FINAL FANTASY XV: EPISODE ARDYN - PROLOGUE

[@g.s.5110]

Either you die a hero or you live long enough to be a villain.
Summary of Ardyn's story.

[@ezekielbaskerville2710]

And in Somnus case, you just never were a hero to begin with.

[@thehive4330]

G. S. “Dark Knight feeling, die and be a hero or live long enough to see yourself become a villain”

[@paulineiv878]

@@ezekielbaskerville2710 Yup just a poser!!:)

[@CrouTonG]

Im 666th liker muahah

[@davidgn40]

Let me just say:
"Conditioned to Hate" is the PERFECT name for Ardyn's theme.

[@cheesybutters5053]

It's also an amazing song along with that

[@davidgn40]

@@cheesybutters5053 agreed

[@cheesybutters5053]

@@davidgn40 I remember playing the episode and when it kicked in thinking "This is going to be really fun isn't it?"

[@Sinmar4]

Don't get me wrong, i love somnus's theme. But after watching this, ardyn's lil bro *DON'T* deserve that name. period.

[@kingofkingdomhearts6211]

True

[@animegirlhaven]

Yep

[@Caim6311]

It should have been ardyns theme. His fight against Somnus fits perfectly.

[@hollandjimenez6592]

somnus knew of what what his brother would become it’s why he did what he did.

[@retroman5432]

@@hollandjimenez6592 He literally helped the entire village though. Why else did he drained away people's curse into his own?

[@archmarschalvonlowen4183]

Scar: "I betrayed and killed my brother, usurped his throne, traumatized and attempted to murder my nephew."
Somnus: "Hold my beer."

[@Archon3960]

And yet, both brothers turned out to be the villain in the end.

[@frozenyogurtdanimation3124]

Who's Scar?

[@CosplayDiva]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought Ardyn was like Scar from "The Lion King"!!! 😁 Ever since I heard his English voice, I thought he kinda sounded like Jeremy Irons and I was like "Why do I get the feeling like I sense Scar in Ardyn"?! The interesting fact is that Darin De Paul mentioned that he once did a Jeremy Irons voice impression in the past.

[@CosplayDiva]

Now I want a MV with Ardyn singing "Be Prepared"!!! 😈😈😈

[@TaigaXsenpai]

what's worse Somnus managed to mark his name among legends literally,
he became guardian spirits blessed by gods for eternity :P

[@kyn7329]

“He’s become the monster I made him out to be...” Damn.. Ardyn he planned your downfall from the very beginning.

[@elisabethacronqvist7859]

Somnus,you crazy,selfish S.O.B,you crushed so many others lives...God Almighty,I have no words to describe how much I hate this bastard...

[@sonyabelmontfarenheght1189]

I don't know I hate more - Hogo or Somnus...

[@Caim6311]

It will be funny if noctis meets somnus and slap him across the face.
Somnus: "Hi I'm somnus your great great great great grand father....."
Noctis: "shut the hell up you fuckn cunt"
*Noctis slaps somnus across the face and the gods sees this infront of them*

[@hollandjimenez6592]

His downfall was his own doing. Only his brother could see what he would become.

[@keionchua6777]

when Somnus said that line it wasnt him being like yes the throne is mine but more of regret that started to fill him because Somnus did respect his brother and ultimately held resentment for himself for turning his brother into a monster. They are also pretty mch opposites to each other, Somnus being a realist king and Ardyn being an idealistic fool. I dont like the word but it is most appropriate because Ardyn as a savior tried to cure people one by one making Somnus believe and he did truly believe that Ardyn was choosing who lived and died unlike his more fair but cruel method of killing those afflicted. Ultimately 2000 before Noctis Ardyn and Somnus had the same goal, different methods and a ultimately tragic relationship.
Note: this isnt meant to exempt Somnus for what he did but more so explain his motives and his actions even if they are cruel

[@thedarkknight727]

Ardyn is one of the true definition of Jesus gone wrong.

[@niyamangfi2954]

Hey! That's what i thought

[@JayFFAFAlesanaES]

It's an interesting tale. A good take is not to vilify people without knowing their story. Most people our just conditioned egos.

[@HYDEinallcaps]

Jesus in a fedora.

[@Gpopp_Nerd]

The way he looked at Luna before Ardyn slaps her suddenly makes so much more sense, in his mind for a split second he was thinking of Aera.

[@rai4119]

But then it makes less sense to murder the oracle. He probably couldve just kept her under lock and key for 10 years

[@yono2765]

Rai he wanted to give noct a reason to ascend as the true king - we can see in episode ignis he wants to "hurry the process along", killing luna would give noctis another reason to ascend

[@illusionofquality979]

@@rai4119 Her body was already giving out before she met Leviathan. Girl ain't living 10 more years.

[@JohnDoe-qj3iv]

@@illusionofquality979 He might have killed her because of pity.... Or more to piss Noctis off because both Noctis and Ardyn didn't know that Lunafreya was already dying...

[@renegade3169]

@@JohnDoe-qj3iv he did it because he hates all that somnus left behind including his bloodline, so of course he would kill noctis’s lover

[@ivanlim3180]

RIP Keiji Fujiwara, VA for Ardyn Lucis Caelum.

[@FinalFantasyUnion]

It feels like the beginning of the end..., but so thankful that this still exists! Long may the stories of Final Fantasy XV continue to be told.

[@Orcaluv26]

Sadly this is the final dlc

[@JackFRipper]

Last one coming out ever

[@msmoon6011]

Hi, FFU! Couldn't have said it better myself! I'm so excited for this! :)

[@adamclark8994]

They still said during the announcement of the cancelled DLC's that they still want to do something with the other episodes. I am praying and hoping for story cutscenes. I don't think Square realise how much FFXV would have been SO much better if there was just more story content when the game was first released.

[@adamclark8994]

@Indra Ootsutsuki Yeah I just saw on twitter. A novel isn't bad but I'm wondering how it will look, like will there be pictures of just a bare boned book? It's a bit vague but time will tell. Depending on what we get, this isn't bad at all really.

[@ghostbear7291]

oh... I suddenly have some sympathy for Ardyn
*N E A T*

[@jefthereaper]

The fact that pisses me off the most is that Bahamut and the other gods could have prevented any of this way before it happened,
yet somehow it was a great idea to give a mortal man the power to absorb the scourge, and then when this mortal dutifully used their body as a container to keep the scourge locked up, obviously you punish that mortal by denouncing their claim to the throne and locking them up on the island of the gods, wrapped in various chains for more then 2000 years without ever seeking a way to cure or help him.
2000 years later this human escapes and seeks revenge
Bahamuth: "Oh no, what did we do to deserve this?"
Bahamut literally caused this to happen!
Leave alone his "solution" is to take away death for an entire bloodline so they can gather their souls into the crystal and finally combine into the chosen king, all to deny an entire bloodline their afterlife to wipe out Ardyn, who in the first place already lost his entire life and had to endure 2000 years of suffering.
Seriously Bahamut you should lose your position as the leader of the gods for sheer incompetence.

[@Ayedre_1]

The prophecy has to be fulfilled. And gods rarely mettle in human affairs, With all their power they just step in and help on one fight every once in awhile.

[@jefthereaper]

@@Ayedre_1
The gods are literally the reason most of the bad stuff is going on, heck the great cannion you see? a big slice made from Bahamuth's sword.
Ice? Shiva's corpse.
Vulcano? Ifrit's corpse?
Starscourge? pretty sure somehow the gods are involved in that one too.
Leave alone Bahamuth's brilliant solution to dealing with Ardyn was chaining him up for 2000 years.
Just has to show how useless they are as deities.
All they do is caurse problems (after that, they then task mortals with the cleanup) and the only time they help a mortal is by showing off with their raw power (but lets not heal people, use the literal 2000 years of time they had to find a solution to the scourge and for Ardyn instead of just rolling with the whole "sacrefice an entire bloodline to destroy Ardyn" thing.
Just saying, when you put everything in perspective, Bahamut can be blamed for nearly everything that's wrong with the current Eos.
(with the exception of Ifrit's dumb decision of trying to eradicate all humans due to them being a bit arrogant.)

[@barachiel212]

@@@jefthereaper Glad I'm not the only one who caught that literally every terrible thing that happens is because of the gods and the fact that they dump all responsibility onto humans to fix, up to and including sacrificing their own lives to fix their fuckups. Seriously, can we gate in Kratos? What we have here is a pantheon that needs culling.

[@bae7589]

True villains are the gods.

[@kyle11]

i agree bahamut is the true villain. there is a ffxv book based on dlc that was never released with an alternate ending about how noctis' team and ardyn collaborate to defeat bahamut. finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Final_Fantasy_XV_-The_Dawn_of_the_Future- the english version is not out yet

[@__Tiziana__]

I think that many people fail to fully understand the complexity of Ardyn's character, unfortunately. He is nothing like the stereotypical bad guy who is first and foremost driven by a sadistic desire to hurt the protagonist because, well, he is evil, for one reason or the other. Ardyn was a noble man unfairly rejected by the Astrals and punished for having found a different way to help his people - a way that didn't please the Gods. His choice led him to experience an eternity that he didn't desire, and thus he spent the next thousand of years haunted by the horrifying memories of his brother's betrayal and his beloved's death. His people have long forgotten his martyrdom, his name was erased from history; in the end, all that was left for him to survive this eternity of sorrow was the desire of revenge.
Ardyn didn't have anything personal against Noctis: actually, he considered him an unaware pawn of the Gods who was to be pitied; and yet he had to be cruel nonetheless, because Noctis was the Chosen King, the last resort of the Astrals, the last man standing between the Gods and his long - sought revenge. Ardyn used him to achieve his ends: that's why in the beginning he helped him and his friends to survive; but then, of course, he had to kill Luna to accelerate the advance of the Starscourge. He didn't do it out of sheer wickedness, I believe; if that was the case, he would have killed Gladio, Prompto and Ignis before Noctis' awakening or just before the final battle, when he instead opted to make them sleep. What a perfectly designed tragedy would have been if Ardyn was the usual, monotonous anti-hero! But no, Ardyn didn't kill them - and he could - for he has a much complex sense of moral. Unnecessary deaths don't have any value to him - that's the point I would like to stress.
In the end, Ardyn prepared Noctis to become the true King of Kings not just because he wanted to shatter the unjust supremacy of the Astrals, but also because - in the likely event of a defeat -, he hoped to finally die. Particularly wise characters such as Luna and Noctis ( after his maturation) treated Ardyn with compassion and pity; and Noct put him out of his misery with kind, gentle words. Ardyn wasn't a saint, nor he was a demon; he was more like a true human being, with a rich psychology that could not be easily labelled using just two colours of one spectrum. I hope that his upcoming Episode will shed even more light on the beauty and the complexity of this tragic character. FFXV deserves more understanding and love.

[@hullmees666]

ardyn in ffxv was not himself anymore. he was consumed by darkness.

[@__Tiziana__]

hullmees666 Of course he was, but I hope I made clear why (in my modest opinion) there were times in which his lost humanity would occasionally resurfaces. It is just a matter of point of views, obviously, and that is precisely why I'd like to read your personal interpretation of the matter if it is different from mine.
: )

[@cmmndrblu]

Maybe if SE had released a complete game people would have understood the story better

[@__Tiziana__]

cmmndrblu Well, I didn't have any problem, but that's just because I'm used to lore-centric games such as Bloodborne and the Soul' series. I enjoy a little bit of a challenge in exploring the fictional universe. It is a mere personal preference, though!

[@svenbtb]

Honestly I think Ardyn is just as good, if not a BETTER antagonist, than Sephiroth or Kefka.

[@dez6274]

No wonder noct couldn't be with Luna the sins of the past came back to collect
Edit : No wonder Ardyn killed Luna right in front of noct he did what his brother did to him

[@user-gk7rn1qz6c]

u right

[@NaomiTCOOKIES]

All because of his greedy asshole of an ancestor, Somnus

[@lordlightning2339]

karma

[@lordlightning2339]

more or less, malice going full circle

[@super-engineer8437]

@@lordlightning2339 But it's not noctis's fault though :(

[@WRNR_it]

Ardyn the one who helped the people so much it affected him to darkness. And then he got rejected by the crystal. He waited so long to get his revenge but he finaly got what he wanted. He did not want to rule. He wanted to end the Lucia line. And he wanted to end his immortal life. And he did it all!! All hail the mighty Ardyn. I realy cannot wait :)

[@irocklalot]

So in the end, he actually won. Ended his immortality and the Lucis line. The evil won. Hey at least we got the other ending that is actually happy

[@zerosorigin8387]

Other ending? If you are talking about the happy ending of Episode Noctis DLC that has been cancelled.

[@irocklalot]

@@zerosorigin8387 no... you might not know if but go play the latest Dlc from Ignis. Spoiler alert: its amazing

[@cloudsopowera6248]

the ONLY FF villain not-named Kefka to have achieved his goal but the difference is Ardyn;s goal is long-term

[@ahmadfakih3451]

Exactly, that's why he kept helping Noctis and his friends from the beginning of the game..

[@doge619]

OH INFERNIAN, GRANT ME THE POWER TO TAKE SOMNUS, HIS PEOPLE, AND HIS CURSED KINGDOM, AND BURN THEM ALL TO THE GROUND
Ngl I got goosebumps from that.

[@hotrodfirebird]

This makes me think Somnus was the true antagonist of FFXV.

[@AntonidasVII]

Somnus makes Ardyn look like a basic bitch

[@jaehaalexander1172]

Bahamut was the true villain. Somnus was just a greedy P.O.S.

[@lynajvideos956]

Yup.and Noctis got the damage after what the past king did to Ardyn.so it's a karma for them

[@xenon2880]

It's really coming to an end...I enjoyed my time with FFXV, I enjoyed the game for what it was. FFXV will always be a good FF imo, I appreciate Tabata and his team with what they did for the game.

[@kisamejon]

This!

[@Jessikupo]

can't be that good considering it cost the company $33 mil

[@CrystalLaser]

Jessica G It was the execution of al of this not the game itself. 10 years of development for it to not be complete is too much. FFXV itself was great to many and shit to, imo, people who can’t just appreciate it.

[@ozairchishti1264]

@@Jessikupo That $33 mil wasn't because of FFXV, it was due to establishing a new studio. FFXV made back all of its money day 1 and is still the fastest selling game in the franchise.

[@twitchywitchx]

@@Jessikupo pretty sure they said they wanted it to sell 10 million to be successful.
It got close to that and even then, they still said it did well.

[@Tony14Stark]

You already know shit goes down when somnus starts playing

[@ushi3939]

Am I the only person in the world that truly loved this game?

[@AYU131X]

No, this game changed me xd

[@ushi3939]

@@AYU131X x2

[@peekatchu921]

I love it too

[@ginjerrussell3866]

I’m absolutely obsessed, incredible game 💕

[@Vayne_Solidor]

My second favorite Final Fantasy after Zodiac Age. Ardyn is awesome

[@JordacheWee]

Final Fantasy XV: Game of Lucean Throne.

[@codysingh2572]

I would actually be interested in this having a second season if honest

[@RMTren]

Don't have the oracle as your fiancé, because you always lose them 😢😢😢

[@Pyro_LAMBDA]

So true, can't I like any women in FFXV without them dying? But arguably, it does make the story better...

[@RMTren]

@@Pyro_LAMBDA true... it's just....
.
so sad 😢

[@stevenhiggins3055]

So true. This makes 3.

[@EmetSelch.]

That's why I killed Lunafreya. Return to the sender ! :-)

[@RMTren]

@@EmetSelch. I understand what you're saying but I wish you would've just killed Iris instead of Luna...
.
.
.
½JK. Both would be sad but Iris dying won't be as sad as Luna... they both love Noctis anyway 😂

[@lovelycornchip4730]

I’m genuinely in tears because of this. I always loved Ardyn as a villain, and sympathized with what we knew about his story. But this, this is heartbreaking to watch. He deserved so so so so much better and it’s so painful to see how Ardyn came to be.

[@madzid1997]

Indeed I stand with him

[@sebas8824]

I was not planning to play anything else related to FFXV after the Royal edition dissapointment, but this....
I want to kick Somnus' ass

[@dragonlichqueen8755]

I think a lot of people wanna kick Somnus' ass.

[@tripledcoopgaming9287]

That selfish egocentric bastard, I wanna kick the ass of his bodyguard too

[@Cptsuccess]

I want to kill somnus and everyone else who serves him

[@Beerbottles123]

After episode Ardyn, I really want to kick Bahamut's ass. But since this is the last DLC...

[@thelordoflulz]

@@tripledcoopgaming9287 That's why I re-did Episode Gladiolus. So I can at least have Gladio kick his ass.

[@jake7412]

R.I.P Dlc Aranea and lunafreya...

[@allanderimini398]

and Noctis, unless you read Dawn of the future, which has the contents for Episode Ardyn, Aranea, Lunafreya and Noctis.
Pretty good read, check it out if you have time.

[@SlyJMan]

So, why did the Gods choose the more selfish King? I understand Ardyn had Daemon stuff inside him, but how is someone who gains the favor of the Oracle and wanting to help people at the cost of his own health the "unworthy" King? His lack of ambition and putting others before himself makes him a better king in my eyes.

[@ritosho9266]

right? why didnt the crystal accept Ardyn and cures him with the almighty god power in it. They say the crystal came from the gods, and that Ardyn's Daemon curing ability also came from the gods. So....

[@greenliongirl07]

I don't know. You forget human history isn't exactly free from similar acts as he did. They used to burn suspected witches, even Joan of Arc. During the black plague, some houses and streets were completely sealed off from the outside and others burned bodies. Even afew decades ago, mental hospitals were making news for patient abuse and lack of cleanliness; earlier mental patients were abused and experimented on to find cures for their illnesses, including shock therapy and leeches. I'm not justifying his actions, but I think there are some pieces still missing. Hopefully, we'll get more incite in Episode Arden. I'm curious to see the last cutscene and what it will be.

[@oggregster]

The gods never chose somnus they chose ardyn until he became corrupted by darkness after seeing his fiancee get killed by his brother in front of him and then rejected him. The only person the crystal ever chose and accepted was noctis

[@cloudftw113]

Being first runner up can have its advantages.

[@spencergroce2022]

1000% agree to this

[@theLikou1]

Ardyn's story could make one hell of a full game if Square were competent.

[@aimski90]

I have always said this!!! I want a full game of Ardyn's story....I envision it started out light, with Ardyn trying to help others...and slowly getting more dark as the game goes on...it would be so good!!! (if they were competent, of course)

[@marischein2139]

SAMEE, I really love the character so much, they should explore him more, this is the only episode that we gonna get?

[@thatamericannarrator8247]

theLikou1 They outright said that they would consider that instead of DLC, but I think the poll results changed their minds

[@SuiGeneris827]

SAME. Shoulda scrolled down before I commented xD

[@slakker321]

Honestly, if most of the content that was added on later was in the initial game, 15 could've went down as a good FF game. Instead, we got a game that pushed a lot of people away from the FF name now.

[@burritofuba6644]

Now Ardyn becomes my favorite character in final fantasy series.

[@Gwilherm]

My relation with Insomnia :
At the beginning : What a beautiful city! We must protect/avenge her! For Insomnia!!!
Now : BURN THEM ALL TO THE GROUND!!!!

[@taiwanluthiers]

Now I am having Insomnia...

[@okoman5]

I feel this whole story could have been a multi-chapter series. Make us care more about Aera and hate Somnus even more for the final scene to be heavier

[@TeddieSage1987]

It's like they don't know how to write a compelling female heroine at all... Oh wait. I'm looking at you, cancelled Aranea DLC. -_-

[@byksEBM]

^^^^^^ @@TeddieSage1987

[@anonnona5270]

They probably had no time and money for it to be a multi series. The same reason the other DLCs were cancelled.

[@mega20able]

Btw, for those of you who care, this was originally going to be the first act of a story where Noctis was going to decide at the end to rebel against the gods to save himself and Ardyn
This whole DLC episode is set in an alternate timeline, one the COULD be the same as the one portrayed in Episode Ignis's secret ending
Also, I believe they decided to make this a one-shot episode instead of Season 2 because they realized that wasn't going to financtially succeed in the long run. The game's life cycle is already over, so this episode is going to be like a goodbye letter from Tabata and his team to us, rather than an attept to keep the game alive and selling

[@thatamericannarrator8247]

The Nameless How are you certain that it's an alternate timeline? It seems like this fits right in with the regular one

[@anonnona5270]

Wow. Adryn's Oracle got screwed over. Explains why he killed Luna in front of Noct

[@NaomiTCOOKIES]

I would have expected he'd have some sort of sympathy for the woman who looks exactly like his own beloved but I guess he was filled with too much hatred by then. But if the first Oracle died, how could there be a next one? Isn't the Oracle duty passed by bloodline?

[@anonnona5270]

@@NaomiTCOOKIES Maybe Ardyn's oracle must have a younger sister or some other relative to keep the bloodline going. It's speculation at this point

[@mega20able]

@@NaomiTCOOKIES She mentions halfway through the video that she has a husband. Most likely had children before her death

[@NaomiTCOOKIES]

@@mega20able Ardyn was her fiancé. Aera and him were engaged to each other.

[@mega20able]

@@NaomiTCOOKIES Oh, my bad

[@yeyestravelbites]

FFXV Should've been about Ardyn...then release FFXV-2 with Noctis and the gang like what we have now....

[@zackfanboy2185]

That would have been huge

[@yeyestravelbites]

Imagine playing as Ardyn...then we get a sequel which takes place thousand years later with Noctis as the protagonist. Then BAAM! The antagonist is Ardyn that we came to love in the first game. That will be heart-wrenching.

[@iss3888]

IKR. They should had done that. They eff up badly on this game.

[@Sonicfan640]

@@iss3888 Oh look, it's Mr. Hindsight.

[@seph123]

it can be like crisis core though...

[@startmirca]

“History is written by the victors”

[@mrskye08]

As a Filipino, I'm writing this with pain in my heart:
"I agree"

[@nevanvictorian]

Absolutely right on that, it is exactly the message here

[@Xikutoluv09X]

Just can't wait till Ardyn's DLC comes out

[@NaomiTCOOKIES]

Hm, so he killed Luna as a way of getting vengeance for Aera getting killed by Somnus. But I would've thought that, since Luna looks like a carbon copy of Aera, that Ardyn would actually have some sort of sympathy or pity for the woman who looks so much like his beloved. I guess he was just too filled with hatred at that point.
Edit: So I see some people saying he killed Luna because she was slowing the Starscourge. But she was going to die pretty soon anyway and Ardyn knew that (having discussed with Ravus the price of forging a covenant with each Astral). Perhaps she could have lived longer but not for so long. Maybe a year or 2? With or without Luna being murdered, Noctis still would have journied to get his power ups and done his time in the crystal. And then he would have gone and killed Ardyn which, as others have said, is exactly what Ardyn wanted as well. Ardyn waited thousands of years for the Starscourge to take over, to get his revenge, and to die. He couldn't have waited a year (at most) for Luna to die? And I don't think Ardyn was worried about Luna bearing Lucis heirs. Her body was wasting; there's a high chance she would have suffered a miscarriage or even die giving birth (and then who would care for the baby while everyone is busy helping Noctis or surviving the scourge?) Would Noctis even be the kind of guy who screws a dying Luna asap for the sake of conserving his line? Before marriage? When they've just met after all these years apart?

[@NaomiTCOOKIES]

@eron kun Because Noctis is almost a carbon copy of Somnus so that likely incited even more hatred against him. Somnus is already long dead so Ardyn can only get his revenge by taking it out on Somnus's descendants. So, as payback, Ardyn does to Noctis what Somnis did to him - murder his betrothed.

[@NaomiTCOOKIES]

@eron kun Yeah I still pity Ardyn and sure go after your bro's descendants but killing Luna was just... wtf?

[@robitussinbrohan718]

It’s unfortunate because noctis ends up being more like Ardyn in the end

[@lindthechaoticheretic8708]

Yeah they kinda accidentally made Ardyn look like an idiot. At least he’s a fun and charismatic idiot though!

[@ironwolg]

@eron kun I mean you spend 2,000 years locked away in a prison with nothing but your festering hatred and see if you come out thinking rationally lol

[@RickyLiveOG]

Seeing a young Regis hurts my soul. I wish they didn't cancel the other DLC.

[@stephanwatkins]

We need to do a petition

[@Jordan3DS]

@@stephanwatkins They compiled the story of the four DLC into a book, so you can still read plot (including an improved alternate ending for the game).

[@ureshiiiiii]

My tears are everywhere... Poor dear, Ardyn. In some way -- other than being a selfish, jealous asshole -- I can see Somnus wanting to protect the people, but his actions are still unforgivable.
It makes a lot more sense why Ardyn requested Noct and Luna to be wed in Kingsglaive, then be the one to kill her. I wonder what Aera's thoughts are on what Ardyn has become now. I am sure her spirit will commune from beyond the grave, just as Luna's did. But it's almost hard to see Ardyn as a kind, caring individual when we've all conjured these visuals of him over the journey of FFXV as being this oily, vengeful, immortal man. And we love him for it. I suppose that's what makes his past so tragic.
Nevertheless, I am actually looking forward to seeing his personality shift from corrupted noble King, to the vengeful Adagium.
I am already digging that soundtrack in the extended trailer. Time to tear up the streets of Insomnia!

[@16xthedetail76]

Crying? Why though? I never cry unless i am attached to a character and i barely know ardyn.

[@ureshiiiiii]

@@16xthedetail76 You obviously won't feel any emotional strain if you barely know anything about Ardyn.
It's just as you just said. I cried because I am attached to Ardyn's character.
In this case, the tragedy of his past was enough to move me. Bring about a natural emotion of empathy.

[@16xthedetail76]

@@ureshiiiiii I know everything about ardyn. I played everything XV has to offer, he still barely got any screentime. If he was well developed from the start, i probably would care but i don't care because he wasn't well developed. He was interesting though.

[@ureshiiiiii]

@@16xthedetail76 Why would you claim you barely know him then? Honestly, I am just grateful they are taking the time to reveal the rest of Ardyn's story for us fans.
Just because you don't care about his character doesn't mean others cannot. Just let us enjoy it.

[@16xthedetail76]

@@ureshiiiiii I didnt say you couldn't lol, way to get defensive.

[@roguemakoto7749]

So Somnus was the true villan all a long. Turing his older brother into a monster and taking Arydn's place as king. Lying to the whole kingdom and killing the oricle...

[@WRNR_it]

Makoto The Rogue ardyn became monster because of his healing ability by cleansing the people be became more and more dark. Thats why the crystal decided not to make him king.

[@roguemakoto7749]

@@WRNR_it Aera's reaction and Somnus interupting shows otherwise. Those are two huge hints that Arydn was chosen. But once Somnus killed Aera, Ardyn raged and corrupted himself with the darkness he absorbed.

[@dhanang]

As the Oracle said the Crystal doesnt choose both. It originally chose Ardyn, but because he was too tainted with the scourge, the Crystal rejected him. Meanwhile, it also didnt choose Somnus either. Noctis is always the chosen one.

[@CloudOmegaVII]

Ardyn is the hero. The corrupted people in Kingdom stole everything from him, faking history, steal his throne, killing his lover ( no mercy shown ). So in hundreds generations have been proven they are evil until Noctis life. Ardyn killed them all. He got his revenge and justice.

[@KPMwolf]

@@dhanang Till this day, I still dont see how Noctis the weeping boy had what its take to be a chosen king. Without plot device ofcourse.

[@RatedRY]

Oooooooh shit at that ending trailer, the DLC is looking sick. Great Episode btw, the pacing was good and everything that needed to be said & shown was and that's all that really matters in the end. What a tragic backstory... thanks for showing us. Now, please, give us a way to watch this in the menu of the game itself, same with brotherhood & kingsglaive.

[@PlagueJ]

Too bad the music for the trailer is garbage.

[@johnnyscifi]

rJUSTINr1995
Wrong

[@somnia3423]

@@PlagueJ wrong

[@nexosun4842]

While the trailer looks decent... It showed way too much IMO.

[@NoctLightCloud]

the music at the very end is unbearable to me, and I usually defend questionable ones like Jecht's theme or some XIII-2 tracks...

[@TheNN]

Aera will return as....
Aeroga.

[@superthicc7657]

So I've read this comment over and over, but I still don't get it. Can someone explain?

[@TheNN]

Sure thing.
Basically, the joke is that Aera's name is the same as the level two version of the Aero (or wind/air elemental) spell. Since Aera dies as we see, the quip was that she would come back as the next level spell, or Aeroga.

[@superthicc7657]

@@TheNN Ahhh okay. Thank you my dude

[@TheNN]

Sure thing. :)

[@lumine8364]

For a minute i really don't know what it is, is this a joke or not but when i see "Aeroga" that reminds me of something and i get it xD I'm such a dumb

[@daddyvelvet4428]

I liked how they played the song when noctis cuts ardyn down while ardyn is being cut down by somnus.

[@shersinghsaini8510]

I finished Final Fantasy XV on January 16th of this year, after waiting to play it for 2 years I had high expectations for it. When playing I understood why the game wasn't the best, but its charm still managed to capture me, at the very end of the game I even cried. I don't care how the public received this game and its story, but I am grateful that you worked so hard to deliver this, thank you very much.

[@noirrain6005]

I cried too, but then got angry at the story being a shitty mess. Specially because I played nier automatta before ffxv. Nier was a masterpiece of storytelling

[@somnia3423]

@@noirrain6005 why is ff15 story a mess??? i quit liked the story

[@noirrain6005]

Somnia I didn’t say the story is bad. Storytelling is the art to tell a story. To understand how bad it is, it’s better to play games that tell a great story.
Xenogears
Nier automata
Chrono cross/trigger
Hellblade Senua
Etc. play any of these and then play ffxv and you will see what I mean.
Ffxv had great story elements but told in a poor way to say the least.

[@shersinghsaini8510]

@@noirrain6005 I share your thoughts.
Thanks to you now I will start playing Nier Automata this weekend.

[@noirrain6005]

Shersingh Saini just a tip. To fully understand nier, you need to play it 3x. Endings A,B,C. No it’s not play the whole game again. Each ending is a continuation. Some people don’t understand it and play once and don’t get it. Lol. Hope you enjoy. You will understand once you get to that part :)

[@CFEKOSMOS]

It's nice to be the bad guy once in awhile.

[@mcburn344]

If you wanna be villains play tales of berseria

[@mulleolsen]

Ardyn did nothing wrong!

[@LuckiSir]

From a certain point of view

[@super-engineer8437]

@ThiefRikku0306 Ardyn really did do nothing wrong

[@gwydionyu8769]

@@mcburn344 Suuuure the Villains... you mean the very same ones that saved the whole world from Artorius' madness? Sure they were selfish who were following their own path, but that's exactly why it felt refreshing and different, they felt human and not some goody-two-shoes in the long run.

[@cosmosofinfinity]

This so makes me almost wish Ardyn's story was Final Fantasy XV itself... Maybe we can get a Final Fantasy XV-0? This was amazing... I wasn't sold on Episode Ardyn being a good idea, but I have so much hype for it now!

[@Orcaluv26]

So is it me or am I constantly seeing a recurring theme that, no matter how good a person you are, a douchebag will always win because they are just rotten to the point of selling out family.

[@ff.mychael]

Ardyn Jesus Caelum

[@matthewalpin6173]

adding in jesus had me dying lmaoooo

[@minlow7831]

If Jesus was still alive and wanted to destroy the world

[@coolbries]

@@minlow7831 could you really blame him if it was like that?

[@NJPWGirl]

Watch out, Obi Wan! There's a NEW Jesus in town!

[@fredy2041]

Its christ turned into anti christ

[@NayuVGM]

Goodbye Final Fantasy XV, thanks for the memories! :')

[@lindthechaoticheretic8708]

YuriLV0 even if they weren’t so great...

[@Probably_Gonna_Die]

​@@lindthechaoticheretic8708Maybe for you but a lot of people enjoyed this game despite it's flaws.

[@lindthechaoticheretic8708]

@@Probably_Gonna_Die He tastes like you only sweeter!!!!

[@Turtle5598]

Lind the Chaotic Heretic One night yeah, and one more time!

[@kennethjuarez5384]

FFXV brought a light within me that has been out for years! The overall experience of the game, to me, was phenomenal. I'd never played anything like it, I never felt alone when I was playing.

[@KresusFIN]

And just like that, a fair bit of the shit Ardyn pulls is justified.
I no longer feel the least bit guilty whenever I trash the so-called Founder King.

[@neoarchangemon3460]

After Playing Episode Ardyn... he is 100% Justified in his Actions. Now seeing the prologue as well. Im all on Ardyn's side here.

[@MasakiAndoh]

This may also answer us a question that has been going on for a while, I'm going to guess the name Izunia comes from Aera, Aera Izunia - Ardyn takes her name as some form of revenge against the Caelum family.

[@jvchoong83]

According to the credits, Aera's full name is Aera Mils Fleuret. Ardyn was right when he said we'll never guess where Izunia came from.

[@MasakiAndoh]

@@jvchoong83 Yup I saw! I wouldn't be suprised if he literally meant he would never guess it. The question still remains then. :/

[@chrisdiokno5600]

@@MasakiAndoh Actually, Izunia is the original name of the family that would be the Caelums

[@chrisdiokno5600]

@Player 1905 OK, rechecked the source. It was apparently in only a German translation of one of the material books

[@TransConservativewaifu]

I now feel so sorry for ardyn

[@roguemakoto7749]

That's how you know the villan is good.

[@davidgn40]

What? The game already revealed he was the true heir and betrayed by his brother. The DLC will essentially just flesh this out. Should've been feeling sorry for Ardyn long ago. I'm more interested in why Ifrit betrayed the other Gods, started the Starscourge and helped Ardyn

[@boyzaya15]

@@davidgn40 Ifrit didn't betray the gods. He just doesn't like humans so he takes any chance he can at fucking them up because they used the fire he gave them to violate and disrespect him in a way.
He's a God so he looks down on humans.

[@davidgn40]

@@boyzaya15 ok, but Ifrit did betray the other Gods/Astrals by causing the Starscourge. That is info provided in-game.
Edit: did some research on the wiki. It was apparently Ifrit waging war in the humans that made the other Astrals label him as "The Betrayer"

[@TransConservativewaifu]

@@davidgn40 oof

[@jasonnguyen5663]

I surprisingly liked this prologue! It was well shot, and had a lot of things going for it! All of the other stuff in the FFXV Universe are kinda plain for me. But this one engaged me! Here's why:
I liked a lot of the shots, the dialogue, I thought this one was well directed and well photographed overall. My favorite shot was the one where Somnus talks to Area and then it cuts to Ardyn eating by himself. It really shows what the brothers believe in the most and how they clash with each other. Somnus as you may see is on the forefront, yet believes in more realistic standards which is why he is on a darker shade. Ardyn on the other hand is on a very odd other side on his frame, on a more bright place. It shows how Somnus is more known while Ardyn won't be. But both shots have golden flowers in the background of where they are leaning. My second favorite would be the one where Ardyn is approaching the crystal...that one was very symbolic as well. I would break it down, but it's getting really long to read so. Other things I liked: the dialogue, it made Somnus look evil, the expressions, and just how everything was pieced together to for us to understand Ardyn's perspective.
Now, I'm not without criticism. This one like all the others in the XV Universe is very flawed. I thought the pacing, despite my praise for the editing, is awful. The rhythm of all the cuts is erratic. There were even cuts when Ardyn and the villager WAS JUST WALKING! It rushes on a few scenes really fast as well. Such as when Ardyn was running away from Somnus' soldiers and passes out. We never see the consequences of that and cut to him all lively and well the next time we see him. The end especially felt rushed and we barely got time to process anything making all the things that were said lack any real impact. I thought the fight scenes were also very lame because of that because they were given the same rhythm as the rest of the story and that's a shame.
Overall, just great job and can't wait for Episode Ardyn! Sad Darin De Paul isn't in this one.

[@akiriith]

Oh, but I find Ardyn and especially Somnus fascinating. I read somewhere that originally they wanted to focus on all three main characters - Aera, Ardyn and Somnus - but due to constraints they ended up telling just Ardyn's side of it. Somnus is such a curious character. It has been said by the team that he never truly resented his brother, and is more of a realist and brutally efficient. If he was raised in this sort of environment- of having to make tough calls for the good of the people (and it has been stated he DID do it all for his people), what would he think of Ardyn as a king? Ardyn who picks and chooses who to save, who would rather the world continue to suffer while he saves people one by one... What will a single drop of water do against an ocean of starscourge? One day it would not be enough. He is wrong, of course, as the line of Oracles manages to keep the darkness at bay for millenia, but there is no way for him to be sure... And even if it worked, and as King Ardyn purged the world, what kind of King would that make Ardyn? What would he do if he had a difficult choice to make? Would he sacrifice the whole to save a few? Its not a risk Somnus is willing to take. He feels like the kind of character who doesnt care what the history books will say about him, so long as he saves his people from this scourge. If he has to trick and kill his brother, so be it. He will do whatever it takes. His issue with Ardyn comes down to a severe difference in opinion, one that becomes deadly. I feel like he had to crush his empathy to ashes in order to keep the remnants of the world safe, and that makes him a very interesting villain.
Of course, this absolutely does not excuse Somnus. He did unspeakable, abhorrent things, and I detest him for it, but they would make sense to him, and I appreciate that in a character. Like his brother, he isnt evil for the sake of it, or to make Ardyn a poor misunderstood baby boi (and I firmly believe Ardyn is still a villain, and his backstory does not excuse the pain he brought. Even if he HAD to do it bc he gods forced it upon him, he still did it out of revenge and hatred, his plans happened to align with theirs. Noctis is not Somnus and he did not have to hurt an entire generation for the error of their founder. Funny how he's willing to kill a ton of people to end the Lucis Caelum bloodline, and out of revenge, not even for the greater good. How very Somnus of him. Fascinating characters, these Caelum brothers). He also truly wishes his brother to find peace, even if he still doesnt regret taking over as King. I like that about Somnus (as a character, I would not want someone like him anywhere close to me). He regrets the pain he brought his brother but still believes it had to be done, which makes him a pain in the backside but really interesting as a character!
The best part of it all to me is what it means to Noctis as a king, because be seems to be the perfect balance between the mentalities of Ardyn and Somnus, and thus, there would never be a choice in his case. He IS the True King, both chosen and accepted by the Crystal. I think so because Ardyn at some point in the base game makes Noctis choose- the crystal or his friends? And mocks Noctis for choosing the crystal. Ardyn, I believe, would have chosen his friends. Everything about him was to save the few and deal with the whole later, and thats what Somnus thought was weak of him. Yet Noctis chooses right in choosing the people over the individual. Noctis is quite possibly Somnus done right, because where Somnus failed the most was that he did not trust that his brother would be fit to rule. The Scourge could have ended then and there, but thanks to Somnus' distrust and selfishness it was extended for another 2,000 years, not to mention that it left his brother chained and mad for that long. But Noctis doesnt do that. Noctis sacrifices himself for his people, for the world at that point. He gives up doing the ruling himself and trusts that his friends - his brothers - will do right by Lucis in his stead. He succeeds exactly where both Ardyn and Somnus failed, because he has the right amount of both of them. He WILL save his friends if he can, like Ardyn, but over the course of the game becomes willing to sacrifice the few to save the whole if needed (by choice and not force, looking at you, Gladio), like Somnus... And most of all, is also willing to let go of power and trust that his friends(brothers) will take care of things when he is no longer there (something neither Ardyn nor Somnus could do). He becomes selfless in a way neither of his ancestors ever managed to be. Fun fact, thats actually why as interesting as Dawn to the Future is, and I enjoy it, I'm glad it's still an alternate ending and not as well known as the main storyline. The gods of this FF may be bastards but I like the human conflict far better.
Side note, but I do wonder if Ardyn's role would remain the same, King or not. What if the crystal originally chose Ardyn because he as King he would have to one day be consumed by it in order to end the Scourge? There being a blood price to end the calamity was such an important part of the base game, and I wonder if Ardyn would be the sacrificial lamb anyway, with Somnus eventually just taking over as second in line to the throne. I wonder what Ardyn would choose, considering the Episode Ardyn does (technically) give you the choice to accept or deny his fate.
(Side-side note: I wonder where Luna's and Ravus' bloodline comes from. Did Aera have a sister? Why are Luna's healing powers so similar to Ardyn's but without a price to be paid? I really wish they explained the Oracle's side of the story as well... Unlike Somnus there really isnt a lot to glean from her on her scenes. Far more than Luna, Aera 100% feels like plot convenience, a lady that had to die so Ardyn could loose control and be rejected by the Crystal.)

[@guille_rpg4158]

What a great comment! I've yet to read the novel that resumes the cancelled dlc's but I wish we got Noctis ingame to know more about Ardyn's burden and story. He never really cared for it, even when he discovered who he was.

[@yumiko158]

Can we just take a minute and appreciate ardyn's english voice actor !!!! Hee diiiid such a greaat joob soo many emotioons greaat coveering love it

[@EmreNoct]

FFXV should come to the end with Episode Noctis, but so it comes to an end of an epic game with full emotional, amazing feelings, it will be always in our hearts.
long live King Noctis👌❤

[@TrueJanTES]

Such a cruel life Ardyn takes, just for his people

[@danielagaibor]

Ardyn was good all along, truly a sad destiny to him :(

[@lukeseifer]

So, versus XIII's(Shakespeare) philosophy was not abandoned in XV

[@robitussinbrohan718]

Lucas Lupusheart the tragedy of ardyn

[@greenliongirl07]

So it would seem. There are always two sides to every story.

[@christiangutierrez9715]

"Nothing is either good nor evil, thinking makes it so"

[@cloudsopowera6248]

Ardyn is the Mufasa of FFXV while Somnus is the Scar of FFXV

[@mray4784]

@@christiangutierrez9715 Depends of the situation. For Example: I don't think anyone with brain will said that being a Nazi have a good side. Or kill people for fun, or bully someone weaker than you...Yep, there are things that will always be wrong.

[@ElCyberiusOrchestra]

The feels man...it's raining in my room all of a sudden...

[@tatimilena4017]

So funny that i had the idea for this story like back in 2017, i even started writing about it, the draft is like 90% the same, and im so happy to see that they turned "my" fantasy into a prologue and his episode

[@MrSillams]

Ardyn was like Jesus ?! he wanted sacrifice himself for the better sake of his people thats deep "

[@MaestroKong]

Except Jesus foresaw His betrayal and played the role He said was given to Him. He never sinned and never turned against anyone.

[@MaestroKong]

@@borealklein-vods4690 There are actually quite a lot of differences. Jesus drove out demons from people and healed the sick with no ill effects. Ardyn did the opposite while trying to do the same. Jesus was perfect to the end. Ardyn fell to darkness. Jesus is real. Ardyn is a product of fiction designed to display drama.

[@GRIMHOOD99]

@@MaestroKong yeah dude I don't think you got the sarcasm there in those *...*

[@bernkasteler7190]

@@MaestroKong relax bro lol

[@kleberson777]

i think I read some verse in Bible where Jesus take the sin upon himself for us and Jesus last word before dead is "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" (which means "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?").
Same as Ardyn that take Starscourge upon himself then rejected by crystal
Jesus second coming is the end of the world
Same as Ardyn return is the end of the world, except he was stopped by Noctis and the gang

[@queenizunia3145]

I was so blown away by this, the anime itself was amazing and ALSO SAD THANKS SE FOR BREAKING MY HEART, but the DLC also looks BADASS. I am so hyped and excited and just AH. This is awesome! I love the work that went into this!

[@CarlosRZ0394]

Holy shiiiiitt!!!! Somnus is The Master of Masters!!!!!!
Oh wait....
Sorry i'm still confused

[@christiangutierrez9715]

Confirmed!!!! Wait does that mean Noct was a Xehanort vessel?!

[@blindingawesomeness5323]

The developers said that Somnus's design was based off of Noctis and given master of masters is being voiced by Ray Chase... Hmmm??!!! *confusion intensifies* lol

[@Syuurp]

noctonort

[@UmbraLyrel]

Who the heck knows anymore, all things considered, you might be right.

[@mathguy8685]

Where do you guys think MoM went after he disappeared? he obviously went and became a chocobro

[@LuckyXIIICreations]

I never hated Ardyn at any point in the game. My heart broke for him even then and this just makes me love him all the more. I don't blame him for his actions. His heart was ripped out from losing everything he loved. There is a fine line between love and hate. I just wish that we got a bit more with the game ending (like him being purified somehow?). Okay, I'm going to go cry some more now.

[@NaviNeku24]

Can I just say how amazing Darin de Paul’s voice acting in the trailer is?! OH MY GOSH, words can’t describe how good it is!! I cannot wait!!!! 😄
Also, Somnus, HOW IN EOS could you call Aera a monster?! You son of a Bahamut! 😠

[@AvengeBasketball]

So Ardyn is kinda like an anti-hero

[@chotho4718]

Hero at first then villan later

[@yukarihideki3805]

@@chotho4718 remind me of darth vader... kehkehkeh

[@Link3000XD]

how was it again? you live a hero long enough until u become a villian?

[@kingdomheartscomments8742]

Pretty sure killing a bunch of innocent people, destroying cities and spreading a deadly world-ending sickness makes you more of a villain. Even if you went through a lot of bull.

[@patiparnpinyopornpanish7857]

More like fallen hero, villian who was first a hero.

[@wiggernomics]

I'll never forget the DLCs we could've had.

[@bmth2111]

I'll never forget the Versus 13 we could of had.

[@NileSings]

You should work on that. It's not healthy

[@tatyana6856]

Wasnt they supposed to make a noctis and Luna one as well? What happened to those?

[@Psvr2Villain]

@@bmth2111 dont worry....its coming. Just not in the form we first thought...and its def not gonna be called FF15..

[@bmth2111]

There was supposed to be an episode Aranea as well.

[@residentgrigo4701]

SE clearly didn´t bother to finish this ONA and just released it as is. The story outline itself was solid tough. The sadly final DLC looks amazing and more ambitious than expected. Good luck FF XVI and FFVII, may you come out in a better state.

[@Magguscaster]

What I get from this is that the world isn't completely black and white, and it fits FFXV's theme perfectly. Easily one of my top 3 FF's, I wish we still got the other cancelled episodes but I can't wait to play this one.

[@mathguy8685]

ITS TIME MY FRIENDS!

[@elisabethacronqvist7859]

LET'S THE FIREWORKS BEGGINS .....

[@mathguy8685]

@@elisabethacronqvist7859 DO FORGIVE ME FOR INTERRUPTING THE FESTIVITIES!

[@QrincessQri]

I’m torn on how I feel about Ardyn. 😕 On one hand I pity him, and the other.. lowkey resent him for harming innocent people in his quest for revenge. Noctis is NOTHING like Somnus, so to punish him for being his descendant is harsh. Hell, Lunafreya is the spitting image of Aera and he had no issues with doing *that* to her.

[@NaomiTCOOKIES]

You took the words right out of my mouth. Seriously? Killing the woman who is practically Aera 2.0? I know he just wanted to get vengeance for Aera getting killed by Somnus but still... Noctis had nothing to do with Aera's death - it was all Somnus! Hopefully, they explore the scene where Ardyn stabs Luna but we get an in depth look at his own perspective during that scene.

[@wsinnoz]

The astral/god choose Somnus over Ardyn, the world of FFXV deserved to be ruined just like FFXIII, if the god itself are garbage, what hope are there for it's world.

[@NaomiTCOOKIES]

@@wsinnoz I think the Crystal chose Ardyn first but Somnus lied. Aera, being the Oracle, knew Ardyn had been chosen which is why she goes "what" when Somnus claims himself as the chosen king. But when Aera dies, prompting Ardyn to let the daemonic energy within to consume him, the gods then change their mind and reject him. Since Aera was killed, she couldn't confirm the truth of the gods' decision. Not that Somnus cared. The gods are assholes but I can't imagine they would actually pick someone as greedy and selfish as Somnus. Somnus didn't want to become king to save the world from the Scourge. He just wanted the power.

[@wsinnoz]

@@NaomiTCOOKIES According to legend, the Ring of the Lucii was bestowed upon the kings of Lucis by the gods. According to the Final Fantasy XV Ultimania, Astrals created the ring of light, and it exists as proof of the rightful successor to the throne.

[@yel6921]

Maybe ardyn just want noctis to feel what he felt,thats why he killed luna. And ardyn doesnt have a grudge on noct. In the end,I guess ardyn just wanted to die and only noct can do it.

[@gaminggeekindonesia1080]

After saw this episode I understand how dark the story of FFXV

[@ShadowViking95]

Ardyn is a good guy deep down, but he was rejected by the crystal because he took the starscourge into himself, instead how his brother Somnus did. By killing the infected people the gods opted him as king and he truly loved it. We can see that he felt no remorse by luring Ardyn to the throne room, and fighting him, even killing Aera he felt nothing.
So Ardyn may do bad things in Final Fantasy 15 but everything isn't black and white, so we now know his backstory and why he want to destroy the Lucis bloodline.
And how he killed Luna in front of Noctis, because he wanted revenge against his brother for killing Aera the woman he loved.
So Noctis should also blame his ancestor Somnus for the cause he did 2000 years ago, and not just Ardyn.

[@UmbraLyrel]

Actually, Aera was going to say that Ardyn, had been chosen. It was never Somnus, he faked it. But Aera getting killed meant he *gave* into the scourge, and that's why the crystal rejected him.

[@simonredforce]

"There’s a good man within you, Arthur, but he is wrestling with a giant. And the giant, wins, time and again."

[@deadaccount4395]

he is the true hero in ff xv

[@enggilbertoguimaraes]

We demand all DLCs !!! FFXV cannot continue as an incomplete experience, Its too much potential wasted!

[@abe191089]

games fine as it is

[@Ph4lip]

*"Me sees title"*
Time to nerd the F out!
And wait for FF Pez to make a reaction video out of this :O

[@christiangutierrez9715]

SAME!!!

[@Caim6311]

Damn it's been two years.

[@CommanderXephy]

I still hate Ardyn for what he put Noctis and his retinue through, but I don’t hate his character. Not at all. I love everything about his development. I hate Somnus with a passion for turning Ardyn into a monster and I hate Bahamut for deciding he needed Ardyn to be a scapegoat.

[@kenmasters1803]

This is interesting. Somnus is the true villain of the game. Ardyn did nothing wrong.

[@lindthechaoticheretic8708]

Ken Masters Yeah! Nothing wrong with killing millions of innocent people who had nothing to do with anything!

[@squall222x]

@@lindthechaoticheretic8708 His heart is full of hate.I would have done the same.He was betrayed by his brother and the gods .He was the real hero of the story .

[@lindthechaoticheretic8708]

@@squall222x Okay... Heroes do NOT kill millions of inocent people for revenge.

[@Blaze_Nights]

@@lindthechaoticheretic8708 he was the hero but was betrayed and rejected by the gods his brother and the very kingdom that wanted him as king he went from hero to villain because of his brother so yes he is a hero but a fallen one

[@zeroattentiongaming820]

He did plenty wrong, just got absolutely screwed over before it. Doesn't excuse the things he did later but it does make him sympathetic and relatable. Kind of like they tried doing with Sephiroth in the compilation of 7.
But much better even with the little hints we got of his story in 15. By the end it was obvious that this guy was a hero once. So glad they decided to give us the full story. Ardyn is probably the best written main villain in the franchise. Just hope they dont screw up the great foundation they built for him.

[@TehGalvanizer]

Why does this dlc look better than the actual game???

[@GuitarJester89]

Because all of the dlcs have been story driven. And have had improved gameplay each time. But that's whyvI wish the focus wasnt all about the open world. FF is better off story focused.

[@boyzaya15]

It doesn't though

[@lindthechaoticheretic8708]

Because Tabata is gone. I’m not even trying to be mean here, he was purposefully dumbing down the combat in the base game so that it would attract newcomers.

[@whodis715]

The dlc was the cut story essentially. SE is a scummy business and cut 15 up as much as they could to milk it
Dont believe me?
Why did they release a "royal edition" that didnt even include all dlc packs

[@boyzaya15]

@@whodis715 The Royal Edition includes everything EXCEPY for this Ardyn episode lol.
Also it was for newcomers. Not players that already got the season pass etc. Yeah they wanted more money, but we're lucky to even get free updates for this beautiful game that could have EASILY been a masterpiece

[@Seiga]

I'm sure people have pointed this out already. FF always had an aura of sacriligiousness to it...like how you have to defeat the One Winged "Angel" in VII, how the protagonists always use black magic, how they can summon demons...but in Episode Ardyn it really seems like the story of Jesus. Only that he seems like a miracle worker like Jesus, is granted eternal life, but is also kinda like an Anti-Christ. Just an interesting analogy, amiright!??

[@EmptyMan000]

Nothing sacrilegious about unless you deem it so. Fighting monstrous divine creatures and messianic figures is older than Christianity. There are comparisons yes, but you're off base here.

[@theanchorshat585]

Jesus: I died for your sins.
Ardyn: Hold my beer.

[@andrewijaya271]

Agustus : no jesus killed by pilatus for the crime
X : iam groot

[@Ph4lip]

Pause at 8:50.
Is that Gilgamesh?!?! Or does that mean he was Ardyn's or Somnus sworn shield at the time?
If you think about it, Gilgamesh is 2 millenia old as it's confirmed in Episode Gladio.
Also if you look at him in 10:43 You can see his hair is the same as Gilgamesh

[@popcultureenthusiast5587]

Yeah I’m pretty sure that was Gilgamesh, same everything basically, but it looks he was the shield of Somnus rather than Ardyn, they basically attacked him in sync, but I have no idea if the game explains how Gilgamesh lived for that long

[@MasakiAndoh]

That's definitely Gilgamesh.
"Gilgamesh is the Shield of the Founder King from 2,000 years ago. He now resides in the depths of Taelpar Crag in the Cleigne region, a remnant the War of the Astrals. "Shield of the King" has become a title given to the Lucian monarch's main bodyguard."
Source:
finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Gilgamesh_(Final_Fantasy_XV)

[@MrGRmask]

Gilgamesh is technically not a living human by the time Cor fights him. he is a ghost residing in the Taelpar Crag, waiting until the fated day of the last king of Lucis(Noctis), while testing the might of the Chosen King's Shield.
Since his whereabouts were found by lucians, only Cor and Gladio survived his trials, with the latter completing the trials in success.
It is assumed that Gilgamesh has passed on from the world by the time Noctis went to fight Ardyn in Insomnia.

[@fortunatusXII]

That's Gilgamesh. Why? Cause he acts like the shield or the right hand man of the king, just like Gladio.

[@Zeracheil]

They even say in the main game in episode Gladio that he was Somnus shield

[@stephen2624]

A bit shorter than I thought and a lot of recycled music too but I can understand since it's clear Square wants their new studio to move on from XV. Sweet origin story but the DLC looks so fun.

[@JJCgaming777]

Ardyn aka what would happen if jesus had become evil

[@nevanvictorian]

The story of Ardyn is basically a voice for those whom are good by nature and keep their good actions and deeds in the hide and then they get jabbed by the closest people to them ,including betrayal by their own faith ,, somnus is such a nasty villian ,,assured he doesnt end up taking the evil role even tho he is pure evil for deceiving his brother and shifting his fate ,killing his brothers love and turning him into a demon,, the crystal rejected ardyn once he released darkness upon his loves death ,and that was somnuses goal all along to show bahamut that ardyn isnt worthy and he is ,,and the crystal reacted based on the darkness only

[@jamoyothebadger906]

I was excited but didn't think that i'd be this hyped after watching that, but oh my word this was hype af.

[@morganrae9172]

i might be crying a little

[@JayFFAFAlesanaES]

Lol so much story missing from game. Episode Aranea was clearly important, too.

[@millie4689]

This was amazing, I hope they can make more. And when the theme song started to play I teared up because it had been so long since I'd seen anything from ffxv, my favourite game of all time!

[@marcdabija6400]

It's all you got when u help People even in the real life. Sad and true.

[@keanueraine]

Damn, I knew he was going to lose that fight, but I wanted him to win so bad.
They leave it kind of ambiguous if he really was chosen but his brat brother stole the throne but then because of his Demon taint the Gods decide, "On second thought, nope.
Loved this game. No matter what the haters said, best game of that year IMO.

[@deadlineuniverse3189]

Heroes are destined to either die young or live long enough to become the villain.

[@gearhawk9899]

Damn this changes everything

[@guilhermemeyer4326]

Ardyn's fate remind of Wander's from Shadow Of The Colossus.

[@darkangel9551]

Oh shit you right

[@elisabethacronqvist7859]

Ardyn's fate reminds me of Gabriel Belmont from "CASTLEVANIA Lords Of Shadow"

[@LeocaprioDinardo]

For all those who still think Ardyn killed Luna READ THAT
Its worrying me so much, most of you didnt understand anything about lunas death. She was destined to die in fact in that moment in Altissia she was about to die cause of his destiny related to the gods.
Ardyn did that for Noctis to see he was there too and make him responsible of that due to his real goal that is push Noct to his limits to fulfill his destiny.
Ardyn did not kill her as she was going to die anyways.
Please play the game and pay just little attention

[@anthonperez2531]

But hey, Ardyn did manage to get rid of the Starscourge in the end

[@norelle28]

What I love about FF XV as a whole is that you naturally think you're playing the good guys.
Now, Noctis is just the last descendant, but after learning about Ardyn's story through the episode and his DLC, it just gets a very bitter aftertaste.
Noctis inherits a throne that shouldn't be his, yet is needed in order to rectify what has gone awry.
Technically, Ardyn is, at least, an antagonist due to his actions. But isn't the villain a God who pitched two brothers against each other?
What was Ardyn supposed to do with his gift other than take on people's suffering into his own body?
It's not that different from what the Oracle does later on. They just don't inhale the scourge directly.
Declaring Ardyn impure for it and rejecting him from receiving the Crystal's power isn't justified.
They could have kept him in the realm like Noctis until he gained complete control over the scourge and then let Ardyn ascend the throne.
But no.
Let's have the jealous brother be king and cast the sinner aside. Last time I checked, vanity and jealousy are cardinal sins. So what makes Somnus a better candidate, Bahamut?
Somnus really be out there choosing violence and the Gods are like "fuck yeah, that's the best choice. Fuck the pacifist, he's a monster."

[@HYDEinallcaps]

Bahamut and the rest of the Gods are the villains of FFXV. Noctis and Ardyn are the heroes, both with their own methods.

[@game_master9867]

Episode Ardyn is SO Versus XIII. At least, in the final dlc, we can have a taste of what Versus XIII was like :)

[@Raylehr]

Walk tall my friends

[@CloudOmegaVII]

Jesus + Possession + Athenians + Delphi Oracle + Romeo/Juliette

[@blakkoo4787]

= ARDYN

[@volo7]

one of my favorite experiences last year was playing this game on pc. I loved it despite its mixed reception

[@DavijoBoy]

Reading through the book now. Seeing how close Episode Ardyn was to his segment in the book just makes me wish we had got the other characters' DLC! Would've been awesome to fight Diamond Weapon as Aranea! Just starting the Luna segment now.