The Relations Between FFXII and FFXIV Universes

[Moogly900]

I just finished the main story of FFXIV reborn, and maaaan it's the best story I've ever played in a MMO game. However, there's something that's been bothering me for quite some time now. See, I also finished playing FFX-II via Xbox game pass, and a lot of elements from that game is in the FFXIV as well including the viera race(Fran is in the game too) and etc.

In fact, a lot of elements from FFXI are also pretty prevalent in FFXIV too, and the five races of Eorzea are obviously based on the races of that game too.

My question is; is the world or the universe of FFXIV are connected with FFXI and FFXII, or is the universe of FFXIV is it's own thing while the devs using elements from other FF games instead?

[Con_Carne]

The XIV universe is it's own thing while devs use elements from others. The only connection between the worlds of those games is the Rift, which connects all FFs.

However, there is a Dalmasca/Rabanastre/Golmore/and more XII things in XIV, even some characters, but are rewritten counterparts that were born in Hydaelyn (in the original XII, Ashe and Rasler weren't brothers for example).

[Moogly900]

The XIV universe is it's own thing while devs use elements from others. The only connection between the worlds of those games is the Rift, which connects all FFs.

However, there is a Dalmasca/Rabanastre/Golmore/and more XII things in XIV, even some characters, but are rewritten counterparts that were born in Hydaelyn (in the original XII, Ashe and Rasler weren't brothers for example).

The..Rift? Meaning that they all exist in the same multiverse or something?

[Bright-Flower]

Basically yeah, it's been implied that the same Gilgamesh is in both FF V and VIII etc. (Though I suspect Type 0 Gilgamesh is his own thing.)

There's an implied sort of loose multiverse. (The 13 shards are NOT the first 13 FF games, those are all FFXIV related, but there is a sort of general implied multiverse going on. Which is a little weird when you look at it too closely but best not to think too hard about it.)

The Ivalice stuff in FFXIV is heavily inspired, of course, by Tactics and XII but the actual events do not line up even close to near enough for them to be the same. Not the least of which being that XII takes place way before Tactics in the OG Ivalice, but in FFXIV the Tactics part of the plot is ancient history and the XII stuff is currently unfolding still.

[Moogly900]

Basically yeah, it's been implied that the same Gilgamesh is in both FF V and VIII etc. (Though I suspect Type 0 Gilgamesh is his own thing.)

There's an implied sort of loose multiverse. (The 13 shards are NOT the first 13 FF games, those are all FFXIV related, but there is a sort of general implied multiverse going on. Which is a little weird when you look at it too closely but best not to think too hard about it.)

The Ivalice stuff in FFXIV is heavily inspired, of course, by Tactics and XII but the actual events do not line up even close to near enough for them to be the same. Not the least of which being that XII takes place way before Tactics in the OG Ivalice, but in FFXIV the Tactics part of the plot is ancient history and the XII stuff is currently unfolding still.

So, I'm guessing that the Rift is the multiverse that connects all of the FF games together, and that the FFXIV devs had invited the guy that is the father of the Ivalice universe that XII and Tactics belong to bring the elements from his own universe to the FFXIV universe despite that they're two completely separate universes, right?

[WhiteArchmage]

Correct. Take every reference in XIV as just that, a reference and a nod to a previous Final Fantasy game without actually saying they're connected. The only characters that have canonically crossed over were Iroha for the Rhapsodies of Vana'Diel event (oh, and Shantotto for the first XI cross-over), Noctis for the XV event, and Lightning for the FFXIII event. All with the same "interdimensional portal" justification that isn't quite canonical to either game.

Of course, when you reach Stormblood and Shadowbringers you might want to throw the Encyplodaedia Eorzea at someone...

[RyuDragnier]

As an extra bit of knowledge, apparently a lot of the dev team actually worked on FFXII, so it's no surprise they took a lot of what they enjoyed from the game and put it here.

[Con_Carne]

The only characters that have canonically crossed over were Iroha for the Rhapsodies of Vana'Diel event (oh, and Shantotto for the first XI cross-over), Noctis for the XV event, and Lightning for the FFXIII event.

Actually, Gilgamesh and Omega are also from beyond XIV's existence, with the only difference that they stayed. Midgardsormr as well.

[Bright-Flower]

Actually, Gilgamesh and Omega are also from beyond XIV's existence, with the only difference that they stayed. Midgardsormr as well.

This Omega seems to be from the same universe, just coming from a planet far far away traveling through space after Midgarsormr to get here.

The whole situation with Shinryu also makes me doubt that it's the same Omega because Omega and Shinryu fighting has been a thing with their prior appearances, but we have a very short time span of FFXIV shinryu being created, having one brawl with Omega, and then dying. And no hints of Midgar hopping around different worlds either other than coming from his homeworld to Hydaelyn.

Gilgamesh might well be the same character from V and VIII etc, but I don't think it fits with Omega. Feels more like FFXIV has its own Omega and Shinryu, similar to how I'm pretty sure Type 0 has its own Gilgamesh.

[Con_Carne]

This Omega seems to be from the same universe, just coming from a planet far far away traveling through space after Midgarsormr to get here.

I keep what I say, Omega is from beyond. In his raids he created simulacrums from other existences (enemies and places from V, VI, and I, and the chocobo design for Alpha), which means he visited those worlds prior reaching Hydaelyn. Shinryu is more complicated because we must say there are 2. The Primal is from XIV only, and the interdimensional would be a different entity (and perhaps one of the origins behind the Primal, since Primal "Shinryu" was named by the Domans after another similar creature. Similar to what happened with non-chicken Enkidu, the Primal was based in the interdimensional one. Chickens not included).

What a movie I just explained. xD