Who Hythlodaeus is in FFXIV & How to Get His Minion

Final Fantasy XIV is abundantly rich in storytelling and fascinating characters, many whom resonate with the player community even long after the MSQ for a given expansion is finished.

One such character is Hythlodaeus, and there’s even a collectable minion in the game to commemorate his impact to the story. If you’re wanting a refresher on who he is, or want to have a miniature version of him by your side at all times, here is our handy guide to who Hythlodaeus is in FFXIV and how to get his minion.

Who is Hythlodaeus in FFXIV & His Impact On the Story

Warning: The following contains spoilers for the main story of both the Shadowbringers and Endwalker expansions.

Hythlodaeus, a powerful yet gentle-natured Ascian (or ‘Ancient’), was a character first encountered during the latter half of the main story in Shadowbringers, when the player’s Warrior of Darkness descends upon Emet-Selch’s dream recreation of Amaurot at the bottom of the sea. While walking amongst shades of the former Ascians who remain oblivious to the impending Final Days and the presence of a living human, one in particular actually takes notice and asks to speak with the Warrior of Darkness. While otherwise not recognizable, he reveals himself in name to be Hythlodaeus.

While friendly and humble, Hythlodaeus was noteworthy among his peers for his exceptionally high proclivity with Soul Sight. This made him a popular contender for an open seat on the Convocation of Fourteen. He turned it down, however, in favor of serving as Chief of the Bureau of the Architect, while vouching for his close friend Hades (or Emet-Selch as we initially know him) to take the position on the Convocation. Meanwhile, he led the organization that was responsible for the approval of concepts for new magical constructs and creatures that would then exist within the world of Etheirys.

During the doom of the Final Days, Hythlodaeus would be one of the Ascians that sacrificed themselves to summon the primal known as Zodiark, in order to try and stop the world-ending catastrophe. As the player knows, however, this proved futile and the Ascians became extinct.

During the events of Endwalker, we meet Hythlodaeus and Emet-Selch once again on Elpis, one of the testing grounds for new creatures conceptualized by Hermes. Having traveled back in time, the two Ascians don’t recognize the Warrior of Light, but use their aether to grant them a physical form. A formal meeting happens with Hermes and his most beloved creation, Meteion. Comprised of dynamis rather than aether, she and her “sisters” embark on a journey through the stars to observe the status of other worlds within the universe.

The results turn out to be catastrophic, however, and the emotional burden of witnessing the demise of so many worlds drives Meteion to madness. She resolves to end all life within the universe as a mercy, and Hermes succumbs to the same revelation, choosing to protect her and her endeavor by fleeing to Ktisis Hyperborea (one of the playable dungeons).

Along with Venat, whom later resides in the crystal of Hydaelyn, the player and Ascians embark on a pursuit of Hermes and Meteion. Hermes is eventually subdued while Meteion flees to the furthest reaches of space. Ultimately, the Warrior of Light makes it to Ultima Thule via the Ragnarok ship, and confronts Meteion while accompanied by the other Scions. Both Emet-Selch and Hythlodaeus are also summoned via Azem’s crystal, and create a field of Elpis flowers which change color in response to emotion. The glimmering field indicates that Meteion’s despair actually no longer lingers, and they help to convince her that hope remains for all life in the universe. With resolution, both Emet-Selch and Hythlodaeus bid a fond farewell.

Side Note: You also encounter Hythlodaeus later in the Pandaemonium testing grounds. Different from Elpis, they were constructed to observe and further experiment with more powerful and dangerous creatures.

How to Obtain Hythlodaeus’ Minion in FFXIV

Hythlodaeus became one of the most beloved Ascians among the player base, and so it was only expected that a minion would become available to preserve the memory and likeness of his character. It’s technically called the Wind-Up Philos, but is just as charming as his true self.

As for how to obtain it, you’ll need to have a good number of Ophiotauroskin Treasure Maps on hand and plenty of luck. These particular maps can contain portals that take you to the Shifting Gymnasion Agonon, which tasks you with overcoming up to 5 trial invocations that pit you against boss enemies of varying difficulty. After defeating each one, you’ll be able to open a treasure chest that has a small chance of containing this minion.

Alternatively, if you don’t want to go through the tribulation of dozens of maps, the Wind-Up Philos can also be sold on the Market Board, and traded between players. Do be aware though that due to its rarity, the minion tends to go for at least several million gil on many servers. However, if you’re an avid collector of minions, and/or have that much gil to toss around, it can be a simple way of adding it to your collection.

That concludes our guide for who Hydothaleus is in FFXIV and how to get his minion. We hope you found this informative and helpful, and let us know how you feel about his character.

Be sure to check out all of our other guides for Final Fantasy XIV, such as everything you should do daily and weekly in the game.