Random Shinies

Psych! Actually, we’re going to briefly talk about other weapons first, to keep with our theme of where and when weapons are used.

The movie opens with a shot of the three courts - Lucis, Niflheim, and Tenebrae. Neither of the people (vs MTs) in the first two groups have weapons, but when we see the group collected in the grove of Tenebrae there is an armed set of guards (though none of the nobles appear to be armed, at least openly). Not just Regis, who has weapons stored in the ring, but neither Sylva nor Ravus have weapons on them, which of course does not go well for them.

Now back to the important part - Nyx.

Nyx makes his grand entrance literally one-shotting a behemoth, and it says a lot about him that this is not the pinnacle of his appearance in the movie. It’s impossible to see during the attack, but after he lands we do see that he used the Galahdan kukri for this.

[[image courtesy of @capsource. Technically from slightly later in the battle but it's much prettier than anything from this early.]]

In fact, throughout the opening battle, he will only use the Galahdan kukri, mainly keeping it in his right hand, leaving his left free for magic usage and catching his balance. If this is his normal fighting style, it might explain the differences between his gloves.

[[edited from stills from @capsource]]

Shortly after he appears onscreen, Nyx does do a little shuffle to switch the Galahdan kukri to his left hand so he can use his right to tap his earpiece, then tosses it back to his right hand before warping off. This is pretty minor, and mainly interesting because of a scene we’ll discuss later.

It also means that it is his Galahdan kukri (in his right hand) that he points at Pelna while he claims to be “worth the wait”.

[[image courtesy of @capsource]]

Nyx keeps it out through most of the fight - when Luche tries to stop him from charging back at the enemy as the Glaives retreat, he still has it drawn, and it’s what he throws to go after Libertus.

Throughout the fight with the Cerberus he keeps to that pattern - magic with his empty left hand, stabbing and throwing with the blade in his right (except when he seems to use the blade to magic himself invisible as Libertus did earlier).

[[potato quality cap courtesy of me]]

It does get slightly odd when he gives Libertus a blade so they can warp out of there, though, as he seems to have two Galahdan kukris here. This could be a byproduct of the opening battle being created by a slightly different group than did the rest of the movie, or a simple mistake.  If you have a fun headcanon about why it happens from an in-universe perspective, feel free to share it; we’d love to hear it!

To further complicate the situation, when he helps carry Libertus out on the stretcher, Nyx’s leg sheath appears to be empty, but it’s filled by the time he talks to Drautos.

[[First potato quality image another cap by me, second lovely image by @capsource]]

The first appearance of the Insomnian kukri is actually here, when Tredd uses it to shave as they head back to Insomnia. Tredd never uses this weapon again, so presumably it’s the same one Nyx uses (or again, an error in communication from the different groups). Have fun with this information (and again, tag us about it!)

[[another low quality image from me]]

Side note: Here’s another interesting point about weapon etiquette - when Drautos reports to Regis, he has his blade by his side. Given that we never see him without it, it could just be easier on the animators, but it does raise some questions. Does Drautos have some special privilege that allows him to be armed here, or a dispensation for the fact that perhaps he can’t summon it as other nobles and characters can summon theirs? (remember, even Aranea can summon her lance, so it doesn’t appear to be a specifically Lucian magic).

[[It's low quality, it's from me!]]

A very interesting weapon in the throne room is whatever swords the Crownsguard are using here to (ineffectively) bar Ardyn from the room. They appear to possibly be able to fold at the round parts, though it’s hard to get a good picture of them given the lighting. Another interesting worldbuilding note that probably comes from saving money on extra models - the Crownsguard here are dressed the same as at the Gate, which is more like fatigues than anything as dressy as one might expect in a throne room. Make of it what you will.

Nyx appears next on gate duty, where he is in his basic uniform (plus chain, as always) but has both his kukris in their sheaths. Petra appears to be unarmed, but perhaps has the same sort of folding sword as his fellows in the throne room at his side.

Obviously, none of the glaives are armed at Yamachang’s, but we also don’t see where Nyx’s sheathes went. He has his jacket over his arm, but the belts and sheathes don’t seem to be there.

Then we switch to training, where – at least in his flashback – Nyx is fully suited up in his battle uniform, with both kukris. He tries to throw the Galahdan one but something fails, and so Nyx starts falling, dropping the Galahdan kukri as he falls.

When he snaps out of it, he’s in his basic uniform but with both kukris. There are a few other glaives armed as they listen to the broadcast of the peace treaty, and a few others in battle uniforms, too, likely for training.

But when they assemble in the briefing room as Drautos commands, Nyx appears to be the only one (other than Drautos) still armed, which is very odd.

[[Look, it's a bad quality still we know it's me, but it's not all my fault this time! Tredd is just out of focus in the shot; that's not on me!]]

Next we cut to seeing off Crowe, where neither Libertus nor Nyx are armed, though both are in the standard uniform. Nyx (out of standard uniform) is also unarmed as he watches the tv in his apartment. ^_^

As Nyx prepares to report for duty at the Citadel, he swings on his jacket while clearly unarmed (which is likely wise amid all those people). Drautos picks him up in Noctis’s car, and since Drautos doesn’t have his odd yoke around his shoulder (presumably for more freedom of movement in the car) I hope he also has taken off his sword, because that seems to be rather uncomfortable.

That said, when they actually pick up Luna, Drautos has the yoke and his sword on, and Nyx is suddenly armed. Either Nyx does keep his kukri and their sheathes in a sort of storage space, or Drautos had already picked them up and had them all shoved in the back seat or trunk (I imagine that was pretty funny to watch them wiggle into if so).

Nyx keeps his kukris as he escorts Luna into the throne room, perhaps because he is functioning as a guard for her, and perhaps because they just assume Regis (and presumably Clarus and any Crownsguard) should be able to handle himself as a Lucian king? Who knows.

Even once he leaves Luna’s side and checks in with Drautos, Nyx keeps his weapons, though he loses them sometime during the run to meet Libertus outside the morgue when he hears about Crowe being returned. Perhaps he ditched them for speed or to cause less panic from an armed Glaive running, or there is some sort of etiquette about being armed outdoors within the citadel district. Have fun with speculation!

An indeterminate about of time later, as Nyx is handed Crowe’s effects, he still is unarmed. T_T

While on guard duty at the signing party, Nyx is again unarmed (which might be wise considering the Emperor of Niflheim is there) but Drautos has his sword, which might indicate special privileges or again that the animators just didn’t bother to make a model without the sword.

The next day, while on guard duty at the Citadel steps, Nyx is once again unarmed – perhaps that is another reason he might not have bothered with carrying his kukris when he was originally reporting for duty earlier.

The Crownsguard members preparing for extra guard duty do appear, however, to be armed, either with the folding swords or some kind of taser.

Nyx doesn’t have his kukris while running back to his apartment or fastwalking in the Citadel to talk to Regis. He also is unarmed during his talk with the king.

Then we get a lovely arming scene as the Glaives gear up to rescue Luna, and Nyx is armed through the rest of the movie.

[[I tried]]