Who on the 13th?

[Cassar]

Indeed, I believe there is a chance this could be a Tenzen/Ramza situation, but isn't the ongoing theory (maybe even confirmed) that those were also past reincarnations of us - Azem? Suzaku in specific even mentions our soul as being familiar.

While all of that is true, there's reasonable doubt enough to conclude the contrary. This game's messaging and foreshadowing are rarely subtle, but we don't know how the Memoria crystals work exactly; it could be that anyone holding / viewing Golbez' memories could be interpreted therein by Durante as Golbez.

That's true, it definitely could be just a fake out or I could be misinterpreting it. Keep in mind the game never did (or if it did, it was very subtle/brief) confirm that Ardbert was a shard of Azem, they just made it painfully obvious to the point where there was almost no room for doubt.

Golbez isn't the only first-person flashback scene in the game, and I don't see anyone arguing that G'raha Tia is an Azem shard.

To be fair, in this case they didn't show Graha's face because they couldn't, as it was still a secret who the Exarch was at the time. I see what you mean for sure, but also I have a feeling you might be slightly biased given that you hope he's nobody in particular.

Also I just realized, the cutscene in which we see through Golbez's eyes is voiced!! And yet Golbez still had no voice, only subtitles. Has this ever even happened before? I know it sometimes happens when the character in question is thinking and not speaking. But has it ever happened when they're actually asking questions in subtitles and have them answered voiced? I don't think so! The only time this happens is when we, the WoL have to choose an option.

[Cilia]

Indeed, I believe there is a chance this could be a Tenzen/Ramza situation, but isn't the ongoing theory (maybe even confirmed) that those were also past reincarnations of us - Azem? Suzaku in specific even mentions our soul as being familiar.

It's all but stated that Tenzen was a previous incarnation of Azem.

Ramza appears as a spirit during the Ultima fight in the Orbonne Monastery, so he was probably not an incarnation of Azem - "just" a Warrior of Light.

That's true, it definitely could be just a fake out or I could be misinterpreting it. Keep in mind the game never did (or if it did, it was very subtle/brief) confirm that Ardbert was a shard of Azem, they just made it painfully obvious to the point where there was almost no room for doubt.

Hythlodaeus('s facsimile) tells you the first time you meet him in phantom Amaurot that you and Ardbert were a singular soul prior to the Sundering. His further dialogue when giving you the Azem memory stone, and Emet-Selch's own when you first use it, all but say verbatim the PC is Azem's reincarnation. Ergo...

Also I just realized, the cutscene in which we see through Golbez's eyes is voiced!! And yet Golbez still had no voice, only subtitles. Has this ever even happened before? I know it sometimes happens when the character in question is thinking and not speaking. But has it ever happened when they're actually asking questions in subtitles and have them answered voiced? I don't think so! The only time this happens is when we, the WoL have to choose an option.

To my knowledge this was the first such scene, and was a big part of what led to rampant speculation about Golbez being an incarnation of Azem back during 6.4. 6.5 adds a lot of fuel to the fire, but it was speculated on a long while ago.

[Doragan]

From what I can tell, it's pretty clear to me that it's an Azem shard, however, if it rejoined us or not, it was made ambiguous on purpose. That memoria vision would be the first of its kind, like the crystal wasn't broken or anything and it activated just like that when we got there. If memorias can do this just like that, then.. what's the point of sealing them in the first place? They aren't sealed!

That way, in the future, you can handwave it through a flashback (it was at this time you two rejoined..!!) , or make it an important plot point for later (so durante found the crystal that disappeared.. omg it's shining!)

The fact that Real Golbez was not voiced is a clear giveaway, imo.

I'm still getting the idea it was written this way on purpose, though.

[LilimoLimomo]

MSQ 6.5 spoilers

Also I just realized, the cutscene in which we see through Golbez's eyes is voiced!! And yet Golbez still had no voice, only subtitles. Has this ever even happened before? I know it sometimes happens when the character in question is thinking and not speaking. But has it ever happened when they're actually asking questions in subtitles and have them answered voiced? I don't think so! The only time this happens is when we, the WoL have to choose an option.

I think they had to do it this way because if they had voiced Golbez it would have been obvious that the past one wasn't the same as the present one, since they are two different people and thus would have differing voices. (Even though it was already obvious to anyone paying attention, but up until 6.5 it was treated as a secret and in 6.5 it was treated as a surprising reveal).

[Eisi]

MSQ 6.5 spoilers

I think they had to do it this way because if they had voiced Golbez it would have been obvious that the past one wasn't the same as the present one, since they are two different people and thus would have differing voices. (Even though it was already obvious to anyone paying attention, but up until 6.5 it was treated as a secret and in 6.5 it was treated as a surprising reveal).

Two birds one stone if you ask me! At least that would be genius imo. If that alone was the explanation it'd be pretty mid.

[ICountFrom0]

The fun part is, they KNEW people would notice the non talking POV in the cutscene, and listed it as a bug in known glitches the patch it was released.

[SannaR]

The fun part is, they KNEW people would notice the non talking POV in the cutscene, and listed it as a bug in known glitches the patch it was released.

Are you sure it was about that and not the server data that they mention in 6.45's notes? Cause I looked and didn't see anything about the voiced part in any 6.4 patch notes.

[JepMZ]

I like to believe he isn't in the 13th if you have a RPR job. He's with you as your Avatar in the Source or First

6.5 MSQ spoilers

As I said in a previous thread, the fact that the original Golbez was a shard of Azem is all but confirmed. Not only did we see through his eyes in 6.4, with the non-textbox type of subtitles, but also in 6.5 Durante was certain that we were Golbez during the Memoria section of the dungeon. If you do that dungeon with duty support, the team even emphasizes how "He seems certain that you [the warrior of light] are Golbez".

Knowing how that dungeon ends, Durante kills Golbez (Azem) and traps his soul in the crystal. So, the 13th's Azem is currently trapped in a Memoria crystal. Whether we'll ever rejoin with it, I don't know.

I'm not really convinced. We aren't Hermes either when Emmett was talking to me thinking I was Hermes in an echo. And Y'shtola is among the duty support as well and she didn't remark Golbez has the same aether as you. And everyone didn't comment about Gobez's face reveal because he wasn't Azem and is just some guy they never seen

[Rongway]

And everyone didn't comment about Gobez's face reveal because he wasn't Azem and is just some guy they never seen

Appearance means nothing. See: Ardbert.

[Eisi]

Appearance means nothing. See: Ardbert.

Ardbert literally is the promotional stand-in for the Warrior of Light.