The following is a short compilation of various moments that I found rung more true to the forge ahead message than the attempts of forcing the message in Endwalker. Because some of these contain spoilers for their respective works, they will be contained in spoiler tags.

In retrospect I cannot think of a worse message to pair with “killing” off the scions only to revive them 10 minutes later, to say nothing of the throwaway NPCs that were slaughtered in order to prop up this cast clad in the strongest plot armor I’ve ever seen or otherwise punished by turning into monsters for not “forging ahead!” hard enough.

I only hope in that in the future they take better care in choosing the message/theme of subsequent expansions and that they execute them better than they have in this one. Maybe just maybe have the main cast make some actual sacrifices that matter. Do not pretend to sell us “tales of loss and fire and faith” when Thancred is bragging about how they walked away with not so much as a scar to speak of in Endwalker.

Plague Tale

Rodric’s Final Moments



Amicia after Hugo’s Death






FFXV

Ignis Sacrifices his Sight



Noctis Sacrifices himself






FFIX

Brahne’s Death and the impact it had on Garnet