In Final Fantasy 14, The Narrative Seems To Forget Fallen Female NPCs
Spoiler warning for Final Fantasy 14’s main campaign
Final Fantasy 14 is a phenomenal game with several hundred hours of memorable storytelling and beloved characters that millions have come to admire over the years. But few have resonated with me more than those the Warrior of Light loses on their journey. Faces like Haurchefant, Ysayle, and Yotsuyu, to name just a few. While Endwalker and Shadowbringers may be the most relevant in people’s minds right now, it’s worth revisiting older expansions and the collective loss we experienced mourning characters lost long before their time.
Aside from the “loss” of characters during A Realm Reborn and the 1.0 version of Final Fantasy 14, Haurchefant was the first major NPC we simply couldn’t save. This struck a chord with the fandom, and the story itself, which references him constantly and the lessons his death teaches our main ensemble as they move forward. From an emote that mimics his gestures, to quotes of his you can use to inspire others, the Warrior of Light never lets go of Haurchefant. Without ever saying a word, it’s clear that his loss resonates, and follows them on their journey.
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But why him and not others? Haurchefant may be the first crushing, permanent loss, but Ysayle is another character in the same expansion that is lost along the way, and in a similarly sacrificial act. The game shows her spirit in one particular dungeon in Endwalker, but besides that, dialogue options and other gameplay elements don’t touch on the way she impacted our adventure at all. It might be easy to say this is because she started out as an adversary, but so did Zenos, the giant, blonde Garlean who continues to come back
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