Final Fantasy 16's story features struggles between people, kingdoms, and even gods. One crucial element of the plot is the existence of Bearers, humans with the ability to wield magic without needing any form of catalyst. The role Bearers play in the various kingdoms and the world at large is a major part of the game's plot, so players might wonder about their history.
Final Fantasy 16's Bearers have a long and tragic history of oppression, enslavement, and abuse. The game does not shy away from the severity of their treatment by the different factions that vie for control of Valisthea, and the quest to end their abuse at the hands of countless factions is a huge part of Clive's journey. This article will explain what Bearers are and some of their history, so there are some plot spoilers ahead.
What Are Bearers? - The Basics
Put simply, a Bearer is any human who can take in Aether and perform magic without needing a crystal to use as a catalyst. This unique ability has made them both valued and feared by those without it and has led to a long history of enslavement and mistreatment by those wishing to take advantage of their ability.
Indeed, the nations that make up Valisthea do not consider Bearers human and frequently sell and barter them as they would any other valuable property. They are also often known as Branded, and a late-game side quest explains that the marks on their faces are tattooed in ink distilled from Wyvern Tail Flowers, which makes the removal of them dangerous and potentially fatal unless the surgeon is highly skilled.
Throughout the game, there are countless examples of Bearers being used as tools for their "masters," from filling wells to stoking the flames of forges. Even worse, there are countless instances of Bearers being mistreated, abused, and even hunted and killed for sport by certain members of the nobility.
Bearers considered "useless" due to frailty, age, or injury are often cast aside or left to die. Indeed, a certain particularly nasty individual has founded an order of "Black Shields" who are tasked with the gruesome execution of Bearers throughout the land simply because she cannot stand them and thinks them both beneath her and a threat to her son's power.
What Are Bearers? - The Cost of their "Gift"
Even considering all the foul treatment of Bearers mentioned above, what makes things all the worse is the price of them using their power. Taking in Aether to cast spells causes the gradual petrification and crystallization of the Bearer's body, and prolonged and excessive use (which is the norm for many Bearers due to their treatment) causes this to occur at a greatly accelerated pace.
Ultimately this leads to a painful and agonizing death as they turn to stone and then to dust. Many Bearers in the later stages of this sickness are cast aside and left to die by their "Masters" due to no longer being useful to them, and it is only through the kindness of certain individuals that some are spared from suffering this fate alone.
What Are Bearers? - Lost History (Spoilers for the Side Quest "An Inconvenient Truth")
There are varying accounts of Bearers throughout history, with many events having been expunged from the records in order to better justify their horrific treatment. Some stories claim that they are the Bearers of a curse placed upon humanity by the Gods for defying their will.
A historical account providing greater detail on the history of Bearers and their past can be found through a side quest late into the game called "An Inconvenient Truth." This leads to Clive discovering the book "From a Distance," which recounts a very different history of Bearers and provides the origin of their name.
While it is acknowledged during the quest that history can be viewed from many perspectives and that only the occurrence of certain events can be proven, this book sheds an important light on many elements of Bearer history that have been erased.
The book "From a Distance" explains that Bearers were once considered akin to living Crystals, their power a blessing granted by the Gods. They were treated as chosen ones and granted status and power accordingly, with the name "Bearer" originating from the phrase "Bearer of the Heavenly Blessing."
This reverence of their kind eventually led to the formation of a religion run and led by the Bearers themselves, and this caused tension with those in power. Authorities who were fine with Bearers being granted power within their own organizations were distrustful of an independent organization led by and for, Bearers.
This led to many attempts to stifle the Church and its followers, such as banning members from holding positions of office and evicting members from their homes. Meetings of the Church were even broken up by force, so a volunteer army was organized by the Church to resist this persecution.
Ultimately, despite this attempt at resistance, a cycle of bloodshed and rancor began, creating lines in the sand between those with the blessing and those without. This ultimately led to an all-out war across the entirety of Valisthea, known as the "Deluge of Blood," and eventually led to the Bearer resistance being crushed and the creation of the "Continental Accord."
This Accord established the system of Bearer enslavement that persists across Valisthea and notably declared "Bearers are Other Than Human" in a successful effort to dehumanize Bearers and "justify" their enslavement and exploitment.
Final Fantasy 16 is available for PS5.
