What's the point with that quite lackluster story in Endwalker?

[KageTokage]

Honestly at this point I really don't see how they can do a 'happy ending' for the Garleans there civilian population seems to have been functionally exterminated by Fandaniel so I'm not sure what they'll be salvaging out of Garlemald

I feel like the best case scenario would be for an arrangement to be made for them and the other people of Ilsabard to co-exist in Corvos and other provinces that are amenable to the idea.

There doesn't seem to be any indication that that wasn't the case originally, as the G tribe was stated to have lived there since the time of the Allagans, but it's only at some later point that aggressors from neighboring regions chased out the Garleans. For all we know there might be only one specific group that was responsible for that, but the Garleans ended up pursuing disproportionate retribution and decided to make enemies of the entire continent; even those who had no hand in their exile.

Those years of bad blood aren't just going to wash away quickly, though, and I can easily see a new conflict brewing as a result of the remaining Garlean legions desiring to reclaim Corvos after the Final Days largely eliminated their presence in the region. I will welcome such a thing if it's not a simple matter of right vs. wrong and radical parties on both sides of things serve as obstacles to peace.

[Kolsykol]

I feel like the best case scenario would be for an arrangement to be made for them and the other people of Ilsabard to co-exist in Corvos and other provinces that are amenable to the idea.

There doesn't seem to be any indication that that wasn't the case originally, as the G tribe was stated to have lived there since the time of the Allagans, but it's only at some later point that aggressors from neighboring regions chased out the Garleans. For all we know there might be only one specific group that was responsible for that, but the Garleans ended up pursuing disproportionate retribution and decided to make enemies of the entire continent; even those who had no hand in their exile.

Those years of bad blood aren't just going to wash away quickly, though, and I can easily see a new conflict brewing as a result of the remaining Garlean legions desiring to reclaim Corvos after the Final Days largely eliminated their presence in the region. I will welcome such a thing if it's not a simple matter of right vs. wrong and radical parties on both sides of things serve as obstacles to peace.

I imagine after a near universe ending event people would probably be a bit more open to just moving on, especially with Garlemald being destroyed and the Garleans learning the truth.
You're not wrong that there would be a bunch of crap with people incapable of moving on but I don't think it'd be something you wouldn't be able to keep under control.

I mean irl we have a lot of countries with VERY bloody histories that today are very good friends including multiple world wars on top of it all.
People all things considered moved on very quickly from WW2 which I'd say was worse than what the Garleans were up to ( even if the Garlemald was really bad, but they afaik didn't have gas chambers etc... ).
Not to mention that Garlemald had a crap ton of Eorzeans doing a lot of really bad stuff under their umbrella.
I think people would just kinda be done tbh, we've seen it many times irl too at some point things just get so bad that people have enough and just decide to stop.

Garleans I don't think are in any position to do anything either and learning the truth of their Empire I think would be internally conflicting enough to stop any large scale uprising.

[KageTokage]

I imagine after a near universe ending event people would probably be a bit more open to just moving on, especially with Garlemald being destroyed and the Garleans learning the truth.
You're not wrong that there would be a bunch of crap with people incapable of moving on but I don't think it'd be something you wouldn't be able to keep under control.

I mean irl we have a lot of countries with VERY bloody histories that today are very good friends including multiple world wars on top of it all.
People all things considered moved on very quickly from WW2 which I'd say was worse than what the Garleans were up to ( even if the Garlemald was really bad, but they afaik didn't have gas chambers etc... ).
Not to mention that Garlemald had a crap ton of Eorzeans doing a lot of really bad stuff under their umbrella.
I think people would just kinda be done tbh, we've seen it many times irl too at some point things just get so bad that people have enough and just decide to stop.

Garleans I don't think are in any position to do anything either and learning the truth of their Empire I think would be internally conflicting enough to stop any large scale uprising.

The Omega questline and final role quest did note that some of the Garleans were just sick of it all and simply wanted to focus on survival, but at the same time there were some who remained stubbornly patriotic in the face of everything and were reluctant to accept aid or cooperate with the non-Garleans.

Apply the latter attitude to one or more of the remaining legions holed up Ilsabard's provinces and things are liable to not go swimmingly.

[Atma]

Honestly at this point I really don't see how they can do a 'happy ending' for the Garleans there civilian population seems to have been functionally exterminated by Fandaniel so I'm not sure what they'll be salvaging out of Garlemald

I'm already waiting for Garlemald Restoration in the next xpac. Crafters/gatherers gonna need another shortcut to get them selves shot through ShB/EW content faster. Plus, Ishgard was generally pretty well-regarded content.

[DixieBellOCE]

• The mighty Zodiark, which has been build up as this mighty(evil) entity over several expansions, turns out to be nothing but filler trash for the first Endwalker trial
• The true cause of the Final Days is a pet-project from an ancient which goes mad after observing countless dead world and possibly causing the death of several world by projecting negative emotions unto them, and is thus dead-set on bringing despair to every world, upon which said ancient goes mad and is now letting her run her course to test humanity if they can withstand/fight despair
• Venat, who hasn't had her memory wiped + still remembers you from being in Elpis, quite apparently doesn't lift a finger to learn about Dynamis herself or to mobilize the other ancients to end Meteion then and there, and instead chooses to turn herself into Hydaelyn, sunder the world and the inhabitants, thereby forcing them to live with and face despair and gambling that their resilience against despair might be enough to face Meteion one day

Really?
This is the best SQ could do in terms of story after ShB?

Can i point you, my friend, in the direction of every final fantasy game ever made.

Main baddy -> not the real endboss.
Real endboss -> introduced right at the end of the game.

You are welcome.

[aveyond-dreams]

Can i point you, my friend, in the direction of every final fantasy game ever made.

Main baddy -> not the real endboss.
Real endboss -> introduced right at the end of the game.

You are welcome.

Except for FFII, FFV, FFVI, FFVII, FFVIII, FFX, FFXII, and FFXV. Even in games aside from these the confrontation against the built-up antagonists were not throwaway battles like in the case of Anima and to some degree Zodiark given the way in which his fight plays out.

[CrownySuccubus]

Except for FFII, FFV, FFVI, FFVII, FFVIII, FFX, FFXII, and FFXV. Even in games aside from these the confrontation against the built-up antagonists were not throwaway battles like in the case of Anima and to some degree Zodiark given the way in which his fight plays out.

Does Anima really even count as a "built-up" antagonist? The Scions are only told about him a few MSQs before the battle, and he's never considered anything but a tool for keeping the towers online.

Unless, of course, you're considering Varis part of "Anima's" buildup?

[aveyond-dreams]

Does Anima really even count as a "built-up" antagonist? The Scions are only told about him a few MSQs before the battle, and he's never considered anything but a tool for keeping the towers online.

Anima is Varis. He has been part of the story since the ARR post patches.

[CrownySuccubus]

Anima is Varis. He has been part of the story since the ARR post patches.

Yep. I edited that in because I figured that's what you were saying.

Sure, I guess, although Varis stopped having any agency on the plot after his death.

[Jagick]

Answer me this, because I'm growing more unsure and disappointed by the moment. That trial battle with "Zodiark" which wasn't even Zodiark but Fandaniel basically possessing him while he was still sundered and unfinished. Is that really it? Was that the only engagement with Zodiark we get? A fight that isn't even really Zodiark? It was the most underwhelming reveal of this ancient all powerful primal god I have ever seen in any story medium ever. Was that REALLY it? The end of the Zodiark arc? The main villain is really just some last minute Mass Effect 3 tier "Starchild" BS?

Furthermore, was Zodiark seriously only being contained by some shield that can apparently be taken down by anyone with enough aether to throw at it? By some technological weapon even the Garleans could have devised? Hell, at this point I think THAT would have been a better story. The Garleans discover this ancient primal god contained on the moon and in an attempt to destroy it, accidentally set Zodiark free thus beginning the final days or something like that.