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Warning: This post contains major SPOILERS for Final Fantasy 16
If you manage to play the MMORPGFinal Fantasy 14without keeping your own glossary and diary, then you deserve applause. Luckily,Final Fantasy 16has been implemented with a number of tools to help you keep track of character names, lore, and political agendas, as it can be challenging to keep track of aliases.
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Entering the second act of gameplay, players will notice that the protagonist, Clive, is thereafter referred to as Cid, even though we know this to be the shorter version of Cidolfus Telamon. Here’s why Clive is called Cid halfway through the game.
Cid’s Goodbye At Drake’s Head
In order to understand why Clive is later called Cid, we have to explain the events that lead to Cidolfus’ downfall and how this affects Clive’s position going forward.
After informing Clive and Jill that the Mothercrystals are the cause ofthe widespread Blight, Cid invites them on his mission to destroy the sacred crystals across Valisthea, beginning with Drake’s Head in Sanbreque.
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After traversing the mines and arriving at the heart of Drake’s Head, Clive has to battle the entity Typhon as Ifrit, and during the following cutscene, Cid also gets his shot in as the Eikon Ramuh, but his efforts are too much for his body as he sparks up a final cigarette. In his dying moments, Cid discusses the better life that they should strive to create going forward and proceeds to give Clivehis Ramuh abilitiesbefore he dies.
We then jumpfive years into the futureafter the destruction of Drake’s Head, when Clive is 33 years old, and the members of the Hideaway are now referring to him as Cid while still mourning the death of Cidolfus.
Why Is Clive Called Cid?
Clive is called Cid after Cidolfus’ death because the protagonist has essentially become the new leader of the Hideaway and the cause embarked on by his predecessor.During his final moments, Cidolfus implied that Clive was the newly appointed leader of the cause, as he could think of no one better to fulfill his legacy.
Cid, therefore, becamemore of a mantle than a name, and by accepting Cid as his new title, Clive was continuing to work towards a better world by destroying the rest of the Mothercrystals in Valisthea and freeing the Bearers and Branded from their hellish existence as lesser folk.
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Even before Cidolfus’ death, Cid was a name known throughout the lands, and this reputation continued even after his death, with Clive picking up the mantle. Many friends and foes of the Hideaway never knew what Cid looked like, nor did they hear of his passing. Therefore, when Clive showed up as Cid in various locations from the second act onwards,many assumed that Clive had always been Cid.
Clive is also referred to asCid the Outlawdue to the rebellion’s stand against thenations of Valisthea, but those closest to him, including Jill and Joshua, still refer to him as Clive, with many members of the Hideaway calling him Cid as a tribute of respect to the new leader.
Final Fantasy 16 Is Heavy On The Aliases
If Harpocrates and Vivian hadn’t been on board at the Hideaway, we would have been lost, drowning in names, lore, and aliases. Luckily,Square Enixrecognized that we’re not all Frank Herbert readers and proceeded to implement Active Time Lore pages and character maps, but not all the character’s aliases are accounted for.
Every Dominant in Valisthea will go by their given name but will also be referred to as the Dominant of Ifrit, in Clive’s case, for example. The protagonist also goes by the nameWyvernat the beginning of the game as a forced disguise from his heritage, the same way Aragorn goes by Strider in The Lord of the Rings. In Dalimil, Cid the Outlaw gives the nameUnderhillduring an investigation, which could also be a nod to Tolkien’s work. Additionally, Clive is calledMythosby Ultima, a name given to the entity’s perfect vessel, as well asLogos, the antithesis of Mythos.
Then you have Barnabas’ right-hand Knight, Harbard, assuming the title ofSleipnir–the name of Odin’s steed–during the boss battle in the Free Cities of Kanver. The legendary Fallen is often referred to as the Dzemekys, or theSins of Dzemekys, and theFounder, Greagor, and Metiaare all separate deities worshipped and honored by different nations.
One mysterious figure that appears multiple times isThe Hooded Man, first appearing during the events at Phoenix Gate before Ifrit comes to Clive. It’s later revealed that at least one hooded man was Joshua tracking his brother, but we also saw another Hooded Man at The Apodytery that took the form of Clive. However, this was likely a projection of Ultima’s Mythos.
