Viewing Final Fantasy XIV's Warrior Of Light As A Samurai Daishō

Final Fantasy XIV is a story-driven game in which the player is The Chosen One. But as I spent time in Dawntrail taking care of and leveling my retainers, companion chocobo, squadron members and Trust NPCs, I thought more of taking care of a household more than saving the world. Then the thought hit me, "Am I acting like a knight?" Knights weren't just solo armored fighters. They each had their own men-at-arms and followers on campaign to take care of the non-military parts of life. More importantly to the analogy, the knight was responsible for keeping them properly trained and equipped. Or, in the case of a video game, properly leveled.

But the analogy didn't quite fit. So I did what I hope is a natural progression. I looked at Japanese history. Reading a lot of internet drama over the past few years, I think a lot of people don't realize that Square Enix is a Japanese company and that the people writing the story are Japanese. I found the comparison I was looking for not in Europe's medieval period but in Chūsei (or feudal) Japan.¹

The title, or I should more accurately say rank, is samurai daishō.² No, not the set of matching long and short swords worn by samurai. During the Chūsei period a samurai daishō served as a commander ranked between the commander-in-chief and a commander of troops. Think of the Warrior of Light's position of authority between the rulers of the city-states (Kan‑E‑Senna, Merlwyb, Raubahn/Nanamo) and the Grand Companies. By the time A Realm Reborn ends the player reaches that position.

Another similarity is the tendency of the Warrior of Light to serve many masters. In history the samurai daishō tended to serve many masters as the European model of "one master per land" didn't strictly exist in Chūsei Japan. So that feeling players can get of feeling passed around from the Grand Companies to the city-states to the Alliance to Hydaelyn has a historical precedent. Which makes the title of "adventurer" rather apt.

I really went down the rabbit hole on background so let me head back to the surface by discussing gameplay elements. The Warrior of Light's authority comes from reputation, not bureaucracy. That little fact is hammered home by the final efforts made to send the Warrior of Light and the Scions to Ultima Thule at the end of Endwalker. But another comparison emerges -- the Warrior of Light's household.

Called samurai‑shū (侍衆), these were the elite retainers who accompanied a samurai on campaigns, handled specialized tasks, and acted as trusted companions. In FFXIV, the samurai‑shū aid the WoL in getting through the MSQ. Here's how the the Scions and retainers wound up mapping to a samurai‑shū:

Except for Tataru I've leveled all the characters and retainers to max level. The developers haven't thought about requiring the Scions' secretary/quartermaster to level.

When I began this bit of research I was searching for a historic/fantasy framework in which to put what turned out to be a rather large number of NPCs I'm responsible for in FFXIV. Not only is the player's character "The Chosen One" in word but the developers give the player all the trappings of that fame as well. Throw in a language barrier and I'm left hoping I got everything correct. Hopefully I'm close enough that I can use this framework to take a deeper dive into exactly what benefits and responsibilities the Warrior of Light carries in Final Fantasy XIV.

End notes

1. “Chūsei Japan” (中世日本) is the term used in Japanese historiography for the country’s medieval or “feudal” period, spanning roughly the late 11th to the late 16th century and encompassing the rise of the samurai, the establishment of warrior governments, and the era of clan warfare. A clear academic overview appears in James L. McClain’s course description, “Medieval Japan — Creative Energies in the ‘Dark Ages’,” Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies, https://www.kcjs.jp/pdf/courses02/28/medievaljapan.pdf. (kcjs.jp in Bing)

2. “Samurai daishō” (侍大将) was a mid‑ranking samurai commander, positioned below a daimyo and responsible for leading troops under higher generals. The Japanese Wiki Corpus notes that a samurai daishō “commands an army under [the] Dai Shogun” and held a rank between the commander‑in‑chief and infantry captains during the Sengoku period. For an accessible overview, see “Samurai Daisho,” Japanese Wiki Corpus, https://www.japanesewiki.com/title/Samurai%20daisho.html. (japanesewiki.com in Bing)