FFXIV Japanese Dawntrail character popularity poll results are out, and we’re not surprised

As Final Fantasy XIV's Dawntrail expansion winds down its first month since launch, there's been plenty of public discourse about its diverse cast of characters, particularly those who stand out. An unofficial Dawntrail character popularity poll taken within FFXIV's Japanese community revealed some unsurprising results.

Disclaimer: The following contains character-related spoilers for FFXIV's Dawntrail expansion, so read ahead at your own discretion.

Final Fantasy XIV's Dawntrail has turned out to be one of the most interesting expansions so far, not only for its impressively compelling (if not slightly unbalanced) storytelling but its stellar cast of new characters that have already grown on many of us. To get further insight, an unofficial character popularity poll was recently distributed among Japanese players of FFXIV's community, asking which characters they found to be the best in the latest expansion.

As posted by FFXIV insider Audrey (@aitaikimochi) on X (formerly Twitter) and shared by 'Head-Photojournalist' on Reddit, after getting around 17,000 votes, the top 10 results revealed plenty of love for Dawntrail's many new characters, though two returning ones still topped the list.

1. Erenville
2. Krile Baldesion
3. Bakool Ja Ja
4. Cahciua
5. Sphene
6. Otis
7. Koana
8. Honey B. Lovely
9. Gulool Ja Ja
10. Wuk Evu

At number one, and well-deserved in our opinion, is Erenville. FFXIV's favorite introverted, animal-loving Viera was first introduced during the latter half of Endwalker's storyline as a gleaner employed by the Forum of Old Sharlayan. He took more of a spotlight during Dawntrail, as the main story brings us to his hometown in Tural along with some incredibly emotional revelations about his family.

Second place went to Krile, whose origins had an even bigger role in Dawntrail's main scenario storyline (though some argue it was underused) and an equally emotional twist that left many of us feeling undeniably sympathetic. Third place was none other than Bakool Ja Ja, whose staggering popularity made headlines and even left director Naoki ("Yoshi-P") Yoshida feeling baffled.

The rest of the list highlights some other fantastic newcomers to the FFXIV storyline, such as Cahciua (Erenville's mother), Sphene, Koana, Wuk Evu (the most hilarious hrothgar in existence), and even Honey B. Lovely, the infamous Arcadion Raid boss that's amassing her own player fan club.

However, the obvious elephant in the room is that Wuk Lamat, Dawntrail's overtly positive and all-embracing protagonist, is entirely absent from the list. Her adoptive father Gulool Ja Ja and brother Koana both earned pedestals, but she remains one of FFXIV's most surprisingly divisive lead characters, clearly regardless of region. Sphene, who made the list as well, can be argued as a mirror character of Wuk Lamat in many ways, but still, the results speak for themselves.

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