Eikon in Final Fantasy 16, Ifrit, rather than Phoenix. His story is told in parts with several time skips.
[Warning: The following article contains minor spoilers for Final Fantasy 16 and Game of Thrones.]
Clive is seen as a teenager at the age of 15, as well as an adult on a quest for revenge at 28. Although Clive lives a unique story in Final Fantasy 16, there are many elements that connect him to Game of Thrones’ Jon Snow. There are similar events in both of the character’s stories that make them more alike than distinct from each other. This should come as no surprise, however, considering how much the game’s story was inspired by the show, making the connection between Final Fantasy 16’s Clive and Jon Snow much more obvious.
Final Fantasy 16 Is Heavily Inspired By Game Of Thrones
As was reported by Final Fantasy 16’s Clive is very similar to Game of Thrones’ Jon Snow.
How Final Fantasy 16’s Clive Is Like Jon Snow
There are many similarities between Final Fantasy 16’s Clive and Jon Snow, and they are not simply related to his stoic demeanor. One of the first notable aspects is how much the character is adored by his father and disliked by his mother figure. In Final Fantasy 16, Clive is beloved by the Archduke, but his mother actively despises him, preferring his younger brother, Joshua. In Game of Thrones, Catelyn Stark’s disdain for Jon Snow stems from the fact that he is Ned Stark’s bastard child. Although Clive is not a bastard and the reason for which he is hated is not the same, this relationship dynamic is nearly identical.
Even with Final Fantasy 16's Clive being the Archduke’s legitimate son, he does play the role of a bastard in the game. He is sent away to a faction far away from Rosaria, reduced from successor to the throne to a lowly field soldier. He was expected to be the Dominant of the Phoenix, but by not being in control of that Eikon, he is somewhat deemed as unfit for the Grand Duchy of Rosaria. The dark Eikon Ifrit has a bad reputation, which is automatically applied to Clive as well. Similarly, Jon Snow s the Night’s Watch, a faction of criminals and bastards dedicated to protecting the Wall on the northern edge of Westeros.
Although the game’s protagonist is involuntarily sent away by his own mother and the TV show’s character actively chooses to the Night’s Watch, this is yet another similarity between Final Fantasy 16’s Clive and Jon Snow. Their exile periods play important parts in their character development over time and how they see the world. Not only that, but their exiles are where they develop many significant relationships that are important for the story later on. Even if the circumstances and causes are not identical, the path Clive and Jon tread are astonishingly alike.
As if their origin stories are not sufficiently similar, there is yet another aspect that connects Jon Snow to Final Fantasy 16’s Clive. Both of these characters are gifted with a pet wolf when they are very young – and both of these wolves come to them as pups, growing along with the characters themselves. Before Jon leaves for the Night’s Watch, he adopts the baby direwolf, Ghost, which accompanies him through a large portion of the show’s story. The creature’s loyalty proves useful in various situations, and the same can be said for Clive’s wolf, Torgal.
The video game wolf that Clive adopts as a pup grows into a large creature who even helps in battle. As was seen in promotional material and Final Fantasy 16’s demo, Torgal actively participates in battle and even attacks Garuda’s Dominant, Benedikta Harman, when Clive is facing her in combat. This type of behavior resembles that of Ghost in many situations, who attacks those that oppose Jon – Ghost threatens Rast to protect Jon’s friend Sam Tarly, for instance. With them being proud owners of combat-ready wolves, this strikes yet another similarity between Final Fantasy 16’s Clive Rosfield and Jon Snow.
There are still other elements that are shared between Clive and Jon Snow, such as minor traits in their personalities. Both of these warriors are also very affectionate of their siblings and will go through all the possible risks to protect them from danger. They are also willing to make unusual alliances to ensure that peace will prosper but are also ready to wield their swords to fight for what they believe in. Final Fantasy 16’s Clive and Game of Thrones’ Jon Snow are both tragic figures that endure many hardships and prove, time and time again, that they remain loyal to their beliefs.
Clive Rosfield and Jon Snow are also unwilling to forsake their own individual missions, are untouched by corrupting forces, and actively fight for justice. With the game’s release, there will inevitably be other similarities found between Final Fantasy 16’s Clive and Game of Thrones’ Jon Snow. They can be major, involving events that are alike between the two stories, or minor, such as new personality traits or the friends and allies that they make along the way.
Source: Eurogamer
