*SPOILERS* Terrified for the remaining Scions!

[Lauront]

We could lose any of the scions and I wouldn't bat an eye. Y'shtola, Graha or Alphinaud meeting their maker would actually be cause for celebration for me.

But some of the villains we lost actually made me ugly cry

I don't mind Alisaie and Y'shtola that much in SHB, because they at least understood Emet-Selch's points, but I can't say I would bat an eye lid either if any of the Scions were to go. I find Thancred to be the only one I find likeable on any level, but even then. I also echo the second point - didn't quite cry but the storylines and personalities of some of the antagonists resonated with/intrigued me far more.

[MicahZerrshia]

I don't mind Alisaie and Y'shtola that much in SHB, because they at least understood Emet-Selch's points, but I can't say I would bat an eye lid either if any of the Scions were to go. I find Thancred to be the only one I find likeable on any level, but even then. I also echo the second point - didn't quite cry but the storylines and personalities of some of the antagonists resonated with/intrigued me far more.

I'm weird, I like Urianger. Thancred is maybe #2 on my list. idk how many times I have wanted to slap Y'shtola tho, kick Alphinaud and give Graha a nice new set of concrete shoes.

Emet and Yotsuyu hurt tho, as did a couple others, just not the same extent.

[Iscah]

I don't agree that characters "need to die".

Characters you are attached to may need to come under threat of death to raise the stakes and tension and hook you into the story as it unfolds. At the peak of the story you may be uncertain how anyone could get out of the situation they're in. But they don't have to die in the end to justify the mortal peril in the middle.

To some extent there's an issue in a cyclical story like this that we've been at the mortal peril stage before and "we know" everyone will come through it okay in the end. But at the same time:

1. We can never be sure if this is the time they subvert it

2. Take off your trope-savvy goggles and just go with it. You enjoy the story more if you accept it as it unfolds instead of sitting back and going "yeah, I knew they'd write it like that".

[KizuyaKatogami]

FF14 actually has been having antagonists win. The Ascians succeeded with the 7th Calamity, and in the bad future they won with the 8th Calamity. They've been behind the Garlean Empire who won multiple victories until we started turning things around. Hell, Gabranth has succeeded with his plans in the Bozja storyline.

“bad” future which was rendered meaningless because of time travel. I’m talking about as we’ve played the game. They’ve hardly ever won and especially not nearly as many times as the protags. Again, i want to know why ShB, the expansion where we face our strongest foes yet under the most dire of events yet…is the one expansion where we have no losses and no consequences. Gabranth literally died. Off screen.

I don't agree that characters "need to die".

Characters you are attached to may need to come under threat of death to raise the stakes and tension and hook you into the story as it unfolds. At the peak of the story you may be uncertain how anyone could get out of the situation they're in. But they don't have to die in the end to justify the mortal peril in the middle.

To some extent there's an issue in a cyclical story like this that we've been at the mortal peril stage before and "we know" everyone will come through it okay in the end. But at the same time:

1. We can never be sure if this is the time they subvert it

2. Take off your trope-savvy goggles and just go with it. You enjoy the story more if you accept it as it unfolds instead of sitting back and going "yeah, I knew they'd write it like that".

Here's the thing, i cant enjoy the story when they keep erasing past lore points and story elements in favor of creating plor armor and plot holes for the sake of keeping the characters alive,because for someone like me who is heavily invested in the story and lore, its a spit in the face to have them just erase those story elements and lore points that ive been so interested in, all because people cant separate fiction from reality.

[Lauront]

I'm weird, I like Urianger. Thancred is maybe #2 on my list. idk how many times I have wanted to slap Y'shtola tho, kick Alphinaud and give Graha a nice new set of concrete shoes.

Emet and Yotsuyu hurt tho, as did a couple others, just not the same extent.

Ah, Urianger. Yes, he's not too bad, either. He at least is fairly centered on the more serious aspects of the plot. I also forgot that Estinien is now a Scion, and he's again someone I find tolerable/more likeable, mainly due to his grittier demeanour. As always, though, I'm keen for them to not allow emotional connections to get in the way of deaths when they fit the story.

[Infindox]

But some of the villains we lost actually made me ugly cry

I never "ugly cried" for any of the villain deaths, but I did feel bad for a lot of them.
Which is a different topic about the writing from "deaths of major 'good' NPCs" so I wont go into that.

[Mimilu]

That happens about every other expansion tbh.

Thinking about it, it HAS happened every expansion (to Y'shtola).
ARR: She uses an ancient spell to teleport into the life stream and can't get herself out
HW: We get her back and she's now blind. She uses a technic that uses her own aether to see her surroundings, which Matoya says is extremely dangerous and could kill her.
SB: Tries to fight Zenos when he attacks Rhalgr's Reach. Get's fatally wounded and is out most for most of 4.0.
ShB: Uses the same ancient teleport spell when fighting Ran'jit. Emet-Selch had to pull her out.

[MicahZerrshia]

I never "ugly cried" for any of the villain deaths, but I did feel bad for a lot of them.
Which is a different topic about the writing from "deaths of major 'good' NPCs" so I wont go into that.

“The rains have ceased, and we have been graced with another beautiful day. But you are not here to see it.”

- cue an ugly cry

edit: just typing this out made me all teary...

[Lanadra]

I hope they do all somehow die. This game hasn’t had stakes in awhile and it’s sad that in the expansion where we go against our strongest foes yet, literal demi-gods, we all somehow come out literally unscathed. It’s about time the protags got consequences. I’m hoping it’s all of the scions gone and then we can either go on our own in 6.1+ or we get a new group.

Nah man, I think if you want real consequences, Endwalker ending results in character deletion, to make sure you die with the Scions, then you get to start over. I'm sure you'll love it since you're that big on consequences. No reason you should be the only exception when every other scion gets blasted.

Or you know, we can not kill literally everyone.

[KizuyaKatogami]

Nah man, I think if you want real consequences, Endwalker ending results in character deletion, to make sure you die with the Scions, then you get to start over. I'm sure you'll love it since you're that big on consequences. No reason you should be the only exception when every other scion gets blasted.

Or you know, we can not kill literally everyone.

I mean…i would be okay with that. As long as it means they’re gone too and we finally see some consequences. I’ll most likely do it anyways if the story continues with the same monotonous slice of life anime style it’s been doing. Idk what your whole “we can not kill literally everyone” comment is even about. So it’s fine for the antagonists to constantly be killed off due to immense plot armor and plot holes but it’s wrong for some of the protagonists to be killed off because their plot armor finally wore off?