Final Fantasy 16 has received only one trailer thus far, as well as a few lore tidbits and there. This has led to a ton of speculation ranging from story elements and gameplay to specifics like Jill being Shiva’s Dominant. That said, there is another theory that has been debated off and on for the last year, and it is particularly interesting (if contradicting at times): Clive is Ifrit’s dominant.
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Final Fantasy 16: Why Some Players Think Clive is Ifrit’s Dominant
There are a few reasons that fans think Clive is Ifrit—the first is in his core character design, where his weaponized arm and sword share a design similar to Ifrit. Fans know that Joshua is Phoenix’s dominant already, meaning it would make sense if Clive hosted the Dark Eikon Ifrit (on the assumption that Dark Eikons work like regular Eikons). On top of that, the trailer is called Awakening—Joshua is already known to be Phoenix’s Dominant, so this could be Clive’s Awakening.
Thus, one interpretation of this trailer is that there is some form of rebellion or revolution, where Betrayer’s attack (as they all wear similar armor). These Betrayers seem to be after Joshua, killing Clive and his Chocobo in the process, causing Joshua to bring forth Phoenix and resurrect his brother. This would explain why Joshua is crying, and in theory, this could be how “Dark Eikons” become tied to a Dominant—through Death. Thus, Clive comes back to life and is momentarily in a state of pure fire—the antagonistic fire man seen in the Final Fantasy 16 trailer—and this causes Ifrit to Awaken within Clive.
Because of some primordial clash between Eikons, particularly given two Fire Eikons, Ifrit is frenzied and attacks Phoenix—not the Betrayers. Clive, from within Ifrit, calls out to not attack Joshua: “Stop, he’s my brother!” Ultimately, however, if Joshua does die, it seems to be at the hands of Ifrit. This death, awakening, and sealing of Ifrit within Clive may explain how Joshua is able to use multiple abilities within his arm, beginning with Ifrit. It’s rather convincing and a solid analysis of the confusing trailer, as Clive—following the time skip—could be fighting against the Eikon/Army responsible for the attack on his home and the death of his brother in Final Fantasy 16.
Final Fantasy 16: Why Some Fans Think Clive Probably Isn’t Ifrit’s Dominant
With so little known about Final Fantasy 16’s story and Eikons, there is some guesswork, however plausible, in this theory. Many do not believe Clive is somehow Ifrit’s Dominant, citing various reasons—chief among them Clive’s ability to use multiple attacks based on what-would-be Eikons. Another is that Clive is seeking revenge against whoever summoned Ifrit (and killed his brother), and it wouldn’t make sense for him to seek vengeance against himself.
As Final Fantasy characters tend to be brooding, it could be that Clive does blame himself but is also seeking those responsible for the overall attack—the traitors, or enemies, who donned his country’s armor. At the end of the day, though, it does seem to be Ifrit and whoever summoned him that Clive is pursuing: “I’ll kill you if it’s the last thing I do.”
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The attacks and the vengeance are only two reasons why some do think Clive is Ifrit’s Dominant. Some point to how Clive’s arm is unchanged after Final Fantasy 16’s time skip (though it should be stated that this could be trailer editing, or it could be that Clive’s arm only manifests that way when using an ability). Many don’t buy that the fire man antagonist is Clive’s resurrection but a manifestation of the real protagonist, summoning Ifrit and doing this all intentionally. That, too, is a valid interpretation of Final Fantasy 16’s trailer.
Furthermore, it is noted Dominants turn into their Eikons in Final Fantasy 16, as Square Enix describes this portion of the trailer as where Joshua transforms into the Phoenix to protect the nation. It could be that Clive isn’t killed but knocked out, as the enemies are focusing on Joshua. This also makes it harder for Clive to be Ifrit’s dominant—Clive wouldn’t likely want to house or become his brother’s killer.
Plus, others think that Final Fantasy 16’s Joshua somehow houses two Eikons since they are both representatives of fire—Phoenix and Ifrit. This may be somewhat supported as one scene in the trailer focusing on Ifrit hears someone scream, “Please, Joshua, wake up!” It’s not hard evidence who or what houses Ifrit and how it joins the battle, ultimately.
Furthermore, while Ifrit awakening in Clive would explain the arm and his various combat abilities in Final Fantasy 16, it’s worth mentioning that the trailer shows Joshua using Phoenix’s wings and other abilities when he’s young—so not likely connected to Ifrit, unless it just went unnoticed or unexplained for so long.
Either way, Clive being Ifrit’s dominant is an interesting theory if one with many holes in it. It’ll be interesting to see what Final Fantasy 16’s upcoming reveals add or take away from this theory and, ultimately, how all of this comes to be in the official release.
Final Fantasy 16 is in development for PS5.
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