Summary
Fans ofFinal Fantasy 16were treated to the announcement of two DLC expansions during the Game Awards 2023 presentation. The first one, titled Echoes of the Fallen, is available now after its shadow drop was confirmed during the Game Awards, and the other expansion, The Rising Tide, is slated for a Spring 2024 release. WhileFinal Fantasy 16fans can dive into Echoes of the Fallennow, there isn’t much known about The Rising Tide given it won’t be released for a few more months, but there is already one obvious candidate for the DLC’s main antagonist.
At the heart ofFinal Fantasy 16’s story are the Eikons, powerful beings with human hosts known as Dominants, and their use as weapons of war across the world of Valisthea. Given how crucial Eikons and their Dominants are to the plot ofFinal Fantasy 16, it would make sense that the DLC would also feature them as important figures in its story as well. As such, the most likely candidate for a villain inFinal Fantasy 16’s The Rising Tide DLC is the lost Eikon, Leviathan, and its Dominant, whomever that may be.
Leviathan the Lost Makes the Most Sense as Final Fantasy 16 The Rising Tide’s Antagonist
Leviathan is the Only Eikon Missing from the Base Game
TheFinal Fantasyseries is known for utilizing legendary creatures, mythological figures, and even gods as characters throughout its various entries. Often appearing as summons, these beings include characters such as Bahamut, Ifrit, Shiva, and Leviathan among others, usually being referred to as Eidolons, orEikons in the case ofFinal Fantasy 16. DespiteFinal Fantasy 16utilizing many of these iconic characters as the basis for its Eikons, it’s strange that Leviathan is absent among them given its status as one of the series' most notable.
Throughout the course ofFinal Fantasy 16’s story,protagonist Clivelearns he has the ability to absorb the Eikonic powers of other Dominants beyond his own Eikon, Ifrit. As the story progresses and players meet more Dominants, they learn that the Eikon Leviathan had mysteriously vanished long ago and had never reawakened inside a Dominant. This disappearance earned it the title of Leviathan the Lost and serves as the perfect setup for The Rising Tide DLC to explore in greater depth.
The Rising Tide’s Name Suggests it Will Feature Water as a Key Element
The Game Awards trailer forFinal Fantasy 16’s DLCshows that players will get to explore the new land of Misidia in The Rising Tide. Among the footage shown was a shot of Clive facing off against a huge serpent and a tidal wave of water, indicating that Leviathan will likely play a major role in the DLC’s plot. As a creature typically associated with water, it makes sense that the title The Rising Tide would allude to the inclusion of Leviathan as a crucial figure in the story of the DLC, and there is precedent for the series to feature Leviathan as a key antagonist.
Leviathan first appeared as an enemy inFinal Fantasy 2, where it swallowed the player’s party and earned the title of the Sea King. InFinal Fantasy 15, Leviathan serves as the boss of Chapter 9 and acts as the catalyst that sparks the events in the second half of that game’s plot. WithFinal Fantasy 16having room to explore the Motes of Water from whomLeviathan’s Dominantwas supposed to awaken, it’s clear that the mystery of this lost Eikon will take center stage in The Rising Tide DLC, and Clive will very likely have to battle against this beast and its Dominant as part of the DLC’s story.
