Final Fantasy XV

Story Analysis by Anssi Sundberg�Jan 2025

Status Quo

The story begins in medias res

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War between Lucis and the Empire

The king sends his son to be wed to the Oracle

Seq: Hammerhead (Ch I)

Motivation: ending the war

Goal: get Altissia to be wed

Conflicts: car breaks down, no money, no ship

Resolution: car fixed, the group gets to Galdin Quay

Fresh News: attack on the capital, the king dies

• the car breaks down
• repair shop in Hammerhead
• Cid and Cindy take on the repair job
• no money
• Cindy gives Noctis’s group a job to earn a little money to pay for their car repair
• Galdin Quay
• a mysterious stranger appears (setup: Ardyn)
• no ships at the dock
• a reporter, Dino, promises to procure ship tickets for a favor

Inciting Incident

the Imperium attacks during peace talks

Noctis’s father, the king, is murdered

the media announced Noctis and Lunafreya dead too

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Seq: Protector of the People (Ch II)

Motivation: war

Conflicts: king dead, Cor wants to test Noctis’s strength, tomb a maze

Resolution: Noctis takes the first steps to becoming the king and the protector of his people (fulfilling the prophecy)

Fresh News: Imperium building a base in Duscae and blocking a road

• News of the attack
• Ignis brings in news about attack during the peace talks
• the king is dead, the capital Insomnia overrun
• The capital
• Noctis decided to go back to the capital
• Imperial forces block the road and more airships fly into the city
• marshal Cor calls Noctis and tells him to meet up
• The royal tombs
• Cor takes Noctis to a royal tomb and tells him to become the people’s protector and acquire the royal weapon(s)
• realizing his father sent him from the city only not to be caught in the attack, Noctis is angry, but agrees to receive the royal weapon
• HJ: Seizing the Sword: taking possession of the sword of the hero’s (grand)father
• Another tomb
• Cor send Noctis and his group to another tomb without him (HJ: Seizing the Sword)

Duscae (Ch II)

Goal: open the road to Duscae

Conflicts: imperial soldiers

Resolution: road block cleared

Fresh News: Iris calls from Lestallum

• Imperial road block
• Cor asks Noctis and the others help clearing out the imperial road block
• Way open
• the group can now drive to Lestallum

Lestallum (Ch III)

• Visions
• after arriving in Lestallum, Noctis experiences strange visions (setup: Titan)
• Iris
• they meet up with Gladio’s sister, Iris, who was in the capital during the attack
• Iris tells lady Lunafreya had been sighted in town, which means she’s still alive
• Iris takes Noctis on a tour around the city, saying how it’s kind of like a date, but reminds Noctis that he has Lunafreya
• A tomb behind a waterfall
• Talcott informs of a tomb behind a waterfall close to Lestallum
• Noctis and the group investigate the tomb
• Noctis receives another weapon for his armitage
• Noctis gets another vision, this time a more clear one, where he recognizes the disc of Cauthess
• Strange visions
• Ignis, Promto, and Gladio get worried for Noctis and want to look into he meteor, the disc of Cauthess
• the mysterious strange, Ardyn, promises to take them

Goal: get to Lestallum, get the weapon

Conflicts: Iris flirts, monsters in tomb, visions

Resolution: another weapon received

Fresh News: Ardyn takes them to the disc

The Disc of Corthis (Ch IV)

Motivation: visions

Goal: get to the disc of Cauthess

Conflicts: Ardyn wants to lead a car chase

Resolution: Noctis aqcuires another royal weapon

Fresh News: Noctis and Gladio fall off the crumbling ground, the Titan awakes

• Going to the Disc
• Ardyn wants Noctis to drive and chase him to the disc
• Ardyn orders the gates open
• Royal tomb
• a tomb of royal arms is at the edge

Titan (Ch IV)

Motivation: Titan

Goal: fight off Titan

Conflicts: Gladio not taking Noctis’s attitude, Noctis cannot understand Titan, Titan attacks, Imperial forces, Ardyn is of the Imperium

Resolution: Noctis acquires the Mark of the Archaean

Fresh News: Ardyn is an imperial councillor, the car has been taken

• The Titan awakes
• Noctis and Gladio end up by Titan’s feet, and it tries to talk to Noctis, then attacks him
• Battle
• imperial forces attack Titan as well
• As they defeat Titan, Noctis sees a vision of Lunafreya meeting Titan
• Ardyn to the rescue
• as they are about to be left under the flaming rubble, Ardyn appears in an imperial transport to offer them a lift to safety
• Ardyn introduces himself as the Imperial chancellor

Ramuh (Ch V)

Motivation: Gentiana’s

Goal: locate the three runestones of Ramuh

Conflicts: imperial road blocks, demons

Resolution: Noctis receives the Mark of the Fulgarian; Ramuh’s favor

Fresh News: the Regalia is in an imperial base

• Stranded
• roads are closed and the car (Regalia) missing
• Umbra and Gentiana
• the messenger of the gods, Gentiana, appears to tell Noctis that the Ring and Lunafreya will wait for him at the “Walls of Water” (Altissia)
• Gentiana tells Noctis to locate the three runestones of Ramuh
• The three runestones of Ramuh
• Noctis’s group travels around Duscae to receive the Mark of the Fulgarian

Retrieving the Regalia (Ch V)

Motivation: car

Goal: get the car back

Conflicts: imperials, magitech soldiers, Ravus

Resolution: car back

Fresh News: a royal ship in Caem

• the Regalia
• Cindy calls to tell their car is in an imperial base
• Noctis wants to retrieve the car right away
• Retrieving the Regalia
• they approach the imperial base where the car is held
• Ingnis makes plans to infiltrate the base
• they get inside under the cover of night, find the car and fight their way out
• Ravus
• Lunafreya’s brother Ravus, an imperial officer, appears to threaten Noctis
• he overpowers Gladio (setup: Gladio leaves to make himself a better protector of the future king)
• Ardyn appears to calm the situation and see Noctis and his group out of the base with their car

Fort Vallerey (Ch VI)

Motivation: Jared’s murder

Goal: keep promise to Talcott and avenge Jared

Conflicts: imperial soldiers, mysterious knight (Aranea)

Resolution: fort taken down, but the commander escapes

Fresh News: need mithril for the boat, Gladio goes on a sidequest

• The hidden harbor
• They drive from Lestallum to Cape Caem with Iris
• Fort Vaullerey
• on their way to the harbor they spot an imperial base
• having made a vow to avenge Jared’s death, Noctis decides to take out the base
• a mysterious imperial knight (Aranea) appears to fight Noctis and his group but soon retreats
• Lighthouse
• Cid is working on the boat, Cindy tells they need mithril
• Gladio leaves
• Gladio tells Noctis he has to leave for some time

Mithril (Ch VII)

Motivation: Luna in Altissia

Goal: get mithril to fix the boat and get to Altissia

Conflicts: no Gladio, imperial road block, Ardyn and Aranea waiting at the mine, demons in mine, Quetzacoatl

Resolution: they get the mythril

Fresh News: Cindy asks to bring the mythril to Lestallums power plant

• To the mithril mine
• the tunnel gates open like they were expected
• imperial road block
• Ardyn & Aranea
• Ardyn meets Noctis by the mine and offers help
• Aranea joins the group to go down the mine
• The mine
• Noctis, Prompto, Ignis, and Aranea go into the mine
• Aranea reveals the empire makes demons in a lab
• Aranea thinks something is wrong with the empire, like the emperor and the chancellor Ardyn, and she thinks of leaving the army (setup: Aranea becomes a militia leader)
• they pick up the mythril

Power Plant (Ch VII)

Motivation: Luna in Altissia

Goal: get the mythril to Cid so he can fix the boat

Conflicts: demons

Resolution: boat ready

Fresh News: Altissia

• Mythril
• Cindy needs the mythril brought to the power plant
• Demons in power plant
• power plant needs to be cleared of demons
• Aranea powerless to help unless she’s ordered to
• Noctis goes into the plant to clear the demons
• mysterious helper appears - Gladio is back
• Boat
• the ship is ready to take Noctis and his group to Altissia

Brave New World (Ch VIII & IX)

Motivation: Luna in Altissia

Goal: receive Leviathan’s power, marry Lunafreya

Conflicts: Imperium also after Leviathan,

Resolution: Noctis and the group makes it to Altissia

Fresh News: Luna in Altissian custody

• Preparing
• Umbra brings another journal message from Luna, saying she’s waiting in Altissia
• Cor apologizes to Noctis for not protecting the king
• Cid reminds Noctis that the three young men traveling with him are his brothers
• as they set sail, Talcott yells after them to remind Noctis that they need their king, telling him to come back soon (setup: it takes years for Noctis to come back, and Talcott is the first person he meets)
• Ardyn and Ravus
• Ardyn and Ravus are in Altissia and planning to take on the Leviathan
• Boat ride to Altissia
• they mention the Ring of Lucis which Luna got in the crown city and should be giving to Noctis
• Cid tells them to seek a man from the old king’s past who might be able to help them
• Altissia
• Cid helps them get inside the city and hands Noctis the keys to the boat
• The first secretary
• Camelia, the first secretary of Altissia, informs Noctis that they have the Oracle in custody and that the empire

Negotiations (Ch IX)

Motivation: Luna and Leviathan

Goal: get Altissian support for the wedding and the rite

Conflicts: Camlia worried for Altissia

Resolution: Noctis receives support but has to lend his bodyguards to help evacuate civilians

Fresh News: the rite

• Negotiations between Noctis and Camelia
• Camelia wants to ensure the safety of her city and its people
• Noctis wants to ensure Luna’s safety and that the rite happens and he receive’s Leviathan’s blessing
• Camelia expects four Imperial warships and wants to prepare to evacuate the city
• Noctis lends his friends to aid the civilians

Leviathan (Ch IX)

Motivation: Luna and Leviathan

Goal: ensure Luna’s safety while acquiring Leviathan’s power

Conflicts: Imperials attack, Leviathan wants to test Noctis, Ardyn stabs Luna

Resolution: Luna dies, Ignis is blinded, Noctis gets the ring and Leviathan’s power

Fresh News: royal tomb in Tenebrae

• The rite
• Luna summons Leviathan to make a covenant with it
• Leviathan is not agreeable
• Imperials
• ships in the sky, soldiers swarm the city
• Leviathan
• Noctis battles Leviathan to show his worth
• Ardyn
• shows up to stab Luna lethally
• wants to ensure that Luna gives Noctis the ring (setup: Ardyn wants Noctis to fulfil the prophecy before taking him on)
• Luna
• before she passes, she gives Noctis the Ring of Lucii
• Noctis is sorry he was not able to save Luna
• Luna is glad she was able to fulfil her role as the Oracle

Midpoint

Reversal: Ardyn does not have Noctis’s best interest in mind - he kills Lunafreya� but at the same time Ardyn wants to make sure Noctis gets the Ring of Lucii (to fulfil the prophecy)

The Ordeal

Battling Leviathan in Altissia

death: Luna

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Reward: the Ring of Lucii

Cartanica (Ch X)

Motivation: gaining power

Goal: local royal tomb and the royal arm

Conflicts: Ignis blind, monsters and demons in the quarry, marlboro

Resolution: Noctis receives the royal arm

Fresh News: Ardyn is in the train with them

• Train
• Ignis’s eyesight still has not healed
• Noctis is feeling down
• Gladio tells Noctis to stop feeling bad about what happened to Luna and pay attention to others, such as Ignis
• Cor calls to tell the location of the royal tomb
• Quarry
• crippled Ignis lets Noctis decide if he should come down to the quarry and the tomb
• Marlboro guards the tomb
• Noctis receives another royal arm
• Ignis
• Ignis tells the group he would like to stay with them, even though he is still blind and likely to stay so
• Gladio objects, as they cannot look after Ignis
• Ignis promises to bow out if the cannot keep up
• Train to Tenebrae
• they board the train together

Trouble Train (Ch XI)

Motivation: the king’s power

Goal: get to Tenebrae

Conflicts: Ardyn, Imperials

Resolution: Imperial attack deflected, but Prompto falls off the train

Fresh News: Imperial capital is close

• Ardyn
• Ardyn shows up on the train
• Noctis gives chase, wanting revenge
• Ardyn seems nonplussed when he flees from Noctis (setup: Prompto looking like Ardyn)
• Imperials
• Imperials attack the train
• Noctis and Prompto engage
• Dropships
• Noctis takes to the skies to take out the airships
• Ardyn and Prompto
• standing on top of the tran, Ardyn points a gun at Prompto
• Noctis knocks the man off the train, and the illusion disappears, revealing him to be Promto (payoff: Prompto looking like Ardyn)

Lowest Point

Lunafreya is dead

Ignis is blind

Prompto is missing

Tenebrae (Ch XII)

Motivation: bring back the light

Goal: get to the imperial capital and find the crystal

Conflicts: civilians on the train, Prompto missing, demons, Ardyn

Resolution: Noctis gets Shiva’s blessing

Fresh News: Shiva’s corpse

• Aranea
• Aranea has left the Imperial army and nw fights the demons with her troops
• Noctis asks her to take care of the people on the train so that he can continue onward to the Imperial capital alone with his bodyguards
• Wedge and Biggs
• new engineers for the train
• Luna
• Luna’s old servant tells Noctis that Luna was dying
• she wanted Ravus to give the Ring to Noctis, but he refused, telling her to find the strength to do it herself
• a girl tells Noctis Luna was looking forward to marrying him

Train to the Imperial Capital (Ch XII)

Motivation: bring back the light

Goal: get to the imperial capital

Conflicts: civilians on the train, Prompto missing, demons, Ardyn

Resolution: Noctis gets Shiva’s blessing

Fresh News: abandoned capital

• Train ride
• the train ride comes to a stop by Shiva’s body and Noctis, Gladio, and Ignis must defend it from demons
• Ardyn appears on the train
• Shiva
• blizzard blows inside the train
• Ardyn taunts Noctis but Gentiana-Shiva freezes him to talk to him
• Propehcy and Luna
• Shiva talks about Noctis being the true king and his duty to bring light to the world
• Shiva tells Noctis Luna loved him and Noctis vows they’ll be together again
• Ardyn
• Noctis’ attack shatters frozen Ardyn - but Ardyn soon appears again, revealing himself to be immortal (the antagonist is formidable)

The Capital (Ch XIII)

Motivation: bring back the light

Goal: get to the Crystal

Conflicts: demons, unable to use weapons, separated, magitech soldiers

Resolution: they get inside the defenses but Noctis is separated from Gladio and Ignis

Fresh News: Noctis has to continue alone

• Demons on the Train
• the train has to stop in a tunnel just outside the capital
• demons invade the train
• Ardyn has suppressed the abilities of Noctis, Gladio, and Ignis, making them unable to summon their weapons
• they escape through the train to the car
• Arriving in the capital
• they drive into the capital under assault of the city’s defenders
• Noctis crashes the car
• Noctis is separated from the others
• Demons
• Demons and Magitech soldiers run rampant

Separated (Ch XIII)

Motivation: bring back the light

Goal: get to the Crystal

Conflicts: Noctis is alone, unable to summon his weapons, illusion of Prompto, dead Ravus,

Resolution: reunited and rearmed

Fresh News: demons block way to the Crystal

• Separated
• armed with only the Ring of Lucii, Noctis makes his way into the heart of the Imperium
• Noctis makes his way to the upper levels of Zegnautus fighting demons, while Ardyn taunts him on the intercom
• Prompto
• Noctis sees an Illusion of Promto running from him and gives chase, only to be ridiculed by Ardyn
• Sword of the Father
• Noctis finds fallen Ravus and his father’s sword (HJ: seizing the sword, the sword of the father)
• Reunited and rearmed
• Gladio and Ignis catch up with Noctis
• they find and free Prompto
• Prompto reveals he is an MT, but the others do not care about that
• they find the machine that keep Noctis’s powers in check, and destroying it makes them able to summon their weapons again

To the Crystal (Ch XIII)

Motivation: bring back the light

Goal: get to the Crystal

Conflicts: Ravus, demons, Ardyn

Resolution: Noctis pulled into the Crystal

Fresh News: Ten years pass inside the Crystal

• Ravus and other demons
• Dead Ravus has turned halfway into a demon
• To the Crystal
• facing endless waves of demons, his friends urge Noctis to get to the Crystal
• Noctis leaves his friends to fight for their lives and goes to the Crystal
• Into the Crystal
• upon touch, the Crystal starts to pull Noctis in
• Ardyn appears to reveal he is also of the royal bloodline and wants Noctis to fulfil his prophecy before killing him and destroying the crystal
• Bahamut
• inside the Crystal, Bahamut tells Noctis he must sacrifice his life at the throne of his father to rid the world of the darkness, the demons, and the “Accursed Immortal” that is Ardyn
• Noctis must wait and reflect inside the Crystal until his Ring is fully charged with the Crystal’s light

Second Plot Point

Bahamut tells Noctis he must die to purge the world of Ardyn and bring back the light

surprise: Noctis must die so that the world can be saved

with the Ring charged by the Crystal, Noctis has the means to destroy Ardyn in the afterlife

Noctis, Martyr

Noctis accepts his fate and is prepared to give up his life to save the world

Death of the ego

Back to Hammerhead (Ch XIV)

Motivation: bring back the light

Goal: get the the capital

Conflicts: demons

Resolution: reunion in Hammerhead

Fresh News: Insomnia

• Stone prison
• Noctis wakes up on a remote island
• Umbra bring a letter telling him to go to Hamemrhead
• Galdin Quay
• no people left, only demons
• Talcott
• adult Talcot drives by and pick Noctis up
• Noctis was inside the Crystal for ten whole years
• the demon infestation is out of hand
• Reunion
• Gladio, Ignis, and Prompto go with Noctis to the crown city

Insomnia (Ch XIV)

Motivation: bring back the light

Goal: get to the throne in Insomia, defeat Ardyn

Conflicts: demons, Ardyn, shield, Cerberus, Ifrit, gauntlet

Resolution: they get to the throne room

Fresh News: Ardyn

• Insomnia
• Noctis and his friends make it to the demon infested capital
• Ardyn
• Ardyn appears to taunt Noctis and rise up a shield around the throne building
• Lunafreya’s spirit appears, bringing the gods to take down Ardyn’s shield
• Ifrit
• Ardyn summons the half-demon god Ifrit to fight Noctis
• Bahamut and Shiva aid Noctis in the fight
• Gauntlet in Castle
• old kings turned into demons try to stop Noctis from reaching the throne room

Bringing Back the Light (Ch XIV)

Motivation: save the world; bring back the light

Goal: beat Ardyn

Conflicts: Ardyn

Resolution: Ardyn’s soul destroyed

• Noctis v Ardyn
• Ardyn incapacitates Gladio, Ignis, and Prompto
• Noctis and Ardyn battle
• Ardyn recognizes Noctis as someone with the king’s strength (Epiphany)
• Bringing back the light
• after beating Ardyn, Noctis sits on the throne and summons the souls of his forebearers
• they destroy Ardyn in the afterlife (Cleansing)

Denouement

• The light returns (The Elixir)
• clouds burst and the sun rises again
• Luna and Noctis
• Luna and Noctis are together in the afterlife (The Resurrection: life in death)

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