Alphinaud

[GStargrave]

While Alphinaud really got on my nerves back in ARR he is actually one of my favorite characters now and the development that he has been through makes me appreciate what a brat he was back in ARR more. Alphinaud isn't static, more than any other npc character he has changed and grown as the game has continued. Although throughout Stormblood he has been sharing the spotlight more with Alisaie if you want to see less of him. I am guessing by your forum profile that you might still be in ARR's storyline--if so give the kid a chance he goes through a lot of character development and matures in Heavensward.

For sure.. mainly because he is one of the only NPCs to get any real attention. I mean hey great.. he has had his chance to shine and grow... I just think it's time for someone else.

[Naria]

Alphinaud is the real protagonist of XIV.
He's been sharing the spotlight with his twin since she was reintroduced to the MSQ, and while there are a lot of other players at the core it's been Alphinaud's story from the tail end of the 2nd act of ARR up until now. The Warrior of Light is there, but their character is largely limited to "weapon to be pointed at whatever's causing trouble," and the rest of the Scions mostly follow suit. Tellingly, when Alphinaud suggests electing a new Antecedent to fill Minfilia's chair he's surprised everyone feels he's the natural choice (as he's already done so in all but title, even if he's more hands-on than Minfilia ever was).

I feel like Alphinaud is kind of in being this weird position of being FFXIV's deuteragonist but because the PC is such a blank slate by design, he ends up outshining the protagonist.

For sure.. mainly because he is one of the only NPCs to get any real attention. I mean hey great.. he has had his chance to shine and grow... I just think it's time for someone else.

Like others I'd love for the Scions to get some more screen time (every time they do seems like its just to herald that something terrible is going to happen to one of them). Alphinaud is for better or for worse is the character that is tying the game's story together across expansions in a way that the mostly personality-less PC can't. That said plenty of other characters get good character arcs, Estinien and Yotsuyu being ones that immediately come to mind. I wasn't a big fan of Yotsuyu's patch arc when it started, but I actually liked how they resolved it.