From twisting narratives to awe-inspiring cinematics, Final Fantasy 16 is a fantastic and compelling experience. A heavy-hitting story beat happens in nearly every main quest, each building on the last and pushing the game forward. Shifting from geopolitics to personal quarrels, Final Fantasy 16 is a multifaceted spectacle of storytelling.
As Clive and his party of heroes travel across the world of Valisthea, they come across a variety of allies, villains, and opportunists. Each of the characters contributes to weaving a storyline that will keep you on your toes until the end. There are far more than 10 cool moments in Final Fantasy 16, but these are the ones that stood out the most.
This article contains major spoilers for Final Fantasy 16
10 Every Conversation With Cid
Just to get this one out of the way, every moment that includes Cid is unforgettable. He gets all the good lines and all the best action beats. Also, if you’re playing with English-language voices, the actor who portrays Cid delivers a special performance.
Cid is stoic, humorous, reserved, and reckless, all at the same time. Whenever Cid is in your company, you’ll be waiting to see what he’ll do next. It’s no exaggeration to say that this is one of the best characters that Square Enix has ever created.
9 Fight With Benedikta
In the first engagement with Benedikta, she unveils her ascended form as she sprouts wings and takes to the sky. Cid tells Clive to stand back as this is his fight to take. Although Cid surges with lightning to engage the airborne Benedikta, he’s left a bloody mess in a pile of rubble.
Clive pursues Benedikta and demands that she hand over the fire Dominant. In her defiance, Benedikta battles Clive in an epic boss battle where the battleground gets destroyed, Torgal more than pulls his weight, and an epic finale with Clive draining Benedikta of her essence.
8 Awaken Ifrit
After confronting Garuda, Clive discovers that he is the Eikon of Fire that he's been searching for. During the battle, Clive transforms into Ifrit in a fiery spectacle. Then you fight as Ifrit in a cinematic climax to the battle with Garuda.
After slaying Garuda, Ifrit continues to unleash destruction as Clive is unable to grapple with the forces he’s contending with. In order to save Clive, Ifrit, and the world, Cid transforms into Ramuh for the first time. After being put down by Ramuh, Clive cools down in a jail cell reflecting on what just unfolded.
7 Clive Faces His Demons
It’s time to find out who Clive really is by accepting the truth that Clive has been running from. At the bottom of the winding labyrinth The Halls of the Ancestors, Clive tracks down the hooded man he’s been seeking.
The apparition shows Clive his own memories, illuminating the past that he’s been hiding from. In a deeply personal fight against several forms of himself, the truth about who Clive is becomes inescapable. Clive is Ifrit. He is the fire Dominant that attacked his brother 13 years ago.
6 Ramuh Destroys The Mother Crystal
After trying to destroy the Mother Crystal core with his steel, Cid can see that we need a bigger sword. Cid transforms into his Eikon Ramuh and lets out an electrical blast that obliterates the core.
But before the party have time to celebrate, a dark portal opens up and a deathly creature crawls through. Clive calls for Ifrit to aid him in battle, but is unable to ascend to his Eikonic form. Ramuh quickly impales the creature, but not before Clive is sent into a shadow realm - where he is not alone.
5 Joshua!
Just as Clive, Cid, and Jill destroy The Mother Crystal and attempt to restore balance to the realm, Ultima makes their introduction and tries to claim Clive as their vessel. When the party fails to fight off Ultima, a new hero joins the fight.
Joshua makes his triumphant return to the main story by confronting Ultima and protecting his brother. After a short trade of blows between Joshua and Ultima, the two realize that combat is futile. Not to be circumvented, Joshua entraps Ultima in an unforeseen method of dealing with the seemingly indestructible Ultima.
4 That Bandit Looks Familiar
The realm is divided, forces gather on all sides, and loyalties are fractured. The party stumbles upon a group of bandits whose primary allegiance is merely to stay alive. But as Clive and company fight their way through the bandits, a familiar face appears amongst the crowd - it’s Sir Wade.
The rookie knight who accompanied Clive to Stillwind to deal with the goblins and also saved young Joshua’s life by escorting him to safety. Sir Wade informs Clive that he and the other survivors from Pheonix Gate have started the Guardians of the Flame to continue their duty.
3 Jill Gets Her Revenge
Between her youth and meeting up again with Clive in adulthood, Jill has seen many things. She’s been forced to witness the cruelty of men when they have absolute power. But Jill is not powerless herself, the Dominant of Shiva exacts her revenge on the patriarch that caused her harm.
After defeating the Liquid Flame, Jill empowers Clive's blade with an ice imbuement. This newly strengthened weapon destroys The Mother Crystal and closes the dark chapter of Jill's life that she’s been desperate to leave behind.
2 The Massacre At Rosaria
When Lord Rosfield returns to Rosaria to reclaim his hometown, he’s welcomed home by an invading army of imperials led by Lord Kupka. As the party fights off a Coeurl, Jill gets ambushed by the Dominant of the Titan and the rest of our heroes are forced to surrender.
As Gav frees Clive from the dungeons, Jill awaits her scheduled execution in the courtyard. But before the axe can fall, a semi-primed Torgal saves the day with a previously unforeseen power. Encouraged by the daring rescue, the party is ready to take on the entire Republic - including an Eikon.
1 Whiteheart, The Chocobo
When Clive finds out that Chocobo poachers are roaming around Valisthea, he sets out from Martha’s Rest to save The White-Winged Wonder. Upon coming across Whiteheart and her flock, Clive fights off the poachers to protect the pride.
After the fight, Clive notices a scar on the majestic creature, and a memory is triggered. Whiteheart, the wild Chocobo, is actually Ambrosia the former steed of young Lord Rosefield. Now that the two are reunited, they decide to remain a pair - nothing is better than riding around on a Chocobo.