Template:Sideicon Thancred Waters is a male midland Hyur Gladiator and later Rogue who played an important role in the Ul'dah storyline of the original Final Fantasy XIV and currently in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn.
Profile
Appearance
Thancred is a Hyur of medium height and ash-blond hair. He has neck tattoos like his former Circle of Knowing allies Yda, Papalymo, and Y'shtola. He wears a white long-sleeved shirt covered by black tunic with straps of leather belts over his left shoulder and a black belt on his waist. He wears white fingerless gloves and greenish pants with a heavily patterned black leather greaves and sandals. Thancred's attire changed a bit during the events of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, now wearing a white belt and Sharlayan goggles on his left shoulder.
Ever since Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward Thancred's hair has grown longer, his left eye changed from brown to gray, and he now wears an eye patch over his left eye. While he maintains it is purely aesthetic, in the rare instances his eye is visible it is notably silver instead of the original brown.
In Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers, he reverts to his original hairstyle, having done away with the eye patch and now wears a white version of the Gunbreaker's relic gear.
Personality
Thancred is an intelligent smooth-talker with a fondness for women, though he does get flustered when Minfilia Warde points out some of the shadier elements of his past, even as a compliment. Thancred is devoted to Minfilia and views her as a close friend, akin to a sister. Following the events of the Calamity, Thancred became a workaholic to the point of exhaustion, trying to fill in the shoes of Louisoix Leveilleur.
After learning that Minfilia had become the Word of the Mother, Thancred's disposition changed, becoming less cheerful and more stoic and hardened, though he still retains his dry wit. Despite this, Thancred has come to accept Minfilia's fate.
Despite his rather wise-cracking nature, Thancred is devoted to Scions of the Seventh Dawn's cause, both in believing in the cause and to honor Minfilia. He has become something akin to their spy and recon-agent, willing to delve deep into hostile territory for the Scions. Each of the Scions have become fond of Thancred and view him as a close friend. Thancred in return is protective of his friends and allies. In particular, he holds the Warrior of Light in the highest esteem.
In the later patches of Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood, a part of Thancred was revealed as a cunning and clever tactician. He proposed to propel the rumor that the "resurrected" Zenos yae Galvus is, in fact, a puppet controlled by a servant of darkness, which would incite rival factions within the Garlean Empire to grapple for the throne. Thus, sending the empire into a second war of succession and putting the Ascian's plans into jeopardy.
Story
Early life
Thancred was a street urchin in Limsa Lominsa, snatching purses with a band of petty thieves. One day he targeted Louisoix Leveilleur, but was caught red-handed. Instead of turning him in, Louisoix asked Thancred to aid his fellow man with his talents. The boy returned with Louisoix to study survival and intelligence gathering techniques, becoming an Archon and then a member of the Circle of Knowing.
At the age of seventeen, Thancred appeared in Ul'dah on the day of a big festival, aiding in the subduing of a Goobbue that suddenly went on a rampage. He questioned the actions of Niellefresne for orchestrating the events at the parade costing the life of Ascilla's father. Unable to get Nielle to fess up, Thancred was exiled from the city until the authorities looked to question him. He discovered Nielle collapsed on the floor and witnessed his death. Knowing Garlean spymasters would come for Ascilla due to her father's betrayal, Thancred renamed her "Minfilia" so none would come looking for her.
Thancred drifted in and out of Minfilia's life, but on her eighteenth birthday he delivered her a mythril knife and a missive from his mentor: Louisoix Leveilleur. She was upset he told Louisoix about her gift, but Thancred revealed that the Echo will help people survive the upcoming calamity, although how she uses it would be up to her.[1]
Version 1.0
Thancred appeared alongside Yda, Papalymo, and Y'shtola when the four attempted to defeat Gaius van Baelsar. He prayed at the Milvaneth Sacrarium as the Calamity struck. Though not shown, in Tales from the Calamity[2] he had persuaded the Sultana Nanamo Ul Namo to do a similar vigil at the Arrzaneth Ossuary.
Final Fantasy XIV
Thancred is met in Ul'dah after an altercation with some thugs led by Ungust harassing a refugee woman in the streets. Realizing the Warrior of Light had used the Echo to clear her name, he offers an invitation to meet the Antecedent in the Waking Sands with the password "Wild Rose" to be given to the clerk Tataru. The Warrior of Light meets Minfilia there, who introduces the other Scions of the Seventh Dawn and assigns the Warrior to assist Thancred in discovering who is responsible for missing refugees in Camp Drybone.
They discover it was Ungust posing as a priest of Nald'thal to lure the poor into being captured by Amalj'aa. The Warrior of Light is caught in a trap and taken to the Bowl of Embers along with Ungust and a corrupt Brass Blades member. After the Warrior of Light slays the Lord of the Inferno itself in self-defense, Thancred arrives with a detachment of the Immortal Flames and regrets he could not help sooner. He confides that the other survivors had to be put down due to Ifrit's tempering. He gradually appears less often at the Waking Sands as he works on other assignments.
Thancred possessed by Lahabrea.
Much later, it's discovered that Thancred was possessed by Lahabrea via a black crystal necklace while he was investigating the Ascians. Using his body, Lahabrea secretly aided both the beastmen and Gaius Van Baelsar to bring about the return of "the one true god." He unmasks at Castrum Centri as the Scions escape on Cid's airship. They realize this was how Livia sas Junius was able to raid the Waking Sands, and conclude Thancred became possessed due to pushing himself so hard to make up for Louisoix's absence.
During the final confrontation with the Ultima Weapon, Lahabrea explains to Gaius that the light of the mothercrystal is shielding the party from the superweapon's assault. He reveals the real reason he had it absorb the primals: to activate the Heart of Sabik and awaken a sliver of his god's power, Ultima. To Gaius's horror, Lahabrea demonstrates its power by using it to destroy much of the Praetorium and exhaust all of Hydaelyn's strength to shield the party. They yet defeat Gaius and Lahabrea confronts the Warrior of Light directly. Though he taunts that they would have kill Thancred to fight him off, the Warrior of Light has a trump card: the Light of the Crystals they had found enables them to purge Lahabrea from Thancred's body. As the ruined Imperial base crumbles, the Warrior of Light escapes with an unconscious Thancred using a Magitek Reaper.
During the events of "Through the Maelstrom," Thancred accompanies the Warrior of Light and Y'shtola in investigating reports of stolen crystal shipments in Thanalan. After ruling out the Amalj'aas' involvement, they learn the raids were carried out by the Serpent Reavers on behalf of the Sahagin who are intending to summon Leviathan. As the Scions investigate Sapsa Spawning Grounds, Thancred demonstrates his knife-wielding skills, and to his astonishment, the newcomer Yugiri demonstrates similar talents from her homeland. After Leviathan is felled at sea, Minfilia reveals (to Thancred's embarrassment) that his knife skills were learned in his days with the Limsa Lominsan underground. Intrigued, Yugiri wants to be introduced to this "Fraternity" and share her knowledge.
Later in the "Before the Fall" storyline, when the Scions are betrayed by the Crystal Braves and framed for the apparent assassination of Nanamo Ul Namo, Thancred is confronted by a squad of Brass Blades who want to arrest him for colluding with the Garleans. Initially believing them to be referring to his actions while under Lahabrea's control, he evades capture and meets up with the other Scions, who are currently fleeing Ul'dah. He reveals a hidden tunnel that leads out of the city, but their pursuers follow. Y'shtola and Thancred remain behind to ensure that the Warrior of Light and Minfilia escape by causing a cave in. At the last second, Y'shtola uses the ancient spell Flow to transport herself and Thancred to safety. However, while Y'shtola is trapped within the Lifestream, Thancred ends up in the wilderness of the Dravanian Forelands.
Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward
Thancred shortly after emerging from the Lifestream.
In "As Goes Light, So Goes Darkness," Thancred fashions obsidian blades to hunt and wear animal skins to cover his naked body. He finds the Vath and barters food with them for more ideal clothing. When Thancred learns of the Gnath and Ravana, he realizes his best chance of finding the other Scions is by staying near the beastmen tribe. Thancred later encounters the Warrior of Light, Alphinaud, Y'shtola, and Krile while they are looking for him in the Smoldering Wastes at Loth ast Gnath, saving the Warrior of Light from the leader of the Warriors of Darkness. Later, he assists in the investigation of the arson incidents in Ishgard.
Y'shtola confides to the Warrior of Light that she suspects the reason Thancred did not attempt to teleport out of Dravania was due to a side-effect of the Lifestream distorting his aether to the point of being unable to use any form of magick, including teleportation.
Thancred ignores Alphinaud's beckoning.
In "The Gears of Change", Thancred learns of Minfilia's fate as the Word of the Mother and the Scions promise to fulfill her wishes and defeat the Ascians once and for all. After the Scions discuss what happened to Minfilia with Matoya, a bereaved Thancred walks away while at a loss for words.
In "Soul Surrender", Thancred rescues Alisaie Leveilleur after her run in with the Warriors of Darkness, having been keeping an eye on them. Thancred fights alongside the other Scions against the Warriors of Darkness at the Bowl of Embers.
In "The Far Edge of Fate", Thancred arrives with Hilda on an airship to pick up the Scions on top of Baelsar's Wall just as Ilberd Feare sets into motion his plan to summoning a primal using the Eyes of Nidhogg and the sacrifice of himself and his soldiers. Soon realizing what Papalymo intends to do, Thancred carries Yda over his shoulder back to the airship despite her protests. The airship gets away just as a shell of light engulfs the manifesting primal.
Creation and development
Voice
Thancred is voiced by Taliesin Jaffe (credited as T. Axelrod) in the English version of A Realm Reborn. He shares his voice actor with Edge Geraldine from Final Fantasy IV. Since Heavensward, he is voiced by Peter Bramhill.
In A Realm Reborn, Thancred is voiced by Yuichi Nakamura in the Japanese version. He shares his voice actor with Cid Raines from Final Fantasy XIII.
Other appearances
Thancred has appeared in the following games throughout the Final Fantasy series:
- Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia as a playable character.
- Theatrhythm Final Fantasy All-Star Carnival as a playable character.
- Pictlogica Final Fantasy as a playable character.
- Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade as a Legend.
- Final Fantasy Record Keeper as a playable character.
- Final Fantasy Brave Exvius as a summonable vision.
- Final Fantasy Trading Card Game as a card.
- Triple Triad as cards.
Other media
Thancred appears on a sticker set for the LINE communications app. The sticker set he appears in is titled "ファイナルファンタジーXIV.[3]
Gallery
Trivia
- Thancred is a Bard, but he uses knives instead of bows. In battle he is treated as a Gladiator. In patch 2.2 it is revealed that he is a former member of the Rogue Guild and from then on is treated as a Rogue.
- A Wind-up Thancred appears as a minion that could previously only be purchased during The Rising event. It is now available for purchase in the Mog Station.
- In patch 3.4, Thancred's in-game model was slightly altered. His right eye was returned to its original brown while his left (seen when he and Krile are at the imperial castrum) remained the silver it was originally changed to, indicating that the eyepatch is not "purely aesthetic".