MAJOR SPOILERS FOR FINAL FANTASY 16 AHEAD
A convincing new fan theory reveals why Kihel, perhaps better known as Medicine Girl in Final Fantasy 16, may be the unawakened Dominant of Leviathan. Indeed, each one of the Eikons plays a vital role in Final Fantasy 16 except Leviathan, who is referred to as Leviathan the Lost in Valisthea. What exactly happened to Leviathan and/or why its Dominant has not awakened for so long is not explained, but Kihel may secretly hold those answers.
There are two major elements to this Final Fantasy 16 fan theory, both of which are pretty convincing. Some fans, such as Twitter user Aubrey, have pointed out that the positioning of Eikons on their mural may hint at the relationships they have with their Dominants/each other. Ifrit and Phoenix obviously form Ifrit Risen because of Clive and Joshua's relationship, Odin is the lowest on the mural indicating his relationship with darkness, and Garuda, Ramuh, and Titan are all close because of the connection between their Dominants. Notably, Leviathan and Bahamut are incredibly close on the right side, perhaps hinting at the bond between Kihel and Dion.
Not only that, but the Medicine Girl's real name in Final Fantasy 16 (which was hidden for quite some time) is a reference to water. As pointed out by Twitter user Sai Fox, Kihel is derived from Kiehl or Kiel, which means "born of a land of the waters/flood." The word obviously has deep ties to ships and the city of Kiel, as Aubrey and Sai Fox point out, is connected to a narrow bay that cuts through it.
The logical deduction from this, given the meaning of her name and her relationship with Dion, is that the Medicine Girl is intended to be the current Dominant of Leviathan. However, it's clear she has not yet awakened those powers, despite the events at Twinside in Final Fantasy 16. Whether she ever awakens Leviathan's powers, much less explains why those powers have been absent for so long, remains to be seen.
Square Enix could easily explain this in Final Fantasy 16 DLC, but nothing has been announced so far. Prior to its release, producer Yoshi-P said the company was focused on making FF16 a whole package and that DLC would only come later, if fans wanted it. The critical and commercial reception of Final Fantasy 16, then, would definitely suggest it's likelier to happen now, but Leviathan is just one of many options for a hypothetical DLC.
Final Fantasy 16 is available now for PS5.
