Final Fantasy 16 is finally out in the wild! This game is a bona fide hit. It's enjoying stellar reviews praising both its incredible story and combat. In a world full of vicious factions vying for power, it's easy to lose track of who belongs where and which nations are warring with one another. Feeling a little lost is perfectly normal, especially in the beginning of the game.
While Final Fantasy 16 does a good job of contextualizing its major players and plot, the beginning of the game really throws you into the deep end of the pool. Fortunately, we're here to help you make sense of everything happening in this incredible title. In the beginning of the game, the protagonist is referred to as both Clive and Wyvern. We'll help you understand hot that came to be.
The following article contains spoilers for the opening hours of Final Fantasy 16
Why Is Clive Called Wyvern?
In the very beginning of the game, Clive's family, The Grand Duchy of Rosaria, is attacked by the Imperial army. The Imperials crash a celebration and kill all of the men. This attack initiates a series of events where the defenders of Rosaria are killed, two fire Eikons fight to the death, and it's revealed that Clive's mother is responsible for the attack. She betrayed her husband and countrymen to the Imperial forces. When Clive is found unconscious on the ground, his mother tells an Imperial soldier to leave him alive instead of killing him. The thought here is that Clive will prove useful to the Imperials. Bearers are often viewed as tools in Valisthea.
When we see Clive again as an adult, he is working with a small unit of Imperials who call him Wyvern. We also see Clive has a brand on his face, marking him as something of a slave in this cruel world. Clive's commander later claims to have given Clive the name Wyvern after Clive became a Branded. This conveys to the player that, after being found unconscious, Clive was stripped of his very identity, branded by the empire, and given a new name.