WARNING: Major Final Fantasy 16 Spoilers ahead. Proceed at your own risk.
Final Fantasy 16is a bold new chapter in the long-running RPG series. The title takes a unique approach, thrusting classic concepts into a brutal tale of dark fantasy, while honoring the series' oldest traditions.Final Fantasy 16was heralded as a celebrationof the fan-favorite franchise, and much of its core narrative adheres to that concept. However, the title’s endgame appears to close out the series once and for all. Despite reenvisioning theFinal Fantasyfranchise for a new era,Final Fantasy 16’s ending seems more like the series' sendoff, than it does its celebration.
Final Fantasy 16tells the tale of brothers Clive and Joshua Rosfield, who seek to destroy the land of Valisthea’s mothercrystals and stop the world-ending plot of the god-like Ultima. Clive and Joshua are Dominants, individuals who can wield the power of Eikons,Final Fantasy 16’s summons, and utilize magic without reliance on the crystals. However, the title’s endgame reveals that destroying the crystals is part of Ultima’s plan. Ultima reveals that they created both humanity and the mothercrystals in order to cast a spell that would remake the world, destroying all who currently inhabit it. Clive is meant to be his physical vessel, as he is the only organic being capable of harnessing enough energy to cast the spell. Final Fantasy 16’s finale sees Clive face off against Ultima at full power, with the fate of Valisthea hanging in the balance.
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Final Fantasy 16’s Ending Closes the Book on the Series
FollowingUltima’s endgame reveal, Clive pledges to defeat the god-like being, refusing to be a part of his destructive plot. During their battle, Clive uses the power of his human will to match blows with Ultima, despite the latter claiming to be a god themselves. Ultima considers free will to be a perversion of Clive’s creation, a fantasy to which humanity clings in desperation. However, Clive’s strength of will only grows, leading a frustrated and belittled Ultima to the verge of defeat. With humanity on the cusp of freedom, Clive posits that the power of free will is actually humanity’s greatest strength. Declaring Ultima’s convoluted plot to be the real fantasy, Clive vows to be its final witness.
In the end,Final Fantasy 16’s Clivedefeats Ultima, freeing humanity from the mothercrystals, magic, and the power of Eikons. The people of Valisthea are now free to live and die on their own terms, in a world removed from the unfair advantages created by Ultima’s final fantasy. Likewise, the title’s ending sees many of theFinal Fantasyseries' oldest traditions come to a close, with the crystals, its most revered icon, destroyed in the name of a magic-free world.
In a post-credit scene, some decades after Clive’s journey, two young children recount the tale of the Eikons. It is revealed thatFinal Fantasy 16’s narrative has become a legend throughout Valisthea, having been recorded by Joshua Rosfield in a book titled “Final Fantasy.” The scene’s final moments not only appear to close the book on the title’s story but also theFinal Fantasyseries as a whole.
Final Fantasy 16 Features A FINAL FANTASY Mode
Once fans completeFinal Fantasy 16, they are introduced toNew Game+. However, they are also offered a more challenging mode called FINAL FANTASY, which claims to provide the ultimate test of fans' abilities. Alongside this challenge, FINAL FANTASY mode raises Clive’s level cap to 100 and features new gear and items for him to collect. Longtime fans of theFinal Fantasyseries will be most interested to learn that the mode also features exclusive content, including the title’s most powerful weapon.
In a major change from past titles,Final Fantasy 16’s initial playthrough does not allow fans to acquirethe Ultima Weapon. The sword is exclusively available to those who play New Game+ and choose FINAL FANTASY in the difficulty menu. However, fans who do so won’t earn the weapon through strength or progression. Rather, the Ultima Weapon is crafted using a Ragnarok Sword, an Utterance of Creation, and Ultima Weapon Crafting Materials. Fans playing FINAL FANTASY mode should consider crafting the Ultima Weapon, as, even with the sword, they are sure to face the ultimate test.
