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Bahamut is the overarching antagonist in Final Fantasy XV. He first appears to be an ally of Noctis Lucis Caelum in the base storyline of Final Fantasy XV, but is soon revealed to be the true villain of the game's expanded universe.
Story
Bahamut and the Astrals have ruled over Eos since before the beginning of time. After the nation of Solheim turned on the gods, triggering the War of the Astrals that spread the Starscourge, Bahamut wanted to destroy the planet without considering another, morally acceptable solution, showing his first signs that he is either already evil, or at least on his way to becoming as such. With the other gods exhausting themselves to stop his Terra Flare from destroying Eos, Bahamut was able to keep his attempted genocide unknown to man, and then he chose to maniupulate two bloodlines to their deaths, all to eliminate the threat he should have dealt with more ethically without regard for his own wellbeing.
Though his plan came to fruition (in the game's initial ending) at the expense of an uncountable number of lives, including all the Lucian Kings and Oracles, a newly revealed timeline is soon shown where Noctis learns the truth of Bahamut, who revived Lunafreya to gather the darkness for Bahamut to use Terra Flare again, which is again thwarted by the other Astrals, including a newly purified Ifrit. Noctis then cooperates with Ardyn to destroy Bahamut in both the physical and spiritual planes, which makes the other Astrals and all magic disappear from Eos forever, but the Crystal absorbs all that remains of the Starscourge before shattering, saving the planet at last.
Personality
Bahamut is/was protective of the planet, but possesses a ruthless streak, as more clearly evidenced in the bonus content added after release: Final Fantasy XV: Comrades, Final Fantasy XV: Episode Ardyn and Final Fantasy XV -The Dawn Of The Future-. The content released after the main game reveals him to be uncaring toward the individuals who are to play a part in the fate he has spelled for the planet. His attitude in both the main game and additional content paint him as borderline fatalistic in his dismissal of an alternate solution to destroying the Scourge, to the point of an unhealthy obsession that is most fully expressed in The Dawn of the Future, where he completely abandons the salvation of Eos. Bahamut deems humanity inherently foolish without admitting his own horiffic actions, considering them of no more value to him than flowers.
Trivia
- This depiction of Bahamut is the first to become outright evil without any outside influence or another antagonistic character controlling him, in a subversion of his role in the original Final Fantasy appropriate enough(for most fans to think FFXV could be the last numbered game in the series).
- As with Ardyn, before his reveal to be a legitimately tragic (anti-)villain, Bahamut is one of the few villains to win, at least in the game's original ending. The companion epilogue novel, "The Dawn of the Future", shows a new timeline, branching off from the end of Episode Ardyn, where Bahamut's true nature is exposed before it's too late.
- Very ironically, in the new timeline, Bahamut's original goal of destroying the Scourge is still fulfilled, but through his destruction by Noctis and Ardyn using the very power he intended to use against them, with Ardyn still dying but Noctis being saved as a result.
- His role is similar to Bhunivelze in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII. Final Fantasy XV was originally conceived as part of the Fabula Nova Crysallis series, which includes FFXIII, it's two sequels, and Final Fantasy Type-0.
- Bahamut appeared in a more positive light in those other titles.
- Bahamut's desire to wipe out all life can be considered a throwback to earlier Final Fantasy villains like Zeromus , (Neo) Exdeath, and Kefka wanting to do the same thing. While his motivation is somewhat justifiable compared to theirs, it is ultimaely overridden by the audacity of his chosen approach, his stubborn authoritarianism, and perhaps worst of all his diminishing lack of respect for human life.
- The result of magic and summons dying out with Bahamut is identical to what happened at the end of Final Fantasy VI after Kefka is killed, since he had become the "God of Magic".