Warning: Spoilers ahead for Final Fantasy 15 and Final Fantasy 16At first glance, Final Fantasy 16's Clive Rosfield appears quite similar to other franchise protagonists. From the moment Final Fantasy 16's first trailer was released, fans began to dissect the character, comparing him to a range of the series' most popular characters. Among these was Final Fantasy 15's Noctis, as fans' first impressions of Clive drew many comparisons to Noctis' early story. This was only natural, seeing as Final Fantasy 15's hero was also a very new take for the series, as was the method of telling his story. Final Fantasy 15 and Final Fantasy 16 share various core concepts, and by looking at their protagonists' pasts, appearances, and primary motivations, fans can determine how Final Fantasy 16's Clive compares to FF15's Noctis.
Final Fantasy 16 was released this week to critical and commercial acclaim. The title, which touts a mature rating and a much darker tone, tells the story of Clive Rosfield, who seeks to create a world in which all people can live equally. The title tells a linear story, omitting a traditional open-world in favor of a map in which Clive fast-travels between various main locations. Final Fantasy 16 covers three distinct eras in Clive's life, each of which focuses on his efforts to fulfill a unique goal and discover the truth of his traumatic past.
Princes With A Divine Gift
While Final Fantasy 16 features some major changes from Final Fantasy 15, their heroes share a very similar foundation. Both Noctis and Clive are the firstborn sons of royalty, a station that grants each character with divine powers. While Noctis can wield the power of Lucien Kings, Clive has the Gift of the Phoenix, which allows him to utilize fire-based magic. Noctis and Clive also share a motivating event, as both are set on their life's path when their Kingdoms fall under attack.
Both Noctis and Clive adhere to a myriad of well-worn Final Fantasy traditions, as both eventually fall into the spikey-haired recluse persona shared by many of the series' male protagonists. Most interestingly though, Noctis and Clive share a very specific bond, which includes both their appearances and narrative journeys. Noctis and Clive both experience significant gaps in time, during which they return to free their homeland as grown adults. The two begin their tales as young, adventurous teens before maturing into honorable heroes.
Two Heroes In Search of the Crystal
Despite sharing similar foundations, Clive and Noctis' decisions lead them to become very different characters. Clive is a much darker individual, as his motivating event saw him lose his brother, station, and freedom over the course of one night. While Noctis is motivated by his desire to be a good king, Clive is motivated by revenge, which causes the two to approach a shared story element with opposite intentions. In the worlds of both Final Fantasy 15 and Final Fantasy 16, the world's magic is derived from Crystals. Noctis' journey sees him gain unfathomable power through becoming a vessel for the Crystal, whereas Clive's mission in life is to eradicate the Crystals, freeing humanity from their influence. Along the way both come into contact with the series' Eikons, or summons, with Clive attuning to the dark Eikon Ifrit, who served as a villain and final boss fight in Noctis' story.
Since his first trailer appearance, Final Fantasy 16's Clive has been compared to his predecessor, Noctis. While the two share quite a few early similarities, and motivations, the choices they make along their journeys create two very different protagonists. In the end, Noctis chooses a life of honor and tradition, utilizing the righteous power of the Crystal and his divine gifts to save the realm. Clive, in contrast, chooses to use any means necessary to create a world in which everyone lives and dies as equals, going so far as to destroy much of humanity's very way of life.
Final Fantasy 16 is available now for PS5.
