Zenos yae Galvus, the crown prince of Garlemald, is a deeply frustrating character. It seems like for every thing there is to like about him, there’s something else that’s worth hating. Today, I’d like to attempt to sort through my messy feeling about a messy character, talk about all the things I hate about Zenos, and all the thing I love about Zenos.
Table of Contents:
Intro – 0:00:00
Part One: The Case Against Zenos – 0:09:55
Part Two: In Defense of Zenos – 0:31:57
Conclusion – 1:28:04
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Any point where you stop playing is an ending. We have the choice to deny Zenos is duel. /return, shut down the game, anything other than hit yes on that duty. I understand that isn't the same as getting to turn him down, but still
Happy 2 year anniversary
Great video!!! I look forward to the emet video too 🙂
I actively hope they resurrect Zenos, only because I feel like they missed out on a golden opportunity to turn him into an adventuring partner for an expansion, similar to Estinien, who'll get to fight powerful opponents in return for getting to hang around his friends.
One note: Zenos doesn't actually fight Elidibus. He says as much, that he was looking forward to fighting his own body, but Elidibus scurried away before Zenos had the chance to beat his own ass.
Theough realisticly, how can you oubt tht nicolas cage, its a mark of a good actor to elevate even bad movies, which nicolas cage does, especially i he is in un bmovies like ghostrider 2.
(and its acting, he is not that person in real life, he is chill, so thats proo, its actual acting)
And he is very entertaining. and oten the best part in movies. Yes damn he is good.
And thats a good essay, i just disagree with the irrelevant anyways nicolas cage part.
Whenever Zuldim uploads a ffxiv essay it's a good day 🙂 Also yes on emet selch next PLEASE.
I love these video essays 🙏🙏 thank you for the hard work
Awesome video! I was waiting for this!
Congratulations on your 2 years on YouTube.
I'm a very new viewer/listener to your channel and have only listened to your FFXIV-related topics and absolutely enjoyed listening to them while working. It was very nice to listen to these, in a way, to look back on how well the story was written with these characters/themes for the game, and am looking forward to your future videos.
As a funny side note, I finished listening to your video revolving around Fandaniel as today, you posting this video, and after I refreshed my feed, I saw THIS video pop up on my feed and immediately started listening to this one, lmao.
Great work!
I mean, would you count his brief appearance in the Tsukuyomi fight as a zenos fight?
I cannot speak as someone who has played and loved, liked or hated the game but I can speak as someone who loves stories. I had liked Zenos as a character when you briefly mentioned him/his arc in Fandaniel video. I love characters who show a positive character growth and characters who seem/are one dimensional in a story with complex characters. That's because I know the writers can write a complex character and so, I feel like the character is intentionally one-dimensional. Add to that the fact that Zenos ended up seeing the player character as an actual friend and respecting them enough to aid them in a battle and then ask for a battle instead of demand it made me like his character more. After watching (ehh..listening to) this video, I feel like I am not incorrect in making that assessment.
I realize that my assessment of his character from watching two videos will be quite different from having to deal with his character thoughout playing a game. But I assume, if one ends up liking his character, it would feel more rewarding than me liking him via a small portion in a 3 hour video and then a 1.5 hr video.
Congratulations on reaching 10K and the second anniversary of the channel.
Loved the video, great work as always ♥
The only thing I wanna hop in and nitpick is calling the short story a 'retcon'. I feel like that term is overused a lot, at least with my own understanding of it. I always understood retcon to be retroactive rewriting "no no no, THIS is actually what happened" as opposed to just, going in and filling in backstory post-hoc. My understanding based on the video is that this is more of a case of the later, that a story was written in after the fact, but it wasn't overwriting something that was there before, just filling a void.
That being said, everything you said ABOUT how that kind of stuff would have been great to be told in game is totally true, and I'm in no way trying to assert that writers 'had this backstory in mind the whole time' or anything like that. But yeah, as long as pre/backstory isn't contradicting or overwriting already established story, IMO it can't fully qualify as a retcon.
Your example of the lich king is interesting because in this case the WOL is the Lich King. They have been built up as this nearly unstoppable force. A peerless warrior, a god killer. Then out of nowhere this Garlean prince that we know nothing about beyond “he’s scary” comes and hands the WOL there butt. It felt super cheap. At least in the Lich Kings case Tirion was a legend and had the legendary Ashbringer, and the build up to that moment was amazing.
One a side note: unlike WoW XIV generally does a fantastic job of telling you all the story bits you need in game, there is not a bunch of novels you need to read ect ect to get the full picture. Zenos is a rare exception, that short story at least tells you why finding a powerful opponent is so important to him. Regardless of how shallow that reasoning may be, it’s still there.
awesome vid on one of my favourite characters in xiv. looking forward to the next one!
good MORNING king my sister and I have woken up and just seen the alert for this video and we're currently shouting about what a good day today is will comment again at the end of the video but I wanted u to know about our nice morning u made! so excited
I only started to like zenos after I fucking killed him so I'm thrilled to see how our journies match up and don't!
46:00 i never noticed how goofy Alphinaud looks in this scene, it's like he doesn't know what to do so he's just trying to keep himself busy by looking at a random bird on the roof or something. same for Pipin and what's her face but at least she's looking at the screen lol.
Zenos would probably wonder why you’re making this video when you can instead be out killing things.
*SPOILER*
I still remember when he breaks through the wall during the encounter with the end singer. You’re like “is it another monster!? Oh god it’s worse than a monster it’s Zenos!”
Then I laugh when he says, “is that your prey? Why is it still alive?” It’s very telling that, besides himself, he refers to your opponent as “prey.” That word use speaks a lot about his personality and perspective.
To add an additional bit of lore and psych into this, Zenos was more than just depressed or aimless. He is a psychopath. While depression is often feeling nothing, Zenos takes it a step further and simply CANNOT feel anything. He is not capable of emotion. Not like most people anyways. But what he DOES have is a working sympathetic nervous system. He CAN feel adrenaline and he CAN feel pain. So starting as a kid, according to his short stories posted on the official FFXIV website, he is a genius, good at anything he tries, but shows no enthusiasm for any of it and his father wants nothing to do with him, so he is alone most of the time. Everything is just empty boredom…..until he goes hunting and starts mandatory combat training. Because then 2 things happen: he gets truly hurt for the first time and he gets his first taste of adrenaline. These are now the only two "feelings" he's ever had other than the "stinking mire of banality" as he calls it. So he chases them with reckless abandon. His Ascian blood makes him bigger and stronger than the other kids just like his grandfather before him. (Note: Emet is not his grandfather, he is his great-grandfather. His grandfather is Emet's direct son and he is said to have been a truly MASSIVE person who also went mad and killed himself because he started remembering the Final Days). His size makes combat easy which is NOT what he wants, but practice makes perfect regardless of whether you want to get better and soon, he was the best. And the sticky uncomfortable grey boredom seeps back into every moment of his life as combat no longer gives hi mthe adrenaline rush he needs. So he goes to war and that's a little more fun but eventually gets too good at that too.
And then there's YOU. The WoL. An equal. Someone who is also constantly improving. Constantly growing. Always a challenge. Always a glut of the 2 feelings he is capable of: the thrill of battle and the sting of pain. You can notice in many cutscenes that Zenos really only stops "playing with his food" when someone lands a hit on him, like when Lyse breaks his helmet. The first time he tastes defeat in Ala Mhigo, it is so sweet, so perfect, that he kills himself rather than sink back into the sludge. But he doesn't die and he takes this as a sign .That there can be more. That he can be more. That it can be even BETTER. And so he chases that. This is what he refers to as "the hunger". The need to fill the void, to feel SOMETHING. ANYTHING. And you're the only way to get it until finally he dies satisfied, knowing that for one glorious fight, he felt human.
Psychopaths are not capable of empathy and so when he sees the thrill of battle and sting of pain on your face instead of naked fear or resignation as he's used to, he assumes you are the same. That you are also here to fight for nothing more than the fun of a good fight and so he thinks he has found a friend. It depends on your WoL but I think most people play their WoL as a hero and so, you aren't doing that. You're fighting FOR something. The thrill of the fight and whether you enjoy is entirely up to your RP and that RP element really changes how a lot of people react to this character. Are you a kindred spirit? Or do you just see a monster fixated on you? I love that some people hate him and some people love him because yes, depending on who you and your WoL are, those are both fully understandable reactions to him. I love Zenos…but then again, everyone always says that Lalafells are evil. >:)
I already liked zenos before but, I like his backstory alot, would be dope if they retroactively add some hints or something to it.
There are few notifications that make me drop whatever I am doing an watch. Your videos are one of them. You have a gift for dissecting characters and explaining their motivations.
So, Stormblood is less a political theme, and more a theme of empire and resisting empire. Zenos is an example of what happens to soldiers in empire. All the wonders of the world are at the finger tips of the Garleans, but they do not come by them in any way other than combat. For Zenos then, a tool of the empire, the only thing that matters is battle, and the only thing that can ever produce value is battle.
You bring up anime poisoning, but ignore the most crucial anime poison – fighting spirit.
When you first fight Zenos, you are not honed in conviction or goal. You've been dragged into this rebellion through wicked deeds, and your goal is to have everyone survive. You're not engaging in battle for an outcome; you're engaging just to survive the empire. By the end, when you rematch him, you and your friends have a common and attainable goal. You are battling Zenos with a purpose, and he has never battled or encountered anyone else with a goal beyond survival in battle. Everyone in the empire and subjugated by the empire are fighting for survival. Their life is more important than the battle.
Fighting Zenos, you are prepared to sacrifice your life for a cause. Zenos is willing to sacrifice his life for a true battle. You are willing to sacrifice your life for your friends.
This common bridge comes together in Endwalker. He is vaguely redeemed because he battles the Endsinger with you, because he wants to battle you. He is fighting a battle for something more than the battle. He has transcended his simple state by the nature of assisting you in saving all life.
He's a foil for the player, which is why he's so annoying to most people. He's the 1337 PVPer who ganks low levels to get a fight when no one wants one. He's a simple character, but a great embodiment of empire.
Really interesting video, Ive always liked Zenos but this video essay really puts alot of my feelings into words that I couldnt express myself.
One of my favorite characters is Elidibus, who I feel is extremely complex and fascinating character.
Absolutely beautiful story beautifully presented. While I don't play FFXIV (though I do play WoW), I've loved experiencing its stories through your videos. Excited for whatevers next!
My own WoL is an interesting case because she started out with no emotions but bloodlust, and even after unlocking her ability to feel other things, it was still her primary emotion and motivation until Shadowbringers. So my WoL got this really neat mix of "finally someone gets me" and "the only person to understand me is a monster, what is wrong with me".
I love Zenos and his simple motivations- which I never saw as being a one-sided character, just a depressed and obsessed person. We really don't need more political and philosophical villians since we have so many, and sometimes it's nice to have someone who's just there to fight. He's my battle buddy! And he throws a neat wrench into Garlemald just by existing, as what he does in his one-minded focus on getting a good fight out of you often runs directly counter to what he should be doing as Viceroy/Crown Prince/Garlean citizen.
About him as Stormblood antagonist, I think he serves nicely to make Stormblood the WoL's story too. As noted, it is an incredibly political expansion, and its main focus is in bringing together many disparate factions for a common goal. I love that about it, and the times when that pays off- the storming of Doma Castle and Ala Mhigo- are some of my favorite moments in the game. The true end boss, for the story of those peoples, is the empire itself, and those are their battles. Stormblood is not an expansion that is really about us. But since we are the main character and all, we need a personal foe. He's the foe who stands specifically in our way. And I think having a grand final confrontation that allows us to have our win while keeping it mostly separate from the people's win (even if the world assumes otherwise) is a really smart move for the expansion.
I absolutely agree with how the forced defeats weren't well executed. Felt like "I was doing so well though, why did you make me stop…"
Interestingly I didn't realize that Zenos was talking to the player until I heard everyone talk about it. It just made sense to me that the Warrior, even not my personal one, started as an adventurer with some kind of drive for a fight, or we wouldn't be here.
I appreciate your XIV videos as a way to succinctly express some of the thoughts I have about the characters and game that I'd like to speak to my friends about but would be hard to coherently express without hours of going back to things or getting sidetracked hundreds of times.
I loved Zenos since I first met him. Almost nothing from the short story told me anything I couldn't already peace together from MSQ itself. Though the father was "shocked" that Elidibus did take Zenos body, Varis in no way shape or form after the reveal showed any remorse to his son's corpse being puppeted around. Nor make any form of demand to return the body back to the grave, the dad used the body as much as Elidibus did.
Here's a few things to think about on Zenos, for here is the build up discussion. For two opposing factions, to have a "champion" on each faction is just the expected in story telling about factions at war unless told otherwise. Each faction will have their, "hero" to say. ie. Metroid IP has Samus for the Federation, the space pirates had the many bosses and Ridley. The Garlean Empire is such a huge force that has conquered and controlled land all across Etherys that to even imply that the Empire doesn't have a good amount of champions of it's own would need some writing excuse to explain why. Then if the Empire does have champions of its own, then who is the best of the best among them. Who would strike fear at the mere presence of such a foe, in the case of Stormblood, this was Zenos. It could of honestly been any other Legion commader, but the story wrote it for Zenos. So it became Zenos, no need to make a deeper explanation for that unless you want to go into the discussion of how an empire that large with that much influence should of only had Gaius as a champion and that's it.
For Zenos in endwalker, he was perfect for the central message of the theme of the story. Think about what the theme was Endwalker was, to find your own little joy in a world of despair and to be happy with that little joy. For every moment we met Zenos, not a single time did he smoke to show that he was ever turning into a Blasphemy. Why? Zenos little small joy of facing the WoL is more then enough to have him continue living until he faces the WoL again. Just because it isn't a joy you, yourself approves of doesn't invalidate his joy of it. Zenos doesn't need the approval of the people, the audience, the players for Zenos to like what he likes to keep his life going. It's destructive, yes. But that is kinda the point. Regardless if the joy is destructive or not, a person should not change what they like or who they are to get the "upvotes" from other people. He's living his life, his way, for his sake, not yours or anyone elses. He's a monster yes, I will no dispute this, but I respect his choice because he made it his choice and not because of "circumstances of his creation". We will meet people like this, they exist. We are not supposed to attach our lives to people like this, which is why his actions, though respectable, are not to be copied or followed. I respect his choice but I can also not condone them as well. Now for his final lines I always found interesting.
People say that they would like to walk away and I wonder, "why?". I'm not thinking in a "like him or hate him way." Zenos tells you his motive in life. He loves fighting and will not stop seeking out the WoL. So what can you break down from what he says at the end? Zenos will never stop causing trouble for you or your friends as long as he lives. He is a monster and will not stop being a monster. So what does that say about the players who want to walk away when a Monster tells you that he won't stop causing problems? You walk away from him, any and all deaths he causes from living, especially since you have a chance to permanently stop him, are on the hands of the WoL. Why take that chance to let him live another day? What is going through the mind of the player who doesn't see the next potential threat and decides, "Nah, I'm just going to walk away because reasons." I'm not saying to fight Zenos to make him happy, I'm saying to stop Zenos because he's telling you that he's going to continue to be a threat. To walk away isn't an option, should never be an option. The choice is obvious, regardless if it's what Zenos wants or not.
I am honestly amazed how easy this was for me to follow. I never played any of the Final Fantasy games and had very little to no exposure to the lore in it, so I while did wait until I had the time to watch this video in full in one go I very much assumed I'd just be confused for most of it. Instead I just found myself having a lot of fun while learning about an interesting if flawed character in a world I knew nothing about!
Big compliment for how accessible you made this while (judging by the comments) still being good for fans of the game and not boring people knowing the story with long backtracking and explanations. I'm rather mindblown. Definitely going to have to check out your other Final Fantasy videos now!
I personally love Zenos, but he really, really needed the Chronicles of Light story to be told to the player. Without it he just falls flat until Endwalker. And don't get me started on the entire dropped plotpoint about Emet-Selch doing something to him that gave him the Amaurot dreams. So much, from his strength to his apathy and nihilism, could have been explained and expanded upon with that. Pros and cons of longform, episodic story telling, I suppose.
As for the video, loved it! Zenos is a fascinating character for good and bad, both story-wise and meta, reasons and you did him, and the whole discussion around him, justice!
"Michael Myers dropped into Game of Thrones" is such a delightfully succint way to describe Zenos
I once watched a video long ago about Paddington Bear and why the Paddington Bear movie works, even though the titular character has no character arc and is basically a perfect darling little guy the entire movie. (If anyone knows what video I'm talking about, please let me know!) The author concluded that the reason the movies still work is because they're more about how the people around Paddington are changed by his simplistic but strong perspective on the world and pure actions, which is the core of what makes the story interesting, rather than how Paddington changes as a character.
Anyway, there's absolutely no reason I'm bringing this up in the comments section of a video about Zenos.
FInished watching the video, excellent job. Just wanted to add my two cents. Zenos not only works as a perfect foil for the WoL, but as an essential puzzle piece to one of the core themes of Endwalker: what is the point of going on living, when life is filled with endless suffering and monotony? When there's nothing waiting at the end but… the end? The excrutiating despair that both Hermes and Amon struggle with in the course of their stories, and never manage to find a cure for.
Well, Zenos had the answer to this question this entire time. To live for what makes you happy. If you have even one happy moment in the future to look forward to, then life is still worth living. You can live for that one thing that makes you happy, and that's what keeps life from being meaningless.
Alisaie's famous line to him is an essential part of that lesson too. Because living for what makes you happy won't necessarily mean you can get it. You might have to end up caring about things you wouldn't otherwise care about in order to reach those moments of happiness for yourself. It's an argument for why morality still matters, even in our post-modernist world of life having no meaning aside from what we ascribe to it. If you're living for your own happiness: you're going to need other people to make those moments happen in the first place. And so, you better start caring about them.
I really do understand why a lot of people don't like Zenos, but I love him so much. He's probably one of my favorite villains in any story ever and I'm really thankful to FFXIV for giving him to us.
On the topic of a return. Have you meet our "New Friend" yet?