A long-time gaming friend and I have been doing a full playthrough of Final Fantasy 10 together. We’ve known each other since about 2008, meeting on Xbox 360 and constantly creating characters based on our two favorite FF10 characters: Yuna (mine) and Auron (his). My ongoing joke as we play is that I was first around Tidus’s age of 17 when I first picked up the series, but now I’m a similar age to Auron after replaying it for the hundredth time, and let me tell you, hearing Tidus make old man jokes once Auron joins the party results in many eye rolls nowadays.
I’ve learned to suspend belief enough when replaying older Final Fantasy games, as the tropes of “young people save the world,” and “anyone over the age of 30 is old” have both become synonymous with JRPGs. But I was pleasantly surprised to see that Final Fantasy 16 is eschewing this trend. Clive, the main protagonist of FF16, will be 33 years old ... after the third time skip, anyway.
That makes Clive the oldest protagonist in a mainline Final Fantasy game, placing the meme’d-to-death Jack Garland of Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin in the runner-up slot at the borderline-ancient age of 32. Alongside presenting a much darker, more mature narrative, FF16 will be a refreshing experience for fans of the series, as Clive further pushes away from the young, idealistic hero we've come to see in recent Final Fantasy games.
In having an older protagonist, FF16 will allow for a deeper exploration of themes such as maturity, responsibility, and experience. The struggles and challenges faced by someone in their thirties (like me) are very different from ones that tend to pop up for older teens or early twenty-somethings. By the time we see Clive in his third phase of life, he will have already experienced a great deal, and he may have already faced his own personal demons and challenges. In showing his growth, the developers can provide a rich tapestry of emotions and experiences to deepen our connection to Clive, thus making for a more nuanced and complex narrative.
FF16 has the chance to provide a unique point-of-view on Clive's world. By phase three of the game, Clive is likely to have a more refined and mature understanding of the political and social landscape, which is undoubtedly going to play a big role in the game’s story. As a player of Final Fantasy 14, I am aware of game producer Naoki Yoshida’s politically charged storytelling. Clive will, on some level, have a greater understanding of the consequences of his actions, which will add a layer of moral complexity to the narrative.
One of the most obvious things that Square Enix is doing with FF16 is casting a wider net to get a wider audience's interest. The series, in its own right, has always had a broad appeal, but it has often been marketed towards a younger demographic. By featuring an older protagonist, the game can appeal to older gamers, such as me, and arguably the ones who played games like God of War and found the aged Kratos to be quite relatable.
I’ll be glad to see the “characters older than 30 are old” trope thrown out the window as a Clive who's further into adulthood kicks some butt on the screen. It’s about time an older main protagonist shows the Final Fantasy community that aging, whether for he players or the characters, does not necessarily mean that the game will be lacking in excitement and action. While a younger Clive will probably show more agility, older Clive will make up for this with skill and experience. As the player, you will have a greater understanding of tactics, strategy, and combat technique by the time Clive has matured.
Final Fantasy 16 is shaping up to be making some bold moves within the series, and having the oldest main protagonist yet is a big one. It is also one that will likely pay off. I am looking forward to experiencing Clive’s story and feeling a sense of relatability to him.