Kings of Lucis



The kings of Lucis, also known as the rulers of yore, form the Lucis Caelum bloodline that wields the Crystal's powers by birthright in the Final Fantasy XV Universe. They are the monarchs of the kingdom of Lucis. According to legend, the Crystal is of divine origin and was bestowed to humanity alongside the Ring of the Lucii, which harnesses the Crystal's power for a chosen few.

The kings' spirits are referred to as the Lucii (pronounced: lucy-eye) in Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret saying "He who holds the Ring communes with the Lucii and commands great power." However, the past kings are not called Lucii in Final Fantasy XV outside the lore tutorial "The Magic of the Lucii" and some of the Archives entries, being referred to simply as "the kings of Lucis" or "rulers of yore." Despite being referred to as the kings of Lucis, there have been queens, such as the Rogue.

Three of the monarchs are included as new boss battles in the PC and Royal Editions.

Profile
When a monarch of Lucis dies, their spirit is taken by the Ring of the Lucii. The one who wears the ring can communicate with the spirits of the past kings and queens, known as the Lucii, and the ring links the past monarchs' spirits to the mortal realm. The Lucii don suits of dark armor that never show their face. Though each suit is unique, they resemble Bahamut, who presents himself similarly.

Although spirits that dwell in the "realm beyond" cannot usually influence the mortal realm, the past kings of Lucis are special in this regard, as the monarchs can combine their powers across generations in a phenomenon known as the bonding of the souls. The "bonding" can extend to those outside of the Lucian lineage at the monarch's behest, as shown in Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV where the Kingsglaive wield some of King Regis's magic, and in Final Fantasy XV where Prince Noctis's friends share in some of his powers, such as forging weapons from thin air and using magical potions and Elemancy. During Noctis and his friends' travels, potions and elixirs gain their healing power from him —without Noctis, they would be just regular soda. In Final Fantasy XV: Comrades, the Glaives can use some of the Lucian kings' powers via sigils said to be protective relics of past monarchs.

The kings are entombed across Eos in hidden royal tombs, and leave behind weapons of their legacy known as royal arms to empower their descendants who seek them out. Only those of the Lucian lineage can brandish the royal arms, which glow when grasped by their rightful wielders. Using the royal arms drains the wielder's health, but they are especially good against beings of the dark, the antithesis to the Crystal and its light.

The Lucian bloodline has a special power to brandish their inherited royal arms all at once, known as Armiger, although this state can't usually be sustained for long. The weapons will materialize as crystalline silhouettes that circle the king who can rapidly attack their opponent with a new weapon each hit. According to the Final Fantasy XV Ultimania, unleashing the combined power of kings (Armiger) and the Crystal can eradicate the Starscourge, the plague upon the planet of Eos. The members of this bloodline can teleport, a skill used for both offense and defense in the form of warping and phasing through enemies' attacks, use various types of magic, and project magical barriers as shields.

The Crystal is a magical stone of divine origin that is a source of immense power. Though its light is said to be for the benefit of all of mankind, only the kings of Lucis have been gifted the ability to wield its power. The Final Fantasy XV Scenario Ultimania posits that rather than being able to use the Crystal's true power, kings of Lucis have the responsibility of protecting it, and that the Crystal picks the "Chosen King" when disaster comes to the world.

For the last 150 years, the king who protects the Crystal has shielded it from outsiders by maintaining the Wall, a magical barrier that isolates Lucis from the rest of the world. Upholding the Wall drains the king's life-force, accelerating their aging. Having conquered all other lands, bar Lucis behind its magic barrier, Niflheim Empire reigns supreme, only repelled by those who derive their power from the Crystal.

The Old Wall is a series of towering statues strewn throughout the Crown City of Insomnia. Honoring the ancient kings of Lucis, who dwell within the Ring of the Lucii, it activates when the city is in danger at the behest of the current monarch if they are strong enough, or one deemed worthy by the kings of old. According to the Final Fantasy XV Scenario Ultimania, the statues were created 2000 years ago to serve as coffins to each hold the soul of a dead monarch. From these coffins, the monarchs would await the coming of the "Chosen King." The statues were also intended to serve as the Wall that protects the kingdom of Lucis.

The Immortal Accursed
The man who was to become the first king of Lucis was rejected by the Crystal before his ascension to the throne for the darkness that had come to inhabit him. He was cast aside and the Crystal would choose another in his stead.

Somnus, the Mystic
The Founder King lived 2000 years ago and is the younger brother of The Immortal Accursed. He was served by Gilgamesh as his sworn shield; Shield of the King would become a title given to the Lucian monarch's main bodyguard. The Founder King rose to protect the first Oracle, and is known to have wielded a longsword. Out of all the royal arms, Noctis displays a preference for the Blade of the Mystic, as he wields it the most out of all battle features in which he wields a royal arm.

The Mystic fought the Starscourge 2000 years ago, and founded the nation of Lucis. He is the most prominent king in Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV. He talks to Nyx Ulric and is the last king standing at the battle's end. His statue depicts him with sleek armor, a waist cape, and horns protruding from his shoulders and helmet. In Final Fantasy XV: Comrades, the Mystic's Sigil: Graviton, allows the bearer to create a powerful gravitational force that draws enemies close, while limiting their abilities. The Mystic has an extended role in the Windows and Royal Editions of Final Fantasy XV: he appears as a boss in the final dungeon, and has a monument in Keycatrich. After acquiring all thirteen royal arms, interacting with the statue yields the Founder King's Sigil that lets Noctis use Armiger Unleashed.

The Wise
Believed to be the first king who raised the Wall of the Lucian Kingdom, he is known to have wielded a simple sword. His statue and spirit in the Ring of the Lucii are thinly armored with multiple wings.

In Final Fantasy XV: Comrades, the Wise's Sigil: Dragoon Drain, allows the bearer to perform a leap jump attack, its animation being similar to Aranea's Dragoon Dive. The Sigil also allows the bearer to replace their curative spells with HP and MP lancet-draining attacks, making the Wise a Dragoon archetype despite his royal arm not being a spear.

The Royal and Windows Editions have monuments dedicated to a some of the rulers of yore, which are signed by "Optimus Lucis Caelum," the 108th Lucian king. Noctis being the 114th king by the typical lengths of a generation would suggest that this king may have been the Wise.

The Conqueror
A king said to have lived in times of chaos, who rose as a champion that united the Lucian continent and fought for his peoples, allowing them to usher in a great age of prosperity. He is known to have wielded a halberd. The Conqueror's statue and Lucii form has thin armor, with a waist cape, and long, thin capes hanging from his elbows, with his helmet having a long, hair-like tassel on the top.

In Final Fantasy XV Comrades, the Conqueror's Sigil: Elemancy, allows the bearer to temporarily imbue the surrounding area with elemental properties with an elementally-aligned weapon.

The Clever
A king said to be well versed in the arts, be it the physical, the intellectual, martial, or that of skill. He is known to have wielded a crossbow. His statue and Lucii form has thin armor with several lengths of a segmented cape draped over his back, and antler-like extensions on his helmet.

In Final Fantasy XV Comrades, the Clever's Sigil: Spectral Arms, allows the bearer to conjure an arsenal of eight special armaments and wield them while replacing their offensive spells.

The Wanderer
A king who found no boundary to the land and wandered the world, going where no man had gone before. He is known to have wielded twin swords that could combine into an enormous besieging weapon. The Wanderer's statue and Lucii form depict him with bulky, segmented suit of armor, a monocle-like object on his left eye, and, curiously, four arms with circular joints, suggesting the statue can rotate his arms at these points.

In Final Fantasy XV: Comrades, the Wanderer's Sigil: Cheer, enables the bearer to empower their comrades with five status enhancements.

The Oracle
Though the Oracles are known as the royalty of Tenebrae, one of the royal arms is the Trident of the Oracle, and one of the twelve statues of the Old Wall in Insomnia is the Oracle King who wields a giant version of the trident in the battle against the Diamond Weapons. As told in the monoliths in Steyliff Grove Menace, this king likely watched the Oracle of his time perish before his eyes, and thus took up her trident. Due to her not having a successor yet, the Oracle King held a temporary status as both a king of Lucis and Oracle of Eos. In Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV Nyx and Glauca end up fighting on the Oracle's shoulder, but the statue tosses the trident and warps away and Nyx and Glauca fall. The horn at the front of his helmet resembles a bird. The statue has a broad chest, long cape and heavier body compared to the others.

In Final Fantasy XV: Comrades, the Oracle's Sigil: Healing Light, enhances the bearer's curative spells.

Crepera, the Rogue


Believed to be the first queen, the Rogue disliked the watch of the public eye and took to the shadows to enact her rule. She is known to have wielded a shuriken. Her statue and Lucii form has a thin suit of armor, a narrow waist cape, heels on her armored shoes, a horned crown covering her eyes, and a extensions on her shoulders adorned with four long ribbons.

In Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV, she jumps at the arriving Diamond Weapon and threatens it enough it uses its main attack. Her statue holds up a collapsing cliff after Niflheim's first attack.

In Final Fantasy XV: Comrades, the Rogue's Sigil: Aerial Ace, enables the bearer to perform a mid-air step after attacking.

She has an extended role in the Windows and Royal Editions of Final Fantasy XV, where she is fought as a boss in the final dungeon.

The Tall
He is a king known by his girth and strength, alluded to like that of a mountain. The Tall is known to have wielded a chainsaw-like greatsword. His statue and Lucii form have broad, bulky armor, with a broad chest, and a comparatively narrow, but long cape.

In Final Fantasy XV: Comrades, the Tall's Sigil: Aura, enhances the bearer's attack power, but prevents them from casting curative spells.

The Just
A queen who devoted all efforts to uphold peace and was beloved in turn by her peoples for her serenity. She is known to have wielded a tall shield. Her statue and Lucii form has incredibly large and heavy armoring, with large shoulders that have a three round holes, and thick, forward-facing horns on her helmet.

In Final Fantasy XV: Comrades, the Just's Sigil: Omniguard, enhances one to conjure a 360 degree protective barrier around the bearer and their allies.

Tonitrus, the Fierce


A king famous for his personality; to his people, a kind, loving, and just king; to his enemies, a veritable demon of merciless brutality. He is known to have wielded a great mace. As a statue and Lucii spirit, Tonitrus had bulky, segmented armor, and a tattered cape on his left shoulder. His most prominent feature is the disc on his head.

In Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV, the Fierce wreaks perhaps the most damage, destroying buildings and imperial airships as he goes. Even after losing his arms the statue still continues, but is the only statue who is defeated.

In Final Fantasy XV Comrades, the Fierce's Sigil: Rampage, allows the bearer to use powerful martial arts; when stringed together, the combos can unleash a powerful special beam of energy attack.

The Fierce is fought as a boss in the final dungeon in the Windows and Royal Editions of Final Fantasy XV.

The Pious
A king known for his eponymous piousness, leading Lucis with a rule guided by divine principles and worked closely with the Oracle of his era. He is known to have wielded a scepter that smote with a blade of light. His statue and Lucii form has light armor, with a thick cape draped over his shoulders, and a bishop-chess-piece-like helmet with a tall crown similar to that of a pope.

In Final Fantasy XV: Comrades, the Pious's Sigil: Multicast, enables the bearer to cast two offensive spells in a row.

The Warrior
A king whose life was forever changed when his beloved queen was killed by assailants. He is believed to have wandered the world and waged an era of global war fueled by a vendetta of bereavement, and is speculated to be the king whose worship inspired the Safety Bit accessory. The Warrior is known to have wielded a katana, a weapon not of the lands of Lucis, and is the only king laid to rest outside of his home nation. His statue and Lucii form depicts him with somewhat thick armor, a tattered cape, and a rough-looking tassel on the top of his spiky helmet.

In Final Fantasy XV: Comrades, the Warrior's Sigil: Untouchable, enables the bearer to provoke enemies and dodge their attacks. The bearer does a vacuum wave when dodging.

Regis, the Father
Regis Lucis Caelum, the 113th king of the dynasty. He is known for the love for his family, and for wielding a saber-like sword. Regis made a trip across the lands of Lucis before his coronation, and is the son of King Mors Lucis Caelum, who consolidated the power of the magic barrier over Insomnia. King Regis's Lucii adds a light suit of armor, and a sleek helmet that retains the horn-like extension that his crown had.

In Final Fantasy XV Comrades, the Father's Sigil: Revitalize, enables the bearer to restore comrades' maximum HP by sacrificing their own.

The True King
Noctis Lucis Caelum is the 114th king of the Lucian dynasty, and its last member. He was chosen by the Crystal to become the True King, the culmination of the Lucian bloodline as the member who can use the Light of Providence to eradicate Starscourge from the world.

Story
In the Old Calendar Era, Starscourge spread across the globe, a plague that lengthens the night and turns people into daemons. The Astral gods want to purge the darkness by the powers of light, and Bahamut handpicked two people who would become able to wield divine powers to counteract the Starscourge, and to one day save the world from it. This became the prophecy of the True King.

The eldest son of the Izunia family was chosen by the Crystal to save the world, and assumed a new surname for the start of a new royal lineage. Ardyn Lucis Caelum was going to be the first king of Lucis, and was revered for a time as he absorbed countless daemons to save thousands across the world. He was denounced by the Astrals as unclean, denied entry to the Astral Realm, and demonized by his brother Somnus, whom Ardyn claims was jealous of him.

According to legend, Bahamut picked the first Oracle from the land of Tenebrae. Her calling is to help the king of Lucis, and has the power to commune with the Astrals and heal those afflicted with the Starscourge. Somnus rose to protect her, and together they embarked on a journey across the land to forge covenants with the Astrals. Starscourge subsided by Somnus's hand, and peace was restored to the world that now laid in ruin in the aftermath of both the Starscourge plague and the War of the Astrals.

Bahamut gifted Somnus the Crystal alongside the Ring of the Lucii, so that one day the True King would be born of his lineage and fully banish Starscourge from the world; though the plague had been pushed back, Ardyn's corrupted soul had become Starscourge incarnate. The Lucian kings are sworn to protect the Crystal until that day arrives, and gain the ability to use various magical abilities as facilitated by the Crystal. The Crystal exudes great magical power, and is said to hold the soul of the world. Somnus ascended the throne and became known as the Founder King, whereas Ardyn's transition had rendered him immortal. He again took the surname of Izunia and vowed to one day have his revenge on the Caelum dynasty and the Crystal.

The Lucian royalty can combine their powers across generations, as the one who wears the Ring of the Lucii can wield the powers of the kings of old. Thus, the power of the Crystal gradually concentrates until the king who wields all of the Crystal's power will be crowned the True King. The True King is said to surpass even the gods and have the power to banish the darkness from the world at the cost of his own life.

With the plan to cleanse the world of Starscourge in motion, Bahamut disappeared and the remaining Astrals fell into slumber. For the next two millennia the kings and queens of Lucis expanded their territory, extending the kingdom's sphere of influence to the regions of Cavaugh, Leide, Duscae, Cleigne and Galahd. Daemons eventually returned to the world and began to plague Lucis. A king and an Oracle embarked on a quest to seal the most ferocious of them in underground dungeons, a secret known only by few.

The 113th king of Lucis is Regis Lucis Caelum CXIII. Though the Wall he upholds only now covers the Crown City, his health is failing him at 50, and he only has one heir: the 20-year-old Prince Noctis. Regis ponders for how much longer he can keep projecting the Wall, but is reluctant to pass the torch onto his beloved son, knowing it would in time do the same to him. Fifteen years ago the Lucii told Regis that Noctis will be the Chosen King spoken of in legend. Regis eventually decides to accept a suspicious peace treaty with Niflheim, with whom Lucis has warred for hundreds of years, and sends Noctis away from the city before the signing is to take place to keep him safe and to give him the best chance of fulfilling the prophecy.

During the treaty-signing Niflheim's forces draw their weapons upon the Lucians and war breaks out amid the Crown City. Emperor Aldercapt and Ardyn—who has established himself as the chancellor of Niflheim—steal the Crystal and the Wall dissipates. The Crown City is invaded by daemons and magitek troops. General Glauca is tasked with taking the Ring of the Lucii from the king, and it is also sought by Ravus Nox Fleuret, the former prince of Tenebrae who is of the Oracles' bloodline. Ravus begrudges Regis and his kingdom for having abandoned Tenebrae when Niflheim invaded it, and believes his heritage entitles him to the ring's powers and could make him the True King. When he acquires the ring and puts it on however, he is judged unworthy by the past kings and the ring burns him, although he survives with a lost limb.

Regis is accompanied by Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, the Oracle and Ravus's sister who has never blamed Regis for Tenebrae's downfall. She is Prince Noctis's childhood friend and considers her calling to be helping him become the Chosen King. They are protected by a member of the Kingsglaive, an elite unit of soldiers for whom Regis has lent the ability to use his magic: Nyx Ulric. Regis passes on the Ring of the Lucii to Luna with instructions to take it to Noctis. He stays behind to fight Glauca to give Luna and Nyx time to escape, and is killed, his spirit entering the ring. The Kingsglaive lose their ability to use magic.

Nyx is soon attacked by one of his fellow Glaives who has turned against the monarchy, Luche Lazarus. Luche is tricked into putting on the ring and is deemed unworthy by the past kings and burned alive. Nyx's superior, Titus Drautos, reveals himself to be Glauca, and attempts to claim the ring. Nyx puts it on and finds himself in another dimension, where he speaks to the deceased Lucian kings and faces their judgment.

When the kings see Nyx fights for the future, at the spirit of King Regis's urging, they grant him their power in exchange for his life. Nyx passes the ring to Luna, then uses the Ring of the Lucii's power to engage Glauca. The resulting battle sees Glauca fatally stabbed by Nyx, with the empire's daemons destroyed by the Old Wall, summoned effigies of the past kings of Lucis. Nyx dies at dawn as part of the blood price of using the ring's powers.

Luna escapes Insomnia with the Ring of the Lucii and eventually makes her way to Altissia where she speaks with her brother Ravus. She asks him to take the ring to Noctis as she is collapsing from the strain of her duties, but he turns away at the sight of it, and says delivering the ring to the Chosen King is her duty. Although Ravus doesn't think Noctis is worthy of Luna's sacrifice, he has come to believe the prince is the only one who can become the True King.

Noctis is on a journey to collect the royal arms of his forebears and forge covenants with the Astrals with faraway help from Luna. He believes his mission is to reclaim his kingdom by toppling the empire, and is initially unaware of the gravity of his role as the True King. He is being helped by Ardyn whose true identity Noctis is unaware of, and doesn't like or trust him. Ardyn has fallen from the gods' and the Crystal's favor and his name has been scrubbed from history books. He seeks to extinguish the Lucian bloodline as revenge, and defeat the True King. Knowing that this is Noctis's fate, Ardyn helps the prince get the full powers of the Crystal so that he could then destroy him.

Luna calls upon the souls of Lucian kings when Noctis fights the Astral Leviathan to forge a covenant with her. The kings answer, the royal tombs across the land light up, and Noctis enters a sustained mode of Armiger, the power of kings that lets him wield all of his royal arms simultaneously. Luna releasing the magic of the tombs also returns the kings' power to the former members of the Kingsglaive.

Noctis receives the Ring of the Lucii from a dying Luna, and eventually makes his way to the imperial capital where the Crystal now lies. His mission has shifted from just reclaiming Lucis to that of saving the world, as without Luna keeping the darkness of the Starscourge at bay, daylight is rapidly vanishing from the world. Noctis believes he can use the Crystal's power of light to fight the darkness, but when he finds the Crystal he is absorbed inside it. He meets Bahamut and learns he must sacrifice his life to bring light back to the world.

Noctis sleeps inside the heart of the Crystal for ten years, during which Eos is plunged into an eternal night and daemons take over the world. People's only hope is that the fabled King of Light of the Lucian lineage will come as per the prophecy. The Kingsglaive, the power of kings now returned to them, work alongside the Hunters and the Crownsguard to protect Lucis and mankind's final surviving outpost, Lestallum.

Noctis returns ten years later and confronts the Fierce, the Rogue and the Mystic Lucii in the ruins of Insomnia. Noctis and his friends meet with Ardyn stays with the Crystal at the Citadel. Ardyn ushers the Betrayer Astral upon the retinue, Ifrit, but Noctis prevails with the help of the other Astrals. Noctis battles Ardyn both wielding the power of kings, but Noctis emerges victorious and ultimately kills Ardyn by drawing his royal arms and striking him with each one.

He calls upon the spirits of past Lucian kings to confront Ardyn's spirit in the afterlife. The spirits of the old kings attack Noctis until his soul is taken by the ring, and his spirit enters a realm of full of light similar to the place inside the Crystal where he had met Bahamut. The royal arms the Lucii had plunged into his body emerge from him, and the kings combine their powers to banish darkness from the world and erase Starscourge from Ardyn's soul. The prophecy fulfilled, the Ring of the Lucii disintegrates as the Lucian bloodline ends with Noctis's death, and their spirits are released from the ring. Noctis appears upon the throne of Lucis marked Noctis Lucis Caelum CXIV with Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, the last Oracle.

Gameplay
The player can visit numerous royal tombs across the land to inherit the kings' royal arms. Some are optional while others are obtained as part of the story. In the Windows and Royal Editions, collecting all 13 royal arms and interacting with the monument of the Mystic in Keycatrich yields the Founder King's Sigil that lets the player use a new form of Armiger, called Armiger Unleashed.

The Fierce, The Rogue, and The Mystic are fought as bosses in Insomnia in the PC and Royal Edition versions.

Creation and development
The Lucii first appeared in the Dawn trailer shown at Gamescon 2015, where Regis holds the young Noctis at a rainy Citadel with the shadows of the Lucii looming about them. This scene doesn't appear in the final game, but appears to depict the scene where Regis learns of Noctis's status as the Crystal's Chosen.

Visual effects studio Image Engine created the 23-minute battle scene where the Lucii come to life for Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV. Square Enix sent Image Engine a variety of environments and other assets at the start of production, and Image Engine commenced the animation process using body and facial motion capture provided by Square. In addition, Image Engine's own animators donned Xsens MVN suits to capture in-house mo-cap data. The animators even filmed themselves acting out fight scenes with cardboard swords, working with a martial arts expert who helped provide direction on combat choreography. Sequence director Yamamoto Kazuhito stayed at Image Engine's Vancouver headquarters to work with the team. For Insomnia, Image Engine team produced a library of buildings, many of which were intended to be destroyed by the Lucii, and populated them throughout the city based on a guide map provided by Square Enix.

Trivia

 * There being thirteen past kings who aid Noctis in his final struggle, as well as thirteen royal arms, is an allusion to number thirteen, as per the game's origins as Final Fantasy Versus XIII.
 * The Lucian kings could be compared to l'Cie from the Fabula Nova Crystallis: Final Fantasy series to which Final Fantasy Versus XIII was part of, as they have a mission to a Crystal. "Lucis", "Lucii" and "l'Cie" sound similar, although this could be a coincidence. Both the Lucian kings from Final Fantasy XV and l'Cie from Fabula Nova Crystallis are also homage to Warriors of Light, the traditional Final Fantasy heroes who answer the calling of a crystal.
 * Lucis had a more overt relationship to the Grim Reaper in earlier drafts, but this was toned down due to ratings concerns. Imagery relating to skulls still appears among the main cast's outfits and the insignia of Lucis. This may allude to the revering of the dead kings.
 * The spirits of the past kings allude to the Knights of the Round, a recurring summon in the series. The thirteen Lucian kings of old appear during the final encounter, similar to how the Knights of the Round perform when summoned in Final Fantasy VII.
 * Gilgamesh can phase, similar to the power of the kings of Lucis. When he phases, he leaves behind muted red holograms.
 * According to the research notes found in Zegnautus Keep, Niflheim is developing a Wallbreaker Wave that can neutralize all magical phenomena exhibited by Lucian royalty.
 * The first king is said to have reigned some 2000 years ago. Regis is the 113th king, meaning that on average, the reign of each monarch lasted less than 18 years.
 * The way the kings of Lucis have been given divine blessing to rule is akin to the, a political and religious doctrine that asserts that a monarch derives the right to rule from the will of God.