I'M GOING TO GUSH ABOUT ONE OF MY FAVORITE PARTS OF FFIV IN THIS THREAD

EARLY IN THE GAME, CECIL REALIZES THAT HE CAN'T CONTINUE TO BE A DARK KNIGHT- IN FFIV LORE, IT'S A JOB FUELED BY NEGATIVE EMOTIONS, AND NO TRULY EVIL FORCE IN THE GAME'S WORLD CAN BE DEFEATED BY A DARK KNIGHT'S SWORD. AND SO HE EMBARKS ON A JOURNEY TO BECOME A PALADIN

IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT FREEING HIMSELF OF THE RAGE AND BLOODTHIRST OF THE DARK KNIGHT'S SWORD, THOUGH- IT'S ABOUT ATONING FOR THE MURDERS HE COMMITTED IN HIS KINGDOM'S NAME. HE ACCOMPLISHES THIS BY FACING A PHANTASMAL DARK KNIGHT IN BATTLE- A PHYSICAL MANIFESTATION OF HIS PAST EVIL

BUT THE BATTLE WITH THE DARK KNIGHT CAN'T ACTUALLY BE WON BY FIGHTING- IF YOU TRY TO FIGHT BACK, YOU'LL END UP LOCKED IN A BATTLE OF ATTRITION THAT YOU'LL EVENTUALLY LOSE. ONLY BY ENDURING THE DARK KNIGHT'S ATTACKS WITHOUT FIGHTING BACK CAN YOU ACTUALLY ADVANCE THE STORY

THIS WORKS ON A STORY LEVEL AS WELL AS A MECHANICAL ONE: ONE OF THE MAJOR THEMES OF FFIV IS THAT A TRUE HERO DOESN'T FIGHT TO AVENGE ANYONE, OR EVEN TO UPHOLD SOME IDEA OF JUSTICE, BUT RATHER TO PROTECT THOSE WHO NEED PROTECTING

MECHANICALLY, THE REASON THAT THE "DON'T FIGHT BACK" STRATEGY WORKS IS THAT THE DARK KNIGHT IS USING THE "DARKNESS" SKILL- AN ABILITY THAT DAMAGES THE ENEMY *AS WELL AS THE USER*. IT'S A BRILLIANT MERGER OF GAMEPLAY AND STORY, ILLUSTRATING THAT RETRIBUTION IS SELF-DESTRUCTIVE

ALL OF THIS PROBABLY SEEMS FAIRLY BASIC NOW, BUT AT THE TIME, IN 1991, IT WAS SOME PRETTY ADVANCED STORYTELLING... AND I STRONGLY FEEL THAT THE OVERALL MESSAGE RINGS AS TRUE TODAY AS IT DID THEN

WHERE DOES ALL OF THIS LEAVE US IN REGARD TO FFXIV? THAT IS THE QUESTION. EMET-SELCH NEVER ASKED US TO FORGIVE HIM FOR WHAT HE DID, NOR DID HE ASK US TO AVENGE HIS (OUR?) FALLEN PEOPLE. HE JUST ASKED THAT WE REMEMBER.

"JUSTICE AND RETRIBUTION ARE BUT TRIFLING THINGS. THERE ARE VICTORIES OF GREATER WORTH. ONE DAY, YOU WILL KNOW THEM." HMMM.