Who wilst depart the mortal realm in 6.0?

[tinythinker]

Pray, place thy speculations herein.

[Anonymoose]

Death is difficult to predict in the Ishikawa Era. She's stated that she feels comfortable killing or resurrecting almost anyone if it serves the story well, but also seems to have a very hard time actually killing characters. Shadowbringers saw us kill both remaining Originals at barely any narrative cost despite how often it told us we're sacrificing and losing just so much.

But baseless guessing? Assuming I don't have to take The Sound into account?
Or my even more baseless Presence of Silvertear Lake shenanigans?

I feel like Raubahn's had a target on his back for a while. Which means Lyse is probably safe.

This next few assume people who are Trusts can die...

Thancred is probably safe since he just had a perfectly good death in Shadowbrigers, then just popped up in the next scene wiping the blood off his mouth like, "Hey, guys." and killing him after that would be very ???.

I guess this puts Y'shtola in that boat, too, though we do still have Matoya's ominous warning that putting her spirit under more strain and carrying on as normal will probably get her into trouble someday.

Urianger I'm surprised to find myself putting in the middle column. He has been tied up with the Leveilleur story and prophecies at large the entire time. He could be sacrificed to bring the nature of all that to a satisfying end, especially in defense of his master's grandkids.

Can't imagine this being where Ali or Alphie die, though if one did and the other had to carry on, holy heavy story for the twins all of a sudden.

G'raha in the middle column out of pure spite for his time shenanigans shaking the world-setting to its foundations. Will he be safe after going on that one grand adventure we promised him?

I think the majority of the Scions are more likely to disband and retire while we carry on with who have until now been the B-Team.

Estinien, not impossible. Yoshi P is a fan so that armor's pretty thick. He's a useful plot device in how the Scions function, too. But his core story is long over, in a way, and the fates of Nidhogg and the Azure Dragoon are forever entwined and neither can fully rest while the other lives, even if they're "working together" for now.

Tataru is off limits. She's our last Path of the Twelve member, our last connection to the past, and the conscience of our group. (And the rest of them suck with money and recruitment and bookkeeping.)

Zenos's walking dead already, probably.

Fandaniel's walking dead already, certainly.

Zodiark is in serious danger; we've been told he's the antagonist for so long not fighting him at all feels wrong. But if Zodiark goes, Hydaelyn (as we know her) is gone, too. She exists to be his counter-balance; if he's not there, she's the problem she exists to solve (in the other direction). I have a hard time seeing Venat walking away from this; I think we're putting all the Ancients and their works to bed (for now). (Triple points of she sacrifices herself to block Ultima and we get full narrative symmetry with ARR.).

How the remaining Ascians will be used is a big thing, here. If we're ending the Zodiark story, it could very well be that the other Ascians are going into the grave, too, (I would prefer this even), but I wouldn't put it past SE to just leave a few of them in the wind "just in case" they'd be a useful plot detail. This all assumes Pandaemonium doesn't throw us for a loop, though.

Gaius and Fordola could go either way depending on how they're going to be used in the future but Arenvald is probably safe after his fake-out into hospital.

[Mansion]

As far as we can count on the "end" to have some kind of Tabula Rasa, I can see characters being retired rather than being outright deaded (like Lyse and Yugiri have since 5.0).
My main bet would be Y'shtola. I like her, I don't have anything against her. I just think she didn't have a proper character growth for a while and unless going to Sharlayan brings that occasion in, I think she could retire in Sharlayan (and find a way to go back to Runar perhaps?) Yet she is a main figure for FFXIV, so it would be bold to get rid of her, one way or another.


From a writing point of view, I think one of the twins dying would be a very hard blow to the WoL, because they both had their character growing closer to the WoL in HW and StB. The same could be said about Graha, but him being close to us for a shorter time doesn't equally compare, in my opinion.
I don't feel the WoL is as close with Urianger, Thancred, Y'shtola and Estinien. I'm not sure how significant their death would be in a narrative.

I guess Zenos and Danny are expected to die. But I just hope they won't have a lukewarm bittersweet conclusion like Yotsuyu (which was great), Emet (which was okay) and Elidibus (which was meh). Let the evil ones be evil.

New characters dying close to their introduction can work (Tesleen was her name?) too.
Or something completely unexpected and kind of unrelated to the bigger plot, like if Nero or Cid died for instance, it would be quite sad for the small Garlond ironworks sub-plot.

[RyuDragnier]

G'raha will likely be replacing Hydaelyn as the one holding the worlds together due to his skill at doing so with the Crystal Tower, as there's too much foreshadowing there and Hydaelyn/Zodiark storyline is wrapping up (meaning she won't likely be here any more).

Y'shtola will likely "die" in a sense in that her body will no longer be able to withstand the price of her being able to see Aether and she'll have us take her soul to the First to help monitor it, with her promising to send Feo Ul our way should anything pop up.

Alphinaud may end up staying in Sharlayan to help bring it back onto the world's stage instead of being so passive to everything, with Urianger staying to help and teach everything learned on the First.

Thancred may very well get an injury forcing him to retire, or he could very well die this time since there's not much more they can do for his story.

Alisaie will likely keep traveling with us, as she isn't the type to stay in one place for too long. Plus her having feelings for the WoL will encourage it along with her knowledge of how to cure Tempering.

Krile and Tataru will likely stay on board with us. Tataru knows that we have a knack for finding treasure and riches, and Krile would want to stay as a link to us should anything come up from Sharlayan. Though tbh with Krile I'm not sure on anything, she doesn't seem to have much story on where she could go.

Raubahn is likely going to be dying at some point to not only finally pass the torch onto Pipin to protect the Sultana, but also to where Lyse can no longer use him as a shoulder for advice on helping/ruling Ala Mhigo, making her stand on her own feet.

Everybody else who is a regular? Likely safe.

[Katie_Kitty]

The player character

[tinythinker]

The player character

I considered that a while back for a second as it would allow us to return as unknown ala 2.0, but too many players would riot

[Vyrerus]

I have a sneaking suspicion that Endwalkers will make like it's going to kill people off, but then only maim them into retirement. Altana forbid our heroes actually suffer the consequences of placing themselves in mortal peril time and time again.

If we lose anybody, it'll probably be a city state leader or two. Thancred might pull a Shadow, and really stick it to Fandaniel or Zenos, but then we won't be able to wait for him or something. Down with the Floating Continent you go, my boy!

Urianger will take an arrow in the knee.

Twins will both come out fine.

If G'raha dies it will be in the first half of 6.0, I think. But given that he's the writer's pet, don't think he's going anywhere. Perhaps another character will take the axe in his stead.

Y'shtola, I want her to die. It's time. I still don't think that SE has the balls to do it though.

Krile is a more likely candidate, being a Lalafell and all.

They've kept their hand face down against the table though. Have no idea how people would actually die if they did actually die. I have no idea exactly how we're going to progress through the zone arrangement, nor how events are going to play out.

[Wyssahtyn]

whatever character(s) gets specifically written or even rewritten for the expac. looking forward to y'shtola using flow to no consequence again.

[GoldStarz]

Krile dying would require them to think about her for more than 5 minutes which they seem incapable of doing.

[Kesey]

In all honesty, there will probably be a few deaths. But only one will be close and personal, the others will be people that were slightly important at one point and we can now live without.

I also think there will be a retirement of numerous major story players to clear the board for new characters.

I feel like the one of the twins is on the chopping block here. One will die to spurn the other to significant change. Most likely the sacrifice happening so the other twin and the WOL can live. I feel like Ali has the most room grow, but it's also sus to give Alphie a new class if he is just going to bite it.

Retirement is best solution for Thancred, Y'shtola, Urianger, Estinien and Krile. Their role in this story really culminating with Endwalker and retirement lets them freely walk back into the story when needed too.

The only person who is safe is G'raha, as he was narrating the ending to 5.3, which is a G'raha that has seen the end of 6.0.