FFXVI Lore: Everything We Know (so far)!

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[@knifewieldingwomen]

Friendship ended with "Shardbert." Now "Clivebert" is new best friend.

[@pracitus]

Good thing that theory died along with the "-bert" thing

[@spacebeagle3576]

Interesting how the crystals are known as Drake’s _____. Is it Bahamut’s corpse perhaps, or maybe Shinryu?

[@RaddyC]

Or they could be leftovers of the last time Bahamut came around and wreaked his havoc. Sort of like the corrupted crystals he left in Eorzea. And the “blight” is a result of Bahamut waking back up. It could also sort of explain the sudden appearance of Ifrit. The mothercrystals are putting out more aether would explain multiple eikons of the same element.

[@Silphiroth]

I know this is said a 100 times b now but the map itself looks shaped like a dragon. That alone can lead to many speculations but personally I think it's just like in Horizon Zero Dawn, where everything is called "Mother's _____" by the Nora. No bahamut, no shinryu, just name places the way they look like

[@zavi3rz]

I've got a feeling Joshua will not be gone from the story even if he dies in the first act, since Pheonix is known for rebirths.

[@LexLiminality]

Good call. They seem to be being pretty transparent that Joshua's going to die, so that could be a red herring to distract from the real twist that he doesn't (or rather he does, but, well... Phoenix).

[@Shizukanexen]

Been waiting for you to go over the XVI lore! Thank you Ethys! Love your videos.

[@Crimsonfur]

Really enjoyed this! Looking forward to the future!

[@mikhzaku]

Assuming we know the entire world, I propose that there are only supposed to be 8 eikons, each representing an element (My guess is Fire, Earth, Ice, Lightning, Wind, Water, Light, and Dark) and each mother crystal, minus Drake’s Tail, actually houses 2 eikons. This would explain the appearance of Garuda claws in the trailer and Ifrit being called the 9th eikon without adding extra crystals into the world. And, speaking of Ifrit, I think Drake’s Tail and the Crystalline Dominion have something to do with our second eikon of fire. The specific mention that Drake’s Tail lacks a dominant seems suspicious. So I’m thinking it might be the naturally occurring sight of Ifrit’s dominant that they kept hidden, or, the more likely case in my eyes, it could also be the home of some experiments to create new eikons and dominants as weapons of war. If you’ve played FF15, I’m thinking the Blight is basically the Starscourge. A disease that a nation is making full use of to make weapons of war, in this case, “the most powerful and deadly creature in Valisthea.” Eikons.

[@wilan6340]

I love your analysis as always, but tbh the Shardbert thing got old. It was fun while it lasted, it gave me a chuckle, but now that we've got a confirmed name it's only going to get more and more confusing going forward. It really detracts from the quality of the rest of the video.

[@Strider_Shinryu]

This was my thought as well. I get that some people still find it funny but in an otherwise "serious" lore video it felt, honestly, very infantile. It also reminded me a lot of the whole "fetch" thing from Mean Girls.

[@GrandCatapult]

I'd be funnier if you had to "correct" yourself from calling him Shardbert rather than the other way around.

[@AlexG-xq7xj]

Concurred. It pulled me entirely out of the video every time.

[@nararanaraiii2022]

Just take a joke lmao we're not in a classroom :p

[@snaffu1]

Always a delight to hear your narrative voice, Ethys. Fantastic work once again. Thank you m88!

[@UncleFenris]

Nice overview! Looking forward to more news

[@shoulderpyro]

Headcanon: this world is one of Hydaelyn's reflections.

[@RaddyC]

Practically impossible in lore and even less likely irl. They’ve yet to connect any of the main games at all and there’s no reason to think they would. The only way this could be connected to 14 at all is if it takes place on the source thousands upon thousands of years in the future

[@shoulderpyro]

@@RaddyC 's why i said headcanon

[@autumndidact6148]

FWIW, my guess is Shiva's dominant is the one drawing power from the Drake's Tail in the Crystalline Dominion, Waloed's dominant is of Odin, and Sanbreque's *official* dominant is of Leviathan but the emperor is secretly a dominant who draws from all the mothercrystals to summon Bahamut.

[@luc1ferous]

I'd swap them around, that Maelstrom near the very centre of the map is the ideal place for Leviathan to be hiding, the crown on the saintly figure in Sambrque's flag looks suspiciously like Shiva's headpiece... but there are two dragons in that same flag so I do see where you're coming from.

[@GrandCatapult]

Alternatively, Joshua is actually the dominant of the Crystaline Dominion and Ifrit is of Drake's Breath, which would mesh well with the territorial conflicts.

[@rpgfel3371]

Great job as always mate.

[@DexG23]

I've kinda had a theory/thought that involves the Blight. Its probably wrong' but what if it somehow corrupted the crystals or at least the others, and the corruption spread. Giving rise to more dangerous and powerful eikons.

[@Orynae]

Crystals being corrupted does sound very Final Fantasy.

[@Canucks4us]

Keep the Shardbert meme alive Ethys!

[@wandering-wisp]

I’d like to add, among other things, that the Japanese localisation of the official website talks about the blight in terms of « dark area » or « dark territory », while referring to Ifrit as the « dark eikon of fire », obviously trying to link the two together (rightfully or in a misleading way? 🤔). Anyway, this would imply that the blight is not so much an illness that affects people but something that feeds on the land instead.

[@slax4884]

Love this and enjoy your channel

[@VentusxBBSxSpero]

Great video, absolutely psyched to hear the speculation! From a marketing standpoint, I find it very had to believe that someone touted as a main character (e.g. Joshua) would die off in an early part of the game. Plus, he's blessed (?) with the power of the Phoenix, and we all know how that *could* end. Regardless of whether or not he dies and is reborn or something else happens to him (such as Rosaria falling by Blight, war, etc.), I feel pretty confident that Joshua will survive. Also, I'm just waiting for Ethys to slip up and call him Clive. You can't keep up this Shardbert ruse forever :)

[@Darrel_B]

Ethys, we miss you. Be well

[@xilunjiang2558]

Iron Kingdom sounds really cool

[@Hayami4]

I wonder if Joshua will die or he will get stuck into his "summon" form and go crazy

[@Narnio01]

Given that the Kingdom of Waloed's flag happens to be that of a horse with a very particular barding, I think it's pretty clear that Waloed's eikon is going to be Odin. As you note, it's pretty easy to speculate. Otherwise I suppose we might have Ramuh as one of the other eikons for lightning/air , and maybe a water-based crystal for Leviathan. That does leave the question of what aspect Odin would attune to, of course. Unless one of the aspects is literally just 'Sword' and the mother crystal of Waloed is a giant blade in the earth.

[@jonh4872]

If Shardbert did not inherit Phoenix, it's probably because he isn't related to the archduke or josh, likely he was adopted, unbeknownst to him, like Cecil and the king of baron

[@Jay-mx5ky]

Check the website. It's confirmed Clive is Joshua's older brother and the Archduke's first son.

[@ItsTerru]

👌👌👌

[@coqzilla3811]

Looking at the alliance flag, i dont know why but i immediatelly saw flags of Maelstrom, Twin Adder, Ishgard and Immortal Flames

[@meteorwalkergg]

I respect your devotion to the Shardbert troll/meme 😎

[@chrisparker9299]

I wanna get FFXVI

[@Kylesico912x]

I'm not entirely convinced Joshua is going to die. At least not in a way he won't come back from. He is the dominant of Phoenix, which could potentially mean that he will rise from the ashes. I'm going to guess he will die, time skip happens and then Clive ends up coming across his brother. However Joshua hasn't aged a day since dying because Phoenix only recently resurrected him.

[@LexLiminality]

So if Ifrit is the "dark" eikon of fire, could there be other dark eikons of each element? If so, who are likely candidates?

[@dawningmoment]

Support

[@jupiter4602]

ngl at first i misread this as ffxiv and i was like. whoa dude

[@rudischulz4017]

*37 hour video*

[@gurerozdil3203]

Ethys, it seems you're the guy to be followed through the journey of XVI just like we followed Final Fantasy Peasant through the long journey of XV.

[@lyconxero457]

So I'm curious why exactly you pronounce the world the way you do? I've heard people pronounce it many different ways and while i'm sure we'll eventually hear it said in a future trailer I'm just wondering if your pronunciation is based on some familiarity you have with the region or just your own personal take on it.

[@Orynae]

Not sure about his pronunciation of Sanbreque. But as for Waloed, the name itself looks distinctly Germanic, with the "oe" similar to Voeburt in FFXIV (which is pronounced in-game closer to vuh-burt, rather than voh-burt).

[@Dormanil]

But, there's only six aethereal elements! There should have already been elemental overlap in the aspects of the eikons. /s [Unless Astral and Umbral count as different elements now, instead of groups of elements.]

[@YYorle]

SHARDOBERTO!!! *ahum*... Sorry, let myself go there for a sec...

[@KenjiShiratsuki]

I believe the other three crystals must be Drake's Wing (probably wind element/garuda if it's unclaimed by the known ones), Drake's Claw/Talon, and Drkae's D- I'M KIDDING. Seriously, if there are three more we're probably getting Wing, Claw, and Talon, meaning foreleg and hindleg respectfully (or perhaps scale?). The other possibility is that the other crystals aren't part of the Drake and there may be another creature's parts strewn about the land as crystallized aether. An eastern dragon needs no wings, though it might need horns, whiskers, and still legs. I'm betting we're in for a western dragon though, considering the aesthetic is very high-fantasy, western-inspired. So my guess is there's three other parts we haven't been told of yet. I'm also calling it now that these are parts of Bahamut and by attuning to all of them, their aether, and that of the eikons who represent the crystals, CLIVE will be able to turn into Bahamut at the end.

[@hek7752]

I think jill is shivas dominant look at her necklace

[@WeissesSpatz]

No mention of the ironborn of the iron islands? ...just me drawing parallels with a certain other franchise?

[@judgeoschon8395]

I both love and hate that you keep calling the main protagonist Shardbert! Keep it up, I love it!

[@Gintaxis]

Is it possible that Shardbert yelling for Joshua to wake up is because he lost control and awoke to Ifrit instead of phoenix, and killed their father whom was phoenix?

[@zavi3rz]

Highly unlikely, because in the Japanese trailer Clive was begging Ifrit to stop tearing up his brother.

[@Gintaxis]

@@zavi3rz didn't know that. So while it still wouldn't surprise me, does seem unlikely now

[@cameronkamarei8012]

Why are you calling Clive Shardbert? Did they change it?

[@toothfairy7765]

#EndSlander4Clive

[@Cellsplitter]

The "Shardbert" meme is flying high above my head. Why not also call Joshua "Lalabert" while we're at it?

[@RaddyC]

Because Clive looks like Ardbert

[@TokidoTaro]

My headcanon is, that Clive is the name of Yoshi-P's private Warrior of Light.

[@Cynicz13]

I can't help but wonder if the return of crystals to the will also mean the return of the Four Fiends in some manner.

[@RaddyC]

I heard in a Facebook group that it’s been confirmed that Clive is a blue mage. Is that true or was someone just speculating

[@rpgfel3371]

Unfortunately I don't think that's the case. Blue mage at its core is a job where in the player steals abilities from the monsters they encounter and mirrors them. It seems to me that "Shardbert" has his abilities as a swordsman and those he receives as a blessing from his brother (Phoenix) and then later on from Ifrit which is more akin to Summoner. Having said that I feel that the classic "Job" system that Final Fantasy has employed in the past is no longer as strict as it once was and the lines will blur as they focus on single player story driven naratives, as so far I see no hint of people whom "Shardbert" will party up with.

[@Varizen87]

Just a personal deal man... But... I'm just not digging the whole Shardbert thing... It's just feels so trite and forced... forced jokes and memes just don't hold.

[@TheSpicyLeg]

Much prefer more medieval Final Fantasy.

[@NaohMkS]

This nickname for Shardberd is kind of growing on me

[@jeli26ll]

xD Maybe try pronouncing his name as 'Cleave' is easier than Clive on many ears. (or possibly many ears)

[@dreadedronin24]

Who is this Clive you speak of? I thought it was pronounce Shardbert

[@jeli26ll]

@@dreadedronin24 wait a second......... the more he is [called] Shardbert, the more he is socially accepted as...... this is brilliant! xD .. oh wait does tha make him a primal, a concept or a.... ok... hmmmmmmm , well a different sort of summoning, reconfirming existence ...

[@jeli26ll]

Hm, he is his own person, but for me personally, for now, Shardbert and 'Cleave' [Clive] are interchangeable on whom is referenced.. thou more inclined to maybe the older one a bit on the Shardbert, a smidge, in hopeful gazes. xD