Final Fantasy 16 is one filled to the brim with relationships steeped in drama and intrigue, but one of the most striking is that of Protagonist Clive and his supposed mother Anabella Rosfield. Despite their being family for all intents and purposes, she treats him like garbage and is responsible for his being enslaved and exposed to all manor of hardship. Given this harsh treatment, you wouldn’t be blamed for wondering: Is she his real mother? And if not, who is Clive’s mother in Final Fantasy 16?
We’ve got the answers you’re looking for, but be warned:
There are *Spoilers Ahead* for the game’s main plot and story.
Is Anabella Clive’s Real Mother in Final Fantasy 16? Answered
Despite her unabashed cruelty toward him, Anabella Rosfield is Clive’s mother by blood in Final Fantasy 16. Both he and Joshua are her direct offspring, and no one in the family is a half sibling or step parent.
The reason she was so awful to Clive and caring to Joshua was simple: Joshua was accepted by the Phoenix and became the Eikon of Fire, whereas Clive was initially rejected. This meant Joshua was more viable in terms of ensuring she could increase her social and political standing, while Clive’s uses were limited and he could only ever be a “normal” son to her.
With this in mind, she treated Clive as a failure and put all of her energy into raising Joshua. She even intended for Clive to die during the attack on Rosaria caused by her betrayal, and only wished for herself and Joshua to be allowed to survive so she could use him to gain further standing in the Holy Empire of Sanbreque.
This is likewise the reason she condemned him to slavery. Because she didn’t know Clive had become a second Eikon of Fire, she thought there was no use to keeping him by her side. As far as she was concerned, making him a slave would ensure he couldn’t hold her back or interfere with her plans to gain more power within the Holy Empire.
Is it a bit unfortunate that Clive doesn’t have a more caring, true mother hidden somewhere in the world? Undeniably. But sadly, that’s the honest answer to who Clive’s mother is in Final Fantasy 16. Fret not though, as we’ve got plenty of other articles down below which will teach you about the game and leave you less disgusted with royal parenting techniques.
