On Azem's role in the story

[Denishia]

I agree that WoL as Azem-shard was not necessary but an easy story beat to use. I'm another person who only loved Azem crystal's ally-summoning power as the in-universe party finder lore justification. I also at no point EVER found Emet likeable -or Amaurot society remotely appealing; I'd only play a character in that society if I was explicitly burning it to the ground. So that first point about the player possibly disagreeing with what Azem's choice would be during the Final Days if the writers don't do the smart thing of leaving it open-ended ... by stating that one of the WoL's past lives was best friends with the last character in the game that I want my WoL to be around there's a massive disconnect between Azem and the WoL that any additional info would only strengthen. I don't have an 'Azem' headcanon because the interest in acknowledging that part of my character is nil. Interest in other Shard WoLs like Ardbert who have the same Azem piece? Yes! But I fundamentally no different than interest in characters like Ysayle, Krile, Arenvald, Tenzin, and others who also possessed the Echo and/or Blessing of Light.

But it's that Chosen One Protagonist Centered Power Fantasy- and in regards to Emet and the WoL tied to the Azem he knew (game not leaving it open-ended enough for my tastes but thankfully just enough to allow the WoL to reject that emotional past Azem baggage) it can enter into the variant of that Chosen One Power Fantasy involving villains that I find particularly distasteful - where the villain dehumanizes everyone but makes a single exception in their treatment of others for the protagonist not because of the protagonist's values but because said protag will be that one special exception to affirm the villain's standards, thereby quasi-legitimizing the villain's treatment of others even if the protag is nominally defeating them. This is Zenos and his combat obsession with the WoL. And Emet's 'I don't think of you as living beings' except the WoL has an inherited shard of my old friend I think that will somehow overpower all their new life experiences and growth (disproved by ShB plot plus Gaia, and how Fandaniel is decidedly more Amon than Hermes). One is physical, the other emotional. It isn't something that can be readily divorced from a Chosen Hero narrative, though that's why the Power of Friendship, most exemplified in the MSQ by the Scions and the very nature of this being an MMO where combat (and some non-combat, like ocean fishing) content is not exclusively solo play, works to counteract that 'I'm the only special deserving character'.

I'm still annoyed that the WoL can use Azem's Crystal by descension from Azem instead of a more meaningful 'the WoL's choices to explore and help out everyone that they meet resonates with the spirit inside the Crystal who actively chooses to help based on the WoL's choices.' More agency, or at least illusion of. But then Venat gives something close.

[Cleretic]

I'm sorry, but there's no real way to replace the line, "It's right here. A bit thin in the aether, but there's no mistaking it -- the color of its soul is almost identical to Azem's."

"Look, right there. That little sliver of aether--it's clearly alive, but in this state it's not going to do much. Why don't we give it a hand?"

That wasn't hard. Again, it's hard to tell if Hythlodaeus would treat a rando like that because we've only ever met him while we're solo... but because we've only met him solo, then it would've been no issue at all to write Hythlodaeus as someone who'd do that regardless.

A: What Venat’s successor to the seat of Azem was doing during the Final Days is a secret, one that may or may not be revealed in the future. However, we do have some idea of what they were up to. Whatever you imagine you would’ve done if you were Azem is probably the closest we can get to the truth. (laughs)

This was done during the live letter that laid out the vision for the next 10 years of the game. Assuming this means 4-5 more expansions worth of story, this pretty much tells us that what Azem was doing is a major plot point, what they are doing is more important than Hydaelyn/Zodiark, and you'll find out much later when we get that far in the plot.

See, I've always read this instead as a way to write Azem out of the Zodiark-Hydaelyn conflict, without making the fact that they're not involved a plot hook. 'They'd be doing what you'd be doing' (they gave examples, and they were all stuff like 'crafting' or 'building a house', nothing suggesting importance) seems like a pretty easy way to write out the player insert without making their absence too alarming.

I agree that WoL as Azem-shard was not necessary but an easy story beat to use. I'm another person who only loved Azem crystal's ally-summoning power as the in-universe party finder lore justification. I also at no point EVER found Emet likeable -or Amaurot society remotely appealing; I'd only play a character in that society if I was explicitly burning it to the ground. So that first point about the player possibly disagreeing with what Azem's choice would be during the Final Days if the writers don't do the smart thing of leaving it open-ended ... by stating that one of the WoL's past lives was best friends with the last character in the game that I want my WoL to be around there's a massive disconnect between Azem and the WoL that any additional info would only strengthen. I don't have an 'Azem' headcanon because the interest in acknowledging that part of my character is nil. Interest in other Shard WoLs like Ardbert who have the same Azem piece? Yes! But I fundamentally no different than interest in characters like Ysayle, Krile, Arenvald, Tenzin, and others who also possessed the Echo and/or Blessing of Light.

And this brings up another thing that I thought they might've been doing, but rejected because I respect the writers too much to think that it was their angle.

It's possible that Azem was written to ingratiate us towards Emet and/or Amaurot, by declaring that they're our old friend/old home. That's not an invalid idea on its face even if it's one better done with foreshadowing or buildup, but the problem is that part only really comes out in 5.3, a good chunk after both Emet and Amaurot made their entrance (and Emet made his exit-with-prejudice). I think it comes up far too late to actually sway anyone; anybody who was already a fan doesn't need the extra convincing, and anyone who doesn't like it won't be convinced by such a late claim of connections.

Like, personally I can say that if Azem was friends with Emet, then I think Azem had bad taste in friends. 'But they're you' doesn't matter to me, because I also think younger me had some pretty poor taste in friends.

I feel like Azem has not been handled properly, and I take issue with how Endwalker described them as not only being someone else's pupil, but having their teacher be Venat. In my case this makes very little sense with how much older I picture my Azem as.

I do not want to see more agency taken away from what I picture them as, and I feel it would be better if every player retained the freedom to imagine their respective Azem's however they wish. Therefore, I do not want to see any further attempts made at telling more of Azem's past in this game.

But this part is, again, a consequence of the Zodiark-Hydaelyn conflict, albeit a more interesting one than the blanket opt-out. Azem has personal connections with both Emet and Venat, neither of which are depicted as any closer than the other. This both acts as sort of a character reference for both of them ('you liked both of them as Azem so clearly they're both good people'), as well as nullifying any appeal to personal connection; with both sides' main face being a friend, you can't just pick based on which one Azem was closest to.

Again, I think the easier option here would be to just not have Azem exist in that space at all. But if they have to, Azem being friends with both at least at one time, with no clear falling out on either side, is the right thing to do.

[Rulakir]

It's possible that Azem was written to ingratiate us towards Emet and/or Amaurot, by declaring that they're our old friend/old home. That's not an invalid idea on its face even if it's one better done with foreshadowing or buildup, but the problem is that part only really comes out in 5.3, a good chunk after both Emet and Amaurot made their entrance (and Emet made his exit-with-prejudice). I think it comes up far too late to actually sway anyone; anybody who was already a fan doesn't need the extra convincing, and anyone who doesn't like it won't be convinced by such a late claim of connections.

Well, again, this is an EN localization issue. It's clear in other languages that Emet recognizes the WoL's soul at first sight as someone he knew, his dialog at the lift is more personal, Shade!Hyth outright says that Emet has feelings/affection for the person whose soul the WoL has, and the scene before the Hades trial he says (in JP), "Impossible! You... how can you be here? No... it's not... you're not him/her." Like I said, I was also confused we didn't have this context throughout 5.0 only to find out that EN is the only language that was seemingly stripped of it. -_-

Azem has personal connections with both Emet and Venat, neither of which are depicted as any closer than the other.

I think that's being generous. Azem, Emet, and Hyth (the "trio") are routinely depicted as having been tight knit. It's heavily implied that Emet & Hyth are the people upon whom Azem relied with Emet essentially being at Azem's beck and call. Something else unfortunately left out of EN is that Azem's summoning magic operates on having a "heartfelt wish" (which makes Emet & Hyth showing up in UT all the more touching). Hyth has an entire monologue about them. Whether or not you want to consider the NieR crossover canon (despite being written by Ishikawa), the trio frequently 'reveled until dawn'.

Meanwhile, Azem describes Venat as both close and distant. Venat also having to ask Emet and Hyth how Azem is doing would indicate they're not in contact as much as the trio are. Plus, they have a mentor/protege relationship and while those can be close, I personally wouldn't put it within the same realm as the trio.

[Vyrerus]

That wasn't hard.

It's not a matter of how you could write around it. It's a matter of they already wrote too much to needlessly retcon to write around it.

Look at the Tales in the Shadows, "Through His Eyes." From that you learn Hades and Hythlodaeus both have, "Underworld Vision." They can see see souls drifting in the air, and what's more, they can discern between them. They can even tell when they're being subjected to the pull of the Underworld.

This implies that they see souls drifting, intangible, all of the time. What special thing then, to make Hythlodaeus pause and care? Personal Acquaintance with the soul in question.

[Kesey]

See, I've always read this instead as a way to write Azem out of the Zodiark-Hydaelyn conflict, without making the fact that they're not involved a plot hook. 'They'd be doing what you'd be doing' (they gave examples, and they were all stuff like 'crafting' or 'building a house', nothing suggesting importance) seems like a pretty easy way to write out the player insert without making their absence too alarming.

This is funny, because I finished Endwalker and my mind was like they didn't tell us very much about Azem at all. Then I thought why didn't they just do a lucid echo (like lucid dreaming) where the main character became Azem and did the Elpis thing and they would just have the illusion of control until they wake up. Then I wondered what you did above and what was the sticking point to why there is more to this is Azem in my mind, during what is probably the most pivotal point of Ancient history, is blowing off their former mentor/teacher and their two best friends. And given the scope of what everyone else is dealing with you expect think Azem would blow them (their best friends and mentor!) off to planet a garden or fish or decorate a home or collect mounts/minions or gamble at a gold saucer like place?

No something more is at hand here, because Azem's true power is friendship and they wouldn't abandon their friends.

But then the live letter comes along, and for some reason you glossed over the phrases "the seat of Azem was doing during the Final Days is a secret" and "However, we do have some idea of what they were up to" which confirms that something else is definitely going on.

And when he uses the phrase "one that may or may not be revealed in the future," is the tease that it is coming much further on in the story (taken with the fact this was the 10 year vision live letter).

And friend, if you read this line "Whatever you imagine you would’ve done if you were Azem is probably the closest we can get to the truth. (laughs)" as to produce your answer above, remember that laugh was sarcastic. Meaning, in the meantime, tell yourself that Azem was crafting or building a house but in the future it is something and here is the hint to let you know.