Alphinaud Guide: A Starring Scion - Final Fantasy Insider

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Arron is a freelance game writer and lifelong gamer. He started playing video games on his old SNES and has been hooked ever since. He enjoys the Final Fantasy world as much as the interesting characters within it. He never misses a release and keeps up-to-date with modern FF titles. In his spare time, he enjoys writing fan fiction, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and watching arthouse movies.

Key Info Up Front

Race: Elezen
Age: 16
Faction: Scions of the Seventh Dawn
Jobs: Arcanist, Academician, Sage
Weapons: Adelphoi, Hagneia

Alphinaud Appearance and Personality

Alphinaud is a very unique NPC in Final Fantasy XIV because of his young appearance as a teenage Elezen. He has messy white hair with a piece curving upward from the top of his head and a long, thin ponytail extending out the back. His clothing matches his sister’s dark blue coloring, and he is never without a silver delta earring that dangles from his left ear. Alphinaud also keeps a black grimoire with him that was a gift from his father, which implies that he is an Arcanist while also being accompanied by his Ruby Carbuncle companion.

As the MMO received expansions, Alphinaud’s appearance changed to adopt different outfits that helped differentiate him from his sister. This finally takes the form of a unique version of the Sage outfit in Endwalker, characterized by his iconic blue coloring.

Personality

His confidence and self-assurance define Alphinaud. Despite his age, he is extremely mature and calm in most situations he finds himself in. He also displays a keen interest in working within the political systems of Eorzea to try and make things better for weaker people. He often tries to get directly involved wherever he can. He is well known for taking full advantage of his grandfather’s legacy to work his way into political circles.

However, his ego often leads to him clashing with other leaders and political entities when their ideals don’t match his own. He is known to argue with anyone who wants willingly, and his interest in politics has seen him taking charge of the Scions’ political events and involvement.

However, the drive that pushes Alphinaud to be so involved with events can also lead to him being very hard on himself for his failures or shortcomings. He is known to be very hard on himself for being overconfident and to be slow to forgive himself when he thinks he has failed those that depend on him. Alphinaud also holds grudges against those who he believes have betrayed him.

Alphinaud Story

Alphinaud is one of the first Final Fantasy characters that players are introduced to when beginning Final Fantasy XIV alongside his twin sister, Alisa. After being introduced to the twins, they join the elite order known as the Scions of the Seventh Dawn alongside the player. This ensures that players spend an increasing amount of time with Alphinaud throughout the MMO’s numerous expansions as they team up to battle some of the greatest threats the realm has ever known.

It also means that players interact with Alphinaud repeatedly and watch the character’s personality grow and evolve with the plot. He also occasionally fights alongside the player as an AI-controlled party member, where he typically fills a caster role on the battlefield. Off the battlefield, he is one of the most politically-minded members of the Scions, seeing him lead their political intervention initiatives.

A Realm Reborn

Only new characters are introduced to Alphinaud at the very start of the game. If a character is imported from the original version of Final Fantasy XIV, they don’t meet him until later in the story. New characters meet Alphinaud on a carriage riding to their starting area. Soon after arriving at the site, Alphinaud is inducted into the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, the faction the player joins to help protect the world from sinister forces.

Once the player is revealed to be the Warrior of Light and joins the Scions, Alphinaud frequently accompanies them on missions, including going to confront Garuda, the Ixal’s primal. Later, Alphinaud follows his sister to explore the Coils of Bahamut without her knowledge and only appears when she and the Warrior of Light enter the Final Coil of Bahamut. He and his sister can combine their powers to help overcome a great evil known as Louisoix.

Politically, Amphinaud also tried to secure aid for refugees from the land of Doman. While his efforts were ultimately for naught, he repeatedly tried to help the refugees and eventually launched an investigation into the forces that countered his efforts. Upon learning that political opponents were working against him, he founded his own independent Grand Company called the Crystal Braves that he hoped to use to protect the weaker people worldwide. However, his ego and self-confidence blinded him to what was happening. He was eventually betrayed by the Crystal Braves, which almost brought around the end of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, which Amphinaud blamed himself for.

Heavensward

At the start of the events of Heavensward, Alphinaud traveled with the Warrior of Light to Ishgard, where he was eventually captured and had to be freed through trial by combat with the help of the Warrior of Light. Throughout the rest of the expansion, he worked to gather information, foiling political plots and helping the Warrior of Light to prevent great unrest across the world by avoiding the machinations of bad actors.

While Alphinaud’s assistance off the battlefield is invaluable throughout Heavensward, he also helps the Warrior of Light in multiple combat encounters, such as facing the primal known as Bismarck. He eventually faced the mighty warrior Vidofnir in single combat to convince Hraesvelgr to provide aid for Ishgard as they prepared for the dragon Nidhogg to launch an attack. Many believed that Vidofnir would easily kill Alphinaud, but he was willing to put his own life on the line to protect those that needed it most.

Through his efforts, he eventually regrouped the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, which had been scattered at the end of A Realm Reborn after being framed for a failed assassination attempt by a political official. In doing so, he was elected the leader of the Scions but is well known to insist that they view him as a peer rather than a ruler, which shows how much he grows through accepting his failure in the base game’s story.

At the end of the expansion, Alphinaud is also the only Scion that manages to deduce that a great battle they have become involved with is a trap meant to incite a war between the Garlean Empire and Eorzean Alliance. While he rushes to try and prevent the web from being sprung, he ultimately fails, as the enemy forces are revealed to be influenced by Nidhogg.

Stormblood

During the Stormblood expansion, Alphinaud works diligently to help the nation of Doma free itself from its rulers. He worked alongside the resistance diligently and became considered an honorary Doman through his dedication and hard work for the nation’s freedom. Eventually, Doma was freed, and in no small part, thanks to Alphinaud’s commitment and services working toward it.

He then traveled with the Warrior of Light to free the kingdom of Krile from the Garlean Empire. This time, he took a more significant role on the battlefield, and he played a crucial part in turning the tides of the battle. He did this by convincing the conscripted soldiers hired by the Empire to switch sides and instead fight for him to win the battle with relative ease.

After helping ensure Krile’s independence, Alphinaud traveled to the Imperial Capital, but Imperial troops shot down his airship. He had to fend off waves of attacking soldiers. He barely managed to survive but was eventually rescued by a group of warriors known as Shadowhunters, that were bent on destroying the chaos-favoring cult known as the Ascians.

Working with the Shadowhunters, Alphinaud discovers that the Garlean Empire manufactured a lethal poison called Black Rose that was thought to have been long forgotten in the world. After discovering the horrible after-effects of the gas, Alphinaud and the Shadowhunters infiltrated the Empire’s warehouse where the gas was held and destroyed all of it for good. Afterward, Alphinaud fell into a coma, similarly to the other Scions, leading into the next expansion.

Shadowbringers

At the start of Shadowbringers, it is revealed that the Alphinaud was transported to a parallel dimension known as the First. When the Warrior of Light is eventually summoned to the First, a year has passed since Alphinaud first arrived there. During that year, Alphinaud investigated the geopolitical nature of the new dimension, allowing him to act as a source of information for the Warrior of Light.

While the player adventures through the First, Alphinaud accompanies them on their experiences and plays a pivotal role in helping them fulfill their new role in the First of the Warrior of Darkness. Alphinaud also works diligently to help the less powerful inhabitants of the First solve whatever issues afflict them. He assists refugees, finds a lost mayor, and works on a plan to return the Warrior of Light and their allies to their dimension.

In the end, he finds a way for them all to return to their world after becoming determined to learn about the goddess Hydaelyn to find information on the prophesized Final Days of their world after being disowned by his father, Fourchenault.

Endwalker

At the start of Endwalker, Alphinaud travels with his sister and the Scions to Sharlayan to try and learn as much about the Final Days as possible. While there, his father comes and arrests him and his sister to take them for questioning. Fourchenault blames the Scions for trying to bring about the Final Days by interfering with the efforts of Sharlayan to prevent it. Fourchenault tries to have the Scions banned from the land, but they are instead given the warning to cease their investigation for good.

From there, Alphinaud negotiated various treatises for the Scions with other groups and Grand Companies to work and prevent the Final Days. Along the way, he devotes resources to rescuing refugees from battles around the world and preventing prisoners from being tortured for information instead of questioning them non-violently. His alliance eventually expanded to include sub-factions of his lifelong foes, the Garlean Empire. He treated them with kindness, which made them feel more welcome and understood than they ever had before.

He then helped lead his contingent of alliances and factions to fight against the Final Days, even as his father accepted defeat and worked against him to persuade people to flee the world instead. However, Alphinaud prevented the apocalypse, and rather than basking in the glory of his victory afterward; he traveled to the destroyed land of Garlemald to lend himself to its recovery period of reconstruction.

Key Alphinaud Moments

Alphinaud has traveled with the Warrior of Light throughout numerous adventures, allowing him to play a vital role in multiple pivotal moments throughout the MMO’s various storylines. He has some great moments that players remember fondly, but some truly stand out above the rest.

One of these is Alphinaud’s dedication to removing Nidhogg’s eyes from Estinein. Estinein was thought to be a lost cause to many, even to Estinein himself, who begged Alphinaud to kill him to free him from the dragon’s control. Alphinaud refused to give up on his dear friend, however, and he instead refused to give up and tried to save him, which he did successfully. This saw Alphinaud achieving something thought to be impossible by most people and saving someone very dear to him.

Alphinaud also has a fan-favorite moment in Shadowbringers. Throughout the expansion, Alphinaud adopted a false identity as an artist to get close to royalty and nobles throughout the new dimension. In the expansion, he works on a painting for a group of nobles that end up being revealed to be the villains of the entire expansion, which means they threaten dimension as the whole’s existence. This culminates in a great cutscene where he insults the royals in a satisfying moment, leaving them stunned and silent for a moment before they react.

Special Abilities

When it comes to special abilities, Alphinaud’s capabilities can be separated into those that are useful to the Scions outside of combat and his combat abilities. Outside of combat, Alphinaud proves himself throughout the game as a diligent and skilled politician. He can gather information no matter where he finds himself and successfully negotiates alliances and agreements in a challenging political climate.

In combat, however, Alphinaud fulfills a healer role. This can be seen both when the player briefly takes control of him during the Emissary of the Dawn instance as well as being able to help the player in dungeons through the Trust System. When he is summoned to help the player in Shadowbringers, he has an amazing Academician job that works like the Scholar job, but with a gather assisting his abilities.

Interestingly, if the player also brings his sister along, he’ll focus on healing her before healing the player. However, Alphinaud’s unique job is removed in Endwalker, where his job is changed to the new Sage job instead.

Key Relationships

Alphinaud’s most significant relationship is with his twin sister Alisaie. The two grew closer as they aged, partially with the help of the grimoires that their father left to them. The grimoires were eventually revealed to be two parts of a larger grimoire, which helped bring them together as they figured it out. The game’s story shows how much he cares for Alisaie. Even when they are separated, he tries to stay in the know of what she is doing so that he can help her if he thinks she needs it, he heals her whenever she gets hurt, and when she can’t fight, he promises to fight even harder to make her proud.

Alphinaud also has a close friendship with all of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. He goes to great lengths to try and bring them back together whenever they are separated, and he shows great pride in being part of the group throughout the expansions. He also takes his role as its de facto leader very seriously while respecting his fellow Scions enough to want them to treat him as a peer rather than their leader.

Quotes

“What you need is a mirror, not a painting. It will capture the horror I see before me far better than I ever could.” – Alphinaud, Shadowbringers.

“If it’s healing, please leave it to me!” – Alphinaud, Trust System

“You can rest assured, I’ve been practicing!” – Alphinaud just before belly-flopping into the Ruby sea

“I have witnessed many such miracles at your side and would do so again. This is but another obstacle on the road. So come, let us travel it. Drag be through wonder and danger, as you are wont to do, and I will endeavor not to slow you down.” – Alphinaud, Shadowbringer

Other Appearances

Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omina

Alphinaud has become one of the most popular characters in Final Fantasy XIV, which has led him to appear in various spin-offs and other titles. The complete list of his guest appearances is below.

Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omina: Alphinaud is featured as a playable character in this mobile roleplaying game.
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy All-Star Carnival: A Final Fantasy-themed spin-off of the Theatrhythm series released on Nintendo 3DS.
Pictlogica Final Fantasy: A mobile action puzzle spin-off available on iOS, Android, and Nintendo 3DS.
Final Fantasy Record Keeper: A free-to-play mobile RPG spin-off shut down in 2022.
War of the Visions; Final Fantasy Brave Exvius: A mobile strategy spin-off where Alphinaud is in the Scions of Shadow card.
Final Fantasy Trading Card Game: A physical trading card game released in the United States in 2016 where Alphinaud is featured as an elemental backup card.
Triple Triad: A puzzle card game where Alphinaud is featured on cards with his twin sister Alisaie in the mobile game Final Fantasy Portal App.

FAQs

Question: Is Alphinaud a boy or a girl?

Answer: Alphinaud is a boy, but early on in A Realm Reborn his appearance is nearly identical to his twin sister’s.

Question: What race is Alphinaud?

Answer: Alphinaud is a teenage elezen.

Question: Who is older Alphinaud or Alisaie?

Answer: Alphinaud is just barely older than Alisaie, but is considered the eldest sibling.

Conclusion

Alphinaud is one of the most consistently appearing characters in Final Fantasy XIV, so it is well worth your time to get to know and understand him. Doing so can also help make some of the plot elements of the MMO hit much more powerfully as you’ll be invested in his character development and goals throughout the expansions. Regardless, Alphinaud has some really great moments throughout the game, so even if you don’t follow him too closely you’ll be able to enjoy his great accomplishments, humorous fumbles, and entertaining interactions with the other Scions.