The Branded are a people who are central to the narrative of Final Fantasy 16, being the enslaved masses whose subjugation is the primary motivation for protagonists Clive and Cid to fight against the powers that be. Also referred to as Bearers throughout the game, there are several layers to unpack about those who can use magic in Valisthea and the situation they find themselves forced into.
Introduced quickly as the slave class of Final Fantasy 16, the Branded are shown to be subservient to those who do not bear the Crystal Curse and use their magic at the behest of their masters. However, while these Branded are often detested by the world at large, a certain type of magic wielder known as the Dominant is held in high regard for their usefulness in the wars that rage across the world.
Bearers Vs Branded
The terms Bearers and Branded often mean the same thing in Final Fantasy 16, although the specifics of each definition can slightly alter how people talk about each. These terms, however, are mostly interchangable, as the Branded are just Bearers who have been marked with a brand by the countries of Valisthea. Usually, when a character is referred to as a Bearer rather than a Branded, it is because they have hidden their relationships to magic and the Eikons of Final Fantasy 16 that embody the elements from the rest of the world.
Bearers of the Crystal's Curse
Referring to magic wielders as "Bearers" is also a colloquialism of its own, as it is short for Bearers of the Crystal's Curse. This curse means that Bearers are able to channel magic without use the of Final Fantasy 16's crystals that the regular population has to use into order to draw aether from the environment to cast spells. However, the act of channeling aether through a Bearer comes at the cost of their body slowly turning to stone, killing them if they utilize their magic too frequently.
This cost of the curse also extends up to the Bearers who have a deeper connection to the Eikons, those who are called Dominants for their ability to summon and dominate the godly beings themselves. In an act known as Priming, Dominants are able to fully summon Eikons like the classic Final Fantasy entity Ramuh. The power of these Eikons grants Dominants a much higher social status among most countries in Valisthea, as they have become the key champions in the many wars that continue to wage between nations. Regardless of their status, these Dominants are still bound by the Crystal's Curse, and will also eventually die if they channel the power of their Eikons too frequently.
The Act of Branding
After the first time jump in Final Fantasy 16, the player takes Clive through several sections of Valisthea while Branded as any other Bearer slave might be. Through this section of the game, it is made obvious that even when not beholden to a specific master, being Branded means always being ostracized by society due to the prejudice against Bearers, to the point that mothers will hatefully abandon cursed children. This is also when it is revealed that some Branded are able to have their brands removed, although it isn't explained initially why not all bother to go through the procedure.
As is made clear in a later side quest, the reason that most Branded don't remove their brand is because the process itself is incredibly dangerous and agonizingly painful. This is mostly due to the fact that the ink that is used to create the brand is distilled from the Wyvern Tail flowers of Sanbreque, often seen being given to Dion by his father Emperor Sylvestre Lesage, and is poisonous if it enters the bloodstream. The result is that if a Branded attempts to remove their brand it will end in their death, unless a skilled surgeon like the Hideaway's healer Tarja is the one conducting the procedure.
Final Fantasy 16 is available now for PS5.
