Ravus Nox Fleuret

Ravus Nox Fleuret is a character in the Final Fantasy XV Universe, being a minor antagonist in the feature film Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV and the secondary antagonist in Final Fantasy XV. The older brother of Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, he is the former prince of Tenebrae and high commander of the Imperial Army of Niflheim.
Patch 1.06 added more story content for Ravus for Chapter 13. He appears as a guest character in Final Fantasy XV: Episode Ignis.
==Dossiers==
:Eldest son of House Fleuret, Blood of the Oracle, and older brother to Lady Lunafreya. His mother was burned alive in the fires that burned Tenebrae twelve years ago. Blaming the "cowardly" King Regis for her death, Ravus capitulated to his new imperial overlords and joined their ranks. During the invasion of Insomnia, he attempted to utilize the Ring of the Lucii against the very king from whom he stole it. Unfortunately the Rulers of Yore deemed him unworthy of their power, and singed his left arm as punishment for his hubris. He now directs the imperial army as its high commander, leading the empire's godslaying operations with a figurative and literal iron fist.
:The empire's assault on Altissia was an unequivocal failure that resulted in massive casualties. As High Commander, Ravus is forced to take responsibility for this disastrous outcome and is succinctly scheduled for execution. While some may view his imperial turn as traitorous, none could denounce his devotion to doing everything he can to keep his beloved sister from harm.
:Ravus once sought to dispel the darkness and save the world in Noctis's stead, believing him unfit for such a daunting task. Yet Lunafreya convinces her brother that his initial impression of the prince was wrong, and he has a change of heart. Ravus vows to return Regis's sword to the one True King, but said promise goes unfulfilled. Ardyn kills the High Commander in cold blood and transforms him into a daemonic shell of his former self.
==Profile==
===Appearance===
Ravus is a young man with an imposing physical build. In Final Fantasy XV he has heterochromatic eyes with the right eye being blue and the left eye being purple. In Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV his eyes are gray. His hair is the same shade as his sister's in Kingsglaive, but in the game it is an even lighter blond.
He wears a white frock with black lining with a large collar that has a purple trim, and armored boots. Black downward-pointing sword symbols are found on the hem and sleeves of his coat, as well as a large crest with a unicorn of what is assumed to be the crest of either Tenebrae or House Fleuret, as Lunafreya also wears it on her casual dress. Ravus's crest has crossed swords underneath, which may represent his military service. After his left arm is severely burned, it is replaced with a magitek prosthetic that bears the symbol of a white wolf on its shoulder. In the game, his face is more hollowed in the cheeks as opposed to the full square jaw from the film, and his hair extends in front of his forehead instead of being brushed back.
Ravus shares the trait of having heterochromia with Yuna from Final Fantasy X, though in Kingsglaive both of his eyes are gray. The change in eye color may have been caused by the same incident that burned his arm.
After transforming into a daemon, his left side spews black fluid and develops a black horn. The fluid turns purple when he takes more damage. A daemon-like appendage replaces his metal arm and his chest pulsates with mutilated flesh.
===Personality===
In his youth, Prince Ravus lived peacefully alongside his mother, Queen Sylva, and his younger sister, Lunafreya, in Fenestala Manor in Tenebrae. His presumably kind and welcoming demeanor changed after the manor was lost to Niflheim. Upon seeing King Regis of Lucis abandon Tenebrae for the sake of his son Noctis's safety despite Ravus's pleas for help, Ravus has since sought to take revenge on the kingdom and its "cowardly king."
As an adult, Ravus is haunted by the past. He blames the Lucian royal family for the death of his mother and the loss of his country. His sister is the opposite, as she has faith in both. At first, Ravus seeks the power of the Ring of the Lucii, a Lucian royal heirloom that grants one the accumulated power of the past kings. As he comes from the Oracle lineage, Ravus believed he would be eligible to wield the Ring and replace Noctis as the King of Light for the prophecy that foretells of the one who will save the world from darkness. Ravus becomes even more bitter after he is rejected by the Ring, showing spite towards Noctis for being the Chosen. He begrudges Noctis for being unaware of the risks Lunafreya takes to help him. According to the developers, what Ravus wished upon the Ring could have been revenge, but he always prioritizes Lunafreya, and wanted to gain the old kings' blessing for her sake.
Despite their conflicting views, Ravus cares deeply for Lunafreya and does his best to protect her, such as hiding her from Niflheim's clutches while she forges covenants with the Six. He disapproves of her sacrificing herself for Noctis's sake, and is angered at having to helplessly watch his remaining family slowly perish. Once her work starts to become too dangerous for her to remain in Lucis, Ravus sends an escort to return Lunafreya and her companion, Gentiana, to Tenebrae. Although Ravus wishes to save his sister, he reluctantly encourages her to pull through and fulfill her duties as Oracle despite her failing body. He comes around to support her cause and finally believes that Noctis is the only True King, and turns on the emperor. According to the developers, Ravus was never devoted to the empire, and viewed it an ally of circumstance because he couldn't count on Lucis.
In the Japanese version of Episode Ignis Ravus switches from using watashi (私) to ore (俺) after Ignis puts on the Ring of the Lucii to defend Noctis from Ardyn. Both mean "I", but watashi gives a sense of formality and seniority, whereas ore is a common first-person pronoun used by confident males. He likely changes the pronoun because he now sees Ignis as an equal and to display a sense of comradeship.
When he is turned into a daemon, Ravus retains enough of his personality to request for Noctis and his friends to put an end to his misery.
===Abilities===
Though a member of the Oracles' bloodline, Ravus doesn't have any of the supernatural powers his sister boasts, as only women can be Oracles. He still initially believes his bloodline could grant him the old kings' blessing and allow him to become the True King. When his arm is replaced by a magitek prosthetic, Ravus gains superhuman strength, shown when he easily overpowers Gladiolus. When Ardyn cuts his arm off he appears to die instantly, but whether the magitek arm has any life-preserving properties is unknown. Via his magitek arm, Ravus is able to control electricity, and can channel it through his arm and sword.
Ravus is an expert swordsman, and brandishes a gold-hilted saber with a dark-colored blade that has a central ridge, named Alba Leonis, which was bestowed upon him personally by Emperor Aldercapt. He draws it upon Gladiolus during their confrontation at an imperial base. Ravus displays his swordsmanship when the emperor summons daemons to subdue him in Zegnautus Keep, although he ultimately loses the battle. Although reported to be unable to brandish King Regis's sword he had salvaged during the fall of Insomnia, Ravus wields it in the emperor's throne room to fight the daemons ushered upon him; most likely Ravus can use it as a blunt weapon without its inherent powers of light that members of the Lucian line can use.
==Story==
When Ravus was sixteen, the kingdoms of Lucis and Tenebrae were allies. King Regis of Lucis came to Tenebrae with his eight-year-old son, Prince Noctis, who was recuperating from a serious injury. Niflheim invaded the Fenestala Manor, which had remained autonomous due the Oracles' popularity among the masses, and Ravus watched his mother give her life to shield him from the blade of Imperial General Glauca and the fires of the magitek soldiers.
Desperate for help, Ravus called out to King Regis who fled with Lunafreya and Noctis. His pleas were ignored, as King Regis was being pursued by imperial troops while carrying Noctis, and was thus unable to stop and help. Lunafreya let go of the king and opted to return to her brother's side and the siblings became subjects under Niflheim's rule. Sometime after Tenebrae's complete annexation, Ravus joined Niflheim's army to protect Lunafreya. As the sole remaining descendants of House Fleuret, Lunafreya and Ravus remain leaders of their homeland, now an imperial protectorate.
Twelve years later, Ravus is the deputy high commander of Niflheim's army. On 18th of September M.E 755 he proposes for Niflheim to attack Insomnia, the Crown City of Lucis. The following May he travels to Insomnia to witness the signing of a peace treaty between the empire and the kingdom. Lunafreya attempts to leave Fenestala Manor, but Ravus stops her, refusing to tell her Niflheim's true plans. He ignores Lunafreya's reasoning that it was Niflheim who murdered their mother and that King Regis is not to be held accountable.
After the peace treaty is signed, Niflheim steals Insomnia's Crystal and the Wall around Insomnia falls. The Crystal holds the soul of the world of Eos, said to have been given to the care of Lucian dynasty by the Stars. The royal heirloom of the Lucian dynasty, the Ring of the Lucii, lets the monarch channel the power of the Crystal itself. Regis had used the Ring to uphold a magical Wall around Lucis, a feat that had slowly eaten away at his life-force.
Ravus picks up the Ring of the Lucii after Glauca cuts it off King Regis's hand. He attempts to obtain the power within it, but is deemed unworthy by the spirits of the Lucian kings of old whose souls dwell in the Ring. Ravus screams in agony while his left arm is severely burned. Ravus returns to Niflheim for treatment for his wounds. He brings with him King Regis's sword, although he doesn't have the power of kings necessary to fully wield it. Niflheim denies Ravus pilfered it, claiming it was a gift of goodwill before the signing.
Ravus is promoted to high commander of the imperial army in the wake of Glauca's death. He answers directly to Emperor Aldercapt and the other imperial commanders answer to him. His left arm is replaced with a magitek prosthetic that greatly enhances his strength. Lunafreya is reported dead in the invasion and thousands of pilgrims flock to Fenestala Manor to pay their respects, expecting Ravus to deliver a eulogy. Ravus avoiding the public eye causes many to worry about his well-being, but citizens are assured he will resume peacekeeping efforts in Lucis once he has recovered.
Ravus meets with Research Minister Verstael Besithia, Commodore Aranea Highwind, and the other officials of Niflheim, to discuss what should be done with Lunafreya, the Oracle. She had escaped Insomnia with the Ring of the Lucii, intent on finding Noctis and passing it on to him so Noctis can defeat Niflheim. The emperor orders Ravus to kill his younger sister, but Verstael convinces the former to reconsider. Ravus as the high commander of the imperial army is given full control over the magitek infantry. Though ordered to capture Lunafreya, he refuses to even entertain this idea.
Niflheim blockades Duscae following their attack on Titan, as Noctis and his retinue are laying low in the area. Ravus announces the blockades are due to insurgents behind the Citadel attack having taken refuge in Duscae, and that the imperial army has averted disaster by destroying Titan, said to have suddenly awakened in a fit of rage. In truth, it was Lunafreya who roused Titan and Noctis who quelled him by passing his trial.
Ravus encounters Noctis and his friends—Ignis Scientia, Gladiolus Amicitia, and Prompto Argentum—when they attempt to reclaim their car from an imperial military base. Ravus taunts Noctis and his retinue, intimidating them with his unnatural strength, knocking Gladiolus into the Regalia when he steps up to protect Noctis. Ravus posits that he's in command of Niflheim's military rather than merely serving the empire as its pawn. Noctis has already forged covenants with two of the Astral gods of Eos with Lunafreya's help, but Ravus is annoyed at Noctis's obliviousness of the danger this puts her in. Chancellor Izunia stops the situation from escalating and lets Noctis leave the base unharmed.
Ravus is reported to have finished his tour of Lucis, Lestallum having been his final stop. His occupation forces remain as Ravus returns to Tenebrae. Ravus had helped Lunafreya return there as well, where he conversed with her among her field of sylleblossoms. He implored her to stop sacrificing herself for Noctis, whom he believed unable to fulfill the prophecy as the King of Light. Lunafreya remained convinced that Noctis is the Chosen King and that Ravus of all people should know this, as he had been personally judged by the Lucian kings of old and rejected. Ravus accused his sister of "throwing [her] life away" and remained speechless when she answered that she was aware of it, but that it was her choice.
Ravus and Ardyn travel to Altissia while Niflheim prepares its dreadnoughts for departure. The two meet with Secretary Claustra, the head of state of Accordo. Though the purpose of their visit is not made public, it is likely they request Altissia to repatriate Lunafreya to the empire. The empire also seeks to slay Leviathan before Noctis can form a covenant with the deity. Slaying Leviathan is Ravus's main task as high commander.
At some point during her stay in Altissia, Ravus had managed to speak with a weakened Lunafreya in secrecy. She requested Ravus to deliver the Ring of the Lucii to Noctis in her stead as she was dying, weakened by the covenants she has been forging with the Six, but Ravus turned away at the sight of it. He insisted that delivering the Ring was her calling and that, although she may no longer have had the strength to complete her duty, she had the willpower to find the strength. The day before Lunafreya is to give her speech, Ravus visits the cathedral where she was to be wed to Noctis. Ardyn arrives and asks if he has spoken with his sister. Ravus lies that he has not, as she is kept by Altissia's government.
Ravus orders a full-scale assault on the sea goddess as soon as she would emerge from the water, and for his forces to capture Noctis and Lunafreya alive. Planning on betraying the empire, Ravus orders the imperial forces to withdraw after Noctis passes Leviathan's trial and Titan begins to lay waste to Niflheim's airships. Brigadier General Caligo Ulldor resists the withdrawal order, as they have yet to capture the Ring of the Lucii. Ravus reminds Caligo that only the monarch of Lucis can wield it, as this was how he lost his arm. Caligo plans to defy Ravus's order to get the Ring for himself, but Ravus unceremoniously kills him. Now without allies, Ravus teams up with Noctis's royal retainer and friend, Ignis Scientia, though he emphasizes this does not mean he supports Noctis for the throne of the True King.
Once they get to the Altar of the Tidemother, they discover Noctis unconscious and Lunafreya dead. Ravus flies into a rage and tries to attack Noctis, blaming him for his sister's death, but Ignis quells him. Ravus mourns how Lunafreya never got to live a normal life, and how even in death her spirit will not rest until the prophecy is fulfilled. Though he begs for her spirit to not depart, her glowing silhouette disappears.
Ardyn disguised as Gladiolus arrives, but Ravus protects Noctis and Ignis from him. The Ring of the Lucii falls from Noctis's unconscious grasp, and Ignis takes it. After Ardyn blasts Ravus away with his magic, he asks Ignis to either join him or be killed. If Ignis refuses to join Ardyn, he puts on the Ring and unexpectedly and temporarily gains the power of kings at the cost of his sight. Ignis defeats Ardyn, and gains Ravus's respect. Ravus tells an exhausted Ignis that the prince will survive, and reluctantly admits he also hopes Noctis will become the True King and save the world, as without an Oracle, the world is doomed to fall into an eternal night.
Ravus returns to Tenebrae where he informs Maria, his and Lunafreya's faithful servant, of the tragic news. He tells her that Lunafreya's dog Pryna died the same day her owner did, likely of heartbreak, and of his plans to safeguard Regis's glaive for Noctis. Niflheim pushes the blame of the catastrophe with Leviathan onto Ravus and sentences Ravus to death. The empire sends daemons to torch Fenestala Manor and the surrounding lands in Tenebrae, including Lunafreya's treasured field of sylleblossoms.
Ravus has become convinced he should help Noctis, whom he now refers to as "his King". Ravus resisted arrest, and confronted the emperor in the imperial capital. The emperor sent daemons after Ravus, expelling him from the throne room to the lower floors of Zegnautus Keep. Ravus was injured, and Ardyn, disguised as Noctis, approached him. Ravus presented Regis's glaive to "Noctis", asking him to go forth and become the True King, but Ardyn sliced his arm off and killed him, scattering letters Ravus had written to his sister about his body. Ravus had written to Lunafreya, insisting Noctis was unworthy of her sacrifice, but should he gain Leviathan's blessing, he would yield Regis's sword. Ravus's death was recorded in the Keep's security system, and is the only recording retained on it, implied to be Ardyn's doing.
When the real Noctis arrives to the capital he finds it void of people and overrun with daemons. He finds Ravus dead, surrounded by fallen magitek soldiers. Noctis thanks him for his role in attempting to help. He reads the letters scattered around Ravus's body, which explain how Lucis was becoming too dangerous for Lunafreya to stay in, and so Ravus had sent an escort for her and Gentiana.
Ardyn revives Ravus as a daemon to battle Noctis and his allies. With what little that remains of his humanity, Ravus begs for Noctis and his friends to kill him. After defeating him, Gladiolus comments that it was a sorry end for a man with hopes and dreams.
===Alternate ending===
====Episode Ignis====
In the alternate ending where Ignis chooses Noctis's life over saving the world with the power of the True King, Ardyn brings Ignis to Zegnautus Keep as bait for Noctis. Ravus takes Noctis and the rest of his retinue there, where they find Ignis in time to save him with the power of the Crystal. After the Starscourge has overrun the world, Ravus converses with Ignis in Tenebrae. When Noctis returns to Insomnia ten years later, he finds a bearded Ravus, who bequeaths the Sword of the Father to him. He bows to Noctis and joins him as they head to the throne room to defeat Ardyn together.
====Dawn of the Future====
In the alternate ending where Noctis and Ardyn cooperate to kill Bahamut and Luna survives, Ravus's spirit watches as Noctis and Luna are happily wed along with Regis.
==Gameplay==
===Final Fantasy XV===
Ravus is fought as a boss at the end of Chapter 13. Ravus is immensely strong and quick with incredible endurance. In a single move, he can force the entire party into critical health if the player is not cautious. Throughout the battle, Ravus curses Ardyn for the misfortune he brought to him.
===Final Fantasy XV: Episode Ignis===
Ravus is a guest character and a boss encounter. His equipment can be viewed but not altered. His weapon is Alba Leonis and his attire is Tenebraen Raiment. He is on level 62, twice the level of Ignis, and has 4,210 HP.
Ravus's Technique is Last Rites, which costs one tech bar and empowers his artificial arm with electricity and releases a Thunder-elemental AOE attack.
Ravus can arrive as a guest in the Friendly Match to help Ignis. For him to appear, the player must be almost dead and out of potions, and it has to be night time.
==Musical themes==
"Theme of RAVUS", composed and arranged by Yasunori Mitsuda, plays in Episode Ignis after the boss battle against him. Its motif is included in many tracks in the soundtrack, including Ravus's boss theme "A Tear-Stained Sword".
Ravus's boss theme in Final Fantasy XV proper is "Ravus Aeterna", composed by Yoko Shimomura and arranged by Yoshitaka Suzuki. Its second stanza contains the imperial theme, changed into a sinister and threatening tone, and in a way the boss battle against Ravus represents the final end of the empire. Also included in the piece is a verse from the "Song of the Stars", the theme that plays when Lunafreya summons Leviathan.
==Other appearances==
===Final Fantasy Record Keeper===
Ravus appears as an event boss and later as a playable party member. His boss form is a regular enemy in higher-end Labyrinth Dungeons.
FFRK Ravus.png|Character sprite.
FFRK Ravus FFXV.png|Boss sprite.
===Final Fantasy Brave Exvius===
==Behind the scenes==
The character design of Ravus was created by Mihara Nobuyoshi, a character designer who later worked on Final Fantasy XIV.https://www.facebook.com/RobertoFerrariArt/photos/a.945240485548310/1224130330992656/?type=3&theater
A character seemingly meant to be the precursor to Ravus was a white-clad man shown in trailers for Final Fantasy Versus XIII. He appeared to fight on the side of Niflheim and wielded powers similar to Noctis's (summoning crystalline weapons). He is also shown hooded in the Final Fantasy XV E3 2013 trailer, with his prosthetic arm visible. Until his name was revealed, Ravus was known as the "Hooded Man".
The Hooded Man had a white wolf emblem on his arm that Ravus doesn't have in the final game, although some concept art still depict Ravus's magitek arm with it . Ravus has the wolf emblem in Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition.
Ravus's appearance changes between Kingsglaive and Final Fantasy XV. His face has hallowed out more in the latter, and his hair is slightly shorter and more messy in the front instead of brushed back. Ravus's appearance in Episode Ignis was in the plans since early on. It was planned that Ravus, unable to handle Lunafreya's death, would be fought as a boss, but when deciding on a guest character, the overseas development team requested Ravus. Thus came the idea to have him go along with Ignis to save Lunafreya.
Ravus is presented as a foil to Noctis. They have contrasting color-schemes, and most things Noctis strove for Ravus also tried, while failing at it. Their big difference is how Noctis developed friendships that saw him through his hardships, whereas Ravus tried to accomplish his goals alone.
Final Fantasy XV has some dummied character dossiers, Ravus's being one of them:
;Ravus Nox Fleuret
:High commander of the imperial army, and older brother to Lady Lunafreya of Tenebrae. Although he cut ties with his sister after the empire invaded and overtook their homeland, he has always kept her in his heart, using his position to protect her.
This may have been cut because Ravus doesn't seem to have severed contact with Lunafreya in the final timeline.
===Voice===
Ravus's English voice actor is Trevor Devall. Zachary Gordon plays young Ravus in Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV.
His Japanese voice actor is Yuichi Nakamura. He shares this voice actor with Cid Raines from the Lightning Saga and Trey from Final Fantasy Type-0.
Ravus speaks in a florid manner in both the Japanese and English languages.
==Gallery==
==Etymology and symbolism==
His weapon is called Alba Leonis. Alba means "white" in Latin and "sunrise" in Italian. Leonis means "lion", and is coincidentally the surname of Cor Leonis.
Ravus is reminiscent of Devadatta, who is regarded in Buddhism as Buddha's cousin, former bodyguard, and eventually antagonistic rival. According to legend, Devadatta became inspired by Buddha's attainment of enlightenment, but was more enticed by social and political graces than the profoundness of the teachings of the Sangha. Though he desired Buddha's spiritual powers his were but an imitation, yet influential enough to fall into the graces of the local kingdom. Still, Devadetta's wisdom and insight paled to Buddha's. Many of his followers were led astray from Buddha's own layhood, and established austerities that were baseless and impractical to spiritual development. Devadetta abused his power, from hiring killers, to practicing violence, slander, and selfishly influencing royalty against Buddha to establish his own school's fame to outshine the Sangha.
There are many tales of the end of his life. One states that Devadetta succumbed to disease before he could make amends for his wrongdoings in light of the realization of his guilt. Another states Buddha ended his life personally during a disguised attempt to assassinate him. Both end with Devadatta falling into the most punishing depths of hell. Like his sister, Ravus's alluding elements can be seen in his role in the story, including desiring to claim the legacy of the Lucii from Noctis and siding with the Niflheim Empire. In the end, he becomes a daemon. This also plays to the angel and demon juxtaposition with his sister Lunafreya, who is depicted with an angel wing in the logo and in the painting of the prophecy.
Ravus's Technique is Last Rites. In religious context, are the final prayers and ministrations given shortly before death. The last rites go by various names and include various practices in different traditions.
==External links==
*Official Final Fantasy XV cosplay reference guide
*Official Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV cosplay reference guide
==Citations==
es:Ravus Nox Fleuret
pt-br:Ravus Nox Fleuret
ru:Равус Нокс Флёре
Category:Characters in Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV
Category:Antagonists
Category:Characters in Final Fantasy XV
Category:Guest characters