Quote Originally Posted by Cleretic View Post
Honestly, I get the feeling that they kinda regret having a fourteen-member Villain Council in the first place. When we're talking about 'fully-formed and distinct characters', fourteen is a pretty big number, and the Ascians are kind of all forced into the same general 'shape' both visually and conceptually. Fleshing out and exploring ALL of them is a task that feels tedious both to writer and audience; the last sort of reaction you want to getting to a new character is 'god damnit, another one'. I actually feel like we've already reached that, I definitely got the feeling Ascian fatigue was setting in around the overall community by the time Fandaniel turned up, and he only overcame it by being so strongly and overtly different (and in many ways, not an Ascian at all). I feel like there's a reason they killed three Ascians off-screen: because then there's three less Ascians to deal with.
I believe this is part of the Ascian problem. I'll... try no to go too in-depth but will do a rundown of what they were in development:

In 1.x, we actually didn't know much about them except they went around from time to time doling out items of power (the horn that then appeared all the way in Alexander, by the one named Ascian in 1.x, too, Travanchet- who it is now implied was an alias or the name of the Elezen he was possessing), or poking around and scaring the tribes (the "Ascian Reaper" whose model got recycled to Ascian Prime). Whatever Tanaka-san and the writing team back then had written down is probably no longer part of XIV.
By 2.x they were vague antagonistic wizards. I suspect their naming came from Yoshi-P's love of Ivalice and sort of a placeholder for "maybe we'll develop them and maybe we'll just ignore this." I'll point to Anonymoose's thread on the fate of the Ascians (someone with more time and will could probably necro that and keep it updated?) that some parts of 2.x, especially the 2.3 scene, were likely not combed over when the Ascians were further developed. (To wit: The 2.3 scene has more overlords than we know exist, Emmerololth is alive when she should've been destroyed when Galuf and co. sent the Isle of Val to the Aetherial Sea; Mitron and Logrif would've been in the first and may or may not have been clashing with Ardbert and co. at the time, and Emet would've been enjoying his slumber; plus with Lahabrea and Elidibus in the circle and not on a seat, there's 2 extra Ascians). Also at this point Lahabrea and Elidibus mention how unthinkable it is that an overlord got got, while Emet says in 5.0 that such things happen but then they raise up someone to the position.

It is likely around 4.x (likely 4.2-4.3) that the team starts plotting up ShB and Ishikawa finally gives them some backstory and purpose other than "vaguely hint at the 'true power of the Echo' while also being very vague at the nature of Zodiark and Hydaelyn." It's also around 4.x that we start our Great Offscreen Purge as Emmerololth gets destroyed pre-Eureka and two red masks get offed by Gaius (this one I feel some contention to, as HOW would Gaius know how to permanently kill off an overlord? So maybe he just killed their bodies). 5.x then has us off 4 in one expansion.

So I do think they regret making such a large group in the first place, especially since poor Deudalaphon isn't even name-dropped when Emet tells you everyone's seats in Elpis. My guess is they'll either quietly sweep the rest under the rug, likely by killing them off-screen; or maybe they'll pop up every so often as Antagonist of the Week.