Highlights

  • Final Fantasy 16 made big changes to the franchise's formula, but its positive review scores and continued support indicate that those bold decisions paid off.
  • Two DLCs were announced to expand the narrative, with the first, Echoes of the Fallen, already released during The Game Awards 2023. The upcoming DLC, The Rising Tide, will introduce a new character, Shula, and explore fresh territories in the world of Valisthea.
  • The leading theory right now is that Shula will be Leviathan's dominant, serving as a potential boss fight for Clive. However, there is also a chance that Shula becomes playable for a brief segment, though this is purely speculation.

Last year, Final Fantasy 16 marked developer Square Enix's grand franchise embracing some elements from outside its core JRPG tenants. Final Fantasy 16 made some notable changes to the familiar FF formula with its larger focus on real-time combat, centering on a sole protagonist in a grittier medieval setting rather than a collection of party members and sans some of the steampunk aspects that had been part of many previous entries. Still, FF16 was a title firmly in the true spirit of the series, offering a sweeping tale of unexpected twists and hard-forged friendships.

Although there were originally no plans for post-launch content, eventually two DLCs were announced for Final Fantasy 16. The first of these, Echoes of the Fallen, was stealth released during The Game Awards 2023, and saw players visit the ruins of an ancient construct. The second upcoming DLC, The Rising Tide, is poised to address one of the biggest threads introduced in the main campaign but left largely unanswered by the conclusion. Along with this, a new character has been revealed as part of its tale, and will form a major part of the DLC's promise to explore interesting and previously unseen territory in the world of Valisthea.

Final Fantasy 16's Rising Tide DLC Has a Lot to Explain
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Final Fantasy 16's Rising Tide DLC Has a Lot to Explain

Square-Enix recently unveiled a trailer for its newest Final Fantasy 16 DLC, leading fans to question how its lore fits logically into the narrative.

New Character Shula's Role in Final Fantasy 16's The Rising Tide DLC, Explained

Final Fantasy 16's The Rising Tide DLC's Setup

One of the revelations uncovered in the course of Final Fantasy 16's main story is that one of the Eikons (the incarnations of powerful magical entities), Leviathan, has been missing for some time, with the reasons for its absence being big unknowns. Among the new inclusions that will be featured in FF16's Rising Tide DLC is that it will send fans to a fresh location, joined by newcomer, Shula. According to the description on the official site:

Mysidia is a new area that is “a lost oasis untouched by the ever-encroaching Blight.” New side stories will reveal more lore about the area and its residents, but this means facing new threats... This is also where Clive will take on the Leviathan. New ally Shula will be “an invaluable ally on the journey to rescue Leviathan’s Dominant.” However, his main advantage will be the new Eikonic Abilities of Leviathan the Lost where he can control surrounding water to drown enemies. The Serpent’s Cry feat can also summon a sea-spitting serpent that will strike precision damage at distant enemies.

What Role Shula Could Play in Final Fantasy 16's The Rising Tide DLC

The detail of Shula assisting in the rescuing of Leviathan's Dominant adds an intriguing wrinkle to what might be the expected framework, implying Shula may not be Leviathan's Dominant in the same exact way that Clive, Jill, or Cid were seen to be for their respective Eikons. Instead, Shula may be acting as a guide and source of information to fill in the gaps of knowledge that Clive and co. have regarding the existence of Mysidia, the nature and history of Final Fantasy 16's Leviathan, and why it and its Dominant have not been seen or manifested for so long.

Final Fantasy 16 also focused heavily on Clive as a single protagonist, with less of an emphasis on a party of companions compared to other FF titles. Although players could control other characters at times, more often than not, Clive was front and center stage for most of the adventure. It could be the case that this DLC will give fans more leeway in directly controlling Shula as he accompanies and fights alongside Clive, as the description specifically mentions him having Eikionic abilities, even if he is somehow not Leviathan's Dominant. ​

Final Fantasy 16's epic clashes between Eikons were one of its highlights, and it is likely that whatever other dangers and mysteries the DLC holds, it will see these spectacular fights return, as well as possibly lean more into the party-based framework, at least to some degree, via Shula. There are probably more surprises in store as well, and whatever awaits, players will be able to find out when Final Fantasy 16's The Rising Tide DLC releases April 18, 2024.