Warning: This article contains major spoilers for Final Fantasy 16. Proceed at your own risk.
Final Fantasy 16 follows Clive Rosfield, as he seeks to destroy powerful sources of magic called Mothercrystals, which have caused countless wars and untold suffering for the people of Valisthea. Besides gifting the land with magic, each Mothercrystal gifts an individual, called a Dominant, with the ability to control an Eikon, Final Fantasy 16's summons. Clive is revealed to be the Dominant of a mysterious Eikon, Ifrit, and the title follows him through three different periods in his life. During these periods, Clive takes on a variety of names, including "Wyvern" and "Cid the Outlaw". However, the title's villains exclusively refer to Clive by another name, "Mythos." While at first Clive believes the title refers to his role as a Dominant, the truth behind why some characters call Clive 'Mythos' is much more complicated.
Final Fantasy 16's main quest sees Clive come into conflict with various Dominants and Eikons, as he seeks to destroy each of Valisthea's Mothercrystals. It is revealed through these conflicts that Clive possesses a unique ability, as he is capable of removing a Dominant's Eikon, before adding its power to his own. Upon destroying the first Mothercrystal, a battered Clive encounters a god-like being, Ultima, who refers to him as "Mythos." Ultima, who refers to themselves in the plural, attempts to claim Clive as their "vessel". However, Joshua, Clive's brother and Dominant to the Phoenix, comes to his rescue. Throughout the game's latter half, Barnabas, Dominant of Odin and servant to Ultima, tests Clive as a means of preparing "Mythos" for his master.
The Divine Purpose of Mythos
During Final Fantasy 16's endgame, Ultima transports Clive and Joshua into a dimensional rift, before revealing the history of their presence in Valisthea. Long ago, Ultima discovered magic - however, its use caused a world-ending Blight to corrupt their home. Fearing the Blight would destroy them, Ultima fled to Valisthea, where they discovered aether, a naturally occurring source of magic. However, the Blight soon followed, and Ultima realized that the only way to be free of the Blight was to cast a spell strong enough to create a new world.
In order to cast the world-creating spell, Final Fantasy 16's Ultima would need a massive amount of magical energy and an improved physical form through which to harness it. To create the perfect body, Ultima created humanity, in the hopes that one day a human would be born that could harness enough energy to cast the spell. This vessel they titled "Mythos." To gather the energy, Ultima shed their physical form and used their spirits to create the Mothercrystals, which siphoned the aether from Valisthea's landmasses.
When Clive destroyed the first Mothercrystal at Drake's Head, he awakened Ultima, who recognized Clive as the "Mythos," as he could wield the power of multiple Eikons. Ultima reveals that he had manipulated Clive into destroying each Mothercrystal, knowing that doing so would lead him into conflict with every Eikon while setting another Ultima soul free.
Ultima's Plan for Clive Has Unexpected Consequences
In preparation for the birth of "Mythos," Ultima slumbers for thousands of years within Valisthea's Mothercrystals, abandoning humanity to fend for itself. This leads humanity to develop a will of their own, eventually discovering the crystals' magic themselves, before harnessing it for their own gains. Once Clive has absorbed the powers of every Eikon, Ultima is appalled to discover that he also boasts an extremely strong will. He claims that Clive has become a perversion of "Mythos," called "Logos," as he was born with the will to deny his purpose.
With the required amount of aether siphoned, Ultima only requires "Mythos" to complete the creation spell, leading the two into a climactic final conflict. However, Clive proves to be a match for Ultima in Final Fantasy 16, as his will and the faith of his friends magnify his strength. In the end, Clive embraces his role as Logos, defeating Ultima's strongest form, Ultimalius. Ever devoted to his mission, Clive uses his god-like strength to destroy the final Mothercrystal, freeing all of humanity from Ultima's machinations once and for all.
Final Fantasy 16 is available now for PS5.
