The Final Fantasy 16 prologue may only take two hours, but it is a whirlwind of betrayal and heartbreaking moments, one of which has fans questioning whether Clive killed Joshua. The fight between the brothers was unbearable and brutal and left many wondering exactly what happened in the battle between the two.
As can be expected, spoilers ahead, you’ve been warned!
Final Fantasy 16: Did Clive kill Joshua, explained
The Final Fantasy 16 demo (which consisted of the prologue) was tough to play and watch, especially at the end, where Ifrit killed the Phoenix. And as you may have guessed, Ifrit is Clive, and the Phoenix is Joshua, his younger brother.
Related: Who is Ifrit in Final Fantasy 16?
At the beginning of the game, we play as the Phoenix battling Ifrit, and the situation appeared to be good versus evil. But, as we later discovered, that wasn’t entirely the case. During the night at Phoenix Gate, Joshua watched as his father was killed before him. This led to Joshua embracing the powers of the Phoenix. But, as he was emotional at the time, his powers were out of control. This is where Clive tried to step in.
As Clive went to help him, he fell to the ground, clutching his head. But before him stood a fiery figure, and that’s when he became Ifrit, another Eikon from House Rosfield. Unfortunately, Ifrit is a dark, dangerous, and demonic Eikon, so Clive has no control over that side of himself.
Clive had to watch Ifrit fight against his brother, the Phoenix, in a brutal and devastating onslaught. During this scene, we hear Clive’s broken voice calling the creature to stop hurting his brother. But Ifrit continues to beat the Phoenix until the bird of flames is killed. This scene wasn’t what I expected and was heartbreaking to hear and watch.
The events of this night lead Clive down the path of vengeance as he becomes a soldier for the people his mother betrayed Rosaria with—the Empire.
Does Joshua come back to life in Final Fantasy 16?
As Joshua is a phoenix, you may be wondering, can’t he just come back to life? You’ll be happy to learn that he does.
While details of the night at Phoenix Gate have not yet been revealed, Joshua reappears as the man in the hooded robe—the very one who whispered “We found you” to Clive before he transformed into Ifrit that fateful night.
Although we don’t know how he returned or how he’s the hooded figure from that night, we know that his life after Phoenix Gate involved learning to harness his abilities and the truth of the world. He even saves Clive from a being known as Ultima, who wants Clive as his vessel.
So, even though Clive did kill his brother, Joshua does reappear further in the story—alive and well.
