Some questions about the story in 5.3 (spoilers!!)

[Noriag]

Finished everything a couple days ago and while I found everything incredibly touching, I walked away kind of confused about Elidibus. If someone could help clarify a few questions, I'd appreciate it.

1) so it was revealed he is in fact a primal since he merged with Zodiark. But it seems he also retained some measure of his being before becoming the heart. So he's an Ascian that also happens to be a primal, right?

2) if so, what exactly was his end game? He always sought to achieve balance but to what end? He seems to want to bring his people back but wouldn't balance stand in the way of rejoinings?

3) the last boss took that form because that's the form the people have in their mind as the first WoL. Elidibus himself isn't the actual first WoL though right?

I guess those are the three big ones I had.

[Espritduo]

Elidibus was supposed to stay Zodiark once he became the heart, but he sensed there was still discord after Zodiark was summoned and the Ancients were split between the Zodiark and Hydaelyn factions, so he separated himself from Zodiark to best continue his role as the keeper of balance. I liken it to how Minfilia sort of became Hydaelyn, but was still capable of separating herself when the need arose.

The Rejoined world is the most balanced world, in the Ascian's eyes, so anything that leads to that is always going to be the goal, even if it causes wars and disasters in the short term.

And it is not entirely clear, but I do think personally Elidibus *was* the first hero as mentioned and shown by Mowen in that little book. Elidibus himself states he has donned the mantle of hero in his pursuit of balance, and that he was the world's first hero. We also see an echo flashback of a person dressed in the Warrior of Light armor that may be Elidibus. I like to think that the Warrior of Light we fight is Elidibus's true form, like Hades is Emet-Selch's. I also like to think that Elidibus's true name was Hythlodaeus, and his pre-Zodiark identity was what Emet-Selch used to create the fake Hythlodaeus we interact with in Amaurot. This would explain a lot about why the re-created Hythlodaeus acts the way he does. Always being the Emissary, always seeking balance, even when he is just an illusion of his original self. And I swear there is a point in the dialogue when we are talking to Elidibus about Hythlodaeus, the way Elidibus responds sounds as if he is talking about himself when he is referring to Hythlodaeus. But I might have just read it wrong in the heat of the moment, and may be misremembering.

[Noriag]

Thanks so much. Very helpful.