Warrior of Lights and Crystals of Light

[Scott]

Was it ever explained why our Player Character has 6 Crystals of Light and every other Warrior of Light only one? I tried to find out but wasnt able to find a Thread about it or informations on Google.

[Vyrerus]

It's never directly explained, and it surprises even the Ascians. It's likely to make us more special than even other special heroes in the world. It also is probably Hydaelyn's final gambit, since she is losing her power to the point where it's almost diminished (but that's sort of like how Y'shtola's been dying for 3 expansions).

Ultimately it's so that we can channel all of the power we need to save the world. With the events of SHB, it's also likely due to who our soul belonged to in the ancient world.

Originally, I'm not sure what they intended for it, but it's a staple plot point carry over from Final Fantasies of eld. In FF1 there's four crystal bearers as well as crystals. FF2 there's 5 Orbs of Light and one contains the spell Ultima whereas the other four carry attribute+10 of STR, AGL, INT, or MND. In FF3 there's 8 crystals, 4 of dark and 4 of light, with four bearers for the power of each though the power of each is granted to all four bearers. In FF5 there are four warriors chosen by the crystals as they shatter. Each character is assigned an element corresponding to one of the crystals. Again, there are eight crystals and they hold the split worlds apart, keeping Exdeath sealed.

In FFIV there are 4 crystals of light and 4 crystals of dark on Earth. Then there are 4 crystals of light and 4 of dark on the Lunarian Moon. Then there is the space travel crystal in the Lunar Whale, as well as the sacred crystal used against Zeromus... so there are a total of 18 crystals... I think. They're basically power sources that double as memory stores brought to Earth by the Lunarians.

FFVI, FFVII, and FFVIII have no crystals, hence FFIX's whole thing, "The Crystals come back!" But I don't remember crystals being a big part of FFIX.

I am unfamiliar with FFX, X-2, and XII. In XI there are everyday crystals for crafting like in XIV, but there are also 5 mothercrystals that are responsible for holding all of the world together. In Chains of Promathia you get to be the vessel for all of their light, as I recall, and the Emptiness plaguing them as well, sort of... though I think Sehlteus did something about that too. It's been too long and I'd have to rewatch all of the cutscenes.

So basically, the number of Crystals of Light or Darkness that the hero in a Final Fantasy interacts with are always just arbitrarily chosen by the writers.

[WhiteArchmage]

But I don't remember crystals being a big part of FFIX.

I am unfamiliar with FFX, X-2, and XII. In XI there are everyday crystals for crafting like in XIV, but there are also 5 mothercrystals that are responsible for holding all of the world together. In Chains of Promathia you get to be the vessel for all of their light, as I recall, and the Emptiness plaguing them as well, sort of... though I think Sehlteus did something about that too. It's been too long and I'd have to rewatch all of the cutscenes.

So basically, the number of Crystals of Light or Darkness that the hero in a Final Fantasy interacts with are always just arbitrarily chosen by the writers.

In IX, Garnet and Eiko use gems to learn their summons (not QUITE crystals, but crystal-LIKE); and the climax of the game is about the giant crystal that created everything and where every soul comes from (it's the one in the game's logo).

For X and X-2, the "crystals" are instead "spheres", which are records of the past, taken further in X-2 where they can become Dresspheres, bringing them closer to the crystals of past FFs. In XII they're divided into Magicite and Nethicite, and are used to power machinery, among a whole host of other things (it's usually in the flavor text), Bhujerba's magicite mines are what keeps the floating island afloat (and at least one NPC wonders what would happen if they mine it all out).

On topic, it IS basically just to show the WoL as being more important. It's mentioned... at some point, that it's rare for someone to find a Crystal of Light (hence, the surprise when Ysayle happens to have one), since Crystals of Light are a sign of... the Covenant with Hydaelin? I don't QUITE remember that part. I DO remember Matoya saying Crystals of Light have been getting less powerful the more Calamities occur, because HYDAELIN is getting less powerful.

[Cilia]

VI introduces magicite, used to summon espers and provide other augmentations, as the game's crystals.

VII has the now well-known materia as the game's stand-in for crystals.

VIII is arguably the only main game in the franchise that does not feature crystals as a key plot point. The Lunatic Pandora is built around a crystalline core, but I'm not sure if that counts.

IX features a pendant shattered into four pieces, around which the first two disks revolve; Queen Brahne and Kuja's ultimate goal (at the time) is to collect all four and summon Alexander, the most powerful of Gaia's eidolons. Garnet and Eiko do so to defend Alexandria from Kuja's stolen Bahamut, but then Garland shows up and lays waste to the city with the Invincible. The other big crystal isn't featured until the end of the game, where it's revealed to be the source of life and memories in IX's universe.

Anyway. The reason the PC is able to collect six Crystals of Light when most of Hydaelyn's other chosen only get one's not been explained. It might never be explained beyond Hydaelyn simply favoring the PC more.

[Anonymoose]

This doesn't come up very often but there is an as of yet unexplained difference between what "other people" have got and what "we've" got. It has only been called attention to a few times - during Toto-Rak (but not in English) and Midgardsormr especially. "Hydaelyn's Champion" is somehow different than the rest. Lahabrea says we can "interfere with the aetherial realm" causing the Crystals of Light to manifest in response to our strength. Midgardsormr darkened them and we restored the connection. We do the sacrifice the Light dance with the Warriors of Darkness to free Minfilia and apparently ours is either just fine or re-lit itself.

SE has yet to commit to an explanation for why Hydaelyn has many "woken" to the Echo, fewer but still numerous "chosen" who've responded to Her call and been gifted one crystal of Light and then just us ... with this ... unknown thing. But the Ascians made a few early references to that it's been a long time since Hydaelyn gave someone this particular gift.

[Veloran]

The issue of WoL's strangely numerous crystals of light is definitely one of the weird lingering mysteries in the story. Similar to how the Ascians are all suggested to have crystals of darkness, but we never see them.

Personally, my random theory is that the ability of WoL's weird "aetherial sign" to hold multiple crystals was developed through multiple past lives of WoL also being Warriors of Light. So his first WoL incarnation gets a crystal of lightning or whatever, then his second incarnation has the capacity to generate both his own crystal, and regenerate the one acquired by his prior life, or something like that.
Though, going down this line of thinking, the way in which WoL acquires any of the crystals is kind of underwhelming. I mean Ardbert and his companions all had to go through intense personal trials to create their single crystals, making difficult choices at critical moments and learning major life lessons. Meanwhile WoL got the first crystal by having Thancred/Y'shtola/Yda and Papalymo kill a random level 5 angry voidsent/goobbue/treant for him. None of the other crystals are really created for very impressive "trials" either.
It's a little better when they're reacquired in Heavensward, but even then you get them for mostly trivial reasons, like killing Ravana and Bismarck, clearing the Gubal Library, or even just instances where WoL is talking to people and it just suddenly happens.

I don't know. The Blessing of Light overall isn't well understood and the crystals are like the least comprehensible part of it. I would be very impressed if in Endwalker they somehow pulled some more script-doctoring and tied everything together. I will say the expansion to five Role Quests (and a presumptive sixth when they're all done), vaguely has me hoping they connect them to the crystals in some way.

[Rannie]

We have seen a crystal of darkness though or atleast we have with the Uldah Story. It's right after we defeat Batraal's ugly albinoesque cousin after we fight with the Sultan Sworn with idiots over the stolen Crown. We defeat the black masked Ascian and then noticed a blackish purple crystal on the ground, after we kneel down to look at it it vanishes as if destroyed and has a black purple smoke on it, like that purple blackness that's associated with the Ascians. Also if we can count two more... there's the crystal Thancred is wearing around his neck after he gets body snatched by Lahabrea which also breaks after we use the blade of light to seperate the two. As well as the one Igeyorm pulls out to try to escape us when her and Lahabrea's wonder twin powers fail them at the end of Heavensward.

[Vyrerus]

WoL's Crystal of Light acquisition was underwhelming.

I disagree. The Water Crystal acquisition, sure, but it's not just one Treant/Goobbue etc. It's wave after wave, and sure, the town Scion is there strutting their stuff, but you protect them under their own advisement.

The Fire Crystal is acquired from slaying Ifrit. By story standards you do that single handedly, and that is nothing to sneeze at.

The Thunder Crystal is acquired after saving the Sylph Elder from Thousand Maw of To-to Rak and coming face to face with Lahabrea and his Ascian enhanced diremite.

The Earth Crystal is acquired after slaying Titan, and again, by story standards you do it single handedly. This was something only achieved by the Company of Heroes prior to this.

The Ice Crystal is acquired from slaying Isgebind in Stone Vigil. Not only is Isgebind a mature, thousands of years old Ice Dragon, but it has been enhanced by Lahabrea.

Lastly, we get the Wind Crystal by defeating Garuda and willing it out of and away from her to us.

It might all seem mundane or trivial because it's in early story content and is rather easy to deal with in the context of gameplay, but by the world and lore standards, 5/6 of these are earthshattering feats of power. And the first is something that most common folk couldn't deal with. Compare to Ardbert and co, who each gained their crystals as individuals but through teamwork. It's an entirely different ball game. Of course, they are also all 1/14 soul fragments so that might have something to do with it as well.

[Kesey]

Honestly, I kind of expect the crystals to be used in the next expansion and just disappear. They are significantly linked to Hydealyn and that part of the story is ending.

[Beddict]

We have seen a crystal of darkness though or atleast we have with the Uldah Story. It's right after we defeat Batraal's ugly albinoesque cousin after we fight with the Sultan Sworn with idiots over the stolen Crown. We defeat the black masked Ascian and then noticed a blackish purple crystal on the ground, after we kneel down to look at it it vanishes as if destroyed and has a black purple smoke on it, like that purple blackness that's associated with the Ascians.

Same deal happens in the Gridanian storyline, and presumably the Limsa storyline but I don't feel like looking up the cutscenes on Youtube. Another thing worth keeping in mind is what Urianger says in the 3.4 MSQ "One Life for One World":

Urianger: Just so. As the Ascians flee unto the rift 'twixt planes with Crystals of Darkness, so did these warriors come hither with Crystals of Light.

Good assumption that all the Ascians have a Crystal of Darkness so they can hop across worlds, even if we only ever see very few of them.