A character resembling Final Fantasy IV villain Golbez has arrived in FFXIV, but is this Knight in Black the legendary warrior?
Final Fantasy XIV continues to go from strength to strength and its Endwalker expansion has helped to expand its already impressive player base. However, following update 6.1, the Realm Reborn may just have had a visitor from not just another time, but from another universe – Golbez, from Final Fantasy IV.
Crossovers between Final Fantasy games have happened before, even in FFXIV, although, these have usually been with more recent entries like Final Fantasy XV. Now, however, it looks like FFXIV is about to receive a blast from the past, as all evidence suggests this could indeed be Golbez.
Spoilers for Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy XIV Endwalker below.
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Who is Golbez in Final Fantasy?
Golbez is (seemingly) the main antagonist of Final Fantasy IV and one of the strongest villains in the series. Like the best bad guys in fiction, Golbez is sympathetic and layered. He’s not just trying to be evil for the sake of it, his motivations started out as good, if not misguided.
The character shares a personal connection with FFIV’s protagonist, Cecil, and later turns out to be his older brother. Golbez is soon revealed to be possessed by an evil entity called Zemus, causing Cecil and his friends to try and free him.
At the end of FFIV, the heroes are successful and Golbez fights alongside them to rid the world of Zemus and save the crystals. He survives the events of FFIV and even returns in the sequel, The After Years, once again fighting alongside the Heroes of Light.
What makes Golbez cool is his anti-hero status in Final Fantasy. While the character typically fights against evil, Golbez is usually a wildcard who follows a very different moral code to the regular Final Fantasy good guys.
Final Fantasy XIV has been indirectly teasing connections to FFIV since the announcement of the Endwalker expansion. Every mention of the moon, or forces sleeping inside, was bound to make long-time Final Fantasy fans recall the fourth entry.
Final Fantasy games are all set in different universes, but in a shared multiverse, and characters have crossed dimensions before, Giligimesh being a prime example.
Four Fiends
Fans of Final Fantasy IV will remember the Four Fiends, bosses that were in the service of Zemus and were defeated one by one. Now the Four Fiends are returning in Final Fantasy XIV with Yoshi P teasing that we’ll see the weakest of the Four Fiends in the Buried Memory update. This suggests that the more powerful three won’t be far behind and will likely arrive in future updates.
We’re not 100% sure who the weakest of the fiends is at this stage, but our money is on Scarmaglione showing up as the big bad of update 6.2 Buried Memory. The only question is, will Golbez help the Heroes of Light or hinder them in their new quest?
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Spoilers for the second fiend
Spoiler warning ahead for 6.2 Buried Memory.
Now that FFXIV update 6.2 is live, players are already jumping in and learning more about the Four Thrones storyline involving Golbez and the four fiends from FFIV. Those who’ve dived into the game’s crafting mechanics may have stumbled on clear evidence that the second of the four fiends may be about to rear their head.
When crafting some Chocobo armor called the Windswept Barding, the item description mentions that the gear is “designed to resemble Barbariccia, the archfiend of wind.” Fans of FFIV will remember Babrariccia as one of the four fiends in the service of Zemus. Like Scarmaglione, Barbraiccia is a boss that players will need to defeat before they reach Golbez himself.
Players are already making their way to the end of Buried Memory, where the truth about Golbez and the four fiends awaits.
Is Golbez coming to Final Fantasy XIV?
Previous Final Fantasy villains like Kefka and Exdeath have already had cameos in the Omega Weapon story, however, the introduction of Golbez already seems much more significant. Since the release of update 6.2 Buried Memory, the Knight in Black has been off officially named Golbez. However, it could be an alternative version of the FFIV anti-hero.
Kefka (FFVI) and Exdeath (FFV) were resurrected and pulled into FFXIV from their own dimensions, then killed again by the players and sent back. However, Square-Enix looks like it’s building to something much more substantial with Golbez, who’s still alive in the FFIV universe – and no longer an antagonist.
Players who’ve completed Varshahn’s quest after update 6.1 in Endwalker will likely have seen a cutscene where an armored figure steps out of a portal and sits on a throne.
The character’s official name in FFXIV is currently just the “Knight in Black,” but he shares a striking resemblance to Golbez. The figure then listens as four thrones depicting the elements of Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind discuss war and the chance to redeem their star.
Our theory is that Golbez is trying to save his world from some unknown evil force – and that this will lead him into conflict with the characters from FFXIV. Something in Hydaelyn is likely posing a threat to Golbez’s homeworld and he’s arrived to put a stop to it.
We imagine that much like FFIV, Golbez will serve as an antagonist at some point in FFXIV, until a greater threat is unmasked by the players. Chances are, he’ll then transition to an ally, potentially allowing players to get their hands on his armor and sword.
After all, Golbez always comes through in the end. We’ll keep you updated as and when more updates arrive from Square Enix.
So that’s all we know about Golbez showing up in FFXIV, for more on Final Fantasy, check out some of our guides below:
How to access FFXIV Online | How to level up fast in FFXIV Online | How to unlock Dancer | How to unlock the Red Mage | Eureka Guide | Glamour Guide | Hairstyles guide | Is FFXIV cross-platform? | FFXIV server status: Are Final Fantasy XIV servers down?
