss that's just person sized the whole way through... did we get that already in Memoria Miseria? I kinda skipped Bozja.

[@charliemcmillan4561]

I’m fairly certain varis is embiggened for that fight

[@kaihedgie1747]

Varis was made abnormally bigger in Memoria Misera. No such boss in Bozja unless you count the Duels and some of the Skirmishes

[@WilltehGreat]

Vergil: *I AM THE STORM THAT IS APROACHING* Zoraal Ja: Hold my beer

[@carbodude5414]

At least when Zenos did evil shit and killed his father, you could understand that it was due to abusive parenting and a government that encourages the de-humanization of others But even then, Zenos at least had _principles_ unlike Zoraal Ja

[@historian252]

Zenos threw his country & the world at large into utter chaos for no reason than pathetic selfishness. Not to mention how he ripped his father's body apart and forced him to brainwashed their people into being mindless slaves. Zenos has no principles at all.

[@Lyu-Phy]

I dont know I think both are similar. Zenos just like Zoraal is a pretty simple guy that just wanted the only thing that made him feel alive in a world he couldn't care less about. Zoraal Ja also feels like something is lacking and feels like its never enough. But the difference between them is.. Zenos as twisted as it sounds had indeed more reason, as in he knew exactly what he wanted and how to get it. Zenos basically won in his own way but also longed for a different path at the end of the day. Zoraal Ja on the other hand feels like he is eternally standing in the shadows of his father and doesnt know how to escape it, so he bruteforces it and falls deeply. At some point Zoraal Ja's boiled up sense of inferiority just ate him alive and that's when he decided to just burn it all down if need be. But I get what you mean. Even Zenos had more semblance of humanity left, Zoraal Ja feels like the incarnation of pure evil. It's one of the rare villains that managed to make my blood boil with how despicable he is.

[@iosonotom1010]

​@@Lyu-Phyi think the superiority complex is also expressed in how he both seems to resent and at the same time try to live up to the title of "miracle child"; him being literally the only one of his subspecies (before his son, at least) and his status as the trueborn of the dawnservant also probably made him even more detatched from the rest of "humanity"

[@Lyu-Phy]

@@iosonotom1010 Yeah in his fight some Mamool Ja appear and he just gets rid of them with an attack, he cant stand other people putting him on a pedestal anymore. It's also seen with Sareel Ja, whom he just killed for always praising him in the hightest degree. He had immense pressure on his shoulders that's for sure. He lacks the connection to the common people, he lacks reason, he was similar to Zenos in that the only way to get what they want is through destruction and fighting. After all that is all they ever knew, Zenos through childhood neglect partially/Varis not caring and Zoraal Ja we can only speculate if there was something like that. He said that Gulool Ja Ja didn't cared/wanted him, but maybe that's just how he sees it. If I had to take an educated guess I'd say Sareel Ja had a bad influence on him growing up, he also wanted to find the city of gold for some reason.

[@NoName-zh1jz]

I don’t understand because Zoraal is basically the way he was due to daddy issues like Zenos

[@seablade214]

I was hoping with all the IX stuff we would get something that went hard like Dark Messenger does with a bit of rock. Oh man did this go even beyond.

[@kaseyj979]

Having finished the story and all duties, this is by far and away my favorite and the best track of DT

[@charliemcmillan4561]

It was the first trial in got to use my lv100 machinist abilities and i was headbanging the entire time while high as fuck, this was DT’s peak

[@RaiGreyEepy]

Just came here after beating ex2 and god, the ost slaps so hard