Final Fantasy 16 fans should get more information soon. The producer Yoshi-P recently confirmed that the next Final Fantasy 16 trailer is ready, but for one reason or another, Square Enix has yet to release it. Yoshi-P does believe it will drop soon, so fans will just have to wait and see what comes of it.
In the meantime, it’s worth thinking about the original Final Fantasy 16 trailer. There’s a lot to unpack there, such as Final Fantasy 16’s time skip, Clive’s character change, the war that erupts, the Blight, and more. But perhaps one of its most significant details, if smallest, may have flown under the radar. The trailer’s debut is dubbed as Awakening.
By definition, awakening means waking from sleep, the moment of becoming aware of something, or the beginning or rousing of something. It’s easy to see how each of these definitions are relevant to the Final Fantasy 16 trailer.
Final Fantasy 16: Joshua Awakening
One way or another, both Phoenix and Ifrit emerge in the Final Fantasy 16 trailer. Joshua is young, so this appears to be his first time physically manifesting Phoenix. It’s unknown where Ifrit comes from, but with their summoning, it could be related to waking from sleep. After all, this poses the question of what Phoenix and Ifrit were up to prior to this trailer. Dominants contain their Eikons in Final Fantasy 16, so a state similar to sleep makes sense.
Final Fantasy 16: Clive Awakening
For Clive, the second definition fits best. Players see both young and adult Clive in the Final Fantasy 16 trailer, and the transformation from one to the another is dark. Adult Clive is pursuing revenge, while his vengeance is no doubt connected to the events the trailer portrayed. When and how these events directly impact Clive remains to be seen, but he’s certainly aware of his role in life.
Perhaps there is even a connection to the first fan theory too. Some speculate that Clive dies in this trailer, which is why Joshua summons Phoenix to begin with, and that Clive’s revival somehow ties into the attack on the city. Some even go so far as to suggest that this explains Clive’s face mark which may have branded him as the Dark Eikon Ifrit’s dominant. That remains to be seen, but Clive’s awakening could be two or threefold really.
Final Fantasy 16: The Crystals and War
But the real kicker for this awakening definition comes from the worldbuilding of Final Fantasy 16’s Valisthea. Whatever happens with Young Clive no doubt leads to a War over the crystals, as seen in Adult Clive’s battle and the conflict between Shiva and Titan. It’s definitely the beginning or rousing of a major war.
How all of these awakenings tie together remains to be seen, but more Final Fantasy 16 news is on the horizon at least.
Final Fantasy 16 is in development for PS5.
