XIV main antagonist has no recognition and seems like no one cares or knows it.

[Infindox]

I didn't read everything but I do find it weird that Elidibus is only on like two cards (three if hes the white robed figure on the moon on one card), and Lahabrea isn't even there at all.

Ultimately the merch will be created for what's going to sell, and they just aren't as beloved as the other ancients

Elidibus is one of the most popular ancients in the game. Looking at fan merch, he sells out almost as fast as Emet merch.

[Jeeqbit]

My point is, people are getting exactly this reading, like Elidibus is a side character that appears in Pandemonium, when in reality he is along with the protagonist, the "gear" that sets all the MSQ in motion.
And I really think one of the reasons people think like this is because he doesnt get any art at the final of the Hydaelyn & Saga arc, nor the credits nor any merch, he has no recognition or representation.

The truth is that despite the points you have made about Elidibus, which make sense, the story long portrayed Elidibus as an afterthought. Most people's thoughts were barely on Elidibus at any point because of them all just being two scenes per expansion of him walking somewhere such as the moon speaking gibberish, which was really just a way for SE to say "the Ascians are up to no good at usual". SE only gave him interaction with the player in ARR's patches initially for the briefest of moments, then the next time he was interacting with the player was all the way at the tail end of Stormblood's patches (4-6 years later), Shadowbringer's patches and Endwalker, and then 2 years later in Pandaemonium.

I think because of that, Elidibus isn't necessarily seen as a big deal to everyone like they are to you, and it's possible the developers are included in that camp.

It felt like they were thinking "we've sorted out most other issues from ARR, Elidibus is the only one left, let's turn his gibberish into something coherent and finish him off so we can finish the Ascian the arc for good". Finally fighting him, while emotional, felt like an obvious money/subscription grab purely due to how long he'd been sitting there as a perpetually useless background character.

[Navytroy]

Saying Elidibus is an afterthough when he's the reason all the story connects is wild, there is a reason the Amaurot duty exists, he is the weaver of all that.
Again, what im saying is that he doesnt get recognition while less important characters (like hytlodaeus) gets way more attention in everything and that fuels the idea of Elidibus (and Lahabrea) being non important to the game, and im on a point that Im really starting to feel like not even the writers care or understand the story they made, like they dont get the record of what they write.
(for example, the timeline Shb Graha originates where WoL died so he never went back in time to Elpis, how is it possible that Athena is stopped or even that the sundering happens ¿?).

[TheMightyMollusk]

Saying Elidibus is an afterthough when he's the reason all the story connects is wild, there is a reason the Amaurot duty exists, he is the weaver of all that.

That was Emet-Selch.

(for example, the timeline Shb Graha originates where WoL died so he never went back in time to Elpis, how is it possible that Athena is stopped or even that the sundering happens ¿?).

That really depends on exactly how multiverse theory works in this universe. But unless they ever actually bring us back to the Eighth Calamity timeline (there's one short story on the Lodestone that confirms that it still exists, but that's it), it's probably never going to matter. My theory is that the Sundering still happens because everyone but Venat forgot the WoL was ever there, so our interference is relatively unimpactful anyway. As for Athena, it's been a while since I did the Pandemonium story, but I seem to recall being told that Themis had the authority to just cast Pandemonium loose into the lifestream and unmake it and everyone inside if there was no other recourse, so......

[Navytroy]

That was Emet-Selch.



That really depends on exactly how multiverse theory works in this universe. But unless they ever actually bring us back to the Eighth Calamity timeline (there's one short story on the Lodestone that confirms that it still exists, but that's it), it's probably never going to matter. My theory is that the Sundering still happens because everyone but Venat forgot the WoL was ever there, so our interference is relatively unimpactful anyway. As for Athena, it's been a while since I did the Pandemonium story, but I seem to recall being told that Themis had the authority to just cast Pandemonium loose into the lifestream and unmake it and everyone inside if there was no other recourse, so......

In case you refeer to the Amaurot Duty what I mean is 5.3 duty "Faded memories" that is a recall of all the game story made by Elidibus in Amaurot.

Even if the Final Days happen regardless of the WoL being there, the sundering cant happen. Athena is crucial to the story because without her Lahabrea doesnt have the knowledge of a concept like Zodiark so it wouldn't be impossible to create it ( Venat couldnt create Hydaelyn either and in case Zodiark is made she would just fuel it like everyone else to save the world she loves, she just opposed it because you came from the future to told her to do it), also the tempering wouldnt exist and Lahabrea wouldnt be mad so not even the Ultima weapon would exist, nor Elidibus would get inspired by the WoL, so yeah a timeline where Elidibus doesnt get the WoL to the past and ARR-Shb cant coexist.

In case you misinterpreted like as I was talking about the Amaurot Dungeon:
That wasn't Emet-Selch, that was Elidibus; the one that manipulated Thordan VII was Elidibus alongside Lahabrea, Elidibus gave Nidhogg's eyes to Ilberd, Elidibus is the one that introduced the Warriors of Darkness, Elidibus also manipulated Varis and Asahi to create the Eorzean - Garlean war, and yes he even reawakened Emet-Selch. It is also stated that he is the hand behind every single civilization Emet did and every rejoining.

Not only because "he is Zodiark" but by his actions and how the others reacts to it, Elidibus is de facto the leader of the ascians.

[Kozh]

That really depends on exactly how multiverse theory works in this universe. But unless they ever actually bring us back to the Eighth Calamity timeline (there's one short story on the Lodestone that confirms that it still exists, but that's it), it's probably never going to matter. My theory is that the Sundering still happens because everyone but Venat forgot the WoL was ever there, so our interference is relatively unimpactful anyway. As for Athena, it's been a while since I did the Pandemonium story, but I seem to recall being told that Themis had the authority to just cast Pandemonium loose into the lifestream and unmake it and everyone inside if there was no other recourse, so......

Nah, the time travel in EW doesn't make any sense and break some of the lore. Remember that 8UC is supposed to be the "prime" timeline, while the one we currently in is the alternative timeline. But for that to happen it requires venat to sunder the ancient world, intentionally spare specifically lahabrea, emet, and elidibus so they can create the ascian, therefore the Crystal Tower is a thing. But the only reason why venat spare them is because of her knowledge of the future, which she got from us.
In fact, the sundering itself is specifically done to combat dynamis (which is stupid since people just turned into blasphemy, but whatever), which again, requires our present at elpis (venat only join the party because we told her about the future).

Athena can survive inside the lifestream, I don't remember how, but Pandemonium last tier took place there.

[ZohShia]

My point is, people are getting exactly this reading, like Elidibus is a side character that appears in Pandemonium, when in reality he is along with the protagonist, the "gear" that sets all the MSQ in motion.

So would you say he's one of the...... Gears of Change?

The truth is that despite the points you have made about Elidibus, which make sense, the story long portrayed Elidibus as an afterthought.

I think because of that, Elidibus isn't necessarily seen as a big deal to everyone like they are to you, and it's possible the developers are included in that camp.

It felt like they were thinking "we've sorted out most other issues from ARR, Elidibus is the only one left, let's turn his gibberish into something coherent and finish him off so we can finish the Ascian the arc for good".

Some part of me feels like a few choice individuals out there would find this summation of Elidibus quite.... troubling. It's all very Star Wars.

[Navytroy]

So would you say he's one of the...... Gears of Change?

Someone would say he was guided by the Echo of a Fallen Star?

Some part of me feels like a few choice individuals out there would find this summation of Elidibus quite.... troubling. It's all very Star Wars.

What I also found very Star Wars is that they presented Meteion out of nowhere to finish a plot that kinda was finished in 5.3 (Snoke and Palpatine). Also very FF9 with Necron appearing out of nowhere and being kinda irrelevant to the rest of the story.

[Canadane]

(ARR, HW, STMB even SHB),

Stormblood is abbreviated as "SB".
I think this hiccup here is why nobody is taking you seriously.