Eagle-eyed Final Fantasy 16 players are spotting a rather grim nod to one of Final Fantasy 9’s most popular characters: Vivi Ornitier. Each mainline Final Fantasy game is set in its own separate universe, but there are usually nods to the larger franchise connecting them. From recurring character names like Cid to familiar creatures like Cactuars and Chocobos, Final Fantasy’s many connective references remind players that every game is part of a larger series, even if the entries themselves are as different as night and day.
This rings especially true for Final Fantasy 16, which marks several big changes for the long-running JRPG franchise. Final Fantasy 16 fully embraces action combat similar to Devil May Cry, for one. The game’s story is also much darker than past Final Fantasy entries, with main FF16 protagonist Clive Rosfield initially seeking vengeance for the murder of his younger brother in a gritter medieval setting. Still, Final Fantasy 16 pays tribute to the games that came before it, though these nods are somewhat bleak in their own way.
Recently, a Reddit user named CaptainWeirdBeard13 noticed a strange and morbid reference to Final Fantasy 9 hidden in Final Fantasy 16’s troubled land of Valisthea. A scarecrow resembling Vivi Ornitier, the shy-but-powerful Black Mage from Final Fantasy 9, can be found somewhere in the middle of a cornfield. CaptainWeirdBeard13 shared a screenshot of this discovery on r/FFXVI, leading to jokes that Vivi was crucified by the people of Valisthea and quotes from the beloved little wizard.
Vivi was one of Final Fantasy 9’s most popular characters thanks to his cute design, helpful magical power, and surprisingly tragic backstory, which saw him confronted with his dark origins as an artificial life form with a limited lifespan. This fits surprisingly well with Final Fantasy 16’s themes of loss, grief, and redemption, and some fans’ humorous interpretation of Vivi being killed and strung up as a scarecrow is sadly on brand for Valisthea, where war, prejudice, and even slavery are all-too-common practices.
Final Fantasy 16’s darkly humorous nod to Final Fantasy 9 also comes alongside rumors of an FF9 remake in the style of the widely successful Final Fantasy 7 Remake. While this update to the colorful PS1 classic hasn’t been officially confirmed yet, fans can at least see Vivi again in the unforgiving world of Final Fantasy 16, even if the already troubled mage has clearly seen better days.
Final Fantasy 16 is available on the PlayStation 5.
