Iedolas Aldercapt

Iedolas Aldercapt is an antagonist in Final Fantasy XV and the secondary antagonist of the feature film Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV. He is the emperor of Niflheim. In imperial correspondence he is referred to with the "Imperial Majesty" and "Your Radiance."

Updates added in Patch 1.06 include more story content for him.

Appearance
Most high-ranking people associated with Niflheim dress in white, most prominently the emperor. Iedolas is an elderly man with silver hair and blue eyes. He wears decorative, gold armor over a white dress shirt. He wears a black robe lined with silver buttons that has a goldenrod trim at the bottom. Over this he wears a white robe that has a large collar and red trim. He has black boots, black fingerless gloves and silver forearm armor.

Personality
Iedolas is a ruthless supremacist dedicated to expanding his territory, although he is semi-retired from frontline politics. Having conquered every other nation in the world of Eos but Lucis, he seeks to steal Insomnia's Crystal to increase his power even further. Iedolas employs flattery and feigns benevolence to help accomplish his goals, and uses this tactic to manipulate his adversaries. Despite this, the emperor was, for a long time, a benevolent ruler and loved by the masses.

Iedolas wants the power of the Ring of the Lucii, and is even prepared to kill the last remaining Oracle to obtain it. Iedolas is himself manipulated by his chancellor, Ardyn Izunia, who brought forth the idea of stealing the Crystal. With his dying breath, Iedolas expresses his intention to rule the world and see his empire flourish.

Story
Iedolas is a member of the Aldercapt dynasty that has sought to recreate the glory of the ancient civilization of Solheim. At least three of the four nations of Eos—Niflheim, Lucis and Tenebrae—have been ruled by the same family since their inception: the Aldercapt dynasty in Niflheim, the Lucis Caelum dynasty in Lucis, and the Nox Fleurets—the Oracles—in Tenebrae. The Aldercapt dynasty initiated its policy of expansion, proclaimed themselves as emperors of Niflheim, and began the prosecution of war against neighboring countries to annex them.

Aldercapt was said to have been a benevolent and beloved ruler for a long time, but according to Aranea Highwind and Camelia Claustra, the empire has changed for the worse in the last ten years. Aranea posits that Ardyn Izunia, the chancellor of Niflheim, was the one to have the emperor go after Lucis's Crystal. The desire for the Crystal seems to have consumed Iedolas.

Iedolas Aldercapt travels to Lucis under the false pretense of signing a peace treaty with the kingdom's reigning monarch, Regis Lucis Caelum. On the day of the treaty signing, Aldercapt and Ardyn Izunia steal Insomnia's Crystal. The two return to Niflheim while their forces raze the crown city.



Admiring his stolen Crystal, Iedolas meets with Ravus Nox Fleuret, Aranea Highwind, Caligo Ulldor, and Verstael Besithia to discuss the Oracle, Lunafreya. Lunafreya holds the Ring of the Lucii that lets one wield the combined powers of the old kings, a power that stems from the Crystal itself. Iedolas orders Ravus to terminate her, but is asked to reconsider by Verstael. The reason the empire has taken the Crystal is not publicized, but Aranea later says she heard the empire believes the Crystal poses a threat to daemons, monsters of the dark that the empire has begun to employ in its warfare. She also says the Crystal was stolen "for the good of the people".

As Ardyn Izunia prepares to bring about the Starscourge, Iedolas thirsts for the Crystal's power, useless as it is without the ring. The Crystal is locked away in Zegnautus Keep, and Iedolas never gets close to it. He is accosted by Ravus in his throne room in the Keep, and demands to know where the ring is. Ravus says the ring is with Noctis Lucis Caelum, its rightful bearer, who will use it and the Crystal to purge Eos from darkness and daemons. The emperor is outraged, claiming that the Crystal belongs to him and that he is the one True King. Aldercapt summons daemons that attack Ravus, who is thrown out of the room. This event, as well as Ravus's death, are recorded in the Keep's security system, and are the only recordings that remain on it, as it is implied Ardyn had everything else erased.

Aldercapt transforms into a powerful daemon, Foras. He attacks Noctis's friends Gladiolus Amicitia and Ignis Scientia in the Crystal's control room, though they fight him off and he disappears. He attacks Noctis to obtain the Ring of the Lucii, but is defeated and killed when Noctis reunites with his allies.

With his dying breath, the emperor longs for the ring to rule over Eos unopposed. In the throne room in Zegnautus Keep, Noctis can observe the late emperor's regalia slumped on the seat, a result of his transformation. How long Iedolas had been afflicted with Starscourge is unknown, but he was exuding black mist when he talked with Ravus, and seemingly transformed soon after.

Ten years later, Ardyn creates an illusory version of Iedolas's corpse and hangs it in chains from the ceiling of the Citadel's throne room. He uses it in an attempt to intimidate Noctis before their final battle.

Creation and development
Iedolas Aldercapt has been in the game since it was known as Final Fantasy Versus XIII, and appeared in trailers for that game in 2011. He featured prominently in the Final Fantasy XV reveal trailer at E3 2013, but these scenes would become part of Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV in a modified form. In the final game Iedolas has a small presence, but a new cut scene involving him was added in a patch to Chapter 13.

The likeness of David Gant is used to portray Iedolas in Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV.

Voice
Iedolas's Japanese voice actor is Shōzō Iizuka. He was originally portrayed by Shinji Ogawa, but the actor passed away during the development of Final Fantasy XV.

Iedolas's English voice actor in Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV is David Gant, and he is voiced by Bob Joles in Final Fantasy XV. Joles previously voiced Grimoire Valentine in Dirge of Cerberus -Final Fantasy VII-.

Gallery

 * Final Fantasy Versus XIII

Etymology
"Iedolas" is derived from Idola, the plural form of the Latin word Idolon (which, in turn, comes from the Greek word "Eidolon").