Death unto Dawn page up

[Bright-Flower]

Tbh idk why people would think Alisaie is gonna die? She’s in the endwalkers trailer with a whole new outfit lmao they aren’t gonna kill her off.

No idea, I haven't seen anyone claim that she's going to die myself but if there are people saying that it'd be weird.

[Theodric]

No idea, I haven't seen anyone claim that she's going to die myself but if there are people saying that it'd be weird.

It wouldn't bother me if it happened, though I also don't see it happening. The only characters who die in this game are included in the following categories:

- Outright villains.
- Sympathetic antagonists.
- Throwaway characters that die as quickly as they are introduced. (For example, Tesleen).
- Throwaway characters that are reintroduced into the story again just to kill them off. (Meffrid, as an example.)
- Secondary characters of minor importance that are temporarily given focus but simply haven't spent as much time with the player character as the more prominent figures have. (Such as Haurchefant)
- Background characters who are semi-important but have largely been delegated to 'background existence'. (Papalymo, Louisoix)
- Formerly important characters that left the story for long stretches of time and/or already 'died' as far as many of us were led to believe. (Ardbert, Minfilia).

The likes of Y'shtola and Alisae do not fit in any of those categories and so it's a safe bet that they'll be fine as they always are. I don't mean to sound overly callous, but at what point do we take a step back and just note that there's consistent trends where it's very easy to guess who is perpetually safe and who is not? Don't get me wrong, I'd be pleasantly surprised if the story moved away from its 'consequences for thee but not for me' style that it adopted after 3.0 but there's been so many fake outs since that point and zero actual deaths of major characters on the level of Alisae, Alphinaud, Merlwyb, Nanamo, Y'shtola and Raubahn that I can't help but be baffled by such concerns.

Granted, I am hoping - perhaps foolishly - that Endwalker will be a pleasant surprise on that front and actually have some major stakes and losses that aren't entirely predictable...but we'll see.

[Turethir]

If anyone is going to die in 5.5 my money would be on Arenvald for the following reasons:

• Minor enough not to cause outcry, but major enough for people to know who he is.
• A close tie with both Alphinaud and Fordola. We know Alphinaud is going to be working up to a big "character moment" as he's going to change class, so this would potentially spur him forward.
• He doesn't appear in the trailer at all, but we do hear him. This is... strange, and a little suspicious.
• They said they had trouble "cutting around the spoilers" for MSQ in this trailer, and his absence feels like they want his appearance to be a surprise.
• We see Alphinaud frustrated in the trailer at not being able to save someone (I don't think this is him, but it's definitely a theme), and he looks sad or apologetic toward an angry Fordola in the scene where she pushes him over. Maybe reaching a bit, but this scene would make perfect sense after his death/something happening to him.

Like I've said before, I personally am not the biggest fan of character death but in this case I could actually see it making sense to progress the plot (Alphinaud's character development, and also development for Fordola, who could possibly join us in Endwalker).

[Kesey]

If anyone is going to die in 5.5 my money would be on Arenvald for the following reasons:

• Minor enough not to cause outcry, but major enough for people to know who he is.
• A close tie with both Alphinaud and Fordola. We know Alphinaud is going to be working up to a big "character moment" as he's going to change class, so this would potentially spur him forward.
• He doesn't appear in the trailer at all, but we do hear him. This is... strange, and a little suspicious.
• They said they had trouble "cutting around the spoilers" for MSQ in this trailer, and his absence feels like they want his appearance to be a surprise.
• We see Alphinaud frustrated in the trailer at not being able to save someone (I don't think this is him, but it's definitely a theme), and he looks sad or apologetic toward an angry Fordola in the scene where she pushes him over. Maybe reaching a bit, but this scene would make perfect sense after his death/something happening to him.

Like I've said before, I personally am not the biggest fan of character death but in this case I could actually see it making sense to progress the plot (Alphinaud's character development, and also development for Fordola, who could possibly join us in Endwalker).

I feel like you have something here. Fordola seems to be the last character to be added to the main cast for Endwalker (as Yoshi-p did hint a character will come into the story in 5.5 that will play a major role in Endwalker in a recent interview).

Arenvald is one of the good ones, but the major thing his character arc wanted was to liberate Ala Mhigo and he's accomplished that. He's fallen from prominence since Stormblood only popping up in the summoner quests to remind you he and Fordola are still there. But if Fordola has a bigger role to play, then sadly Arenvald hits all the major rules of character deaths: being meaningful, moving the plot, and forcing other characters to grow.

[Lauront]

I feel like you have something here. Fordola seems to be the last character to be added to the main cast for Endwalker (as Yoshi-p did hint a character will come into the story in 5.5 that will play a major role in Endwalker in a recent interview).

You're correct that he said that - more specifically:

An important character that will play a crucial role in the Zodiark vs. Hydaelyn story will make its appearance.

Source here.

I took that to mean someone with more direct involvement in that whole saga though (e.g. Venat), and there is also that mystery spectral figure in the trailer.

With that said, I agree with the rest of your post.

[Kesey]

You're correct that he said that - more specifically:



Source here.

I took that to mean someone with more direct involvement in that whole saga though (e.g. Venat), and there is also that mystery spectral figure in the trailer.

With that said, I agree with the rest of your post.

This is a good point. I took it the other way, the context of important plot point character is joining the team in the last patch for the duration of the coming expansion.

Very much in the vein of Lyse for Stormblood, Crystal Exarch for Shadowbringers, and Lady Iceheart/Estinien for Heavensward.

Fordola fits this bill, easily could transition to be adventuring with us and becoming a trust. Venat, although probably central to the plot, won't be "adventuring" with us.

But I think you may be correct.