What's the point with that quite lackluster story in Endwalker?

[CrownySuccubus]

It doesnt matter if its the final disc. Noctis still dies in the final disc portion. So does Serah in 13-2. So does Gabranth in 12 etc. It's no excuse.

FFXV is also infamous for its finale being extremely rushed and being largely incomplete without the DLC/novels to tie things together, with said tie-ins even making a case that Noctis's sacrifice was mostly wasteful.

FFXIII-2 is the second part of a story which not only kills NO ONE in it's ultimate finale a game later, literally brings every main character that did die back from the dead to punch God with the power of friendship.

Gabranth is a "Support character". His death has similar plot significance to that of Zenos, and he's even an "antagonist" that helps the protagonists in the final hour, much like Zenos.

Honestly, you would have made a better point arguing for Shadow at the end of FFVI or Vivi at the end of FFIX. But even then, we're talking about specific exceptions to the FF formula. I'm sure that you really enjoy those games where the heroes have to sacrifice themselves in the end or die, but not EVERY game needs to end that way. I don't care if a story is an unambiguous happy ending or not. Chrono Trigger and FFX are two of my favorite games ever, with two radically different types of endings, but I don't think either is worse for it.