We Finally Know More About Final Fantasy 16's Characters And Setting

Since its reveal during the PS5 showcase that aired on Sept 16, fans of Final Fantasy have been eager for news about the newest game in the highly successful franchise, Final Fantasy 16. The trailer gave gamers a cinematic look at the upcoming project, which appears to be a sweeping epic with features both new and familiar. It also left fans with a lot of questions: Who are these new characters? What is the story? What new adventure will players be embarking upon?

Finally, their patience has been rewarded — Square Enix has given fans a glimpse into the world and characters of Final Fantasy 16 on its website.

The setting of Final Fantasy 16 takes place in the world of Valisthea — "A Land Blessed in the Light of the Mothercrystals." Okay, so what are "mothercrystals?" According to the website's description, mothercrystals are "glittering mountains of crystal that tower over the realms around them, blessing them with aether." Aether is what powers the world's magic, and it seems that each mothercrystal has a name — Drake's Breath, Drake's Head, Drake's Spine, Drake's Fang, and Drake's Tail.

Each Final Fantasy game has powerful god-like creatures which players can summon to their aid — among some of the most well known are Ifrit, Shiva, and Phoenix. These creatures have a different title depending on which Final Fantasy game is referenced. In Final Fantasy 8, they are referred to as GF, or Guardian Force. In Final Fantasy 10, they are called Aeons.

In Final Fantasy 16, these beings are known as Eikons, and they are controlled by Dominants. A Dominant is "a single man or woman who is blessed with the ability to call upon the dread power." Square Enix says that Dominants are treated either with reverence or fear, depending on which realm in Valisthea they are in.

There are six realms in Final Fantasy 16's Valisthea that have been named so far, each with its own unique history and culture. There's the Grand Duchy of Rosaria, the Holy Empire of Sanbreque, the Kingdom of Waloed, the Dhalmekian Republic, the Iron Kingdom, and the Crystalline Dominion. Each realm has its own Mothercrystal and Eikon, though some of the names of the Eikons have been redacted, likely to prevent spoilers.

Some other interesting tidbits of lore are revealed in the text descriptions for the realms. For example, the Iron Kingdom's inhabitants are filled with religious fanatics who worship the Mothercrystals and condemn Dominants, even going so far as to put them to death. At the opposite end of the spectrum, the Holy Empire of Sanbreque has named its Dominant an Emperor, and worships them as a god. Then there is the Crystalline Dominion, which sits at the world's center, where "many bloody battles were fought for the control of this small plot of land."

Possibly the most important aspect of Final Fantasy 16 – or any Final Fantasy game, for that matter — is the cast of characters. There are only three listed on the game's website so far, but what little is told about them makes them all the more compelling.

First there is Clive Rosfield, the eldest son of the Archduke of Rosaria. At fifteen years old, Clive was given the title of First Shield of Rosaria, and is tasked with protecting the realm's Dominant — who just so happens to be Clive's younger brother, Joshua. The most intriguing bit of information surrounding the character states that "Clive's promising career is to end in tragedy," and this tragedy apparently leads him "on a dangerous road to revenge."

The next character on Final Fantasy 16's list is Joshua Rosfield, who is ten years old, and described as a sweet-tempered, "bookish" young man who has inherited the role of Dominant. His Eikon is the Phoenix, and it says that Joshua often wishes the role had fallen to his older brother instead, as he believes Clive to be better suited for the job.

Finally, there is Jill Warrick, a ward of Rosaria's archduke who was raised alongside Joshua and Clive, and is like a sister to them. Jill is twelve years old, and very little is revealed about her except that she was "taken from her homeland at a tender age." But Square Enix would not have mentioned her at this point if she were not important, so perhaps Jill's true role in the game has yet to be revealed.

Final Fantasy 16 is, for now, slated to be a PS5-exclusive release. No official release date has been announced.