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

[Vyrerus]

But I also didn't really like how the situation was setup or how nothing came of it.

I know you're talking about In From The Cold, but this sentence really does apply to pretty much every major story beat in Endwalker for me.

But also especially to that quest, because legitimately it was just a thing that happened. Zenos didn't use our body for anything other than a menacing stroll. We didn't seem to really learn anything by piloting the Garlean's body. There were no references or tie ins back to it, as of yet.

Some theory crafting in and around the whole, "Soul Supply" section of Solution-9 does have some thinkers thinking, but theory crafting generally trends towards mostly inaccurate, given our writers'/devs' love of expectation subversion.

[Swordsman]

But also especially to that quest, because legitimately it was just a thing that happened. Zenos didn't use our body for anything other than a menacing stroll.

Yeah, where the hell did that body switch ability come from? It's like the writers just threw that into the game to create some manufactured tension for the audience.

[Supersnow845]

I have a story question that I’m not sure if it’s fully explained or not, well two questions in one sorta

1) did the twelve get sundered, if yes where does their immense power come from and what about the shards of the 12, if no then my second question

2) does deryk retain memories of the unsundered world

(Half of me is genuinely curious the other half is trying to make my WOLxderyk headcanon world lore accurate)

[Carin-Eri]

I have a story question that I’m not sure if it’s fully explained or not, well two questions in one sorta

1) did the twelve get sundered, if yes where does their immense power come from and what about the shards of the 12, if no then my second question

2) does deryk retain memories of the unsundered world

(Half of me is genuinely curious the other half is trying to make my WOLxderyk headcanon world lore accurate)

Can only recall the answer to #1 - and that, I think, was that they were sundered in their Ancient forms but Hydaelyn used the souls of the relevant, sundered, Ancients as the 'core' for the reincarnated forms they took as members of the twelve.

[Sayo_]

I know you're talking about In From The Cold, but this sentence really does apply to pretty much every major story beat in Endwalker for me.

But also especially to that quest, because legitimately it was just a thing that happened. Zenos didn't use our body for anything other than a menacing stroll. We didn't seem to really learn anything by piloting the Garlean's body. There were no references or tie ins back to it, as of yet.

Not only that, but I was really bothered by how we were just captured by Fandaniel. Like, if it were that easy why did the Ascians even have trouble with us to begin with?

[Sayo_]

Yeah, where the hell did that body switch ability come from? It's like the writers just threw that into the game to create some manufactured tension for the audience.

I think I can answer that one, but it's just a theory. Back during Ala Mhigo (the dungeon) one of the bosses rips your soul out of your body. So maybe it's just the next evolution of that?

[Absurdity]

Not only that, but I was really bothered by how we were just captured by Fandaniel. Like, if it were that easy why did the Ascians even have trouble with us to begin with?

It's the Superman problem, we're always exactly as strong as the plot needs us to be...and utterly useless in cutscenes.

[Dikatis]

Yeah, where the hell did that body switch ability come from? It's like the writers just threw that into the game to create some manufactured tension for the audience.

Anyone with sufficient mastery of the Echo can body hop. The Ascians, a Sahagin priest, and Minfilia all do it. Zenos does it unwittingly after giving himself an artificial Echo via the Resonance procedure in Stormblood in tandem with Aulus Asina's research into the soul, as shown when Aulus' machinery extracts it while he's fighting you at Ala Mhigo. Fandaniel retrieved his research (which was widespread enough for Misjia to use it to give herself the Resonance in Bozja) and used it to rip WoL's soul out for Zenos to inhabit the body.

There was plenty of foreshadowing for this being a possibility. It didn't come out of nowhere like you're claiming.

[Oizen]

Not only that, but I was really bothered by how we were just captured by Fandaniel. Like, if it were that easy why did the Ascians even have trouble with us to begin with?

My favorite part of the plot is when we beat the shit out of golbez, then let him do his evil thing anywhere while our brains stop functioning as if we just said "guys i could stop this but I think we need at least 1 more dungeon and trial in this expac"

[Swordsman]

I think I can answer that one, but it's just a theory. Back during Ala Mhigo (the dungeon) one of the bosses rips your soul out of your body. So maybe it's just the next evolution of that?

Yeah, that could be it. Unfortunately, we'll never know for sure without confirmation from SE, so we're just left to create our own theories for it. I wonder if we'll ever see the ability used against the WoL again in the future by someone else. An ability that powerful deserves further exploration or at least some additional details IMO. It literally renders the WoL completely helpless for an extended period of time.