The Lightwardens ofFinal Fantasy 14: Shadowbringersmake up some of the MMO’s most memorable bosses. They are horrifying and have similar death rules toArchdemons fromDragon Age. That being, if they are killed, their being possesses and takes over whoever kills it and turns them into a new Lightwarden. Due to this, the only person that can kill these Lightwardens is the Warrior of Light (or a Minfilia), as their body can handle way more aether than the average individual.
There are a total of five Lightwardens that the player fights against inFinal Fantasy 14. Three of them are bosses from dungeons while two are unique hybrid Lightwardens that have their own trial fights. Each of their designs is quite unique, as game director Naoki Yoshida and story designer Banri Oda did not wish to draw too much on heavenly motifs and wished for sin eaters to be monstrous.
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Philia And Eros
The first Lightwarden players face is Philia in Lakeland. Like the names of other Lightwardens, Philia is a Greek word for a type of love. Philia is translated as the love between friends. As for the Lightwarden itself, its backstory is actually explained on its Triple Triad card. A lot of its design makes more sense when knowing its backstory. The creature is in chains, and that is actually because it was oncean Elezenwho was held prisoner at The Hour of Certian Durance. It is unknown why the Elezen was held prisoner or how he became a Lightwarden. The card does describe that “Philia” means “brotherly love” and Philia was an ironic name bestowed on the Lightwarden after it destroyed its own home village and killed all of its neighbors.
Eros is the Lightwarden of the Rak’tika Greatwood, and its design is like a chimera or a sort of Cereberus with three heads of different animals. It’s name, Eros, is Greek for “romantic love.” According to itsTriple Triad card, it is believed to have not been a person but several animals that were fused together by the Flood of Light. Its name is ironic, like Philia, in that these creatures are in an uncontrollable embrace with each other by being fused together.
Titania And Storge
Titania is a unique Lightwarden, as they were the King of the Fae and accidentally became a Lightwarden after killing one. Due to this, their design is very different from Philia, Eros, and Storge, as it resembles who they used to be. As a solution to the corrupted monarch, the fae locked them up in Lyhe Ghiah. Titania is also the only Lightwarden that sort of gets reincarnated to their original form before they were corrupted. A pixie named An Lad has Titania’s memories, and it’s theorized that Titania’s aether imprinted on them when they were born.
Storge is another pure Lightwarden similar to Eros and Philia, and lived inAmh Araeng. Its Triple Triad card lends some to its backstory, describing that the Lightwarden is believed to have formed from a corrupted sprite or faerie. Legend says that Storge ate memories infused in its domain, Malikah’s Well. The memories are of a queen’s adulation for her dead husband, which can explain why the Lightwarden is designed with the sad face of a woman. Its name means “familial love.”
Innocence
Innocence is the final Lightwarden the Warrior of Light defeats in Shadowbringers. He is the most unusual Lightwarden of them all, as he lived as a man named Vauthry for a long time before his power awoken. It is revealed in Shadowbringers that Vauthry was actually a Lightwarden since he was born, thanks to thesilver tongue of Emet-Selchwho convinced Eulmore’s mayor to infuse his unborn son with the essence of a Lightwarden as a way to keep sin eaters docile.
Vauthry was aware of this about himself, as he fed his citizens the flesh of sin eaters to have more power over them. However, it is not until he fights againstthe Warrior of Lightthat he transforms into a full sin eater. His transformation is very drastic, as his sin eater form is very different looking from his human one. It is unknown why the Lightwarden is called Innocence, but it could allude to the fact that Vauthry became a Lightwarden before he was even born and was groomed by his parents to think he was a God.
Final Fantasy 14is out now for PC, PS4, and PS5.
