Among announcements for the future of Final Fantasy 14, the community found out a little about the next set of relic weapons. These weapons are known to be powerful and have gorgeous designs, but take a lot of work to upgrade. Further, they only become available through patches after the end of an expansion. With Endwalker's main story tied up, it is now time for the relic weapons.
Endwalker's relic weapons will be unique, as they actually tie into what is known as Final Fantasy 14's most goofy quests: the Manderville quests. These side quests have been optional and are well known for being absolutely silly in their characters, story, and tone. While some fans love these quests, others do not appreciate them nearly as much. The announcement that the next relic weapons will be connected to the Manderville quests has gotten mixed reactions. However, relic weapons being connected to the Manderville quests ultimately makes sense.
What Makes Hildibrand Manderville Special To Square Enix
Hildibrand is the main character of Manderville questlines, and he himself is a bit of a Final Fantasy 14 relic. He actually was introduced in version 1.0, the version that would later be scrapped. According to a documentary about the scrapped version, made by Noclip, Hildibrand was not just a part of version 1.0, but emerged from the unique circumstance that 1.0 was going to be scrapped. The coming Calamity and 1.0 scrapping made developers adventurous in terms of creating patch content for 1.0. Knowing the game was to the scrapped, there was room for silliness and fun.
Due to this, it is not a stretch to say Hildibrand is a little symbolic of what makes Final Fantasy 14 so special. Like the MMO itself, he also returned better than ever in A Realm Reborn. In fact, Hildibrand constantly gets a sort of rebirth through his questlines. While the tone of his quests are absurdist, he does play into the meta theme of Final Fantasy 14's scrapping and rebirth. He also is a symbol of the brave developers in 1.0, who had to both make a new game and patch the old one that would ultimately be taken down at the same time. Those that made Hildibrand and were not afraid to share something goofy when the going was rough.
Why The Relic Weapon Connection
While the Manderville quests have been in every expansion, they did not appear in Shadowbringers. They have come back in Endwalker, and their involvement with the relic weapon quest line may be a way to make-up for their absence in the previous expansion. In terms of why the relic weapons in particular, it all will likely be connected to Godbert Manderville, Hildibrand's father.
Godbert is known to be a master Goldsmith, though he has a hammer with his used by Armorers. He is also the owner of the Manderville Gold Saucer and part of the goverment that oversees Ul'dah. He is always in the Manderville quests, and undoubtedly has the talents and resources needed to make a relic weapon. This does not necessarily mean he will replace Gerolt altogether, though, as it is possible the two craftsmen will work together.
Endwalker is a special expansion as well, as it is the very last of the Hydaelyn and Zodiark arc. This is also the first finished arc in the series. Having the Manderville questline be connected to the last relic weapons of the arc gives a great sense of the game coming full circle. Hildibrand Manderville, who was part of the 1.0 version of Final Fantasy 14, being involved with the relic questline is a little poetic. While the game has moved on in so many ways, it can remember and show off its roots.
Final Fantasy 14 is available now for PC, PS4, and PS5.
Source: YouTube/Noclip