Final Fantasy 16 producer Naoki Yoshida wanted the game to have a similar feel to Game of Thrones. Those working on the title were required to watch the hit HBO series, which had a huge impact on various aspects of development. The series' influence can be seen in numerous areas, including the way that the game's story is told and the world in which it takes place.
However, it is perhaps the characters themselves who bear the most striking resemblance to George R.R. Martin's work, with many of the game's cast being reminiscent of Game of Thrones characters. In fact, it could perhaps be argued that every Final Fantasy 16 Dominant has their own Game of Thrones counterpart, with some of the similarities too difficult to ignore.
1 Clive Rosfield = Jon Snow
Perhaps the easiest comparison to make of the bunch, there are more than a few similarities between Clive and Jon. For starters, both are idealistic young men who fight for what they believe in and do so with a wolf at their side. They're both looked down on by the matriarch of their childhood households too, though for very different reasons.
The A Song of Ice and Fire books on which Game of Thrones is based don't really have a main character per se due to the way that the perspective is constantly shifting from character to character. Only Tyrion has more chapters than Jon though, supporting the idea that he is one of the series' key characters, just as Clive is the central figure in Final Fantasy 16.
2 Joshua Rosfield = Brandon Stark
Another easy one, both Joshua and Bran are the younger brothers of key characters in their respective stories and both suffer serious injuries very early on. It's they who dedicate time and energy to learn more about the supernatural threat that is coming for them, with Bran seeking out the three-eyed Raven to awaken his powers and thwart the Night King and Joshua traveling around Valisthea in an attempt to uncover Ultima's plan.
Where they differ slightly is that Joshua is a lot less helpless than Bran, but neither is ever really in a position where they are truly self-reliant. Just as Bran is escorted into the unknown by Meera Reed, Joshua is supported by his faithful attendant Jote, who, like Meera, is willing to lay down her life in order to keep her companion alive so that they can complete their task.
3 Jill Warrick = Sansa Stark
Game of Thrones doesn't really have too many righteous female characters, making it tricky to find a like-for-like counterpart for Jill. Sansa is probably the closest though, as as well as growing up in the same household as the main character, viewers also get to see her transformation from a sweet young girl into an at times vindictive woman who is haunted by the mental scars inflicted upon her by her cruel captures.
In Jill's case, it was Imreann and the Iron Kingdom who enslaved her following the fall of Rosaria and then forced her to use her Eikonic Abilities to kill countless innocent people. Sansa arguably had it much worse; first with the Lannisters and then again with Ramsay Bolton. Both were forever changed by their forced servitude, however, giving them the strength and the courage needed to push on with the fight.
4 Cid Telamon = Tyrion Lannister
Perhaps the toughest of the bunch to pair off, Cid is almost like a composite of several Game of Thrones characters. His demeanor and sense of humor are incredibly reminiscent of Bronn, the sellsword, yet the two men are poles apart idealistically. Likewise, Cid's thirst for knowledge may well remind players of Littlefinger, though again, Petyr Baelish's self-serving nature makes him a poor match for Cid.
With this in mind, the only two truly viable options here are Tyrion and Varys, both of whom possess both wit and knowledge in equal measures, as well as a burning desire to do what is best for the realm. Tyrion just about edges it though, as although he isn't a particularly accomplished fighter, he is at times able to summon the courage needed to charge into battle and put his life on the line for what he believes is right.
5 Benedikta Harman = Margaery Tyrell
Benedikta doesn't stick around long enough for players to get a true reflection of who she really is, but they are given a fairly decent idea through their limited interactions with her and the occasional flashback and cutaway scenes that they're shown. She's a woman who starts out righteous but becomes more cynical as she begins to spend time around powerful and ambitious people, a little like Margaery Tyrell.
Both women use their sexuality to further their causes too; Margaery with Joffrey and Tommen, and Benedikta with Hugo and Barnabas. That's not to say that they are weak and helpless, though, with both Margaery and Benedikta showing that they are forces to be reckoned with at various points throughout their respective series.
6 Hugo Kupka = The Mountain
Few Game of Thrones characters are quite as intimidating as Gregor Clegane. This mountain of a man is able to crush a person's skull with his bare hands and has no qualms about murdering women and children when the situation calls for it. He becomes even more terrifying after he is reanimated as Ser Robert Strong; something that is mirrored somewhat by Hugo's eventual transformation into Titan Lost.
Both men are designed to be the embodiment of brute force, yet are slaves to their emotions and thus easily manipulated to do the bidding of others. In the case of The Mountain, it is Tywin then later Cersei who is pulling the strings, while Barnabas uses Sleipnir to bend the will of Hugo. Interestingly, both men ultimately disobey their puppeteers in the hopes of getting revenge; the mountain with his brother Sandor and Hugo with Clive.
7 Dion Lesage = Loras Tyrell
If Dion were to have his own Game of Thrones counterpart it would almost certainly have to be Ser Loras Tyrell, and not just because of his sexuality and luscious locks, either. In addition to being gay, both men are incredibly skilled in combat and are the leaders of their own units; Loras initially being the Lord Commander of Renley's Kingsguard, and Dion the leader of the Dragoons.
Additionally, they both serve beneath kings who are easily manipulated and go on to find a new purpose after being freed from their vows. Granted, Ser Loras' ambitions are a bit more self-serving than Dion's and lead to a much bleaker end. Neither is ever really shown to be acting maliciously though and both seem to have the good of the people and their respective realms in mind with most of what they do.
8 Barnabas Tharmr = Oberyn Martell
Both skilled fighters from foreign lands to the east, Barnabas Tharmr and Oberyn Martell share more than a few similarities. For starters, they look pretty alike and speak with non-native accents, with the former voiced by Norweigan actor David Menkin and the latter played by The Last of Us star Pedro Pascal. Both are incredibly skilled in combat too, moving with a level of fluidity and grace that few other characters are able to match.
Granted, Oberyn is a lot more strong-willed than Barnabas, but both men are incredibly thickheaded and perhaps a little arrogant too. Barnabas seems convinced that he'll get the better of Clive during their final showdown, while it is ultimately Oberyn's cockiness during his fight with the Mountain that leads to his eyeballs being squashed like grapes.
Final Fantasy 16 is available now exclusively for the PlayStation 5.