Soon after publishing the second trailer for FF16, Square Enix updated the game’s official site to reveal new screenshots and introduce the two new characters shown in the trailer, hinting at several story elements in the process.
The world of Final Fantasy XVI, Valisthea, contains six realms formed around the Mothercrystals. The realms extract Aether from the Mothercrystals, an energy source that fuels the Magick used for human activity, with wars being fought over these Mothercrystals. The Mothercrystals are also the only way to stop the advance of the Blight, a certain calamity threatening the world.
Some of the realms are home to one or more Dominant, someone who has inherited the powers of an Eikon, the new name used for Summons in FF16. Depending on a realm’s culture, Dominants can be revered and placed in a leadership position, ostracized for their powers, or used as tools of war.
The two new characters seen in the trailer, appropriately titled “Dominance”, are both Dominants: Hugo Kupka the Dominant of the earth Eikon: Titan, and Benedikta Harman, Dominant of the wind Eikon: Garuda.
FF16 Introduces New Dominant Characters As Possible Allies
Both the first trailer and Clive’s official profile explained that Dominants can share part of their Eikon’s powers with others. Clive received the power of Phoenix from his little brother Joshua, who is Phoenix’s Dominant. In the second trailer, Clive is heard saying “I unite the Dominants… that we may bring an end to the strife… and found a new order to see us unto tomorrow.”
This would explain why Clive is seen equipped with several Eikons in the trailer including Phoenix, Shiva, Titan, Garuda, Odin, and Ramuh. This heavily hints that despite some of them initially being enemies, the Dominants will all ally themselves under Clive. The new official profiles also hint toward that outcome:
Hugo Kupka – Official Profile
Hugo was Permanent Economic Adviser Hugo Kupka’s meteoric rise to prominence was sudden, if not unexpected. Once a nameless foot soldier in the Republican Army, his awakening as Dominant of the Eikon Titan thrust him to the forefront of Dhalmekian politics. It was here he used his newfound position as the most powerful man in the republic to exert influence over both the nation’s armies and its policy making—amassing a personal fortune in the process. Yet while it is said that a man who has everything wants for nothing, Benedikta Harman will teach him money and power are far from all the world has to offer.
Benedikta Harman – Official Profile
Having emerged from the storm of youth coldhearted and ruthless, Benedikta Harman—Dominant of the Eikon Garuda, Warden of the Wind—turned her talent for swordplay and subterfuge into a command of Waloed’s elite intelligencers. It is on a mission to find the elusive second Eikon of Fire that she crosses paths with a like-minded Clive and is forced to face her past.
It’s interesting to note Benedikta is from Waloed, a realm where the current king is also a Dominant, but his Eikon was not revealed yet. It’s probably one of the Eikons we’ve seen in the gameplay trailer: either Ramuh, Odin, or Bahamut.
Jill’s Identity As Shiva Is Pretty Much Certain Now
Moreover, the fact that the new characters all look similar to their Eikon heavily implies that Jill Warrick is Shiva’s Dominant, as they both look similar. Note that the artwork at the right is Jill during the intro of the game, with the young version of Clive. It’s likely the post-timeskip version of Jill has an even bigger resemblance to Shiva.
Last but not least, check out the newest screenshots in the gallery below, featuring several landscapes and areas not shown in the trailer.
That’s all regarding the new characters in FF16. The JRPG by Square Enix will be out on PS5 in Summer 2023. Producer Naoki Yoshida mentioned the development team will be revealing more about the game soon, most notably through interviews.
