This occurs right before Balthier graduates (which would have come at a later date due to Balthier’s age (( I think 16 is wayyyy too young to be a graduated Judge and one in active duty)) but thanks to Cid gets him to graduate ‘early’/ on time (if he had been of proper age to enroll).įor me, it just hammers the fact that Balthier will forever be in his father’s shadows in Archades. I also headcanon that his eldest brother, upset that his father doesn’t acknowledge any of the work he’s done, ends up going on this diplomatic mission/trip and gets killed in the process. So seeing both his brothers take several steps back from the family really hurt. I headcanon that the Bunansa family dynamic was actually quite good and they were all quite close. I’m going to switch over for a few seconds to mention that I feel as if Balthier is the one that was upset with how broken his family had become after his mother’s death.

So, Balthier, wanting to see if he can mend his relationship with his father, reluctantly commits to it (not that he had much of a choice anyway) and performs to the best of his ability during his time at the academy. Many would turn a blind eye to those high in power. I like to think that because of Cid’s position as head scientist that he was able to pull strings.Īnd he gets Balthier in earlier than is strictly legal. I can see Cid telling Balthier that it’s his turn to be of use and gets him enrolled in Judge Academy. Which would mean by the time his father returns Balthier is around 13 years old.

I want to say that Balthier was probably around 9 or 10 when his mother passed away (not sure if they gave a date for her death but lets go with that for now).

Ff12 blood sword license