Minfilia Warde

[MuseTraveller]

Her stare freaks me out.

Glad to know it's not just me. Even her adult form was unsettling with that stare. I suppose it's meant to portray her as holy and motherly, crystal-y being but she gives me that cold alien vibe. I don't quite feel protected at all lol

[Gwenorai]

Already my discord has been filled with the horrific 'return to the waking sand' memes. She's like the Preston Garvey of FF14.

[Ilan]

Every game needs an eye candy. Even SE knows that...

[DevonEllwood]

It looks like Hydaelyn did a little fusion with Manfilia and this is her final form or something.

Not looking forward to the 2.0 flashbacks.

[Deceptus]

She's become the White Walker of Light.

[Iscah]

Glad to know it's not just me. Even her adult form was unsettling with that stare. I suppose it's meant to portray her as holy and motherly, crystal-y being but she gives me that cold alien vibe. I don't quite feel protected at all lol

I don't think "motherly" is the intent with that appearance! But definitely crystal-y and aetherial. It's a clear indication that her nature has changed and she's become something not-quite-human even though she retains that form.

It also allows for some kind of future event where everything's resolved and she is (by any number of mechanisms) released from Hydaelyn's direct service - in which case you'd instantly understand that had happened because her eyes have changed again.

[Celef]

What if this is not Minfilia or, at least, "our" Minfilia.
I mean, we have been told about parrallel universe so, my guess would be a Minfilia from another shard and, considering how much Thancred loved her and was devastated by her "death", he kind of "replace" her and see this one as the original Minfilia, thus keeping the promies he made to protect her.

Could be interesting, she could have a personnality completely different, we could even imagine her as the Word of Zodiarc, manipulating Thancred and trying to bring the Dakness using him and us ^^
(I find her weird in the trailer)

[frostmagemari]

What if this is not Minfilia or, at least, "our" Minfilia.
I mean, we have been told about parrallel universe so, my guess would be a Minfilia from another shard and, considering how much Thancred loved her and was devastated by her "death", he kind of "replace" her and see this one as the original Minfilia, thus keeping the promies he made to protect her

I'd actually prefer if it was ours.. even if she had amnesia or something.
The body double storyline is hard to pull off effectively, and it tries to use attachment to an old character to create fake attachment to a new one. I'd much rather have our Minfilia back and they do more to make her a more personable and active character in the xiv story; or a completely new character that just reminds Thancred of Minfilia but is not the new universe version of her, but even then, that's just a step away from the body double.

[Elkanah]

My BIGGEST observation about Minfilia in the trailer being a child, is that we're going into the past through New Game +. Kind of like what FFXI used to do with Wings of the Goddess. Wings of the Goddess allowed you to access some of the new classes such as DANCER, SCHOLAR. To obtain, you had to basically take a Cavernous Maw into the past (I don't think we'll be doing this as a system for FFXIV), and obtain it in the war or during the war prior events. This would make GunBreaker a prior class before the Calamity fall of 1.0 or during 1.0. Essentially, making Thancred the GunBreaker class in prior engagements before Bahamut and the war with the alliance had taken place. Like... JUST before it happens. Maybe months prior. So we'd be able to obtain GunBreaker in PAST Gridania. It also means that this will be prior engagements to the Goobbue that goes wild during the festival in Uldah, where she originally was (as a child during that event), and Thancreds past comes up about protecting her and her father in that time line. Means 1.0 tie in could be possible as well.

This COULD make sense in seeing that we'll be getting a NEW GAME + mode for FFXIV. And since you'll be your CURRENT version of you at the level you're at (60 or 70 requirement), it wouldn't be game breaking to think this could be potentially possible.

[InkstainedGwyn]

They already said new game+ has no effect on your current game, you can go back at any time, and it doesn't change anything. It's just a full replay, not actually something that changes and grows.