The clones of Emet.

[Theodric]

Although I'm instead from the angle of 'desperately hoping they all stay dead, oh god, I can't tolerate another expansion of Emet'.

...and yet there's a pretty sizable portion of players, myself included, who wish to see more of the Ancients and Ascians during the finale of their story.

I think it's important to remember that this is both a Final Fantasy game and an MMO. Both are designed to appeal to broad audience and wide variety of tastes. We've also seen it framed by the writers across various interviews that they do not see things as simple when it comes to reducing characters to 'heroes' and 'villains'. That, in itself, is very much a matter of perspective.

Of course, individuals are free to like or dislike specific characters and factions if they so wish. I just think there's still enough important questions to be answered and insight to be shown in regards to the Emet/Azem/Hythlodaeus dynamic for any of those characters to suddenly be dropped.

We don't yet know in what capacity Emet is even appearing in as of yet. It could be an illusion, a recorded message, an Echo flashback...or it could be him in the flesh. Yet if he does come back, out of all characters I think the one with strong ties to the underworld makes the most sense for a grand return. Even if it's only a temporary one.

[MikkoAkure]

We've also seen it framed by the writers across various interviews that they do not see things as simple when it comes to reducing characters to 'heroes' and 'villains'. That, in itself, is very much a matter of perspective.

They may have said that in the interviews, and the antagonists are indeed more nuanced and sympathetic, but the writers still had Ardbert straight up calling us "hero" in Shadowbringers. A part of the theme with him was also about "what is a hero?". You can't put this down as a language thing either because the title of the expansion was "Jet-black Villains" in Japanese.

I don't think I'd use those terms if you're trying to make a specific point.

If the dictionary says that a villain is "a character in a story or play who opposes the hero" and our character is called a hero in the same story where there's a character who's opposing us, then the opposing character is the villain. He may not be a mustache-twirling villain, but he's a villain regardless.


I don't dislike the character of Emet-Selch, he's my favorite villain in the game and one of my favorites in the series. But the level of admiration and even thirst toward him and antagonists in other media is a little creepy. Especially when people point out that he's a bad guy and others get up in arms and come out to defend him.

Delita Heiral is my all time favorite character in Final Fantasy as a whole, but I am under no delusions that he isn't a bad, bad man. Exactly like Emet-Selch, he's a tragic villain, but still a villain nonetheless and I wouldn't defend him if people point out all of the death he's caused, despite the fact that he had a point and in his own mind, he's right.

[Denishia]

Cue another person who agreed that the VA for Emet and the writing was stellar- but who could not stand his character, hated his viewpoints (which I give them props for, that I actively emotionally responded to him as an antagonist instead of being bored of Zenos and ready to move on from that character even before the first instanced fight), never softened to him, and was so very delighted when he died. My biggest fear coming into Endwalker story-wise, aside from Zenos, was having Emet narrate the world zones, as I knew that would instantly and irrevocably lessen my enjoyment of the entire 6.0 story. One flashback or dungeon or key scene I was prepared for, but not something/someone constant to sour everything. If the Solus clones come back into the story in any function, I hope it's small and brief (the idea of them being fed to power Anima does appeal)