Those power-hungry villains vying for control of Final Fantasy 14’s Garlean Empire can’t seem to agree on much. Still, if there’s one thing that unites them, it’s their love of oversized weapons and intimidating suits of armor. With an appearance that looks something like a Warframe mixed with a Power Rangers villain, they’re some of the most memorable character designs in the game.
Instead of the constant back-stabbing between Final Fantasy 14‘s villainous empire, maybe it’s time to just let the fashion do the talking. That’s the opinion of Reddit users, who have have been discussing which of the Garlean antagonists has the coolest armor, and so far it seems that a clear favorite is emerging.
With his giant forked sword and aqua-blue armor, players have a definite soft spot for Regula van Hydrus, the tragic villain of the Heavensward expansion. Honestly, what’s not to love about a guy that lugs around a massive gunblade he calls “The Bastard”? It’s this weapon that the FFXIV Reddit community is most enamored with, as more than one user expressed their desire for the weapon to be made available to players.
Outside the rest of the main villains including fan favorite baddie Zenos yae Galvus and my own best girl Livia sas Junius (hey, I just prefer a sleek look rather than edge lord spikes), there’s another unlikely Garlean who occupies a special place in the community’s hearts.Poor Grynewaht may not have had what it took to lead the Garlean Empire, but he tried his best and that counts for a lot.
After making his introduction in the Heavensward expansion, the Roegadyn lunk got an expanded role in the Stormblood expansion. Acting as the bodyguard of the sadistic Yotsuyu, a succession of defeats led Grynewaht to go on a berserk rampage where he swapped out his ginormous spiked hammer for a ginormous chainsaw/sword hybrid.
Like many elements of Final Fantasy 14, the armor worn by the Garleans has its roots in a previous title in the series. Fans of the franchise will recognize the similarities between the armor of the Garlean Empire with that worn by the Archadian Judges in Final Fantasy 12. Great villains though they were, the Judges’ mostly-grey armor looks mild in comparison to the bright, overexaggerated attire worn by FF14’s Garleans.
Of course, the real answer to the question of which Garlean antagonist is the most stylish is entirely a personal one. One thing’s for sure though: As the Warrior of Light prepares to set sail to previously unseen locations in the upcoming Dawntrail expansion, there’s definitely still a hunger to see more from the intimidating Garlean’s down the line. Hopefully the next time we meet them we’ll be able to loot their armor and weapons.
