Final Fantasy XIVās last expansion came out just over a year ago.Ā StormbloodĀ tells a captivating story about imperialism, survival, and the indomitable power of friendship. Square Enix has crafted an intriguing post-game lede to the next expansion that has fans guessing. The stakes are higher than ever, and our excitement has reached a fever pitch. The community has gone wild with plot rumors about new characters, enigmatic villains, and shady hidden players in the next FFXIVĀ expansion. Hereās our summary of Eorzeaās most popular conspiracy theories.
Major spoilers for Final Fantasy XIV: StormbloodĀ below!
Final Fantasy XIV Plot Rumors Round-Up: Gaius is Alive
This oneās been making the rounds for some time. Ever since we supposedly condemned Gaius van Baelsar to an explosive death on defeating the Ultima Weapon, weāve had our doubts.Ā Unless a corpse is found, itās safest to assume that a character is alive. Weāve operated that way for quite a while, and our hope may have paid off.
In the recent Under the Moonlight patch, a mysterious Ascian hunter was introduced to Alphinaud. Aside from being tall, dark, and handsome, this man has a familiar aura. We couldnāt quite place it at first, but us fans are resourceful. The Ascian hunter was actually holding on to a very distinctive mask i.e. Gaiusā mask.
This is important for a few reasons. Firstly, the Ascian hunter had collected quite the variety of trophies from his prey. This is indicative of a person with a deep grudge against said Ascians. As we know from Gaiusā reaction to the Ultima Weaponās true purpose and the Ascian plot, he was betrayed and his dreams of a new empire were crushed. Itās easy to see how he would hold the Ascians responsible for their meddling.
Secondly, the Ascian hunter admits to having a relationship with the Scions. This implies that itās someone weāve encountered before. Furthermore, he has other very distinctive traits. The third eye, his combat style, and the presence of a gunblade all point to a Garlean association.
Fans are all but convinced that Alphinaudās newest ally is Gaius van Baelsar. If this speculation turns out to be true, it cements the fact that weāll be visiting Garlemald in the next expansion. However, what Gaius is thinking by assisting the Scions now is as much a mystery as his new persona. Bloodshed usually follows revenge plots inĀ Final Fantasy XIV soĀ weāre definitely buckling in for conflict.
Final Fantasy XIV Plot Rumors Round-Up: An Ascian Controls Zenosā Body
This one sounds a little bit likeĀ Invasion of the Body Snatchers, but stay with us. Weāve had some questions after Zenos yae Galvusā shock suicide and subsequent resurrection. The new Zenos is a lot less unhinged than he used to be, which is suspicious in itself.
We already know that the Ascians can play magical chairs with peopleās bodies after all the mess with Thancred. The shock that the good olā Emperor experienced at the end of the preliminaryĀ StormbloodĀ quests also suggests that he saw someone that he wasnāt expecting. Once Zenos has recovered, weāre treated to dialogue between him and the Emperor. His lack of subservience is striking.
We also know that Zenos has always had a particular aptitude for bloodlust, but the Garlean hierarchy would have tempered his attitude towards the Emperor. Instead, we get a calm rendition of our favorite thicc boi that dispenses with any conversational niceties. This new Zenos speaks to the Emperor without deference, which is unthinkable unless the latter is also in the loop about this possession. Fans reckon that itās Elidibus whoās wearing this hunkās skin, and Tsukuyomiās summoning only adds fuel to the fire.
Zenosā death had seemed pretty open and shut when it happened. However, we do know that he had an incredible bond with the Echo thanks to his manifestation as Shinryu. Someone with a strong grasp on those skills could easily have shunted themselves, as the Ascians do, into another body at a later date. We can assume that the Ascian possession was pre-planned, so the real Zenos is likely wandering around somewhere in Eorzea, being pissed off about everything.
Final Fantasy XIV Plot Rumors Round-Up: Zenos is Deep Inside an Elezen
This is linked closely to the fan theory that Zenosā body is being puppeted by Elidibus. Weāre operating on the assumption that itās the truth. However, if we accept that Zenos isnāt inside his own body, then where is he? The answer is weirder than you think.
A mysterious Elezen has popped up around Ala Mhigo ever since Zenosā untimely first death. We noticed him lurking around Zenosā empty coffin. We also noticed him fiddling with some Garlean tech in Ala Mhigo proper, which was the Garlean stronghold in the region. More attentive fans have also noticed that he says some rather unsettling things. In fact, he utters some trademark Zenos comments about āthe huntā, which was the princeās favorite pastime in his, well, past life.
On top of that, heās clearly got familiarity with said Garlean tech and has no qualms taking out civilian guards. The real kicker? His katana and his skills, both of which bear an extremely striking resemblance to Zenosā kit. Some fans were positing that the Elezen was, in fact, Estinien gone rogue, but why would he be using a different weapon? We know that Estinien is a proud Dragoon, and he doesnāt sound one iota like our mystery man.
So far, we think that Zenos is wreaking havoc in a new body, that Gaius is alive, and that Elidibus has some scheme in place for the Garlean Empire. With Ala Mhigo shrugging off the chains of imperialism, things are shaky right now and its uneasy peace could well be disrupted by Garleans returning to make a statement. Some climactic event is going to have to bring these wayward bois and the Scions together, so a large-scale military conflict is basically inevitable at this point. The Emperor wonāt suffer another slight like Ala Mhigo, which ensures that the Garleans will do something reprehensibly brutal that the city-states will have to deal with.
Do you have any plot theories that we havenāt covered? Are you convinced that Estinien is the mystery Elezen? Let us know how you feel about these conspiracies in the comments section below!