Next year will be a big one for Final Fantasy fans. Not only is Cloud’s journey in Final Fantasy 7 seemingly going off the rails with FF7 Rebirth, but fans will begin the first step of Clive’s journey in Final Fantasy 16. The former releases next winter, while Final Fantasy 16 releases next summer.
Unfortunately, not too much is known about either outside a few story and combat details. In terms of Final Fantasy 16 though, it’s notable that there are two things missing in the new trailer. First, it seems the Final Fantasy 16 doesn’t have a party system, because Clive is constantly alone. The second, however, is that Joshua doesn’t really have any role in the trailer.
Final Fantasy 16 Trailers: Piecing Together Joshua’s Story
The second Final Fantasy 16 trailer only shows Joshua for a split second, and it’s the horrified face he makes in the first trailer—that seemingly takes place as Ifrit emerges to do battle with Phoenix. The new trailer does show an Eikon battle between Ifrit and Phoenix, showing that players will have some control in this situation. The thing is, the second trailer makes it clear that Clive is Ifrit’s Dominant (though Clive does appear to be more than that).
This means that Clive/the player is fighting Phoenix as Ifrit. The events of the first trailer are harder to piece together, but it seems there is some attack on the Rosarian capital that leads to Joshua summoning Phoenix. It appears, in a way, that Dominants might BECOME their Eikons when summoned since it seems other Dominants can channel their Dominant’s strengths in human form. This is important because if Ifrit kills Phoenix, that means Ifrit probably kills Joshua, and if Ifrit is Clive, then Clive also kills Joshua.
What’s not certain is why Clive gets into this situation in the first place and how Ifrit comes to be. One could argue that it seems Clive is killed prior to this moment, but he could be resurrected by Joshua thanks to Final Fantasy 16’s Phoenix. His death and rebirth could make him Dominant to the Dark Eikon of Fire, or it could be that Clive is somehow cursed (the male body captured in complete fire).
The exact circumstances are hard to piece together, but it does seem that Clive’s lust for vengeance is aimed at the Crystals, the Dominants, the Eikons, all of Valisthea, and potentially even himself. While it remains to be seen, it does appear that Joshua doesn’t survive the events that unfold after this trailer. Since there’s a huge time gap, it would seem, between the older and younger Clive, it means that the latter has years of pain feeding into his vengeance. Joshua’s death doesn’t mean his story is over, as this is a fantasy game, but this doesn’t seem like a loving, brotherly story either.
Final Fantasy 16 releases summer 2023 for PS5.