In the Dawntrail expansion of Final Fantasy 14, there is an analysis of moral ambiguity that highlights parallels between the Ascian’s plan and the Warrior of Light’s actions. The ethical implications of deleting the Endless challenge the player’s perspective on heroism and villainy in the game’s narrative. Living Memory, the final area of Dawntrail, witnesses the Warrior of Light switching off terminals to delete the Endless, effectively killing them. The Endless are digital versions of people’s memories backed up to the Cloud.
They are essentially copies of who they were, and their existence requires aether harvested from living people, making it a morally grey topic. The parallels between the actions of the Warrior of Light and the Ascians become apparent. The Ascians plan to cause Umbral Calamities in the 13 reflections to merge them back into the Source as part of the Rejoining, sacrificing individual worlds and their inhabitants. This raises the question of whether the Warrior of Light’s actions make them the “baddies.”
The dilemma of the Endless is complicated by the fact that they require aether, leading to them targeting other nations and worlds to ensure their survival. However, the player does not explore alternatives to ensure the Endless could continue “living” without the need for others to die. In conclusion, the analysis of moral ambiguity in Dawntrail challenges players to reconsider their perspective on heroism and villainy in the game’s narrative. The ethical implications of deleting the Endless raise questions about the moral implications of the actions taken by the Warrior of Light.
