Fans of Final Fantasy 14 excited for its Endwalker expansion likely know that the hit MMO will finally explore Garlemald, or the Garlean Empire. Albeit primarily an antagonist faction, Endwalker seems to plan on unveiling the curtain to a more compelling look inside the Empire’s machinations. Moreover, given the Garlean Empire’s presence in the Final Fantasy MMO, it seems its ultimate fate in Endwalker can change the status quo for the entire game.
Interestingly, it seems the Garlean Empire has more than meets the eye aside from its pursuit of power. In fact, Square Enix has accomplished a lot of work ensuring players find the Garlean Empire more than just “that enemy faction” in the MMO. Just what aspects of the Garlean Empire are worthy of player interest? What should players know about the Empire while Endwalker is still on it way?
10 The Ancient People Of Goug
People of the Garlean Empire trace their history back to the people of Goug. This former island city, once known as the Clockwork City of Goug, belonged to the ancient kingdom of Ivalice. Due to its size, it seems Ivalice intended for Goug to rise upwards like a spire. Unfortunately, a cataclysmic battle between Ramze Beoulve and the Subject 6 machine caused a dimensional rift called the Ridorana Cataract to tear through the island.
Due to the incident, Goug’s citizens migrated to Ilsabard in the north. They would eventually settle in small pockets of villages. Interestingly, thousands of years later, Goug’s descendants – the Garleans – will reclaim the Clockwork City via the 4th Imperial Legion.
9 Strong Prejudice Humbled By Lack Of Magic
Fans of FF14 would easily notice much of Garleans having a superiority complex, especially in terms of racial identity. However, Garleans actually made a mark in Hydaelyn as a minority that couldn’t use magick around them. In fact, the previous Garlemald Republic occupied a small fraction of the north. They were sparsely populated and relatively remote, relying majorly on agriculture for sustenance.
Interestingly, their lack of magick potential would cause much of Garleans to become unable to understand its deepest principles. In turn, friction would constantly rise between the technologically-reliant Garleans and the other magic-capable denizens of the land.
8 A Republic Just Screaming For Transformation
As with most empires, it usually takes just the leadership of one person to transform a nation. In the case of the Garlean Empire, Garleans could owe their prosperity to Solus zos Galvus, a Legatus-turned-Emperor who discovered the potential of Ceruleum. It’s thanks to his efforts towards a technological revolution that transformed the humble Garlean Republic into the powerful Empire it is today.
Of course, given his desire for conquest, Emperor Solus directed his efforts towards the city-states of Eorzea, as they remained the only threat to the empire’s expansion. Their war culminated in the Seventh Umbral Calamity, one in which the planet’s moon itself descended in an effort to summon Bahamut. The Empire got to retreat in time, and its expansion halted for a few years.
7 The Wonder Of Ceruleum
The small Garlean Republic expanded into the Empire courtesy of Ceruleum, an energy source abundant on Ilsabard. It’s such a rare commodity in Eorzea that the Garlean Empire easily used Ceruleum as the backbone of its technological wonders in its world-spanning conquest. Unfortunately, despite its powerful nature, Ceruleum in itself is unstable and requires precise technology for safe usage. Voidsent grenades easily find themselves attracted to Ceruleum, which they turn detonate.
Interestingly, Ceruleum finds its parallels in the form of FF7‘s Mako just prior to Shinra’s global dominance. As of the moment, Ceruleum prices through Eorzea shot up due to the spike in demand – courtesy of various Garlean factions eyeing for dominance in their civil war.
6 Magitek Dominance Counteracted Lack Of Magick
Thanks to the discovery of Ceruleum, the Garlean Republic began utilizing the energy source for its various machinations. While Garleans cannot utilize magick around the world, they have a great aptitude towards machinery. As a result, the Garlean Empire created magitek – machines fueled by Ceruleum.
Magitek in FF14 is similar to magitek in most FF games – wherein they serve as machines powered by a magic source. In fact, in other games, the presence of magitek made some Jobs such as the Dragoon redundant. As such, FF14‘s magitek also comes in the form of weapons, armored vehicles, walking machines, and even airships. Thanks to the power of Ceruleum, magitek weapons can easily match magick in terms of power.
5 Conscription, Temptation Of Citizenship
Given the Garlean Empire’s prejudice against other races, it makes sense for Garlean conquered to recognize that becoming a citizen of Garlemald is a high honor. As a result, some of them become recruited into joining the Garlean Military. All of their soldiers, as well as their leader Legati, wear imposing body armor. Likewise, the Empire conscripts troops from conquered areas into joining the military as an act of service.
However, perhaps more tragic are the fates suffered by children of fallen city-states. The Garlean Empire not only abducts children for training, but the Empire also brainwashes them into hating beastmen and primals. Additionally, conscripts from various nations allowed Garlean access to soldiers who can tap into magick.
4 All For The Rejoining
Fans would soon realize that Emperor Solus zos Galvus isn’t truly himself. Rather, the Ascian Hades took possession of his body to further the Ascian agenda – to complete the Rejoining, empower the dark entity Zodiark with the life essence of the Source’s 13 shards, and restore the Ascian Civilization to its former glory. While fans know that the Ascian agenda needed 13 Umbral Calamities to integrate each shard back into the world, fans don’t know the real intentions behind Hades choosing Solus specifically as his host.
Interestingly, fans might get some insight when it comes to Hades’s former actions. Prior to the rise of the Garlean Empire, Hades once helped in the advancement of the ancient Allagan Empire before its destruction in the Fourth Umbral Calamity. Given that Zodiark needs a tremendous amount of aether – life source – to empower its existence, Ascians needed to sacrifice more life. In turn, one might surmise that Hades’s true intention for the Garlean Empire is to create a dominant force in Hydaelyn that could continuously sacrifice its citizens for aether, complete the Rejoining, and have the Empire join the “destruction” of Hydaelyn as the world returns to its original self.
3 The Roman Connnection
Fans of FF14 familiar with world history will likely see similarities between the Garlean Empire and the Roman Empire. For starters, their approach towards regional expansion and cultural assimilation seem very reminiscent of the height of the Roman Empire. Additionally, the Garlean Empire fell into the chaos of civil war after strings of losses that culminated in the death of its leader, without any successors. This event mirrors that of the Roman Empire, which slowly fell due to the threat of Germanic tribes, the rise of rivals, and government instability.
On more obvious fronts, the Garlean Empire did take a lot of terminologies from Ancient Rome. For instance, the Empire had legati in charge of a legion. Likewise, leadership positions such as the dictator exist. All of these terms find a history within Ancient Rome, and its use fits the overall motif the Empire uses.
2 Ties To Classic Games
Similar to other elements of FF14, the Garlean Empire has a lot of callbacks to previous Final Fantasy installments. In fact, the Empire seems to hold the classic games in high regard due to the incorporation of various names and motifs.
For instance, Emperor Varis zos Galvus served as the second emperor of the Garlean Empire, a callback to FF2 as the second franchise game. Emperor Varis resided in the Dreadnought Gration while commanding his fleet, again a callback to FF2‘s Dreadnought ship.
Likewise, 6th Legion Legaus Regula van Hydrus represents FF6. He resides in Aetherochemical Research Facility on the floating island of Azys Lla, which also house the Warring Triad. These terms reference FF6‘s Warring Triad statues of arcane gods, the Floating Continent, and even the Magitek Research Facility.
1 Calls Back To Modern Titles
Aside from callbacks to classic games, the Garlean Empire also used concepts and themes from more modern titles. Its people’s history alone ties to an alternate version of FF12‘s Ivalice. Likewise, 12th Legion Legatus Zenos yae Galvus also once tried utilizing godly powers via manmade means, similar to a plot point in the aforementioned game.
Meanwhile, Nael van Darnus of the 7th Legion represents FF7. Her creation of Project Meteor led to the cataclysmic Seventh Umbral Era, a callback to FF7‘s Meteor Materia. Nael even recreates Sephiroth’s iconic Nibelheim Incident scene. In fact, Nael’s successors managed to reverse-engineer the Ultima Weapon, creating biomechanical Weapons that call back to FF7‘s Weapon super-bosses.
Lastly, 14th Legion Legatus Gaius van Baelsar represents the current FF14 game. Aside from being a primary antagonist throughout the games, Gaius makes a presence in both the European and North American covers of A Realm Reborn.
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