I really hope than Fandaniel and Zenos are not... (spoilers)

[Jennah]

Remember how everybody hated Emet-Selch in 4.4 and 4.5?
"What a terrible character!" "God, I hope the expansion isn't based around him!"

... granted, Stormblood *was* more or less based around Zenos, and... ew.

[KizuyaKatogami]

Remember how everybody hated Emet-Selch in 4.4 and 4.5?
"What a terrible character!" "God, I hope the expansion isn't based around him!"

... granted, Stormblood *was* more or less based around Zenos, and... ew.

Zenos has had 2 expansions already is the thing though. He still hasn’t gotten better. This is going to be the 3rd expansion he’s in and at this point he’s just a bland piece of cardboard. Since they’ve said they aren’t giving him a sympathetic story, there really isn’t all that much they can do with him. The fact he came at the cost of other characters with much more intrigue(varis) is bad enough.

[Wavaryen]

He was given the best education he could have, along with a mentor for sword training. Sure his father may not have been present(because yknow he was busy with the war) but zenos was a bad seed from the start. Idk how it takes guts for him to go far. He self experimented and killed his mentor.

That is why I respect him. He pretty much wrecks anything that stands in the way of what he wants. That takes guts to go that far. And ya he got the "best" of education and all that, and that is boring to him. Like, he is willing to let the world burn just to not be bored. That is amazing to me.

[Lufir]

Zenos has been the most enjoyable villain in an FF title since 10. 11-15 have all been meh. He's been great and I hope he's around a bit longer.

[Theodric]

Zenos is, much like G'raha Tia, some of the game's worst writing as far as I'm concerned. Both come at the expense of characters with far more depth and nuance. Both have a forced and contrived obsession with the player character and both continue to overstay their welcome in the eyes of many.

Given that Zenos is also one of the few characters deliberately written to have no redeeming qualities whatsoever I also find myself raising an eyebrow whenever people praise or sympathise with him. Especially when that praise involves attributing factors and depth to him that simply isn't there.

[Croweyes]

Trigger warning: Personal Opinion: I think Zenos is pretty alright. I like Zenos as a Villain.

[Wavaryen]

Zenos is, much like G'raha Tia, some of the game's worst writing as far as I'm concerned. Both come at the expense of characters with far more depth and nuance. Both have a forced and contrived obsession with the player character and both continue to overstay their welcome in the eyes of many.

Given that Zenos is also one of the few characters deliberately written to have no redeeming qualities whatsoever I also find myself raising an eyebrow whenever people praise or sympathise with him. Especially when that praise involves attributing factors and depth to him that simply isn't there.

because not everyone needs depth. Not everyone needs a tragic back story and needs a whole history on why they are bad. Some people are just evil, and he is the fun type of evil to go against. When you see his scene. You are not sure what is going to happen. How far will he go in the search for the pleasure to fight with me again? Just like people who go far into what they love even at the risk of personal well being. He is willing to run over anyone and everyone for his fun. I love that about him.


Now if you want to talk boring. Raubahn now that is someone I wish would just get killed off. Let his son take over or something. Such a dull person.

[TeraRamis]

because not everyone needs depth. Not everyone needs a tragic back story and needs a whole history on why they are bad. Some people are just evil, and he is the fun type of evil to go against. When you see his scene. You are not sure what is going to happen. How far will he go in the search for the pleasure to fight with me again? Just like people who go far into what they love even at the risk of personal well being. He is willing to run over anyone and everyone for his fun. I love that about him.


Now if you want to talk boring. Raubahn now that is someone I wish would just get killed off. Let his son take over or something. Such a dull person.

Very few people are 'just evil.' Even serial killers and sociopaths have backstories; reasons why they are they way they are.

Moreover, people who are 'just evil' don't rise to the top - they don't realistically have the focus to get there. When you're stomping on every small furry animal, or setting fire to every orphanage, you tend to get distracted, or arrested, or murdered. Even people who fall into positions - royalty like Zenos - don't typically survive very long when they're complete incompetents fixated on bloodletting. They get stabbed in the back. This is why there are so many prominent examples like Nero and Edward II - real gutless, self-obsessed sacks of crap - who were overthrown; because people around them were tired of cleaning up the messes spawned by their hedonism and avarice.

Now, I get it: Zenos has some garbage excuses like 'he's all powerful!' and 'he has a pet Ascian!' but all that does is erode his believability further. Erozea is a land of kingdoms and empires; where armies tend to triumph over the strength of individuals. I get that Zenos is strong (inexplicably, but whatever) - but is he stronger than... 100 adventurers? Can he fight an entire army Peter Jackon's Sauron-style? I have serious doubts about that. And, as a result, the fact that Zenos has no real followers other than Fandaniel makes him significantly less impressive than other figures within the lore who can marshal tens of thousands of men at arms. Because Zenos, at least thus far, does not appear to be a God. And nihilistic Gods are the only thing we should really fear - not nihilistic playboys who like to take little naps and crack wry smiles as if their edginess and capacity for random violence is somehow cutting edge storytelling.

The story may improve - I'm not saying it cannot improve; I'm not claiming that they don't have an ace up their sleeve to make all this a lot more riveting. But as things stand right this moment, I am completely disengaged when watching these two caricatures.

[Croweyes]

I hope they are because I love them both but Zenos is my #1 favorite character. I hope I won't have to kill him though, that would break my heart.

I look forward to Zenos joining are team.
Yoshi.P " And here is a picture of all the Scions."

[Wavaryen]

snip

I don't think that at all. I think in our history, and heck how people are now. People are very much evil, the world stage the evil things we do has become normalize but can only be consider "evil". Like society itself shapes the normal on what is right and wrong, and I think Zenos is someone who was giving everything, and his family line was all about serving, for the empire blah blah, and all that brain washing he was like. Nope, don't care about you. Don't care about the family, Don't even care about the empire the world or anything else but to find someone worth fighting, Life is boring because the world to him is, he does not care. Zenos is evil, in the best way. Not a victim or anything. He just wants to kill for pleasure, and in this world. Killing beasts is the normal. To him we are nothing but beast, and hunting is what beasts do.

To me Zenos is very human. He speaks of that human nature and does not wear any masks on what he is and what he wants. How far he is willing to run over anyone and everyone to get what he wants. Nothing so far we seen push him to that. I think people don't like him because he hits home to people human nature a little too much. He is brute force and people find it harder to accept someone evil without being a victim. I love that he is not one. He is just selfish.