SPOILER WARNING: This article contains MAJOR spoilers for Final Fantasy 16WhileFinal Fantasy 16breaks new ground in many ways, there are still very simple throwbacks to its long-standing legacy. Players will encounter Chocobos and a Moogle, wieldweapons seen in everyFinal Fantasygame, and of course, use the powers of incredible summons (known as Eikons here). Rooted in that is protagonist Clive’s story and growth. Perhaps surprisingly, Clive’s Chocobo ties in directly with that too.
Early on in the game, players will see Clive interact with a silver Chocobo who later takes serious damage defending him. Things go south, but several years later, players can complete a specificFinal Fantasy 16sidequest to discover and unlock this very same Chocobo. It may take some time for it to click with players, but her name, Ambrosia, ties into the game’s core themes.
RELATED:Final Fantasy 16 Review
Final Fantasy 16: Clive, Ambrosia, and the Nectar of the Gods
Unlocking Ambrosia inFinal Fantasy 16is important, as it speeds up the otherwise pretty slow world traversal, but she’s more than a simple gameplay mechanic. As anyone who has beaten the game will know, the core story revolves around Ultima’s manipulation of humanity and acquisition of Mythos, or Clive, a vessel powerful enough to host Ultima and cast a spell to recreate the world to their liking. In this way, Clive serves as a sort of meal for Ultima, a way for the would-be God to maintain its immortality and make the world it wants. Indeed, there are two major elements to Ultima’s plan: the world’s Aether and Clive.
Cloud’s Chocobo is symbolic of this story inFinal Fantasy 16too. Her name is Ambrosia, which any Greek mythology fan may be quick to point out as the Nectar of the Gods: a meal or drink said to confer immortality upon whoever drinks it. Homeric writings referred to Aether as the bright blue sky, sometimes believed to be the breath of the gods. Ultima, the would-be-god, uses a symbolic breath of the god to acquire the nectar of the god to confer immortality, effectively, upon himself and his race. So while Clive is perhaps a literal meal for Ultima’s power, Ambrosia reflects that story with a more than apt name.
It’s small detail, for sure, but small details can make or break a game. For example, one late-game surprise is that Ultima is not alone and that the Mothercrystals had been created by the bodies of other Fallen, who come together to face Clive. This is important because, whenever aMothercrystal is destroyed inFinal Fantasy 16, there is a scream accompanied by it. Sometimes the scream is fainter than at other crystals, but it goes to show how they were made of once-breathing creatures. It makes this reveal more potent once players realize, and the same goes for Ambrosia’s symbolism and relationship with Clive.
Final Fantasy 16is available now on PS5.
MORE:Final Fantasy 16’s First DLC is Crystal Clear, Despite No Plans for It
