Do the Scions know? (Spoilers)

[YianKutku]

Even Ryne is unclear - I don't think that it was ever stated that the girls "gifted" by Minfillia were Minfillia's soul-shard counterparts. They could have been randomly-selected girls, for all we know.

To be fair, my speculation comes from Emet-Selch's statement that Ryne was a "reincarnation", which would only make sense if she was a reincarnation of someone relevant, ie shared the soul. This soul could be Minfilia's, or it could be the same soul as all the other Oracles Of Light before her that our Minfilia had chosen a century ago.

(This being Emet-Selch, he said she was an "underwhelming reincarnation", but the point stands.)

Hence, my statement about Ryne not being defined by her soul still applies, since we know from Moren's history lessons that the previous Minfilias were all different.

[Iscah]

If not for the fact that we had an interview expressly warning us not to assume that "meeting similar people" does not equal "these people have shared souls", I might have even been agreeing with you.

I remember the statement that we'd be meeting lookalikes, but I don't remember the "express warning" that it meant nothing.

I remember dreading that it meant we'd be seeing doppelgangers all over the place and/or they'd play alt-Haurchefant for drama or something, so I can't have got a strong impression that doubles aren't meant to share souls. (I was relieved when it turned out to be just those few characters that made sense to be doubles as a sort of shorthand for their role.)

[LineageRazor]

I remember the statement that we'd be meeting lookalikes, but I don't remember the "express warning" that it meant nothing.

Perhaps "express warning" was too strong a way to put it. I was unfortunately not able to find the specific interview, but I do pretty clearly remember the article mentioning that similar face/profession does not automatically mean there's a shared soul present.

All they said was that characters being similar does not "necessarily" mean they have the same souls. That doesn't mean similarities aren't evidence towards sharing souls. I'll also note that developer statements haven't exactly always been the most reliable things in the world. "Ending the Garlean Empire Once and For All" in the fanfest prior to Shadowbringers springs to mind here, or Yoshi's statements about FC and private housing totally being different, and more besides. Basically it was just to give them some flexibility and not have to directly address the issue.

I have never claimed that these people CANNOT have shared souls, simply that we cannot take their similarities as decisive evidence that they do. This whole sub-conversation began because you put forth Mowen, Grenoldt, and Taynor as evidence for the soul shaping the person, listed them as people "we know to be shards of each other", and I wanted to point out that no, we don't know that they are, and in fact, that there is only one shared soul out there that is confirmed. That's it.

They might be shared souls. They might not be. It may never be revealed for certain one way or another (and probably won't). As you say, the element of doubt was put forth in the interview in order to retain flexibility for the future; they don't want to commit to anything they might regret later. But the bottom line, is that you can't base an argument on the assumption that they are, when we simply do not know.

Of course, the one confirmed example we DO have is a pretty strong argument FOR your theory.

[Veloran]

I have never claimed that these people CANNOT have shared souls, simply that we cannot take their similarities as decisive evidence that they do.

Occam's Razor would suggest that when we look at two people from different shards which share many (In some cases practically all) notable traits, we should assume this is a result of them sharing a soul. Narratively, in the case of Taynor and Unukalhai, it wouldn't make any sense to make them similar in physicality and aptitude, draw attention to a strange sense of familiarity between them, and highlight the dilemma of Unukalhai going bodiless on the First only to have it turn out they're not connected.

And as you say, the primary example we have of a sharded soul, WoL's, is probably already more than enough evidence to show that one's soul is important in defining who they are.

[Eloah]

Occam's Razor would suggest that when we look at two people from different shards which share many (In some cases practically all) notable traits, we should assume this is a result of them sharing a soul. Narratively, in the case of Taynor and Unukalhai, it wouldn't make any sense to make them similar in physicality and aptitude, draw attention to a strange sense of familiarity between them, and highlight the dilemma of Unukalhai going bodiless on the First only to have it turn out they're not connected.

And as you say, the primary example we have of a sharded soul, WoL's, is probably already more than enough evidence to show that one's soul is important in defining who they are.

I thought the hints in the new role/void quests hinted more towards Unukalhai being a fragment of the soul shared with Nyelbert. I know for the longest time we presumed he was a part of our soul, but Taynor seemed to suggest he felt familiar like an old friend. Plus even taking his "shortcut" Unukalhai was told he picked up the void technique surprisingly quickly.

[Veloran]

I thought the hints in the new role/void quests hinted more towards Unukalhai being a fragment of the soul shared with Nyelbert. I know for the longest time we presumed he was a part of our soul, but Taynor seemed to suggest he felt familiar like an old friend. Plus even taking his "shortcut" Unukalhai was told he picked up the void technique surprisingly quickly.

Unukalhai specifically notes his and Taynor's physical similarities and that they have equivalent and compatible aether. Taynor describes him as "feeling like an old friend", but then you would feel that way about your own soul, wouldn't you?

[Kesey]

Unukalhai specifically notes his and Taynor's physical similarities and that they have equivalent and compatible aether. Taynor describes him as "feeling like an old friend", but then you would feel that way about your own soul, wouldn't you?

Unless the perosn actually is "an old friend" in a different body. I read the story as Unukalhai is a fragment of Nyelbert. And their physical similarities and age were more of Taynor and Unukalhai/Nyelbert finally catching up on even ground after all the time, and distance, and worlds that have seperated them.

[Veloran]

Unless the perosn actually is "an old friend" in a different body. I read the story as Unukalhai is a fragment of Nyelbert. And their physical similarities and age were more of Taynor and Unukalhai/Nyelbert finally catching up on even ground after all the time, and distance, and worlds that have seperated them.

That doesn't really explain the instant attunement of their aether or why they broached the problem of Unukalhai being bodiless. It seems to me to be a clear setup for them to be rejoined in the future.

[Eloah]

That doesn't really explain the instant attunement of their aether or why they broached the problem of Unukalhai being bodiless. It seems to me to be a clear setup for them to be rejoined in the future.

The instant attunement would be because of the shortcut Unukalhai took, which was stated that he still picked it up fast even with the shortcut. Also, him being "bodiless" wouldn't be as much of a hindrance as one would think, given the information we've gained from Shadowbringers, and about how Unukalhai and Cyella escaped the Thirteenth.

Also the physical similarities was most likely mentioned because the two individuals performing the technique need to be of equal standing to perform it correctly. Sorta like how people are divided for sports based on their physicality.

[DPZ2]

While I'm all for assessing the possibilities that people who share the same physical appearance might be shards of the same soul, the immediate disproof that this is the case is your Warrior of Light and Ardbert.

There is no correlation between the known cases of 'soul shards' and physiognomy, nor are the life experiences of people we see on the First in any way comparable to those of people with similar physiognomy on the Source.