"My ideals are inviolate, invincible."

It was on that day, the Artist Alphinaud’s magnificent assistants defeated Hades

When Selch looks at you and realizes you're his fragmented friend it hit a heartstring.

"Remember us.... remember that we once lived"

Seeing how Emet-Selch carried the burden of an entire Civilization was so heart shattering. He is literally just trying to be the same hero to his people that you are to the Source/The First. Had you been through the same pain he had, and saw this race of small creatures making an absolute mockery of the foundations of your perfect civilization, you might hold some resentment too. And I think that's the saddest part. He tried for THOUSANDS of generations to see good in the inhabitants of the shards but time and time again they proved his prejudice right. This ending has destroyed me. I can only take solace in the fact that at the very end Emet-Selch saw the complete version of you as his equal, and in that sense, maybe his smile at the very end was him believing you were the right person to entrust with what remained of his shattered world. I

The villain is the hero of his own story.

i never believed i would actually pity an ascians in the world of ff14 but actually i did with hades . this storyline is absolutly amazing , best expansions in term of story imo

“This world is not yours to end. This is our future. Our story.”

This expansion has hands down the best story I have ever seen in an MMO.

Culann Steele is the true villain of ShB for skipping cutscenes...

"Let expanse contract, eon become instant! Champions from beyond the rift, heed my call!" One of the best cinematic I've ever seen

Dude when he handed me the Great Axe and this music started I had major bro tears

The cutscene before this fight was absolutely the best they have done yet, no contest. The way the WoL just stands there with that resolved stare and then you drop the line "It ends here today.. One way or another, it ends.."

5:30 Imagine being at the grand finale of such a tale and having no idea whats going on because you skipped cutscenes like a degenerate.

"Champions from beyond the rift, heed my call!" Raid queue pops.

Shadowbringers is def one of those things that makes you grateful you're alive to play it.

Lyrics from the lore forum One brings shadow, one brings light Two-toned echoes tumbling through time Threescore wasted, ten cast aside Four-fold knowing, no end in sight One brings shadow, one brings light One dark future no one survives On their shadows, away we fly The road that we walk Is lost in the flood Here proud angels bathe in Their wages of blood At this, the world's end, do we cast off tomorrow One brings shadow, one brings light To this riddle all souls are tied Brief our moments, brazen and bright Forged in fury, tempered in ice Hindmost devils, early to rise Sing come twilight, sleep when they die Heaven's banquet leavened with lies Sating honor, envy, and pride One brings shadow, one brings light Run from the light Authors of our fates Orchestrate our fall from grace Poorest players on the stage Our defiance drives us straight to the edge A reflection in the glass Recollections of our past Swift as darkness, cold as ash Far beyond this dream of paradise lost Home Riding home Dying hope Hold onto hope... Ohhh... Home Riding home Home, riding home Hope, finding hope... Ohhh... One brings shadow, one brings light One more chapter we've yet to write Want for nothing, nothing denied Wand'ring ended, futures aligned One brings shadow, one brings light One brings shadow, one brings light You are the light We fall We fall We fall We fall unto the end One world's end Our world's end Our end We won't end I am shadow, I am the light

You know this is one hell of a final boss when the trailer music plays on it

I'd have to say this expansion beats Heavensward for me story-wise. This finale was such a huge payout and still gives me goosebumps thinking about it.

No name on the title and a generic thumbnail, what an absolute lad, thank you. Also I've never been more blown away by anything in this game ever. I damn near cried from how awesome it was alone!

When I realized that the other 7 pillers where the WoL from other Shards/the other members of the party, my hype levels broke past 11.

I told my FC that “Scale and Steel/The Worm’s Tail” (Shinryu’s Theme) was Sokken’s lightning in a bottle. There’s no way he could capture it twice. Boy, was I wrong hearing this when getting to Emet Selch/Hades. Sokken did it again. A master of the craft-the rightful torch bearer for Nobuo Uematsu.

This is one of the first songs I heard from the game. It's a bit of a shame, because I got massively spoiled without realizing until after the fact, but also fortunate because it's one of the things that finally got me to give FFXIV a shot. Without context I just assumed, "Oh, it's some dark god trying to kill you for some arguably justified but stupid reason as dark gods tend to do". Man, I'm glad it was so much more than that. Hearing Invincible for the first time just gave the impression of being an epic and climactic song for a final boss, but the moment I heard it myself ingame, my first thought was that it sounds like the strings are crying out in desperation. The story of this expansion really did turn out to be as much of a masterpiece as people hyped it up to be.

Those feels when they break the chains. This fight was something next level the first time you walk in blind to what's coming. Soken crafted a masterpiece of a soundtrack for Shadowbringers and said soundtrack cannot be released soon enough. Truly masterful work. Top to bottom this expansion was an incredible experience.

The final blow being dealt by throwing ardbert's axe brought a tear to my eye

It is amazing to me how a villain in a game can be so well written that one can come to love him so much that just watching this fight from the outside makes me cry. When you're fighting him yourself, you're too busy trying to survive the encounter that you can't think about it, but I imagine my WoL being just as choked up as I am about having to kill him after it was over. Hades is equal parts tragic and beautiful, villain and hero, and I don't know how they will ever top that. I can't wait to see it when they do.

Damn, give Soken a medal. What a soundtrack! Oh, and buy his OSTs. He deserves it.

It’s funny and heartbreaking how in Endwalker he completely disapproved our portrayal of him and his actions of recreating Amaurot which he deemed “an insult to their memory”. But we also learn in one of his dialogues in Elpis, he says he has not felt, let alone understood the grief of putting down a creation or a colleague returning to the stars (aka passing on) that Hermes felt. But he would one day understand and deeply feel this pain at an intense level after losing everyone after the sundering. So heavy a loss that it ultimately changed his character and made him more openly sentimental. And funnily enough, causing him to end up doing what he said he would not. Pain really changes people

That Dark Knight was a cutscene skipper and had no idea what was happening. Disgusting

Won't lie, teared up a bit throughout the last bit. Remembering how I was just a lv1 gladiator when I started. The friend's I made and lost. The years spent playing. And this only marked the beginning of shb.

The guy writing in party chat that he skipped cutscenes hurts my whole being but my soul especially. HOW can you skip THAT story?! ANY OF IT?!

The first phase of the fight is honestly one of my most favorite boss themes ever.

"DAMN YOU! DAMN YOUR WRETCHED BLESSING!" NO HOLDING BACK AT THAT POINT!

Getting to this fight as a Gunbreaker was one of the best moments I've ever had in an MMO thanks to the party I was given. Said I was new to it, and the other tank told me "The honor of tanking him is yours". This man yielded main tank to me just so I could get the full experience out of it. Bless him, and bless that party for giving me five commends.

the best final boss yet, the music, the fight, the mechinces, both phases..... the voice, god, this whole expansion pack was amazing.

"One way or another, it ends this day"

My hype was skyrocketing throughout the entire MSQ and this shit just made the hype meter overload and break.

The timing when the “home” hook comes in lines up so well

Knowing everything about this expansion, it just surprises me that there are people in my free company skipping EVERY cutscene despite the rest of us telling them how amazing the story's been this time around. I wouldn't trade the cutscene prior to this boss for anything in the world.

In case anyone's wondering, if you don't kill him quickly enough post-ATM, he'll begin casting his ultimate attack (which results in a wipe): *Black Cauldron* Yup, same as the FF7 summon.

Here's a theory that was brought up. What if every person with the Echo was actually a fragmented individual from the Ascian civilization? They summoned Hydaelyn and are bound to her - being reincarnated over and over again as her champions.

I don't know why, but the part where the choir comes in singing "Home! Riding Home!" makes me almost tear up. It just hits this visceral feeling of "Hey, we're stuck in the most unwinnable situation imaginable, but we're gonna win regardless," and I think that's beautiful. It's like the game is staring at you and saying, "You've got this, man. Don't give up."

It's just amazing how through ARR to Stormblood, we hated every Ascian with a passion. Then in Shadowbringers we learn the truth. We learn their goal. We see Emet and many of us love him or at the very least, pity and understand him. He becomes more than just an ancient being, he's a spirit we were once linked to. Suddenly, looking back, the Ascians no longer feel like "pure evil or chaos". Their motives are very relatable. They want their world back, their friends back, their loved ones back...they want their way of life back. But because their goal means the destruction of our world, our friends, our loved ones, our way of life...we have to stop them. It's either us or them. But in the end, the victor becomes the hero, the loser the villain. We are each others' truest villain. It'll be amazing to see what story line they come up with to follow the end of the Hydalin/Zodiark story. It has been an amazing ride.

When you think that Yotsuyu is already tragic enough and no one will be able to top her, this f*cking game pulled Emet-Selch on us. What will the next expansion pulled on us now?

"Our tragedy must never again come to pass". That sentence alone is hint enough the Ascians aren't fully aware of the nature of their god. Emet Selch truly believed that bringing Zodiark forth once again would save the star. However, it is precisely because of that we're all going to Endwalker now - the tragedy spoken of is happening yet again. One begs the question they're tempered, even.

A true Final Fantasy Story ending BOSS with multiples forms

When this track kicked in during the cutscene sequence unlocking this trial, it was everything I hoped. I really wanted this track to not be used at all until the end and reserved for a special moment. This Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny perfectly rewarded all the buildup.

The poor lad that skipped cutscenes in party chat... had no clue what was happening LOL

The combination of Shadowsbringers and Thunderer (the typical Ascian battle theme) for phase 2 is incredible.

No idea why people skip cutscenes and then ask what’s going on in the story. If your rushing to the end for savage raid purposes I can understand but we only have 2 easy extreme fights so far. Take your time and watch the cutscenes the story is AMAZING. It’s always using seeing people ask what’s happening or why we are fighting someone when literally the cutscene before the fight shows what’s happening lol.

I think this is the first trial where fighting as a 8 man party is canon for the story

The escalation that brings here it's one of the most powerful and sad in whole Final Fantasy history. I deeply love Final Fantasy XIV, I suggest to play it, it's simply one of the best Final Fantasy ever created.

It ends _this_ day. One way or another.. *_it ends._*

1st Phase - Rock music! 2nd Phase: Super epic orchaestral/choir music! Serioulsy, FFXIV's OST is so good! ;)

Love that drop at 2:54, which syncs up with the point in the cutscene in which Emet decides to stop playing around and reveals himself as Hades.

Shoutout to the WoL on 5:30 who skipped most cutscenes and is now wildly bemused by what is going on

"Wh-What!? You've defeated Ozma!?" "I've come too far to retreat." "Onward!"

cutscenes skippers!! its sad!!

Two people carrying forward the hopes and dreams of those who came before. One trying to restore those they had lost, and the other trying to save those they yet still could.

Fight insane Music insane Boss insane Fucking great end of the expansion

Anyone notice the filthy cutscene skipper in the chat?

自分用 One brings shadow, one brings light Two-toned echoes tumbling through time Threescore wasted, ten cast aside Four-fold knowing, no end in sight One brings shadow, one brings light One dark future no one survives On their shadows, away we fly 　一人は影を、もう一人は光をもたらす 　二色の残響が時を転がり落ちていく 　三世、己をふいにして 　四重の見聞を経ても、終わりは見えない 　一人は影を、もう一人は光をもたらす 　生き残る者のない、ある暗い未来 　その影が差し、我らは飛び去るのだ The road that we walk Is lost in the flood Here proud angels bathe in Their wages of blood At this, the world's end, do we cast off tomorrow 　我が行く道は 　氾濫に呑まれ 　ここでは誇り高き天使が 　血の報いに溺れている 　この、世界の終わりにて、重き明日を振り払おう One brings shadow, one brings light To this riddle all souls are tied Brief our moments, brazen and bright Forged in fury, tempered in ice Hindmost devils, early to rise Sing come twilight, sleep when they die Heaven's banquet leavened with lies Sating honor, envy, and pride One brings shadow, one brings light Run from the light 　ある英雄は影を、別の英雄は光をもたらす 　この不可思議な摂理に、すべての魂は捕らわれる 　我らの刹那は、厚かましく輝かしく描かれて 　怒りの炎に形造られ、氷に鍛えられていく 　後ろについてくる悪魔は、早くから動き出し 　夕方には歌い出して、死ぬまで眠らない 　天で饗される食事は、嘘で膨らまされていて 　名誉、嫉妬、誇りを満たすだろう 　一方は影を、もう一方は光をもたらす 　光から逃げろ Authors of our fates Orchestrate our fall from grace Poorest players on the stage Our defiance drives us straight to the edge A reflection in the glass Recollections of our past Swift as darkness, cold as ash Far beyond this dream of paradise lost 　我らは己が運命の作者だ 　神の恩寵を失うことさえ、曲に乗せてしまおう 　舞台上で最も哀れな役者とも言える 　この抗いが、我らを今際へと追いやるのだから 　硝子に反射するのは 　過ぎし日の思い出 　闇のように素早く、灰のように冷たく 　失われた楽園の夢の、遥か彼方へ Home Riding home Dying hope Hold onto hope... Ohhh... Home Riding home Home, riding home Hope, finding hope... Ohhh... 　在るべき場所 　そこへと帰る 　消えていく希望 　手放したりはしない 　温かき場所 　そこへと帰る 　あの愛しき場所へと帰るのだ 　希望を、探して One brings shadow, one brings light One more chapter we've yet to write Want for nothing, nothing denied Wand'ring ended, futures aligned One brings shadow, one brings light One brings shadow, one brings light You are the light 　一人は影を、もう一人は光をもたらす 　まだ書かれていない、もう一章 　何も望まなければ、拒まれもしないが 　行方なき旅は終わり、二つの未来が最果てに並ぶ 　一人は影を、もう一人は光をもたらす 　ある英雄は影を、別の英雄は光をもたらす 　お前が、光だ We fall We fall We fall We fall unto the end 　落ちる 　落ちる 　落ちる 　終わりへと落ちる One world's end 　ある世界の終末 Our world's end 　我が世界の終末 Our end 　我らの終末 We won't end 　――終わることなどない I am shadow, I am the light 　――私は闇であり、光である

1st part is literally the best track in the game, beating Knights of the Round!

"Let expanse contract. Eon become instant. Champions from beyond the rift *heed my call!* "

The timing of the song during the ATE event as the camera spins around the pillars of light...chills and goosebumps!

Can't wait for the extreme version

I can never get over how well Soken does this stuff. My favorite part, 12:55 is a great example of the music lining up so well with what's going on. The final push for both you and Emet, the desperation you both have to save the ones you care about pitted against each other. The choir makes me imagine the voices of the Ascians crying out in the face of the Oblivion, fueling Emet's determination to stop you. Come to think of it, it's probably why that dps push is as long as it is, to grab one of the peaks of the OST in that moment. The team did such a great job on this expansion.

That one dude in chat who skipped all the cutscenes - like WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT TO YOURSELF THE FIRST TIME YOU"RE PLAYING THROUGH THE STORY?

Finding out that Ardbert was really a piece of our characters shattered soul and him rejoining with WoL and slowly rising for Hades to have a vision of his complete form once more got me hype as fuck. I screamed LET'S FUCKIN GO. Best xpac by far thus far. I don't know how they'll top it. I hope we learn more about the complete version of the WoL one day, like his name and motives.

Everything about this expansion was 10/10 for me.

"But come! Let us cast aside titles and pretense, and reveal our true faces to one another! I am Hades, he who shall awaken our brethren from their dark slumber!" Unlike other ShB bosses, Hades' intro does not carry a title blurb. He is no longer Emet-Selch of the Convocation of Fourteen, but Hades.

Took me a while , but I finally realized that the second phase theme is just an orchestral mashup of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and the first phase's theme

6:25 RIP that one guy who has no idea what is going on in the story because he skipped a lot of cutscenes and ruined one of the best stories in gaming for himself.

Light brings warmth Shadow comfort But in excess both are bane Warrior of Light Warrior of Darkness Become what thou must To defend the balance of this star

1 year later and this song is still a banger, and this fight is still bae

Just watching this video makes me want to do this fight again, the music was great, the fight was great, just everything about Shadowbringers is really well done.

That cutscene before this fight? The bit of the music at 2:03? Yeah, when I witnessed that cutscene, that bit of the music started *_IN PERFECT SYNC_* with the beams of light coming down when the Exarch summons the other Warriors of Light. ... I needed a moment after that cutscene... that got too intense for me. :'D

I will forever say this was the best way for your party to show up and help you.

I cannot unsee hades using the magic circle as a fidget spinner during the add phase

Sign here if you were jamming during the queue while this was playing. That was a kickass 15 minutes, and then Ka-Ching, the queue pops, fight starts with music playing uninterrupted.

Loved the nod to FFX and Auron. "This is OUR story."

I've never had my mind so blown by anything, honestly. This whole storyline, this fight, this music. Thank you SE for delivering on a spectacular storyline and everything that added up to this!!!!!!!

"Oh so THAT'S what Bad Faith does!" - Someone who never got hit by it blind today.

Farming this EX fight, “BEHOLD A SORCERER OF ELD” was definitely my favorite line

why did i cry like a baby at the end of this dungeon? .I was an emotional mess .cant wait to see where it goes from here

6:18 I was screaming omg masterpiece

Shadowbringers was honestly the best Final Fantasy story I've ever had the pleasure of playing. 5.1 onwards has some massive expectations to live up to now.

I love how Emet-Selch, is pretty much the closest version of Lucifer we have as a villain in Final Fantasy The dude sees humanity as a stillborn fetus, as if the people living in the star Hydalen and the rest of the 13 shards aren't even considered alive.

Best mmo ever. This expansion brought tears of joy and sadness at the same time. What can I say I am in love being a gunbreaker makes me feel o.p. the community is nice and friendly. I think we can bury world of warcraft now.

This was hands down the best fight I have done so far. Absolutely a masterpiece and when it leaves me shaking. It was damn good. Soken, awesome music

RIP to the poor DRK in the party chat who skipped so many cutscenes that they actually didn't realize this was FFXIV's finest hour.

Emet-selch: I can explain Lahabrea: how come your boss fight is more epic than mine? Nabriales: how come you two got awesome transformations for their boss fights? Elidibus: *Wait, you guys are getting boss fights?*

I imagine the choir being the voices of the Ascians singing during the battle so that the WoLs can actually hear it.

The best Vilains are historically the ones who truly believe THEY are the ones that are right...Emet-Selch, Hades, whatever you want to call yourself, you definitely left a lasting impression my good sir. Good night!

Most hype moment for me was when we released the light in our body in burst

I've played Hades' extreme trial so many times but I never get tired of the music. I always find myself bopping to the music as I go about executing my tank duties in the fight ☺

This trial was so intence! It is by far my most favorite one do date! The music and action together made it incredible! That and seeing my best friends summoned as warriors of light together from other worlds made it the best conclusion to any mmo we have played together!

I cannot think of me ever wanting to go back to a scene to rewatch for the sake of its badassery lol but DAMN. Champions from beyond the rift, HEED MY CALL!

I love that 1.1 million people have seen Culann Steele admit they skipped the cutscenes. Let that be a lesson.

This dude Soken outdid himself again wtf and it still amaze me that this expansion dethrone HW easily.