FFXIV Villains

[OMEGA_HACK]

So I was discussing with with a couple friends about the current state of the villains in Final Fantasy XIV. The conversation came up because I am (in between waiting for gathering nodes, and the DF) playing a bit of Xenoblade Chronicles 3DS--loved the game on Wii and replaying it again--but I digress; the point was that Xenoblade Chronicles villains were for the most part bat $#!@ crazy, and we noticed that XIV really doesn't have a villain that fits that mold. In fact all the villains have been "scheming" Sherlock Holmes-like super villains.


I give you the list:

Gaius Van Baelsar - Extreme patriot and tactical genuis. He took over 5 city-states and spearheaded the original invasion of Eorzea)

Nero Tol Scaeva - Scientist and loyalist to Garlean Empire. He is cold and calculating always trying to seize power at every turn.

Livia Sas Junuis - Extreme patriot and loyalist to Gaius (his adopted daughter)

Rhitahtyn Sas Arvina - Former merc. was from an annexed country; not much else is known save for the fact now he dies faster than he can say his own name.

Nael Van Darnus - Fanatic diviner/religious zealot; becomes possessed by Dalamud/Bahamut and gets boobs (he is probably the closest we have to bat $#!@ crazy villain)

Lahabrea - Schemer opposition to Elidibus

Elidibus - Schemer opposition to Lahabrea

Varis Zos Galvus - not much is known but he is already scheming, as he used that tactic to become the next Emperor.

So only one villain has come close to fitting the bill however they have already died, my god they better be officially dead or the story telling is going to become as campy as G Gundam (if you are not familiar with the anime...no one really dies...ever...even when they die they don't die...)

Anywho, this post is asking for a bat $#!@ crazy villain that impedes us on our every move, for nothing more than the sake of harassing us or to generally be bat $#!@ crazy; so some notable examples:

Metal Face (Xenoblade Chronicles)
Xord (Xenoblade Chronicles)
Albedo (XenoSaga Ep 1 and 2)
Sephiroth (FFVII)
Seymour Guado (FFX)
Kuja (FFIX)
Kefka Palazzo (FFVI)
Vaas Montenegro (Far Cry 3)
Pyramid Head (Silent Hill)
Handsome Jack (Borderlands series) (This one is more or less crazy but its BL so he is more comedic crazy)
Majora (Zelda: Majora's Mask)
The Joker (Batman series)
Albert Wesker (Resident Evil series)
Caius Ballad (FFXIII-2)
The Watchers (Drakengard series)
Luca Blight (Suikoden 2)
Revolver Ocelot (Metal Gear series)
Vladimir Makarov (CoD: MW2)
Psycho Mantis (Metal Gear Solid)
Ansem (Kingdom Hearts)
Calypso (Twist Metal series)
Alma (F.E.A.R. series)
GLaDOS (Portal series)

Can we have a villain like that? Less schemers, I want more crazy. I know its a Teen rated game, but you can still pull off crazy with a Teen rating, I mean lots of the FF villains are listed, however it seems that with the two MMOs Square-Enix has out, they have failed to capture that crazy villain essence (XI doesn't really have one either). Anywho, if you read all this congrats because its the end, and if you like this idea or support it, comment and/or like this post! Thanks!

[kyuven]

The problem is a lot of "crazy" villains tend to be extremely one-note.
There should never be a question of how a character managed to rise to the position they did.
For example, Bahamut himself actually IS like this. Due to...circumstances...he's literally bottled rage and madness made manifest, as well as subjected to endless torment.
However, Bahamut is treated like a natural disaster. He's not a schemer, being akin to a massively more destructive Alma.
Schemers simply make for better long term villains. We've had plenty of psychos, but they usually die rather faster since being unable to plan ahead is a good way to get yourself offed in the FFXIV universe. Take a look at Nabriales if you want an example of that.

[Chambers]

I thought Edda was kinda crazy, though she's not part of the main story.

[myahele]

Livia is Gaius adopted daughter!?

[kyuven]

Livia is Gaius adopted daughter!?

My thoughts exactly. I was always under the impression she was just his subordinate.
Also, she's REALLY off her rocker.

[Gralna]

My thoughts exactly. I was always under the impression she was just his subordinate.
Also, she's REALLY off her rocker.

I got impression they were lovers, from part of dialogue in which he tells her to meet him in his chambers later, also in the way she seems completely obsessed with him.

[ExiledOne]

I got impression they were lovers, from part of dialogue in which he tells her to meet him in his chambers later, also in the way she seems completely obsessed with him.

I admit to not reading up in her but I also had the impression they were lovers based on that conversation.

[Duelle]

My thoughts exactly. I was always under the impression she was just his subordinate.
Also, she's REALLY off her rocker.

I don't buy Livia being Gaius' daughter. Otherwise his whole "my chambers. 30 minutes." conversation is just....ugh.

Pyramid Head (Silent Hill)

This doesn't fit the OP's post, since PH was the byproduct of James' guilty conscience and was there to punish him, not kill him.

Luca Blight (Suikoden 2)

I won't accept this unless it literally takes a full 24-man raid just to kill him, and even then it would have to be a close call. Challenge Point: he has to have no powers or blessings of any sort. Just sheer skill, willpower and madness, and you have to fight him multiple times over the course of the raid where this boss would be located.

[Lemuria]

I don't buy Livia being Gaius' daughter. Otherwise his whole "my chambers. 30 minutes." conversation is just....ugh.

Maybe he just wanted a quiet word... inviting 'family' members to your quarters doesn't mean you're doing the dirty.

[LineageRazor]

I don't buy Livia being Gaius' daughter. Otherwise his whole "my chambers. 30 minutes." conversation is just....ugh.

The impression that I got was both that, yes, Livia is his adopted daughter and, yes, they are lovers, likely at her own urging. It's not clear how old she was when Gaius rescued her, so even if he's legally her father it's not clear that they they ever really regarded one another as father and daughter. A girl's gratitude and loyalty became infatuation and love as she got older. It doesn't have to be squicky.

I did get the vibe, though, that Gaius wasn't as into her as she was into him, but put up with it because he cared for her and knew that it made her happy.

On the topic of cuh-rayzie villians, it IS possible to be a long-term planner AND a lunatic. Sephiroth was one example of that. He was clearly out of his gourd, but his goal (get Meteor Materia, summon Meteor, cleanse the world for Mother) required moving all kinds of pieces around the metaphorical chessboard.

A villain can be crazy without flinging himself at the heroes like a frothing loon at every opportunity.