Final Fantasy 16 tells a much darker story compared to previous titles in the series, and unsurprisingly there are a lot of dead characters by the time it reaches its conclusion. Still, many players may feel that Clive should be safe since he is the protagonist, but is this truly the case? If you want to know whether or not Clive dies in Final Fantasy 16, we can answer that question for you.
*Warning: This article contains spoilers for Final Fantasy 16!*
Final Fantasy 16 Clive’s Death
Final Fantasy 16 offers an open ending, but Clive is most likely dead at the end of the story due to two reasons. First, before erasing magic and Eikons from Valisthea, Clive remarks that “Ultima’s power is too great for this vessel all along,” implying that his body cannot handle the concentrated magic of God and will soon perish.
That’s why the protagonist opts to use that power to erase Ultima’s legacy from the world despite knowing it will likely kill him. After releasing unknown magic at the crystal core in the Origin, Clive finds himself stranded at a beach. This is where we can see the second reason why he is unlikely to survive.
As Clive expected, the excess magic in his body has triggered the Crystals’ Curse that many Bearers succumbed to. At first, we only see his fingertips turning into stone, but seconds later, it has progressed much further, and now his whole left hand has lost to petrification. If you’ve read the Crystals’ Curse entry in the Active Time Lore, you will know this disease has no cure, and considering how fast it spreads on Clive’s body, the man will not last much longer.
Related: Final Fantasy 16 Complete Game Guide on Gamepur
Of course, you’re free to believe that Clive somehow survives the unlikely odds and reunites with his friends. The developer has opted not to show the protagonist turn to dust like Hugo Kupka, and you can think up various reasons and theories to justify Clive’s survival.
Although Clive’s death is already a huge mystery in Final Fantasy 16, the game has also decided to drop another question at the very end of the game. While Joshua seems certain of his death after Ultima escapes from his prison, there may be a chance the Phoenix’s Dominant somehow survives the mortal wounds and the destruction of the Origin.
In the after-credit scene, you can actually see a book titled Final Fantasy, written by Joshua Rosfield, on the table in an unknown house. Like Clive’s death, the game does not give further explanation, and we are left wondering about the two brothers’ fates in Final Fantasy 16.
Related: What Is the New Final Fantasy XIV Expansion: Dawntrail? on Siliconera
