Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker, the fourth expansion in the series, brings the long-awaited conclusion to the game’s main story arc and opens the door for a new one to begin. Knowing that in advance, however, doesn’t prepare fans for the emotional and thought-provoking journey the new expansion takes them on. While Endwalker’s perfect rating among 2021 games means the finale doesn’t disappoint, it leaves players with a lot to think about.
[Warning – spoilers for Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker follow.]
Endwalker has been the biggest and most ambitious expansion in FFXIV history, so it’s no surprise that the story gets overwhelming at times. Fans expecting Zodiark to be the final boss are stunned when, at just level 83, Zodiark is defeated by the Warrior of Light. As it turns out, the fall of these villains triggers the Final Days, an even greater threat.
From there, new information about FFXIV’s world and characters comes pouring in from unexpected places. On the moon, players learn the truth about Sharlayan’s secret. The search for answers about the cause of the Final Days leads them across time and space to Elpis, where they learn about Meteion, Hermes, and the nature of dynamis. After that, they dive into the aetherial sea to speak with Hydaelyn, clinging onto the hope that she’ll reveal a way to save the star instead of simply fleeing it. Finally, players are sent to FFXIV’s Ultima Thule, where they and their companions must overcome the despair of countless fallen civilizations to protect everyone and everything they hold dear.
FFXIV: Endwalker’s Main Villain Explained
Before the expansion, there was a lot of speculation about who the main villain would be, but the most popular theory seemed to be that the role would be filled by Zodiark. However, instead of taking the obvious route, FFXIV took a risk and built the entire saga’s climax around a villain who isn’t even introduced until halfway through FFXIV’s last expansion, Endwalker. This could have easily turned out to be a terrible mistake, but it ends up working in the game’s favor.
Though Meteion’s introduction as a character happens late in the story, she is merely a face and name attached to elements that have been around for much longer. When players learn about the Final Days from Emet-Selch in Shadowbringers, they’re unaware of the seed being planted in their minds. But, when the player sees what happens to Meteion in Elpis, everything clicks into place as they finally figure out the cause of the Final Days, a mystery that has been troubling them for some time.
However, Meteion is a face to more than just the Final Days. Sorrow, anguish, and despair have been present at every turn of FFXIV’s story, and in every corner of the map, and Meteion is essentially the embodiment of these feelings. When FFXIV players look for aether currents in Elpis, they learn that Meteion’s power comes from “dynamis,” an ambient form of energy that’s influenced by emotion and doesn’t mix well with aether. Many fans were surprised that such an important concept could be introduced so late in the overall story, but like Meteion, dynamis is just a new label for an existing element. Time and time again, the Warrior of Light mysteriously transcends their limits to miraculously achieve victory against all odds – as we learn from Endwalker, this phenomenon is all thanks to dynamis.
Emet-Selch, who has become one of the most beloved Final Fantasy villains of all time, has a compelling backstory that makes characters feel for him as they slowly come to understand his motives. It would have been incredibly difficult for any other villain to follow up Emet-Selch’s Shadowbringers act with a unique and equally complex motive. So, FFXIV instead uses Meteion to force players to look inward and try to understand their own motives, which creates a unique dynamic. The game never tries to make Meteion especially complex: It’s clear what her goal is and why she wants to achieve it. In order to defeat her and save the star, the Warrior of Light and their fellow Scions have to overcome their darkest feelings and find meaning in their lives.
Even though Zenos, now one of FFXIV’s Reapers, is technically the last fight in the expansion, the saga of Hydaelyn and Zodiark ends with Meteion’s defeat. The player is the hero in that story arc, but Zenos makes it clear that’s not who he’s battling. He issues his challenge, saying, “Hear me then. Not as a hero, but as simply…you.” The Warrior of Light then decides to fight Zenos and has three dialogue options. Whether the player admits or denies it, though, Zenos concludes that they are fighting him for the thrill they get from it, which is all he wants.
FFXIV: Why Endwalker’s Ending Works So Well
In past expansions FFXIV has used character deaths as powerful plot devices, so many fans were expecting at least one of their fellow Scions to die sometime during the course of Endwalker. Much to their surprise, each member came out the other side alive and more hopeful than ever. Nonetheless, to many fans, the expansion ended up being at least as emotionally impactful as Shadowbringers, if not more.
In Ultima Thule, players have to stand by and watch each of their closest friends sacrifice themselves to help the Warrior of Light reach Meteion. It never quite feels like these sacrifices will be permanent, and Y’shtola all but confirms it when she suggests the player may be able to bring them back later with the crystal of Azem. Yet these moments are still some of FFXIV’s most emotional Endwalker story moments. Players come across a number of characters in Ultima Thule who desire death as a means of escape from their suffering. In stark contrast, the Scions who willingly sacrifice themselves do so not because of despair, but because of the hope and faith they’ve placed in the Warrior of Light. Their strength in the face of adversity, as it has been so many times before, is inspiring.
After FFXIV: Endwalker’s final dungeon and trial, the player approaches Meteion’s defeated form and takes her hand, sharing their thoughts and feelings with her. She immediately tears up as she learns that everyone has their own unique reason for living and a different perspective on what gives life meaning. She realizes that even though life is full of suffering, the moments of happiness make it all worthwhile.
While the scene is plenty capable of prompting tears on its own, a deeper consideration of the context makes it even more significant. NPCs often point out how the Warrior of Light has been through more and carries a heavier burden than anyone else they know. Back in the post-Stormblood patches, when Fordola (a character who has certainly experienced her fair share of pain) has a vision of the Warrior of Light’s past in FFXIV’s timeline, she stares in awe at them. “The things they’ve done to you. The lies, the betrayal, the endless fighting…yet there you stand, unbroken,” she remarks. “How…? Why…?” And this, of course, is before the player has even touched FFXIV’s Shadowbringers story, which is notorious for being emotionally devastating.
Even though the Warrior of Light has suffered through more than the average citizen of Etheirys, Meteion is instantly overcome with joy after experiencing their feelings. She becomes inspired to sing a song of hope instead of oblivion. As she does this, her color changes from gray and black to the various shades of blue she had during her time in Elpis. The fact that Meteion has such a strong, positive reaction to the emotions of a character who has experienced so much pain drives home Endwalker’s point that no matter how much someone suffers, there’s always a reason to go on.
Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker’s ending is bold and full of unexpected elements that strengthen the game’s story and bring the entire Hydaelyn and Zodiark saga to a beautiful conclusion. It prompts a surprising level of introspection, even from a game already renowned for its emotionally moving story. Without a doubt, fans will be using the “Unending Journey” feature to relive the exhilarating finale for years to come.