- Age: 67 (Dawntrail release)
- Race & Clan: Ishgardian Elezen
- Gender: Male
- Orientation: Heterosexual Demiromantic
- Occupation: Scholasticate Instructor
- Relationship: Widowed
- Elemental Aspect: Wind
- Combat Role: Healer
- Main Job: White Mage
- Weapon(s): Nirvana
- Residence: House Ayarane
- Voice Reference: Jamieson Price
- [View on Lodestone]
An Ishgardian Elezen who is an instructor at the Scholasticate, and also the leader of House Ayarane. His noble house refuses to contribute resources or manpower to Ishgard's forever war with the dragons, instead opting to focus on outreach towards the lowborn. As the head of the household, he oversees the Ayarane Workshop of Fine Eyewear, which manufactures affordable glasses and protective gear.
At the Scholasticate, Phil teaches beginning healing magicks, with the class taking the form of a survey of all known healing disciplines. He is beloved by his students, and while most of them end up going to the front lines, a number of them pursue careers as civilian healers elsewhere. One of his students, Violetta, starts the Mogology independent study program to research the Moogles of the Churning Mist.
Phil is an aged man, with his hair greying during the story. When encountered in Heavensward, his hair is a dark desaturated blue, though often mistaken for black, and remains as such until late Shadowbringers postgame when it begins to turn grey. In Endwalker postgame, exposure to the void aether of the Thirteenth affects the way in which his hair whitens; rather than do so from the roots, the whitening begins from the tips. Y'shtola determines, however, that this appears to be more cosmetic than anything, and suggests that Phil enjoy his new highlights.
Despite being in his late 60s, Phil prides himself on being fit and active for his age, in particular how he does not need a walking cane. He insists his Nirvana is solely a focus for his magicks and not a mobility aid.
Like his daughter, Phil is genetically afflicted by rapid corneal degeneration, a fast-acting version of keratoconus that leaves one functionally blind by adulthood. As such, he wears black oval spectacles that are enchanted to compensate; normal glasses are ineffective even at the highest possible prescription.
Unlike other Scholasticate teachers, Phil does not wear the pious attire often worn by the priests and clerics of the Holy See, instead wearing a version of the Adept's set, with the coat dyed Adamantoise Green. Phil's clothes in general are typically some shade of deep green.
When attending House of Lords meetings in an official capacity, Phil normally wears the Alpine Coat, though in Patch 6.5, he acquires the Seigneur clothes, later noted as an intentional change to accompany his announcement of upcoming retirement.
Phil carries a dark brown satchel bearing the emblem of his noble house. Among the contents are his tomephone, an eyeglass repair kit, a copy of the formula needed to enchant glasses, and a first aid kit. In Shadowbringers, he loans Yoshi his satchel (minus the tomephone) when she and Violetta stay behind in Twine to attend to Mylene while the rest of the party retakes Eulmore.
Yoshi - the beloved daughter
Yoshi is Phil's daughter and as of Patch 6.55, his successor to the leadership position of House Ayarane. Having raised her alone after Eleanor's passing, Phil made a point of allowing Yoshi to determine her own future; unlike most other noble households, Phil refused to subject Yoshi to an arranged marriage or obligate her to produce children. He supported her decision to leave Ishgard to pursue her ambitions, periodically sending supply packages during A Realm Reborn.
Though it meant additional work in managing his other obligations, Phil considers joining the party to adventure alongside his daughter to be one of the best decisions of his life, and intends to continue doing so as long as he is able to.
Eleanor - the love of his life
Eleanor was Phil's wife, and a fellow Scholasticate teacher. She taught thaumaturgy, and met him during an outdoor class session. When they married, Phil made the Lilith Rod for her as a wedding gift.
Unfortunately, Eleanor passed away a few months after having Yoshi, having suffered from an unspecified heart condition since childhood. It was among the several secrets she kept, as well as her family's Sharlayan origins. She left behind a key to a lockbox containing her father's Astrologian soul crystal, which is how Phil obtained the selfsame job.
In Endwalker, Phil and Yoshi encountered Eleanor's memory during the Aitiascope, causing the Nirvana to evolve. Phil would later use the Lilith Rod to beckon her to them long enough for a long-awaited reunion.
Hikaru - the moody team leader
Hikaru is the party leader, and Phil heard about her through Yoshi's letters. Though Hikaru mouthed off at him, thinking he was trying to use his nobility to strong-arm her into acting as a maidservant, she realized that his concern was genuine, especially after meeting him in-person in Heavensward.
During the story, Phil comes to regard Hikaru as, at minimum, equivalent to a close female relative. In "Ringbearer," he elaborated further, revealing that he considers her like a second daughter. The sentiment lead Hikaru to reflect on how she doesn't really know what it's like to have a father, as hers was murdered shortly after she was born.
Kupo - the disguised Moogle
Kupo is Phil's son-in-law, a Twelveswood Moogle whose Echo allows him to assume the form of any Spoken race. They originally met during "Sweet Summer Moogle" after Phil rescued him and Yoshi from a rampaging auroch in a pirates' den.
Though Phil fully approved of Kupo marrying Yoshi (and gave absolutely no thought to him actually being a Moogle), he did have a little fun at Kupo's expense, jokingly posturing himself as the overly-aggressive father before handing over the Signet of House Ayarane.
Hamilton - the unflappable everyman
Hamilton is a career Immortal Flames soldier. He became acquainted with Phil at an unspecified point during A Realm Reborn, and the two reunited on especially good terms during Heavensward postgame during the Grand Melee, even though they were on opposing teams. During the events of Baelsar's Wall, they bantered as if they had been close friends for several years.
When Phil returned to the party halfway through Stormblood, he brought Hamilton and Cerol with him.
Cerol - the spirited martial artist
Cerol is a relatively recent acquaintance, having met Phil through Hamilton. Despite the sizable age difference, the two get along quite well, sharing similar styles of humor. Cerol often reminds Phil of his feistier students at the Scholasticate.
In Shadowbringers postgame, Phil helps Cerol learn to read, having noticed her struggling with written correspondence and how she would often make Hamilton or someone else look them over.
Dacquoise - a fellow culinary enthusiast
Dacquoise is a recent friend, having only met Phil once before during "You Are Invited" as she had been hired to make the cake for Yoshi and Kupo's wedding.
When Phil returned to the party in Endwalker postgame, he and Dacquoise have a chance to get properly acquainted as she had become a full-time party member and his new healing partner. When the topic turned to food, the conversation became especially lively.
Y'shtola - the elegant sorceress
Y'shtola is the one Scion that Phil connected with, noting that her sense of humor often reminded him of Eleanor. In Shadowbringers, Y'shtola's motherly quips led Phil to become wistful and reminisce about how Eleanor would practice her "mom voice" while pregnant with Yoshi. As a fellow practitioner of conjury, Phil and Y'shtola additionally came to appreciate each other's skill, especially when they were dropped together when the party was scattered in Amaurot.
During Endwalker postgame, Y'shtola and Phil created Coronal Blast when confronting Cagnazzo in Lapis Manalis. In Patch 6.5, Y'shtola assists Phil and Dacquoise in performing an aether transfusion as part of their last-ditch attempt to resuscitate Hikaru.
Rei - the mother returned
Rei is Hikaru's mother, having been long thought dead. She resurfaced during Endwalker, appearing at Camp Broken Glass after being tempered by Anima during her escape from Garlemald's supermax prison. Though Phil was among those who healed Rei and assisted with curing her tempering, he didn't know who she was at the time.
The two get to know each other during Endwalker postgame, sharing their experiences as parents and also as those who have lost their spouses.
Phil joins the party during Heavensward just before the events of the Aery. His main job is White Mage, though he also comes with Scholar and Astrologian. In Endwalker, he obtains the Sage job, as a requirement of his teaching credentials obligates him to keep up to date on all healing disciplines. He comes with Nirvana, a healer staff.
His Pedagogy trait boosts the party's EXP gain as long as he is part of the active formation.
He can use Saintly Bubble, a water-aspected Stun that binds the target in a bubble for a short duration or until the bubble's HP shield is depleted. Hikaru is able to learn Saintly Bubble herself via her Job Gleaning mechanic.
Phil excels at single-target healing. As Cure-series spells are considered Wind-aspected, it synergizes with his inherent elemental affinity and thus recovers more HP. This also applies to his single-target Regen.
In the Extended continuity, all Ishgardians are required to undergo training in some form of martial combat, and thus Phil is able to use the Paladin job as well, allowing him to assume a Tank role if needed. In Stormblood, he acquires the Samurai job, effectively making him an All-Rounder.
His Limit Break is Font of Life, a medley of original spells from all of his Healer jobs. Curaja fully heals the party (and revives anyone who is incapacitated), Luminant Dawn applies a high-potency Regen, Time Dilation applies Haste and Prismatic Shower deals modest damage and inflicts Slow on all enemies. Font of Life is the replacement for all Healer Rank 3 Limit Breaks, and evolves as Phil acquires more Healer jobs.