Final Fantasy XIV is rightfully considered one of the best MMORPGs and, not least of all, the game received this title due to its excellent plot, which would be enough for several full-fledged numbered parts of Final Fantasy. But, as you know, not only heroes make the story exciting. In a good story, the correctly spelled protagonist and his team must be confronted by an equally skillfully depicted antagonist who makes our alter ego work on himself, become stronger, cognize himself and the world around him, and in the end end it all in a climactic confrontation.
Lazy writers and screenwriters often do not bother too much with prescribing the motivation and personality of the protagonist’s opponent, because his main function is to be defeated by a warrior in shining armor. But fortunately, smart and understanding creators will give the villains and opponents of the protagonist no less time and attention, and often the most memorable heroes of the story are the very guys in the red team, who spoil the life of the savior of the world throughout the story. Let us rejoice, because the authors of Final Fantasy XIV have great love for the opponents of our Warrior of Light and regularly delight us with worthy rivals.
I invite you to recall the most memorable opponents over the years. This opinion is purely subjective and if you have someone to add to this list, welcome to the comments.
Spoilers will appear later in the text, so if you have not completed FFXIV and are afraid to spoil your impressions of the story, be careful.
Bahamut
We’ll start with not the most talkative, but the most noticeable antagonist of the game, with whom users who played the original Final Fantasy XIV could meet at the end of version 1.0, and newcomers could see in the gorgeous introduction video Realm Reborn, and then in the raid chain of tasks Coils of Bahamut. A descendant of the great dragon Midagarstormrmr, Bahamut was the strongest of his kind, but during the Third Astral Era he died at the hands of Emperor Xandi.
So his story would have ended, but his wife Tiamat, together with her children, tried to “resurrect” the great serpent. Bahamut rebelled as a primal creature – Primal, but this time fell into the trap of Xandi. For a long time it was imprisoned inside the artificial satellite Dalamud and was used by the Alagan Empire in the accumulation of energy on the orders of the emperor. You can learn more about the history of Bahamut and his legacy during the passage of the storyline of the Realm Reborn raid chain.
Lahabrea
Lahabrea became the first representative of the Ascians, with whom the Warrior of Light was lucky to face during the game. One of the three solid ascians along with Emet-Salk and Elidibus. The first meeting with this comrade did not immediately work out, and throughout the original Realm Reborn and the Heavensward expansion, Lahabrea was the main antagonist of the hero.
This member of the ancient race is a very calculating manipulator who sometimes lacks restraint. Lahabrea prefers a direct approach to behind-the-scenes intrigue. For a long time, he owned Tancred’s body and thus was one step ahead of the team of heroes. Deftly manipulated Guy von Balsar to complete the Ultimate Weapon project and drain all the ether to summon the Zodiark. Responsible for the construction of the Pandemonium Fortress and is one of the Council of the Thirteen.
Gaius van Baelsar
Legate of the XIV Imperial Legion, who spearheads the invasion of Eorzea and truly believes in the great cause of the Garlean Empire. Initially, Guy von Balelsar took the lead in the official invasion. Following the disaster of the Seventh Dark Era and amid growing political instability within the Empire, he spearheaded his own personal invasion alongside the XIV Legion. For a long time he was a puppet of the Ascian Lahabrea, but during the confrontation with the Warrior of Light he managed to survive and later takes an active part in the fight against the Ascians. The character’s story is most fully revealed during Realm Reborn and Shadowbringers during the story arc dedicated to the development of the Empire’s secret weapons.
Nael van Darnus
Legate of the VII Imperial Legion of the Harlean Empire. In fact, it is a ruthless woman named Eula Darnus who has taken on the identity of her late brother and believes that the empire’s invasion of Eorzea is a divine intervention to save her people from their pagan ideals. In the end, it turned out that she was possessed by the will of the moon Dalamud, and more specifically eikon Bahamut, who organized the chain of events that led to the catastrophe and the onset of the Seventh Dark Era.
Zenos yae Galvus
Son of Emperor Varis Zos Galvus. Holder of the title of Crown Prince and Viceroy of Al Migo following the alleged death of Guy von Balsar, Zenos also controls an occupied territory in the east of the Empire called Doma. As a child, Zenos was a cheerful child, but over the years he became increasingly melancholy, finding solace only in outbursts of violence and fights. The meeting with the main character awakened in Zenos a long-forgotten feeling of excitement and rivalry, and the apparent loneliness and equality in forces caused a natural obsession with the Warrior of Light and a genuine interest in his enemy. For the first time in a long time, he was able to find an opponent equal in strength.
The confrontation with Zenos takes place throughout the Stormblood storyline and reaches a personal and almost intimate level at the end of the expansion. In Shadowbringers, Zenos prepares to meet his best friend in order to finally find out in the Endwalker expansion who is the stronger warrior of the two. The phrase “my best enemy, my best friend” more accurately reflects the relationship between Zenos and the protagonist.
Asahi sas Brutus
Ambassador of the Harlean Empire and a representative of the indigenous nation of Doma in the service of the Empire. Initially, he goes to Doma under the pretext of concluding a peace agreement, although in reality he seeks revenge on the Warrior of Light for Zenos’ defeat in Ala Migo. Asahi dies while trying to carry out his plan. Even if Asahi did not receive as much screen time as other villains, you will remember this disgusting face and his actions for a long time. No wonder one of the ascians-antagonists of the new addition chose Asahi’s body as a vessel. Although not everything is as obvious as it seems at first glance.
Fandaniel
The rebellious Ascian, allied with Zenos. Unlike the rest of his brethren, Fandaniel is not interested in restoring the world to its original state and seeks to recreate the Last Days in the world of Source in order to end his immortal existence. He has an extremely eccentric behavior and has yet to play an important role in future events. He is a favorite character in the main scriptwriter of Final Fantasy XIV.
Yotsuyu goe Brutus
Former Imperial Viceroy in the Dom region. The cruel and unprincipled Yotsui held the controlled region with a tight grip and enforced order with fire and sword, eradicating any resistance. Looking like a typical villain at first glance, Yotsui actually turns out to be a deeper character and arouses genuine empathy.
Emet-Selch
Emet is also known as Emperor Solus zos Galvus or Hades. He is also a representative of the ancient Ascian people. In his efforts to reclaim a single whole world, Hades created the naturalistic illusion of Amauroth’s hometown and the event known as “The Last Days.” For a long time he tried to live the life of an ordinary mortal. Literally created the Garlean Empire from a third-rate northern country and had a hand in the creation of the Alagan Empire. He is the grandfather of Varis zos Galvus and the great-grandfather of Zenos Yae Galvus.
According to many players, it is Emet-Selk who is currently the best antagonist of the game. Throughout the history of the add-on, Shadowbringers observes and even helps the Warrior of Light and his team, and prepares them for the last confrontation, along the way checking their guess as to the true nature of our hero. And, apparently, the acquaintance with Hades for the players is still not over.
Elidibus
Another Ascian who serves as an emissary on the Council of Thirteen. Unlike Lahabrea, Elidibus prefers an indirect approach and a path of intrigue. Prior to the expansion, Shadowbringers acts mostly from behind the scenes and prefers to watch, but later reveals itself to the fullest as an interesting and elaborate character.
Valens van Varro
Valens is an antagonist from that cohort of villains whom you start to hate at first sight. As legate of the reformed VII Legion, Valens oversaw the Ultimate Weapons Project program. He sincerely hates Gaia von Balsar and tries in every possible way to surpass the latter. A separate story arc is devoted to their confrontation, concerning the project of hybrid weapons, which is based on a project of an alloy of Magitek technologies and biomodified organisms similar to eikons.
Lolorito Nanatori
Chairman of the Eastern Trade Campaign of Aldenard, and a member of the Ul’dahn Syndicate. In fact, Lolorito is the most powerful man in the city-polis, having seized power at the end of the original game. The transitional part of the story arc between the original Realm Reborn and the Heavensward expansion is devoted to the disclosure of his motives and the confrontation. Making a Lalafel truly creepy is a skill.
Thordan VII
The Archbishop of the Holy See of Ishgard, Tordan VII, seeks the power of the primitives to become the king-god using the eye of Nidhogg. He leads the Heavenly Ward, a group of experienced knights chosen as the personal guard of the archbishop himself. The archbishop is trying to create an aura of holiness and infallibility around himself and Ishgard, skillfully building webs of lies and omissions, simultaneously destroying the opposition. It is a key antagonist of the Heavensward expansion. An excellent example is an illustration of the concept of not all that light is good.
Ardbert
Ardbert is a warrior who leads a group of First World adventurers. In Eorzia he uses the pseudonym “Arbert”. Since Ardbert is essentially a Warrior of Darkness, he is expected to come into confrontation with a group led by the Warrior of Light. He is an adversary in the transitional arc between Heavensward and Stormblood, but his story finally ends only in the Shadowbringers add-on, where he plays an important role in the plot. G
Ilberd Feare
As a refugee from Ala Megan, Ilbert undergoes recruitment as the captain of the elite squad of Crystal Daredevils. He is an old friend of General Rauban Aldinn, commander of the Great Campaign of the Undying Flame. At the decisive moment he betrays his comrades and enters into an alliance with the monetarists, substituting the main character with the team and forcing the latter to seek refuge in Ishgard.
Despite the persistent dislike for this character, one cannot but accept his motivation and, albeit sometimes dubious, philosophy. Ilbert is a patriot of his lost homeland and is ready to make any sacrifices in order to return his relatives to the free land of Ala Migo.
This concludes our pick of the best MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV antagonists. This is a mostly subjective list, so if you have anything to add, share your opinion in the comments. And that’s all for me, we have patience until December and until we meet again in Endwalker.
