[SPOILERS for 5.5 and 6.0] The Fate of the Garlean Empire

[Kiurai]

One of the questions on the Endwalker reveal slides asked this "What will be the fate of the Garlean Empire?" So I'd like to pose the same question to you all. What do you think will be Garlemald's fate in 6.0? Seeing as we haven't even seen the much of it outside of reaper trailer and some small screenshots at the base of the remade imperial palace.

[HiraishinNoJutsu]

I'm Thinking

A. Gaius and Maxima Spear-head a brand new Garlemald, cutting off all the bad bits and with the ideals of the Populares transform it and steer heavily away from everything it used to be mindset wise. No more Conquering more rebuilding and making amends with other nations and the people

B. With all the Legatus out of a job they might pull a Gabranth and try to establish their own nations or will be executed for their crimes

C. Conquered Nations will fight back for their independence a la Bozja and Dalmasca

D. Other Nations will attempt to move into Garlean territory as a way to bolster their resources since we know Ceruleum flows like water under the Northern Terrain.

When the Garlean threat gets solved I truly do expect huge political shake-ups in the world. With the Empire no longer breathing down everyone's necks I figure we'll see what we saw in Limsa during 5.4 on a larger scale that could lead to some really juicy plot. The idea of "The People needing to be saved from themselves" was mused in Post-Stormblood but if history has taught us anything people are definitely gonna look out for any opportunity to get on top after the WoL's slated victory come 6.0

[Caurcas]

The Empire will be no more, but Garlemald as a nation might have a future by reverting to a republic and letting go of conquered territories in order to rebuild their nation both culturally and physically.

[Cilia]

Former Imperial provinces dissatisfied with Imperial rule will rebel; some will succeed, some will become fiefdoms ruled by warlord ex-Legates. The ones satisfied with Imperial rule (assuming any exist) will be unaffected.

As for the Empire itself, it's finished. After Zenos and Danny Boy's grand master plan is foiled, with the Imperial capital a smoking ruin surviving Garleans will be forced to rebuild or build a new capital; either way, being no longer in a position of real power (unless enough ex-Legates band together) and faced with the scorn of... pretty much the entire rest of the known world, it's very unlikely a new Garlean Empire will rise. Instead I expect it will revert to the small republic it was before Emet-Selch (a.k.a. Solus zos Galvus) influenced it to becoming the world superpower.

Personally I'm not expecting Gaius to have a hand in this because he's busy with Werlyt. Maybe I'm wrong.

[Yuella]

It's gonna be Maxima leading the new Garlean Republic

[Vyrerus]

I fully expect there to not really be enough survivors for there to be a real Garlemald resurgence.

They're kind of like inverted Viltrumites in a way. There aren't a lot of purebloods left, and none of them seem to really have strong ties to Garlemald as an idea anymore. Those that do are already mantling places they're more emotionally invested in or are being killed.

I fully expect to find Nerva and his cohorts shackled up in the tower, and us without a real way to get them free. I sort of expect Maxima to take stock of the situation at some point, and for him to say something akin to, "There's not enough Garleans left to rebuild. It's better this way, really." Then he goes on his merry way, or perhaps sticks around to continue soldiering for the Eorzean Alliance.

But, really, it's all supposition at this point. There haven't really been enough tells to say anything with 100% certainty. Would be kinda neat if in 6.1 we get new PVP zones with the Eorzean Alliance having a pissing contest for who gets the rights to the new territory that once belonged to Garlemald or something.

[JeanneOrnitier]

Personally I'm not expecting Gaius to have a hand in this because he's busy with Werlyt. Maybe I'm wrong.

I don't think they would have brought Gaius back just for Werlyt, he's going to have a hand in the MSQ at some point and Garlemald's future seems the most likely thing. Whether he'll be the new leader or not (which I'm personally leaning toward, but either way), he'll definitely be involved in that plot.

[Garnix]

No more Empire in 6.X. That's why they ended the IVth legion off-screen, just so they can continue the questline in 6.25 without having to tie it to Garlemald anymore.

[YianKutku]

No more Empire in 6.X. That's why they ended the IVth legion off-screen, just so they can continue the questline in 6.25 without having to tie it to Garlemald anymore.

Pedantically, we all agree No More Empire. The Empire is dead, and if it should try to come back to life, we will kill it again and make sure it stays dead.

However, we're all wondering what might become of Garlemald, and I think it's still a good plot point to explore in 6.x and beyond. The default assumption (due to being the simplest) is going back to the Garlean Republic, and rebuilding from there, preferably to a kinder, less expansionist country.

The issue is I'm honestly not sure if there are enough people left to create a new Garlemald. The Populares have been repeatedly said to be purged and nearly wiped out, and the only loophole is that the game hasn't clarified exactly how many survivors there are; it would be very unrealistic to the point of parody if it turned out there were still enough to form a functioning government, thus showing Varis and Fandaniel-as-Asahi to be thoroughly incompetent, but who knows how the writing will justify it. I would be deeply disappointed if political power were to rest in one person yet again, whether Maxima or Gaius or Nerva or whoever, since that would just be a repeat of the Garlean Empire.

[BlitzAceRush]

I could see it resting with one person at first, ala Ishgard or Ala Mhigo while they get situated before shifting to a republic, given they're getting a Zone they've going to use it, we tend to revisit zones, and zones get quests, there need to be people on zones to give us quests, though it's possible its someone other than Garlean's on the zone giving us quests, so who knows.
Personally I think we'll get a Doman/Isgard restoration deal post 6.0 with them.