Is Zenos Zodiark?

[Riastrad]

Every soul is just aether ripe for the reaping. While Zenos seems to want Zodiark to mantle his power, I suspect Fandaniel wants to use it to unlock the source of the Final Days. Zodiark can apparently rewrite the very laws of the Star, which could mean reviving whatever caused the keening which drove the Ancients mad.

Fandaniel shares a connection to Hashmal from various Ivalice Alliance Final Fantasies. In Tactics, Hashmal led the Lucavi in causing multiple wars to use the souls of the dead for a summoning of their master, Ultima. While explored in the Ivalice raid series briefly, we can see the Convocation member, Altima struggling with something involving their soul turning, the cause being unknown.

Convocation stone text.

I feel Zenos is not going to be the main threat. The Telophoroi (Fandaniel is not alone) will be. We have more than a few sundered Ascians running around.

https://convocation.carrd.co/#fandaniel
https://convocation.carrd.co/#Deudalaphon
https://convocation.carrd.co/#halmarut
https://convocation.carrd.co/#altima
https://convocation.carrd.co/#pashtarot

Take note of The Night Star. I think he may be the actual leader. Elidibus's Final words echo his the most.

It doesn't help that he is also tied to Zeromus, the final boss of FFIV.

[Vyrerus]

Kinda funny, that picture of Zeromus puts the eyes in the spot I perceived them to be as a kid, but to me his 2-D sprite always seemed to have a humanoid face with a pointed, hookish nose.

[DaemonInazuma]

I've been having this theory about zenos after 5.55 of the scream and the mention of a dreamer. First, If you look up the FFX anima cinematic and listen to the scream, it sounds eerily familiar to the scream at the end of Zenos's cutscene. Here are some links:

Anima Cinematic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JudM8-EgFio

Zenos Scream
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugxy7hmknzCfZle_7RV4AaABCQ

Next, here is a link to Seymour Guado's wiki:

https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Seymour_Guado

Also, an excerpt from Seymour's personality:

"Due to his harsh and lonely upbringing, Seymour has nihilistic views on life. When confronted he drops the pretenses and reveals his true nature as an arrogant and cruel man. He has feelings for Summoner Yuna, whom he proposes to, but much of this attraction is due to a desire to gain her powers, so that he can become the next Sin.

Seymour does not hesitate to kill anyone who stands in the way of his objectives, rationalizing that by murdering them, he has saved them from the pain of life. Though he is undoubtedly evil-natured, much of his malice stems from the trauma he suffered in his childhood. The Guado considered his birth a heresy and he had to witness his mother turn into a fayth."

Zenos's Wiki:

https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Zenos_yae_Galvus

Does this all sound familiar? Seymour's story is Zenos's story.

This now makes me wonder if Anima in FF14 is Zenos's mother, the dreamer, and that it is his Reaper's stand instead of a voidsent. It could explain why Varis despised Zenos as well due to Emet-Selch killing his wife to make Zenos attached to her soul from the Underworld.

We've seen Emet-Selch commit these experiments with Vauthry and a Lightwarden.

[Tracewood]

I've been having this theory about zenos after 5.55 of the scream and the mention of a dreamer. First, If you look up the FFX anima cinematic and listen to the scream, it sounds eerily familiar to the scream at the end of Zenos's cutscene. Here are some links:

Anima Cinematic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JudM8-EgFio

Zenos Scream
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugxy7hmknzCfZle_7RV4AaABCQ

Next, here is a link to Seymour Guado's wiki:

https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Seymour_Guado

Also, an excerpt from Seymour's personality:

"Due to his harsh and lonely upbringing, Seymour has nihilistic views on life. When confronted he drops the pretenses and reveals his true nature as an arrogant and cruel man. He has feelings for Summoner Yuna, whom he proposes to, but much of this attraction is due to a desire to gain her powers, so that he can become the next Sin.

Seymour does not hesitate to kill anyone who stands in the way of his objectives, rationalizing that by murdering them, he has saved them from the pain of life. Though he is undoubtedly evil-natured, much of his malice stems from the trauma he suffered in his childhood. The Guado considered his birth a heresy and he had to witness his mother turn into a fayth."

Zenos's Wiki:

https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Zenos_yae_Galvus

Does this all sound familiar? Seymour's story is Zenos's story.

This now makes me wonder if Anima in FF14 is Zenos's mother, the dreamer, and that it is his Reaper's stand instead of a voidsent. It could explain why Varis despised Zenos as well due to Emet-Selch killing his wife to make Zenos attached to her soul from the Underworld.

We've seen Emet-Selch commit these experiments with Vauthry and a Lightwarden.

I have a feeling you might be right with this. Though not sure if I want another villain with mommy-issues after Sephiroth and Seymour.

[Neoyoshi]

idk, just a thought I had after watching the epilogue of 5.3. Always wondered why Fandaniel is so loyal to Zenos but that might explain it.

Any lore buffs wanna tell me why I'm right/wrong?

Like most Ascians, Fandaniel sees Zenos as another means to an end for a Ascian to take advantage of. Also he's one of the only overlords that isn't actually loyal to Zodiark. Fandanniel just wants everything to disappear; Zodiark wants to restore their source star.

So Zenos is just Zenos; Zodiark on the otherhand, well, my theory is that Zodiark inhabits the Moon we are going to in 6.0

[Stepjam]

The following is all assuming you are ok with spoilers/are current.

No, Zenos is just an abnormally powerful man who managed to get himself an artificial echo. If it weren't for the experiments he did to get that, he would have died at the end of Stormblood when he cut his throat and that would have been that. Besides, it's Elidibus who is Zodiark. Or at least Zodiark's core. Makes me wonder if Zodiark can even be sentient anymore.

[Tensaihime]

Besides, it's Elidibus who is Zodiark. Or at least Zodiark's core. Makes me wonder if Zodiark can even be sentient anymore.

Now I’m starting to wonder how Zodiark is doing, too. Will he even be capable of whatever Zenos wants from him? Will he be totally unpredictable in his actions, to the detriment of both allies and enemies -assuming they can get him to do anything in the first place? (If they hadn’t spent so much time establishing him as an important part of the MSQ and lore, I’d wonder if he’d just pull an Alexander and nope out, maybe even taking Zenos with him, leaving us to deal with whatever mess Fandaniel manages to stir up.)

[KageTokage]

I think the reason for why he's abnormally powerful is the lingering question in light of the revelation that he's been having dreams about the Final Days even before he got his artificial echo.

It could just mean he inherited an exceptionally strong soul (The fact that he can perceive a soul's "color" was something noted as being rare even amongst the Ancients), but it's also suggested he may have been somehow tampered with by Emet Selch.

[Rannie]

I think the reason for why he's abnormally powerful is the lingering question in light of the revelation that he's been having dreams about the Final Days even before he got his artificial echo.

It could just mean he inherited an exceptionally strong soul (The fact that he can perceive a soul's "color" was something noted as being rare even amongst the Ancients), but it's also suggested he may have been somehow tampered with by Emet Selch.

Unless he inherited the ability to see a soul's color from you know... His great grandfather..... Was he always able to see the color though or did that happen after becoming a resonant?

[HiraishinNoJutsu]

It could just mean he inherited an exceptionally strong soul (The fact that he can perceive a soul's "color" was something noted as being rare even amongst the Ancients), but it's also suggested he may have been somehow tampered with by Emet Selch.

Unless he inherited the ability to see a soul's color from you know... His great grandfather..... Was he always able to see the color though or did that happen after becoming a resonant?

My Tinfoil hat theory of HythZenos gets thrown out the window if soul seeing is hereditary but branching off Kage I think both are a possibility.

The excerpt from "Through his eyes" says:
"Yet like Hades, he was eminently gifted in the ability to behold the Underworld. As a matter of fact, were it purely a question of vision, his was the keener of the two."

If Zenos' power stems from an exceptional soul Hythlodeaus is a sound fit being second to none in at least that one department which could also give Emet-Selch a purpose in fiddling around with his soul. If he recognized his old friend I wouldn't think it out of the realm of possibility that motivated by his loss he would seek to bring it to the forefront somehow. (perhaps through many artificial rejoinings in one body?)