Seems Like The Most Likely Explanation To Me - Blog Posts

Aldia's human form

I was surprised to discover many people aren't actually aware that the key art of Scholar of the First Sin depicting a bearded man with a crown is most likely Aldia in the flesh.

Now, it may seem bold to just claim this, especially since many people assume that's Vendrick. I mean, he is holding his crown after all! And I get this, they look alike; they are both bearded old men with similar clothes... but I think it's worth pointing out key differences between the two subjects:

When compared side-by-side the differences become rather obvious. The two are wearing completely different clothes, and the character in the key art notably lacks one of Vendrick's more iconic features: his two long braids running at the side of his beard.

The clothing style is also very interesting, as it makes the man look less like a king and conqueror and more like a wizard or priest. The silhouette is more akin to robes! Since he was a magical researcher and seemed to practice strange rituals, this attire would fit Aldia quite well. Other notable differences in their attires include the long sleeves and the seeming lack of a cape (and if there is, it looks really different)

I will admit, their facial structure is quite similar though, but that's easily explained by the fact the two are brothers. It can be missed since it's information only gained from item descriptions.

This also explains why the figure would have a similar style to that of Vendrick without being the king himself!

But I can understand if someone isn't convinced yet. Him holding Vendrick's crown seems odd in isolation, doesn't it? There is a way to explain this though, and that comes from the pattern established by the other DLCs. Their covers all featured the crowns of the old kings. It would only be fitting for the final version of the game to continue the theme with the crown that had yet to be depicted.

And keep in mind, this is the "Scholar of the First Sin" edition, which introduced Aldia as an in-game character rather than a lore-only one. It stands to reason that he would be featured in some way on the cover. Heck, the other key art for the game is one of the Forlorn, who are his creations!

So there, here's my case for why this guy has to be Aldia. I think his design has too many departures to be Vendrick and it just makes sense for Aldia to be featured on the cover of the game named after his title ahahah. These are just my thoughts, but I believe the case is pretty strong.