The Eikons are undoubtedly one of the best parts of Final Fantasy 16. As wardens of Valisthea’s eight elements, the Eikons are beasts of immense strength and power, capable of levelling nations and performing feats thought divine. The Eikons themselves are already incredible but the Eikon battles you will take part in only elevate their place in Final Fantasy history. Between the majestic awe of Bahamut or Phoenix to the destructive chaos of Ifrit, Titan or Odin, Final Fantasy XVI’s iterations of this classic summons will be warmly remembered far into the future, even if they do lead to some puzzling unanswered questions by the time the game ends.
One of the 8 main Eikons is Leviathan, an iconic summon in the Final Fantasy franchise dating back to Final Fantasy 2. As a massive sea serpent, many were excited at the thought of seeing Leviathan in one of XVI’s incredible Eikon fights. Not only did that not happen, but Leviathan doesn’t even show up in the game as an actual Eikon: it barely gets a mention in either the story or the lore. This absence is really jarring and many players have voiced confusion as to where Leviathan is. Today, we’re here to try and unravel that thread, using what few bits of lore we have on the Warden of Water.
Let’s discuss the Eikon Leviathan and its involvement in Final Fantasy XVI, including proposing some theories as to what may have happened to it.
WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SOME MILD SPOILERS FOR THE END OF FINAL FANTASY 16.
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Final Fantasy 16 Leviathan
To start, let’s look at every instance where Leviathan appears in Final Fantasy 16.
During the latter half of the main scenario quest, Clive and his allies make their way to Ash, the sister continent to Storm, to bring down the final Mothercrystal and confront Barnabas Tharmr. Upon arriving at the Shadow Coast, Joshua separates from Clive and Gav to investigate the deserted military fort Gjallarhorn. While exploring Gjallarhorn, Joshua finds a complete version of Ultima’s mural – depicting a god-like being lording over all the Eikons – and he says something very interesting.
“Even Leviathan the Lost is here.”
The Eikonic Mural
And that’s it. The Eikon’s name isn’t even found in any of the additional lore you can get from Harpocrates and it isn’t included in the Beastiary. This one line from Joshua is the only inference we have that Leviathan existed in Final Fantasy XVI.
Of course, while that’s the only time Leviathan’s name is spoken it isn’t the sea serpent’s only appearance. Leviathan appears on Ultima’s mural but the Eikon also shows up on the collector’s edition box alongside all the other Eikons. This is likely just to keep consistency with the mural – which has different art with the same theme and direction – but it’s interesting nonetheless.
As far as I can tell, these are the only times Leviathan is mentioned or seen during the entirety of Final Fantasy 16. While this is a bit disappointing considering how cool and iconic Leviathan is, it’s more puzzling than anything. The fact that they even call out Leviathan’s name at all makes its exclusion more notable than if they just didn’t ever say anything about it: Levithan existed, and it has a place in Valisthea’s history, one we are not privy to.
So, what does this mean and what kind of theories and lore can we draw from Leviathan’s scant few mentions in FF16?
All the Eikons… Apart from One
Theories and Speculation
Theory 1: The Death of Leviathan
The first theory is the most straightforward: Leviathan, and any who could become its Dominant, is dead.
Thanks to the in-game lore, we know that most Dominants awaken based on bloodline. All Eikons currently in the game descend from ancient tribes called Motes, with each tribe belonging to a different element. For example, the Phoenix reincarnates and awakens in the Rosfield family who descend from the Motes of Fire (as revealed in the Phoenix Hidden Truths lore), Shiva awakens in those from the Motes of Ice, Titan from the Motes of Earth and so on.
There are 8 Wardens (Dominants and Eikons) for the 8 Elements. Following this logic, there must have been a Mote of Water tribe that Levithan once came from. If the family line housing an Eikon is completely eliminated, what will happen to that Eikon? Could the Eikon reincarnate into a different family or would they cease to be? According to the Hidden Truths lore on Dominants, we know that the Eikons manifested from the Mothercrystals over several generations where it would presumably pass down the family line. In that case, would it take a similar amount of time for an Eikon to return if an entire line of potential Dominants was erased?
Phoenix Hidden Truths
There simply isn’t enough information on this topic to know for certain but it would make the most sense. If the Motes of Water and Leviathan’s Dominant were completely wiped out in the past it wouldn’t leave anyone capable of taking on the mantle. In the best-case scenario, it would take generations to reincarnate, a situation that hasn’t occurred by the time Final Fantasy 16’s main plot has taken place. This would help explain why Leviathan isn’t around and hasn’t been for a long period (to the point where people seem to have forgotten the Eikon entirely), why Ultima doesn’t seem to have any interest in Levithan and why it is called the Lost.
Admittedly, holes in this theory do exist. Keeping track of bloodlines and lineage across many generations is a convoluted thing: it’s mentioned that the only way the Rosfields have been able to make sure that the Phoenix continually awakens in their line is through the “careful preservation of bloodlines”. This clearly isn’t the case for all Dominants, with some like Hugo or Benedikta seemingly being born outside of nobility or importance until they awakened. The idea that someone culled the entire Mote of Water tribe and anyone connected to them isn’t out of the question, especially considering how treacherous and grim Valisthea is, even though you are able to easily scrutinise it.
This theory is still certainly the most simple and explainable, though. It would tie up almost all of Leviathan’s loose ends and explains why only Joshua knows about it, as he is someone who seems to have extensive knowledge of forbidden and ancient history based on what he knows about Ultima. Still, it would be pretty disappointing to know that there’s a sick-looking Leviathan on the cutting room floor somewhere in Final Fantasy XVI.
Leviathan in Final Fantasy XV
Theory 2: Leviathan is Outside Valisthea
Lastly, we have another theory which I personally believe: Leviathan, and any who could become its Dominant, have fled Valisthea for far-off lands beyond the seas.
This theory would try and push forward the idea that, at some point in the distant past, Leviathan’s Dominant left Valisthea for lands outside its reach. We know such lands exist as the Thousand Tomes mention the Southern Isles and somewhere ominously called the Continent. To assume that Leviathan, the Eikon of Water and a massive sea serpent, could traverse the waves around Valisthea and escape to other lands isn’t too big of a stretch.
Across the Waters
Why Leviathan may have left is a separate matter. Perhaps it was Ultima, the treatment of Dominants or something else entirely. Whatever the case, this theory would help explain a good deal of strangeness around Leviathan. The most important thing this addresses is why Leviathan seems pretty prominent in Valisthea’s past but neither Leviathan nor its Dominant have appeared in recent history.
Things get a bit clearer when you bring Odin and Barnabas into this. According to the Hidden Truths section of Odin’s lore card, Barnabas is, reportedly, the very first Odin in recorded history. Barnabas came to Valisthea “from the outer continent” as a young man. It isn’t clear whether he had the powers of Odin before or after he arrived. Going off the theory that most Dominants awaken at a young age, this means that, theoretically, Dominants may awaken outside of Valithean soil. This could give credence to the idea that Leviathan and the Motes of Water have been reincarnating off of Valisthea for a long time, hence the Lost affix to Leviathan’s name.
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- Barnabas’ Origins
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- Odin Hidden Truths
Outside of lore, I just think this possibility holds the most promise should Final Fantasy 16 get any additional DLC. We know that Square Enix is no stranger to additional content (see the entirety of Final Fantasy 15’s life cycle). What would be more enticing than new story content involving the return of a long-lost Eikon and their Dominant, potential alongside unlockable Leviathan Eikon powers or a massive Eikon battle? This is pure speculation and fantasy but, as I said, it isn’t completely out of the question.
Obviously, as with most theories, not everything fits perfectly. If Ultima knew there was another Eikon and Dominant out there, why would he not do anything about it? The more Eikons he gets Mythos to absorb, the stronger he would be. Of course, it could simply be a case of distance and Clive’s remaining will – he cannot force Clive to cross the ocean, after all, and it would be pointless to do so – but it is still a notable thing to consider.
Room For One More?
Whatever the truth of Leviathan is, their inclusion and then subsequent disappearance in the story is an intriguing and lingering question when you roll credits. Maybe we’ll get an explanation when the art book releases or in some potential DLC. Or maybe we’ll be stewing and speculating until Final Fantasy 17 releases.
That was everything we knew about Leviathan in Final Fantasy 16. What’s your personal theory on Leviathan’s absence?
