The latest numbered entry in the Final Fantasy franchise has recently been released, and fans around the world are currently working their way through it. Final Fantasy 16 is the most action-oriented Final Fantasy title yet, exceeding not only Final Fantasy 15 and Final Fantasy 7 Remake but even heavily combat focused spin-offs like Stranger of Paradise. However, it's also a return to the medieval setting of older Final Fantasy titles, as Final Fantasy 16 hopes to impress the core of Final Fantasy onto a new generation.
Across many developer interviews, this central goal of regaining respect for the Final Fantasy franchise keeps coming up. It is true that after Final Fantasy 10, the frequently experimental franchise entered an age where it couldn't find stable footing. With two MMOs, one needing a second launch, and the diverse efforts of Final Fantasy 12, 13, and 15, FF16 had a lot to answer to. It's done a good job for the most part, emphasizing Final Fantasy's summons through its spectacular Eikon battles. However, one prominent summon seems to have been left behind in Final Fantasy 15 of all places.
Leviathan Is Missing From Final Fantasy 16
The importance of Final Fantasy's summons in FF16 cannot be understated, with the most important characters in the plot all possessing the ability to transform into these beasts. Protagonist Clive Rosfield can even gain the powers of other Eikons despite being the Dominant of Ifrit himself, a trait that was to give the fiery summon some time in Final Fantasy's spotlight. The other prominent summons that Clive draws his abilities from consist of Phoenix, Garuda, Ramuh, Titan, Bahamut, Odin, and Shiva, all of whom are deeply integrated into the setting of Valisthea.
One other Eikon is brought up a couple of times, but never gets any play. Leviathan the Lost is referenced late in the game by a character examining some ancient, mythological artwork. A form of this image is also found on the collector's edition, and also features something that looks like Leviathan on it. However, the enormous water serpent lives up to its subtitle in Final Fantasy 16, as there's no apparent Dominant for it, and it never has any bearing on the plot. With how integral every Eikon is to Final Fantasy 16, Leviathan sticks out like a sore thumb. It's so unusual that it may have been held up by factors outside of Final Fantasy 16 itself.
Final Fantasy 15 May Have Been Leviathan's Big Moment
Leviathan doesn't often get the spotlight in Final Fantasy, but it has benefited from being one of the franchise's legacy summons. It's one of the core reoccurring Primals in Final Fantasy 14, from which Final Fantasy 16 tends to draw its own Eikons. Despite that, Leviathan's last mainline FF story role was actually in Final Fantasy 15. The game's major turning point in the city of Altissia is underscored by Leviathan's destructive appearance, forcing players into a high-octane setpiece that wouldn't look out of place in Final Fantasy 16.
Since Leviathan was such a big part of FF15's emotional climax, Square Enix may have made the tough choice to give it some breathing room. A Final Fantasy 16 Leviathan encounter might feel too similar to FF15's, and risks taking away one of the most memorable parts of that game if it's done better. Pre-release rumors also suggested that FF16 may give Leviathan its own DLC, though no concrete evidence of this currently exists. Still, it is interesting to have one of Final Fantasy 16's defining monsters simply be missing, regardless of whether that's primarily for an internal or external reason.
Final Fantasy 16 is available now on PS5.
