Ardyn Izunia

“	I'll never forgive you, Somnus. This monster may not be able to destroy you, but I'll see to it that I destroy everything you built! Hear me, gods above! No longer shall I supplicate you for pardon. No longer shall I sojourn towards the light. Nay... the path I intend to tread is paved with blood and darkness. No longer shall I seek your guidance. This path is mine to tread alone. Hahahahahaha, hahahahahaha, hahahahahahahaha.	„
	~ Ardyn announcing his goal

Summary

Ardyn Izunia (Formerly known as Ardyn Lucis Caelum) is the main antagonist of Final Fantasy XV. Over two thousand years before the game, Ardyn was set as the King of Lucis destined to purge the world of the monstrous creatures known as daemons. However, he found himself in a trap set up by his brother Somnus who declared himself as king and accused him as a traitor, chaining him in Angelgard where he would remain for two thousand years due to having absorbed a vast quantity of the energy of the Starscourge, giving him immortality. Soon after being freed, he adopted the surname "Izunia" and swore revenge on the brother that betrayed him, awaiting the day on which he would destroy the True King and the Crystal.

At some point in the future, Ardyn became the Chancellor of the Niflheim Empire, but despite his rank, he seemed to hold more authority than Emperor Iedolas Aldercapt himself. When the game begins, Ardyn appears at random points in Noctis' journey to offer the prince and his allies advice and even assistance, to bring Noctis closer to the Crystal and his destiny as the King of Light.

Powers and Stats

Tier: At least 6-B, higher with Arminger Arsenal, possibly High 6-A | At least High 6-B, possibly High 6-A | At least 2-A

Name: Ardyn Izunia, Ardyn Lucis Caelum, Adagium

Origin: Final Fantasy XV

Gender: Male

Age: 33 during Episode Ardyn: Prologue. Over 2,000 years old as of Final Fantasy XV

Classification: Human infused with Daemonic Energy, Former Chancellor of Niflheim

Powers and Abilities:

• Final Fantasy XV
• Dissidia
• With the Crystal Core of Darkness

Superhuman Physical Characteristics, Weapon Mastery, Magic, Aura, Flight, Teleportation, Duplication, Intangibility, Time Stop, Illusion Creation, Absorption, Fire Manipulation, Ice Manipulation, Electricity Manipulation, Air Manipulation, Light Manipulation, Darkness Manipulation, Mind Manipulation (Brainwashed The Fierce into fighting the party, after which The Fierce claimed "his mind was not his own"; before doing the same with The Rogue and The Mystic), Memory Manipulation (Can see the memories of those he Daemonifies, and has abused this power to learn as much of Lucis as he could), Biological Manipulation/Corruption (Type 1. Can turn people into Daemons with Daemonification), Immortality (Types 1 and 3), Regeneration (At least High-Mid; casually regenerated from being frozen solid and shattered, likely Low-Godly; implied to not need his original physical form to live, and that no damage to it would matter in the long run, including the total destruction of it), Summoning (Can summon various weapons in battle as well as Ifrit to aid him), Forcefield Creation (Recreated the Wall around the Citadel), Telekinesis, Resistance towards Fire Manipulation, Ice Manipulation, Electricity Manipulation and Darkness Manipulation (With Shield of the Just)

• Abilites
• Resistances
• With Eidolons

All previous abilities enhanced, Summoning (Can summon various Eidolons from Summonstones and the World of Illusions), Willpower Manipulation (a person's will is power there and enables them to do a multitude of things the stronger their will), Reactive Power Level (the greater someone's will, the greater their power), Law Manipulation (Beings with strong wills can overwrite the laws of the world and bend them to their will), Creation (With a powerful enough will, once can create various things such as phone lines, airships and even entire countries and worlds), Sealing (Can seal off large areas and people with her will, such as Cecil sealing himself in Castle Baron or the cast sealing Kefka inside a Torsion), Dimensional Travel (Characters can open Torsions, rifts in space-time to travel various dimensions), and Immortality (Type 2) (Due to the crystal core of darkness's influence in the hands of Ardyn, warriors will not die no matter how injured they are)

Resistance to Mind Manipulation, Soul Manipulation (Via Zalera, the Death Serpah, who was going to absorb the souls of every living being on the planet), Corruption & Body Puppetry (Due to their light, Warriors of Materia can dispel attempts to control them), Empathic Manipulation, and Madness Manipulation (Type 3; Resistant to the effects of the True Moon, which is capable of affecting the hearts and minds of all living beings on the planet), Gravity Manipulation (Unaffected by the gravitational pull of the True Moon, which even the Lunar Whale couldn't escape from), Spatial Manipulation, Deconstruction, and BFR (Can withstand the attacks of Atomos, who manipulates space, crush enemies down to a molecular level, and can warp them into another dimension), Extreme Cold and Cosmic Radiations (Can fight and survive on the moon), Absolute Zero (Can survive Shiva's ice attacks, including Diamond Dust),

Hellfire Manipulation (Via Ifrit, Phoenix, Rubicante, and Marilith), Ice Manipulation and Absolute Zero and Duplication (Via Shiva who's Ice and aura are stated to reach Absolute Zero including her Diamond Dust, Shiva can duplicate herself), Water Manipulation (via Kraken, Cagnazzo, and Leviathan), Necromancy (Via Lich), Spatial Manipulation, Deconstruction, and BFR (via Atomos, who manipulates space, crush enemies down to a molecular level, and can warp them into another dimension), Death Manipulation and Space-Time Manipulation (Via Odin, who's Zantetsuken instantly kills an enemy and opens a rift in space time to take their remains), Matter Manipulation and Radiation Manipulation (via Megaflare, which is stated numerous times to be a nuclear power), Attack Reflection (via Carbuncle), Poison Manipulation and Corrosion Inducement (The Poison status effect, which is also stated to corrode the target), Darkness Manipulation and Perception Manipulation (The darkness status ailment via various equipment, which would render the target blind), Power Nullification (The Silence status, which would render the target's ability to use magic null), and Petrification (Via Malboro's Bad Breath), Resurrection (Phoenix can revive fallen party members), Light Manipulation and Holy Manipulation (Via Alexander), Explosion Manipulation and Self-Destruction (Via Bomb), Healing (Via Sylph and Asura), Earth Manipulation (Via Titan), BFR (via Typhon), Soul Manipulation (Via Zalera, the Death Seraph, who was going to abosrb all souls on the planet)

All previous abilities greatly enhanced, the abilities of the crystals (The Crystal Core contains the powers of Neo Exdeath and God of Magic Kefka), Reality Warping (The crystal can rewrite the world) Corruption and Body Puppetry (Ardyn was able to corrupt Caius Ballad and Ultimecia and control their bodies Seymour implies that the wielder of the Crystal could directly control the warriors of spiritus and drive them to rampage.), Law Manipulation (The Crystal Core maintains the laws of the Land of Respite), Sealing and Power Absorption (The Crystal Core was capable of sealing the transformations of the Warriors of Spiritus inside itself and can control them, which includes Hell Emperor, Neo Exdeath, God of Magic Kefka, Safer Sephiroth, Chaos Bahamut, Griever Ultimecia, Sin & Braska's Final Aeon, Seymour Omnis, The Undying, and Incognitus), Clairvoyance (Ardyn was capable of using the crystal core to see what's happening in the other worlds.), Immortality (Types 2 and 8, Ardyn was able to prevent all warriors deaths no matter how injured they were via the crystal)

Attack Potency: At least Country level, higher with Arminger Arsenal, possibly Multi-Continent level (Comparable to post-timeskip Noctis, wields the same Armiger Arsenal used by his descendants. Fought and defeated King Regis in his prime) | At least Large Country level, possibly Multi-Continent level (Far stronger than before in Dawn of the Future, had the power of the past Kings and fought Bahamut in the Beyond) | At least Multiverse level+ (Is able to keep up with the other Warriors of Spiritus and draws power from the gods of the cycle. Participated in the defeat of Shinryu.) far higher with the Crystal Core of Darkness (Was in control of the crystal core of darkness which was stated to be Superior to the void and was going to use it's power to destroy the multiverse.)

Speed: At least Relativistic+ (Capable of keeping up with Post-Timeskip Noctis), Lightspeed with Warp Strike (Can also use the Warp Strike, which travels at the speed of light) | At least FTL (far faster than before, should be comparable to King of Light Noctis) | Massively FTL+ (Should be comparable to the other Warriors of Spiritus) far higher with the Crystal Core

Lifting Strength: Class T (Comparable to Noctis) | Immeasurable (Is superior to Neo Exdeath and Enuo) far higher with the Crystal Core (Effortlessly overpowered Noctis in a Warp-Strike Clash)

Striking Strength: At least Country Class, higher with Arminger Arsenal, possibly Multi-Continent Class | At least Large Country Class, possibly Multi-Continent Class | At least Multiversal+ far higher with the Crystal Core

Durability: At least Country level, higher with Arminger Arsenal, possibly Multi-Continent level (Tanked attacks from Noctis, survived a full power blast from Noctis' Armiger Arsenal, only finally going down after being struck by all 13 of his Royal Arms in succession after the fact) | At least Large Country level, possibly Multi-Continent level | At least Multiverse level+ far higher with the Crystal Core (Completely stalemated the Dissidia cast)

Stamina: Extremely high

Range: Extended melee range with various weapons. Hundreds of meters with magic. Tens of kilometers with warping and Armiger Arsenal. | Multiversal+ higher with the Crystal Core

Standard Equipment: Thirteen Royal Arms

Intelligence: Despite his frivolous and lighthearted exterior, Ardyn is wickedly intelligent. Being the Chancellor of Niflheim, Ardyn is incredibly skilled in the arts of negotiation and deception, effectively ruling the empire despite his lack of royal title, convincing Lucis to sign a false peace treaty with Niflheim, and tricking the entire party into believing that he was simply an ordinary traveler, never realizing his true identity until Ardyn told them himself. He also invented the process for converting humans into completely inorganic Magitek Infantry, a deed that fueled his rise to his position as Chancellor and paved the way for the rest of his plans. In combat, Ardyn fights almost identically to his descendant, Noctis, summoning a wide variety of different weapons in battle and swapping between them on a whim. To this end, his long life has granted him thousands of years of experience dealing with Daemons and any other enemies in his path, allowing him to evenly duel Noctis despite the latter’s awakening as the King of Light.

Weaknesses: Ardyn is somewhat arrogant and likes to taunt his enemies. He can be killed permanently by destroying his soul in the spirit world with the Ring of Lucii's power. | If he is cut off from the Crystal Core, he cannot use it's power

Notable Attacks/Techniques:

Armiger Arsenal: Much like his descendant, Ardyn is capable of channeling the power of the previous Kings of Lucis and manifest their weapons around him, granting him flight and far higher power and speed.

• Sword of the Wise: The same blade wielded by his descendants Noctis and Regis, Ardyn utilizes it to warp around his foes, attacking their blindspots with devastating warp-strikes.

Sword of the Wise

• Axe of the Conqueror: A heavy axe wielded by a king known for his feats of arms. It is designed to wreak havoc with slow and devastating blows at the cost of Ardyn's defense.

Axe of the Conquerer

• Bow of the Clever: The bow of a king known for his martial and intellectual prowess, it launches a constant supply of piercing arrows that can be quickly drawn and fired while on the move.

Bow of the Clever

• Swords of the Wanderer: A pair of swords wielded by the king said to be a swift as the winds themselves, they allow Ardyn to unleash a deadly series of quick slashes and can combine for thundering attacks.

Swords of the Wanderer

• Blade of the Mystic: A longsword wielded by the king who sought to protect the world along with the Oracle, it bolsters Ardyn's strength while it is in hand. It also increases the wielder's resistance to the powers of darkness.

Blade of the Mystic

• Star of the Rogue: A throwing star wielded by a queen who took to the shadows and shunned the public's watchful eye, it can rapidly strike a single target multiple times or bounce between various targets. It also increases Ardyn's resistance to fire, lightning, and ice attacks.

Star of the Rogue

• Sword of the Tall: A greatsword wielded by a king as well-built as the mountains themselves, it resonates in its wielder's hand, striking its victims multiple times with a single swing at the expense of the wielder's resistance to the elements.

Greatsword of the Tall

• Shield of the Just: A shield that protected the queen devoted to peace and love for all, it automatically deflects oncoming attacks and allows Ardyn to expend magical energy to quickly heal himself. It also raises his resistance to fire, ice, lightning, and dark attacks at the expense of raw offensive power.

Shield of the Just

• Mace of the Fierce: A mace wielded by a king who was gentle to his people but a monster to his foes, it possesses an affinity for causing grievous harm to body parts and appendages, crushing them and thus rendering them useless.

Mace of the Fierce

• Scepter of the Pious: A staff wielded by a king who ruled according to divine law and worked in tandem with the Oracle, it takes upon numerous forms to smite its foes, obliterating them with swords of divine light. This staff also dramatically increases the wielder's resistance to the powers of darkness.

Scepter of the Pious

• Trident of the Oracle: The weapon wielded by the Oracle, who brought man and god together and brought comfort and tranquility to the stars above. It can produce holograms and afterimages of the wielder that can also attack foes.

Trident of the Oracle

• Katana of the Warrior: An oriental blade wielded by the King whose Queen was taken from him too soon, it can be drawn and strike in a single heartbeat and crushes foes relentlessly with a cascade of blows. It also increases the wielder's resistance to fire, ice, and lightning, but lowers their resistance to darkness.

Katana of the Warrior

• Sword of the Father: The sword wielded by King Regis, father of the True King, it is a mighty sword designed that nurtures the light and increases the power of one's finishing blows.

Sword of the Father

• Astrals: Manifestations of the power of the stars, Astrals function as the creatures Ardyn can summon after he forges a pact with them. Unlike Noctis, Ardyn only has one Astral available to him:
  • Ifrit, the Infernian: An Astral with an intense dislike for humanity, Ifrit appears as an immensely tall man with red skin and horns, resembling more typical interpretations of the demonic figure known as Satan. True to his title, Ifrit specializes in fire attacks, his entire body wreathed in flames to cause harm to all who touch him. He also can turn himself into a fire to evade enemy attacks. In addition to his command over fire, Ifrit has proven himself to a remarkably agile and skilled combatant, as even his mindless, reanimated corpse was able to dodge the entirety of Bahamut's Ultima Sword with a series of acrobatic maneuvers.

Key: Base | Dawn of the Future | Dissidia

Others

Notable Victories:

Notable Losses:

Inconclusive Matches: