[Spoilers inclluding 7.0] My "True" Main Character Theory

[ShinyChariot]

Actually, you're mistaken there on multiple fronts - the WoL is a character in so much as the story revolves around them. While it's certainly true they are also a narrative device to move the story forward, they are also the central protagonist in that the story literally could not exist without them.

You really took my "other FF games" example quite literally. I said "Other", not all of them. Of course there are games in the series the series that don't have a defined fleshed out "character" as the protagonist. As far as the story literally not being able to exist without them, that's the same for the games without a fleshed out protagonist like 1~3, 11, and all the examples you mentioned. They all have basic lore on what they are and what their purpose is, but it's not so far off from what the WoL is. The WoL just has more complicated titles and statuses attatched to them that comes along with an MMO story that's been going on for years. If there's a box where Terra, Squall, Cloud, Noctus, and whomever else, and another box with generic blank slate heroes, I'm putting FFXIV's WoL in the latter because the FFXIV WoL in portrayed in the same spirit as them.

I never argued against the existence of blank slate characters in the FF series to begin with. That's just a strawman you made up.

You can mention WoL being Azem's reincarnation and all that, but those are just more details about what the WoL is, not who they are and it doesn't make them any less of a blank slate than they were before this information. The developers even allow you an extraordinary amount of freedom regarding Azem's actual personality and values, as they let you decide what they were doing during the final days, so you saying the Blank Slate WoL is a reincarnation of a Blank Slate ancient isn't saying much.

They are literally a character, but narratively they're empty.

[SannaR]

And then you have Vaan who is only the lead for a short while and wouldn't even matter much of taken out.

[Elissar]

7.0 could be Zero and restoring the 13th with the Twelve (a person can dream)...and they could make a sidequest for Y'shtola development just like they did with Tataru.

[Cleretic]

And then you have Vaan who is only the lead for a short while and wouldn't even matter much of taken out.

Between Vaan, Tidus, Raiden in MGS2 and I know a couple more I'm forgetting, the PS2 was a weird renaissance in 'stories where the character you play as is not the main character of the story itself'.

[Ghost_of_Ebina]

I think it is important to only consider the x.0 level storyline to discuss things like this, because anything after that (such as 4.2, 5.3, etc) includes epilogue-esque plot elements that are there to tie loose ends and basically to "give players something to grind on for the next 2 years."

This, my thought would be:
1.0: This was a failed experiment, so no comment.
2.0: I really didn't see anybody getting any character development during 2.0. Everyone basically remained the same person, so the WoL might be the best contender as s/he transforms from a regular adventurer into realizing he is special and ends up with the archons.
3.0 Estinien & Alphinaud: Both of these characters interact and grow during Heavensward, but I think Estinien has more of the heroic aspect compared to Alphinaud.
4.0 Lyse & Hien: Ryne was definitely more of the "intended" heroine of Stromblood where she was "supposed" to learn by looking at Hien, who already has all of the qualities of a perfect hero. I think the story-telling sort of didn't do a good job with making Lyse really convincing. The after-stories doesn't help because I see more Raubahn than Lyse for anything Ala Mhigho-related.
5.0 Ryne, Thancred & Albert: Ryne had to face herself and get rid of her "Minfilia" role, while Thancred had to resolve his mental attachment to Minflilia which he was projecting on Ryne. Albert was basically a ghost during the entire 5.0 plot, but he had to struggle with the purpose of his existence and constant self-doubt of whether his past battles had any meaning or not -- but in the end he becomes the final straw that saves the world.
6.0 Zenos: As much as I hate the guy, 6.0 really keeps bringing him into scenes to make it look like he is gradually changing from a genocidal psychopath into being on the scion's side at the end. It feels like the intent is to say "he learned and grew up as a character." He is even shown in a poster standing with the scions.

[Iscah]

I think it is important to only consider the x.0 level storyline to discuss things like this, because anything after that (such as 4.2, 5.3, etc) includes epilogue-esque plot elements that are there to tie loose ends and basically to "give players something to grind on for the next 2 years."

The post-credits MSQ is still MSQ, and includes some of the WoL's biggest victories amid a huge lot of plot continuation.

Saying it doesn't count is rejecting a huge chunk of the game.

[Ghost_of_Ebina]

The post-credits MSQ is still MSQ, and includes some of the WoL's biggest victories amid a huge lot of plot continuation.

Saying it doesn't count is rejecting a huge chunk of the game.

Yes, I would count it separate. If we are to include it it would be too early to say who can possibly be the main protagonist for 6.x as we haven't seen the entire plot.
It may as well be Zero, or it can even be Golbez. To me the plot in each post-credit is quite disconnected from the pre-credit.

[Vyrerus]

While it's certainly true they are also a narrative device to move the story forward, they are also the central protagonist in that the story literally could not exist without them and that their story is the main story (this is unlike FFXI where the player's character literally is just a sidekick along for the ride while the story NPCs like Zeid and Lion who are the real protagonists that get all the credit for your efforts).

Whoa, whoa, whoa. That is a grave misreading of FFXI's storylines. Full stop. The adventurer in FFXI is a big, pivotal deal in every storyline in that game (Especially Rhapsodies), though they aren't always treated with the respect they deserve.


They don't get full credit from the world like the WoL does in FFXIV, but they get full credit from the NPCs directly related to each storyline they participate in at the time of going through it.

I mean, there is a mild disconnect with its presentation in that NPCs don't recognize you from prior encounters because the timeline for the game has the consistency of silly puddy. But I'll go through it storyline by storyline except for the Voracious Resurgence( 1. it's not finish and 2. I haven't touched it yet).

Nation Missions up to Rank 6: The first storyline for the game. The adventurer winds up being the responsible for stopping the rebirth of The Shadowlord, and does defeat the Shadowlord in combat. They are lauded and promoted by whatever nation they do it for.

Rise of the Zilart: It begins with Lion rescuing you from the Zilartian Princes / Ark Angels after you defeat the Shadowlord as a, "Hey this is actually what happened when The Shadowlord blew himself up." But it ends with Lion, Zeid, and Aldo being unable to match the power of Eald'narche. So the adventurer steps up and takes him down. Lion then sacrifices herself to stop his final attempt at activating the Crystal Line as Yve'noile ferries his soul off to the afterlife. Zeid and Aldo part ways with the adventurer, Zeid telling them, "I speak for all of Vana'diel when I say thank you <Adventurer's Name>."

Chains of Promathia: More important than ever before, the Adventurer becomes the vessel for the Mothercrystals' lights, unwittingly aiding in Selh'teus's plan to restore light to Al'taieu's crystal and prevent the advent of the Keeper of the Apocalypse. Other characters slowly unfold this truth over the course of a convoluted 8 chapter(43 or so missions) tale. By the end of the storyline it's implied that Prishe and the adventurer are beyond mortality, and this is what allows them to aid Selh'teus in fighting the Twilight God. It is also explicitly why they can deny/ignore his mind enslaving telepathy.

Treasures of Aht Urhgan: The adventurer becomes a double agent. A spy for the middle lands, and a mercenary for Salaheem's Sentinels. With the Empress Nashmeira II personally growing attached to them, and claiming them to be her mercenary for all eternity. This is offset somewhat by Naja Salaheem treating the adventurer like dirt, but even she knows deep down and admits by the end that they are her most powerful and valuable merc.

Wings of the Goddess: Stumbling into a derelict Atomos maw, the adventurer is flung back in time to the Crystal War era where they become pivotal in the war effort. In addition to this, they find out that they have actually been sent back to a point where timelines diverge, and encounter the Walk of Echoes, as well as Cait Sith, an avatar born of Altana's Tears. They quickly become tasked with stopping their own timeline from being doomed to the actual Atomos's maw, and go on to fight the compelling Lady Lilith for the right to exist. There's a bit more to it than that, but they more or less get acknowledged as the world's savior by Cait Sith, a divinity's familiar. (Not too mention by Lilisette who would have been condemned to non-existence without their aid).

A Crystalline Prophecy: Without the adventurer, Aldo could not have stopped the Seed Crystal, so the Antiphon wouldn't have nipped its song of oblivion in the bud by being able to marshal the lifeforce response from the denizens of Vana'diel.

Moogle Kupo D'etat: Rent a Rooms would be Pay to Stay, the horror! This one revolves specifically around the adventurer and their rent a room moogle.

Shantotto Ascension: Adventurer and Shantotto rack up another funny world endangering story that only the adventurer could stop.

Abyssea: Joachim makes it explicitly clear that only the Adventurer is up to the task of crossing into the world of Abyssea, a twisted apocalyptic Vana'diel, and stopping it from ending.

Voidwatch: Similar to Abyssea with less story.

Seekers of Adoulin: The adventurer gets a leg in with Arciela, who's basically royalty. Becomes the most pivotal pioneer in all of Adoulin. Gets compared to August, the founder of Adoulin from hundreds of years ago. Literally fights with and defeats monsters whos family monster name in the data is, "Super Beings."

Rhapsodies of Vana'diel: Altana literally hands down responsibility of pushing back the Cloud of Darkness to the adventurer in a face to face meeting in Lumoria. The player character is implied to have achieved divinity.

So, I mean, it's just patently false to claim that the adventurer in XI just remains some nobody and everyone around them gets all the credit. There's just not an entire side cast cooing in awe of them at every other cutscene.

[MistakeNot]

Yes, I would count it separate. If we are to include it it would be too early to say who can possibly be the main protagonist for 6.x as we haven't seen the entire plot.
It may as well be Zero, or it can even be Golbez. To me the plot in each post-credit is quite disconnected from the pre-credit.

Oh, no.
Previous expansions each story started before the expansion actually came out, and ended half-way through the post-credit patches.
The Heavensward story started in patch 2.4 (when we start looking for Lady Iceheart) and ended in patch 3.3 (Final Steps of Faith)
Stormblood story started no later than patch 3.5 (meeting the Griffin, and Baelsar's Wall), and ended in patch 4.3 (Castrum Fluminis)

Endwalker is a bit different in that the main story (and the whole Ascian/Zodiark overarching plot) ended with patch 6.0, with patch 6.1 and onwards (probably) serving as setup for 7.0

[Cleretic]

Oh, no.
Previous expansions each story started before the expansion actually came out, and ended half-way through the post-credit patches.
The Heavensward story started in patch 2.4 (when we start looking for Lady Iceheart) and ended in patch 3.3 (Final Steps of Faith)
Stormblood story started no later than patch 3.5 (meeting the Griffin, and Baelsar's Wall), and ended in patch 4.3 (Castrum Fluminis)

Endwalker is a bit different in that the main story (and the whole Ascian/Zodiark overarching plot) ended with patch 6.0, with patch 6.1 and onwards (probably) serving as setup for 7.0

Truth: it genuinely took until someone told me sometime when I was playing Stormblood that Heavensward ended at Thordan, not Nidhogg.

Admittedly I was basically alone as far as any community goes until about the time I finished 5.0; I had a couple of disconnected friends but was mostly going solo. (I remember it was 5.0 because I had a very weird, rude awakening when bringing out my general take of 'finished Shadowbringers, shame the ending dropped the ball because I loved all the rest'.) I admit I'm far from the usual example, but it means I can attest: if you don't have some form of external or metatextual confirmation that this is where 'the expansion' ends, it's genuinely hard to tell. Especially if you're like me and both skip the credits and swiftly forget that you did.