Only half way through the video as I write this; already enjoyed everything so far. I would really like to hear your view on the Ruby weapon quest lines, please consider doing them sometime :D Edit: as for “ask the ill”, I believe that the two people you talked to were soldiers instead of civilians, weren’t they? The woman also talked about you killing her comrades back in castrum meridianum, which probably means she was one of the soldiers deployed there when you infiltrated. They were also wearing more combat-oriented gear compared to the scattered civilians you see there. *So the legatus ordered his soldiers to die, which I think makes more sense and is very different from ordering civilians to make the sacrifice.* I also personally found quintus’ reasoning for not accepting outside help very realistic. Politics. The defeated nation of course have to give away land/resources, sign treaties not to their benefit… especially with how much outside help they visibly require and how much war they have been waging against the world, I thought it wasn’t paranoid at all for Quintus as a leader of Garlemald to assume that the leaders of Eorzea *will* be taking slices of cake in the future once he decide to accept their offer. I really couldn’t find anything to refute his argument there. Once he realized how out of options they are, and how it is inevitable that these people will die without accepting outside help, he admits defeat and did the only thing he could do to preserve his honor, and to not see Garlemald brought on her knees as he believed will happen - end his own existence before the new age. I personally found this line of story very logical. Just some opinions to be discussed.
It's very possible I was misremembering that detail, as I mention in a text footnote that since NG+ isn't out yet and I only have the one character at Endwalker, I was mostly going off memory for those scenes that aren't in the cutscene journal. If that's the case, I agree that it's a very different situation from ordering civilians to make that sacrifice. As for Quintas, I agree with you that his points about not wanting to accept aid are valid, and of all the points raised between Alisaie and Quintas in that scene, that's probably the one I agree with Quintas over Alisaie on. History has seen that situation happen many times before, and yeah, when Quintas and the Xth legion ultimately do accept Eorzean aide, that's really the end of the Garlemald he knew, even more than his death signifies. Alisaie telling him he's paranoid is a logical position for her to take given her limited worldview and experiences, and Alisaie and Alphinaud are ultimately written with their limited worldview in mind above all else, but yeah, I think she's wrong about that. And of course, even if she were right about there being so many people who don't care about hurting Garlemald, that doesn't mean it wouldn't be in their best interests financially and politically to do so. This even leans on the earlier comment about the Ilsabard Contingent being rejected by more people than those who decided to help. Thank you for your comment, great points, and I appreciate you watching!
@@ZuldimYT I agree with you on… everything, really. Also, Alisaie thinking like that doesn’t make the story or her character bad in any way. The twins are still learning as they go. Just for clarification, I didn’t intend to sound like I’m nit-picking at you for “getting something wrong”, if it felt that way. I brought it up only to make sure people don’t get confused over that detail... Oh no seems like I enjoyed Quintus more than I thought I did… Thanks for replying. I could really talk with people about this story all day. Looking forward to your Emet video, if you ever decide to make one!
I agree that Quintus' points were realistic and understandable, but there is one point that can be refuted: when Quintus challenges Alphinaud's idea of unity and peace with a question. "If you want unity, why not unite under Garlemald?" Or something like that. Then goes on about about how peace and unity are only done by conquest and oppression. While the twin's world views were being challenged, all I wanted to do was dwelve into the WoL's travels, and there worldly views. After all, they've witnessed first hand how putting pride and hate to the side, and accepting help from others made both parties stronger and truly united. I wish that the WoL stood up and told Quintus of Ishgard and how they set aside their hatred and pride to end a thousand year war. Of Yotsuyu and Gosetsu, and how they found family within one another once they shed their hatred and pride. Of Gaius and the weapons and Werlyt storyline if that was done. Of how Doma and Ala Mhigo helped eachother out with their personal problems and pushed out the Garleans, sparking a resistance movement within many other conquered provinces, and a revolution so strong that not even the mighty Garlemald could stop it. Sure, Quintus would dismiss it as "preaching", but it really irks me that the WoL stays silent during that part of their conversation with Quintus when their travels has shown and made undeniable proof that there is benefit, strength, and true unity in helping others and being helped. Even for Garlemald.
I never even made that connection. I just thought it made sense that he didn't trust it since garleans didn't trust eorzian magic in general, and in his mind their "cure" could possibly be the eorzians brainwashing the tempered to believe what they wanted them to believe.
Great Vid!!! Garlemald to me was the most impactful place in the Endwalker MSQ. It wasn't the greatest/amazing place, but for me it was a real life gut check. And I was shocked how far in the expansion's story this takes place to be honest. So many times in this zone where I thought to myself, "They're really leaving no stone unturned, huh?"
This is an amazing documentary about Garlemald! I’ve been fascinated about the politics of Garlemald since Stormblood. Back then, when I saw the ending of Stormblood, I was shocked to learned that the ending anthem sung was actual Gyr Abania’s anthem all along, falsely believed that it was Garlemald’s anthem since it was shown during the introduction scene of Stormblood. I had despised the Empire so much back then because of that moment alone. Not only did they conquered the people of Gyr Abania through military might, but also rewrote the people’s own national anthem. Seeing Garlemald as the ruins it is in Endwalker with all the desperate people needing help had turned my hatred of the Empire to complete sympathy for the Garlean people. Hearing the eerie Home Beyond The Horizon anthem on the radio while venturing through the zone really captured the despair of the remaining Garlean people that are trying to survive. FFXIV had made me loath and then later heavily sympathize with certain characters on multiple occasions. I love every single time it happened. What a masterful story writing this is, and you had summarized it so well in your video essay. Keep up the great work! I would definitely love to see you make more videos about FFXIV.
Thank you so much for watching, I'm glad you enjoyed the video! It really is amazing how they managed to make the Garlean people so sympathetic after all this time. The writing in XIV really manages to blow me away over and over again.
I've had the same experience with loathing then loving multiple characters in this story, and it always amazes me when they can make me go from detesting someone to crying for them.
Down to the design of cars and the city Garlemald gave me chills to the bone from my history lessons and how germany looked and "felt" like (according to reports from my family) during the nazi occupation. They often told me the first country the Nazis conquered was germany and that everyone was swept away in this wave of new and better times.. a never before felt unity and success.. only to wake to a bitte nightmare.
@@llmyth007 cold war as in the era? Or war in russia while its cold? Place looks like long after cold war. There are videos on youtube of Soviet Ghost Towns that are frightening... everything full of ice and snow.. a garage full of 20+ busses all in ice and snow.. disrepair.. no sign of life.. only silence and death.. here at least you have monsters and people. Still.. there are parallels between both german and russian WW2 in this area
As annoyed and saddened I am that Garlemald essentially fell offscreen… it’s coincidentally perfect representative of how fascism is unsustainable and will inevitably fail. You can’t hold your entire population under a dictator’s boot without things snowballing and collapsing the second something begins to slip
@2:30 ok I really hope people catch this distinction but Thavnair is not just India. It very much shares a cultural space with Persia as well, for godssakes Sartrapies were what provinces in Persia were called, and Sartrap its rulers. I'm not denying its indian influence, it is prevalent, but I think it is reductivist to just boil it down to being fantasy india. Persian references run deep within Thavnair, especially surrounding Vrtra. Vrtra IS an Indian dragon (specifically Vedic), but his sister is named Azdaja - Azdaha being the persian/farsi term for a dragon (Azdaja is that term slovenized and adapted for Slavic speaking countries). That perfectly sums up what Thanvair is - an amalgam of Persian and Indian influences.
One thing I appreciate about the Garlemald part of Endwalker is how the people there are terrified of the arrival of the Ilsabard contingent who's ranks are comprised almost entirely by people who were occupied by Garlemald. Oppressors live in constant fear that the oppressed would return the favor, so much so that no small number would rather take their own lives than risk capture, bringing to mind of how many citizens in nazi germany took their own lives after losing WWII
I'm surprised Fordola's echo scene isn't in here since it's a good window into the Garlean approach to governing the aan at the edges of the empire. The political set up of every nation in FF14 is super interesting to me and given the geopolitical landscape of the big three in Eorzea I think Quintus is justified in his worldview as far as expecting Garlemald to just be sliced up and humiliated. The Lominsans are either a military junta or a really big gang depending on how much legitimacy you believe their government has, the Gridanians are probably more theocratic than Ishgard and if not for the religious elements I'd be inclined to call them eco-fascist, and Ul'dah is kinda sorta a pre-islam Arabic merchant state that features a tight fusion of corporation and monarchical government. All of them (except for Gridania I think) were pretty well flushing their local beast man tribes down the toilet before we intervene as the player character. If not for the warrior of light's intervention Vae Victis remains the law of nature. So Eorzeans are to Garlemald what the fish dudes were to the Lominsans, small fish in a small pond. It doesn't justify conquest and military adventures but the ground level Garleans have *an* argument for their world view at all and FF14's narrative recognizing the hypocrisy on both sides is what really makes me love the universe they've written. Everybody's hands are at least a little dirty. It makes a fantasy world a lot more believable.
Being from gridania and having done a lot of quests there, I don't know if I can agree with you. Mostly, they just want to live in peace with the forest and everyone else, and be left alone. Of course they do not isolate themselves of other nations and engage in trade, open borders and such, but mostly they just want to live in peace. That's why the majority of their forces are composed with healers and archers (hunters). And the Elementals thing is more of a necessity than anything else. The elementals are powerful and rule the forest, if the Gridanians didn't have a good relationship with them, they wouldn't be allowed to live there. They are guests in the elementals home, and the elementals use them to protect the forest. Gridania wanting a "piece" of Garlemald wouldn't even make any sense, since they are bound to the forest and have nothing to gain outside of it.
@Fenris Stark Yeah I should specify more, that this is largely taking the Garleans uncharitable perspective to amplify the Eorzean Alliance's legitimate shortcomings. The Gridanians are still part of the mutual defensive agreement and counterstrike Garlemald along with their allies but I don't think Gridanians actually want a slice of land beyond their forest. They just represent a portion of the military that would defeat and occupy Garlemald. A Garlean will see them as an invader (just as the rest of the world has rightfully viewed Garleans), a Gridanian will just want to go home as soon as the mission is done.
@@fenrisstark997 To add to this, this also ignores the other Eorzean Alliance nations by this time, assumingly. Ishgard by the point of Endwalker has successfully moved from a theocrasy to a parliamentary government, and while still has a bit of work to do before it even gets close to the memories of Saint Shiva of old, at least understands and could probably relate to a kingdom whose entire previous governance was at least built on falsehoods. I'm less solid on the state of Ala Mhigo and Doma in the proceedings, as I am only partly into Stormblood myself, but I assume Hien and Lyse wind up as major players in their respective kingdoms and could also attempt to at least offer voices of reason, to varying degrees.
"Assume nothing. Question everything." - James Patterson I've lived by that quote for most of my life, and it has been the reason I keep learning and evolving throughout. Garlemald showed me that not only was that important, the consequences for not doing so would be disastrous. Question everything, even your own beliefs, and do not stop until you have an answer.
I think I've found another binge-worthy video essayist. I enjoyed this one a lot and found myself reliving the same emotions some of the Garlemald MSQ gave me.
This deserves more views. An excellent documentary on the empire of Garlemald. Watching this I realized why I myself have some thoughts that I have about Garlemald as well as the Garleans. Didn't expect this to be an hour and a half long and that's not a complain at all! I love watching long video essays like this and suddenly there's a video essay about my favorite game, right up my alley lol Keep up the good work!
Important to note Eikons do not do tempering just by being around. While most make it a habit to temper people, especially those who summon them, it is an act they must perform, and do not always see fit to do, depending on the Eikon in question.
True, as we saw with Shiva and Ramuh and why the party felt comfortable enough to approach the lightning deity when they couldn't with any of the others up to that point.
58:55 I actually died to that fucking pond. I switched class to a hand disciple after getting the debuff. Thankfully, someone else doing the story right next to me was able to revive me cause having to teleport back would have been even more humiliating.
There's this one detail in the story introduced in 6.1 that I really like. It doesn't exactly change anything thematic about the story of Garlemald, but I just like hearing what people think of it. It's in dialog that's locked behind completing all of the Endwalker Role quests, as well as the MSQ. Spoilers below, obviously. The Bitter Snow questline sees you on another relief mission to Garlemald because even after stopping the Final Days, there's still enough despair in Garlemald to create monsters and Blasphemies. Fourchenault comes with you, and you're dealing with survivors. And almost in passing, he drops this bomb: all historical records dating back as far as the Allagan Empire indicate that Garleans or their ancestors had never been native to the region of Corvos. At some point down the line, someone (probably Emet-Selch as Emporer Solus) just lied about tropical paradise being stolen from them -- it was propaganda. (subject comes up starting at 5:47 in this clip: /watch?v=8apZRT0xuQE) What appears to be indicated here is that Emet-Selch, seeking to create a fascistic empire expressly to sow the manner of discord that would bring about Calamities, engineered the squalor of the Garlean people in order to make them more amenable to fascism, to a strongman promising to restore a glorious past that never really was.
Oh my god! That's a huge bombshell! I haven't finished leveling three of the roles yet so I hadn't seen that, that's insane. I... Hmm. Huh. Huh! Yeah, I don't know what to think of that, I'm gonna have to sit on that one for a while, that's wild. Thank you for bringing that up!
I guess that doesn't really change the characterization of the individual people of modern Garlemald, just tells us that Emet-Selch as Solus was corrupt in a new way we didn't know about. It's fascinating to think that they're still adding more layers to this story, and revealing that the entire thing was a nationalistic lie of propaganda that no one questioned really does add to the themes. This story is so nuanced and deep, I love XIV so much.
The thing there is, Emet-Selch mentions the Garleans having been driven there by the Corvosi in his narration during Endwalker... in which he's not even *remotely* pretending to be Solus zos Galvus, nor justifying himself to anyone. Nobody but the player, outside the universe of FFXIV, is listening. He has no reason to lie, because he has nobody to lie TO. The answer that reconciles this with Fourchenault's records would be that the Corvosi were on their own imperialism kick several hundred years ago, evicting the Garleans from a region they later lost control over. If that's not the case, the fact that Emet-Selch remembers it differently than Fourchenault's records suggests that it's Fourchenault's records that are wrong.
About those peace talks: Im not sure if Varis is not playing a double entendre here. Afterall, he seems to hate the Ascians, so why would he buy into their beliefs of how to shape the world? Thus im really unsure if he truly means what he says there and, instead, is talking about what the Ascians are planning without giving away that hes playing Solus, whos using him as a figurehead at this moment to usher in the eight umbral calamity. Because during all of the moments we see him he first and foremost appears to be a ruler who truly cares for his people and empire, someone who wouldnt just waste their lives for the insane plan of the Ascians. Especially after what he says after he shoots Solus
Varis decided to do EVERYTHING possible for the Empire. This includes sacrificing your own people to do so. It's difficult to understand this paradox but his position as emperor makes him feel almost as if he were a god in front of others. The serious problem with this game's script always consists of taking the focus away from what it really is, confusing the player to create a type of empathy for the character. I think this is terrible in FFXIV. This ambiguity often makes villains seem "good" and creates questions about whether what we are doing is really right. This, for example, created something bizarre that is the distorted view of the Ascians themselves, who during several eras did terrible things to all humanity and at the end of their history were shown as "saviors". And this is far from the truth because they were naive in their attempt to prevent their end by creating a demon and sacrificing themselves for him in the hope that something "good" would happen. The existence of Zodiark and those who would pursue the plan of his return for millennia from the beginning was cursed.
@@AlexanderPR2 I vehemently disagree with your idea that Varis saw himself as a god, or godlike compared to his people. There is no indication anywhere in the game that indicates that he would sacrifice his own people without reason either. Where did you get that from? Also: What do you mean with Ambiguity? Could you elaborate on that please? And why exactly do you think its terrible for FF14?
Fantastic video! Garlemald has always fascinated me. Here's hoping that future content will go more into rebuilding Garlemald, I'd love to have a slightly less destroyed modern-ish city at some point.
Wow! Thank you for the compliment! That means a lot! I'm deep in the scripting process for my next FFXIV video, which is becoming quite long and hope to have it out in July or August. :)
Pride goeth before a fall. This analysis is an 11/10. Garlemald was a propaganda machine and it's no wonder the Garleans looked at our ragtag group of catboys, elezens, cat girls, Hyrs, teeny potato people, bun people as if we had two heads, along with our crazy magic. I look forward to seeing how Julus and many of the younger crowd helps to rebuild and hopefully they learn from their elders' mistakes. In that way, I'm pretty optimistic.
I'd love to see an analysis of some of the older expansions -- heavensward and shadowbringer in particular. I'd LOVE to see you talk about Emet Selch, or about Ishgard's progression from an isolationist nation to a welcoming one.
Friend sent me this because she knows I love long form video essays. Can't wait to see more from you. Would absolutely love the Zenos video + your thoughts on the Weapons questline, or even on Gaius. Looking forwards to watching your Condemned to Paradise video after this and I've not even finished this one yet!
Only just found these videos but this is an amazing breakdown of everything. I always thought it was really sudden going from a powerful, world controlling empire to a broken ruins seemingly over night and mostly off camera a little jarring, but watching you go through it, it makes much more sense. Also, the radio playing never fails to make me choke up a little and get misty eyed. Such an emotional and moving time in Garlemald, and it wasn't even halfway through Endwalker.
How you can make a well-crafted analysis of Gaius without playing the gem weapons storyline is beyond me. Gaius is the best part of it. I grew to like him in that story, beyond what his involvement in Stormblood already did.
The doman enclave is similar to the Ananta Beast Tribe, in that it's rebuilding the enclave and making it home again. It's ends in a nice way which seems to offer some closure to the Domans.
Please make the Zenos video. Zenos is easly my favorite part of Endwalker if only the fact that he is the antithesis to the Endsinger and Meteon. Also his speech about what drives us forward that gets really meta about the MMO, it gives me chills.
I love his meta speech about why we play MMOs, it's actually the thing that makes me want to make a video about Zenos. His role in Endwalker really elevated his character for me.
Only half an hour in and I love this. I'll come back once I've finished this, but I already think it's a really great video essay. Shame this has so few views, I know all too well that the YT algorithm I'd a fickle thing >_> I hope you make more content like this in FF14 and other games, I would love to see it!
Thank you so much for your kind words! I've primarily been doing video essays about the Hitman series until now, so this was pretty out of my wheelhouse, but I appreciate the feedback. I would love to do more videos on FF14 in the future.
Just watched this after your Fear & Hunger video. You have some incredible insights and excellent writing in general! I hope you continue making videos like these :)
I've started working on my next video about Endwalker, in a similar style. :) Although I'm not sure when it'll be finished yet. Thank you for watching, and for the kind words!
Wonderful video, really sums up my feelings about the Garlean arc of FFXIV and how it felt like it was brought to wonderfully tragic conclusion, that was yet still laced with hope. That scene with Quintus and the sisters always gets me. Really reflects the stark differences in opposing ideologies, and how it mirrors ones IRL. One thing though I felt like you should have included with Zenos is that scene during the Final Days in Garlemald. Where Zenos seems to perfectly demonstrate this video's statement: That your ideals have to become your own. He goes on about how one must find their own reasons and meanings in life, whatever they maybe. Only, Zenos is what happens when one can find no ideals of their own. It's empty nihilism, different from the nihilism of Meteon. Honestly, going into Endwalker, I was not expecting much of what happens with Garlemald and Zenos especially. All this to say, make that Zenos video if you haven't already!
I finally got some time to play through the 6.4 quests and instead got distracted by watching an hour and a half essay on Garlemald. No regrets. This is phenomenally well done. I'm excited to watch some of the other videos I see on the side bar and to delve into the channel beyond even those. Beautifully edited as well. This looks like it was a monster of a task to put together but damn did it turn out well.
Varis both has a good point and is at the same time very wrong when he says "Reclaimation is not invasion" and for the same exact reasons. It is a fundamental truth of history that Conquest does indeed determine ownership. However this works both ways. if Garlemald can keep a land conquered for so long, they can consider it theirs. but if they lose it to uprising, then by the same logic, it no longer is. The same logic that says they are only taking back what was taken from them, also justifies those who took it in the first place.
25:05 This is the first time I've seen this scene post Shadowbringers, hell, post Endwalker, and I completely forgot Varis says this. Holy cow, I totally forgot he says this and it means something VERY different and sounds very different when you hear it while you're in Stormblood versus post-Shadowbringers.
great video! I play the game on and off. I stopped around the beginning of endwalker. I did like how they managed to make me feel sorry for Emet and the Garleans.
Waiting on the Zenos and Emet-selch videos. Guess I'll continue watching this and the Fandaniel video once a week each until those are released. You have such great essays. Beautiful and thoughtful writing. Have enjoyed your newer releases as well but these XIV ones just hit different.
awesome video really enjoyed listening to some other thoughts on my fave part of the expac too. very interested in hearing what you have to say about emet too
As promised, I went back and starting watching your videos and another fantastic essay on Garlean Ideology. it Felt almost poetic that by turning a blind eye to the enemies use of summoning, simply marking it as evil and something the enemy would do, left them blind to the same ferver that could cause Anima to be born, had they taken the time to treat the savages as equals they might have even learned how by the very nature of their oppression they where causing more to be summoned.
"let me know if you'd like more videos about zenos or emet-selch" EMET-SELCH! please. if you so choose. your video on fandaniel set my standard for video essays on FFXIV content. i would love to see your insights.
Oh God. I thought the "ask the iyl" line was about setting some people to get to work on the attack prep, that the "ironic coming from you" was because the command involved attacking our people. They were dressed like soldiers and understood this military code, so I don't think they were civilians. The soldiers are very willing to die for their countrymen... But still, that is eerie if this interpretation that they left to die or fend for themselves is true. I can see it being very likely in hindsight.
So, someone commented awhile back that they were dressed in military garb, so that detail was something I was misremembering. But yeah, aside from that, that's totally how I read it in the moment.
@@ZuldimYT Yeah, I definitely came around to the interpretation of that command. I found the text and I can see how the words have that underlying mood of someone steeling themselves. "I will fulfill...my duty" that's some heavy shit. I have a chill that it was in the game and felt so subtle. If I'd had caught it at the time, I would have been looking to see if they left the camp by your next visit. They were "Marcellinus" and "Octavia." I wanted to know if they survived their trek into the wild, but post-story they aren't in Camp Broken Glass and didn't return to Tertium. I'm going to be really interested in seeing if those names popup again in the future... in seeing if they survived out there. ='(
Can't believe this video was never in my suggestions until now. It was absolutely outstanding and seeing the link between Garlemald and beliefs has made me realise just how profound and deeply considered the dialogue can be in this game. I struggle to think deeply about certain things until someone offers some kind of perspective, so I wholly appreciate that you made this video. I only started really reading the game in ShB, about 6-7 years after I'd started playing, so I know I've missed a lot about this empire. I long considered the Garleans to be the most 'boring' aspect of the game, and even in the last two expansions I would skip any Garlean-based cutscenes. But Garlemald being introduced as a zone in EW improved my stance on that a bit because it introduced a side to these people that I could empathise with. I see you have another huge FFXIV video essay, and I highly look forward to watching that next. Emet-Selch and the Ancients are the lore content of this game that I'm completely obsessed with - I'm sure many people would be interested if you made an Emet-Selch based video. I look forward to if you produce any more essays about this phenomenal game in the future. Even if you don't, I appreciate the two I've found from you so, so much.
I admit in EW I was sort of hoping that the Tempering towers was Zenos trying to bootstrap create an Eikon of Garlemald, like some kind of literal avatar of fascism. Too bad it didn't go that way but what we got was still really good and special.
Absolutely fantastic video. Garlamald was such a fantastic part of the story and it's so nice to see someone fully appreciate it. I feel like A LOT of people missed the point of this entire section and wrote it off as "why are we helping Nazis" Great stuff, glad it appeared in my recommended.
Speaking of Gaius... while the concept of the Legatii in XIV is basically an evolution of the Archadian Judges from XII (the love Yoshida and his team hold for the Ivalice Alliance should be well known), Gaius' armor in particular seems to draw on the design of Grahf, an antagonist from Xenogears, who's strongly inspired by Darth Vader. It must also be noted that Gabranth, who's likely the most popular of the Archadian Judges, was also fashioned after Darth Vader.
By the way, I would seriously love a start-end "what happened over the course of the game" of FFXIV. Do I think it's feasible? Not completely. Would I still love that? Absolutely.
One of Varis' arguments to justify their campagin of conquest is that they need to all be under one banner before taking the fight to the Ascians, right? Two things that I think would dismantle his logic: 1. His empire has spent more time fighting everyone but the Ascians. Hell, some of their Legatus even conspired with them. 2. Up to the point where Varis meets with the Alliance, one unsundered Ascian is dead because of the Scions, directly or not. How many unsundered Ascians did the empire kill again?
Okay, I've been watching these essays you've created about FFXIV back to back, and I have to say, I'm so glad that Garlemald was on your list. I'm a roleplayer, and while I have a myriad of half-baked character concepts, one of my most personal is of a Garlemald Repatriate after the events of Endwalker. I couldn't help but draw parallels to Garlemald with the rise of the Third Riech, in which my mom's parents were both part of. One was part of a very pro-Nazi family, and one was part of a staunchly anti-Nazi family. My Garlean would be one to explore how to deprogram subconscious programming, despite her resisting and being part of an underground resistance courier line. To show and recognize the struggle of leaving such an authoritarian regime with nothing but herself and anyone who would give her a fleeting chance of trust. It's incredibly hard to make yourself feel free of something so terrifying, so ingrained, and so damning. Despite all of that, there were people who resisted on the inside because they knew it was wrong. So they fought in their own way. So thank you for this in depth look at Garlemald and the characters that have spawned from it. It just gives me the drive to work on my repatriated lady next.
I don't think the Garleans are necesarily fascistic. While they are heavily militaristic and most definitely imperialistic to truly determine if they were fascistic one would need to examine how the Garleans treat their own people. And that is where the problem lies: We never see how the Garleans are treated by their own, outside the treatment they recieve after Shadowbringers, and i would hazard a guess that this is not how the Garleans themselves were treated by their own leadership during most of their existance. That they see other species outside of their own as brute savages could be an indicator of a sense of supremacy over everyone else, however this can be simply explained as a result of the abuse they recieved by everyone else before they founded their empire, and even that is not a surefire indicator of fascism. So how would one go about analyzing if they were fascist? To answer that one would have to answer if they abide by the three tenets of fascism: 1: Everything within the state 2: Nothing without the state 3: Nothing against the state Essentially it boils down to three main questions: First: Do they allow free enterprise? Are people allowed to do their own business, and are not dictated to by the state what to produce and how to produce it? Second: Are people allowed to have their own organisations, clubs and meetings that are detached from the governments influence? Or does everything have to be part of the government and or be dictated by the government how to operate itself? Third: Is dissent allowed? Can you criticize the government without fear of retribution? Are you allowed to stray from the main ideology of the ruling caste or even form opposition against it? The only question that we can put an actual answer to would be the third, in the form of the Populares, who seemingly were allowed to not only hold their own positions in regards to the treatment of non-garleans but also appear to hold some modicum of power within the garlean governmental structure. Until they get almost assasinated and have to defect, however i am not quite certain who signed up on this, if it was Varis zos Galvus or Solus zos Galvus or maybe even Elidibus in the body of Zenos yae Galvus, the latter two of which, as Ascians, had their own ideas about the purpose of the garlean Empire. Then of course there are the various defectors of the various legions who go to Eorzea after fleeing Garlemald, which heavily implies that dissent, at least within military structures is seen as something to be eradicated (which makes sense within the context of the military, and the various legati we see during the course of the game with the notable exception of Noah van Gabranth) Also the entire thing becomes more difficult with the Garlean Empire beeing a monarchy, and the question of how far the ruling caste dictates the morals by which the Garleans were allowed to live by. Especially since there is a difference between people beeing united in their beliefs of their own accord and people beeing forced to live by someone elses morals dictated upon by someone else, and it beeing difficult to differentiate between those from the outside without deeper insight and analysis of the garlean civil structure. What we can infer is that the beliefs which permeated Garlemald are deeply seated within their culture and their origin. And...well, thats essentially all we really get as an insight. So, with the two first questions beeing impossible to answer and the third beeing somewhere in the middle with a leaning towards no its really hard to properly answer the question if the garleans truly were fascistic, unless we are getting more insight later on in the expansion.
This is a really good comment with an interesting perspective on Garlemald I hadn't seen. Thank you for taking the time to write this up, I appreciate hearing a different perspective on what I may have been off about! I do think that the Garleans are meant to read as fascistic, if only because of the connection to the Star Wars empire, and because of the way everyone we see functions as a cog in a larger machine, but you're right that we see very little of daily Garlean life, so perhaps calling them Imperialist would be more accurate. (Sorry it took me a while to read this, I've been moving.)
@@ZuldimYT Dont worry, even i wrote this comment knowing it might never be read. So thank you for taking your time and actually reading it. Fascism is a fascinating subjectmatter to study, and a lot of people are still confused about what it actually is. Therefore they percieve a lot of things which arent fascism as fascism simply because it looks on the surface like it, meanwhile actual fascistic depictions fly under the radar by giving themselves a non-fascist paintjob. If you want to know more id strongly recommend reading Benito Mussolinis works about it, since he was the original inventor of the ideology.
This comment made me curious so I’ve grabbed the 14 characteristics of fascism and we can go down the list and check off the ones that are obvious or explicit without much searching needed for dialogue, then loop back around to the ones that are harder to gauge or not as immediately apparent. so out of the 14 characteristics of fascism, we can say for certain that Garlemald exhibits the following: 1. Powerful and continuing nationalism (yeah that’s true) 3. Identification of enemies/scapegoats as unifying causes (the kicked out of Corvos thing) 4: Supremacy of the military (see: the game) 6: controlled mass media (radios seemed to be the only way anyone could get news in Garlemald, and they absolutely only listen for whatever the government says) 7: obsession with national security (see: endwalker) 8: religion and government are intertwined (worship is literally only permitted when it’s of the emperor) 10: labor power is suppressed (it is the lowest caste of garlean citizenry and seemingly made up exclusively of subjugated people who are/were trying to assimilate) 12: obsession with crime and punishment (see: the game, but especially stormblood) 13: rampant cronyism and corruption (see: succession crises involving both of these) That only leaves us with 2,5,9, 11 and 14 to be not entirely certain about. But let’s look at them and gather what evidence for or against each one we can. 2: disdain for the recognition of human rights. For their own people, it is hard to say until Zenos becomes the ruler (in which case it’s clearly joining the others), but they certainly do not extend the courtesy of rights to the people of the nations they subjugated 5: rampant sexism This one I don’t think is ever explicitly mentioned, but it’s very telling that every single major player in Garlemald’s leadership has been male and any women in positions of power were always serving directly under a man. This characteristic can join the others. 9: corporate power is protected I can find no evidence one way or the other for this one when it comes to Garlemald. But we are through 12 characteristics now and Garlemald has 11. To say it’s a fascist nation at this point would be quite acceptable by most reasonable standards. Let’s look at the final two characteristics though. 11: disdain for intellectuals and the arts. Once again it’s hard to find any solid evidence here, but it would ring true when paired with Garlemald’s propaganda machine and intent one creating a culture devoid of individuality. Intellectual and artistic minds are much more likely to to hinder that goal, as both are far more prone to expression of their ideas. It can also be seen implicitly with the whole replacement of Ala Mhigo’s anthem with a Garlean Version. I feel like this can be added to the others. That leaves us with 14: Fraudulent Elections This is a little special, because Garlemald does not do elections, it has a line of succession. However, every time in game an emperor dies, there is always a succession crisis with different sides asserting that theirs is the only one who may truly lead, and in Zenos’s case he just straight up murdered his father then let Gaius take the fall for it. Seems pretty fraudulent. It goes with the others. Tallying it up and you have 13/14. Only #9, the protection of corporate power, is a complete unknown. So yeah. Now that we’ve checked. Pretty sure it’s fascist.
@@henryjones411 Ive gone through those points, and while there is some truth to them and some definitely apply to the empire these are so non-specific that any kind of authoritatian system would easily fulfill some or all of these points. And while fascism is definitely authoritarian it is a very specific kind of authoritarianism that follows a very unique ideology, which is barely or not at all represented within these 14 points. Outside from that the way you apply these points are in many cases based entirely on assumptions, on conflation of the treatment of outsiders or a complete misunderstanding of the lore. Specifically 2, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14. Let me elaborate: 2.: Disdain for the recognition of human Rights: DeFacto true with outsiders, but we know nothing of how citizens were treated. And in fascism the way one treats its citizens is a major pillar of the ideology, that is every citizen has to forfeit his individual wants and needs before the state. Do we have any evidence for that? No. 5.: Rampant Sexism The legatus of the third is a woman The governor of Yanxia, Yotsuyu, is a woman Nael van Darnus was a woman (albeit here she assumed her brothers identity) Garlemald is a meritocracy, to the point where even outsiders that pledged themselves to the Empire were allowed and able to rise through the ranks (Fordola rem Lupus for example), so if there was any systemic sexism id not expect to see ANY woman make it into any high position. 6.: Controlled Mass Media You base your argument entirely on the assumption that there is exactly one kind of mass media and exactly one broadcaster that supplies programming of exactly one kind to the public. But again, we dont know anything about pre-Final Days Garlemald. There could have been other publications, other broadcasters...that Home beyond the Horizon is the only thing that plays on the radio during and after the crisis also mirrors a real life policy of the UK for example, where in the case of nuclear war any radio broadcaster is obliged to play one specific song. 8.: Religion and Government is intertwined This is entirely based upon a misunderstanding on your part about the role of the emperor and primals. DeFacto the Empire outlawed ANY kind of religious worship, of ANY entity. The reason that Varis returns as Anima is not because of religious worship either, its because of the non religious belief the garleans have in him that he is summonable in the first place. Its a big irony of fate. Either way, the Emperor is in no way a religious figure, nor head of any church nor anything even remotely similar, therefore this point also cant apply. 10.: Labor Power is suppressed Once again, no evidence for any kind of mistreatment of natives, only of outsiders. We have no idea about any rights of individuals, how well the ordinary workers were protected or not. Again you conflate the treatment of outsiders and natives. (cont.->)
@@henryjones411 11: Disdain for the Intellectuals and the Arts The Garlemald Magitech Academy and its Engineers hold incredible influence and sway in garlean Society. Even the traitors among them, like Cid nan Garlond are famed by ordinary citizens as explained by Nero during the Praetorium. We also have nothing on garlean philosphers. They may have existed, or not, we simply dont know. In the Arts department however we have the theater troupe that was at one point sponsored by the emperor himself until they got ousted. So there's that. Also once again you base your further argument on an assumption which is further based on the prejudice that Garlemald is fascist. The idea that Garlemald wishes to remove peoples individuality is based on no evidence whatsoever. 12: Obsession with Crime and Punishment Give me an example of a singular garlean native beeing made an example off for committing a crime. Please, i beg you. 13: Rampant corruption and Cronyism: You seem to take the succession crises as examples of corruption, while they are actually examples of mismanagement, in this case intentional mismanagement. Any powervacuum left behind by a dead leader always brings chaos and upheaval in its wake if there are no clear rules for succession, its not even specific for fascism that this happens. And in the case of cronyism we have once again no evidence. 14: Fraudulent Elections How can you defraud people in elections if there are no elections at all? Fraud is when you say "You can vote for whos in power" and then disregard the result and put into power whomever you desire, maybe even yourself. Again, the empire is a monarchy, and succession crises and regicide are not quite the norm but quite common for these all throughout history. The only kind of fraud Zenos committed was that he made Gaius Baelsar the scapegoat. In total, in my count Garlemald gets at best 5/14 points, and definitely not the 13/14 you ascribed to it. That aside, the 14 characteristics of fascism are nice and all, but they are at best a look at the surface of fascist regimes, the results which are obvious and not the actual roots of the fascist ideology. If you actually want to understand fascism id recommend you to read Benito Mussolinis works on the matter, afterall he invented it.
Also, please do make video essays about Zenos and Emet-Selch and any other character. Your video essays are like Game Theory's videos for me. Am I ever going to play the game myself? Probably not. Do I still want to watch/listen to every video you put out? Yes.
two of my favorite uses in this game of their 'erasure of culture' is A) At the start of Stb, you hear the theme 'The Measure of Our Reach, which sounds like a rallying cry for fasciasts groups back in the 40's. In reality, it's a perversion of 'The Measure of His Reach', the anthem of Ala Mihgo. B) The Lupin race had their very people's name be changed to Faere Dominae, as if even who they truly are is a crime. Yet despite everything, the WoL can bring themselves to work with Gaius, and in turn Gaius even says that he hopes Garlemald comes to see the WoL for who they truly are, a good person and not a monster. The power of prpaganda is terrifying. The moment our title is mentioned, seeing them all back off is a reminder that to the soldiers, we're a nightmare walking in broad daylight. our time there is short, but thats all wee needed imo. a wake up call and an uncomfortable one at that.
I believe it was false nails, from the Lamia beast tribe quests, and the Yorha boots of maiming from the... Third Nier raid? I'm away from home for the next few days but I'll check if I can find it and reply again later.
I get what they were trying to do with Quintus but he came across, to me, as a dimwitted moron. I wasn't surprised or saddened by the way he chose to opt out.
I do recommend doing the Weapons story since it serves to highlight one of the less focused on aspects of fascism in Garlemald; racism. It also puts focus on Gaius being less of a piece of shit than other Garlean leaders, so that's nice.
Feels like you kind of miss the mark on the reasoning behind the Empire's motives. You link it all back to fascism being the end goal when really it's just a means to an end. To the Empire the world really is against them because, historically, that's true. The empire suffered for centuries against other nations invading their homeland and exiling them to the coldest corner of the world. They aren't the villain because they are evil, they're the villain because the world left them with no other choice. Their culture was never respected. The Eorzeans only in the last year or so (lorewise) have managed any sort of peace amongst themselves. Eorzea has been full of conflict, so why is what they do any different? The difference is they actually had the ability to win the unending conflict and put a stop to it. To them it's either an eternity of suffering, or a bit of suffering for an eternity of peace. Quintus makes a very good point. If they only want peace, then that's exactly what the Empire provided. But the truth is Eorzeans don't want peace. They want what's best for their own nation, and are only staying their hand when threatened with violence. Would the Eorzean Alliance even exist without Garlemald? Would they have sought peace if there wasn't a larger threat to bind them together? The Empire really isn't any different to any of the other nations. They aren't explicitly out to be fascist. They were just the winning team, and it's easier to paint them as monsters than it is to admit that they may be right.
Except the empire is *wrong.* it wasn’t everyone out to get them, it was specifically the Corvosi and there’s a line of dialogue in the Bitter Snow role capstone questline that suggest maybe that isn’t even the truth. Similarly, the empire did *not* bring peace or prosperity or unity. They brought strife, discord, and economic depression. I know people aren’t fond of stormblood but that doesn’t mean we can just ignore that whole expansion showing exactly how awful life under imperial rule was. This isn’t to say life in Ul’Dah or Limsa or Gridania is some utopian living, you’re shown very early on the ugliest parts of each of the city states. The fascism of Garlemald is their end-goal though. Their leader literally tells you to your face as much, and so does Quintus. Their fascism is very much their end-goal, and their conquests are the means to that goal. The reason the Garleans are the enemy is not because of their fascism though, that’s true. The reason they’re the enemy is that regardless of their history, they’re a warmongering nation that cannot maintain peace in their conquered lands and also that whole bit about how they caused the very recent calamity in an attempt at scorched earthing eorzea for successfully resisting invasion for too long.
Incredible video that encapsulates everything captivating about the zone. The thing is, I personally hate it! I think it's a masterful depiction of a fascistic state in its last legs of decay, and for that I hate this place! I find Jullus contemptible and I hope he learns to live well, but I would love nothing more than to never have to see his face again! I think the zone does what it sets out to do perfectly, I just hate just about everyone who inhabits it. 10/10 zone
one of the things that I think gets glossed over far too much is the ONLY reason that the garleans became a fascist superpower is because they were oppressed by the magic welders of the world. all the so called native eorzeans came over from other continents after various calamaties and just kicked out the aether handicapped race. and everyone acts like "oh it's fine that was long ago they have no reason to be mad. then when they finally take back what is theirs they are plastered the villain. the motivation is not remotely villainous .. however the corruptions and methodology for sure it's
Alright, im curious about this, I love long essays and the Garlemald part of Endwalker was one of my least favorite arcs in the game alltogether given just how little sense it made to me despite some good dialogue, lets see if this going to give me some food for thought.
@@ZuldimYT Oh, yea the video is great, I dont disagree with any of your points, well reasoned, I thought much the same, tho I did also ponder what right does anyone really have to say that someone else is brainwashed or fooled and whatnot, or to even judge a state like this when guilty of much the same just under different names oftentimes, but I agree with everything there dont get me wrong. Sadly the video wasnt actually about what I was interested in, or hoping it would be, which are the self indlugent, naive and in my opinion even immoral and desctructive actions of the Scions here in Garlemald and how the story simply glosses over them, which is what I have had isue during this arc, not Garlemald or how its presented. As far as your video, its all good work, and clears up any unsure thoughts people may have had, good work.
@@KaiSaeren I do agree with you about the Scions actions, both in Garlemald and in general being morally dubious at best, and glossed over by the narrative. That would actually be a good topic for a video of its own, focusing on the actions of the Scions in general over the course of the game. Alphinaud got some blowback against his own misplaced self-confidence with the... I want to say Crystal Braves in ARR patch content, but there's a larger conversation and examination to be had about the Scions as an organization, especially (I feel) in Stormblood.
@@ZuldimYT No problem I enjoyed watching. Im surprised to find someone who agrees, tho Im unsure we actually mean the same thing. I remember posting something about it to reddit and essentially got beaten down with comments about how its never good to leave people behind or not offer help and such, which is a sentiment I do agree to a degree but its a lot more convoluted than just that. For me the most moronic part of this arc and the overall reason why I didnt enjoy it as such was how negligent everyone was about the confirmed and soon to happen end of the world. We spent a ton of time fopping around helping people one by one, many of whom would not only rather die than receive that help but were also not civilians in many cases. Hell we gave them the ability to attack us by helping them, they clapped slave collars on Alphinaud and Alisae. All the while ignoring the obvious goal with which we came here and which would help the most BY FAR to everyone affected - stopping the Telophoroi and destroying the tower. Literally all the people we spent time helping might as well be dead if we do not stop this and hell by the end we even have ALL of the scions bar our character chose to actually go help the singular people at our camp to not die or kill more of our soldiers after we so smartly invited them directly into our camp even tho we know there is a danger of mind control, over actually going with us and preventing the end days from coming. It just felt so forced, so stupid and so immoral. The writers simply needed it to happen, so it did, and it made the main cast look like morons who would rather tout their morality than actually help the majority . Its like you have people dying from thirst right and we chose to walk around and pat them on the back offer the little water we could instead of going and destroying the damn keeping the water away from them.. or something I dont know, terrible analogy. Dont want to get more into it as that would take forever so im sorry if this isnt exactly articulate but I hope I got my point across.
am i the only one whos mad we didnt get to visit garlemald pre-civil war? the area seemed so modern! they have cars and motorbikes too, radio and possibly television. man.... what a let down.
Funny how a japanese made game portrays pseudo japanese people being occupied by garlemald much in the same way japan itself occupied a good many other countries during their empire age. Must have helped that they had so much personal history to draw inspiration from 😄
Honestly, Garlemald brings to mind communism more than fascism to me. No god save the state, no culture save that which "unites" all mankind, nothing at all except for that deranged idea of "unity". A boot stamping on a human face forever-but in that crushing, all humanity is made equal, made as one. Until there is no division at all save between those who rule and those who are ruled. Plus, fascism was way more honest about conquest for conquest's sake-communist imperialism always held up those ideals, if you can call them that, of unity as justification for their relentless, never-satisfied expansionism. And even the "death before accepting help" thing is reflected in the history of communism; the Soviet Union was originally supposed to be a part of the Marshall Plan to reconstruct Europe after WW2, and it arguably needed it even more than the bombed-out ruins of Germany, but Stalin refused it out of pride and a belief that it was a way for the West to somehow undermine him, so they and their Eastern European puppet states were left to suffer a long, painful rebuilding process despite massive amounts of Western aid being right there ready and willing to be given to them. EDIT: Also yes, I'm going back through all of your FF XIV videos even though I've seen them before already. I need more, and the next one's not out yet, so here I am.
Always thought the Empire were misguided good guys in Realm Reborn due to their intentions to overthrow the gods, especially getting to know the honorable Gaius and his views as well as Varis in Heavensward, talking about how man must release itself from the shackles of the gods. Felt bad for killing them. Also they've got cool armour.
Only half way through the video as I write this; already enjoyed everything so far. I would really like to hear your view on the Ruby weapon quest lines, please consider doing them sometime :D
Edit: as for “ask the ill”, I believe that the two people you talked to were soldiers instead of civilians, weren’t they? The woman also talked about you killing her comrades back in castrum meridianum, which probably means she was one of the soldiers deployed there when you infiltrated. They were also wearing more combat-oriented gear compared to the scattered civilians you see there. *So the legatus ordered his soldiers to die, which I think makes more sense and is very different from ordering civilians to make the sacrifice.*
I also personally found quintus’ reasoning for not accepting outside help very realistic. Politics. The defeated nation of course have to give away land/resources, sign treaties not to their benefit… especially with how much outside help they visibly require and how much war they have been waging against the world, I thought it wasn’t paranoid at all for Quintus as a leader of Garlemald to assume that the leaders of Eorzea *will* be taking slices of cake in the future once he decide to accept their offer. I really couldn’t find anything to refute his argument there. Once he realized how out of options they are, and how it is inevitable that these people will die without accepting outside help, he admits defeat and did the only thing he could do to preserve his honor, and to not see Garlemald brought on her knees as he believed will happen - end his own existence before the new age. I personally found this line of story very logical. Just some opinions to be discussed.
It's very possible I was misremembering that detail, as I mention in a text footnote that since NG+ isn't out yet and I only have the one character at Endwalker, I was mostly going off memory for those scenes that aren't in the cutscene journal. If that's the case, I agree that it's a very different situation from ordering civilians to make that sacrifice.
As for Quintas, I agree with you that his points about not wanting to accept aid are valid, and of all the points raised between Alisaie and Quintas in that scene, that's probably the one I agree with Quintas over Alisaie on. History has seen that situation happen many times before, and yeah, when Quintas and the Xth legion ultimately do accept Eorzean aide, that's really the end of the Garlemald he knew, even more than his death signifies.
Alisaie telling him he's paranoid is a logical position for her to take given her limited worldview and experiences, and Alisaie and Alphinaud are ultimately written with their limited worldview in mind above all else, but yeah, I think she's wrong about that. And of course, even if she were right about there being so many people who don't care about hurting Garlemald, that doesn't mean it wouldn't be in their best interests financially and politically to do so. This even leans on the earlier comment about the Ilsabard Contingent being rejected by more people than those who decided to help.
Thank you for your comment, great points, and I appreciate you watching!
@@ZuldimYT I agree with you on… everything, really. Also, Alisaie thinking like that doesn’t make the story or her character bad in any way. The twins are still learning as they go.
Just for clarification, I didn’t intend to sound like I’m nit-picking at you for “getting something wrong”, if it felt that way. I brought it up only to make sure people don’t get confused over that detail... Oh no seems like I enjoyed Quintus more than I thought I did…
Thanks for replying. I could really talk with people about this story all day. Looking forward to your Emet video, if you ever decide to make one!
@@josilynblackthorn I didn't think you were nitpicking, I genuinely appreciate the correction. It was a really interesting comment with good points!
I agree that Quintus' points were realistic and understandable, but there is one point that can be refuted: when Quintus challenges Alphinaud's idea of unity and peace with a question. "If you want unity, why not unite under Garlemald?" Or something like that. Then goes on about about how peace and unity are only done by conquest and oppression.
While the twin's world views were being challenged, all I wanted to do was dwelve into the WoL's travels, and there worldly views. After all, they've witnessed first hand how putting pride and hate to the side, and accepting help from others made both parties stronger and truly united. I wish that the WoL stood up and told Quintus of Ishgard and how they set aside their hatred and pride to end a thousand year war. Of Yotsuyu and Gosetsu, and how they found family within one another once they shed their hatred and pride. Of Gaius and the weapons and Werlyt storyline if that was done. Of how Doma and Ala Mhigo helped eachother out with their personal problems and pushed out the Garleans, sparking a resistance movement within many other conquered provinces, and a revolution so strong that not even the mighty Garlemald could stop it.
Sure, Quintus would dismiss it as "preaching", but it really irks me that the WoL stays silent during that part of their conversation with Quintus when their travels has shown and made undeniable proof that there is benefit, strength, and true unity in helping others and being helped. Even for Garlemald.
Not just logical, but also beautifully written to give a huge impact on players emotions
Jullus killing his family only to be told there is a cure... I can't even begin to imagine...
The denial is understandable.. heartbreaking..
The irony is that most people of Eorzea probably felt the same way once they heard the news that there was a cure.
I never even made that connection. I just thought it made sense that he didn't trust it since garleans didn't trust eorzian magic in general, and in his mind their "cure" could possibly be the eorzians brainwashing the tempered to believe what they wanted them to believe.
That would just be too much for some people to be able to handle.
the sad news is that the cure only works in the first phase of tempering, beyond that there really is no cure
genuinely one of the best essays ive seen about the topic, the zone and the story of garlemald, appreciate the effort
Thank you!
Great Vid!!!
Garlemald to me was the most impactful place in the Endwalker MSQ. It wasn't the greatest/amazing place, but for me it was a real life gut check. And I was shocked how far in the expansion's story this takes place to be honest. So many times in this zone where I thought to myself, "They're really leaving no stone unturned, huh?"
This is an amazing documentary about Garlemald!
I’ve been fascinated about the politics of Garlemald since Stormblood. Back then, when I saw the ending of Stormblood, I was shocked to learned that the ending anthem sung was actual Gyr Abania’s anthem all along, falsely believed that it was Garlemald’s anthem since it was shown during the introduction scene of Stormblood. I had despised the Empire so much back then because of that moment alone. Not only did they conquered the people of Gyr Abania through military might, but also rewrote the people’s own national anthem.
Seeing Garlemald as the ruins it is in Endwalker with all the desperate people needing help had turned my hatred of the Empire to complete sympathy for the Garlean people. Hearing the eerie Home Beyond The Horizon anthem on the radio while venturing through the zone really captured the despair of the remaining Garlean people that are trying to survive.
FFXIV had made me loath and then later heavily sympathize with certain characters on multiple occasions. I love every single time it happened.
What a masterful story writing this is, and you had summarized it so well in your video essay.
Keep up the great work! I would definitely love to see you make more videos about FFXIV.
Thank you so much for watching, I'm glad you enjoyed the video!
It really is amazing how they managed to make the Garlean people so sympathetic after all this time. The writing in XIV really manages to blow me away over and over again.
I've had the same experience with loathing then loving multiple characters in this story, and it always amazes me when they can make me go from detesting someone to crying for them.
Down to the design of cars and the city Garlemald gave me chills to the bone from my history lessons and how germany looked and "felt" like (according to reports from my family) during the nazi occupation. They often told me the first country the Nazis conquered was germany and that everyone was swept away in this wave of new and better times.. a never before felt unity and success.. only to wake to a bitte nightmare.
@Dandin Dantalus this happy song is similiar to the gloom Home Beyond the Horizon ruclips.net/video/rcVb6l4TpHw/видео.html
cold war russia is what came to my mind when i first saw garlemald.
@@llmyth007 cold war as in the era? Or war in russia while its cold? Place looks like long after cold war. There are videos on youtube of Soviet Ghost Towns that are frightening... everything full of ice and snow.. a garage full of 20+ busses all in ice and snow.. disrepair.. no sign of life.. only silence and death.. here at least you have monsters and people. Still.. there are parallels between both german and russian WW2 in this area
@@ViewTube_Emperor_of_Mankind thinking more like the towns around Chernobyl.
As annoyed and saddened I am that Garlemald essentially fell offscreen… it’s coincidentally perfect representative of how fascism is unsustainable and will inevitably fail. You can’t hold your entire population under a dictator’s boot without things snowballing and collapsing the second something begins to slip
@2:30 ok I really hope people catch this distinction but Thavnair is not just India. It very much shares a cultural space with Persia as well, for godssakes Sartrapies were what provinces in Persia were called, and Sartrap its rulers. I'm not denying its indian influence, it is prevalent, but I think it is reductivist to just boil it down to being fantasy india. Persian references run deep within Thavnair, especially surrounding Vrtra. Vrtra IS an Indian dragon (specifically Vedic), but his sister is named Azdaja - Azdaha being the persian/farsi term for a dragon (Azdaja is that term slovenized and adapted for Slavic speaking countries).
That perfectly sums up what Thanvair is - an amalgam of Persian and Indian influences.
Thank you for explaining.
One thing I appreciate about the Garlemald part of Endwalker is how the people there are terrified of the arrival of the Ilsabard contingent who's ranks are comprised almost entirely by people who were occupied by Garlemald. Oppressors live in constant fear that the oppressed would return the favor, so much so that no small number would rather take their own lives than risk capture, bringing to mind of how many citizens in nazi germany took their own lives after losing WWII
I'm surprised Fordola's echo scene isn't in here since it's a good window into the Garlean approach to governing the aan at the edges of the empire.
The political set up of every nation in FF14 is super interesting to me and given the geopolitical landscape of the big three in Eorzea I think Quintus is justified in his worldview as far as expecting Garlemald to just be sliced up and humiliated. The Lominsans are either a military junta or a really big gang depending on how much legitimacy you believe their government has, the Gridanians are probably more theocratic than Ishgard and if not for the religious elements I'd be inclined to call them eco-fascist, and Ul'dah is kinda sorta a pre-islam Arabic merchant state that features a tight fusion of corporation and monarchical government. All of them (except for Gridania I think) were pretty well flushing their local beast man tribes down the toilet before we intervene as the player character. If not for the warrior of light's intervention Vae Victis remains the law of nature. So Eorzeans are to Garlemald what the fish dudes were to the Lominsans, small fish in a small pond. It doesn't justify conquest and military adventures but the ground level Garleans have *an* argument for their world view at all and FF14's narrative recognizing the hypocrisy on both sides is what really makes me love the universe they've written. Everybody's hands are at least a little dirty. It makes a fantasy world a lot more believable.
Being from gridania and having done a lot of quests there, I don't know if I can agree with you. Mostly, they just want to live in peace with the forest and everyone else, and be left alone. Of course they do not isolate themselves of other nations and engage in trade, open borders and such, but mostly they just want to live in peace. That's why the majority of their forces are composed with healers and archers (hunters). And the Elementals thing is more of a necessity than anything else. The elementals are powerful and rule the forest, if the Gridanians didn't have a good relationship with them, they wouldn't be allowed to live there. They are guests in the elementals home, and the elementals use them to protect the forest. Gridania wanting a "piece" of Garlemald wouldn't even make any sense, since they are bound to the forest and have nothing to gain outside of it.
@Fenris Stark Yeah I should specify more, that this is largely taking the Garleans uncharitable perspective to amplify the Eorzean Alliance's legitimate shortcomings. The Gridanians are still part of the mutual defensive agreement and counterstrike Garlemald along with their allies but I don't think Gridanians actually want a slice of land beyond their forest. They just represent a portion of the military that would defeat and occupy Garlemald. A Garlean will see them as an invader (just as the rest of the world has rightfully viewed Garleans), a Gridanian will just want to go home as soon as the mission is done.
@@fenrisstark997 To add to this, this also ignores the other Eorzean Alliance nations by this time, assumingly. Ishgard by the point of Endwalker has successfully moved from a theocrasy to a parliamentary government, and while still has a bit of work to do before it even gets close to the memories of Saint Shiva of old, at least understands and could probably relate to a kingdom whose entire previous governance was at least built on falsehoods. I'm less solid on the state of Ala Mhigo and Doma in the proceedings, as I am only partly into Stormblood myself, but I assume Hien and Lyse wind up as major players in their respective kingdoms and could also attempt to at least offer voices of reason, to varying degrees.
So glad YT recommended your Fandaniel essay. You make really excellent videos! Hope to see your Zenos one sometime in the future!
"Assume nothing. Question everything." - James Patterson
I've lived by that quote for most of my life, and it has been the reason I keep learning and evolving throughout. Garlemald showed me that not only was that important, the consequences for not doing so would be disastrous. Question everything, even your own beliefs, and do not stop until you have an answer.
I think I've found another binge-worthy video essayist. I enjoyed this one a lot and found myself reliving the same emotions some of the Garlemald MSQ gave me.
I've been frustrated by how few long form video essays there are for FFXIV. Your work is fantastic. Thank you.
"Don't worry, cockney Y'shtola isn't real. She can't hurt you." Meanwhile 1:11:30
This deserves more views. An excellent documentary on the empire of Garlemald. Watching this I realized why I myself have some thoughts that I have about Garlemald as well as the Garleans. Didn't expect this to be an hour and a half long and that's not a complain at all! I love watching long video essays like this and suddenly there's a video essay about my favorite game, right up my alley lol
Keep up the good work!
Thank you for watching, I'm glad you enjoyed!
Important to note Eikons do not do tempering just by being around. While most make it a habit to temper people, especially those who summon them, it is an act they must perform, and do not always see fit to do, depending on the Eikon in question.
True, as we saw with Shiva and Ramuh and why the party felt comfortable enough to approach the lightning deity when they couldn't with any of the others up to that point.
58:55
I actually died to that fucking pond. I switched class to a hand disciple after getting the debuff. Thankfully, someone else doing the story right next to me was able to revive me cause having to teleport back would have been even more humiliating.
I have throughly enjoyed your Final Fantasy XIV content!
There's this one detail in the story introduced in 6.1 that I really like. It doesn't exactly change anything thematic about the story of Garlemald, but I just like hearing what people think of it. It's in dialog that's locked behind completing all of the Endwalker Role quests, as well as the MSQ. Spoilers below, obviously.
The Bitter Snow questline sees you on another relief mission to Garlemald because even after stopping the Final Days, there's still enough despair in Garlemald to create monsters and Blasphemies. Fourchenault comes with you, and you're dealing with survivors. And almost in passing, he drops this bomb: all historical records dating back as far as the Allagan Empire indicate that Garleans or their ancestors had never been native to the region of Corvos. At some point down the line, someone (probably Emet-Selch as Emporer Solus) just lied about tropical paradise being stolen from them -- it was propaganda. (subject comes up starting at 5:47 in this clip: /watch?v=8apZRT0xuQE)
What appears to be indicated here is that Emet-Selch, seeking to create a fascistic empire expressly to sow the manner of discord that would bring about Calamities, engineered the squalor of the Garlean people in order to make them more amenable to fascism, to a strongman promising to restore a glorious past that never really was.
Oh my god! That's a huge bombshell! I haven't finished leveling three of the roles yet so I hadn't seen that, that's insane. I... Hmm. Huh. Huh! Yeah, I don't know what to think of that, I'm gonna have to sit on that one for a while, that's wild.
Thank you for bringing that up!
I guess that doesn't really change the characterization of the individual people of modern Garlemald, just tells us that Emet-Selch as Solus was corrupt in a new way we didn't know about.
It's fascinating to think that they're still adding more layers to this story, and revealing that the entire thing was a nationalistic lie of propaganda that no one questioned really does add to the themes.
This story is so nuanced and deep, I love XIV so much.
The thing there is, Emet-Selch mentions the Garleans having been driven there by the Corvosi in his narration during Endwalker... in which he's not even *remotely* pretending to be Solus zos Galvus, nor justifying himself to anyone. Nobody but the player, outside the universe of FFXIV, is listening. He has no reason to lie, because he has nobody to lie TO.
The answer that reconciles this with Fourchenault's records would be that the Corvosi were on their own imperialism kick several hundred years ago, evicting the Garleans from a region they later lost control over. If that's not the case, the fact that Emet-Selch remembers it differently than Fourchenault's records suggests that it's Fourchenault's records that are wrong.
About those peace talks: Im not sure if Varis is not playing a double entendre here. Afterall, he seems to hate the Ascians, so why would he buy into their beliefs of how to shape the world? Thus im really unsure if he truly means what he says there and, instead, is talking about what the Ascians are planning without giving away that hes playing Solus, whos using him as a figurehead at this moment to usher in the eight umbral calamity. Because during all of the moments we see him he first and foremost appears to be a ruler who truly cares for his people and empire, someone who wouldnt just waste their lives for the insane plan of the Ascians. Especially after what he says after he shoots Solus
Varis decided to do EVERYTHING possible for the Empire.
This includes sacrificing your own people to do so. It's difficult to understand this paradox but his position as emperor makes him feel almost as if he were a god in front of others.
The serious problem with this game's script always consists of taking the focus away from what it really is, confusing the player to create a type of empathy for the character.
I think this is terrible in FFXIV.
This ambiguity often makes villains seem "good" and creates questions about whether what we are doing is really right.
This, for example, created something bizarre that is the distorted view of the Ascians themselves, who during several eras did terrible things to all humanity and at the end of their history were shown as "saviors".
And this is far from the truth because they were naive in their attempt to prevent their end by creating a demon and sacrificing themselves for him in the hope that something "good" would happen.
The existence of Zodiark and those who would pursue the plan of his return for millennia from the beginning was cursed.
@@AlexanderPR2 I vehemently disagree with your idea that Varis saw himself as a god, or godlike compared to his people. There is no indication anywhere in the game that indicates that he would sacrifice his own people without reason either. Where did you get that from?
Also: What do you mean with Ambiguity? Could you elaborate on that please? And why exactly do you think its terrible for FF14?
Fantastic video! Garlemald has always fascinated me. Here's hoping that future content will go more into rebuilding Garlemald, I'd love to have a slightly less destroyed modern-ish city at some point.
Thank you for watching! I would also like to see this, maybe something similar to the Ishgard restoration event.
@@ZuldimYTI too would love a Firmament-like event for Garlemald.
PLEASE make more ffxiv content!! this has become quite literally one of my favorite video essays of all time
Wow! Thank you for the compliment! That means a lot!
I'm deep in the scripting process for my next FFXIV video, which is becoming quite long and hope to have it out in July or August. :)
I would love more long form content like this for FFXIV. This is amazing, great work.
Garlemald wasn't worth saving. But the Garleans... They were.
Pride goeth before a fall. This analysis is an 11/10. Garlemald was a propaganda machine and it's no wonder the Garleans looked at our ragtag group of catboys, elezens, cat girls, Hyrs, teeny potato people, bun people as if we had two heads, along with our crazy magic. I look forward to seeing how Julus and many of the younger crowd helps to rebuild and hopefully they learn from their elders' mistakes. In that way, I'm pretty optimistic.
Not only the races, the world is magical and for that is more horrifying for them
Honestly, I would love to see Julus work more along with you if not become a full-fledged Scion.
I'd love to see an analysis of some of the older expansions -- heavensward and shadowbringer in particular. I'd LOVE to see you talk about Emet Selch, or about Ishgard's progression from an isolationist nation to a welcoming one.
Friend sent me this because she knows I love long form video essays. Can't wait to see more from you. Would absolutely love the Zenos video + your thoughts on the Weapons questline, or even on Gaius. Looking forwards to watching your Condemned to Paradise video after this and I've not even finished this one yet!
Thank you for watching, and for your kind words!
Only just found these videos but this is an amazing breakdown of everything. I always thought it was really sudden going from a powerful, world controlling empire to a broken ruins seemingly over night and mostly off camera a little jarring, but watching you go through it, it makes much more sense.
Also, the radio playing never fails to make me choke up a little and get misty eyed. Such an emotional and moving time in Garlemald, and it wasn't even halfway through Endwalker.
How you can make a well-crafted analysis of Gaius without playing the gem weapons storyline is beyond me. Gaius is the best part of it. I grew to like him in that story, beyond what his involvement in Stormblood already did.
Excellent video, even if I found it a little late. Will share with my friends who play!
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
The doman enclave is similar to the Ananta Beast Tribe, in that it's rebuilding the enclave and making it home again. It's ends in a nice way which seems to offer some closure to the Domans.
Please make the Zenos video. Zenos is easly my favorite part of Endwalker if only the fact that he is the antithesis to the Endsinger and Meteon. Also his speech about what drives us forward that gets really meta about the MMO, it gives me chills.
I love his meta speech about why we play MMOs, it's actually the thing that makes me want to make a video about Zenos. His role in Endwalker really elevated his character for me.
Amazing video. I had an absolute blast watching the whole thing.
give this man subscribers. watched this after the fandaniel video and loved both. long form content like this shines a special light on this game
This is exactly the style of video on 14 i've been looking for, this is such a wonderful video essay, thank you for making it!
So glad this popped in my recommendation list!!! Commenting for that engagement algorithm 💪🏼
Thank you!
Only half an hour in and I love this. I'll come back once I've finished this, but I already think it's a really great video essay. Shame this has so few views, I know all too well that the YT algorithm I'd a fickle thing >_>
I hope you make more content like this in FF14 and other games, I would love to see it!
Thank you so much for your kind words! I've primarily been doing video essays about the Hitman series until now, so this was pretty out of my wheelhouse, but I appreciate the feedback. I would love to do more videos on FF14 in the future.
Just watched this after your Fear & Hunger video. You have some incredible insights and excellent writing in general! I hope you continue making videos like these :)
Absolutely amazing video, and about my favourite part of EW no less! Would love to see more of this type of videos if you ever do them again.
I've started working on my next video about Endwalker, in a similar style. :) Although I'm not sure when it'll be finished yet. Thank you for watching, and for the kind words!
I'm just seeing this video and I've really enjoyed it. Thank you.
Thank you so much for watching! I'm really glad you enjoyed it.
Great video. Would love to see you explore some additional concepts like this from the game in the future.
Wonderful video, really sums up my feelings about the Garlean arc of FFXIV and how it felt like it was brought to wonderfully tragic conclusion, that was yet still laced with hope. That scene with Quintus and the sisters always gets me. Really reflects the stark differences in opposing ideologies, and how it mirrors ones IRL. One thing though I felt like you should have included with Zenos is that scene during the Final Days in Garlemald. Where Zenos seems to perfectly demonstrate this video's statement: That your ideals have to become your own. He goes on about how one must find their own reasons and meanings in life, whatever they maybe. Only, Zenos is what happens when one can find no ideals of their own. It's empty nihilism, different from the nihilism of Meteon.
Honestly, going into Endwalker, I was not expecting much of what happens with Garlemald and Zenos especially. All this to say, make that Zenos video if you haven't already!
I finally got some time to play through the 6.4 quests and instead got distracted by watching an hour and a half essay on Garlemald. No regrets. This is phenomenally well done. I'm excited to watch some of the other videos I see on the side bar and to delve into the channel beyond even those.
Beautifully edited as well. This looks like it was a monster of a task to put together but damn did it turn out well.
Varis both has a good point and is at the same time very wrong when he says "Reclaimation is not invasion" and for the same exact reasons.
It is a fundamental truth of history that Conquest does indeed determine ownership. However this works both ways. if Garlemald can keep a land conquered for so long, they can consider it theirs. but if they lose it to uprising, then by the same logic, it no longer is.
The same logic that says they are only taking back what was taken from them, also justifies those who took it in the first place.
an exceptional essay!! Loved it.
25:05 This is the first time I've seen this scene post Shadowbringers, hell, post Endwalker, and I completely forgot Varis says this. Holy cow, I totally forgot he says this and it means something VERY different and sounds very different when you hear it while you're in Stormblood versus post-Shadowbringers.
great video! I play the game on and off. I stopped around the beginning of endwalker. I did like how they managed to make me feel sorry for Emet and the Garleans.
Waiting on the Zenos and Emet-selch videos. Guess I'll continue watching this and the Fandaniel video once a week each until those are released. You have such great essays. Beautiful and thoughtful writing. Have enjoyed your newer releases as well but these XIV ones just hit different.
awesome video really enjoyed listening to some other thoughts on my fave part of the expac too. very interested in hearing what you have to say about emet too
Thank you for watching, and for your kind words!
As a massive fan of the Garlean Empire this is one of my favorite video's about them.
Oh yes, Zenos and Emet-Selch Video Essay, please - in that order! 🙌🏻 very great Video, I really enjoyed it! 😊
As promised, I went back and starting watching your videos and another fantastic essay on Garlean Ideology. it Felt almost poetic that by turning a blind eye to the enemies use of summoning, simply marking it as evil and something the enemy would do, left them blind to the same ferver that could cause Anima to be born, had they taken the time to treat the savages as equals they might have even learned how by the very nature of their oppression they where causing more to be summoned.
"let me know if you'd like more videos about zenos or emet-selch" EMET-SELCH! please. if you so choose. your video on fandaniel set my standard for video essays on FFXIV content. i would love to see your insights.
more ffxiv essays sooo good
Oh God. I thought the "ask the iyl" line was about setting some people to get to work on the attack prep, that the "ironic coming from you" was because the command involved attacking our people.
They were dressed like soldiers and understood this military code, so I don't think they were civilians. The soldiers are very willing to die for their countrymen...
But still, that is eerie if this interpretation that they left to die or fend for themselves is true. I can see it being very likely in hindsight.
So, someone commented awhile back that they were dressed in military garb, so that detail was something I was misremembering. But yeah, aside from that, that's totally how I read it in the moment.
@@ZuldimYT Yeah, I definitely came around to the interpretation of that command. I found the text and I can see how the words have that underlying mood of someone steeling themselves. "I will fulfill...my duty"
that's some heavy shit. I have a chill that it was in the game and felt so subtle. If I'd had caught it at the time, I would have been looking to see if they left the camp by your next visit.
They were "Marcellinus" and "Octavia." I wanted to know if they survived their trek into the wild, but post-story they aren't in Camp Broken Glass and didn't return to Tertium. I'm going to be really interested in seeing if those names popup again in the future... in seeing if they survived out there. ='(
Can't believe this video was never in my suggestions until now. It was absolutely outstanding and seeing the link between Garlemald and beliefs has made me realise just how profound and deeply considered the dialogue can be in this game. I struggle to think deeply about certain things until someone offers some kind of perspective, so I wholly appreciate that you made this video.
I only started really reading the game in ShB, about 6-7 years after I'd started playing, so I know I've missed a lot about this empire. I long considered the Garleans to be the most 'boring' aspect of the game, and even in the last two expansions I would skip any Garlean-based cutscenes. But Garlemald being introduced as a zone in EW improved my stance on that a bit because it introduced a side to these people that I could empathise with.
I see you have another huge FFXIV video essay, and I highly look forward to watching that next. Emet-Selch and the Ancients are the lore content of this game that I'm completely obsessed with - I'm sure many people would be interested if you made an Emet-Selch based video. I look forward to if you produce any more essays about this phenomenal game in the future. Even if you don't, I appreciate the two I've found from you so, so much.
You are so underrated! This was such a great listen!
I am respectfully asking you to do more of these please...
I admit in EW I was sort of hoping that the Tempering towers was Zenos trying to bootstrap create an Eikon of Garlemald, like some kind of literal avatar of fascism. Too bad it didn't go that way but what we got was still really good and special.
The boss Anima is exactly that. It is the eikon of the emperor. Using his body parts as conduits.
absolutely amazing video
Thank you!
Absolutely fantastic video. Garlamald was such a fantastic part of the story and it's so nice to see someone fully appreciate it. I feel like A LOT of people missed the point of this entire section and wrote it off as "why are we helping Nazis"
Great stuff, glad it appeared in my recommended.
Speaking of Gaius... while the concept of the Legatii in XIV is basically an evolution of the Archadian Judges from XII (the love Yoshida and his team hold for the Ivalice Alliance should be well known), Gaius' armor in particular seems to draw on the design of Grahf, an antagonist from Xenogears, who's strongly inspired by Darth Vader. It must also be noted that Gabranth, who's likely the most popular of the Archadian Judges, was also fashioned after Darth Vader.
That better not be a threat! THAT BETTER BE A GOD DAMN PROMISE!!
Grand Admiral Thrawn Comes to mind as nuanced Star Wars characters.
Totally agreed, while I've only dabbled in the Star Wars Extended Universe, Thrawn, and the whole Zahn trilogy he was introduced in is great.
By the way, I would seriously love a start-end "what happened over the course of the game" of FFXIV. Do I think it's feasible? Not completely. Would I still love that? Absolutely.
My favourite part about this arc, is when Alisae swore to his brother that she will follow him anywhere.
One of Varis' arguments to justify their campagin of conquest is that they need to all be under one banner before taking the fight to the Ascians, right?
Two things that I think would dismantle his logic:
1. His empire has spent more time fighting everyone but the Ascians. Hell, some of their Legatus even conspired with them.
2. Up to the point where Varis meets with the Alliance, one unsundered Ascian is dead because of the Scions, directly or not. How many unsundered Ascians did the empire kill again?
Okay, I've been watching these essays you've created about FFXIV back to back, and I have to say, I'm so glad that Garlemald was on your list. I'm a roleplayer, and while I have a myriad of half-baked character concepts, one of my most personal is of a Garlemald Repatriate after the events of Endwalker. I couldn't help but draw parallels to Garlemald with the rise of the Third Riech, in which my mom's parents were both part of. One was part of a very pro-Nazi family, and one was part of a staunchly anti-Nazi family. My Garlean would be one to explore how to deprogram subconscious programming, despite her resisting and being part of an underground resistance courier line. To show and recognize the struggle of leaving such an authoritarian regime with nothing but herself and anyone who would give her a fleeting chance of trust. It's incredibly hard to make yourself feel free of something so terrifying, so ingrained, and so damning. Despite all of that, there were people who resisted on the inside because they knew it was wrong. So they fought in their own way.
So thank you for this in depth look at Garlemald and the characters that have spawned from it. It just gives me the drive to work on my repatriated lady next.
This was excellent.
Thank you so much!
1:01:30 OMG! I had no idea that's what I was doing. I thought I was telling them to help with the ambush. That's so much darker than I imagined.
I don't think the Garleans are necesarily fascistic. While they are heavily militaristic and most definitely imperialistic to truly determine if they were fascistic one would need to examine how the Garleans treat their own people. And that is where the problem lies: We never see how the Garleans are treated by their own, outside the treatment they recieve after Shadowbringers, and i would hazard a guess that this is not how the Garleans themselves were treated by their own leadership during most of their existance.
That they see other species outside of their own as brute savages could be an indicator of a sense of supremacy over everyone else, however this can be simply explained as a result of the abuse they recieved by everyone else before they founded their empire, and even that is not a surefire indicator of fascism.
So how would one go about analyzing if they were fascist?
To answer that one would have to answer if they abide by the three tenets of fascism:
1: Everything within the state
2: Nothing without the state
3: Nothing against the state
Essentially it boils down to three main questions:
First: Do they allow free enterprise? Are people allowed to do their own business, and are not dictated to by the state what to produce and how to produce it?
Second: Are people allowed to have their own organisations, clubs and meetings that are detached from the governments influence? Or does everything have to be part of the government and or be dictated by the government how to operate itself?
Third: Is dissent allowed? Can you criticize the government without fear of retribution? Are you allowed to stray from the main ideology of the ruling caste or even form opposition against it?
The only question that we can put an actual answer to would be the third, in the form of the Populares, who seemingly were allowed to not only hold their own positions in regards to the treatment of non-garleans but also appear to hold some modicum of power within the garlean governmental structure. Until they get almost assasinated and have to defect, however i am not quite certain who signed up on this, if it was Varis zos Galvus or Solus zos Galvus or maybe even Elidibus in the body of Zenos yae Galvus, the latter two of which, as Ascians, had their own ideas about the purpose of the garlean Empire. Then of course there are the various defectors of the various legions who go to Eorzea after fleeing Garlemald, which heavily implies that dissent, at least within military structures is seen as something to be eradicated (which makes sense within the context of the military, and the various legati we see during the course of the game with the notable exception of Noah van Gabranth)
Also the entire thing becomes more difficult with the Garlean Empire beeing a monarchy, and the question of how far the ruling caste dictates the morals by which the Garleans were allowed to live by. Especially since there is a difference between people beeing united in their beliefs of their own accord and people beeing forced to live by someone elses morals dictated upon by someone else, and it beeing difficult to differentiate between those from the outside without deeper insight and analysis of the garlean civil structure. What we can infer is that the beliefs which permeated Garlemald are deeply seated within their culture and their origin. And...well, thats essentially all we really get as an insight.
So, with the two first questions beeing impossible to answer and the third beeing somewhere in the middle with a leaning towards no its really hard to properly answer the question if the garleans truly were fascistic, unless we are getting more insight later on in the expansion.
This is a really good comment with an interesting perspective on Garlemald I hadn't seen. Thank you for taking the time to write this up, I appreciate hearing a different perspective on what I may have been off about! I do think that the Garleans are meant to read as fascistic, if only because of the connection to the Star Wars empire, and because of the way everyone we see functions as a cog in a larger machine, but you're right that we see very little of daily Garlean life, so perhaps calling them Imperialist would be more accurate.
(Sorry it took me a while to read this, I've been moving.)
@@ZuldimYT Dont worry, even i wrote this comment knowing it might never be read. So thank you for taking your time and actually reading it.
Fascism is a fascinating subjectmatter to study, and a lot of people are still confused about what it actually is. Therefore they percieve a lot of things which arent fascism as fascism simply because it looks on the surface like it, meanwhile actual fascistic depictions fly under the radar by giving themselves a non-fascist paintjob. If you want to know more id strongly recommend reading Benito Mussolinis works about it, since he was the original inventor of the ideology.
This comment made me curious so I’ve grabbed the 14 characteristics of fascism and we can go down the list and check off the ones that are obvious or explicit without much searching needed for dialogue, then loop back around to the ones that are harder to gauge or not as immediately apparent.
so out of the 14 characteristics of fascism, we can say for certain that Garlemald exhibits the following:
1. Powerful and continuing nationalism (yeah that’s true)
3. Identification of enemies/scapegoats as unifying causes (the kicked out of Corvos thing)
4: Supremacy of the military (see: the game)
6: controlled mass media (radios seemed to be the only way anyone could get news in Garlemald, and they absolutely only listen for whatever the government says)
7: obsession with national security (see: endwalker)
8: religion and government are intertwined (worship is literally only permitted when it’s of the emperor)
10: labor power is suppressed (it is the lowest caste of garlean citizenry and seemingly made up exclusively of subjugated people who are/were trying to assimilate)
12: obsession with crime and punishment (see: the game, but especially stormblood)
13: rampant cronyism and corruption (see: succession crises involving both of these)
That only leaves us with 2,5,9, 11 and 14 to be not entirely certain about. But let’s look at them and gather what evidence for or against each one we can.
2: disdain for the recognition of human rights.
For their own people, it is hard to say until Zenos becomes the ruler (in which case it’s clearly joining the others), but they certainly do not extend the courtesy of rights to the people of the nations they subjugated
5: rampant sexism
This one I don’t think is ever explicitly mentioned, but it’s very telling that every single major player in Garlemald’s leadership has been male and any women in positions of power were always serving directly under a man. This characteristic can join the others.
9: corporate power is protected
I can find no evidence one way or the other for this one when it comes to Garlemald. But we are through 12 characteristics now and Garlemald has 11. To say it’s a fascist nation at this point would be quite acceptable by most reasonable standards. Let’s look at the final two characteristics though.
11: disdain for intellectuals and the arts.
Once again it’s hard to find any solid evidence here, but it would ring true when paired with Garlemald’s propaganda machine and intent one creating a culture devoid of individuality. Intellectual and artistic minds are much more likely to to hinder that goal, as both are far more prone to expression of their ideas. It can also be seen implicitly with the whole replacement of Ala Mhigo’s anthem with a Garlean Version.
I feel like this can be added to the others.
That leaves us with 14: Fraudulent Elections
This is a little special, because Garlemald does not do elections, it has a line of succession. However, every time in game an emperor dies, there is always a succession crisis with different sides asserting that theirs is the only one who may truly lead, and in Zenos’s case he just straight up murdered his father then let Gaius take the fall for it. Seems pretty fraudulent. It goes with the others.
Tallying it up and you have 13/14.
Only #9, the protection of corporate power, is a complete unknown.
So yeah. Now that we’ve checked. Pretty sure it’s fascist.
@@henryjones411 Ive gone through those points, and while there is some truth to them and some definitely apply to the empire these are so non-specific that any kind of authoritatian system would easily fulfill some or all of these points. And while fascism is definitely authoritarian it is a very specific kind of authoritarianism that follows a very unique ideology, which is barely or not at all represented within these 14 points.
Outside from that the way you apply these points are in many cases based entirely on assumptions, on conflation of the treatment of outsiders or a complete misunderstanding of the lore. Specifically 2, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14. Let me elaborate:
2.: Disdain for the recognition of human Rights:
DeFacto true with outsiders, but we know nothing of how citizens were treated. And in fascism the way one treats its citizens is a major pillar of the ideology, that is every citizen has to forfeit his individual wants and needs before the state. Do we have any evidence for that? No.
5.: Rampant Sexism
The legatus of the third is a woman
The governor of Yanxia, Yotsuyu, is a woman
Nael van Darnus was a woman (albeit here she assumed her brothers identity)
Garlemald is a meritocracy, to the point where even outsiders that pledged themselves to the Empire were allowed and able to rise through the ranks (Fordola rem Lupus for example), so if there was any systemic sexism id not expect to see ANY woman make it into any high position.
6.: Controlled Mass Media
You base your argument entirely on the assumption that there is exactly one kind of mass media and exactly one broadcaster that supplies programming of exactly one kind to the public.
But again, we dont know anything about pre-Final Days Garlemald. There could have been other publications, other broadcasters...that Home beyond the Horizon is the only thing that plays on the radio during and after the crisis also mirrors a real life policy of the UK for example, where in the case of nuclear war any radio broadcaster is obliged to play one specific song.
8.: Religion and Government is intertwined
This is entirely based upon a misunderstanding on your part about the role of the emperor and primals.
DeFacto the Empire outlawed ANY kind of religious worship, of ANY entity. The reason that Varis returns as Anima is not because of religious worship either, its because of the non religious belief the garleans have in him that he is summonable in the first place. Its a big irony of fate. Either way, the Emperor is in no way a religious figure, nor head of any church nor anything even remotely similar, therefore this point also cant apply.
10.: Labor Power is suppressed
Once again, no evidence for any kind of mistreatment of natives, only of outsiders. We have no idea about any rights of individuals, how well the ordinary workers were protected or not. Again you conflate the treatment of outsiders and natives. (cont.->)
@@henryjones411
11: Disdain for the Intellectuals and the Arts
The Garlemald Magitech Academy and its Engineers hold incredible influence and sway in garlean Society. Even the traitors among them, like Cid nan Garlond are famed by ordinary citizens as explained by Nero during the Praetorium.
We also have nothing on garlean philosphers. They may have existed, or not, we simply dont know. In the Arts department however we have the theater troupe that was at one point sponsored by the emperor himself until they got ousted. So there's that.
Also once again you base your further argument on an assumption which is further based on the prejudice that Garlemald is fascist. The idea that Garlemald wishes to remove peoples individuality is based on no evidence whatsoever.
12: Obsession with Crime and Punishment
Give me an example of a singular garlean native beeing made an example off for committing a crime. Please, i beg you.
13: Rampant corruption and Cronyism:
You seem to take the succession crises as examples of corruption, while they are actually examples of mismanagement, in this case intentional mismanagement. Any powervacuum left behind by a dead leader always brings chaos and upheaval in its wake if there are no clear rules for succession, its not even specific for fascism that this happens. And in the case of cronyism we have once again no evidence.
14: Fraudulent Elections
How can you defraud people in elections if there are no elections at all? Fraud is when you say "You can vote for whos in power" and then disregard the result and put into power whomever you desire, maybe even yourself. Again, the empire is a monarchy, and succession crises and regicide are not quite the norm but quite common for these all throughout history. The only kind of fraud Zenos committed was that he made Gaius Baelsar the scapegoat.
In total, in my count Garlemald gets at best 5/14 points, and definitely not the 13/14 you ascribed to it.
That aside, the 14 characteristics of fascism are nice and all, but they are at best a look at the surface of fascist regimes, the results which are obvious and not the actual roots of the fascist ideology. If you actually want to understand fascism id recommend you to read Benito Mussolinis works on the matter, afterall he invented it.
Great video. Good work.
Also, please do make video essays about Zenos and Emet-Selch and any other character. Your video essays are like Game Theory's videos for me. Am I ever going to play the game myself? Probably not. Do I still want to watch/listen to every video you put out? Yes.
Amazing video! Do your work algorythm, this is quality content!
Hahaha thank you for your engagement, I appreciate it
two of my favorite uses in this game of their 'erasure of culture' is A) At the start of Stb, you hear the theme 'The Measure of Our Reach, which sounds like a rallying cry for fasciasts groups back in the 40's. In reality, it's a perversion of 'The Measure of His Reach', the anthem of Ala Mihgo. B) The Lupin race had their very people's name be changed to Faere Dominae, as if even who they truly are is a crime. Yet despite everything, the WoL can bring themselves to work with Gaius, and in turn Gaius even says that he hopes Garlemald comes to see the WoL for who they truly are, a good person and not a monster.
The power of prpaganda is terrifying. The moment our title is mentioned, seeing them all back off is a reminder that to the soldiers, we're a nightmare walking in broad daylight. our time there is short, but thats all wee needed imo. a wake up call and an uncomfortable one at that.
Not sure if you're currently working it (or have already done it and I'm blind), but I would VERY much love a video essay on Emet-Selch.
Holy shit amazing.
Thank you for watching!
1:10:08 heyyy can you tell me what you were using for glam on feet and legs? I'd appreciate it.
I believe it was false nails, from the Lamia beast tribe quests, and the Yorha boots of maiming from the... Third Nier raid? I'm away from home for the next few days but I'll check if I can find it and reply again later.
Great essay!
I get what they were trying to do with Quintus but he came across, to me, as a dimwitted moron. I wasn't surprised or saddened by the way he chose to opt out.
I love Julus ❤ 😢
Great video 👏🏻 👏🏻
The only way the end of Garlemald could have been better is if Anima had been a trial instead of a dungeon boss.
DUCH SEVASTATION
MY INTENTION IT WEREN'T
I do recommend doing the Weapons story since it serves to highlight one of the less focused on aspects of fascism in Garlemald; racism.
It also puts focus on Gaius being less of a piece of shit than other Garlean leaders, so that's nice.
wait what you didn't do the Weapons quest pls try them they are great, also good video
FOR THE EMPIRE
To be perfectly fair to Alisaie and Alphinaud, those two girls dying were completely their own fault lol
Yeah... I can't disagree.
Feels like you kind of miss the mark on the reasoning behind the Empire's motives. You link it all back to fascism being the end goal when really it's just a means to an end. To the Empire the world really is against them because, historically, that's true. The empire suffered for centuries against other nations invading their homeland and exiling them to the coldest corner of the world. They aren't the villain because they are evil, they're the villain because the world left them with no other choice. Their culture was never respected. The Eorzeans only in the last year or so (lorewise) have managed any sort of peace amongst themselves. Eorzea has been full of conflict, so why is what they do any different? The difference is they actually had the ability to win the unending conflict and put a stop to it. To them it's either an eternity of suffering, or a bit of suffering for an eternity of peace. Quintus makes a very good point. If they only want peace, then that's exactly what the Empire provided. But the truth is Eorzeans don't want peace. They want what's best for their own nation, and are only staying their hand when threatened with violence. Would the Eorzean Alliance even exist without Garlemald? Would they have sought peace if there wasn't a larger threat to bind them together? The Empire really isn't any different to any of the other nations. They aren't explicitly out to be fascist. They were just the winning team, and it's easier to paint them as monsters than it is to admit that they may be right.
Except the empire is *wrong.* it wasn’t everyone out to get them, it was specifically the Corvosi and there’s a line of dialogue in the Bitter Snow role capstone questline that suggest maybe that isn’t even the truth.
Similarly, the empire did *not* bring peace or prosperity or unity. They brought strife, discord, and economic depression. I know people aren’t fond of stormblood but that doesn’t mean we can just ignore that whole expansion showing exactly how awful life under imperial rule was.
This isn’t to say life in Ul’Dah or Limsa or Gridania is some utopian living, you’re shown very early on the ugliest parts of each of the city states. The fascism of Garlemald is their end-goal though. Their leader literally tells you to your face as much, and so does Quintus. Their fascism is very much their end-goal, and their conquests are the means to that goal.
The reason the Garleans are the enemy is not because of their fascism though, that’s true. The reason they’re the enemy is that regardless of their history, they’re a warmongering nation that cannot maintain peace in their conquered lands and also that whole bit about how they caused the very recent calamity in an attempt at scorched earthing eorzea for successfully resisting invasion for too long.
That's literally fascism
Incredible video that encapsulates everything captivating about the zone. The thing is, I personally hate it! I think it's a masterful depiction of a fascistic state in its last legs of decay, and for that I hate this place! I find Jullus contemptible and I hope he learns to live well, but I would love nothing more than to never have to see his face again! I think the zone does what it sets out to do perfectly, I just hate just about everyone who inhabits it. 10/10 zone
So Eorzea is actually the bad guy(s)
It was Hermes the true Bad guy, the rest is only nature
one of the things that I think gets glossed over far too much is the ONLY reason that the garleans became a fascist superpower is because they were oppressed by the magic welders of the world. all the so called native eorzeans came over from other continents after various calamaties and just kicked out the aether handicapped race. and everyone acts like "oh it's fine that was long ago they have no reason to be mad. then when they finally take back what is theirs they are plastered the villain. the motivation is not remotely villainous .. however the corruptions and methodology for sure it's
I hope you have exactly zero interest in politics. Also their homeland is just Corvos
Alright, im curious about this, I love long essays and the Garlemald part of Endwalker was one of my least favorite arcs in the game alltogether given just how little sense it made to me despite some good dialogue, lets see if this going to give me some food for thought.
Interesting, I hope you enjoy the video, or at least are able to understand what I see in it, if not agree.
@@ZuldimYT Oh, yea the video is great, I dont disagree with any of your points, well reasoned, I thought much the same, tho I did also ponder what right does anyone really have to say that someone else is brainwashed or fooled and whatnot, or to even judge a state like this when guilty of much the same just under different names oftentimes, but I agree with everything there dont get me wrong.
Sadly the video wasnt actually about what I was interested in, or hoping it would be, which are the self indlugent, naive and in my opinion even immoral and desctructive actions of the Scions here in Garlemald and how the story simply glosses over them, which is what I have had isue during this arc, not Garlemald or how its presented. As far as your video, its all good work, and clears up any unsure thoughts people may have had, good work.
@@KaiSaeren I do agree with you about the Scions actions, both in Garlemald and in general being morally dubious at best, and glossed over by the narrative. That would actually be a good topic for a video of its own, focusing on the actions of the Scions in general over the course of the game. Alphinaud got some blowback against his own misplaced self-confidence with the... I want to say Crystal Braves in ARR patch content, but there's a larger conversation and examination to be had about the Scions as an organization, especially (I feel) in Stormblood.
@@KaiSaeren And thank you for watching, and for your response! Interesting perspective, and I appreciate it!
@@ZuldimYT No problem I enjoyed watching. Im surprised to find someone who agrees, tho Im unsure we actually mean the same thing.
I remember posting something about it to reddit and essentially got beaten down with comments about how its never good to leave people behind or not offer help and such, which is a sentiment I do agree to a degree but its a lot more convoluted than just that.
For me the most moronic part of this arc and the overall reason why I didnt enjoy it as such was how negligent everyone was about the confirmed and soon to happen end of the world. We spent a ton of time fopping around helping people one by one, many of whom would not only rather die than receive that help but were also not civilians in many cases. Hell we gave them the ability to attack us by helping them, they clapped slave collars on Alphinaud and Alisae.
All the while ignoring the obvious goal with which we came here and which would help the most BY FAR to everyone affected - stopping the Telophoroi and destroying the tower.
Literally all the people we spent time helping might as well be dead if we do not stop this and hell by the end we even have ALL of the scions bar our character chose to actually go help the singular people at our camp to not die or kill more of our soldiers after we so smartly invited them directly into our camp even tho we know there is a danger of mind control, over actually going with us and preventing the end days from coming.
It just felt so forced, so stupid and so immoral. The writers simply needed it to happen, so it did, and it made the main cast look like morons who would rather tout their morality than actually help the majority . Its like you have people dying from thirst right and we chose to walk around and pat them on the back offer the little water we could instead of going and destroying the damn keeping the water away from them.. or something I dont know, terrible analogy.
Dont want to get more into it as that would take forever so im sorry if this isnt exactly articulate but I hope I got my point across.
am i the only one whos mad we didnt get to visit garlemald pre-civil war? the area seemed so modern! they have cars and motorbikes too, radio and possibly television.
man.... what a let down.
17:24 Yes... ME!
Also yes please more FF14 videos
Emet video, yes please
Funny how a japanese made game portrays pseudo japanese people being occupied by garlemald much in the same way japan itself occupied a good many other countries during their empire age. Must have helped that they had so much personal history to draw inspiration from 😄
Honestly, Garlemald brings to mind communism more than fascism to me. No god save the state, no culture save that which "unites" all mankind, nothing at all except for that deranged idea of "unity". A boot stamping on a human face forever-but in that crushing, all humanity is made equal, made as one. Until there is no division at all save between those who rule and those who are ruled. Plus, fascism was way more honest about conquest for conquest's sake-communist imperialism always held up those ideals, if you can call them that, of unity as justification for their relentless, never-satisfied expansionism. And even the "death before accepting help" thing is reflected in the history of communism; the Soviet Union was originally supposed to be a part of the Marshall Plan to reconstruct Europe after WW2, and it arguably needed it even more than the bombed-out ruins of Germany, but Stalin refused it out of pride and a belief that it was a way for the West to somehow undermine him, so they and their Eastern European puppet states were left to suffer a long, painful rebuilding process despite massive amounts of Western aid being right there ready and willing to be given to them.
EDIT: Also yes, I'm going back through all of your FF XIV videos even though I've seen them before already. I need more, and the next one's not out yet, so here I am.
Always thought the Empire were misguided good guys in Realm Reborn due to their intentions to overthrow the gods, especially getting to know the honorable Gaius and his views as well as Varis in Heavensward, talking about how man must release itself from the shackles of the gods. Felt bad for killing them. Also they've got cool armour.
endwalker made Emet selch into the ultimate bestie