Ardyn Izunia

Chancellor Ardyn Izunia is the non-playable main antagonist of Final Fantasy XV. He appears in the feature film Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV and handles the Niflheim Empire's political operations for Iedolas Aldercapt.

Responsible for the expansion of Verstael's Magitek Infantry, Ardyn is a shrewd, humorous man.

Appearance
Ardyn is a middle-aged man with red-violet hair, amber eyes, and strong facial features. He dresses in a long, black jacket that has a white and gray trim, as well as matching trousers. A red scarf appears around Ardyn's neck, and a hooded, gray and white mantle appears on his shoulders. Ardyn wears a distinctive, black fedora atop his head, and he sometimes wears a winglike accessory on his left arm.

When his true identity is revealed, Ardyn's face sometimes appears demonic and grotesque. His sclera turn black, his skin becomes paler, and black markings appear across his face.

Personality
Ardyn is a man shrouded in mystery. He expresses his eccentric personality through his unique attire, and he is both polite and slightly flamboyant. Ardyn is bold and manipulative; he remains civil, even in the face of hostility.

Over the course of Noctis Lucis Caelum's journey, Ardyn's ruthlessness increases. Eventually, the chancellor's true personality is revealed: he is evil, vicious, calculative, and twisted. He uses his influence over the Niflheim Empire to accomplish his goals. Behaving unpredictably, Ardyn remains casual and unfazed by the world around him. He taunts others and eventually reveals he is acting out of spite, regret, and a desire for vengeance. Having become the very thing he tried to prevent 2,000 years ago, Ardyn longs for the day on which he will battle the True King. During his final battle with Noctis, he debates staying alive to doom the world or die and finally seek peace in the afterlife.

Ardyn's personality in the present greatly contrasts the one he seemed to have 2,000 years ago. Back then, he was a kind and caring man who healed people to prevent the Starscourge. He fell from grace when the Astrals saw him as unclean and he was demonized by his people.

Abilities
Ardyn is a man with great political influence. A careful strategist, he is very good with words and is capable of driving a car. Using an ordinary dagger to murder Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, Ardyn later reveals his superhuman abilities. An immortal, he can control time and survive attacks that would kill an ordinary man. A former king of Lucis, Ardyn can use all of Noctis's powers, such as the Armiger Arsenal. He can warp and fly at high speeds.

Story
2,000 years ago, Ardyn Lucis Caelum was a Lucian resident chosen by the Astrals to save Eos from the Starscourge, a malady that transformed people into daemons. Ardyn absorbed countless daemons, saving thousands across the world. This made him immortal, but it also led the Astrals to see him as unclean. Denied ascension to the Astral Realm, Ardyn was demonized by a jealous king who had come to be chosen by the Crystal. Adopting the surname "Izunia," Ardyn swore revenge and decided to await the day on which he would destroy the True King and Crystal.

Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV
Ardyn travels to Lucis to offer terms of peace to its reigning monarch, Regis Lucis Caelum CXIII. He demands that Regis surrender all territories, save for Insomnia, and marry his son Noctis to Lunafreya Nox Fleuret. Three days later, Niflheim invades the Crown City. Amidst the chaos, Ardyn and Iedolas Aldercapt steal its Crystal. The pair watches the Old Wall fight Diamond Weapon before fleeing.

Final Fantasy XV
Ardyn meets Noctis and his friends for the first time at Galdin Quay. There, he cryptically tells them the local ferry is no longer running. Declaring himself an "impatient traveler," Ardyn states the ceasefire between Lucis and Niflheim is "getting us nowhere." He then tosses a coin to Noctis and company, telling them to consider it their "allowance." Gladiolus Amicitia catches the coin and demands Ardyn's identity. The suspicious stranger merely states he is "a man of no consequence."

In Lestallum, Ardyn offers to take Noctis and his friends to the Astral Shard, under which Titan rests. He bids the young men goodbye but returns soon afterwards in a Niflheim airship to save them from the Archaean's wrath. In doing so, Ardyn reveals himself to be the empire's chancellor. He continues guiding Noctis and company, leading them to parts that can repair the Regalia and preventing Niflheim's army from hunting them down.

After Lunafreya Nox Fleuret summons Leviathan in Altissia, Ardyn confronts the Oracle and stabs her with a dagger. He appears once more before Noctis on a train ride to Gralea, Niflheim's capital, and torments him. Ardyn tricks Noctis into pushing Prompto Argentum off the train, and he later witnesses the Glacian, Shiva, grant Noctis her power.

In Gralea, Ardyn continuously taunts Noctis after the Lucian king is separated from his allies. After Noctis reunites with Ignis Scientia and Gladiolus, he has the trio face Iedolas Aldercapt and Ravus Nox Fleuret, who have been turned into daemons. When Noctis abandons his friends to seek power from the Crystal, Ardyn confronts him and reveals his true identity. As he watches the Crystal absorb Noctis, Ardyn states he will be waiting for the young man to return as the True King.

With Lunafreya dead and Noctis out of the way, Ardyn enacts the Starscourge, thus causing daemons to run amok in Eos for the next decade. He is confronted in his new abode, Insomnia, by a reawakened Noctis and his allies, whom he pits against the Infernian, Ifrit. Following the hostile Astral's defeat, Ardyn incapacitates Noctis's allies and faces the rival king himself. Overpowered by Noctis, Ardyn is finally able to rest in peace. His body fades away, and his spirit is destroyed when Noctis, who gave his life to halt the Starscourge and purge the daemons, uses the power of those he cherishes and the Lucian kings of old to land a final blow.

Creation and development
Ardyn was designed by Roberto Ferrari around December, 2010. Tweaks to his initial design were made in January, 2011.

In Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV, the likeness of Edward Saxby is used to portray Ardyn.

Voice
Ardyn's Japanese voice actor is. He shares his Japanese voice actor with Reno from the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Izana Kunagiri from Final Fantasy Type-0, and both and  from the Kingdom Hearts series.

Ardyn's English voice actor is Darin De Paul.

Gallery

 * Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV