Let's make a bet: Does Gaius van Baelsar survive the game's first main scenario?

[Mairuzu]

*Spoils*

I don't think he would come back after being defeated. Our main concern are all the Ascians and their God as well as Bahamut.

[Vydos]

I'm sure he'll be back. I honestly think that S-E would have preferred to keep Gaius for much later as boss fight. But simply opted for this due to us fighting against Nael Van Darnus in 1.0. An attempt perhaps on S-E to put the focus back on Gaius.

That said. I'm more interested in Nero. He seems like the type of character who starts as a sidekick to suddenly become this dangerous final boss fight like Kefka(FF6).

[Orophin]

Just finished the story tonight. I think I'm a little disappointed if Gaius is done already, but I guess it had to happen eventually. There's obviously something bigger brewing.

[Enkidoh]

I sure hope not - I'm eager for a rematch with him after what he did to my Path Companion in Futures' Perfect in 1.0, and this time I hope he doesn't hide behind an airship cannon for protection. The guy really had no sense of fair play in that.

[cotti]

I'm much more interested in Nero's whereabouts. It seems like he's the only possible survivor out of them.

Even though Gaius' armor went SSJ, he took 3 beatings (OK, 2 of them inside UW) and a "final explosion" while weakened, laying on the ground. Unless Nero somehow got himself up and running enough to do the turn-off-the-lights extravaganza to save him at the very last second, I think he's dead.

[LarienTiwele]

***SPOILERS / SPECULATION**



I honestly do not believe him gone quite yet from the story. If you all forget, the final cutscene after the credits when you best Ultima has Lahabrea returning (and fully re-masked) to a meeting with other ascians. Also recall that the ascians use another's body by posessing it with a crystal... So, after you defeat Thancred posessed by Lahabrea, who has the closest body to posess? The dying Gaius. Now, we do not know what abilities the Ascians have, but they could perhaps restore health to the dying, at which point it could easily have all been a part of the Ascian plot - as if Lahabrea did posess Gaius' body, they now have someone who could potentially claim a seat of power in the civil unrest surrounding Garlemond.

[Vydos]

I've learned one thing from playing rpg games, watching movies, reading stories and especially FF titles.

You can only be 100% certain that someone died if you see their body clearly die in some way. (and even then lol)
But most of the time, how vaguer the death, how bigger the chances are that the person is still alive.

Like Nael van Darnus. He clearly died and faded in front of our eyes. Same with Lyvia and that one Roegadyn dude
Gaius on the other hand only received a small beating once and then got ejected out of UW. To only drop unconscious and then to see stumble out.

Honestly, if you look at the current storyline we completed. You'll notice that it is S-E attempt at displaying the two big villain groups as a form of introduction. While leaving both of the current main villains alive for now.

I'm basically 100% certain that Gaius is alive. No doubt in my mind about that. Not to mention that his supposed death was less glorifying than his subordinates.

[Riposte]

Well, since people are using this as a general Gaius discussion, I'll say I really hope we get a hard mode Gaius fight that parallels Nael Deus Darnus (Hard Mode). Perhaps even going as far as giving us an "alternate" ending, where Gaius takes on Lahabrea to gain his version of a god-state. "Gaius Nefandus Baelsar"?

[Shuon]

i liked how se made vaius an anti hero archetype in 1.0 and a little disappointed that he wasnt given greater depth in 2.0. but then again, i believe he will return as an npc in future expansion, albeit without his helmet, probably a litlle scarred, assisting you against the villains somehow, before revealing who he truly is.

[faris]

I think he's dead; but he'll come back in a different form, maybe even a form against his will.

In 1.0, Baelsar was a badass. The biggest badass in the game, and seriously? Darnus was nothing compared to him, not in the end. Baelsar has foresight and his main strength as an antagonist, and what made him so frightening was the fact he was of extremely sound mind. No mistakes, no miscalculations. Everything's in hand with Baelsar - and those which underestimate him (Such as Cid with his "empire's dog, skulking in the shadow of a white raven" tirade or even Darnus' whole "you can't stop this" stuff) tend to (literally) get shot down just as soon as they think they've got one over on him.

But that was 1.0.

Regarding 2.0, I was a little annoyed he actually went with the Ascians in the end (I mean, really?) but I do believe he was a very sympathetic character. Not in the Oh-My-Life-Is-So-Hard-You-Have-To-Feel-Sorry-For-Me sense, of course not. That's not Baelsar. Just that he was... well, he was doing the right thing. He was an admirable sort, the kind which didn't give a damn for race or upbringing, and judged people solely on their worth. There's a reason why his underlings respected him so. Even Nero sought praise from him, but Nero was a little unstable. More importantly, Baelsar sought to unify Eorzea with the rest of the world under the Empire (even though the Empire's methods aren't exactly sparkly, which country in the real world hasn't established their borders in the same way?), and above all else, would rid Eorzea of the Primals once and for all. He offered Eorzea protection, not servitude. The Primals, even though all of them, in a sense seek to protect their peoples, cause harm to the entire world. And any 1.0 player can attest to the fact the Twelve... well, they're exactly like the Primals in the draining Aether and shanking the world sense.

Amazing storytelling often involves genuinely, if unethically, good characters having their values twisted. I'm hoping that's the case with him.