Final Fantasy XV

CH.13 explains the reasoning behind this, but I still think they could have done a better job establishing them as enemies early on. I also found that with the outside content it made Ravus even more confusing of a character

FF15's worldmap is not enormous as far as geographic scale is concerned. The world maps in most FF games have been of a global scale - the size of an entire planet and the landmasses/oceans contained therein. FF15's two main continents are the size of real-life islands - they are certainly not of a global scale. In the old games they simply used a map scale for portraying geographic features. For instance, they would portray an entire crater, similar to titan's area in FF15, by using a itty-bitty crater the size of your character on the worldmap. SE's focus on micro-detailing the worldmap came at the cost of a miniature and relatively empty of content worldmap.

Originally Ardyn Lucis Caelum, was a Lucian resident 2000 years ago chosen by the Astral gods to save Eos from the Starscourge, a malady that transformed people into daemons. Ardyn absorbed countless daemons into himself, resulting in his immortality, to save thousands across the world.

However, another jealous king (Noctis' ancestor) demonized him in front of his own people, and the Astrals denounced him as unclean, denying him entry to the Astral Realm. The same jealous king later becomes chosen by the crystal, and because of his newly obtained immortality, Ardyn took the surname of "Izunia" and vowed to one day have his revenge on the True King's descendants and the Crystal.

Ardyn bided his time for millennia before establishing himself as chancellor to Iedolas Aldercapt, providing his knowledge to the Niflheim army to begin his plan for revenge. It is hinted that "Izunia" was originally the name of the king who banished Ardyn.

Ardyn travels to Lucis to offer Aldercapt's terms of peace to its reigning monarch, Regis Lucis Caelum CXIII. Besides relaying demands for Regis to surrender all territories save for Insomnia, Ardyn also insisted for the king to have his son Noctis wed Lunafreya Nox Fleuret. When Niflheim invades the Crown City three days later during the treaty signing, Ardyn and Aldercapt steal the Crystal during the crisis. The pair then watch the Old Wall fight a Diamond Weapon before fleeing.

Ardyn meets Noctis and his friends for the first time at Galdin Quay. There, he cryptically tells them the local ferry is no longer running. Declaring himself an "impatient traveler," Ardyn states the ceasefire between Lucis and Niflheim is "getting us nowhere." He then tosses a coin to Noctis and company, telling them to consider it their "allowance." Gladiolus Amicitia catches the coin and demands Ardyn's identity. The suspicious stranger merely states he is "a man of no consequence."

In Lestallum, Ardyn offers to take Noctis and his friends to the Astral Shard, under which Titan rests. He bids the young men goodbye but returns soon afterwards in a Niflheim airship to save them from the Archaean's wrath. In doing so, Ardyn reveals his identity as Niflheim's chancellor yet continues helping Noctis and company while preventing Niflheim's army from hunting them down.

After Lunafreya Nox Fleuret summons Leviathan in Altissia, Ardyn confronts the Oracle and stabs her with a dagger. He appears once more before Noctis on a train ride to Gralea, Niflheim's capital, and torments him. Ardyn tricks Noctis into pushing Prompto Argentum off the train, and he later witnesses the Glacian, Shiva, grant Noctis her power.

In Gralea, Ardyn continuously taunts Noctis after the Lucian king is separated from his allies. After Noctis reunites with Ignis Scientia and Gladiolus, he has the trio face Iedolas Aldercapt and Ravus Nox Fleuret, who have been turned into daemons. When Noctis abandons his friends to seek power from the Crystal, Ardyn confronts him and reveals his true identity. As he watches the Crystal absorb Noctis, Ardyn states he will be waiting for the young man to return as the True King.

With Lunafreya dead and Noctis out of the way, Ardyn enacts the Starscourge, thus causing daemons to run amok in Eos for the next decade. He is confronted in his new abode, Insomnia, by a reawakened Noctis and his allies, whom he pits against the Infernian, Ifrit.

Following the hostile Astral's defeat, Ardyn incapacitates Noctis's allies and faces the rival king himself. Overpowered by Noctis, Ardyn is finally able to rest in peace. His body fades away, and his spirit is destroyed when Noctis, who gave his life to halt the Starscourge and purge the daemons, uses the power of those he cherishes and the Lucian kings of old to land a final blow.