Nael van Darnus Nael van Darnus , born Eula Darnus , also known as The White Raven , is the main antagonist of the original " Final Fantasy XIV " storyline . Disguised as her late brother , she acts as The Legatus of the VIIth Legion dispatched to the western front , and boasts a distinguished parentage in her late father , a founding figure of the Garlean Empire , and a descendent of the Allagans . She carries a gunhalberd named Bradamante , said to be named after a warrior maiden she had killed . In truth it is named for the real Nael ' s Fiancee , who impaled herself on the weapon after his death . Profile . Appearance . In the original " Final Fantasy XIV " , Darnus wore silver full - body armor styled after Near and Middle Eastern clothing and armor , with a horned skull - like helmet concealing her face . Nael ' s more notable feature is the Garlean Third eye on her forehead . Personality . Feeling that the empire ' s invasion of Eorzea is of divine intervention to save its people from their pagan ideals , Darnus is ruthless and rose to infamy even among her own people . As she sees them as fools , Darnus draws no distinction between friend and enemy when met with opposition . When Darnus rose to power after the death of her ill father , who she actually assisinated , she had his father ' s closest aides executed soon after his burial . Despite these dark rumors , the battle prowess of Darnus and the VII Legion is such that , even though they have spent long years in active service , the Empire has deemed them too valuable to retire from the frontlines . During her operations Nael displays a liking for the theatrical while in the presence of the adventurer , using grand gestures while talking to those she views as below her . Gender . Nael ' s gender was treated differently depending on the language . In the Japanese version , the lack of voice acting and gendered pronouns left Nael ' s gender a mystery that wasn ' t revealed until she removed her mask in " A Realm Reborn " . The English version , however , was forced to use gendered pronouns and the localization team chose to use male terms . This made her reveal as a woman a bizarre twist that went unexplained until the reveal of her identity as Eula Darnus nearly two years later . Abilities . Being one of the Garlean Legatus , Nael is one of the Empire ' s most accomplished warriors . She is a skilled Lancer , having access to two of its strongest Weapon Skill s . Her gunhalberd can drain the aether from an aetherial node , and shoot it as high energy beam . Darnus is also capable of short range teleportation without needing to attune with an Aetheryte . After being powered by Dalamud , Darnus gained the ability to absorb other beings ' life energy and to animate stone golems . During the final battle , she could alter the aether flux around the Rivenroad to capture small fragments of Dalamud and attract them to it as small meteors , and by activating the ruins ' magicked glyphs , she also gained the ability to unleash a devastating energy beam over the entire area . Story . Before " Final Fantasy XIV " . Born Eula Darnus , she was the eldest daughter of the House Darnus and the heir to her family ' s secrets — secrets of the Allagan Empire . She dreamt of becoming a chirurgeon , a regular position of a Garlean lady of her parentage . She followed her elder brother , Nael into the army . Her dream died when he returned home , mortally wounded on what he claimed to be an ill - conceived mission their father ordered . Despite her efforts , she was unable to save her brother and stricken with grief , she assassinated her father , making it appear as if he perished to a disease . She started to pose as her brother and became the legatus in his stead . The first thing " Nael " did was execute their father ' s officers and guard , making her transformation into Nael complete . Version 1 . 0 . Darnus had been appearing at some camps to warn adventurers about false prophets . She met the adventurer as Ifrit was defeated , asking for the name of one who was victorious over a primal . After claiming the changes on Dalamud were of imperial doing for the land ' s betterment , Darnus saw the adventurer and their party were not interested in joining her cause . She drained a close aetherial gate using Bradamante and shot its energy towards the party , destroying the gate . In a later quest , the adventurer could use the echo to view the past of a Gridanian soldier , whom Darnus silenced for eavesdropping in a conversation between herself and Gaius Van Baelsar . In that dialogue , Darnus attempted to convince Gaius that conquering Eorzea was not enough to stop the primals ; the forbidden Allagan magic Meteor should be cast upon the land to purge them . Gaius initially disagreed due to the unpredictable nature of Dalamud , until Darnus claimed she can find the three tomestones needed to fully control the Meteor spell . In the aftermath of Garuda ' s defeat , Darnus revealed the deaths of the primals were the key to access Dalamud ' s power , while telling the adventurer that she will let them live long enough to destroy the other primals for him . Soon after , the construction of Castrum Novum was finished , and the lunar transmitter needed to call Dalamud upon Eorzea placed inside it and activated to bring down Meteor . Due to the efforts of the Grand Companies of Eorzea and several adventurers , the device was destroyed . Filled with rage , Nael defeated the group and was engulfed in a red light , which she claimed to be the power of Dalamud itself . She continued her attack , leaving the adventurer group wounded before walking way , saying she still has the means to purify Eorzea with the powers of Dalamud . Not long after , the companies tracked down Nael ' s location to nearby Allagan ruins in Camp Glory . An attack group was assembled and sent to the region , only to find the Rivenroad . Using the floating island as an altar , Nael sent fiery rocks raining from Dalamud to the countryside before the party arrived on the " Enterprise " . Losing a fierce battle , hoping to use the party as sacrificial offerings , Nael resorted to bathing in Dalamud ' s light for more power , losing what was left of her mind and becoming a being of pure hatred and destruction . Finally defeated , Darnus ' s body became pure energy and disappeared into wisps of light with her gunhalbred remaining . Her essence ended up in the possession of Bahamut , and was recreated within the Binding Coil of Bahamut as a guardian . " Final Fantasy XIV : A Realm Reborn " . Despite her defeat , the efforts of the adventurers who defeated Darnus were in vain as the wide - spread destruction caused by Bahamut ' s release reshaped much of Eorzea . Darnus ' s gunhalberd was believed to be intact , and remains in the possession of Gilgamesh , but the one he originally held was stolen by what Gilgamesh described as " the demon bird . " He later finds the fake copy which Inspector Hildibrand Manderville claimed to own , but realized this was a copy when he first used it in battle . The Binding Coil of Bahamut . During the adventurer ' s assistance in Alisaie ' s investigation in the first part of the Binding Coil of Bahamut , they see what appeared to be Darnus making a brief appearance alongside Louisoix as they were observing the head of Bahamut together , but the figure seems to go unnoticed by Alisaie . The Second Coil of Bahamut . When the adventurer and Alisaie arrive in the Outer Coil , they encounter Nael Van Darnus waiting behind the entrance gate . Nael approaches and reveals the original Nael Van Darnus perished upon the eve of the Calamity , and that her body is nothing but a shell Bahamut put his influence into , naming her Nael deus Darnus . Deus Darnus warns the party that should they venture deeper in the Second Coil , they will have to answer to her . After doing so , Nael jumps off the ledge of the entrance and disappears into the depths of the dungeon . Upon arriving to the Holocharts , Alisaie and the adventurer find themselves in an the Riven Road where deus Darnus awaits them . Telling them that their presence is an insult to her original self ' s resting place , deus Darnus threatens to kill them before Alisaie knocks the Legatus ' s helmet off with a ruin spell , revealing a white - haired woman bearing the Garlemald birthmark . Deus Darnus is revealed to be what remained of the original Darnus after a fraction her essence was recovered by Bahamut , and used to create an artificial being in Darnus ' s likeness with elements from her memory . In maddened glee , deus Darnus transforms into a dragon - like monster and summons Bradamante before being defeated by the adventurer . Following her defeat Nael rises to her feet , regains her sanity , and while confused about her current state , ultimately accepts she was enslaved by Bahamut . Cursing her weakness for succumbing to the very power she had been trying to purge from the world , she makes it clear that Project Meteor had been solely her idea . Once Alisaie introduces herself as Louisoix ' s granddaughter , much to her surprise , she warns her that unless she were to steel herself , and her resolve for the harsh truth that awaited her , that she would crumble under the weight of her own despair as Nael did as a child . Louisoix slays Nael with a spear of light and in her final moments Nael sees an image of Dalamud , the symbol of the plan that ultimately cost her her life , but still marvels at its beauty . Gameplay . Nael Van Darnus was fought as the final boss of the Seventh Umbral Era storyline . After losing the first fight , she was powered up by Dalamud and gained access to new abilities as Nael Deus Darnus . In " A Realm Reborn " , a resurrected Deus Darnus is confronted as the final boss of The Second Coil of Bahamut . Musical themes . Nael Van Darnus has her own leitmotif , most notably played during her conversation with Gaius Van Baelsar , and again when she injures the player upon the Lunar Transmitter ' s destruction . She also has two battle themes , each played during a stage of the final battle against him . " Tempest " is a rock - like variation of his theme , played during the first stage of the battle . " Rise of the White Raven " is the theme of the second stage of the battle , played after she loses her sanity from absorbing too much of Dalamud ' s power and becomes Nael Deus Darnus . Both of these themes reappear when the player engages Nael Deus Darnus in the Second Coil of Bahamut in " A Realm Reborn " . Other appearances . " Final Fantasy Trading Card Game " . Nael appears with a dark - elemental card depicting his official render . " Triple Triad " . Nael appears as a card in Triple Triad in the version playable via " Final Fantasy Portal App " . Etymology . " Nael " is a name of Arabic origin meaning " triumph " . " Van " is based on German word " von " which means " from " , but is also used to show that someone is a member of a noble family . " Van " is also the Dutch word for " from " .