Noctis Lucis Caelum (character analysis)
Prince Noctis is the main character of Final Fantasy XV. As the game progresses, he becomes a king – both in the public and in his own understanding, he matures morally, and steadfastly overcomes crises and obstacles. Let’s look at the development of this character in more detail.
BASIS
The prince was lonely since childhood. His mother died in his infancy, and his father, although he loved Noct, was forced to devote all his time to the affairs of the kingdom.
The magical Crystal chose Noctis as its vessel and endowed him with a great mission: the prince had to absorb the power of the Crystal and cleanse the stars of filth. True, for the power of the True King, the Crystal will take Noctis’s life.
At the age of 8, the prince was attacked by the demon Marilit, this left him not only physical, but also mental traumas that will accompany him throughout his life.
The prince was sent to Tenebrae to recover. Here he met and became friends with Lady Lunafreya. From her he learned about the mission entrusted to him by the Crystal. But their friendship did not last long. The Niflheim Empire begins to conquer Tenebrae. We had to urgently evacuate Noctis back to Lucis. Finally, Lunafreya managed to give Noctis a magical notebook, using which they were able to communicate freely in the future.
Regis (Noctis’s father, King of Lucis) wanted his son to live a full life, despite the fate in store for him. Therefore, at first Noctis was an ordinary teenager: he studied at school, worked part-time in a cafe, lived not in a palace, but in a small apartment.
At the age of 20, he had to leave home to marry his old friend Lunafreya, thereby sealing the alliance that was to be signed between Lucis and Niflheim.
He left the city not alone, but in the company of friends: Ignis, who since childhood had been part of Noctis’s retinue and was his advisor; Gladiolus – trainer and bodyguard; and Prompto – my only school friend.
Starting point
All of the above actions take place before the actual events of the game. From these we understand the original character of the prince.
The demon’s attack and the takeover of Tenebrae had a profound effect on Noctis: he became more withdrawn and found it more difficult to get close to people. After all, both here and there he lost those who were next to him. In the first case, the demon killed everyone who accompanied Noctis, and in the second, he was unable to help his friend in trouble. The prince’s poor adaptability to social life is also indicated by the fact that in 20 years he managed to acquire only one friend, Prompto. (Ignis and Gladiolus also became his friends, but they were originally assigned to him.)
In addition, the prince’s character was https://winsmaniacasino.uk/withdrawal/ influenced by his lifestyle prescribed by his father. Noctis grew up without privilege, so he is not endowed with arrogance, communicates with friends as equals. They often make fun of each other, and jokes, as you know, serve to ensure that there is no hierarchy in relationships.
Noctis’s relationship with his father is more complex. In critical situations, his father was not around, despite this, Notkis did not get angry and does not harbor grudges. The common problem of conflict between fathers and children is not about him, Noctis understands the responsibility that lies on his father’s shoulders, he loves him, although he does not show it openly due to his characteristic isolation.
But the biggest internal conflict for the prince is that he must become king and he must accept it. At the start of the game it may seem that he does not take his role seriously, but this is only the first impression. Noctis is not acting this way out of carelessness or lack of understanding of the significance of the royal title. On the contrary: Noctis is afraid of the role the Crystal has prepared for him. He saw how hard it was for his father, he is afraid of not coping, of letting down the people dear to him. But instead of accepting his role, he tries to abstract himself from the problem.
Path to the crown
Some time after the group of friends left the city and experienced several events, they receive news that the Niflheim Empire has attacked Lucis, and Regis, Prince Noctis and Lunafreya have been declared dead.
After this news, Noctis loses his temper and begins to act impulsively, trying to return to the city with his friends. However, imperial checkpoints prevent this from happening.
Next, several more events occur that we will skip, after which the prince’s goal becomes to collect all the royal weapons and enter into contracts with the gods of Eos to accumulate strength in the name of victory over the empire.
During an attack on one of the Niflheim bases, Noctis and company meet Ravus, Lunafreya’s brother, who blames the cowardice of King Regis for the takeover of his country. Since Regis died, Ravus has carried his sword. This sword is a royal weapon that Ravus cannot use because he was not chosen by the Crystal.
Noctis has conflicting feelings about this. On the one hand, he is angry that the man involved in the death of his father carries the sword of the murdered man. On the other hand, he understands Ravus, and besides, he himself is not sure of his own right to own such a weapon.
Arriving on a yacht in Altissia, Noctis decides that he is ready to meet another god. With the help of Lunafreya, he awakens Hydrea. Leviathan is enraged by the prince’s insolence. To help Noctis cope with him, Lunafreya must call on all the past kings of Lucis. Because of this, Lunafreya loses a lot of strength. Taking advantage of this, Ardyn, the imperial chancellor who patronized Noctis and company in every possible way throughout their journey, mortally wounds Lunafreya. With the last of her strength, she manages to heal Noctis, who is near death after the battle. Ardyn threatens to kill them both now. But Ignis comes to the aid of the prince – wearing the ring of kings, which Lunafreya has had since the death of King Regis, he fights back the chancellor, forcing him to retreat.
Waking up a few days later, Noctis learns about everything that happened. And of course, he begins to blame his weakness for everything. He also refuses to wear the Lucis ring, causing temporary discord among the team.
Now their path lies to the imperial capital, to the Crystal stolen from Lucis, which all the time previously protected the city from the invasion of demons.
Although Noctis is afraid of not being able to cope, he still does not intend to retreat. He is consumed by guilt for the death of Lunafreya, the loss of sight of Ignis, who sacrificed him in the name of saving the prince, for disappointing Gladiolus with his fear of responsibility. Ignis managed to return the relationship between friends to normal, showing that he was useful even without vision, and also expressing his thoughts about the whole situation, thereby relieving the existing tension.
During their journey, Noctis manages to make a covenant with another god – Shiva. Shiva was bonded with Lunafreya and, granting her wish, tells Noctis of Lunafreya’s love for him. Noctis feels bitterness and regret that he himself did not have time to confess his love to the girl, and swears that one day they will be together again.
Arriving in the capital, Noctis is separated from his friends. Along the way, he loses strength, and therefore is forced to finally use the Lucis ring. Entering the main fortress, he finds the corpse of Ravus, who turned out to be not a traitor at all, but a double agent who always helped his sister. Noctis takes his father’s sword, the last royal weapon, from Ravus’s corpse.
Reunited, the group learns that Prompto, who has been separated from the group for some time, is an artificial person created in Niflheim. Prompto’s personal drama is built on the fear of loneliness, he is afraid that from now on his friends will not accept him. However, Noctis, Ignis and Gladiolus do not hesitate for a second to dispel Prompto’s doubts on this matter.
Finding the Crystal, Noctis merges with it to become imbued with power. While in the Crystal, he learns his destiny: to gain the power of a true king and banish the darkness, paying for it with his life.
Noctis was able to accept his role as king by wearing the ring. Managed to forgive himself for the death of someone close to him. Almost all of the hero’s internal conflicts have been resolved, which means that his journey will soon come to an end.
After spending 10 years in the Crystal, Noctis awakens in a world without light, filled with demons. Reunited with his friends, he travels to the long-destroyed capital to finally defeat Ardyn. Before this, friends will have a last rest, where Noctis reveals all his feelings to the people dear to him, thereby closing his last gestalt.
After going through many difficulties, the company still defeats Ardyn. Now the last test remains for the king. He gives a rousing speech to his comrades. This speech is similar to Regis’s parting words when he sent his son into the big world, and we understand that Noctis managed to overcome his fear of being unworthy. He became as wise and strong as his father, whom he revered with all his heart. After that, he goes to his rightful throne, and as soon as he sits on the throne, the ring begins to absorb the soul of the newly-made king, thereby healing the world from corruption. The prophecy was fulfilled and light returned to Eos.
In the last scene we see Noctis sitting on a throne with Lunafreya leaning next to her in a wedding dress. They fall asleep. And on the armrest there is a photograph of friends with whom the recent prince walked all this difficult path.
Prince Noctis’ journey is not just about accepting the crown or the responsibility of wearing it. This is the path to self-acceptance. Time after time, the hero changed, overcame difficulties, and if you compare, you can see qualitative growth. Noctis is a truly interesting character who does not stand still, but develops. This allows us to see in Noctis not just a set of pixels, but a living person.
