Summary
AFinal Fantasy 14fan recently pointed out that the critically acclaimed MMORPG quietly removed the beard from Midas nan Garlond, an important NPC who briefly appears inShadowbringers. This change was undocumented, unexplained, and over a year after the story was introduced, leaving many fans wondering whyFinal Fantasy 14made the peculiar alteration to his model.
On Jun 20, 2025,Final Fantasy 14Patch 5.25 introduced the Bozjan Southern Front, a special instance zone featuring a riveting storyline, group activities, and powerful items and cosmetics to earn. The quests to unlock this content involved reliving the memories of Cid nan Garlond, and it featured the first on-screen appearance of his late father, Midas.
In the following years,Final Fantasy 14made a peculiar change to Midas without saying a word. In the original iteration, Midas had a thick, bushy beard covering his chin and jawline. However,Final Fantasy 14fan Magitekwitch recently pointed out on Twitter that, at some point between February and June 2021 – a year after the NPCappeared inFF14’s Echoes of a Falling Star update– Midas’ beard disappeared. This unexplained change was not documented in any patch notes or announcements and is still in the game to this day.
Midas nan Garlond’s Disappearing Beard in FF14
Fans are baffled as to whyFinal Fantasy 14took Midas’ beard away. The prevailing theory is that it was to differentiate his appearance from Quintus van Cinna, who plays a role inEndwalker. Midas and Quintus are both older men with light hair, and important members ofFF14’s Garlean Empire, and though their hairstyles differed, both characters even used the same face and beard.Final Fantasy 14would have been working onEndwalkerat the time, so it may have wanted to ensure players didn’t get Midas and Quintus mixed up, even if they didn’t appear anywhere near one another. However, some players point out it would have made sense to remove the beard from Quintus before he was added, rather than taking it away from an NPC who had been in the game for a year at that point.
Interestingly enough, Midas’ son’s beard has a story of its own, too. Cid didn’t have a beard in the originalFinal Fantasy 14, as can be seen in the “End of an Era” cinematic trailer, but he grew one between then and his first appearance inA Realm Rebornwhen it was released 10 years ago. That said, while Cid’s beard was a deliberate design choice that was a part of the story, the mystery behind Midas’ missing beard is one that may never get a proper explanation.
Final Fantasy 14 (2010)
WHERE TO PLAY
Begin your adventure in FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm RebornCreate your very own Warrior of Light and embark upon a quest to deliver the land from an eternity of Darkness.Take to the skies in FINAL FANTASY XIV: HeavenswardTake your first steps in the reclusive nation of Ishgard, locked in a seemingly never-ending struggle with dragons.Rekindle the fires of hope in FINAL FANTASY XIV: StormbloodJourney to the East and rise up against the might of the Garlean Empire.Become the darkness in FINAL FANTASY XIV: ShadowbringersTravel to a world where light ushers all unto oblivion. But hope is not yet lost, for where there is light there is shadow.Journey to the very stars above in FINAL FANTASY XIV: EndwalkerA great calamity has been building - a second advent of the Final Days. The Warrior of Light must journey ever higher and stand firm as hope’s last bastion.Set forth for new horizons in FINAL FANTASY XIV: DawntrailBlue seas, clear skies, and boundless possibilities await! Explore uncharted territories with familiar faces as hope’s light dawns once more.
