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- Zenos's Backstory
- Zenos During Stormblood
- Zenos During Shadowbringers
- Zenos During Endwalker
If you had to name Final Fantasy 14's most iconic villain, you might say Zenos yae Galvus. As one of the strongest recurring villains in the game, Zenos is a thrill-seeking prince of Garlemald that only finds joy on the battlefield, using any means necessary to obtain and retain extraordinary power.
Related: Final Fantasy 14: Who Are The Twelve?
Throughout the story, Zenos makes several appearances, often at odds with the Warrior of Light. If you are looking for a deeper understanding of this character, you've come to the right place. Below, we'll take a look at everything to know about Zenos yae Galvus, including his backstory before you meet him in-game.
Spoilers for Stormblood, Shadowbringers, and Endwalker expansions ahead!
Zenos's Backstory
Behind every villain is a tragic backstory, and Zenos is no different. Zenos's mother, Carosa, died shortly after he was born due to illness, and Zenos's father, Varis, was not close to him, spending the majority of his time tending to his duties as the emperor of the Garlean Empire.
Essentially raised by his tutors, Zenos grew up without the joys and innocence of childhood. He learned the Unyielding Blade technique from an Ilsabardan swordsman, who plotted to assassinate Zenos's father, killing the boy first. After learning of this plot, Zenos uses the Unyielding Blade technique, along with a crystal that Zenos used to force himself to release the necessary aether required to employ this technique, to kill the swordsman.
This turned Zenos into a Resonant, or a person who has been artificially imbued with the power of the Echo. Because Garleans can not manipulate aether like the other races, this is the only way for them to use magic of any kind. Sapped of what remaining innocence he still had, Zenos became obsessed with the idea of growing stronger, desiring only the thrill of battle.
Later, Zenos, along with his viceroy, Yotsuyu, oversaw the subjugation of Doma. It was during this time that Zenos developed a fondness for the foreign blades of Doma, trading his gunblade for a katana. Zenos was merciless in this subjugation, sending Yotsuyu to do most of his dirty work, relying on the hatred she held for her land to break its people into submission.
After the Warrior of Light defeats Gaius in the Praetorium, Zenos is named the acting viceroy of Ala Mhigo in his stead, leaving operations in Doma to Yotsuyu. Now, we move into the events of Stormblood, where Zenos becomes the central antagonist for the Warrior of Light.
Zenos During Stormblood
Following his promotion to the viceroy of Ala Mhigo, Zenos learned of an attack led by Raubahn of the Ala Mhigan Resistance. Using intel from Fordola rem Lupis, they developed a plan to bypass the protective barriers that concealed the Ala Mhigan Resistance's home base, Rhalgr's Reach. Led by Zenos, the Garleans attacked Rhalgr's Reach, slaughtering many of the Resistance's forces and wounding several of the Scions, including Y'shtola and Lyse, and even defeating the Warrior of Light in combat.
In this battle, the Warrior of Light was able to destroy one of Zenos's swords, causing him to seek out another, more powerful blade. He does so with the help of Yotsuyu, slaughtering the Red Kojin in Doma and receiving the Ame-no-Habakiri. He uses this sword to thwart an assassination attempt by the Warrior of Light and Yugiri. However, Zenos spares the Warrior of Light, hoping to fight them again in the future under better circumstances.
At this point, Zenos returns to Ala Mhigo to obtain Shinryu, aiming to use the Primal's power in his future fight against the Warrior of Light. Consumed by this idea, Zenos prepares a welcome party for the Warrior of Light at Ala Mhigo castle. After the Warrior of Light defeats Zenos in the castle, he frees Shinryu, using his powers as a Resonant to combine with the Primal. His strength renewed, Zenos and the Warrior of Light have a final battle, ultimately ending in Zenos's defeat.
Content with the outcome of this battle, and out of respect for the superior strength of the Warrior of Light, Zenos uses the Ame-no-Habakiri to slit his own throat, falling dead in the menagerie of Ala Mhigo Castle.
However, this is far from the last we see of Zenos. Elidibus, a white-robed Ascian whom the Warrior of Light has dealt with before, took control of Zenos's body and spread the rumor that he was only wounded in the battle, not dead. Using this disguise, Elidibus planned to further escalate the war between Eorzea and Garlemald so that the Garlean Empire would be forced to release a bio-chemical weapon called Black Rose on Eorzea.
However, before Black Rose could be released, Elidibus, as Zenos, led an attack against the Ala Mhigan Resistance, fighting Hien, Lyse, Yugiri, and the Warrior of Light, but easily defeated them due to the Crystal Exarch's interference, attempting to call the Scions to the First. Fortunately, Estinien arrives at the last moment, saving the Warrior of Light.
Earlier, just as Zenos slit his throat and Elidibus possessed his body, Zenos used his Resonant powers to possess the body of an Ala Mhigan soldier, using this body to eventually make his way to the battle between the Warrior of Light and Elidibus, who had momentarily retreated to deal with other matters. Zenos, possessing the body of a soldier, declared his intention of reclaiming his original body from Elidibus so that he and the Warrior of Light could fight again. With that, he leaves for Garlemald.
Zenos During Shadowbringers
While the Warrior of Light and Scions take care of business in the First, Zenos makes his way to Garlemald, killing any who stood in his path to the throne room. There, he easily defeats Elidibus, who was still in possession of his real body, regaining control of it. Then, Zenos kills his father, angered by Varis's plan to kill the Warrior of Light with Black Rose, thus making it so Zenos and the Warrior of Light could not have their final battle.
Following the death of the emperor, civil war began in Garlemald, leading Varis's cousin, Nerva, to take the throne in his place. Zenos denied his rightful claim to the throne, only wishing to continue his hunt for the Warrior of Light. At this point, a different white-robed Ascian, Fandaniel, who took on the appearance of Yotsuyu's brother, Asahi, proposed a plan to Zenos, offering to aid him in hunting the Warrior of Light.
Fandaniel left Zenos to prepare adequate hunting grounds, erecting Tolophoroi towers throughout the world to siphon aether from nearby people, while Zenos remained in Garlemald to turn the capital into one of these towers. Here, Zenos traded the Ame-no-Habakiri for a scythe and learned the ways of the old Garlean Reapers, forming a pact with the Voidsent that the Warrior of Light later meets, named Zero.
Zenos During Endwalker
With the construction of the towers complete, the Warrior of Light ventures into Garlemald to climb the Tower of Babil and reach the moon, where the Primal Zodiark is being held. However, before they can do this, Fandanial kidnaps the Warrior of Light and transfers their soul into a nameless Garlean soldier, bringing them to the base of the Tower. Meanwhile, Zenos once again uses his Resonant powers to transfer his soul into the Warrior of Light's body, traveling to the camp where the other Scions are to kill them and motivate the Warrior of Light to take revenge.
With their decaying body, the Warrior of Light travels through the ruins of Garlemald and makes it to the camp just in time to save the Scions, regaining their original body back from Zenos.
Later, after the Warrior of Light defeats Fandaniel and Zodiark on the moon and the Final Days begin, Zenos hunts the Blasphemies that appear from the Final Days but is unimpressed with the challenge. Annoyed that he has to wait longer to have his rematch with the Warrior of Light due to their preoccupation with the Final Days, Zenos wandered to the Ala Mhigan Castle menagerie and reminisced on their previous final battle, contemplating what drove the Warrior of Light.
Finding himself inadequate to the greatness of Hydaelyn's chosen, he vows to travel to Old Sharlayan and assist the Scions in their evacuation attempt so that the Warrior of Light would finally be free to fight him. There, he learns of the Scions' plan to travel to the edge of the universe and battle Meteion, a task Zenos decides the Warrior of Light needs assistance with. Summoning Shinryu, Zenos travels across the universe to find that the Warrior of Light still had not slain Meteion.
Confused as to why this foe was giving the renowned Warrior of Light so much trouble, Zenos offers to help. Reluctantly, the Warrior of Light accepts his aid, and the two successfully defeat her. Now, with nothing standing in their way, Zenos makes one final request to battle the Warrior of Light. Through this battle, the two come to a mutual understanding of each other's goals and motivations, and even when defeated, Zenos is finally content.
Zenos is left there at the edge of the universe as the Warrior of Light is teleported to safety. For now, this ends the saga of Zenos. However, considering his tendency to come back from the dead, we may yet see him again in the future.
Next: Final Fantasy 14: Endwalker - How To Beat Zenos
