The Next Expansion cycle needs 2 things. 1) A Break from the Scions and 2)Time Skip

[SongOfTheWind]

His VA is likely not the same price point these days as it was

His English VA. I am sure they don’t write stories to accommodate it, also English dub is notorious to recast actors left and right, so there is little issue if they truly can’t afford (which I doubt)

[CNitsah]

I dunno why people are trying to push the "retire the scions" narrative thing because I legitimately hate it
we still have scions who could use more characterization even. Krile, who got kinda shafted in DT, let us bring Graha on more adventures LIKE WE PROMISED HIM, the scions B team at the rising stones, Clive, Mikoto, etc.
hell, Yshtola could use some more spotlight too in all honesty
the Scions are our JRPG party members, I would not replace them at all.

Honestly, I would have prefered they retired most of them at least for dawntrail than what we got. I'm all for keeping them... If they can make them relevant one way or the other. Seeing how few they matter and how Alphinaud and Alisaie were shoehorned there, I feel like this was the idea when they planned and advertised the whole "disband the scions", and just after that, they got cold foot and we got that.

[Kozh]

I dunno why people are trying to push the "retire the scions" narrative thing because I legitimately hate it
we still have scions who could use more characterization even. Krile, who got kinda shafted in DT, let us bring Graha on more adventures LIKE WE PROMISED HIM, the scions B team at the rising stones, Clive, Mikoto, etc.
hell, Yshtola could use some more spotlight too in all honesty
the Scions are our JRPG party members, I would not replace them at all.

1. Stop it with Graha, we already have many adventures with him, including Myths of the Realm raid.

2. The biggest problem is, can the writers write compelling story to justify them being there? Not that I disagree with your point about more characterization but we've seen already how DT, which was teased by yoshi-p to be somewhat Krile's focused story, ends up with her having less line than Erenville and Wuk Lmao. If the writers simply not capable to write a good story about the scions, I rather have them retired than repeating what happens in DT.

[DreadCrow]

2. The biggest problem is, can the writers write compelling story to justify them being there?

The idea that you need "a compelling story" to justify the inclusion of a supporting cast is one of the silliest idea that float around modern story discussion. The only reason we need to justify the Scions being around is they are our friends. Like Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen to Superman, or Mary Jane, Aunt May, and J. Jonah Jameson for Spider-Man. Sometimes, they'll be a story reason why they are around... Other times, they are just there to give consistency to a character.

[Kozh]

The idea that you need "a compelling story" to justify the inclusion of a supporting cast is one of the silliest idea that float around modern story discussion. The only reason we need to justify the Scions being around is they are our friends. Like Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen to Superman, or Mary Jane, Aunt May, and J. Jonah Jameson for Spider-Man. Sometimes, they'll be a story reason why they are around... Other times, they are just there to give consistency to a character.

But if they don't do anything interesting, they might as well do other things off screen rather than standing there saying nothing.

[Zaniel]

hell, Yshtola could use some more spotlight too in all honesty

God no, Y'Shtola has fallen into deus ex machina territory, she just gets wheeled out to be a magic genius and mcguffin fix everything WAAAAAY too much these days. If they want to keep her for the fans they need to get her writing under control (I don't object to her personality).

EDIT: The problem with the Scions is that ALL of them have had their development arcs, they are complete characters who don't need any further exploration, indeed further "development" might harm the existing character. Some like Thancred and Estinien are literally at writing-retirement stage. The only two Scions who could still be really truly further developed as people are Krile and Alisaie, even Alphinaud has done his full arc. I'm all for cameos or even semi-regular drop-ins from other Scions but we need some fresh blood. I would kill to see Makoto replace Y'shtola and another fighter/rogue added to the group, not just more mages.

[Daralii]

God no, Y'Shtola has fallen into deus ex machina territory, she just gets wheeled out to be a magic genius and mcguffin fix everything WAAAAAY too much these days. If they want to keep her for the fans they need to get her writing under control (I don't object to her personality).

EDIT: The problem with the Scions is that ALL of them have had their development arcs, they are complete characters who don't need any further exploration, indeed further "development" might harm the existing character. Some like Thancred and Estinien are literally at writing-retirement stage. The only two Scions who could still be really truly further developed as people are Krile and Alisaie, even Alphinaud has done his full arc. I'm all for cameos or even semi-regular drop-ins from other Scions but we need some fresh blood. I would kill to see Makoto replace Y'shtola and another fighter/rogue added to the group, not just more mages.

I'd kind of like to see Kagura(Mikoto's twin sister) show up, though from how she's described in the field notes it'd run the risk of being a rehash of Alphinaud and Alisaie, just 8 years older.

[Auro_Seldaris]

I dunno why people are trying to push the "retire the scions" narrative thing because I legitimately hate it
we still have scions who could use more characterization even. Krile, who got kinda shafted in DT, let us bring Graha on more adventures LIKE WE PROMISED HIM, the scions B team at the rising stones, Clive, Mikoto, etc.
hell, Yshtola could use some more spotlight too in all honesty
the Scions are our JRPG party members, I would not replace them at all.

People like to complain that Y'shtola is uninteresting. I always have to remind them that she's actually barely been IN the story.

ARR? She's only 1 of 3 possible paths.
Heavensward? Spends most of the expansion in the Lifestream.
Stormblood? Spends most of the expansion half-dead in the hospital.
Shadowbringers? Spends like a third of it innawoods.
Endwalker was actually the first time in years she was actually around for most of the story arc.
Don't worry, they fixed that in Dawntrail, she shows up for two scenes, literally phones in her lines, and then just... "Scions" in the background, like all the other Scions.

It's little wonder she has no real focus, she's been half-dead or missing for most of the game's life cycle so far.

[Hallarem]

People like to complain that Y'shtola is uninteresting. I always have to remind them that she's actually barely been IN the story.

ARR? She's only 1 of 3 possible paths.
Heavensward? Spends most of the expansion in the Lifestream.
Stormblood? Spends most of the expansion half-dead in the hospital.
Shadowbringers? Spends like a third of it innawoods.
Endwalker was actually the first time in years she was actually around for most of the story arc.
Don't worry, they fixed that in Dawntrail, she shows up for two scenes, literally phones in her lines, and then just... "Scions" in the background, like all the other Scions.

It's little wonder she has no real focus, she's been half-dead or missing for most of the game's life cycle so far.

And in Endwalker when she showed up the writing team tried to character assassinate her into a magical girl, so much that Yoshi P had to step in and say "NO"

[-Teria-]

I'm the opposite. The Warrior of Light is the protagonist. The Scions are our party members and friends. We just saw what happens when they get sidelined for an entire expansion and somebody else gets the focus. Hell, we saw what happens when we get sidelined and it's not enjoyable.