The best part is that his English VA, Jonathan Bailey, took the role shortly before finding fame in the Bridgerton series. I was worried that he wouldn't be able to come back to do G'raha in future expansions because you know, career advancement and all that. But Bailey himself has said that he wants to continue doing G'raha as long as he can because the writing is so good for him. He called it "Almost Shakespearian". So he kept doing the voice lines during the day while doing 8 shows a night as part of a theater company to the point where his tongue became enflamed from all the work. TL;DR: G'raha is such a well-written character, he inspires loyalty even from the people who play him. :)
G'raha is literally a shippers dream. He can either be your best friend, love interest, or best boi. He is intelligent. He is powerful. A lovable dork. A short King.
What I love most about G'raha is how he is so obviously the hero of the First. He is everything he attributes to the Warrior of Light and more. He took this desperate longshot plan to save the world knowing it would take many, many decades for him to maybe accomplish and applied himself fully to this task without question, mirroring Emet Selch. He does all of this and still thinks he owes you an apology. He doesn't owe anyone anything. Everyone on the First and everyone on the Source owe a great debt of gratitude to him instead. By the end of all of this the thing that brings him to tears is someone acknowledging him as himself again after over 100 years. For 100 years this man has been nothing but his mission and in that moment he is a person again. He years to stand tall like the heroes of eld, when he already does, enough time just needs to pass for him to enter history.
I definitely view G'raha as a hero even more than the WoL. I feel the WoL is a leader more than a hero up until the end of this story arc. Good leaders don't need to be strong or have any type of magical or fighting ability since they inspire others to keep working towards a common goal.
Lyna's last conversation with G'raha really showed that, when she responded to him like "bitch YOU are the example for us all, **you** are the one that lead us through the million issues we've had to deal with"
He doesn't give himself enough credit. You are his idol and role model, but he has become a hero in his own right. More than worthy of being at your side.
My favorite Raha scene remains his 15-second villain arc before Emet shoots him in the back. The goofy implication that he remains the kid we met in ARR and thinks of everything as a grand story, that for one minute he could be the WoL’s villain is so absurd and precious. This will keep him in my heart forever, everything after is just the frosting on top. Best fanboy, S tier.
Made even better that even his big villain moment is everything but villainous "Hah! I manipulated you into giving me what I need to travel around the worlds... what do you mean this sounds harmless? I'm very evil right now!" Boy's only idea for being evil is doing something for himself without harming anyone else
You can literally hear the pain it's causing him to try and deceive someone he so fervently looks up to even as he's trying to go through with it. Which then gets capped off by Ryne just "this shit doesn't make sense hol up", and Emet-Selch punctuating the moment.
The real reason the Exarch wears a hood: Raha could never act evil with a straight face; his cinnamonrollness would always show through. Also his ears were probably flapping excitedly under the hood the whole time and his tail was doing that swishy swish thing like in 6.1
Which does make me wonder if, in that timeline, Zeon did not get his body back from Elidibus, and therefore did not kill Emperor Zaris to stop the release of Black Rose.
Yeah even if we werent at the site of the attack, we learn that the black rose triggered a chain reaction causing its effects to spread thru most of the world we'd try to help, its our nature, and die to this chain reaction.
"G'raha downgraded after 5.3" To sum up very poorly, this bro agreed to give up everything a tower on a theory that he could cross time and space to avert an apocalypse, wakes up in another apocalypse, builds a sanctuary, averts 2 apocalypses all while turning into a damn popsicle. Man, I'll be in a good mood if I wake up after a full 8 and my bones don't hurt. Bro got a literal second chance at life and he ain't wasting it for a second. I respect the hell out of that.
I think the best scene with 'Raha is in the post-EW content, when you come to ask him if he'll go explore some ruins with you, and he is Literally Vibrating from ears to tail-tip because he really really wants to go, but has all this work to do, and Krile just rolls her eyes and tells him to go, and the sheer look of Absolute Joy on his face because not only is it going to be New Discovery from the Past, he's going to be going there with his BEST FRIEND! 😀
Im in love with that but at the same time, We are in patch .4 and I would love more voices scenes with him, he is almost absolutelly absent from the main story :(
@Lekn Takfs while it isn't voiced. If you have yet, I HIGHLY suggest going to the Baldesion Annex main hall and hang around if there's a familiar face in there. If not, keep loading the instance till there is
@@matthewandriaccio8961 That sounds like something I need to do right now out of curiosity, do you mean the inn or the closed instance of the inn where krile usually is?
G'raha is a great character because he is all too "human" for lack of a better term. He has wants, desires, fears, anxiety, and Trauma. He feel relatable to the players because he wears it all on his sleeve and he's well written enough that the characters around him can sense his flawed acts but also see the pure heart behind his intentions. So they go along with it anyway. He has such a force of character that he isn't even aware of because he is constantly comparing himself to the living legends he surrounds himself with. The man was the savior of the first and the source. Through his actions were both worlds spared. He didn't summon the scions and sit idle waiting for them to hand him salvation. He stood, fought, cried, and bled every step of the way. Let it be known that when the worlds needed a savior the most G'raha stood and was not found wanting.
I think my favorite G'raha moment was during the blasphemies invading Radz-at-Han and he slips back into the Crystal Exarch, calm and level headed, commanding and reassuring that they will see tomorrow. It gave me chills and all I could do was try to not fangirl so much!
A slight correction. Krile and the WoL calling him Raha, isn't a nickname, it's just his name without the Tribal letter attached. G'raha just means Raha from the Gryphon Tribe. Saying a Seeker Miqo'te's name without the tribal letter show a level of closeness between the characters. As stated Matoya does the same with Y'shtola, and Lyse with M'naago. It should also be noted that we've encountered Miqo'te with the same first names before. In addition to G'raha there is also H'raha Tia, from the Heavensward Monk quests. And there are T'kebbe Morh, the Miquitten in Idyllshire, Khloe's friend, and V'kebbe, the Miqo'te from the Rogues guild.
While technically correct, it being seen as a nickname is socially correct as their "cultural" name would be to use their tribal + name (which is interesting as it's kinda like calling them by their first and last name all the time). "nickname, also called sobriquet, an informal name used to replace a formal one". Formal names include the tribal, while "informal" would be their actual name (cultural). My point is, nickname is still accurate, if it wants to be used.
@@delsingray5923 Calling the names formal and informal is probably a better analysis, since using the term "nickname" might not be inaccurate, but it conjures up different imagery. Another good similarity is to the Japanese custom of honorifics. Usually you call someone with one attached, like the tribal letter, but if you are really close to someone you don't need it, sans tribal letter. Plus if G'raha ever has kids, their last name will just be Raha.
I hadn't considered the parallels with Hythlodaeus. It's worth noting that they are both presented as archers when you first meet them, and as the Exarch it could be argued that G'raha IS an architect (both in the literal sense with the city, and the figurative sense with the society therein). His leadership moment in Radz-at-Han remains one of my favorites, and it tears me up every time watching him overcome his own impostor syndrome to be a leader.
I LOVE that scene. It's one of my ABSOLUTE FAVOURITES because you get to see Raha be absolutely badass and reminds you that he's not just a dorky precious bean (which he still is, lol).
I def noticed parallels between G'raha and Hythlodaeus. The ultimate good friend and wingman and would do anything for their friends. I love Hyth just as much as I love G'raha. They are the bestest bois
I like how you more clearly explained why I love Raha than my usual line of "I love a highly competent man who respects my opinion enough to get flustered when I point out at all that he's competent"
When I finished Heavenward, I cried in my fiance's arms because of the scene where you save Estinein. I fell hopelessly in love with Haurchefant and my fiance knew that. He told me "There's someone in ShadowBringers you'll simp for even more." I did not believe him. Cue that hood being pushed back and all you hear from me is "WHAT!?!?!?!?!?!" I fell in love with G'Raha in the Crystal Tower Quests before he even hit the ground after jumping off the platform. After all those cutscenes ended in SB I asked my fiance "Was that G'Raha?" and he said "Yes, and he's been waiting for you here this whole time." G'Raha is the best ally and friend we could ever hope for! Even though there are romantic tones to him it's never forceful! You can perceive it as he cares deeply for the WOL or he is in love with WOL. I love you G'Raha and I'm so happy to have you in my life.
What makes the connection between the WoL and Haurchefant and G'raha so powerful is that any romantic subtext we perceive is less important than the bond of friendship and common ideals they share with the WoL. They don't just admire the WoL, they want to share in the adventure and that is the most "romantic" premise of all.
Yep. When I saw him in the CT quests, I was newly level 50 and had just finished ARR. l hadn’t really felt a connection to any of the NPCs yet, but I did the moment I saw him. I was like “Oh, here’s my boyfriend!” 😂
What i like most about G'raha is that even though he was bullied for his eyes. He still turned out so kind and he was willinling to do everything in his power to save the people of the First. His so geninue i would do anything for him
G'raha cemented himself as my favorite character when I played through ShB, and that's because he was just so well written, like the video pointed out. He feels genuine, and that's something you don't see too much in support characters. He feels like he would be the best friend you ever had.
it also helps that he never really gets over his nervousness talking to you. back in ARR, although you were a hero, you weren't a LEGEND. But once he lost the hood, his facade around you falls and he just becomes this adorable nervous mess, and i love how when you say 'G'raha, really.' his ears just perk straight up. He loves hearing his name being spoken by you, and his wish to just to simply adventure with you is not unlike Alisaie and Alphinaud's wish to be by your side as well. I hope in the next expansion, the three of them are with us.
One thing not mentioned in the video is also that he is now focused on new goal in life aside from going on adventures with the WoL. His work with Students of Baldesion is his way of finding his own path in life after going to the edge of the universe with us. In the same dialogue at the end of EW he also cements us becoming his friend more than an idol. He tells us he doesn’t just want to be mentioned in a book about us, but just wants to be with us for us not for our hero status.
@@StoutHelm when i started this journey, the crystal tower raids were optional. A friend twisted my arm and dragged me through them and i skipped every scene. (i regret that heavily) When the Shadowbringers patch notes came to this conclusion and i learned that self same friend hadn't been keeping up, i told them, without spoilers, that this was the conclusion to the crystal tower raids that they loved so much. "You made me start this journey and it's wrong that i finished it before you. So grab a bottle of water, you Fking gremlin, sit your ass down, buckle up and get ready for some absolute feels because that's what this entire expansion has done to us." Your videos are amazing, and i love watching them. I love the theories and the facts. My friends and i always find ourselves mulling over lots of it. My only hope for this franchise, if it ever ends, that it ends with us going back to Elysium one more time, further back than the first time, and sitting down with Azem to tell them our tale. That's how this story should end if it ever does
I have NEVER cried so hard at a video game as when he gave us that thumbs up on the Source and I realised we'd saved him. That's when I knew this game had me 😂
I originally called G'raha "The Snarky Catboy" as I had seen fanart of him from his ARR roots up to Shadowbringers art when I finally saw him in the Crystal Tower series when I had started. I thought he was adorable, albeit a *tiny* bit snarky with how much he wanted to play tricks on the WoL, but I ultimately am a sucker for the self sacrifice trope that he pulls at the end of that raid set. He tried *so hard* to see the WoL succeed in Shadowbringers, wanting his sacrifice to actually hold this time around so the WoL could live [hopefully?] yet Emet decides "Nah, I'm gonna let your hero become a monster, :)". His growth from the end of Shadowbringers to the end of 5.3 was quite a bit, as he finally realizes that the WoL, his hero, his IDOL, genuinely cares for him. A lot of people dismiss him as the patch content of 5.4 up until Endwalker and the post-patch of Endwalker make him seem like "just a fanboy" are completely underplaying that he is an absolute BEAST in terms of Aetheric density. Not counting our own WoL, he and Venat are the ONLY two people we know of that can become three jobs. Don't dismiss him just because he's excited to meet people he's read about! To be fair, I fell for him again during the scene of the Final Days in Radz-at-han, it was so cool to see him taking up the leadership mantle and you can tell that he knew he had to do this, he had to step up and be the hero, the hero that the folks needed then. His sacrifice during Ultima Thule was absolutely heartbreaking... it doesn't help that his sacrifice is what brings in the vocals to the soundtrack, which i want to believe is a callback to his roots - a bard [please, square, let him sing.]. I do hope we get to have more adventures with him, maybe take him to that new Eureka we're getting :D!
G'raha's character is a reimagining of Desh from Final Fantasy III (much like Unei and Doga.) That character's arc has a similar trajectory - a buried memory about an ancestor's will, locking himself in a tower for a period of time to fix it (and disappearing from the game), only to return unexpectedly to help save the main party at a later point in the game. It's why he gets Eternal Wind (the FFIII overworld music) as his theme song. What I love about G'raha is that for every sacrifice he willingly makes, he's rewarded with another chance, and he doesn't throw it away but keeps pushing forward.
I fell in love with G’raha on the First, and it only deepened after seeing what a huge goofball he is. I would take him everywhere with me if only the Devs would allow it. His little insights into everything fascinate and amuse me to no end.
I've always perceived G'Raha as the personification of how we must have felt as children. Reading stories of all these folk heroes, these epics and myths of people performing amazing feats. Even as he lived for a century protecting the Crystarium and having to be responsible, he never lost that childlike drive to go on an adventure with an idol of his. Our insistence that he not throw his life away and actually indulge that inner child is something that really resonated with me. It's like he's us, how we were as kids playing the older FF games or even just something like Kingdom Hearts. We imagine ourselves being in these fantasy worlds, how we would act with these characters. And ultimately G'Raha gets to live out that dream. Great character. And he is incredibly humble too, even though he is so competent. As the Tower of Zot is collapsing and everyone is panicking, G'Raha is the one who thinks very quickly, levitating EVERYONE to the shore only at the cost of exhaustion. That's all of the main Scions plus a ton of the elephant people. In a split second he was able to pull that off.
G'raha is also like the best friend you need when you ever fall into that doom an gloom of dark depression. He is that comfort you need, even when things feel difficult just hearing him talk about something or just to cheer you up with his antics just seem to work in getting a smile out of you.
I love that he has a leading role in the Aglaia raids :) Cant wait for 6.3 ^.^ It would be great if we could call him "Raha" in dialog options, too, since it would only confirm what the writers already established: that we are close as family. I never drew the parallel with Hythlodeus, though... and now I cant "undraw" it: its strikingly obvious :)
Emet-Selch is my favorite character, but I was PISSED when he shot my cat. Our Raha is the most wholesome, adorable thing on the planet and powerful to boot. Even Elidibus made the comment that his soul was surprisingly dense. If he and WoL were to ever spar, I don't know who could come out on top (not that we would ever do that to our best boi)
I always figured that at this stage G'raha was so insecure about himself, he didn't believe he could ever be good enough to by your ally during the section where he fakes being evil. To me it came across as, if he is to be remembered in association to the WoL, it would be as a villain. And that was pretty heartbreaking to me, at least how I took it. The twist took me for the biggest surprise, I didn't know it was G'raha and I still had this inkling that nah he wouldn't do this based on what we went through. Of course just like you mentioned he wanted to lessen the loss for when he died. But it just seemed a pity that in his seeking to be written with the WoL...he accepted being a villain just for a second, that's how little he felt among them. And perhaps...maybe he did feel guilty for all the hell he put the WoL through and felt that in some ways he was a 'villain'. I just love this catboi, and would do anything for more interactions with him in future patches!
He is one of the best characters I have ever seen tbh. Just a from start to finish (and beyond) very well thought out character. He transcends and transports so many thoughts and cliches, without being too much. It makes him relatable and down to earth. Lovely Graha indeed. That's one thing I love about FFXIV's characters, we often get to see how they feel and think. Their thought processes even. How selfless they are. With Graha we can see that especially well. He isn't just a guy with wisdom and epicness, but we see more personal traits beneath it which make him more complete. He wants to experience, adventures and an eternity at our side.
I remember falling for G'raha way back when CT first released in ARR. Well... falling for him by the end. He annoyed me at first. lol But I was very sad that he just went to sleep in the end and that was the last we heard of him. I assumed, since it was a raid, we wouldn't see more of him, that it would be a stand alone story. And I was really upset by that. Cue Shadowbringers trailer 6 years later and I still remember how happy I was. I was one of the only people in my friend group who even remembered the character(since CT wasn't even a requirement at that point), so it was just funny how excited I was over it vs them. He just always stuck with me. So glad he's grown into the role he has and so glad they don't just leave stories hanging in this game.
Also... HE IS VOICED BY ANTONY FROM BRIDGERTON!!!!! his voice acting is incredible and just adds to the tragedy and charm of the character. ( And also if you're like me and ship him and WOL it makes you simp even harder )
G'waha my beloved. I joke, but he is my favourite character in the entire game. The voice direction, writing, his story, his adorable nervous fumbles... I mean, how could anyone not like him?
G'raha is the best bro ever. Not a little bro, either. He's done far too much incredible good, and suffered far too greatly to ever be diminished in such a way -- even if he's sometimes played that way a bit in the story. I very much enjoyed your take on my favorite fellow, for sure!
I think of the Scions as more then just a group of comrades in ideals and arms, but as a family and G'raha falls into that energetic little brother role always looking up to his older siblings, and love his fanboy moments cuase you can see past the exterior and into his inner most desires at those moments.
I think G'raha's selflessness coupled with his openness are what is awesome about him. I would say all the other scions are also selfless, but they try to hide who they are, what they love, etc or, in the case of Ali and Alphi, just don't have the maturity or self-awareness that he does. People tend to bash Urianger and claim he is secretive, but I don't feel I know that much about Y'shtola (I'm hoping 7.0 will focus more on her). Because of this we really get to know G'raha whether it be through his nervous mannerisms, shyness, or just how smart he is. He is also given some of the best lines from a philosophical stand point - his lines in Ultima Thule are a lesson any of us could learn about moving forward in life whether it be past a goal we did/didn't reach or even accepting how we as people may have changed mentally or physically over time.
A man who has lived his life gazing into the past is thrown into the future and thanks to the help of a close “friend” he can now live in the present. A very well crafted character. Also Wouldn’t that mean that G’raha is part Hyur ?
@@StoutHelm While it does make sense, I'm very sad it's not true because Hythlodeus was sacrificed to become part of Zodiark. He was never split like Azem and the other Ascians/Ancients.
Thanks for making this wonderful video! I love G'raha for how relatable he is, the self doubt and humility but managing to do what he needs to and make tough choices for the sake of others. I think my WoL would idolize his kindness and leadership as much a he idolizes the WoL's heroics and head nodding. I think he and Alisae both show the most genuine love/ concern for the WoL and interestingly enough are both color coded "red" a color that represents passion. I think the creators knew exactly what they were doing and I love them for it. Please make more videos like these, perhaps if the other scions? But if you were only to make one, I'm so glad you chose the catboi! Thanks again!
I will say… G’raha is VERY powerful, yes. But most of his power on the first came from the tower, and he says as much if you take the time to chat with him in-between msq quests. He says at one point that he had forgotten how hungry using magic made him since he had gotten so accustomed to using the towers endless reservoirs of magic. Which is why his body slowly, partially turned into crystal over the 100 years he spent there. So the power we see G’raha use in Endwalker is his own, and it does have its limits. As we saw when he passed out after using the levitation spell to save the victims and the scions from the Tower of Zot disappearing. He’s 100% mortal now, and his magic does come with its limits. The barrier he would erect around the Crystarium was mostly the towers magic, for example. It wasn’t his own. He simply used his body as a catalyst, a conduit of sorts. Also, in FF14 we don’t say “I love you” we say “Promise me you’ll take me on your next adventure. A journey. Together. That’s all I ask.” 🥰
Very good video!! Raha is the best husband :D I do believe the reason that Krile shortens his name though is because close friends to keeper of the sun miqotes just call them their name without their clan letter. As such as I do believe yshtola calls her sister mhitra and not ymhitra
As others have likely said. 'Raha' isn't a nickname. it's just his name without his tribes letter, and referring to a Seeker in such a manner is reserved ONLY for family and the closest of friends. Anyone else, and it's likely to get you your ass kicked in short order as it's actually rather disrespectful of a stranger to do. and apart from the reasons list in the video, i LOVE the irony. He's dreamed of being a hero, but is wholly ignorant of the fact the he's probably one of the greatest heroes we have still walking among us. We where only really able to save the First because of him, not just him pulling us over, but just everything he did to keep the Crystarium up and running and defended before we arrived to start doing our thing. as for the more 'simp' side of his nature. people how hate on him for this do not understand one thing. by the time this side of him comes out, his mission is completed, and the weight from carrying the hope of a doomed future into the past to make sure that time line never comes to pass, is lifted, and he is free to be 'him' again. it should as be noted that only two of the sacrifices in Ultima Thule actually hurt. the Twins, and G'Raha, as I kind figured out what was going on and was 'oh well, this is happening now ...' but 'G'Raha's 'take me on the next adventure' speech just broke me.
I was so happy that Graha returned because the Crystal Tower raids are some of my favorite raids, and that moment of reveal I audibly shouted "I Knew it!"
I adore that it eventually gets stated that the reason G'raha learned to do any role Tank/Heal/DPS is specifically so he can complement the WoL's wild-card status.
This video was well worth the wait! Great job! I think of all the support characters in FFXIV, Raha has the best arc. I loved seeing him grow, but still remain humble and human. Side note: based on the naming conventions of the Miqo’te tribes, the first letter represents the tribe they are from followed by their given name. No one ever drops the first letter of a Miqo’te unless you are family or VERY close, intimate friends.
Wonderful video on one of my favorite characters. I love this old man boy. He's got this funny duality of being both this incredible hero and unsure fanboy, which I very much enjoy, but I can see why others wouldn't. He knows what it's like to carry the hope of the entire world on his shoulders, which makes him a kindred spirit in my eyes. I would take him with me everywhere if I could.
me, im that player who has a raha as a secondary main. I have everything done on him (even done savages) and have a crown too. lmao. I made him because it makes me happy, and honestly best boi.
This is the first video I've watched from you, and I absolutely loved it! G'raha Tia is one of my favorite characters, and you just reminded me of all the reasons I love him so much. He really is the ultimate fanboy. Now I've got to check out your other video essays too!
as soon as i started shadowbringer it made me happy that he was brought him back, he was a character that i really liked and was sad when he was sealed into crystal tower.
There are many many moments in ff14 that roused emotions withing me, joy and laughter, anger, fear and sadness... But when I played the game with my friends for the first time, there was only one point in the msq at which we HAD to take a break, after patch 5.3. We were crying too much to continue playing. Returning to that part alongside a friend who started playing after us and I cried just as much, muting myself on discord for a bit. Endwalker certainly had deeper themes and thesis then Shadowbringer and is arguably better in many aspects, but Shadowbringer and the 5.1-5.3 patches are the bit of FFXIV that touched me the most. Close in the distance came close for sure and was certainly an unforgettable moment and experience to go through, but again, G'raha's action and words were a big part of it. Doesn't help that the man just can't get rid of his imposter syndrom and will constantly downplay his achievement and importance as justification for sacrificing himself for others.
My best friend and I have this thing we do, where when we experience a piece of media, game, movie, ect, anything at all, we find a favorite character. I didn't particularly feel connected to any of them, until I got to those raids. To me, he was this cocky dork who just wanted to fight alongside us, but was never able to. When he sealed himself away, I did what I always do and go look for fanfics. Then got spoiled to high heaven for shadowbringers lol. But since then, I like to think that he's, in a way, the best friend we all want to have, and I'll say it once and I'll say it again. Raha is my catboi, and he will forever be my catboi.
G'raha is absolutely one of my favorite characters for a multitude of reasons. But I'll admit and say he definitely made me cry more times than any other character in the game. Especially when he joins the Scions, because you *know* that it was his dream to come with you, and you finally get to see him fulfill that dream. And it seems like he'll continue to be fulfilling that dream with us in Dawntrail... right after he gets a delicious taco. Also, I just knew it was him the entire time as the Exarch. Even when he didn't acknowledge his name when you got the option to call him it the first time round, I knew it was him. He is incredibly bad at hiding himself even when he's being a benevolent leader.
When shadowbringers ended , i loved it , but i also realised that G'raha was stuck in a different timeline than ours and that he couldn't come back to the source.. and then the next patch came and started teasing things , untill THAT patch and those scenes. SATISFACTION LEVEL :100%
G'raha is literally the reason I even continued playing FFXIV. I started playing 6 years ago during Stormblood's launch, when the Crystal Tower raids were still optional, but I was so overwhelmed and burnt out from everything by the time I finished ARR's main story, that I was planning to quit for good. But then, I decided to do the CT quests on a whim. After meeting Raha, learning about his ties to the Tower, and watching him seal himself away in hopes of waking to a brighter future built upon our legacy, gave me the strength to keep playing. I even started paying more attention to MSQ (at the time I wasn't too interested in it, only focused on catching up with friends) because I'd hoped we'd get a reference to Raha and CT. Sure enough, 2 years later we get Shadowbringers, and my wish comes true in the best way possible. I absolutely adore this game now, and it wouldn't be possible if not for this lovable dorky catboy. I can't wait to see what future adventures await us in Dawntrail.
your warrior of light is so awesome! also love that you mention graha's hand anxious wringing. when your WoL is talking to Ardbert and the light in you is cracking, graha does the hand wringing when he knocks on your door!
Just a slight note about G'raha's nickname as Raha. In Seeker culture, Miqo'tes are given a name, their tribal letter is prefixed to it, with their father's name becoming their last name. For example G'raha Tia = Raha, son of Tia of the G tribe. Y'shtola Rhul = Shtola, daughter of Rhul of the Y tribe. Calling them Raha or Shtola is reserved *only* for very close friends, or family and it is considered offensive to use that shortened name if you're not dear to them. Great vid btw, just wanted to add a bit more context for suncat names
Great character study. Absolutely loved the video. I am a new player who just completed ffxiv main story and G'raha is my favorite character. I hope I get to see more of him.
One thing I never truly realized till sometime after Endwalker. If you go by the rules of memory copying from the game Soma, there's a 50/50 you continue your consciousness as that memory or are stuck in your body. So when G'raha turns into pure crystal, it's not "oh he's fine, he's a memory now", a part of him never got to continue have the next adventure with the WOL and had to die, contempt with his actions. Once I realized that, I couldn't help but feel even more attached to gim
Graha is my favorite character of the Scions and absolute husbando, anytime he joins the story makes it even better. If I ever get a chance to use him in my party during duty support or Trusts, he's always there, it amazes me how fast he grew on me after his reveal of being the Exarch, I legit never got that's who it was and then adventuring with him afterwards into Endwalker he quickly became my absolute favorite. I think it just helps that with the writing he can literally be anything you like, your love interest, best friend, just a friend....whatever he's just that well written. Best boy, no questions asked.
theres something people miss about the lyrics for Shadowbringers, "two toned echoes tumbling through time" those two echoes are you and G'raha, he would be the light, you the shadow because you are the Warrior of Darkness.
It's funny that after Shadowbringers G'raha acts all simpy and naive. But if you pay attention there are moments in Endwalker where things start getting serious and all of a sudden the Exarch shows up, starts telling everybody what to do then quietly disappears once things have been resolved. He's also, by far, the most powerful of the Scions, despite not behaving as if he is. Honestly, I think the doubting, hesitant, behavior is an act to keep people comfortable around him and allow him to enjoy adventures with his friends. But he's still the Exarch. The man who arrived in a broken world and forged a city-state, defended it, ruled it, educated and inspired it's people for over a century.
I love Raha so much, he's who I'm going to be for Halloween this year. He's just so goofy and adorable but also tough. If I could make any fictional character real, I'd choose him. 😊
I cannot put into words why I like him. Well, I don't like him. I'm absolutely in love with him! He's shy but brave, vocal yet humble, reckless but self-assured. And I've personally made the Hythlodaeus connection, too. My head canon is G'raha is a timey-wimey Hyth shard/reincarnation.
Great video! G’raha is a wonderful character and a testament to the great storytelling behind ff14. All the characters are amazing, but my WOL will only have G’raha babies.
i hadn't really thought much of g'raha before shadowbringers, but i think i started having more interest in him once i had started figuring out he was the guy underneath the hood lol but i think what really cemented him as my favorite character was the speech before the vauthry fight where he's like "i wanna go on an adventure with this unnamed character" because its so obvious its the wol but it's also a really sweet aspiration (i would go on an adventure with him) i wish there was a sidequest post ew where we could fulfill the promise we made for him at ultima thule :(
I didn't expect to cry at 3 times watching this video like doing the MSQ. G'raha is so powerful and precious. I hope WoL can take him to Corvos in a future expansion. It'd be bittersweet to finally say goodbye as G'raha would become another great leader. 👋😭✨😿👑
G'raha first grabbed my attention when I saw how his color scheme contrast my character's. My character mostly having blue hair along with blue clothes. So I payed attention to his part during arr. I thought as others did when playing ffxiv arr, his story was over. When that part was done and i moved on to shadowbringers as well as post SHB, I saw him as a brother like figure to my character and cared for him as such ever since.
I love how when he asks you to promise, he already committed his memories to the crystal, meaning he knew he wanted to ask, but the raha who wakes up does not know if it was actually asked, or what the answer was.
Naturally he is the best ally since he's an all rounder, can dps heal or tank in any trust! Only venat being the other who can do that so that's some admirable comparison.
G'raha is arguably best boi ever :3 tho i will disagree with you on one point: the WoL is not really a blank canvas. Throughout the game, we have been given bits and pieces of their personality and feelings towards things going on, and as the story has progressed, these become more and more pronounced. imo, the WoL is one of the best silent protagonists in gaming because of this. There's enough room for you to ofc, draw your own ideas and conclusions about them, but at the same time they have their own personality. They EXIST in this world alongside everyone else, with the only true input we have is their race, gender, jobs, etc, and the few choices we can make in game. now i'm not saying that this means your own headcanons for the WoL is invalid, not at all! But Ishikawa has been writing them with a personality in mind, and that's why the interactions between them and the Scions, along with others around them has grown so much. i write fanfiction for my WoL (I'shevi) and i have no right to argue about others headcanons xD but to say they're a blank slate, imo, is just not true. still tho, this is a great video and i love your content!
There is a broad brushstrokes personality there that fits the standard hero. But many players take that much further in developing their own headcanons which I think is great!
@@StoutHelm as do i! but i feel its a disservice to ignore what we've been given too. The WoL is not a perfect person. They make mistakes, get reckless, and have often shown their anger at certain situations (both Thancred and Alphinaud have stopped them from lashing out) and in Ultima Thule, the loss of their comrades clearly takes a toll on them, to the point where they almost give in. But this is why I love the WoL as a silent protagonist, and one i think deserves a bit more looking into.
What I love about G'raha Tia is how he's the "other" type of hero to our typical video game hero. Video game heroes are often super powerful in the more applicable arts (ie: combat). There are big limitations to this, however. For example: we, the players, may know how to fight evil in combat, but in non-combat arenas what do we do? We're just normal people trying to figure out how to, say, find a peaceful solution to the Hatfield-McCoy feud. What do we do with a tower that has equal potential to bring unimaginable prosperity to the world a second time, and destroy it a second time? It's easy for Cid and G'raha to determine that mankind is not yet ready to use the Crystal Tower responsibly, but then what? What can the WoL do about it? In this case, strength of arms means nothing. G'raha stepped up and did something that, IMO, is much more heroic than fighting against an insanely powerful evil or even a quick and sudden self-sacrifice: he gave himself up to the unknown. He went to sleep within the Crystal Tower knowing full well he might never wake up, knowing that if he did he would likely have outlived everyone he's ever known, all so that Selina's dream might become a reality, that all those people who hoped for the Tower to have a positive effect on the world again would see that wish fulfilled. He didn't plan to build and run the Crystarium, but when the people of the First needed hope, he stepped up and lead them to hope, despite that not being his mission. When the people of Razt-at-Han were panicking and becoming blasphamies, he didn't act like a hero, he stepped up and did what he had to do, BECOMING a hero rather than ACTING like one. G'raha described our legend to Urianger as, "Where others would stumble and fall, [they] would rise to the occasion. Where others broke rank and ran, the Warrior of Light would continue forward." Such is easy for us, the player, because we're not in actual danger, but for those times when it's things OTHER than a sword arm that will save the world, what can we do? "The Walk" section of Endwalker was, IMO, a brilliant touch because, for the first time, we were all alone, with the weight of, literally, all life in the multiverse on our heads, and we had just experienced severe loss far greater than with Haurchefant and Papalymo. We, the player, had to find the strength to move forward because we had no choice. For the first time, we had to find our own inner strength in a non-roleplaying fashion. This made us, the player, into heroes in a small way. Another example is when you're presented with "that choice" at the end of Nier: Automata, that shows how much of a hero you the player, and not as a gamer roleplaying a hero, can be to others. And to me, that's what G'raha Tia is: despite his uncertainties and, as Krile put it, his "boyish insecurities", he always rose up when he was needed, and that's a hero, one who does what he needs to do in spite of his fears.
Lets put it this way... I love G'raha so much as a character and a friend to my female WoL that, in my head cannon, returns those "romantic" notes that you touched upon. If romances are ever introduced to the game (which they wont) it will be G'raha that my WoL goes with...
G'raha: *Breathes*
Community: "This is our husband."
The best part is that his English VA, Jonathan Bailey, took the role shortly before finding fame in the Bridgerton series. I was worried that he wouldn't be able to come back to do G'raha in future expansions because you know, career advancement and all that.
But Bailey himself has said that he wants to continue doing G'raha as long as he can because the writing is so good for him. He called it "Almost Shakespearian".
So he kept doing the voice lines during the day while doing 8 shows a night as part of a theater company to the point where his tongue became enflamed from all the work.
TL;DR: G'raha is such a well-written character, he inspires loyalty even from the people who play him. :)
I saw that video! Bailey is a treasure.
Wow, could you link the video? I would love to see it!
G'raha is literally a shippers dream. He can either be your best friend, love interest, or best boi.
He is intelligent.
He is powerful.
A lovable dork.
A short King.
What I love most about G'raha is how he is so obviously the hero of the First. He is everything he attributes to the Warrior of Light and more. He took this desperate longshot plan to save the world knowing it would take many, many decades for him to maybe accomplish and applied himself fully to this task without question, mirroring Emet Selch. He does all of this and still thinks he owes you an apology. He doesn't owe anyone anything. Everyone on the First and everyone on the Source owe a great debt of gratitude to him instead. By the end of all of this the thing that brings him to tears is someone acknowledging him as himself again after over 100 years. For 100 years this man has been nothing but his mission and in that moment he is a person again. He years to stand tall like the heroes of eld, when he already does, enough time just needs to pass for him to enter history.
The greatest heroes are the ones who do heroic deeds, yet don't think of themselves as a hero.
I definitely view G'raha as a hero even more than the WoL. I feel the WoL is a leader more than a hero up until the end of this story arc. Good leaders don't need to be strong or have any type of magical or fighting ability since they inspire others to keep working towards a common goal.
Lyna's last conversation with G'raha really showed that, when she responded to him like "bitch YOU are the example for us all, **you** are the one that lead us through the million issues we've had to deal with"
_"To sow the seeds of trees we may never live to know the shade of."_ Man _embodies_ that quote.
He doesn't give himself enough credit. You are his idol and role model, but he has become a hero in his own right. More than worthy of being at your side.
My favorite Raha scene remains his 15-second villain arc before Emet shoots him in the back. The goofy implication that he remains the kid we met in ARR and thinks of everything as a grand story, that for one minute he could be the WoL’s villain is so absurd and precious. This will keep him in my heart forever, everything after is just the frosting on top. Best fanboy, S tier.
Emet: maaan shut yo ass up shoots graha
Made even better that even his big villain moment is everything but villainous
"Hah! I manipulated you into giving me what I need to travel around the worlds... what do you mean this sounds harmless? I'm very evil right now!"
Boy's only idea for being evil is doing something for himself without harming anyone else
You can literally hear the pain it's causing him to try and deceive someone he so fervently looks up to even as he's trying to go through with it. Which then gets capped off by Ryne just "this shit doesn't make sense hol up", and Emet-Selch punctuating the moment.
@@JFirecrackerit's a "lol" moment among the tension 😅
Also cements that he is just horrible at lying. 😅
We love him because he's like that stray kitten you bring into your house who is very cuddly and loves head pats.
Definitely!
The real reason the Exarch wears a hood: Raha could never act evil with a straight face; his cinnamonrollness would always show through. Also his ears were probably flapping excitedly under the hood the whole time and his tail was doing that swishy swish thing like in 6.1
Remember if Graha did not do what he did the Warrior of Light would have died, no ifs no buts, died to black rose.
Which does make me wonder if, in that timeline, Zeon did not get his body back from Elidibus, and therefore did not kill Emperor Zaris to stop the release of Black Rose.
We still did in the bad timeline... or something. but a different us now I guess? I hate temporal mechanics!
@@kathykemmish4229 Zeon zum deikun was assassinated so the Zabis could take over.... I think you meant Zenos, and Varis.
Yeah even if we werent at the site of the attack, we learn that the black rose triggered a chain reaction causing its effects to spread thru most of the world
we'd try to help, its our nature, and die to this chain reaction.
Raha, so utterly sweet and kind and nice and delightful that the moment he tried to play the villain everyone was just "We dont believe you."
Including Emet-Selch
*Slams X to doubt* XD
"G'raha downgraded after 5.3" To sum up very poorly, this bro agreed to give up everything a tower on a theory that he could cross time and space to avert an apocalypse, wakes up in another apocalypse, builds a sanctuary, averts 2 apocalypses all while turning into a damn popsicle. Man, I'll be in a good mood if I wake up after a full 8 and my bones don't hurt. Bro got a literal second chance at life and he ain't wasting it for a second. I respect the hell out of that.
he upgraded, especially as far as he's concerned. he ditched his boring desk job for adventuring with his role model and hero!
I think the best scene with 'Raha is in the post-EW content, when you come to ask him if he'll go explore some ruins with you, and he is Literally Vibrating from ears to tail-tip because he really really wants to go, but has all this work to do, and Krile just rolls her eyes and tells him to go, and the sheer look of Absolute Joy on his face because not only is it going to be New Discovery from the Past, he's going to be going there with his BEST FRIEND! 😀
Im in love with that but at the same time, We are in patch .4 and I would love more voices scenes with him, he is almost absolutelly absent from the main story :(
@Lekn Takfs while it isn't voiced. If you have yet, I HIGHLY suggest going to the Baldesion Annex main hall and hang around if there's a familiar face in there. If not, keep loading the instance till there is
@@matthewandriaccio8961 That sounds like something I need to do right now out of curiosity, do you mean the inn or the closed instance of the inn where krile usually is?
I remember that. G'raha was the first one I asked because _how the hell couldn't I_ after that wish he told us in Endbringer?!
Leaving him behind to go to Tural physically hurt, you could tell he wanted to go with you so bad
G'raha is a great character because he is all too "human" for lack of a better term. He has wants, desires, fears, anxiety, and Trauma. He feel relatable to the players because he wears it all on his sleeve and he's well written enough that the characters around him can sense his flawed acts but also see the pure heart behind his intentions. So they go along with it anyway. He has such a force of character that he isn't even aware of because he is constantly comparing himself to the living legends he surrounds himself with.
The man was the savior of the first and the source. Through his actions were both worlds spared. He didn't summon the scions and sit idle waiting for them to hand him salvation. He stood, fought, cried, and bled every step of the way.
Let it be known that when the worlds needed a savior the most G'raha stood and was not found wanting.
Not just that but people can relate to his wish so dearly. It's the reason we play this game after all.
I think my favorite G'raha moment was during the blasphemies invading Radz-at-Han and he slips back into the Crystal Exarch, calm and level headed, commanding and reassuring that they will see tomorrow. It gave me chills and all I could do was try to not fangirl so much!
Me:yeses that our boi
Bf in discord: what?????? Him 10 seconds later oh...
A slight correction. Krile and the WoL calling him Raha, isn't a nickname, it's just his name without the Tribal letter attached. G'raha just means Raha from the Gryphon Tribe. Saying a Seeker Miqo'te's name without the tribal letter show a level of closeness between the characters. As stated Matoya does the same with Y'shtola, and Lyse with M'naago.
It should also be noted that we've encountered Miqo'te with the same first names before. In addition to G'raha there is also H'raha Tia, from the Heavensward Monk quests. And there are T'kebbe Morh, the Miquitten in Idyllshire, Khloe's friend, and V'kebbe, the Miqo'te from the Rogues guild.
Pinning for accuracy, thank you for the clarification on this!
While technically correct, it being seen as a nickname is socially correct as their "cultural" name would be to use their tribal + name (which is interesting as it's kinda like calling them by their first and last name all the time).
"nickname, also called sobriquet, an informal name used to replace a formal one". Formal names include the tribal, while "informal" would be their actual name (cultural).
My point is, nickname is still accurate, if it wants to be used.
@@delsingray5923 Calling the names formal and informal is probably a better analysis, since using the term "nickname" might not be inaccurate, but it conjures up different imagery. Another good similarity is to the Japanese custom of honorifics. Usually you call someone with one attached, like the tribal letter, but if you are really close to someone you don't need it, sans tribal letter. Plus if G'raha ever has kids, their last name will just be Raha.
I hadn't considered the parallels with Hythlodaeus. It's worth noting that they are both presented as archers when you first meet them, and as the Exarch it could be argued that G'raha IS an architect (both in the literal sense with the city, and the figurative sense with the society therein). His leadership moment in Radz-at-Han remains one of my favorites, and it tears me up every time watching him overcome his own impostor syndrome to be a leader.
Another great point about the archery!
The moments where you can see him pull on his past life as the Exarch and step up are great.
I LOVE that scene. It's one of my ABSOLUTE FAVOURITES because you get to see Raha be absolutely badass and reminds you that he's not just a dorky precious bean (which he still is, lol).
I def noticed parallels between G'raha and Hythlodaeus. The ultimate good friend and wingman and would do anything for their friends. I love Hyth just as much as I love G'raha. They are the bestest bois
Gonna ride with these parallels and make g’raha a reincarnation of hythlodaeus.
I like how you more clearly explained why I love Raha than my usual line of "I love a highly competent man who respects my opinion enough to get flustered when I point out at all that he's competent"
I think we all need a friend like Raha in our lives.
Or several!
Raha the friend everyone needs.
@Lyu but no one deserves
Strive to be the Raha in someone's life.
I have never felt so protective of a character in a game as much as I for Graha.
When I finished Heavenward, I cried in my fiance's arms because of the scene where you save Estinein. I fell hopelessly in love with Haurchefant and my fiance knew that. He told me "There's someone in ShadowBringers you'll simp for even more." I did not believe him. Cue that hood being pushed back and all you hear from me is "WHAT!?!?!?!?!?!" I fell in love with G'Raha in the Crystal Tower Quests before he even hit the ground after jumping off the platform. After all those cutscenes ended in SB I asked my fiance "Was that G'Raha?" and he said "Yes, and he's been waiting for you here this whole time." G'Raha is the best ally and friend we could ever hope for! Even though there are romantic tones to him it's never forceful! You can perceive it as he cares deeply for the WOL or he is in love with WOL. I love you G'Raha and I'm so happy to have you in my life.
What makes the connection between the WoL and Haurchefant and G'raha so powerful is that any romantic subtext we perceive is less important than the bond of friendship and common ideals they share with the WoL. They don't just admire the WoL, they want to share in the adventure and that is the most "romantic" premise of all.
When you said you cried in your Fiance's arms, my first thought was "Me too! I totally cried in Aymeric's arms too!"
Your story is inexplicably making me tear up. You and your fiancé are awesome.
Especially if you are playing a cat as well
Yep. When I saw him in the CT quests, I was newly level 50 and had just finished ARR. l hadn’t really felt a connection to any of the NPCs yet, but I did the moment I saw him. I was like “Oh, here’s my boyfriend!” 😂
What i like most about G'raha is that even though he was bullied for his eyes. He still turned out so kind and he was willinling to do everything in his power to save the people of the First. His so geninue i would do anything for him
As he would do for us!
G'raha cemented himself as my favorite character when I played through ShB, and that's because he was just so well written, like the video pointed out. He feels genuine, and that's something you don't see too much in support characters. He feels like he would be the best friend you ever had.
it also helps that he never really gets over his nervousness talking to you. back in ARR, although you were a hero, you weren't a LEGEND. But once he lost the hood, his facade around you falls and he just becomes this adorable nervous mess, and i love how when you say 'G'raha, really.' his ears just perk straight up. He loves hearing his name being spoken by you, and his wish to just to simply adventure with you is not unlike Alisaie and Alphinaud's wish to be by your side as well. I hope in the next expansion, the three of them are with us.
One thing not mentioned in the video is also that he is now focused on new goal in life aside from going on adventures with the WoL. His work with Students of Baldesion is his way of finding his own path in life after going to the edge of the universe with us. In the same dialogue at the end of EW he also cements us becoming his friend more than an idol. He tells us he doesn’t just want to be mentioned in a book about us, but just wants to be with us for us not for our hero status.
Even when summing up Shadowbringers in a few choice sentences.... I still teared up when G'raha joined in your video. 😭
It's a great moment, lots of payoff for everything you've been through.
@@StoutHelm when i started this journey, the crystal tower raids were optional. A friend twisted my arm and dragged me through them and i skipped every scene. (i regret that heavily)
When the Shadowbringers patch notes came to this conclusion and i learned that self same friend hadn't been keeping up, i told them, without spoilers, that this was the conclusion to the crystal tower raids that they loved so much.
"You made me start this journey and it's wrong that i finished it before you. So grab a bottle of water, you Fking gremlin, sit your ass down, buckle up and get ready for some absolute feels because that's what this entire expansion has done to us."
Your videos are amazing, and i love watching them. I love the theories and the facts. My friends and i always find ourselves mulling over lots of it.
My only hope for this franchise, if it ever ends, that it ends with us going back to Elysium one more time, further back than the first time, and sitting down with Azem to tell them our tale.
That's how this story should end if it ever does
@@Hyperfling The perfect ending you have there, couldn't agree more. Lovely.
I have NEVER cried so hard at a video game as when he gave us that thumbs up on the Source and I realised we'd saved him. That's when I knew this game had me 😂
I originally called G'raha "The Snarky Catboy" as I had seen fanart of him from his ARR roots up to Shadowbringers art when I finally saw him in the Crystal Tower series when I had started. I thought he was adorable, albeit a *tiny* bit snarky with how much he wanted to play tricks on the WoL, but I ultimately am a sucker for the self sacrifice trope that he pulls at the end of that raid set. He tried *so hard* to see the WoL succeed in Shadowbringers, wanting his sacrifice to actually hold this time around so the WoL could live [hopefully?] yet Emet decides "Nah, I'm gonna let your hero become a monster, :)".
His growth from the end of Shadowbringers to the end of 5.3 was quite a bit, as he finally realizes that the WoL, his hero, his IDOL, genuinely cares for him. A lot of people dismiss him as the patch content of 5.4 up until Endwalker and the post-patch of Endwalker make him seem like "just a fanboy" are completely underplaying that he is an absolute BEAST in terms of Aetheric density. Not counting our own WoL, he and Venat are the ONLY two people we know of that can become three jobs. Don't dismiss him just because he's excited to meet people he's read about!
To be fair, I fell for him again during the scene of the Final Days in Radz-at-han, it was so cool to see him taking up the leadership mantle and you can tell that he knew he had to do this, he had to step up and be the hero, the hero that the folks needed then. His sacrifice during Ultima Thule was absolutely heartbreaking... it doesn't help that his sacrifice is what brings in the vocals to the soundtrack, which i want to believe is a callback to his roots - a bard [please, square, let him sing.].
I do hope we get to have more adventures with him, maybe take him to that new Eureka we're getting :D!
The difference realising his destiny then the events really shaped G'raha
Was he a Bard? I thought he was just an archer. He might've been a bard if he wasn't a researcher.
I just... I love him so much, he makes my bunch of pixels feel so real, and appreciated.
G'raha's character is a reimagining of Desh from Final Fantasy III (much like Unei and Doga.) That character's arc has a similar trajectory - a buried memory about an ancestor's will, locking himself in a tower for a period of time to fix it (and disappearing from the game), only to return unexpectedly to help save the main party at a later point in the game. It's why he gets Eternal Wind (the FFIII overworld music) as his theme song. What I love about G'raha is that for every sacrifice he willingly makes, he's rewarded with another chance, and he doesn't throw it away but keeps pushing forward.
I fell in love with G’raha on the First, and it only deepened after seeing what a huge goofball he is. I would take him everywhere with me if only the Devs would allow it. His little insights into everything fascinate and amuse me to no end.
I've always perceived G'Raha as the personification of how we must have felt as children. Reading stories of all these folk heroes, these epics and myths of people performing amazing feats. Even as he lived for a century protecting the Crystarium and having to be responsible, he never lost that childlike drive to go on an adventure with an idol of his. Our insistence that he not throw his life away and actually indulge that inner child is something that really resonated with me. It's like he's us, how we were as kids playing the older FF games or even just something like Kingdom Hearts. We imagine ourselves being in these fantasy worlds, how we would act with these characters. And ultimately G'Raha gets to live out that dream. Great character.
And he is incredibly humble too, even though he is so competent. As the Tower of Zot is collapsing and everyone is panicking, G'Raha is the one who thinks very quickly, levitating EVERYONE to the shore only at the cost of exhaustion. That's all of the main Scions plus a ton of the elephant people. In a split second he was able to pull that off.
G'raha is also like the best friend you need when you ever fall into that doom an gloom of dark depression. He is that comfort you need, even when things feel difficult just hearing him talk about something or just to cheer you up with his antics just seem to work in getting a smile out of you.
He's literally a warrior of light, I absolutely love that character!
G'raha is a character who will never know how much love he receives
My favorite Scion. ❤️ He's the best of the best. The Sam to the WoL's Frodo. The ride or die. Love him so much. Great video!
Thank you so much!
I love that he has a leading role in the Aglaia raids :) Cant wait for 6.3 ^.^
It would be great if we could call him "Raha" in dialog options, too, since it would only confirm what the writers already established: that we are close as family. I never drew the parallel with Hythlodeus, though... and now I cant "undraw" it: its strikingly obvious :)
I can see the romantic subtext but I do like that the story leaves it up to interpretation.
Emet-Selch is my favorite character, but I was PISSED when he shot my cat. Our Raha is the most wholesome, adorable thing on the planet and powerful to boot. Even Elidibus made the comment that his soul was surprisingly dense. If he and WoL were to ever spar, I don't know who could come out on top (not that we would ever do that to our best boi)
I always figured that at this stage G'raha was so insecure about himself, he didn't believe he could ever be good enough to by your ally during the section where he fakes being evil. To me it came across as, if he is to be remembered in association to the WoL, it would be as a villain. And that was pretty heartbreaking to me, at least how I took it. The twist took me for the biggest surprise, I didn't know it was G'raha and I still had this inkling that nah he wouldn't do this based on what we went through. Of course just like you mentioned he wanted to lessen the loss for when he died. But it just seemed a pity that in his seeking to be written with the WoL...he accepted being a villain just for a second, that's how little he felt among them. And perhaps...maybe he did feel guilty for all the hell he put the WoL through and felt that in some ways he was a 'villain'. I just love this catboi, and would do anything for more interactions with him in future patches!
This guy had such an impact on me that I still tear up at his emotional scenes lol he's one of those that I deem "must be protected at all costs"
He is one of the best characters I have ever seen tbh. Just a from start to finish (and beyond) very well thought out character. He transcends and transports so many thoughts and cliches, without being too much. It makes him relatable and down to earth. Lovely Graha indeed.
That's one thing I love about FFXIV's characters, we often get to see how they feel and think. Their thought processes even. How selfless they are. With Graha we can see that especially well. He isn't just a guy with wisdom and epicness, but we see more personal traits beneath it which make him more complete. He wants to experience, adventures and an eternity at our side.
I remember falling for G'raha way back when CT first released in ARR. Well... falling for him by the end. He annoyed me at first. lol But I was very sad that he just went to sleep in the end and that was the last we heard of him. I assumed, since it was a raid, we wouldn't see more of him, that it would be a stand alone story. And I was really upset by that. Cue Shadowbringers trailer 6 years later and I still remember how happy I was. I was one of the only people in my friend group who even remembered the character(since CT wasn't even a requirement at that point), so it was just funny how excited I was over it vs them. He just always stuck with me. So glad he's grown into the role he has and so glad they don't just leave stories hanging in this game.
Also... HE IS VOICED BY ANTONY FROM BRIDGERTON!!!!! his voice acting is incredible and just adds to the tragedy and charm of the character. ( And also if you're like me and ship him and WOL it makes you simp even harder )
I pointed out who voices him to my wife, who doesn’t game, and she thought that was so cool!
@@JaskuraLunaris Ooh my gosh. No way !! I love Fruits Basket, that's incredible!
G'waha my beloved.
I joke, but he is my favourite character in the entire game. The voice direction, writing, his story, his adorable nervous fumbles... I mean, how could anyone not like him?
I love G'raha because he is G'raha - he's just being his beautiful self. Favorite character in the entire game!
Great job with this video 😄👍
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!
This was a lot of fun to watch. I'd love to see a vid about Urianger.
Yes! Urianger would be great!
The weird thing is even though he hasn’t been in the story for long. He’s always felt as though he’s been with us throughout the whole game
G'raha is the best bro ever. Not a little bro, either. He's done far too much incredible good, and suffered far too greatly to ever be diminished in such a way -- even if he's sometimes played that way a bit in the story. I very much enjoyed your take on my favorite fellow, for sure!
No doubt. Thank you friend!
I think of the Scions as more then just a group of comrades in ideals and arms, but as a family and G'raha falls into that energetic little brother role always looking up to his older siblings, and love his fanboy moments cuase you can see past the exterior and into his inner most desires at those moments.
I think G'raha's selflessness coupled with his openness are what is awesome about him. I would say all the other scions are also selfless, but they try to hide who they are, what they love, etc or, in the case of Ali and Alphi, just don't have the maturity or self-awareness that he does. People tend to bash Urianger and claim he is secretive, but I don't feel I know that much about Y'shtola (I'm hoping 7.0 will focus more on her).
Because of this we really get to know G'raha whether it be through his nervous mannerisms, shyness, or just how smart he is. He is also given some of the best lines from a philosophical stand point - his lines in Ultima Thule are a lesson any of us could learn about moving forward in life whether it be past a goal we did/didn't reach or even accepting how we as people may have changed mentally or physically over time.
A man who has lived his life gazing into the past is thrown into the future and thanks to the help of a close “friend” he can now live in the present. A very well crafted character.
Also Wouldn’t that mean that G’raha is part Hyur ?
Not quite, his ancestor wasn’t. The princess passed on her DNA through Allagan magic - technology type means.
Allagan blood magic isn't just DNA, so no, he's not part Hyur.
I've never considered the parallel between G'raha and Hythlodeus, but that's really spot on!
I hadn't thought about it until I was writing this script, but it makes quite a bit of sense.
@@StoutHelm While it does make sense, I'm very sad it's not true because Hythlodeus was sacrificed to become part of Zodiark. He was never split like Azem and the other Ascians/Ancients.
Thanks for making this wonderful video! I love G'raha for how relatable he is, the self doubt and humility but managing to do what he needs to and make tough choices for the sake of others. I think my WoL would idolize his kindness and leadership as much a he idolizes the WoL's heroics and head nodding.
I think he and Alisae both show the most genuine love/ concern for the WoL and interestingly enough are both color coded "red" a color that represents passion. I think the creators knew exactly what they were doing and I love them for it.
Please make more videos like these, perhaps if the other scions? But if you were only to make one, I'm so glad you chose the catboi! Thanks again!
I will say… G’raha is VERY powerful, yes. But most of his power on the first came from the tower, and he says as much if you take the time to chat with him in-between msq quests. He says at one point that he had forgotten how hungry using magic made him since he had gotten so accustomed to using the towers endless reservoirs of magic. Which is why his body slowly, partially turned into crystal over the 100 years he spent there. So the power we see G’raha use in Endwalker is his own, and it does have its limits. As we saw when he passed out after using the levitation spell to save the victims and the scions from the Tower of Zot disappearing. He’s 100% mortal now, and his magic does come with its limits.
The barrier he would erect around the Crystarium was mostly the towers magic, for example. It wasn’t his own. He simply used his body as a catalyst, a conduit of sorts.
Also, in FF14 we don’t say “I love you” we say “Promise me you’ll take me on your next adventure. A journey. Together. That’s all I ask.” 🥰
Very good video!! Raha is the best husband :D I do believe the reason that Krile shortens his name though is because close friends to keeper of the sun miqotes just call them their name without their clan letter. As such as I do believe yshtola calls her sister mhitra and not ymhitra
Good point, thank you for clarifying that.
As others have likely said. 'Raha' isn't a nickname. it's just his name without his tribes letter, and referring to a Seeker in such a manner is reserved ONLY for family and the closest of friends. Anyone else, and it's likely to get you your ass kicked in short order as it's actually rather disrespectful of a stranger to do.
and apart from the reasons list in the video, i LOVE the irony. He's dreamed of being a hero, but is wholly ignorant of the fact the he's probably one of the greatest heroes we have still walking among us. We where only really able to save the First because of him, not just him pulling us over, but just everything he did to keep the Crystarium up and running and defended before we arrived to start doing our thing. as for the more 'simp' side of his nature. people how hate on him for this do not understand one thing. by the time this side of him comes out, his mission is completed, and the weight from carrying the hope of a doomed future into the past to make sure that time line never comes to pass, is lifted, and he is free to be 'him' again.
it should as be noted that only two of the sacrifices in Ultima Thule actually hurt. the Twins, and G'Raha, as I kind figured out what was going on and was 'oh well, this is happening now ...' but 'G'Raha's 'take me on the next adventure' speech just broke me.
I was so happy that Graha returned because the Crystal Tower raids are some of my favorite raids, and that moment of reveal I audibly shouted "I Knew it!"
I adore that it eventually gets stated that the reason G'raha learned to do any role Tank/Heal/DPS is specifically so he can complement the WoL's wild-card status.
This video was well worth the wait! Great job!
I think of all the support characters in FFXIV, Raha has the best arc. I loved seeing him grow, but still remain humble and human.
Side note: based on the naming conventions of the Miqo’te tribes, the first letter represents the tribe they are from followed by their given name. No one ever drops the first letter of a Miqo’te unless you are family or VERY close, intimate friends.
Wonderful video on one of my favorite characters. I love this old man boy. He's got this funny duality of being both this incredible hero and unsure fanboy, which I very much enjoy, but I can see why others wouldn't. He knows what it's like to carry the hope of the entire world on his shoulders, which makes him a kindred spirit in my eyes. I would take him with me everywhere if I could.
me, im that player who has a raha as a secondary main. I have everything done on him (even done savages) and have a crown too. lmao. I made him because it makes me happy, and honestly best boi.
This is the first video I've watched from you, and I absolutely loved it! G'raha Tia is one of my favorite characters, and you just reminded me of all the reasons I love him so much. He really is the ultimate fanboy. Now I've got to check out your other video essays too!
as soon as i started shadowbringer it made me happy that he was brought him back, he was a character that i really liked and was sad when he was sealed into crystal tower.
G'raha is a certified good boy
There are many many moments in ff14 that roused emotions withing me, joy and laughter, anger, fear and sadness... But when I played the game with my friends for the first time, there was only one point in the msq at which we HAD to take a break, after patch 5.3. We were crying too much to continue playing.
Returning to that part alongside a friend who started playing after us and I cried just as much, muting myself on discord for a bit. Endwalker certainly had deeper themes and thesis then Shadowbringer and is arguably better in many aspects, but Shadowbringer and the 5.1-5.3 patches are the bit of FFXIV that touched me the most.
Close in the distance came close for sure and was certainly an unforgettable moment and experience to go through, but again, G'raha's action and words were a big part of it. Doesn't help that the man just can't get rid of his imposter syndrom and will constantly downplay his achievement and importance as justification for sacrificing himself for others.
My best friend and I have this thing we do, where when we experience a piece of media, game, movie, ect, anything at all, we find a favorite character. I didn't particularly feel connected to any of them, until I got to those raids. To me, he was this cocky dork who just wanted to fight alongside us, but was never able to. When he sealed himself away, I did what I always do and go look for fanfics. Then got spoiled to high heaven for shadowbringers lol. But since then, I like to think that he's, in a way, the best friend we all want to have, and I'll say it once and I'll say it again. Raha is my catboi, and he will forever be my catboi.
G'raha is absolutely one of my favorite characters for a multitude of reasons. But I'll admit and say he definitely made me cry more times than any other character in the game. Especially when he joins the Scions, because you *know* that it was his dream to come with you, and you finally get to see him fulfill that dream. And it seems like he'll continue to be fulfilling that dream with us in Dawntrail... right after he gets a delicious taco.
Also, I just knew it was him the entire time as the Exarch. Even when he didn't acknowledge his name when you got the option to call him it the first time round, I knew it was him. He is incredibly bad at hiding himself even when he's being a benevolent leader.
When shadowbringers ended , i loved it , but i also realised that G'raha was stuck in a different timeline than ours and that he couldn't come back to the source.. and then the next patch came and started teasing things , untill THAT patch and those scenes. SATISFACTION LEVEL :100%
G'raha is literally the reason I even continued playing FFXIV.
I started playing 6 years ago during Stormblood's launch, when the Crystal Tower raids were still optional, but I was so overwhelmed and burnt out from everything by the time I finished ARR's main story, that I was planning to quit for good. But then, I decided to do the CT quests on a whim. After meeting Raha, learning about his ties to the Tower, and watching him seal himself away in hopes of waking to a brighter future built upon our legacy, gave me the strength to keep playing. I even started paying more attention to MSQ (at the time I wasn't too interested in it, only focused on catching up with friends) because I'd hoped we'd get a reference to Raha and CT.
Sure enough, 2 years later we get Shadowbringers, and my wish comes true in the best way possible. I absolutely adore this game now, and it wouldn't be possible if not for this lovable dorky catboy. I can't wait to see what future adventures await us in Dawntrail.
your warrior of light is so awesome! also love that you mention graha's hand anxious wringing. when your WoL is talking to Ardbert and the light in you is cracking, graha does the hand wringing when he knocks on your door!
Thank you friend! I like my WoL too. Haven’t changed his hair since 2.0, I’m pretty attached.
Great vid! Would love to know more about the parallels with Hythalodeus!
Thank you! And that could be its own video.
Just a slight note about G'raha's nickname as Raha. In Seeker culture, Miqo'tes are given a name, their tribal letter is prefixed to it, with their father's name becoming their last name.
For example G'raha Tia = Raha, son of Tia of the G tribe.
Y'shtola Rhul = Shtola, daughter of Rhul of the Y tribe.
Calling them Raha or Shtola is reserved *only* for very close friends, or family and it is considered offensive to use that shortened name if you're not dear to them. Great vid btw, just wanted to add a bit more context for suncat names
Great character study. Absolutely loved the video. I am a new player who just completed ffxiv main story and G'raha is my favorite character. I hope I get to see more of him.
Thank you homie, I think we will.
One thing I never truly realized till sometime after Endwalker. If you go by the rules of memory copying from the game Soma, there's a 50/50 you continue your consciousness as that memory or are stuck in your body. So when G'raha turns into pure crystal, it's not "oh he's fine, he's a memory now", a part of him never got to continue have the next adventure with the WOL and had to die, contempt with his actions. Once I realized that, I couldn't help but feel even more attached to gim
Graha is my favorite character of the Scions and absolute husbando, anytime he joins the story makes it even better. If I ever get a chance to use him in my party during duty support or Trusts, he's always there, it amazes me how fast he grew on me after his reveal of being the Exarch, I legit never got that's who it was and then adventuring with him afterwards into Endwalker he quickly became my absolute favorite. I think it just helps that with the writing he can literally be anything you like, your love interest, best friend, just a friend....whatever he's just that well written. Best boy, no questions asked.
I'm sad he never picked up the bow again. He'd be a nice variation in DPS Trusts as a BRD/ARC rather than a Black Mage.
theres something people miss about the lyrics for Shadowbringers, "two toned echoes tumbling through time" those two echoes are you and G'raha, he would be the light, you the shadow because you are the Warrior of Darkness.
It's funny that after Shadowbringers G'raha acts all simpy and naive. But if you pay attention there are moments in Endwalker where things start getting serious and all of a sudden the Exarch shows up, starts telling everybody what to do then quietly disappears once things have been resolved. He's also, by far, the most powerful of the Scions, despite not behaving as if he is. Honestly, I think the doubting, hesitant, behavior is an act to keep people comfortable around him and allow him to enjoy adventures with his friends. But he's still the Exarch. The man who arrived in a broken world and forged a city-state, defended it, ruled it, educated and inspired it's people for over a century.
My favorite scene is in Endbringer. At _that_ moment, and then Close in the Distance starts to play, and I've always considered it _his_ theme.
Just wanted to say, incredible video. Excellent job! It's a video worthy of our favorite quirky cat boy.
Thank you friend, glad you enjoyed it!
Chewy really enjoyed the new upload
I love Raha so much, he's who I'm going to be for Halloween this year. He's just so goofy and adorable but also tough. If I could make any fictional character real, I'd choose him. 😊
I cannot put into words why I like him. Well, I don't like him. I'm absolutely in love with him! He's shy but brave, vocal yet humble, reckless but self-assured. And I've personally made the Hythlodaeus connection, too. My head canon is G'raha is a timey-wimey Hyth shard/reincarnation.
Mine too, tbh. There's been quite a bit of time-play. Granted I don't canonically think it's possible but DAMNIT I WANT IT TO BE. >C
g`raha tia it the greates lovely dork that deserves all the love and hugs
Was checking the comments to see if anyone had noted this, blessed
Graha is such a bro! One of my favorite characters in the game.
Great video! G’raha is a wonderful character and a testament to the great storytelling behind ff14. All the characters are amazing, but my WOL will only have G’raha babies.
i hadn't really thought much of g'raha before shadowbringers, but i think i started having more interest in him once i had started figuring out he was the guy underneath the hood lol
but i think what really cemented him as my favorite character was the speech before the vauthry fight where he's like "i wanna go on an adventure with this unnamed character" because its so obvious its the wol but it's also a really sweet aspiration (i would go on an adventure with him)
i wish there was a sidequest post ew where we could fulfill the promise we made for him at ultima thule :(
I like him because how hard he works and never given up what he believes
I didn't expect to cry at 3 times watching this video like doing the MSQ. G'raha is so powerful and precious. I hope WoL can take him to Corvos in a future expansion. It'd be bittersweet to finally say goodbye as G'raha would become another great leader. 👋😭✨😿👑
G'raha first grabbed my attention when I saw how his color scheme contrast my character's. My character mostly having blue hair along with blue clothes. So I payed attention to his part during arr. I thought as others did when playing ffxiv arr, his story was over. When that part was done and i moved on to shadowbringers as well as post SHB, I saw him as a brother like figure to my character and cared for him as such ever since.
I love how when he asks you to promise, he already committed his memories to the crystal, meaning he knew he wanted to ask, but the raha who wakes up does not know if it was actually asked, or what the answer was.
Brilliant video! I would personally love a Uri video, he’s another character that just really touches me x
He is our biggest fan and I'm here for it.
Totally!
Naturally he is the best ally since he's an all rounder, can dps heal or tank in any trust! Only venat being the other who can do that so that's some admirable comparison.
Gosh I love G'raha so much...
Such an amazing character always giving the wol that last push they need
G'raha is arguably best boi ever :3 tho i will disagree with you on one point: the WoL is not really a blank canvas. Throughout the game, we have been given bits and pieces of their personality and feelings towards things going on, and as the story has progressed, these become more and more pronounced. imo, the WoL is one of the best silent protagonists in gaming because of this. There's enough room for you to ofc, draw your own ideas and conclusions about them, but at the same time they have their own personality. They EXIST in this world alongside everyone else, with the only true input we have is their race, gender, jobs, etc, and the few choices we can make in game.
now i'm not saying that this means your own headcanons for the WoL is invalid, not at all! But Ishikawa has been writing them with a personality in mind, and that's why the interactions between them and the Scions, along with others around them has grown so much. i write fanfiction for my WoL (I'shevi) and i have no right to argue about others headcanons xD but to say they're a blank slate, imo, is just not true. still tho, this is a great video and i love your content!
There is a broad brushstrokes personality there that fits the standard hero. But many players take that much further in developing their own headcanons which I think is great!
@@StoutHelm as do i! but i feel its a disservice to ignore what we've been given too. The WoL is not a perfect person. They make mistakes, get reckless, and have often shown their anger at certain situations (both Thancred and Alphinaud have stopped them from lashing out) and in Ultima Thule, the loss of their comrades clearly takes a toll on them, to the point where they almost give in. But this is why I love the WoL as a silent protagonist, and one i think deserves a bit more looking into.
What I love about G'raha Tia is how he's the "other" type of hero to our typical video game hero. Video game heroes are often super powerful in the more applicable arts (ie: combat). There are big limitations to this, however. For example: we, the players, may know how to fight evil in combat, but in non-combat arenas what do we do? We're just normal people trying to figure out how to, say, find a peaceful solution to the Hatfield-McCoy feud.
What do we do with a tower that has equal potential to bring unimaginable prosperity to the world a second time, and destroy it a second time? It's easy for Cid and G'raha to determine that mankind is not yet ready to use the Crystal Tower responsibly, but then what? What can the WoL do about it? In this case, strength of arms means nothing. G'raha stepped up and did something that, IMO, is much more heroic than fighting against an insanely powerful evil or even a quick and sudden self-sacrifice: he gave himself up to the unknown. He went to sleep within the Crystal Tower knowing full well he might never wake up, knowing that if he did he would likely have outlived everyone he's ever known, all so that Selina's dream might become a reality, that all those people who hoped for the Tower to have a positive effect on the world again would see that wish fulfilled.
He didn't plan to build and run the Crystarium, but when the people of the First needed hope, he stepped up and lead them to hope, despite that not being his mission. When the people of Razt-at-Han were panicking and becoming blasphamies, he didn't act like a hero, he stepped up and did what he had to do, BECOMING a hero rather than ACTING like one.
G'raha described our legend to Urianger as, "Where others would stumble and fall, [they] would rise to the occasion. Where others broke rank and ran, the Warrior of Light would continue forward." Such is easy for us, the player, because we're not in actual danger, but for those times when it's things OTHER than a sword arm that will save the world, what can we do?
"The Walk" section of Endwalker was, IMO, a brilliant touch because, for the first time, we were all alone, with the weight of, literally, all life in the multiverse on our heads, and we had just experienced severe loss far greater than with Haurchefant and Papalymo. We, the player, had to find the strength to move forward because we had no choice. For the first time, we had to find our own inner strength in a non-roleplaying fashion. This made us, the player, into heroes in a small way. Another example is when you're presented with "that choice" at the end of Nier: Automata, that shows how much of a hero you the player, and not as a gamer roleplaying a hero, can be to others.
And to me, that's what G'raha Tia is: despite his uncertainties and, as Krile put it, his "boyish insecurities", he always rose up when he was needed, and that's a hero, one who does what he needs to do in spite of his fears.
my WoL will always see him as his little brother and I still absolutely love him no matter what
Definitely not a romance, but I think that G'raha is my WoL's best friend, and they canonically have snuggle sessions because I'm a lala.
Lets put it this way... I love G'raha so much as a character and a friend to my female WoL that, in my head cannon, returns those "romantic" notes that you touched upon. If romances are ever introduced to the game (which they wont) it will be G'raha that my WoL goes with...