Welcome back to Waifu Wednesday, Niche Gamer’s column where we talk about characters, their appeal, and a little on their history.
Today’s waifu is Sphene from Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail.
SPOILERS AHEAD.
“If I smile, it is because you all smile for me.”
Sphene is a character introduced in the final act of the main story quests for Dawntrail and is a kind-hearted queen full of love for her people. However this puts her in direct conflict with the player character, as her love also includes the “Endless”, the living memories of all her people who have died and are backed up in massive databanks which require living aether to function.
However the game doesn’t address what makes these Endless less deserving of life other than the fact they have no “soul”. We learn through the main story that these living memories appear to think, feel, and can have an impact on the real world. But we’re told that they’re simply hollow recreations. To Sphene, they’re no less real, and why wouldn’t they be?
“If bloodshed will save my subjects, then I will become history’s most brutal queen.”
It’s revealed that Sphene herself is one of the Endless, in fact she’s been the eternal ruler of Alexandria ever since its initial fall. Her consciousness is an amalgamation of the original Princess Sphene, and a directive to protect the people of Alexandria, no matter what.
To this end, Sphene resolves herself to purge her memories of kindness and sympathy in order to become what she considers a better ruler. It’s ironically her love for her people which leads her to try and rid herself of love, to devote herself wholly to her mission of preservation lest she become endeared to those she must kill.
“Fear not, you will all live on.”
Despite her misgivings, Sphene is a beacon of hope to her people. Even with Living Memory and its Endless fading away, her legacy lives on in the Alexandrians who have come after and are living peacefully. She may have failed to preserve the Endless, but she never stopped fighting and still protected her beloved Alexandria.
Saying "my life sucks" when something goes wrong
-self-deprecating
-depressing
-makes you sadderSaying "Sphene Alexandros XIV wouldn't want this for me" when something goes wrong
-motivating
-makes you think about Sphene
-reminds you that Sphene wants you to be happy pic.twitter.com/BLBH17Llrz— Sphene Enjoyer (@LadyPromethia) August 23, 2024
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Final Fantasy XIV is available now for the Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox, and Microsoft Windows (through Steam).
