Are <5.0 main villain> fanboys also supportive of <6.1-6.5 main villain>? *SPOILERS*

[SannaR]

For me Durante had more than one opportunity to enact his plan. Especially if it was mostly just for a chance to rejoin the great flow. He and the others could have gone through the gate Azdaja came on in through five thousand years ago. Heck I don't remember if those on the Void Ark or the other parts of the Mach raid that had the void coffins were brought over whole sale or not. If it took him over ten thousand years to get to the point where he and the others were sick of not being able to die then that is on him. Or if it only took them that long to come up with the plan then again that is on them. Which for me is why I have little sympathy for him. Don't see him in the same light as Emet-Selch.

The rejoinings couldn't be rushed or you'd end up with another 13th on your hands. There's only so much trauma you can deal to the Source before you cause it to try and absorb a shard that's not been prepared for a rejoining. Meanwhile Durante and crew could have sweet talked various people to allow them to come over wholesale. The Allagans and Machi were greedy enough.

[Theodric]

I'm not sure it works, since the game calls out both Emet-Selch and Golbez for the consequences of their actions.

I'd say this is more fitting, particularly around these parts:

[KageTokage]

The problem is assuming that all Emet Selch fanboys actually agree with his goals/methods.

But no, I don't like Golbez because he was just a dull rehash of an existing FF villain with the shortest redemption arc imaginable. The original version of him had an excuse for that because he was literally mind-controlled, whereas this version just took a small puff of logic from being reminded that his friend wouldn't like he was doing to do a 180.

[Cilia]

snip

In fairness -

One of the last things Venat tells you before you leave Elpis is that she is not just going to accept the history you've detailed to her as absolute fact, and will strive to make sure it doesn't come to pass. So the "Venat didn't try to change anything" argument holds no weight - she did try to change things and failed, and in no history we can observe does she succeed. Elidibus warns us of this before we set out to Elpis.

You might not agree with the choices she made - I don't wholly, though I understand why she made them - but there's no reason to believe Venat made no effort to create a history different from the one we described other than because you want to.

[Lyth]

A villain's likeability has more to do with how entertaining they are, rather than out of any unironic support for their policies. Emet Selch is a fun, charismatic psychopath. Even his past self, in a moment of lucidity, was able to recognize that he was ultimately destined to become a monster who killed his own citizens, betrayed his friends, and slaughtered multiple worlds. You don't have to justify any of that in order to like him or appreciate the fact that he's a fantastic character. He doesn't.

Durante is a B-tier villain with much less screen and development time. I think you're better off comparing him to someone like Ilberd or Valens. I think Zenos is a much more fair comparison to make with Emet, given that they both have their own little redemption arcs. A lot of people (myself included) wrote Zenos off post-Stormblood, but they did an absolutely smashing job with him since (and his voice acting is great as well). They probably could have done more with his character initially, but he definitely did make a solid comeback.

??

Two years is a remarkably long time to run a campaign against a fictional character on an online forum. Venat truly must have been more memorable to you than even Emet.

[Vyrerus]

Nah, Durante as Golbez was a failboat of a villain. It probably couldn't have gone any other way, since the game now charts its course by levity, tacos, and Mary Sues.

Obviously they were going for FFIV references to the max in 6.5. Home boy literally sees Zero show up with some white aether, and is like, "OMG Mary. You got light here?!" As if the WoL hadn't dead ass brought an entire crystal of the stuff in ?6.2? or whenever Troia was.

This man had a whole 10,000 year crusade, and he decides to stop and be a good wittle boy for Mary just because. Man got warped around Zero worse than the Scions got warped around Venat. And Vrtra being entirely cold about him after he fed his sister to Zeromus? Shaking my head SMH

By comparison, Hades fought to the death for his beliefs and for his people. Ironically, he fought to try and restore the world to its old form, the same thing Mary now wants to do with the 13th. This makes the writing for the patch go against the expansion's theme, and as a result makes the already shoddy writing around Durante collapse.

Like OP's question is more or less:

Do you like this cardboard cut out of a plot device as much as you like this fully fleshed out character rich in lore and feelings?

No. Not at all, really. Though I will say if he hadn't been warped around Mary, then he would have been better even if his plan had still failed. If he'd died in the doing it would have been more true to his character and to him being hell bent on his goal for the past 10,000 years.

[Absimiliard]

Two years is a remarkably long time to run a campaign against a fictional character on an online forum. Venat truly must have been more memorable to you than even Emet.

Four years is a remarkably long time to run a campaign against a fictional character on an online forum. Emet-Selch truly must have been more memorable for a number of people than even Venat.

[Lyth]

???

This is an Emet-Selch appreciation thread, no? But surely the man can speak for himself.

[Alleluia]

I have problems with Emet I don't have with Golbez, like Emet's choices with his family in Garlemald and the corruption of an innocent baby with a sineater, among others. Golbez at least changed course. Then again Golbez had the luxury to do so and still accomplish his goal. Emet's goal couldn't be accomplished any other way (besides time travel, and that was unlikely). Also, has Golbez actually killed anyone? I don't think so. He's gone to war on the 13th, but no one has actually died, cus they can't. They just rez or get eaten/merged. All I think Golbez has actually done is conquer, so far. He hasn't necessarily treated people well, particularly Azdaja. And he wasn't a protective ruler, like Zero with her safe haven where people didn't eat each other involuntarily.* But he never actually got as bad as an ascian before he changed course.

I'd call myself an Emet fan, despite having the problems with him. I also like Golbez. But they aren't the same type of character, imo. If anything, Golbez is a Gaius with better motives. Or another Ardbert I can help.

Speaking of Ardbert, it just occurred to me. If we're successful in restoring the 13th... that means Golbez/Durante (and possibly Zero)will die at the end, yeah? *That's* gonna be a fun expac. >_>

He and the others could have gone through the gate Azdaja came on in through five thousand years ago.

His goal wasn't just for him and a couple others to die, his goal was to fix it for everyone on the planet. So Going through Xande's portal wouldn't have accomplished it. Not to mention, I think the only voidsent that could go through it were the ones the Cloud of Darkness was in charge of. Given what we now know of how the 13th works, the portal likely opened right in the middle of her territory and Golbez wouldn't have had access in the short time it was open, anyway.


*"Strange sentences I never thought I'd type." for 100, Alex.

[Elucesta]

Its cause ones cute thats why. And you can't see the others face thats also why. The storytelling in this game is very squeaky clean at times where you know a character deserves their just desserts, but its very boring at this point and just honestly doesn't go in a good direction for me. It's the same issue I have with the scions now, they have no inner conflict or any disagreements of ideals or anything to challenging their characters within their own circle. Like c'mon, *rolls eyes*