Is it weird that I like Zenos as a villain?

[SenorPatty]

Zenos started off "meh" for me but was definitely one of my favourites. It does come down to preferences though, which is the nice thing in a game like FF where there's a range of personalities among the characters that appeal to different people. We all get a few npc's we think are brilliant and a few we dislike. I like that.

There's something basic about Zenos that you can almost relate to. He just wants to fight. He's about the Hunt. He wants a strong opponent, a challenge, the weak are just in his way. He's not about "for the Empire" or the "greater good" or some plan to reshape the world and rule it righteously or to save the world for the light.

As the Warrior of Light we supposedly have tons of standard rpg ideals and justice and friends and responsibility we're fighting for. But there's that part of you that wants to fight. That base instinct to seek a really strong opponent for the thrill of the battle.

What I didn't like about Zenos was how he gradually got weaker throughout the storyline for the sake of the story. Our power level didn't really increase drastically from 61-70, yet Zenos goes from completely unbeatable, to us standing our ground for a bit 1 on 1, to wrecking him in a dungeon, then wrecking his Shinryu form. That was a bit anti-climatic. But still a good character.

Yeah that part slightly offed me because although I understand that 61-70 is supposed to represent our "growth", there wasn't really a depicted passage of time to show the WoL undergoing some form of training to match Zeno's power by the time you get to face him in the dgn.

I forgive it ofc because of pretty much everything else that was going on but it's always one of those little things that nudge you in the back of your head.

[BillyKaplan]

Yeah that part slightly offed me because although I understand that 61-70 is supposed to represent our "growth", there wasn't really a depicted passage of time to show the WoL undergoing some form of training to match Zeno's power by the time you get to face him in the dgn.

We fought two different wars and bested two extra Primals. The former, more importantly, is something we as a character have never done before in any constellation. Even fighting off the Empire at the end of ARR wasn't anywhere near what we've done in SB. In-game it's probably been weeks if not months, more than enough time for Hydaelyn's Champion to beef up.
As the WoD were mentioned before, you can also always claim that Hydaelyn's been draining Light from the First and channeling that extra power to you. And for total conspiracy theories, there's always the "The WoL is an Eikon" in that we feed on the faith people put in us much like actual Primals. And we've noticeably expanded our believer-base during this expansion as well as brought together all the past ones when we went to liberate Ala Mhigo, a short while before taking on Shinryu.

[SenorPatty]

We fought two different wars and bested two extra Primals. The former, more importantly, is something we as a character have never done before in any constellation. Even fighting off the Empire at the end of ARR wasn't anywhere near what we've done in SB. In-game it's probably been weeks if not months, more than enough time for Hydaelyn's Champion to beef up.
As the WoD were mentioned before, you can also always claim that Hydaelyn's been draining Light from the First and channeling that extra power to you. And for total conspiracy theories, there's always the "The WoL is an Eikon" in that we feed on the faith people put in us much like actual Primals. And we've noticeably expanded our believer-base during this expansion as well as brought together all the past ones when we went to liberate Ala Mhigo, a short while before taking on Shinryu.

This is a pretty decent and sensible explanation.