Final Fantasy 14 just saw the release of the Endwalker expansion, and the first reactions seem overwhelmingly positive. This new chapter concludes a story over 10 years in the making that began when the game first came out in 2010. Endwalker had some big shoes to fill due to fan expectations, based on the incredible work Square Enix had put in during Shadowbringers, but also because of the extra attention the game has been getting as of late. Still, according to fans and critics, it does actually manage to live up to the hype thanks to its rich story, refined gameplay, and hypnotic villains, among many other factors.

Final Fantasy 14 was a completely different beast when it first came out, and narratively shared a few things in common with the latest Final Fantasy mainline games. As an MMO, the narrative focus was on the player-controlled Warriors of Light and the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, who were their closest allies. This was thematically similar to what the mainline games had been doing since with the last few entries, where there was more of a focus on the heroes' side, without the looming presences of strong villains such as Kefka or Sephiroth. This is not how fans tend to think of Final Fantasy 14 today.

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Final Fantasy Had a 'Weak Villain' Problem After Sephiroth

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There is no denying Sephiroth and Kefka are some of the greatest villains in videogame history. The former in particular is a fan favorite, featured in much of the series merchandise, and was even included in crossovers and featured in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. His presence loomed over every act of the story in Final Fantasy 7, and he became one of many icons from that console generation. Later villains did not manage to achieve that level of popularity in the games afterward, where the antagonist was either introduced late in the story, or was a conduit for a greater evil concept instead of someone in particular.

Ultimecia, Necron, and Sin from Final Fantasy 8, Final Fantasy 9, and Final Fantasy 10 were useful to narrate stories more centered around the heroes, but did not carry the same weight previous villains. When fans think of Final Fantasy 9, they think of Kuja, or even Queen Brahne. Eventually, Final Fantasy 11 and Final Fantasy 12 had plots related to overarching politics, instead involving massive plans, organizations and countries making political and military moves, rather than distinct villains. While very interesting characters in their own right, Eald'narche and Vayne Solidor seemed just like the faces of something bigger, instead of the main villains themselves.

The lack of compelling and interesting villains was really felt in Final Fantasy 13 and the original Final Fantasy 14. One of several criticisms of the Lightning saga received was for the lack of compelling adversaries, out of which Dysley/Barthandelus was a prime example. Square Enix did try to turn things around with the inclusion of Caius Ballad, but went back on the concept with Bhunivelze in the sequels.

The Case With Final Fantasy 14

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Final Fantasy 14 introduced Nael Van Darnus and Gaius Van Baelsar in the original game and reboot as the faces of the empire. Still, as the story started to grow, things were set in motion and players realized this was not really a story about fighting an evil empire. Stormblood in 2017 marked the introduction of Zenos Yae Galvus as the first who was able to best the Warrior of Light in battle, canonically. However, the interesting part was that he really wasn't fighting for an empire or anyone else, but for himself. An over-accomplished general, he only wished to feel the thrill of battle once more.

Shadowbringers, the next expansion, not only made Zenos even more interesting, but also added the fantastic Emet-Selch as the leader of the Ascians, who the Warrior of Light travels along with during a portion of the game. While not exactly a pleasant companion, players got to spend time with him in the First, understand his motives, and even feel sorrow at his last moments. When returning to the Source, players also met Fandaniel, a rogue Ascian as unhinged as Zenos who only wanted to see the world burn.

Zenos, Emet-Selch, and Fandaniel all prove the writing is at its best when the villains get time to interact with the heroes of the story in Final Fantasy 14. By talking with them, learning about their past, and seeing how evil they are instead of just being told second-hand, the writing makes them feel like a genuine thread instead of an obstacle to overcome to get more exposition. By giving them as much protagonism as they have in each expansion, they have time to grow into interesting rivals instead of milestones in the main quest.

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The Villains' Legacy

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Final Fantasy 15 came out a full year before Stormblood and introduced Ardyn Izunia. Ardyn's story in Final Fantasy 15 was a step in the right direction, but players only got through his motives once they watched the movies, played his DLC, and played the patched games in the following years. Still, after all was said and done, getting to know him was worth it, as the final encounter between him and Noctis had much more weight.

The next game in the series, Final Fantasy 16, is a singleplayer game with Final Fantasy 14's producer Naoki Yoshida working on the project. Although the identity of the villains are still a mystery, along with its release date, Yoshida and the development team have grown into incredible writers through their tenure with the MMO. If there is one lesson they should carry from their previous effort, it's the importance of having genuine three-dimensional characters opposing the heroes. As the fan reception throughout the years has shown, Final Fantasy villains are usually at their best when the confrontation with the heroes is more a clash of wills than a feat of strength.

Final Fantasy 14: Endwalker is available now for PC, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.

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