Why's the WoL Changing to Paladin?

[TheMightyMollusk]

"Good" and "evil" are relative and subjective. But from the point of view of the people who suffer through the Calamities, it's kinda hard to argue that there isn't some evil going on.

[KizuyaKatogami]

It's a badass dude in cool armor is impressive at a glance and does a good job at communicating "fantasy setting!". You'll notice that in Stormblood they used Zenos on more promotional Material than Samurai because Zenos was more visually impressive than a robed man with a Katana at a glance. Then Samurai was more used than Monk because Monk was a red herring and they weren't ready to reveal Samurai as the real poster job yet a samurai is more visually impressive than a martial artist at a glance as well. ARR also had Gaius and Warrior, both armored combatants, Heavensward had Dragoon, and Shadowbringers had Dark Knight.

Other than that though it works on a thematic level. Endwalkers villains are the Telephoroi/Garleans, Zodiark, and the Ascian remnants. The Telephoroi are an evil technological expansionist empire on the attack with a red band black color scheme. Zodiark is an evil god representing darkness, and the Ascians are his evil cult. Paladin is pretty much the antithesis of all of these to varying degrees. Visually it's all heroic colors, Gold, Blue, and Silver/White. Its the stalwart defender instead of the attack. Its magical instead of technological. It's holy instead of dark aligned. Paladin pretty much hits every note that you want it to for the opposite reason that Dark Knight was such a good choice for Shadowbringers.

Have you played Shadowbringers yet? Zodiark isn’t an evil god lol. And yes he represents darkness but darkness isn’t some evil thing. In fact the WoL being a paladin on the moon makes it seem like he’s protecting Zodiark who resides there. Especially with the Source glowing ominously Hydaelyn blue.

[SpeckledBurd]

Have you played Shadowbringers yet? Zodiark isn’t an evil god lol. And yes he represents darkness but darkness isn’t some evil thing. In fact the WoL being a paladin on the moon makes it seem like he’s protecting Zodiark who resides there. Especially with the Source glowing ominously Hydaelyn blue.

Demonic then. In the Amano artwork he's portrayed as a colossal, black horned Demon. Ultimately good and evil are semantics but visually Zodiark is the antithesis of the Holy Paladin, while Hydaelyn and a Paladin have a lot of visually similar thematic elements.

[Bright-Flower]

I don't think we're going to end up 'protecting' Zodiark, IMO both of them are probably going to have to go in 6.0 for one reason or another.

[SpeckledBurd]

Neither Zodiark or the Ascians - barring, Fandaniel who has a separate agenda - are 'evil'. I thought Shadowbringers did a pretty good job at showing that it was all very much a matter of perspective and that they were simply fighting to protect and defend their loved ones in the face of tragedy.

Zodiark might be benign and just do what he's told, but the Ascians as of Shadowbringers pretty definitively still are evil. We learned that their motives might be sympathetic, but their methodology is still to cause wars, the death of countless people, and create untold suffering to cause extinction event after extinction event with the final goal of commiting full on genocide.

They aren't protecting or defending anything. Not anymore at least, they'd long ago resorted to monstrous ends in order to regain something they've lost that they might not even be able to be returned since the 13th is a void.

[myahele]

I don't think we're going to end up 'protecting' Zodiark, IMO both of them are probably going to have to go in 6.0 for one reason or another.

Yeah, I can see this happening. Whatever happens, Hydaelyn and Zodiark will be no more and mankind will truly be free from the influences of the "gods" or immortal beings and master of their own fates. This is a common trope for many jrpgs and even some FF games did it.

[TaleraRistain]

Demonic then. In the Amano artwork he's portrayed as a colossal, black horned Demon. Ultimately good and evil are semantics but visually Zodiark is the antithesis of the Holy Paladin, while Hydaelyn and a Paladin have a lot of visually similar thematic elements.

Yeah but didn't we JUST learn not to make assumptions that beautiful, majestic beings were good?

Plus there were the very interesting findings about dark and light from when everyone is talking to Urianger in Il Mheg during the MSQ.

[Lauront]

Zodiark might be benign and just do what he's told, but the Ascians as of Shadowbringers pretty definitively still are evil. We learned that their motives might be sympathetic, but their methodology is still to cause wars, the death of countless people, and create untold suffering to cause extinction event after extinction event with the final goal of commiting full on genocide.

They aren't protecting or defending anything. Not anymore at least, they'd long ago resorted to monstrous ends in order to regain something they've lost that they might not even be able to be returned since the 13th is a void.

They are - the world as it was prior to the Sundering. They've lived to see their own people reduced to pale imitations of what they used to be thanks to that. Elidibus is acting out of his duty to enact the will of the Convocation and steer the star back on its true path, whereas Hades was willing to take a more pragmatic stance. The Sundering is often completely left out of the equation, much as is the fact that they're god-like beings in their original form. As Theodric says, "evil" in this regard is a matter of perspective, and when faced with annihilating life forms that are to them weakened, decayed forms of their own people in order to gradually restore their souls with each Rejoining (as that is the effect of them in the end), with no other real way of reversing the Sundering, I believe their viewpoint makes sense and is only "evil" from the perspective of the sundered; much as the sundered themselves think little of putting to death beings that are lesser than them. Irrespective of whether you consider them "evil", they are certainly committed to protecting something, and that is the star as it was originally. Whether tempering commits them to their goal, or not.

Much is made of the 13th, but 1) it'd still be 13/14ths even without it, and 2) it may well be that they can reverse the corruption of the dark aether to a state were it can be rejoined with an appropriate counter balance. The view that its aether is gone is down to Sharlayan measurement tools (are they even precise enough to capture the effect of darkness on aether?) and we have suggestions already that it could be a position that can be rectified. So I am unconvinced about that as well.

Oh and on the matter of imagery, I would note that 1) the derplander's shot there resembles the Emissary's moon shots (the Emissary himself taking the form of a Paladin in SoS) and 2) they did stress when showing that art that it shows no good, no evil, no light, no dark. Make of that what you will.

[Duskane]

Demonic then. In the Amano artwork he's portrayed as a colossal, black horned Demon. Ultimately good and evil are semantics but visually Zodiark is the antithesis of the Holy Paladin, while Hydaelyn and a Paladin have a lot of visually similar thematic elements.

he doesn't really look evil here though his face looks shocked or worried possibly even scared .

[Shougun]

They are - the world as it was prior to the Sundering. They've lived to see their own people reduced to pale imitations of what they used to be thanks to that. Elidibus is acting out of his duty to enact the will of the Convocation and steer the star back on its true path, whereas Hades was willing to take a more pragmatic stance. The Sundering is often completely left out of the equation, much as is the fact that they're god-like beings in their original form. As Theodric says, "evil" in this regard is a matter of perspective, and when faced with annihilating life forms that are to them weakened, decayed forms of their own people in order to gradually restore their souls with each Rejoining (as that is the effect of them in the end), with no other real way of reversing the Sundering, I believe their viewpoint makes sense and is only "evil" from the perspective of the sundered; much as the sundered themselves think little of putting to death beings that are lesser than them. Irrespective of whether you consider them "evil", they are certainly committed to protecting something, and that is the star as it was originally. Whether tempering commits them to their goal, or not.

Much is made of the 13th, but 1) it'd still be 13/14ths even without it, and 2) it may well be that they can reverse the corruption of the dark aether to a state were it can be rejoined with an appropriate counter balance. The view that its aether is gone is down to Sharlayan measurement tools (are they even precise enough to capture the effect of darkness on aether?) and we have suggestions already that it could be a position that can be rectified. So I am unconvinced about that as well.

Oh and on the matter of imagery, I would note that 1) the derplander's shot there resembles the Emissary's moon shots (the Emissary himself taking the form of a Paladin in SoS) and 2) they did stress when showing that art that it shows no good, no evil, no light, no dark. Make of that what you will.

Not certain what they'll do with Zodiark but just to add, the image really gives me a strong Yin Yang vibe.

While I'd not be annoyed if we still have to fight Zodiark I would hope at least that he's not labeled as 'evil'.