Post-Shadowbringers Speculation

[FaerieAura]

I have to agree, uncertainly though, that I don't think this is the last we'll see of Emet.

I don't think it is, either. His glamours still linger in Amaurot, for one. The lyrics for Tomorrow and Tomorrow almost make me think that maybe, just maybe, we might have been able to break Zodiark's hold on him, and help him realize that we are still the friend he remembers, that our reasons for opposing the plan to create Zodiark in the first place are still sound, and that we won't forget the past. But maybe, just maybe, the future that has been created is worth fighting for, too. Maybe the best way to remember the legacy of the Ascians isn't to fight to restore the past, but to move forward to a new future. I don't know. I hope that he has the capability of realizing that, if he still exists in some form. He has so much sorrow, so much pain.

I really, really just wanted to give him a hug after that fight.

[Iscah]

Secondly - and I only watched the cutscene ONCE, because I just can't bring myself to watch it again just yet - the auracite that was attempted to contain him broke into pieces in Hades' body, instead of remaining whole (which would make me think it would be weaker for that, but I don't know and I have no evidence to back that up).

The auracite didn't shatter - Thancred deliberately broke it and (if I'm remembering correctly) targeted multiple masks across Hades' body.

[MrThinker]

The auracite didn't shatter - Thancred deliberately broke it and (if I'm remembering correctly) targeted multiple masks across Hades' body.

Most of those shards then shattered after doing some damage to Hades, while the largest piece embedded in what we assume is Emet's actual mask and ws empowered by the aether of the Scions to weaken him further, turning said shard into a giant spear. Hades then broke the spear.

[Nononu]

I don't think it is, either. His glamours still linger in Amaurot, for one. The lyrics for Tomorrow and Tomorrow almost make me think that maybe, just maybe, we might have been able to break Zodiark's hold on him, and help him realize that we are still the friend he remembers, that our reasons for opposing the plan to create Zodiark in the first place are still sound, and that we won't forget the past. But maybe, just maybe, the future that has been created is worth fighting for, too. Maybe the best way to remember the legacy of the Ascians isn't to fight to restore the past, but to move forward to a new future. I don't know. I hope that he has the capability of realizing that, if he still exists in some form. He has so much sorrow, so much pain.

I really, really just wanted to give him a hug after that fight.

I forgot to mention that about Amaurot, too. I noticed that - I went back to grab a quest there, and was stunned to see it still "standing". Squeenix has shown they don't mind making areas look one way before x happens and they look different - I'd be surprised if they got lazy with Amaurot. They could have easily just made it shattered hulks of towers - they obviously had that resource ready (from the ones you see as part of the Odon's Cups).

I'm wondering if it's not possible that he intentionally set everything up to have the WoL "destroy" him. There's a myriad of reasons I can think of where this might be a good thing, though plenty are far-fetched. My main one however, is this: maybe the way we did it flushed his mind of the tempering of Zodiark, like you mention. The only evidence I have is that, while a lot of what he says right before the Amaurot dungeon is unlocked is horrible and cruel... the expression on his face is *hurt*. I'm no psychologist or anything of the sort, but Squeenix modeled his face to look that way for a reason, and it's not pure anger, or a sneer on his face. It's "this hurts me to say this". Also, we know that the only way to "cure" tempering is through death - but Zodiark's tempering isn't the normal type of tempering, is it? At least, it doesn't seem to me. And either way, Emet - or any other Ascian - isn't just some person. So while a tempered Ascian may "die" (not a permanent death), it may not remove the tempering. But the WoL -used- their surplus of Light against Emet, and... afterwards, didn't Alisae, or was it Y'shtola, talk about about the WoL had a surplus of Light vs Emet's surplus of Dark? I'm going to post this, go rewatch the cutscenes, and then edit with a better argument for this. I've got a thought and I don't know if any of this makes any sense but here we are.

The auracite didn't shatter - Thancred deliberately broke it and (if I'm remembering correctly) targeted multiple masks across Hades' body.

Sorry, as I said, I only watched the cutscene once (and I'm about to go remedy that). Still, my main point is: the auracite didn't remain in his body, we hit him with a "blade of light" only after he had removed the biggest spear, and Emet's physical body (as far as I know) was still -there- in the, uh, people space. It was not contained in any of the auracite. ...I think.

[Kallera]

snip.

Well, the oddest thing about all this is all Emet really had to do to triumph is wait out the clock. he didn't have to tell the WoL about his secret underwater ghost base, invite the WoL into his home, show the WoL his ready-made End of Days Obstacle Course, or when the WoL did all that and still was on borrowed time, try to kill them himself... he could have just left them all to twist in the wind after Innocence died until the Lightwarden cometh.


Instead, Mr. "Lahabrea is such a dumbface" does everything involved that gets himself killed and saves the WoL?

Was it truly all ego driving this?

[Ardox]

snip

It's textually said that the illusions Emet-Selch have created would vanish with time during the last few cutscenes. Basically, he wasn't powering his illusions directlyt

ten characters

[TankHunter678]

-snip-

Do keep in mind that at the phase transition he destroys his physical body because it was holding him back. He literally reduced himself to just a soul and we put an axe through his core.

[Nononu]

Then, what was it we saw in the end, that asked us to remember? Just his soul? I was assuming that he didn't -destroy- his physical body, just... dropped it. Sort of like taking off some clothes.

[Ardox]

Then, what was it we saw in the end, that asked us to remember? Just his soul? I was assuming that he didn't -destroy- his physical body, just... dropped it. Sort of like taking off some clothes.

A McGuffin for story telling. Having asked us to remember them in his huge form would not have the same impact

[Nononu]

It could be, but for the most part, I feel Squeenix tries not to just do that. They are far less "rule of cool" than other games I've played. They -know- there's significance in almost everything they do, and we, the players, are going to scrutinize it.

Either way, I just can't bring myself to think they're done with Emet.