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Ardyn Izunia is a playable character in Dissidia Final Fantasy NT and its arcade version. He is a Vanguard type and his EX Skill is Shadowstep. He is the second character and first villain representing Final Fantasy XV.

Ardyn's default player name is Nameless Chancellor. His manikin counterpart, the Twilight Chancellor, is black.

Profile[]

Appearance[]

Ardyn's default costume, called "Chancellor's Attire", is based on his appearance in Final Fantasy XV. He dresses in a black trench coat, maroon-and-ivory-striped vest, white shirt, pinstripe trousers, and black leather shoes. The attire is completed by a red scarf around his neck, a black fedora on his head, and a hooded, gray and white flower-print mantle over his trench coat. He does not carry the winged arm accessory that he sometimes has on him in the game and the movie. Its first alternate coloration turns the fedora, mantle and trench-coat maroon, his vest and trousers a darker shade of maroon, and his scarf and shirt black. Its second alternate coloration turns the fedora, trench-coat, vest and trousers white, and his mantle light gray.

His first alternate costume, "Devotee's Raiment", is an updated version of his appearance in the anime Final Fantasy XV: Episode Ardyn – Prologue. He wears a white tunic that features a white cape and that closes itself around the waist with a white sash. Beneath, there's a grey and white vest, a dark grey sweater and a white high-collared shirt, which in the original concept Ardyn artwork for FFXV Episode Ardyn Prologue for the anime was a normal shirt. Finally, he also wears beige fingerless gloves, trousers and boots. Its first alternate coloration makes Ardyn resemble his younger brother Somnus Lucis Caelum, Somnus, with the sweater, tunic and sash turning navy blue; the cape turns Spanish blue; and the vest, gloves and boots turn dark gray. Its second alternate coloration turns the tunic maroon, the mantle and sash red, the sweater olive green, and the gloves and boots dark gray.

Personality[]

Equipment[]

Ardyn wields a full Armiger set of royal arms. However, his customizable weapons are one-handed swords. Only his default weapon is wielded by him in Final Fantasy XV and its add-ons, while the rest are brand-new weapons he obtains in Dissidia NT (with the exception of his second alternate weapon, which already existed in Eos, although Ardyn himself does not wield it).

His default weapon is the Rakshasa Blade, his signature weapon named in Episode Ardyn. His first alternate weapon is the Divine Blade, which has a design that evokes to Ardyn's origins and his connection with the present state of his world of origin: the structure of the handle of the weapon resembles the Royal Palace of Insomnia while the blade references the crystal that is housed there. His second alternate weapon is Ifrit's Sword, the weapon of Ifrit from Final Fantasy XV; however the design of this adaptation of the blade is original for Dissidia NT, the blade no longer ending in a hooked shape and with no sash and strings of colors hanging off the handle. His third alternate weapon is the Blade of Ruin, inspired by the illness native in Eos with infecting capabilities.

Gameplay[]

  • Type: Vanguard - Landing dash bravery attacks grants Ardyn Spectral Charge. Certain abilities become stronger based on the amount of Spectral Charge Ardyn has.

Ardyn has a mixture of speed and power, both in his attacks and his movement, and can easily combo attacks together. When Ardyn lands his Dash Bravery attacks, he gains six stacks of Spectral Charge and can hold up to twelve, which is represented by him summoning his Armiger around him. When using his melee Bravery attacks, Ardyn will automatically expend stacks of Spectral Charge, one per hit, to boost the damage of the attack. Ardyn's HP attacks power up if he has six stacks of Spectral Charge when using them, and consume six Spectral Charge in the process. His EX Skill Shadowstep allows him to build Spectral Charge easier by doubling the stacks of Spectral Charges he gains for its duration. Because he consumes Spectral Charge when attacking even if his attacks miss or are blocked, Ardyn's player must be to not waste their Spectral Charge on whiffed attacks, and keep an eye on his stacks to not run out in the middle of a combo and lose out on the damage boost Spectral Charge provides. As further downsides, Ardyn's overall damage output is low without Spectral Charge, and he is reliant on Dash Bravery attacks to build up Spectral Charge, but as a Vanguard he has slow dashing speed.

Abilities[]

Move Damage Input Type Power Frame Data Image
Debilitating Chop Bravery DFF2015 II IconDFF2015 Right IIDFF2015 Right II Ground
Deliver a repeated series of slashes and kicks.
Rancorous Slash Bravery DFF2015 Up + II IconDFF2015 Right II Ground
Deliver a twofold attack while rushing forward.
Dark Tornado Bravery DFF2015 Down + II Icon Ground
Create an umbral whirlwind in front of you. Charge to send the whirlwind's initial location forward.
Vermin Strike Bravery DFF2015 II Icon Grounded Dash
Infiltrate a foe's weak point and bash them senseless.
Gain Spectral Charge if the attack lands.
Burst of Pain Bravery DFF2015 Up + II Icon Grounded Dash
Throw a sword high into the air and warp to any foe it strikes, causing an explosion.
Gain Spectral Charge if the attack lands.
Discordant Slice Bravery DFF2015 II IconDFF2015 Right IIDFF2015 Right II Aerial
Deliver a threefold strike.
Repelling Thrust Bravery DFF2015 Up + II IconDFF2015 Right II Aerial
Charge forward and slice with your blade.
Dark Firaga Bravery DFF2015 Down + II Icon Aerial
Cause an explosion of dark flame at a foe's location. (Can move while casting.) Charge to maintain the explosion.
Vermin Strike Bravery DFF2015 II Icon Aerial Dash
Infiltrate a foe's weak point and bash them senseless.
Gain Spectral Charge if the attack lands.
Stifling Shock Bravery DFF2015 Up + II Icon Aerial Dash
Grapple a foe from above and send out a shockwave when landing.
Gain Spectral Charge if the attack lands.
Warp-strike HP DFF2015 IV Icon -
Throw your blade and warp to that location, delivering a slashing attack.
With 6 or more Spectral Charge, deliver multiple frenzied slashes.
Additionally, it is possible to cancel into a dash if the attack lands.
Rising Phantom HP DFF2015 IV Icon -
Conjure forth innumerous royal arms around you.
With 6 or more Spectral Charge, the attack deals bravery damage as well.
Additionally, with 6 or more Spectral Charge, charge to increase radius.
Phantasmal Spirit HP DFF2015 IV Icon -
Bring your blade down to bear in front of you.
With 6 or more Spectral Charge, the attack has increased range and deals additional bravery damage.
Royal Retribution HP DFF2015 IV Icon -
Block bravery attacks with your shield and charge forward.
With 6 or more Spectral Charge, the attack repels bravery attacks, dealing bravery damage in turn.
Additionally, charge distance increases if an attack is repelled.
Shadowstep EX Skill DFF2015 I Icon
Temporarily fade out of existence while dashing, becoming immune to attacks in the process.
Additionally, increase the amount of Spectral Charge granted by dash bravery attacks.
  • While Ardyn has Spectral Charge, his bravery attacks Debilitating Chop, Rancorous Slash, Discordant Slice, and Repelling Thrust are enhanced, causing additional strikes while consuming Spectral Charge in the process.
    His HP attacks change even more drastically but consume 6 Spectral Charge upon activation.
    (The HP attacks are neither enhanced nor consume Spectral Charge if Ardyn has less than 6 Spectral Charge.)

Behind the scenes[]

Ardyn was revealed as the tenth DLC character during the 4th Anniversary of Dissidia Arcade on December 22, 2019. Due to a lack of time, Tetsuya Nomura only drew Ardyn's face for his Dissidia appearance.

He was released December 24, 2019 on arcades, and January 09, 2020 on consoles.

Voice[]

Ardyn is voiced in Japanese by the late Keiji Fujiwara, and in English by Darin De Paul, both returning from Final Fantasy XV.

Gallery[]

Allusions[]

  • Ardyn's sword is a red version of the Blade of the Mystic. In Final Fantasy XV his royal arms are red as opposed to Noctis's platinum, and in Final Fantasy XV: Episode Ardyn it was revealed his version of the Blade of the Mystic is the Rakshasa Blade.
  • Ardyn's alternate outfit is what he wore as a healer 2,000 years ago in Final Fantasy XV.
  • Ardyn's victory pose has him presumably daemonifying his opponent like in Episode Ardyn.
    • Similarly, Ardyn's introduction in his reveal trailer has him stand up and turn around while smirking and seeing the Lucii, alluding to the pre-battle cutscene with Somnus in Episode Ardyn.
    • Ardyn's defeat pose alludes to the aftermath of Bahamut's torture of him via an illusion of Aera Mirus Fleuret in the "reject fate" path for the ending of Episode Ardyn.
  • His summoning animation is based on when he summoned Ifrit in the siege of Insomnia in Final Fantasy XV: Episode Ardyn, where he snaps his fingers in the air and strikes a pose.
  • His custom quotes refer to various events he was involved in from his home game:
    • "I'm afraid you're out of luck." refers to what he says to Noctis and his retinue upon their arrival at Galdin Quay, as well as what he says just before confronting them in the throne room of Insomnia just before the final battle against him.
    • "Such adorable creatures." comes from an unused event in Chapter 3 where Ardyn would have guided the party to Chocobos.
    • "Have I given you reason to doubt me?" refers to what he says after delivering them to the Disc of Cauthess gates and allowing them passage.
    • "They have no place in this, the battle of kings!" refers to what Ardyn says to Noctis shortly after disabling Prompto, Gladiolus, and Ignis before the final boss fight against Ardyn.
    • "I shall foot the bill." When he offers to pay for expenses when staying the night at one of the resting locations.
    • "You are a second choice, at best." alludes to one of his taunts during the final battle against him (as well as during Kingly Clash).
    • The lines "You think ten years is a long time?!" and "It is nothing to me! I have lived in darkness for ages!" refers to his rant against Noctis during the final phase of the battle (as well as his victory gloat after winning "Kingly Clash").
    • "So, that is how you would end it." refers to his line after Noctis delivers the final blow to Ardyn with the Sword of the Father.
  • When encountering the Eidolon Bahamut, Ardyn quips that he never liked the summon anyways, alluding to Final Fantasy XV where Bahamut orchestrated a millennia-long plan to fell Ardyn and the darkness he harbored.
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