Final Fantasy 16 is one of the most highly anticipated games scheduled to be released within the next few years, even though the release date for Final Fantasy 16 is still uncertain. Naturally, fans of the series want to know everything about the new heroes, villains, and magical creatures waiting to be encountered in the upcoming adventure. However, one character that Square Enix has been suspiciously quiet about (moreso than the others) is Jill Warrick.
Jill Warrick is one of the main characters in Final Fantasy 16. However, she did not receive as thunderous of a welcome as the many Final Fantasy hallmarks in the “Awakening” trailer, or the two other lead characters Clive and Joshua Rosfield. In fact, it hardly focused on her at all, which has led eager fans to speculate on her future in the game.
Jill Warrick's Backstory
Visiting Warrick's character page on the Final Fantasy website only reveals that she was taken from her fallen homeland in the Northern Territories at a young age. She was born a princess and was perhaps brought to Rosaria to sow peace between the two warring nations. The Archduke of Rosaria then raised her like a sister to Clive and Joshua, and she eventually becomes the Rosfield brothers’ confidant. The story begins when she’s 12 years old.
That little bit of back story and some character art is basically the extent of official information to be found on one of the few female main characters included in Final Fantasy. Noticeably there's not a lot about any of them, but in Jill's case, it seems to be intentionally avoided. Inevitably, the internet began to wonder about her.
Theories About Warrick
The most popular theory among fans is that Jill Warrick is Shiva’s dominant. In the world of Final Fantasy 16, a dominant is a person who has been given the ability to turn into, or at least control, an Eikon. Some of the Eikons include Shiva, Ifrit, Titan, and Phoenix. Eikon’s bless their dominant and live inside of them, giving the dominant the ability to summon them at will, with both beings are used by society for a variety of reasons. Joshua is Phoenix’s dominant, which is why Clive is given the duty to protect him. Dominants are incredibly powerful, causing them to be praised in certain areas of the map and persecuted in other areas. In some areas, dominants are killed at birth.
At the beginning of the “Awakening” trailer, a group of mercs is discussing their mission to capture Shiva’s dominant who they refer to as, “She.” A moment that indicates how Final Fantasy 16's summon system will differ from recent installments. Warrick left her home at a young age for reasons that are not fully clear, and she wears some blue accessories that are reminiscent of Shiva. Plus, she is supposedly intended to provide balanced energy to the brooding fire of Clive and Joshua’s Phoenix, so having control over the ‘Ice Queen’ would greatly help. After examining the map, the Northern Territories do look icy.
When will Jill’s turn come? How large of a reveal will it be? Final Fantasy players can remember numerous times when a character became much more than they initially seemed. Aerith from Final Fantasy 7 seemed like a normal healer and then, halfway through the campaign, she became the most important character in the game. It'll be interseting to see what happens f and when that moment comes for Jill.
The cover of Final Fantasy 16 is an image of Phoenix and Ifrit fighting each other, a cinematic that was hinted at during the trailer, and most fans believe this fight will be pivotal to the story and most likely be the catalyst for the rest of the game. If Joshua is Phoenix and Clive is his protector, then where is Jill in this fight? The dominant of Ifrit remains unclear, but based on the trailer, it appears to be a man from an invading territory. If Jill is Shiva’s dominant, then her cold touch could be extremely useful in a battle between two fire-based behemoths.
At the same time, maybe all of this means nothing and she’s just Clive’s sister. It could be that Jill is simply meant to keep Clive grounded on his quest for revenge and provide a connection to his past. However, that feels like an awfully small story for such an important Final Fantasy 16 character.
Final Fantasy 16’s release date has yet to be announced, but it will be available on PlayStation 5.
