Well, the first Storyline Final Boss of FFXIV has been out for about a week now. I thought I'd see how everyone felt compared to Shadow Lord.

Nael Van Darnus: A man obsessed with the power of Dalamud and a desire to wipe clean the face of Eorzea in order to start anew and willing to sacrifice everything to achieve it. Killing the Primals allows him access to more of Dalamud's power, so he wants all of the world's Primals eradicated and the rest of the world "purged." Rumor has it that he rose quickly to power after his father's illness took it's toll. Then his father's closest aid's were killed not long after. Coincidence? Darnus is more of an insanity tale of greed, power, self-righteousness and eradication.

Shadow Lord: A broken-hearted Galka who was killed by his own companion and lost his loved one, Cornelia, who tried to protect him. He is reborn as the vengeful Shadow Lord, leader of the beastmen army to take vengeance on the people of Vanadiel for their cruel actions on those who were different. Shadow Lord is more of a tragic tale of love, betrayal, sympathy and revenge.

Which of these two villains had more of a lasting impact as the first major antagonist of the Final Fantasy MMO series?

My Vote: Shadow Lord.