Final Fantasy 14 fans have spotted a reference to The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion within the game, and it's to one of the biggest memes produced by Bethesda's fantasy RPG. The meme has grown so popular that it's not only been referenced in Final Fantasy 14, but Bethesda has returned to it in one of its own games.
Final Fantasy and The Elder Scrolls are both legendary RPG franchises in their own right, and they've both spawned myriads of memes as a result. This isn't the first time that the two series have featured each others' memes, either. The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind features a reference to Final Fantasy 6's Kefka in a dungeon, while Final Fantasy Dimensions has a nod to the iconic "I used to be an adventurer like you. Then I took an arrow in the knee..." From Skyrim. Now, another reference to The Elder Scrolls in Final Fantasy 14 has emerged.
Final Fantasy 14 Expansion Tier List
Although Final Fantasy 14 has significantly changed since its disastrous 1.0 launch, some expansions have fared better than others.
Final Fantasy 14 Includes Amusing Nod to Oblivion
A Final Fantasy 14 fan called ZippoMoon has pointed out that there's an NPC that can be found in the game's latest expansion, Dawntrail, that appears to be an intentional reference to one from Oblivion. Specifically, in Dawntrail's Solution Nine zone, a male midlander Hyur can be found called Adoring Fan. He plays a minor role in a couple of quests, but aside from that, can be spoken to directly, where he praises the Warrior of Light for their feats in The Arcadion. If the name "Adoring Fan" weren't enough of a reference to the NPC of the same moniker in Oblivion, he also directly refers to the player as the "grand champion" and endlessly falls all over himself praising the player.
Fans of Oblivion know all about the Adoring Fan, who makes an appearance at the Imperial City's Arena once the player character has defeated the Gray Prince to become the new Grand Champion. Although the NPC in Final Fantasy 14 doesn't follow the player character around, and doesn't bear a strong resemblance to his namesake from Oblivion, the reference is clearly intentional, given the wording. Fans have been amused by the sighting, making memes and jokes around it like turning the Oblivion Adoring Fan's catchphrase "By Azura, by Azura, by Azura!" Into "By Azeyma, by Azeyma, by Azeyma!" Referring to one of Final Fantasy 14's gods.
The Elder Scrolls fans have a bit of a strange relationship with the Adoring Fan, as some absolutely hate him, while others find him amusing. In Oblivion, he's fairly useless, as he follows the player character but can't fight or defend himself by any method other than running away. However, his character has remained a meme among fans for nearly 20 years since Oblivion's release, and the launch of Oblivion Remastered likely brought him back to the forefront of many fans' minds.
Even Bethesda has a bit of a soft spot for the Adoring Fan, it seems, as it was revealed prior to Starfield's launch that an Adoring Fan existed in that game, too. He largely looks the same, albeit in Starfield's updated art style, and even has the same voice actor. However, unlike his Oblivion counterpart, the Adoring Fan in Starfield does come equipped with a weapon, and can join the player as a member of their crew.
At this point, it's not known if Bethesda intends to continue the meme with its future games, like in The Elder Scrolls 6. Although it wouldn't be the same person, since The Elder Scrolls 6 will likely be set long after the events of Oblivion, the trope could potentially carry on into that game. Given how long players have already waited for The Elder Scrolls 6 with no sign of its launch yet on the horizon, though, more references to the Adoring Fan could pop up in other games before that happens.
- Released
- August 27, 2013
- ESRB
- T for Teen - Language, Mild Blood, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Engine
- Originally the Crystal Tools engine, but currently it's a custom engine using parts of the Luminous Engine.
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- MMORPG
