Bahamut (Final Fantasy XV)

Bahamut, the Draconian is an Astral who appears in Final Fantasy XV and plays a major role in Final Fantasy XV -The Dawn Of The Future-. He is one of the Six and is the God of War clad in winged armor. Bahamut is said to have bestowed the powers of the Oracle and given the Ring of the Lucii and the Crystal onto his chosen king. He is the most mysterious of the six gods with the fewest mentions in written records.

Like the other Astrals, Bahamut is based on a recurring summon in the Final Fantasy series. He is is one of the most prominent summoned monsters in the series, and is typically considered the strongest among storyline summons.

Appearance
Bahamut in Final Fantasy XV dons a metallic suit of armor similar to that of the traditional Dragoon armor, and is more humanoid in appearance, having the title of "Bladekeeper". He has a dragon's tail and the wings of his armor are made of swords, 15 on each side, himself also brandishing one. When he unleashes Ultima Sword his wings disappear as the swords circle him and two long red capes with golden markings billow behind him, giving him the appearance of flying with wings. He is big enough for Prince Noctis to fit upon the palm of his hand. , and on the, Bahamut is depicted as a winged man wearing black armor.

He wears a face mask, but after Noctis destroys it in his battle with Bahamut in Dawn of the Future, it is revealed that his visage resembles Noctis and Somnus.

Personality
Though Ramuh is depicted as the god of judgment, Bahamut takes upon the role of a judge in Final Fantasy XV: Comrades when evaluating the Glaives' repentance.

Bahamut is protective of the planet, but possesses a ruthless streak, as more clearly evidenced in the bonus content added after release: Final Fantasy XV: Comrades, Final Fantasy XV: Episode Ardyn and Final Fantasy XV -The Dawn Of The Future-. The content released after the main game paints him as uncaring toward the individuals who are to play a part in the fate he has spelled for the planet.

Abilities
The Astrals of Eos are associated with a classical element from the Final Fantasy series, although not all of the elements (e.g. Leviathan's water) are represented in Final Fantasy XV as gameplay elements. Whereas the other Astrals are linked to "earthly" elements, Bahamut is associated with the power of light or holiness. In the Japanese five elements philosophy, Bahamut could be seen as representing the highest element, 空 Kū or sora, most often translated as "Void", but also meaning "sky" or "Heaven". It represents things beyond people's everyday experience, particularly things composed of pure energy.

Bahamut can use the swords of his wings as weapons, flying in the sky while raining down the colossal swords upon his enemies, in an attack known as Ultima Sword. Bahamut's use of his swords resembles the Lucian kings' ability to wield multiple weapons at once with Armiger, although not all of the weapons they wield are swords. His "final summoning" is Teraflare, and is strong enough to end all life on Eos.

Bahamut can bestow supernatural powers to mortals that may begin to run in their bloodline. He can revive the dead, having seemingly done this with the Glaives in Final Fantasy XV: Comrades (including the player character) so they would serve his ends. The English localization all but omits this, however; there is only a loading screen saying the Glaives' lives are on loan from Bahamut, and Ardyn's line before the Ifrit battle ("Try not to die this time"). Bahamut summons Aera Mirus Fleuret to repeatedly impale Ardyn into submitting into his allotted fate in Final Fantasy XV: Episode Ardyn, but whether this is Aera's true spirit or an illusion conjured by Bahamut is ambiguous. In Dawn of the Future, Bahamut brings Lunafreya Nox Fleuret back to life ten years after her demise.

Story
Bahamut is one of the six Astrals that ruled over Eos, having descended from a higher plain in a time before recorded history. While the other Astrals are bound to the world of Eos, Bahamut exists in a realm beyond the physical world, overseeing all beings on Eos, including the other Astrals.

After the civilization of Solheim turned against the gods, Ifrit attempted to destroy it. In the German localization and in Final Fantasy XV: Official Works, Ifrit is said to have wanted to destroy Eos itself along with humanity. As the Astrals are sworn to protect the planet even from one another, the other five turned against Ifrit, resulting in a war that would become known as the War of the Astrals. The war culminated in a battle between Bahamut and Ifrit where Ifrit was killed and laid asunder upon Rock of Ravatogh. As told in Final Fantasy XV -The Dawn Of The Future-, during this time Bahamut attempted to use Teraflare to obliterate the planet, which was blocked by the other Astrals, putting them to sleep as a result, and weakening Bahamut to such an extent that he was forced to recharge and bide his time for millennia.

The Starscourge plague that turns lifeforms into daemons and gradually eats away daylight from the world rapidly spread through the human population. According to legend, Bahamut chose two mortals who became the first Lucian king and the first Oracle. The Oracle can commune with the Astrals and Bahamut is said to have granted her his trident. The Oracle has the power to heal people of the Starscourge and hold it at bay until the coming of the True King. The Lucian king meanwhile was given the Ring of Lucii, which would house the soul of each successive Lucian king until the final king will purge the Starscourge from Eos.

Bahamut resides in an otherworldly realm accessed from within Insomnia's Crystal, a magical stone the kings are sworn to protect until the coming of the True King. On the cover of the Cosmogony books, Bahamut is depicted giving the Crystal to the Founder King. Final Fantasy XV: Episode Ardyn – Prologue depicts that the Oracle already had the power to commune with the gods before the Astrals had delivered their decision on who to crown king: Ardyn Lucis Caelum, the venerated healer of people, or Somnus, Ardyn's ambitious but ruthless younger brother. After Bahamut appeared to Lady Aera, the Oracle, from the Crystal, she parlayed the gods' choice to Somnus who betrayed her and Ardyn by instead declaring himself as king. When Ardyn sought confirmation from the Crystal, he was shunned by its light due to having absorbed the Starscourge into his own body to save others and Somnus became the Founder King as he had declared.

As told in Final Fantasy XV: Episode Ardyn, during Ardyn's attack on Insomnia in M.E. 734, Bahamut intervenes when the Accursed is about to slay King Regis who is yet without an heir. Calling him by his true name and demanding him to halt, Bahamut draws Ardyn into his realm to reveal Ardyn's new calling: as Ardyn had failed to become the Chosen, he is to become the vessel of concentrated darkness—a "sacrificial lamb" as Ardyn terms it—to usher in the light's return. Conversely, Ardyn would be granted death and his revenge: the termination of his brother's bloodline.

Prince Noctis encounters Bahamut in an otherworldly dimension after he is absorbed into the Crystal. Bahamut explains the Crystal holds the soul of Eos, and the true nature of Ardyn Izunia as the Starscourge incarnate. The only way to defeat Ardyn and cast away the darkness is with the Light of the Providence, for which Noctis as the True King must sacrifice himself. Bahamut releases Noctis from his grasp, allowing him to enter a state of hibernation, giving him time to reflect on his destiny and to become the vessel for the Crystal's power.

As the world falls further into darkness mankind comes together to protect it in wait for the coming of the True King. As depicted in Final Fantasy XV: Comrades, some of the former members of the Kingsglaive who had betrayed the crown are tested by Bahamut at Angelgard, a mysterious island off the coast of Galdin Quay. After the Glaives prevail Bahamut forgives their previous betrayal, seeing how committed they are to protect the world. Gentiana, the High Messenger of the Astrals, explains Angelgard must be safeguarded for Noctis to eventually awaken from his long sleep. Some of the Glaives are chosen to protect the island along with Gentiana.

Noctis awakens after sleeping for ten years. Bahamut instructs him to return to Insomnia to battle Ardyn and gives Noctis the ability to summon him. In Insomnia, Bahamut appears at the battle against a daemonic Ifrit whom Ardyn has summoned. Bahamut rains down swords before descending upon Ifrit himself allowing Noctis to cleave off one of Ifrit's horns, and Bahamut vanishes into the nether. In the Royal Edition, Bahamut participates in the Astrals' effort to destroy the magical barrier Ardyn erects around the Citadel.

As Noctis sits upon the throne and calls down the past kings the Astrals show up and turn into energy, entering the Ring of the Lucii alongside Noctis and the kings. Bahamut's plan comes into fruition when Noctis and the combined powers of the Crystal's light and the Lucian kings and their royal arms cleanse Ardyn's spirit of the Starscourge. The Ring of the Lucii disintegrates, and both of the bloodlines Bahamut had blessed have been extinguished.

Alternative ending
Final Fantasy XV -The Dawn Of The Future- chapters for Lunafreya and Noctis depict an antagonistic Bahamut who seeks to kill the other gods, as well as all life on Eos itself, to cleanse the Scourge, as Ardyn has accumulated power too great for the Ring of the Lucii to purge. His ultimate attack, Teraflare, had been absorbed by the other Astrals during the Astral War, saving the planet but putting all save Bahamut into a deep slumber, and leaving Bahamut's power diminished until allowed to "recharge".

Bahamut revives Lunafreya with a new mission: absorb the Scourge. Thus, he sends her to kill Ardyn under the pretense this will save Lunafreya's beloved. Lunafreya learns the truth of Bahamut's plans from Gentiana and the truth of what happened to Ardyn, realizing the power given to her is the same he had as a healer. She plans to trick Bahamut into unleashing Teraflare so the other Astrals can again block it and thus exhaust him, forcing Bahamut into slumber. When she tries to get Ardyn to cooperate with her, however, he is unconvinced and summons Ifrit, and when she absorbs the Scourge from the Astral and makes a Covenant with him, she fully turns and attacks Noctis when he arrives in answer to her summons. Bahamut announces humanity's coming end and orders Lunafreya to carry out her role: absorb the world's darkness to energize Tera Flare. Lunafreya's darkness is drained to power Teraflare, which is blocked by the other Astrals' intervention.

Noctis and Ardyn cooperate to destroy Bahamut in both the physical and the heavenly realms. Magic is lost and the Astrals and the Crystal vanish. Before shattering, the Crystal absorbs all remnants of the Scourge, cleansing Eos.

Obtained
The player obtains Bahamut as a summon at the end of game's thirteenth chapter.

Boss
Bahamut is fought as the final boss of Final Fantasy XV: Comrades. He has tremendous amounts of health and fights using his sword.

Battle


Unlike the other Astrals, Bahamut can only be called during the original penultimate boss encounter. When summoned, Bahamut uses Ultima Sword, an attack that rains down several massive blades.

Assassin's Creed: Origins
During the mission A Gift from the Gods, Bayek inadvertently brings Ardyn to ancient Egypt. Before he has time to do much of anything, Bahamut, the Astral of Eos, appears in the sky above the tomb, attacks Ardyn and whisks him away.

Minecraft
Bahamut has a downloadable skin.

Etymology and symbolism
Bahamut's attack in Final Fantasy XV is Ultima Sword.

Bahamut's incarnation within Final Fantasy XV may draw upon the archangel Michael, who is considered the Sword of God and the leader of God's forces against the Dragon in the Book of Revelation. Within Christianity, Michael is also regarded a saint in many denominations. Within Catholicism, Michael is the patron saint of the peoples of Israel, the protector of the Catholic Church, military and civil services, produce and food, and healing sickness. Symbols that represent him are the sword, scales, carrying a banner, and triumphing over a dragon. Within Roman Catholicism, Michael is viewed as the angel to represent the might of good against evil, and also as a spiritual warrior, to also emphasize the importance of fighting evil within, and the redeemer of souls recently deceased to grant them passage to heaven. Within Islam, Michael is regarded as the archangel in charge of the forces of nature.

The concepts of Asian dragons play off Bahamut's "King of Dragons" title. Within Asian mythology and religion, dragons are said to have created the world through breathing divine qi, and it is believed that crystals are the purest manifestation of the remnants of their sacred breath.

His title of Draconian may refer to both his armor having a dragon-like appearance, as well as being derived from the Greek lawmaker Draco, who was notorious for implementing excessively harsh statutes against his people. Also, his newly revealed disrespect for all life, especially humans, would liken his character to a demiurge, as was the case with the similarly antagonistic god Bhunivelze.

Trivia

 * In the 1.00 version of the game, Bahamut spoke in the Hexatheon language. It was changed to the human language in patch 1.03; the original scene would not make sense if the player had no subtitles on. This makes Bahamut and Shiva the only Astrals heard speaking the human language. Bahamut also speaks in human language to the Glaives in Comrades.
 * Bahamut is the symbol for the Kingsglaive alongside fifteen swords, likely an allusion to Final Fantasy XV. The paper model for his wing (see the Gallery) used for designing his character model, also comprises of fifteen swords.
 * Bahamut briefly in Episode Ardyn.
 * The Behemoth's bestiary entry says it is called the "King of Beasts" after Bahamut, the Bladekeeper. This alludes to the rest of the Final Fantasy series where Bahamut has been known as the Dragon King.
 * The player can get the Big Blaze Bahamut fishing lure from the Liege of the Lake tour at the Vesperpool. It returns even if the line snaps.
 * This depiction of Bahamut is the first to be outright evil without any outside influence or another villainous character controlling him, in a subversion of his role in the original Final Fantasy appropriate enough, in some ironic way, to make people believe Final Fantasy XV could be the last game in the numbered series.