Spoilers but let's talk about someone that re-appears

I'll just use the name he gives later in the MSQ when you come back across them.

Shadowhunter I think is an Ascian. I thought about this a lot, but part of what makes me think this is the lengths we had to go to "kill" an ascian to begin with are extreme and when you meet them they have like 7 masks of ascians of varying power levels. And he's extremely powerful to the point of not needing to heal them a single time while they basically solo the little battle you meet them (again) in compared to meeting them at the supposed height of their power previously in the game. (I'm purposefully not mentioning where so as to avoid any spoiler).

I'm not sure exactly if anyone has come to this conclusion themselves or not, but I also considered the nearly nonsensical idea that he would survive the demise he was originally given without the forces protecting them that we had. He's either an Ascian or the people with him are themselves Ascians who have some game of their own to spin.

That's my weird conclusion and probably way off the mark of what's actually there, but I'm pretty firm in this assumption.

If you do the Werlyt sidequest, they explained how he survived his first near death

Sadly i did not. It would be nice to see it tho.

The explanation is about on par with the Resistance Leader's on how his helicopter pilots survive being shot down in Metal Wolf Chaos: "I somehow managed to escape!"

That his right-hand Duskwight is actually holding Gaius' leash and helped him get back on his feet is clarified, but just how he managed to survive all the punishment he took in the Praetorium and then it blowing up with him smack dab in the middle isn't clarified. He just did. (Pretty sure no Ascian shenanigans this time though.)

We either have the whole story, and they're gonna leave it disappointingly unbelievable, or we've been lied to, and there is a game afoot! Personally I hope there's a game afoot, but I don't think any of them are Ascian, mainly because when he fights alongside Estinien against Zenos, Zenos makes no remark about it.

Up until the Terncliff reveals, I had been under the impression that SHadowhunter had soaked up some power from experiencing Ultima, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

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Originally Posted by Vyrerus

We either have the whole story, and they're gonna leave it disappointingly unbelievable, or we've been lied to, and there is a game afoot! Personally I hope there's a game afoot

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This is what I was thinking.

It's really just a classic case of "Never found the body, wasn't actually dead".

And his survival is a lot less inexplicable than some people who seemingly died and then showed up again, like Yotsuyu. At least Gaius had full armor on, and nobody was actively looking for bodies.

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Originally Posted by Vyrerus

We either have the whole story, and they're gonna leave it disappointingly unbelievable, or we've been lied to, and there is a game afoot! Personally I hope there's a game afoot, but I don't think any of them are Ascian, mainly because when he fights alongside Estinien against Zenos, Zenos makes no remark about it.

Up until the Terncliff reveals, I had been under the impression that SHadowhunter had soaked up some power from experiencing Ultima, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

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Idk, I feel that you're wanting to much from this story.

I believe the point of this storyline is to humanize the murderous dictator from ARR. Most likely he will be the "new" leader of Empire in some future storyline. He is very much the lesser of the other evils that the empire has produced, and needs vindication before he ascends the throne.

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Originally Posted by TheMightyMollusk

It's really just a classic case of "Never found the body, wasn't actually dead".

And his survival is a lot less inexplicable than some people who seemingly died and then showed up again, like Gosetsu. At least Gaius had full armor on, and nobody was actively looking for bodies.

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Ftfy :P I mean, the guy got shot what, 3, 4 times? At point blank range. Whereas Yotsuyu merely got cut, not even across her very exposed throat, explained by some sorta magitek weave in her dress. And all of his bullet wounds, which caused internal bleeding that came out of his mouth, just magically healed up!

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Originally Posted by Kesey

Idk, I feel that you're wanting to much from this story.

I believe the point of this storyline is to humanize the murderous dictator from ARR. Most likely he will be the "new" leader of Empire in some future storyline. He is very much the lesser of the other evils that the empire has produced, and needs vindication before he ascends the throne.

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I don't agree. With wanting too much, that is. What we were given/told is not satisfying in the slightest. Unusual for FFXIV for me. They can give us more and they should.

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Originally Posted by Vyrerus

I don't agree. With wanting too much, that is. What we were given/told is not satisfying in the slightest. Unusual for FFXIV for me. They can give us more and they should.

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Not trying to mince words here, but your previous post was hoping that Gaius was a secret Ascian. Again there is no evidence of this and would contradict ARR plot.

I'm not sure I can help make the plot more satisfying for you, but as I said above, this quest series is to humanize an otherwise murderous old foe so he can be lesser of all evils in a future non-"evil" empire.

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Originally Posted by Kesey

Not trying to mince words here, but your previous post was hoping that Gaius was a secret Ascian. Again there is no evidence of this and would contradict ARR plot.

I'm not sure I can help make the plot more satisfying for you, but as I said above, this quest series is to humanize an otherwise murderous old foe so he can be lesser of all evils in a future non-"evil" empire.

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Uhh, no it wasn't. That is the OP's idea. I'm just hoping there's more to him and his Duskwight associate than we've been told. And more to his survival at the Praetorium too.

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Originally Posted by Vyrerus

Ftfy :P I mean, the guy got shot what, 3, 4 times? At point blank range. Whereas Yotsuyu merely got cut, not even across her very exposed throat, explained by some sorta magitek weave in her dress. And all of his bullet wounds, which caused internal bleeding that came out of his mouth, just magically healed up!

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Gosetsu's also a hulking burly warrior, with countless battles under his belt, including making it through Bardaam's Mettle solo and fighting through the Nadaam just days before. It makes slightly more sense that he could survive. And he doesn't get out unscathed, considering he can barely hold his sword afterwards. Yotsuyu's a small woman who's never seen to actually fight herself, aside from shooting people who aren't fighting back (and as Tsukuyomi, but that's outside the issue).

But yeah, this is splitting hairs, and either of them not only surviving but getting swept away despite the Kojin looking for them is down to narrative convenience.

It isn't that I want some one to be an Ascian, but there definitely is in my opinion something off about the explanation given. And just seems we are at WOW levels with someone being defeated and they just come back to life. Even the "good guys" got a few instances of that too many for my tastes. But weird Ascian theories aside something does seem bizarre about it to me and could be me just wanting something a little more "deep" . Unpopular opinion tho, I honestly did not enjoy ShB. My favorite character from it was an amaro. Any how thanks for all the input.

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Originally Posted by TheMightyMollusk

Gosetsu's also a hulking burly warrior, with countless battles under his belt, including making it through Bardaam's Mettle solo and fighting through the Nadaam just days before. It makes slightly more sense that he could survive. And he doesn't get out unscathed, considering he can barely hold his sword afterwards. Yotsuyu's a small woman who's never seen to actually fight herself, aside from shooting people who aren't fighting back (and as Tsukuyomi, but that's outside the issue).

But yeah, this is splitting hairs, and either of them not only surviving but getting swept away despite the Kojin looking for them is down to narrative convenience.

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Idk, Gosetsu's survival takes away from "For those we have lost. For those we can yet save," theme. It would have been much more impactful if Yotsuyu survives because of Gosetsu, only to die of a mortal wound after. We could have echoed the experience and Yotsuyu could have finished her arc within the rest of the story. Then the kojin could have found them, but only have Gosetsu's body and Yotsuyu show for it.

Anyway, maybe they have a plan for Gosetsu in another place, but those plans have yet to manifest.

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Originally Posted by Sauteed

It isn't that I want some one to be an Ascian, but there definitely is in my opinion something off about the explanation given. And just seems we are at WOW levels with someone being defeated and they just come back to life. Even the "good guys" got a few instances of that too many for my tastes. But weird Ascian theories aside something does seem bizarre about it to me and could be me just wanting something a little more "deep" . Unpopular opinion tho, I honestly did not enjoy ShB. My favorite character from it was an amaro. Any how thanks for all the input.

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I think it was implied that Zenos is an ascian in all but name, as he has solved moving a soul from body to body. Not sure if that's supposed to be the hint on how to kill him. I don't think anyone else has reached this level of power though. Regarding Gaius, I think he is just supposed to be a tough guy that doesn't die easy.

Everyone thought "Nael" was dead at some point as well until we saw the back of them during a CS in the coil storyline. Don't forget who Zenos is related to and that he seems to have had the fake echo procedure done to him twice. Unless they chose to go a step further with him since he has two glowy fake echo eyes compared to Firdola's one.

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Originally Posted by TheMightyMollusk

Gosetsu's also a hulking burly warrior, with countless battles under his belt, including making it through Bardaam's Mettle solo and fighting through the Nadaam just days before. It makes slightly more sense that he could survive. And he doesn't get out unscathed, considering he can barely hold his sword afterwards. Yotsuyu's a small woman who's never seen to actually fight herself, aside from shooting people who aren't fighting back (and as Tsukuyomi, but that's outside the issue).

But yeah, this is splitting hairs, and either of them not only surviving but getting swept away despite the Kojin looking for them is down to narrative convenience.

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You ever seen what the bacteria from brackish water does to a gunshot wound? I could buy Gosetsu surviving multiple gunshots, but surviving multiple gangrenous gunshots? And remember, he was strong enough in the immediacy of washing up on that island to raise his scabbard/sword to fish, and then strong enough after that to build a shoddy raft of driftwood and paddle them both to Kugane.

He really should have died, but oh well, I wasn't the scriptwriter.