Aymeric (SPOILERS)

[Kallera]

claims of him performing patricide are still out there, this suggests the true cause of Thordan's death (read: us) is still not common knowledge.

[AdamuKun322]

I don't think Aymeric has foul intentions for us. There's much and more to learn about him and his goals.

[Wintersandman]

Oh I think Aymeric is a master of the game. He knows how to manipulate people and get them to do his bidding. Lucia seems very capable but also her demeanor suggests she doesn't want to know all the details.

Even when he asked her if he could divert from his prepared speech. What was that all about? What was he going to say?

His motives like Kallera stated still allude us.

[Ayuhra]

Well he is gorgeous and friendly and honorable and he seems erm...into us, even Thancred thinks so.

If he does not die a horrible death then he'll either be revealed as the true Chessmaster or he'll go completely World of WarCraft on us.

[Kallera]

I think that, even if Aymeric doesn't play that particular card, the situation with Estinien is going to play out in the worst way, and we are going to be at odds with him.

[Jinglybell]

I think Aymeric killed Haurchefant so he could be my new elf boyfriend. The pieces are all there, he had his dads friends pull off the murder (planned it while he was alone with them in the vault) then had you clean up all the evidence none the wiser.

[Wintersandman]

I know a lot of people see him as being too "perfect" and are convinced there's a darker/ evil/ different side to his nature we've not seen, but I think we've already seen both sides of him. If you can't see the flaws in his character, you haven't been paying much attention.

I don't believe Aymeric is perfect but couldn't Estinogg be part of his grander plan?

Sure it is a conspiracy but I making my claim now.

[CyrilLucifer]

I don't think he's going to turn into a second Haurchefant. However, as I said in the pre-3.2 threads, he's challenging us for our title of purest pure purity in all Eorzea. 3.2 has pushed that even harder and, honestly, I'm starting to find it a bit annoying in how perfect he is portrayed; even if he's flawed, it's the portrayal that counts, and in 3.2 he's portrayed as a big good.

Compare that to, say, Merlwyb who flat out messed up the Kobolds with her mistakes, or Nanamo, who was thinking almost too progressively in her attempt to break down barriers, which might have actually caused societal collapse from such a radical, immediate change, and Kan-E-Senna who is unable to act outside of Gridania unless it's an extreme circumstance (as you learn via the WHM questline) no matter how necessary it is, well, you'll see my point in his portrayal. He's forgiving, all for moving forward and focusing on the future, motivational, a skilled warrior and politician, and (seemingly) wants what is best for everyone.

Something's going to happen. I don't think he's going to die, but he's going to make a severe mistake at some point, or break down and be unable to do his job when he absolutely needs to the most, such as from his wound. Or maybe he'll pull a Thancred and work himself half to death, giving Second Best Ascian or Pashtarot a chance to sow his seeds. No lewd, I swear.

The Alex quest cements my theory on this. Aymeric makes a big deal about he's focusing only on the future, but then you have Mide saying it was the focus solely on the future that destroyed her life. That parallel must have been intentional.

[Lunaxia]

I don't think he's going to turn into a second Haurchefant. However, as I said in the pre-3.2 threads, he's challenging us for our title of purest pure purity in all Eorzea. 3.2 has pushed that even harder and, honestly, I'm starting to find it a bit annoying in how perfect he is portrayed.

Something's going to happen. I don't think he's going to die, but he's going to make a severe mistake at some point, or break down.

It's funny you see it that way. Personally, I think his "purest pure purity", as you call it, has been emphasized as his biggest flaw. In some ways he's the typical perfect hero, yes - selfless, humble, wants to save everyone and change the world for the better, and so on. But at the same time, it's that idealism that has caused him to be very naive, and make a lot of mistakes. He wound up imprisoned in the Vault after expecting the Holy See to reveal the truth of the Dragonsong War, and ended up nearly dead and inciting nation wide rebellion in Ishgard in his rush to push the people and dragons together; even Edmont confronts him about the consequences of looking through rose-tinted glasses and tells him to be careful. He also took a lot of risks in 3.2 concerning the conference and the melee, and it's pointed out how much he's coming to rely on the WoL to carry him through them.

He might come across as the perfect good guy, but he's shown some very flawed judgement that has had serious consequences on those around him.

The Alex quest cements my theory on this. Aymeric makes a big deal about he's focusing only on the future, but then you have Mide saying it was the focus solely on the future that destroyed her life. That parallel must have been intentional.

I think we saw this dealt with in 3.2 - the Ishgardian protesters were bitter that he seemed to have turned his back on what they had suffered in the past and was looking only toward the future, which he then addressed in his speech at the end of the MSQ.

[CyrilLucifer]

See, I wouldn't mind him being a deconstruction of the heroic, idealistic archetype, or even a deconstruction and eventual reconstruction, but that's not really how he's being portrayed.

The issue right now is he's layered in absurd amounts of plot armor. That plot armor needs to be broken for it to be a deconstruction and, so far, it hasn't budged. He's overcoming his problems either by luck, skill, or pure WoL brute force.

So no. I don't see him the same way as you at all. In the future when a problem breaks through the plot armor it might turn into a deconstruction, but now? No way. He's competing with us for top seat in the holiness competition.

Hence why I'm fully expecting a game-changing mistake. We made one in Ul'Dah and our character was pretty messed up for it, given how the DRK quest went. That's honestly how I hope Aymeric will flow. I want him to make those mistakes and I want them to have a permanent effect on Ishgard and his psyche, not because I dislike him, but because it makes for a more fleshed out character than one who is able to overcome everything and always does the right thing.