Final Fantasy 16’s final boss and ending can already be reached as the game is now available for PlayStation 5. The title developed by Square Enix marks a new installation in the classic RPG franchise, now leaning toward real-time action rather than its traditional turn-based combat. FF16 follows the story of Clive Rosfield, the oldest son to the Archduke of the Grand Duchy of Rosaria. The protagonist quickly discovers that he is, in truth, the Dominant of Ifrit, which causes a tragic event and sees him exiled.
This article contains massive SPOILERS for Final Fantasy 16’s main story.This is where Clive’s story in FF16 truly starts. As a mercenary operating away from his home, the hero will see himself directly involved with the multiple wars that plague the land of Valisthea. All the fights happen for the same reasons: nations dispute full control over the aether-abundant Mothercrystals spread across the continent. The way that Clive’s story develops is directly linked to the final boss and ending in Final Fantasy 16, both of which are built up over the dozens of hours it takes to beat FF16.
Clive & Joshua Head To Origin In Final Fantasy 16
After being reunited prior to Final Fantasy 16’s final boss and ending, Clive and Joshua head to Origin, which is used as the antagonist Ultima’s base of operations. Origin’s true nature is uncertain, but it is implied that this crystal-shaped vessel is the spaceship that brought Ultima to Valisthea in the first place. Ultima came to the planet in search of a large amount of aether and a being capable of absorbing Eikons – in this case, Clive. Together, these would be the tools used to reshape Valisthea, eliminate humanity, and reintegrate Ultima’s species into it after its home planet was blighted and destroyed by the excessive use of magic.
Clive Faces Ultima In Final Fantasy 16
During the ending of Final Fantasy 16, it is learned that the Mothercrystals in Valisthea are actually aspects of Ultima that were separated from its main body in order to harvest aether from the land. Only by destroying them would the harvested aether be returned to the creature. This is when Ultima rips a piece of itself from within Joshua, severely injuring him. This empowers Ultima to its maximum potential and sees Joshua weakened. Seeing his demise, Joshua then es his Phoenix over to Clive, who is able to absorb it. Shortly after, it is implied that Joshua dies.
Seeing his brother die for the second time triggers Clive’s fury, and this is where the final boss fight in Final Fantasy 16 starts: he engages in a battle against Ultima. By using the powers of the fire Eikons Ifrit and Phoenix combined, Clive is able to make good use of his magic and defeat Ultima. After this epic battle in Final Fantasy 16’s ending, Clive then proceeds to absorb Ultima itself. He then returns to his brother and seemingly regenerates Joshua’s health completely, but it is unconfirmed if this is the case at this point in the story.
Final Fantasy 16 Has A Bittersweet Ending
After healing Joshua in Final Fantasy 16’s ending, Clive ponders on the concentrated power held by the Mothercrystals and decides that it may be too much for any one person or nation to hold. This is when he uses his newfound power to completely destroy Origin. This scene is cut with another, showing Torgal and Jill taking care of a woman from Ash, who is giving birth to a child. For reference, this woman was saved by the group of adventurers along with Gav. While this happens, Jill looks into the sky and starts crying.
Both Jill and Torgal move out to an external balcony in Hideaway and look up into the sky. The red star that had been near the moon within every Final Fantasy 16 cutscene slowly flickers and fades away. This is followed by Torgal unleashing a howl into the air. Later on, Clive is shown washing up on a beach, conscious. He seems to be happy with the end of the Mothercrystals. Clive tries using magic one last time with his hand, only to see it has started to become stone. For reference, this is the same way that the Branded die when they use an excessive amount of aether.
It is implied that Clive dies in Final Fantasy 16, following his encounter with the final boss, Ultima, and the destruction of the Mothercrystals. It is something of a bittersweet ending to Final Fantasy 16, seeing both the ending of his life, which is represented by the fading red star near the moon, and the beginning of a new, and perhaps better life with the child of the woman from Ash, which is part of the small community that Clive himself helped established. He paid the ultimate price to ensure the wars for aether would end, and new lives will have more chances of prospering bereft of conflict.
Final Fantasy 16’s Post-Credits Scene Teases A Brighter Outcome
After the credits roll, however, there is a post-credits scene in Final Fantasy 16’s ending sequence. There seems to be a time skip following the events of Clive and Ultima’s clash. The sequence shows a few children playing, while one of them needs to make a fire for food for their mother. They start the fire by using a flint, mentioning they wished they could use magic. The mother comments, saying that using magic to light a fire is from a book. This book is then shown, and it is called "Final Fantasy". What is more curious, however, is that the author of the book is Joshua Rosfield.
His name attributed to the book implies that Joshua survived the events in Origin and was truly healed by Clive’s last-minute efforts. The post-credits scene in Final Fantasy 16 then proceeds to show the children playing outside. One of them has dark hair, while the other is blonde, and both of them play with a puppy – a direct reference to Clive, Joshua, and Torgal when they were young. The children seem to be reenacting a play that Clive enjoyed when he was younger.
This whole sequence indirectly references how Clive and Joshua’s story could have been if they had been born into a world without conflict raised by aether. It also shows how Valisthea seems better after Clive ended Ultima’s evil plot, and how that alone disintegrated the wars caused by the dispute over aether, Mothercrystals, Eikons, and magic. Final Fantasy 16’s ending also implies that magic ceases to exist in Valisthea altogether, showing how it can be idealized when in truth it only seems to cause more corruption and conflict.
