Remember Us - A Final Fantasy XIV Video Essay

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Shadowbringers is my favorite expansion for Final Fantasy XIV, and my favorite game in the series overall. Today, I want to look at three threads running through the story of Shadowbringers, and how they examine the game's overall theme of legacy. First, we'll be looking at Ardbert, the Warrior of Darkness. Next, we'll be looking at the young Minfilia, the Oracle of Light. Finally, we'll be talking about Shadowbringers main antagonist, Emet-Selch. Join me as I talk about why the story of Shadowbringers resonated with me, and so many others.
Table of Contents
Intro -- 0:00:00
Part One: A Warrior of Darkness -- 0:04:06
Part Two: An Oracle of Light -- 0:30:56
Part Three: A Founding Father -- 1:03:19
Outro -- 1:54:19

[@alephnole7009]

I love when Emet brings Y'shtola back because he's basically going "Oh???? Oh? You CARE about bringing your loved ones back do you??? WELL. DO I HAVE A STORY FOR YOU!"

[@misterbxiv]

Ardbert being completely alone for 100 years after failing to save his world and his friends is more tragic than it’s given credit for.

[@cherrydragon3120]

I dont think i'd be sane after a century of suffering in my own failures in solitude while the world hates my guts for ruining the world. Allbeit done by accident

[@Theinen84]

Saving it was never their goal. Their goal was to sacrifice to preserve it, in order for others to save it, when the time was right. That's even more tragic, when you think about it. Thought they were saving it. Took the offer from the ones that tricked an used them, thinking, once again, they were saving it. Then to be denied the sacrifice with his comrades. I like the little touches. His guilt was the blood on his axe. Emet-Selch was literally weighed down with the burden of leading and restoring his people. That in itself was unfortunate. He wasn't an end all leader. He was part of a committee. Ardbert's axe was clean. Emet-Selch could stand tall, each knowing they did all they could for their opposing goals.

[@chelsthegameruiner8669]

Believe it or not, Emet-Selch's reputation as a great villain goes beyond FFXIV. I remember when I was in the kitchen back in late 2022 and my sister walked in and suddenly asked "hey, you know about Emet-Selch, right?" It was a question that caught me off guard since I never expected to hear that name from my sister who had never played the game

[@zeehero7280]

When he said to remember him, we remembered him so hard that other people who never heard of him also did!

[@wickedsephiroth]

Was it Nier: Reincarnation she heard it from? His story is told there, and it's a great angle to hear it from: "His monologue an elegy"

[@JamieBarrington]

Emet-Selch's character development... I was not ready for it. Up until Shadowbringers, Ascians were all one dimensional. But when Emet waltzed in and showed most of his cards to us Scions, I was interested. Little did I know, I'd be sobbing over his character in 5.0 and 6.0. It takes a lot to mKe me cry. I mean, I'll tear up during sad shows. I teared up most recently at The Last of Us. But this was different. Racking sobs. Had to put my controller down and hang my head and just cry it out. Emet gave me a sinus infection. Had a puffy face throughout the end of ShB and the Endwalker. What a fantastic antagonist!

[@power_SERG]

That conversation with Urianger, I forgot about it, but man, hearing it again, it hits really hard.

[@gratuitouslurking8610]

Of the nations of the War of the Magi, let us be perfectly clear here. Mhach is the one that has the same fingerprints of Garlemald and Allag all over it.

[@cherrydragon3120]

While i want to not give Emet-Selch too mich credit here.... mainly aince there were dozens of ascians... emet did not orcheatrate ALL calamities after all. You COULD be onto something. But alas this is never confirmed

[@gratuitouslurking8610]

@@cherrydragon3120 It may be headcannon levels of fridge logic, but of the three Ascian Primes (who I assume would have the most weight on the calamities, considering how well entrusting such things to their reincarnates worked for the 13th and the 1st), they all are background schemers but each tends to have, for lack of a better term, a style. Lahabrea is happy to just take the obvious thread and pull it, like the Ultima Weapon and Nidhogg's Eyes, and is a lot more direct and open with confronting things. Elidibus is more of a diplomat and favors background schemes, I'd not be surprised if he fueled the calamities based off religious fervor considering how he was setting up the 1st. And, well, we got Emet-Selch, crafter of at least two empires and using the forward momentum of their warmongering to trigger calamity after calamity.

[@azroceankitarn9620]

Could go both ways though, just like with allag. Teach the Merecidians how to summon, teach the allagans how to trap them. Teach one side something devastating, then teach the other side how to counter it and be equally as devestating. Let them go till mutual destruction

[@zeehero7280]

except they had something far more terrifying. a lala who explodes things!

[@Lupostehgreat]

I love that Thancred has genuine flaws but is still an objectively good character. I feel so often that people either make heroes with fake or no flaws (things like clumsiness are not real flaws), or complete dickheads who are flawed. It is good to see that nice middle-ground from time to time, and is far more uplifting. Someone can be deeply flawed but still a good person or even heroic.

[@Moody.Smiruai]

Thancred was very underwhelming

[@gratuitouslurking8610]

While personally Yda and Papalimu were the biggest characterization criminalization in ARR, Thancred at least has the added bonus of both being the first reclaimed friend in Heavensward and the whole Lahabreah baggage to also build upon with the WoL across the first two stories. He admittedly is shown as a bit of a womanizer with a far more father/daughter feeling towards Mimphilia, so it fits this becomes more and more a sore spot when there's a chance he may get her back again.

[@JapanFreak2595]

Something else to keep in mind is that his insistence to save Minfilia has more to do with the fact that Thancred was partially responsible for her father’s death during the incident in Ul’dah. The guilt driving him to not only look out for the young Minfilia (who’s only family was takin from her too soon), but bury himself in his work and avoid making a mistake like that again. Thancred was not only accepting that the Minfilia he knew would be gone for good, but accepting his past failings and shortcomings as well.

[@pocketfluffal2134]

Pay close attention to Emet-Selch's posture after you defeat him as Hades. In his final moments, you can see that the burden, so much weight on his shoulders, has been lifted

[@thewitchiebunny]

A point of contention - we don't learn that we're Azem in 5.0, we learn it in 5.3 I believe. Still part of ShB, but slightly later - the revelation at the moment shown was a different one.

[@Khalith]

Fantastic video and yes. His VA killed it, he absolutely steals the show in every scene he’s in.

[@cherrydragon3120]

I think shadowbringers is mostly about emet-selch. So he aint stealing the show. Most of the story was already having Emet-Selch as a main stage character in mind. And he does indeed play his part to perfection. Just as he did with the calamities.

[@serialexperimentslain]

THIS MUCH HIGH QUALITY LONG FORM CONTENT THIS CONSISTENTLY??? You are my favorite video essayist by FAR and that is not a title I give out lightly. Seriously keep up the great work. I cannot believe you have time to even experience the things you make videos about.

[@Salt_Mage]

If I recall correctly, Ardbert and his companions know that the First will be destroyed if the Ascians succeed. Having their souls rejoin the Lifestream is seen as the better choice when the alternative is becoming warped abominations.

[@loganhess9247]

I came to say this too - the Warriors of Darkness aren't being deceived into thinking they can return their world back to the way it was, they understand that it is lost. They want to prevent it from become a void where the souls can't move on to the lifestream, trapped as abominations or even not existing. It makes their decision to help the Ascians make way more sense and honestly, considering their perspective on the First immediately after the flood, it's a reasonable decision in that moment of desperation. It's a similar moral quandary to Emet's - they are right about what they want to do, but is it right to kill millions of others to save your own people (in Ardbert's case, their souls).

[@cherrydragon3120]

​@@loganhess9247 spoiler alert. They're basicly doing the same as Golbez does. Trying to get their people to rejoin so they can die and go to the lifestream rather then become mindless eternal monsters. Although for the Voidsent this is far too late to avoid. But they're trying to Fix this issue by breaking the boundaries. Just like ardbert and gang tried to

[@RobotSavetheworld]

I got pulled into playing FFXIV for the first time right before the pandemic hit because I had friends who wouldn't stop hollering about it, and also because I kept hearing about Emet-Selch. And this video reminds me of how totally right they were, and how he became one of my favorite characters as well. The whole thing of him being whimsical and charming is such a marvelous convolution of layers: not only because he's tired of fighting you and wants to try cooperation, not only because it serves his goals in having you get attached to him so you're less likely to resist him, but also because, as you eventually learn, you used to be a person whom he knew as a friend, and he genuinely missed them! After I finally put the axe through him at the end of Shadowbringers, all I wanted to do was apologize. "Remember us" indeed, I'll never be able to forget.

[@shimasclan]

My wife started playing cause she watched me play some of shb, and was super interested in it. She fell in love with the game on the way and is all caught up in content now. She's a fan of Emets charisma and is a G'raha fan girl. Couldn't stand thancred till his shb arc finished, now she adores him.

[@oliverurbanik9647]

@@shimasclan well.. that summs up basically 90% of the fanbase :D

[@tylerbaker2405]

It doesn't really fit within the angle you were approaching the story from but it is interesting approaching the Warrior of Light's interactions with Emet Selch once fully aware of Azem and what we know of his past with Emet. Emet was too much of a stickler for the Amaurotine status quo to accept Azem's approach to problem solving; but appreciated what Azem did and considered him a dear friend. Due to Emet's soul sight, he knew at a glance who the Warrior of Light is, the 8/14ths shard of Azem. In all likelihood, this was the underlying reason he decided to "test" us in the first place. Azem's refusal to go along with the Zodiark plan had likely been needling Emet for these countless millenia; and he now had a chance to plead his case to his friend once more (albeit in a way that would allow his conscience to write us off as incomplete). When we begin to crack under the force of all 5 wardens, he decides to wipe his hands there although he will permit usa final "kindness." He's frustrated that we continue to play the hero (and exhibit the "worst" of Azem's traits) but allows us a final judgment for his own conscience. All is going according to his plan to write us off...until Ardbert rejoins with us. Further restored, a very obvious flash of Azem, his dear friend, reminds Emet Selch that the heroes that he so wants to wipe from history are every bit Azem's legacy. To rub salt in the wound, the Exarch's summoning spell apes Azem's unique spell, a spell to call the "stars" to our side. It is at this point that Emet's facade finally crumbles. The one part of his conscience telling him that every choice he has made since the Final Days is wrong, the heroic memory of his dear friend, has not only refused to agree with Emet's decisions; we have condemned him as a monster. Everything that has sustained Emet now crumbles around him. Either he wipes us from memory and continues as if nothing happens or his great work is a lie. When we win, he has to accept the truth: the new world has won and his must fade.

[@johnlarken4744]

In different translations it's made clear that Emet could only tell who the WoL was after joining with Ardbert. His line of recognition translated is "What? You? No it can't be."

[@GamestMesa]

@@johnlarken4744 it was explicitly said by hythlodaeus that emet surely reconised azems soul, that part about joining with ardbert was him mistakingly thinking that azem had become whole again

[@johnlarken4744]

@@GamestMesa If you don't mind my asking. Which version of Hythlodaeus said this and when? I don't recall that being stated.

[@GamestMesa]

@@johnlarken4744 it was dmv hythlodaeus, the first time we meet them, when the say wol and ardbert are from the same soul

[@johnlarken4744]

@@GamestMesa Thanks. Double checking it, the exact quote is "Surely Emet Selch has recognized the hint of 'her/him' in you...?" Which can be taken a few ways. Your interpretation in that Emet does know who the WoL is, that Emet might have noticed a similar personality between the two, or simply as a pondering question. It's not presented as a statement but a question after all. Not saying you are wrong for your interpretation. I'm still of the opinion that Emet doesn't see it until the fusion though; due to the translated line making it very explicit as an "Aha!" moment.

[@SnarkyLesbian]

Shadowbringers is truly one of these games I cannot get over. I feel like I cried in every single one of its zones when levelling there. Each and everyone of the people there are hopeless, not because hope was taken from them, because they were taught such a feeling in the first place. For the world we enter has been on the brink of apocalypse for a hundred years. The fact that areas like Ahm Araeng and Rak'rika contain ruins of cultures no one remembers, plagues and songs in languages nobody knows anymore, horrifies me in a way no other game can. This whole Bladerunner speech of memories lost like tears in rain, of entire societies being erased from history books, that induces an unbelievable sadness in me. Lahee, what do the lyrics of this song mean? No one knows, the last vestiges that knew died, and their souls were swept away by the wind. The First is abject horror and despair incarnate. And to bring all of that into a game, the expansion of an MMO no less, is nothing short of incredible.

[@dumbino7745]

I got my popcorn ready, let's do this! drinking game: take a shot every time he says "this needs to be its own video" and "put a pin in it"

[@wolffster25]

Perfect timing since everyone is going back to the First for the 6.5 patch content. This video is a very fitting accompaniment to those MSQ quests.

[@artemisjohns2209]

This was really excellent, loved the way you wove all the disparate character stories of shadowbringers together around a single theme. Cannot wait for the next one of these 🤩

[@lucyarisato6850]

Oh, phenomenal. My (second) favorite expansion, from one of my favorite characters. I’m glad to see you had the strength to take another step, friend.

[@RaveWolfTheSwede]

I love long form content like this, and with content that is so phenomenal as XIV how could I ever say no? :D

[@Precaricat]

With creators like these on our side, how could we possibly fail?

[@bookbagfox]

This is absolutely fantastic analysis and the production is high quality. You deserve a lot more views.

[@HiveLordLusa]

That was an excellent video. I've said before in the comments of another video that I was looking forward to your Emet-Selch video, and you didn't disappoint! I wasn't expecting the legacy triple-story-thread approach but it worked so well that I almost feel like it was the most correct way it could have happened. I also get why it took you so long to get the writing done ^^; but it was worth it!! I cheered when I saw the upload, and had to wait a bit to watch, but I had a great time. So thank you, Zuldim! Thank you for doing this topic, and our favourite character, justice. ❤

[@sopranophantomista]

I've had this in my watch later queue for months at this this point and I'm SO HAPPY I finally sat down and watched this. This was an amazingly thorough, compassionate, and passionate take on the story of Shadowbringers. I also think that if there's an expansion that will stick with me, it's gonna be Shadowbringers, for the reasons you list in your outro. Thank you so much for this, for being able to put my emotions and feelings into comprehensible sentences.

[@user-bf5sy5ir6l]

One of the best videos I've seen, hands-down. I watched each part while eating lunch. Finished the first 2 with no problems but dreaded the third since it's pretty long so I postponed it but I'm glad to have finished it. The story you so eloquently told is nothing short of astounding. The tone, the pace, and sometimes letting us experience the moment ourselves. There was never a dull moment. Quite an outstanding video essay indeed.

[@MaikeruX989]

Wow, you put this out the day of 6.5 release? How am I supposed to watch 2 hr video on top of that? …….is what I’d say if I hadn’t taken off from work today. As it stands, this is shaping up to be a fantastic day! Thanks for the new essay!

[@mun3692]

this was all very well worded and is overall an incredibly passionate and heartfelt interpretation of shadowbringers, of which i share a lot of the sentiments. great video essay

[@hippiechick73]

I wonder if anyone else found Emet-Selch to remind them of Q from Star Trek. I loved his character development and was surprised at how he eclipsed my previous favorite FF villain, Sephiroth.

[@lukoscreyden]

A great video. I had been waiting for this one! Was very excited to see it appear in my subscriptions!

[@viradiance8594]

Dude I absolutely adore your videos and I'm pitching it to everyone who will possibly listen in my free company. I hope you go on to great things, fellow adventurer

[@whatthehellamilookingat9149]

Yes ive been waiting for another one of these!!

[@JarethS]

If I had a shot every time I heard the word "Legacy" during this... hoboy. Good thing all I had to do was scream at the top of my lungs. ...Anyone have a cough drop to spare? In all seriousness, phenomenal video as always Zuldim. Endwalker was an incredible expansion, but I agree in that Shadowbringers will always be the one to have a special place in my heart. No other story in the Final Fantasy franchise has ever been able to drag emotions out of me quite like Urianger's heartfelt speeches here, or Emet's final words, or the Exarch's reaction when you call him by name. It's the story I'm always most excited to see people first step into, and the one I wish so badly I could experience for the first time all over again. I love the amount of thought and detail you put into these videos, it's always a great day when I see the notificationpop up when you post!

[@MapleLunii]

Great video, listened to the entire thing while grinding out the Diadem. I've had a lot of fun going back and listening to old 14 lore while waiting for Dawntrail, and I think I'll be binge watching some of your other videos :)

[@josephgregorowicz5135]

Side Note : The reason we see Ardbert walking towards his friends in the Crystarium is because we are walking towards them as well. To put it in perspective, rewatch the scene at the end of 5.3 where we visit Seto. Ardbert is not gone. He goes where we go. “His adventure continues,” as Seto said.

[@AlleluiaElizabeth]

A giant video essay about my favorite storyline? Yes pls!

[@zynexhiru4118]

Love your stuff, keep it up

[@shaneh6707]

This video reminded me of why I love Shadowbringers so much

[@BelebayChan]

I love Emet-Selch's logic of "might as well try to get along. If it doesnt work, ill just wait til you die to do my own thing", like, he has all the time in the world, so no big if he has to wait a couple of decades

[@Henriktranoy]

Yes! Been waiting for this one xD

[@delaspnc0]

Fantastic video essay!

[@ryankeegan6860]

Omg I just saw this in my sub box. Let's go! 🎉

[@venabre]

Based on his reasoning for his pronounciation of Ascian this guy must think the greek goddess of the hunt is named Ultimecia

[@Femmchantress]

What an absolute marvel of a video, Zuldim. I felt my eyes tear up, I smiled, I laughed - it was like a microcosm of my own Shadowbringers experience.

[@user-se1pf3yq5n]

Thanks for helping me remember.

[@LadyCae]

Now this was a damn good video... I was watching while playing ffxiv... My character cleaned her house in the Lavender Beds in the meantime, cuz I was hooked on your video!

[@cantonnierbethcepourlavhy6343]

Yay new vid ! Thanks !

[@weskrill8241]

If I. remember correctly the wol actually made it a point with the scions to right the legacy of the warriors of light and especially Ardbert on the first during the post patch story-it just kinda backfired cus when they began to do that elidibus co-opted it to try desperately to continue their goals

[@Zeik188]

I would love a breakdown of elidibus. He's easily my favorite character. I doubt the video would end up being this big but it's still super interesting to watch.

[@JamieBarrington]

Elidibus is my second fav Ascian. And his voice acting is incredible. "The rains have ceased and we have been graced with another beautiful day. But you are not here to see it." 🥺🥺🥺

[@Hykary_]

The dubbing of Emet Selch in French is incredible, you feel the sarcasm of a being who has been alive for millennia while at the same time feeling the deep melancholy of the character (which fits this expansion so well). Of course, the fact that it's my mother tongue also plays a part, but this is the only character for whom I'm adamant (about the French dub) after playing with English/French/Japanese voices.

[@svipulvalke9913]

Hey man, I have really been enjoying your videos. Have helped shed some light on little plot chainlinks I missed here and there, and also reminding me all the things I love about these games. I still can't interact with Shadowbringers andf Endwalker stuff without feeling like sobbing everything five minutes tho ^^; they really did a number on me, haha. Gonna watch your Fandango video next. (that wasn't a typo, that's what I call the lil weasel)

[@Zathurious]

Can't wait for Endwalker's video essay. Which, admittedly, is my favorite.

[@tsuntsunsweetie]

Great vid!!!

[@blackbird4852]

Again an awesome video! Also thank you for making it so accessible to someone who never played any Final Fantasy games. It is easy to follow and was a joy to watch and see your takes on this great sounding lore and characters! I can see why you love them from your videos. Looking forward to the next one!

[@SpacedogD]

Thanks, I like your analysis. Personally I really like shadowbringers characters and story, much much much more than other ffxiv expansions and stories. The themes in this expansion just resonate with me.

[@Naxthural]

The best way ive ever heard Emet Selch described was another video essay about shadowbringers that said: 'Emet Selch is a man bursting with love. Yet he is unwilling to share it with anyone of the wprld today, so it festers and rots inside of him.'

[@thearchitecturalgamer6652]

That was a very good video. 🍻

[@boanoah6362]

You know... when it's spelled out like this it makes it way more obvious just how badly Hydaelyn screwed over Ardbert. First she doesn't step in to stop the flood earlier, then she consumes his friends' souls to stop it when she does, THEN she traps him in a nightmare hellscape where he's forced to walk around his ruined world utterly alone and completely devoid of any sensation/communication for 100 years... All so he could sacrifice his soul to fuel us. Dude had to watch everyone he knows and loves dying after the majority of them came to despise his guts for destroying the world... I hope he's happier now that he's become 1/13th of my 2B glammed ass.

[@wickedsephiroth]

But it wasn't sacrificing himself to fuel us... it was a broken shard of the original whole rejoining it's rightful place, she partly set it right from when she originally sundered Azem's soul with the rest. Also from her perspective, bringing the concepts of disease and death and suffering countless times upon millions of broken shards of souls across 13 reflections(+1source)... she's caused so much suffering this is nothing to her, and necessary to set in motion events which save all of those countless millions from the final days(note the aloofness with which she speaks vs. Venat's passion, she has become numb to the pain and sorrow and guilt).

[@boanoah6362]

@@wickedsephiroth But it was, any way you spin it Ardbert as a man, as a human being with thoughts and emotions and desires, ceases to exist. He was a sacrifice, necessary as it may be, he was intentionally cast out and left to suffer for AGES so that he could one day give us a 1-up.

[@wickedsephiroth]

@@boanoah6362 even if it was, Hydaelyn as I said had already doomed (hundreds of?) millions to death, disease, and suffering so I feel like just one more would be a drop in the ocean. Easy decision if the fate of the entire star depends on it. I mean yeah he did get fucked kinda hardcore but, after that she preserved his memories and reunited them with his friends in the aether sea afterlife or w/e so at least he got that at the end.

[@franlegrande5755]

Beautiful.

[@stevenalvarez2924]

I don't know if you got a small but important detail on the Hermes video. But there was something I noticed recently that is very scary about Elpis. People remember the scene about Hermes breaking down from needing to destroy a feral creature. What is quickly over shadowed is that the first time a creature was about to be destroyed, with it's entire species was the flying snake like animal. It's by "law" in Elpis that if a creature does not act in a fashion that the ancients approve of, they are authorized to destroy an entire species. In this case an animal that didn't fly right away or by the researchers command. This easily opens a can of worms about how many other species were destroyed for reasons we would consider minimal. Did a shade of color not come out correct? Did the animal not eat on command? Did the animal not grow at a pace that satisfied the researchers? Was the animal awake too much or too little? Killing an entire race of animal just because an offspring didn't fly on command is horrifying. The ancients may have been perfect to each other but anything less in their eyes was not. For as much as people claim that what Hydaelyn did was "extreme". The ancients did that to many other animals on a near daily bases. For how many years have they done this? It wasn't a few years or decades. Potentially over thousands of years they have wiped out animal species for minimal reasons. That is not a perfect society.

[@freeshot16]

Just because your argument is lacking in WHY they did this I'll add it here so people arent taking an extremely one sided point as the whole truth. While they were absolutely "wiping out" creatures that didn't meet a desired standard this was BECAUSE they were CREATING them from literally nothing but a concept and needed to make sure they would survive without undue difficulty and not de-stabilize the ecosystem they were planned for. EXAMPLE -- what if we bio engineered a small bird that exclusively ate ticks with goal of reducing the tick population dramatically, what happens when they run out of ticks to eat for any reason??? would they all starve and fall out the sky or would they adapt and start eating pollinating bee's (or something else that another animal needs) and destroy vast amounts of human food as a result? They were being so extremely careful with what they could allow to live BECAUSE they were literally gods making life from nothing. Your point on the end stands of course, they were far from a perfect society but your point in siding with hermes here is failing to grasp the whole truth. They shouldn't have been giving life to anything without KNOWING it was somthing they could allow to live, that was the true "crime" if you will, their curiosity justified them creating life and their "duty" allowed them to be monsters to preserve balance on the world. Hope this helps anyone think a bit broader before taking a problem at face value and running with it

[@Tom-Pendragon]

> What is quickly over shadowed is that the first time a creature was about to be destroyed, with it's entire species was the flying snake like animal. It was because of them being animals. Like we literally do the same thing daily basic. If they had used a example like them doing it with sentient creature with intelligence I would agree with your statement. We quickly see what happens when they don't follow protocol aka Endsinger. >For as much as people claim that what Hydaelyn did was "extreme" It was extreme, but she didn't have any other choice. She said it herself. She literally sundered the existence itself upon the planet. Basically killing everyone by making them mortal. But she did it to fight a greater evil who would have snuffed out life in the universe. >The ancients did that to many other animals on a near daily bases. For how many years have they done this? It wasn't a few years or decades. Potentially over thousands of years they have wiped out animal species for minimal reasons. I still don't understand this take. They are animals, we are literally doing the same thing in our world and in ff14 by hunting them and using them as resurs. The ancient did this to avoid bad shit from happening, is it bad? ehh debate, but is it for the greater good? Yes. > That is not a perfect society. I fully agree for the wrong reasons. We see plently of times when something goes wrong in the ancient society it is because of them not following protocols or them acting in self interest (Herms/athena).

[@stevenalvarez2924]

@@Tom-Pendragon Not even close to the same thing do people do. You are at best, as an example, equaling farmers to slaughters of an entire species to extinction on purpose. For all the extinctions people have "possibly" caused it was not in the intent of exterminating a specific species on purpose. At worst it's based on pests like misquitos who do pass lethal diseases. Not even rats are intentionally wiped out of all existence.

[@Tom-Pendragon]

@@stevenalvarez2924 they are literally new life. of course if it doesnt fit certain criteria they are going to remove it. its not out of malice of cruelty

[@stevenalvarez2924]

@@Tom-Pendragon Sorry, if my argument wasn't clear. I am aware that they didn't remove life out of malice or cruelty. The flowers are a give away that the Ancients just felt nothing personal at all exterminating countless species. People forget how old the ancients we meet in Elpis potentially are. Emet tells us that Ancients live near immortal lives. Viera are the oldest living current races, reaching over 300 years easily. They are not called near immortal. So why is age important to the flower? Hermes says that of all the time he spent on Elpis, the color of the flower never changed other then around him. How many years do you think Hermes has been in Elpis? He would first have to be a worker, then promoted to lead supervisor of Elpis. He has never seen the flower change colors other then him from hundreds of years if not thousands of years. This means that when ancients destroyed species, it wasn't just not out of malice or cruelty. There was no remorse or depression in doing so either. The living creatures might as well of been some form of hobby that a person can just drop on a whim. This is what makes what they do terrifying. They had no personal connection to their creations of living beings.

[@desdenova1]

Well done.

[@nahtiaz4295]

great video

[@Xylus.]

Zenos became fun right about the time he started calling you his friend; cheeky bastard wormed his way right into my heart by the end of 6.0.

[@Lightna]

1:14:22 "Gaius is not fun, Zenos is not fun. Emet-Selch is just a blast to watch on screen" I think you just brought another reason to light why I definitely prefer Emet to other villains we have had in FFXIV. Something I knew was there but couldn't put my finger on it.

[@Tom-Pendragon]

well im guessing im watching this on a thursday night.

[@mandrakegull]

damn, that was the shortest 2 hours I have had in a while

[@seanrennels2610]

But the "murder" line was SO good

[@AGrumpyWitch]

For the algorithm: Its ass-see-an To be serious, this is a really great video! I have subbed and look forward to bingeing your back catalog 😊

[@JamieBarrington]

Actually, it might also be ars-sian. Like you, just doing my part for the algorithm

[@Magnarmis]

This is amazing. Great work.

[@evrfreez]

A beautiful video. I'd not considered Shadowbringers through the lens of legacy, and it's a very compelling perspective to explore. It also makes me hate that Emet is basically the ultimate Boomer. Thanks for that ;D

[@BHFFS]

I think bugs is a better comparison for moral relativism than npcs. Are you a mass murderer if you kill an ant colony?

[@DracoSuave]

I disagree, there's no way Emet-selch can be final fantasy's best villain while a dps who cancels out of a popped queue exists.

[@leohillmann6717]

In defense of the DPS I figure at least half the time they out is because they were waiting five times longer than anyone else in queue.

[@JannetFenix]

I was rolling my eyes at friends loving the "sassy evil dude"... until one line sold Emet to me fr good, the dialogue from before Amaurot. The "I have loved thousand, thousands of your liferimes" WASN'T it - it was what he said after. He TRIED living among new mankind, he tried hard seeing world from their perspective, he had eternity to do so and he did. His fixation on returning to past was not stemming from superiority as "just" pride, but the conclusion he made after actually trying. Alphy speaking his speech about Emet being mistaken was obsolete. Emet wasn't a jerk always seeing them as bugs, it's just that difference between mankind that has been and mankind that is now was a ravine too vast, too overhelming for us to comprehend. We did not have "opposite interests" and fought for whose is more right; we simply could not have, in thousand years, see eye to eye, no matter what.

[@trustytrest]

Emet wouldve been my favorite villain in SHB, but then Elidibus happened lmao

[@talketsu543]

Your statement that "the real reason Emet-Selch is trying to gauge the potential of mankind is to determine whether they are whole enough to make suitable sacrifices to Zodiark" is incredibly inaccurate. First of all it's not even supported in the narrative, no where does Emet state that this was his actual motive for approaching the WoL and it disregards all the subtextual evidence we have that suggests what his actual intention for judging the WoL is, such as the note he leaves in Azem's Crystal, the fact that he deliberately invites the WoL to Amaurot (which is the reason he eventually dies/loses), or his intense desire for rest that pervades his entire characters narrative design. I feel like the vision of Emet portrayed here is one that ignores a lot of the nuance that the reason for his interest in the WoL will present if analyzed more holistically.

[@MacTaipan]

I like how the Duty Finder is almost integrated into the storyline at the end of Shadowbringers, when we start to summon heroes from other worlds. How cool (in theory) would it be if players got a message at that point, asking them to come to the Warrior of Light's aid? Not really practical, unfortunately, but very cool in terms of storytelling and immersion.

[@jesserebelo3583]

So you missed something for the warriors of darkness, they knew they were fighting to destroy their own world, to them being reabsorbed into the source was a far more merciful fate than letting the flood kill everyone remaining and turning their world into the void, they even discarded their own bodies so they could do so and were condeming themselves to be stuck as wandering spirits for all eternity

[@nhlcbj]

I can see where the inspiration for Ultima in FF16 came from

[@TigeriPlaysGames]

i'm gonna be real, king, starting your video off with a 1m 46s tangent getting defensive about the pronunciation of one word is a bit much

[@eiriksundby]

I know i'm late, but unless i am mistaken, as i recall, ardbert expressly says that he knows everyone on the first will die in the rejoining, but that he believes that the rejoining is more humane than whatever awaits once the flood has enveloped the world.

[@Tom-Pendragon]

I just want to say Emet-selch "you aren't alive, thus i cannot kill" moral argument is him coping. We can see it by the fact the ancient he makes up in amarot views us as children vs in elpis where every single ancient thought we were some flaw familiar instead of a child. In his very mind he thought of us as living breath sentient creature. I think he just wanted it all to be over since he was very tired. The fact is that he could have easily won by simple teleporting away and refusing to fight us, but he gave us something his people never had, a chance to fight back against termination. Us winning against Emet-selch is us proving to him we are worthy to live and breath and are worthy successor to take care of the star. The most fucked up thing about the ancient is how self-centered their views were. Venat thought what she did was complete morally right and forced her decision upon every living creature forcing them to experience mortality, zodiark gang thought it morally correct to breed sentient creature (might have been plants or animal but im going for sentient creature) just to bring people from the death, the entire shit with elpis and fucking Athena who needs a entire fucking subject. Anyway, my point being when the watcher asked me who was right in the 6.1 omega/alpha side quest I had to either pick all of them being right or all of them being wrong. Nobody should have the ability to decide for the entire world the "right" action when dealing with a worldwide threat. lovely video again.

[@Sephirajo]

loving this essay so far but I'd say the point you make around 1:29:55 is disproved in endwalker. The past wasn't better. They buried their problems and ran from them. Fandaniel was a man in need of a lot of help from his people, help he couldn't get because of how their society was. It SEEMS better because there's a lot of glitz, glam and high level magic all over but it is not a better place to live. Other than that, this essay is great. I love how you looked at how Ardbert, Ryne and Hades all deal with legacy and living up to or getting lost in the past.

[@JaikTheZoroark]

I have watched this three times now, I always thought Ryne's story was so weak because I was always so stuck on the fact that she was minfilia and I hate the waking sands. Guess Thancred and I are one in the same in a way.

[@lexheyler5508]

It's always been interesting to me how Ryne's arc in Shadowbringers is a microcosm that proves the fallacy of Emet-Selch's desire for the rejoining. She deserves the right to live her life not through proving herself but by simply existing; so too do the denizens of the shards deserve their lives by their very existence.

[@cuttleknight9454]

Hey so i don't know how relevant it actually is but the first thing Alisaie ever says (as cynical girl) is "And how do you propose to honor the memory of those you cannot remember, pray tell? " It's said about The Warriors of Light but it sticks with me in SHB and EW as being relevant to carrying the Legacy of the Ancients.

[@aerieleah533]

Edit: I see now that you did get to this point. Leaving this though to boost the algorithm. Im not sure the Warriors of Darkness and Elidibus were after the same thing. They were instructed, after all, to kill us. I think Elidibus wanted to cause a calamity and it was a bit of a desperate act, with none of the finesse of Emet or even Laha.

[@eadwynroark8137]

6:19 el oh el. I can't believe of all the things to complain about.... 😂

[@yunuss58]

never play or will play FF14. Still watched it because your LoP video was so good

[@maahesghulainn9480]

This video has taught me I should have no more fears and pronounce Miles Morales and Peter Parker in their Katakana pronunciation because thats how I prefer it. That's my takeaway about 20minutes in

[@HoneyDoll894]

i think there's a good discussion to be had with comparing emet to real world humans, because we obviously make some of the same philosophical choices. while most people don't consider most animals so devoid of value that killing them is meaningless, most do consider them so much less valuable that killing them is acceptable for somewhat flimsy reasons. the whole way a large part of our science is conducted on animals engeered for the purpose is not that unlike the way the ancient treat their creations, though we at least regard them with more rights at least in theory. But those animals still die and are subjected to horrible experiences in service of furthering our understanding of the world and life. And for as horrible as i can find those things, in the end as a biologist myself i can't entirely condemn that, i also hugely appreciate the discoveries made with that, and am interested in the things we can further accomplish

[@Firefighter3935]

I like to think we didn’t kill Emet. I think he let himself die, he was ready to lay down his burden.

[@luth7050]

RIIIDIIIINGG HOOOOMEEEEE

[@RocRolDis]

Heh. I grew up in a sate where wash is often pronounced 'worsh'

[@Sephalia]

This seems like a promising video, so I'm going to come back to this. I wish you hadn't included the bit about how you pronounce Ascian ... it took me out of the purpose of the video and now it's all I can think about, so I'll try again later :D. I was especially distracted because it seemed like the clips you included of the japanese pronunciations still didn't match how you're saying it, exactly, and I was just thinking about why you'd want to pronounce one word with a different accent than all the other words you use ... I don't know, it's not a big issue of course but it just really distracted me, hopefully I can get past it because I'm interested in the premise here!

[@ggstarwizzrd]

Do not squander it!

[@oliviabean8264]

Minfilia wasnt fridged, she got Obi Wan Kenobied.

[@unnamed_protagonist]

It's only pronounced Ashian in Japanese because Japanese doesn't have the normal "si" sound, only "shi". The only other phonetically close way they could pronounce the word is あすいあん, or Asuian, the "u" in すsu being barely pronounced

[@oliviabean8264]

I love how Shadowbringers takes a sharp turn from portraying the more popular madmax style of apocalypse where all decent society has collapsed and it's just rapacious warlords left over. You have Eulmore but thats the exeption not the rule, for the most part people have reacted to apocalypse in a much more sane manner that matches how we deal with IRL apocalypses as a species. Work together, unite under the common cause of simply surviving the brutal conditions that have been inflicted upon you and creating a more stable nurturing environment for the next generation where possible. The separation between groups of people in Shadow bringers is not a concious choice for the most part born out of paranoia, but simply due to environemntal factors making travel more perilous over time to an absurd degree, more disparate peoples have been brought together than have been divided in that hundred years, and your victory at Mt Gulg is just you acting as a perfect shining speartip for the human instinct to engage in more pro social behavior when things are dire and your stareing down extinction. Thats before you even get into the fact that the only reason your there is that people undergoing a separate apocalypse that was so bad it actually did go full Mad Max defied the odds and where still able to cobble together the resources and know how for a fricken time machine just in the hope of preventing there reality from coming to pass and failing that at least saving another timeline from the same fate.

[@YUXKE]

Pronunciations versus phonetic localizations aren’t the same thing to leverage as an argument but either way not something to be so worked up about. At best it’s just a strange habit.

[@ScaricoOleoso]

Minfilia Sr is the Tasha Yar of ffxiv: she had to die to become interesting. 🤓

[@JustJohn816]

I gotta be honest chieftain The first pronunciation sounded like Ah scian not Aah scian

[@aerophage]

The Japanese pronunciation of Ascian is kind of moot when the English pronunciation is available in cutscene dialog and it's always pronounced with a near-open front unrounded vowel